Yo! NYC

YoNYC!  I will admit, the trendiness of the Momofuku empire, along with the supposed hassle of acquiring the necessary reservation, has kept me away from the empire in the past.  But I received good advice from a coworker and was able to “sneak in,” figuratively speaking, to the Momofuku Noodle Bar with no reservation or even much of a wait.  This feat is likely impossible with a party of more than two people.  However, our experience made me question the impossibility and elitist claims so lauded over the internet.  I’ve waited longer for a burger at Wendy’s.

Noodle Bar is a very barebones, crowded, and loud place.  It’s also fun in the crazy, frenetic energy kind of way.  If you’ve been to any popular Yakitori place, you will feel the same vibe.  Just don’t expect a quiet dinner – it’s just not that kind of place.

Pork Belly Sliders

Brooklyn Bowl is a fantastic spot for a party. The place has a chill vibe that is accentuated by the excellent food and alcohol options. What myself and the rest of my birthday entourage found interesting however, were the kids. I’ve been to Brooklyn Bowl once before, and no matter what time you go, there are always kids running around. And I’m not talking grade school or high school kids with fake ID’s; I’m talking toddlers chasing bouncy balls and falling because they haven’t learned to traverse stairs yet. It’s an interesting dynamic which you may or may not approve of – the place is still a bar after all and there are plenty of shitfaced patrons at any given time.

For us though, “Hipster Daycare” provided quite a bit of entertainment as we waited for a bowling lane to open up. As mentioned before, the food is excellent and we stuffed ourselves on homemade pork rinds, mac and cheese, and bbq wings. The true gem of the meal however was the Burbon Milkshake.

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Brooklyn Brewery

YoNYC! My birthday has been terrible for 4 straight years. Buried at the end of January, my birthday falls after the manic crush of Christmas/New Years but before Chinese New Year. (I’m Chinese) It’s also been the coldest day of the year, or damn near close to it, for the past 3-4 years.

This year would be different though. And although I wasn’t about to get my hopes up, my girlfriend had other ideas. She charged into the “Ryan’s birthday weekend challenge” with gusto. Looks like I’m going out for my birthday!

Brooklyn Brewery
79 North 11th Street
NY 11211-1913
(718) 486-7422

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