Cute Lunch

OMS/B (156 E. 45th St @ Lexington Ave.)

Omusubi (aka rice balls) is a popular Japanese snack food which is both portable and adorable. At Oms/B you can pick from a multitude of pre-made toppings that come in a variety of colourful wrappers and shapes for a pretty, delicious lunch. Although most people seem to get them to go as the shop is quite small, they have some limited seating at tiny tables. I had Set A which consisted of any 3 Rice Balls and a soup at $8.25. They were a wee bit cold, which makes sense as they pre-make them to cater to the fast moving lunch crowd, but I think it would be nice to have the option of getting freshly fried tempura on your rice ball if you wanted the extra hot crisp.


Shrip Tempura w/ Green Tea Salt, Shrimp Pop Corn, Spicy Tuna

Crisis Relief

Hello again. So much for that thought. A gigantic backlog of mouth-watering food postings have been accumulating in my 6 month absence. Again, I am aiming to make a comeback. Although, no promises this time :)

In our dire financial situation, the bang-for-your-buck motto has reluctantly taken hold. As we pinch our wallets a little tighter, we become choosier, and maybe even a little wiser in our choices. Not only are we limited in the number of meals we can enjoy in a lifetime, the increasing risk of diminishing funds makes it our responsibility to eat out in places that guarantee awesomeness. For help check out Open Table's "Stimulus Plan".
And here's one of my recommendations:

KUTA (65 Rivington St, btwn Allen/Eldrige St.)

Named after a beachy town in Bali, Indonesia, KUTA is that ideal getaway to forget your financial woes. The prix fixe four course dinner includes 1 satay + 1 starter + 1 entree + 1 dessert - all for $25, you can feast like a king without feeling guilty.

Indonesian Madura

(sweet soy brushed flank steak + peanut sauce + crispy shallots)

Somay "Bandung"

(steamed fish shumai + tofu + potato + spicy peanut sauce)

"Manado" Spicy Duck Curry

(crispy duck + seasonal vegetables + cherry tomato + pineapple basil red curry sauce)

Sorbetto/Gelatto
(sicilian pistachio + lime cilantro)

My favorite item was the satay, which neatly exemplified the flavor explosions in Indonesian cuisine in a couple of bites. The appetizer and entree were more ordinary, but pleasant fillers. The dessert was a more memorable experience - the pistachio gelato was not the best I've had but tasted classic and done right; the lime cilantro sorbet was both sweet and salty, the combination resulted in a new, fresh tasting flavor I've never had before - a perfect ending to the heavily spiced meal. They also had a "Crusted Coconut Fried Ice Cream" option but ran out when we ordered. I may have to come back just for this.