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Archive for August, 2011

You may take Captain Solo to Jabba the Hutt after I have… some iced tea.

Wednesday, August 31st, 2011

Seriously. If you are aspiring to be a galactic warlord and want to practice in your kitchen for your future plans of freezing your enemies into carbonite then this may be just the thing for you.

Reciting the scene from "Empire Strikes Back" and/or cackling manically are optional. Repeat, OPTIONAL.

Brought to you by Kotobukiya, a company that started as a doll store in Japan, this ice tray is made from silicon and measures 5 x 3 x 1 inches. Oddly, the product’s page here lists it at $9.99 You can purchase this on Amazon for $24.95 by clicking here. Your choice.

But Kotobukiya didn’t stop there:

Probably the only excuse out there to make BEEP BOOP BEEP noises next to the freezer.

Yes, it’s R2-D2. Yes, you can have a frozen R2-D2 in your cup. Yes, you can also be a cheapskate to your kids by giving them a R2-D2 ice cube for Christmas instead of a real toy (we did ask if you were aspiring to be a galactic warlord in the beginning).

Or you know, you can get them LIGHTSABER CHOPSTICKS.

We recommend playing the Star Wars theme on your mp3 player LOUDLY as you and your partner fight over the last egg roll with these chopsticks.

Thanks for the headsup from DVICE’s Adam Frucci. Check out the post here.

Posted in Odds and Ends | Comments Off

“Mai” Neighbor: Cafe Zaiya

Friday, August 26th, 2011

A while ago, we mentioned “Mai” Sushi on 16 East 41st Street near Bryant Park and the Manhattan Public Library (see the old article here). Amusingly, “Mai” Sushi is one of three Japanese cuisine establishments inside 50 yards of each other. One of the other ones is called “Cafe Zaiya”.

We have no idea what "Zaiya" means.

Unlike its neighbor, “Cafe Zaiya” is setup into four sections. There is your main sitdown area, a baked goods section, a coffee/specialty drinks section, and a hot food section. Between those areas are freezers/open refrigerators with bento boxes and sushi. Much to this reviewer’s delight, the sushi was softer and more moist than the ones at “Mai” Sushi.

Specials!

Today’s special is Fried Shrimp Curry with salad. They do offer other combos but that is for some other time.

The ordering process is rather unique. You pay for your lunch at one of four cashiers and if you order some hot food, they give you a numbered slip. In a few minutes, someone would emerge from the kitchen with your order and asking for your number.

What was lacking are drink options. They do have the mentioned specialty drinks area but that’s more for coffee and tea. There is a barrel of ice filled with aloe and tea drinks.

Nom. They also put a "Paid" sticker on your drink.

For today, we picked up the Fried Shrimp Curry, a batch of California Rolls, and an aloe drink. The total came out to $14.22 after tax. The curry had a nice spice to it which went well with the white rice. The fried shrimp was delicious too. As for the California rolls, they were decent. The main disappointment is the salad which was only one tomato cherry, five leaves of lettuce, some diced onions, and a few teaspoons of salad dressing.

Overall, it was pleasant if you don’t mind the unusual ordering system and the price.

‘Til next time!

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Cesium found in rice near Tokyo, Japan.

Wednesday, August 24th, 2011

Back in July, we posted an article warning about the presence of cesium in found in meat from cattle gazing in the Fukushima region. You can read the old article here. But now things have gotten a little more serious.

The NYTimes recently reported that inspectors in the Ibaraki Precture found traces of cesium in rice. The sample came from the city of Hokota, which is about a hundred miles south of Fukushima’s disaster. The good news is that the radiation is slight and contamination was only found in one out of three samples.

Japan’s Agriculture Ministry said that the trace amounts of cesium pose no current health risk. Developments like this adds fuel to the fears about Japan’s food supply situation. Japan currently has a ban on beef from the Fukushima Prefecture where the nuclear powerplant failed.

Only time can tell the full extent of the damage from the Fukushima disaster this march.

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Gyu-Kaku Photo Contest

Monday, August 22nd, 2011

Happy Monday to you all! (As happy as a Monday can be) Gyu-Kaku, a Japanese BBQ dining franchise, just announced a photo contest with a $1000 prize. Here is what they wrote:

“The Yakiniku Festival 2011 is getting more exciting!

Enter for a chance to win $1000 CASH

Ask your server about the PHOTO CONTEST

1. Order Harami & Gyu-Kaku Nigori Sake

2. Take an exciting photo of yourself enjoying the Harami or Nigori

3. Send your photo to Gyu-Kaku!

Gyu-Kaku East Village: ny@gyu-kaku.com

Gyu-Kaku Midtown: gyukakumidtown@gyu-kaku.com

For every entry, you will get a coupon instantly.

A winner will be awarded $100 Gyu-$$$ per location every week.

The $1000 cash prize will be awarded to the best photo of the Yakiniku Festival 2011!

Winners are announced on our main Gyu-Kaku Facebook page as well as our President’s Facebook page. Go see if you or your friends have won!”

Oddly enough, they did not mention a deadline so we have to assume the contest lasts as long as their Yakiniku Festival. Here is their flyer:

A photo contest with a cash prize and discounts!

A few members of the Diners.org team ate at Gyu-Kaku’s East Village location at one point for a birthday celebration. We will definitely revisit the location and post a more elaborate review in the future. You can read more about their East Village location here.

Posted in Contests, Restaurants | Comments Off

Caffeine, more than just an energy boost?

Friday, August 19th, 2011

Good news to everyone out there who savors coffee (or pretty much whatever caffeinated brew you happen to ingest on a regular basis), caffeine may be more beneficial to your long-term health than you think.

We love you too Mr. Coffee.

According to this article from io9.com, caffeine reduces the ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related enzyme (more easily referred to as ATR) in your body. By removing ATR, cells that are DNA-damaged are more likely to die off.

What does this mean in the end? By decreasing the amount of ATR in your body, cells that normally form tumors/cancer die off before they can become an issue. In the io9 article, this technique has been tried on mice with promising results.

So take this with a grain of salt. ATR may still be vital to your body’s functions; all that is being proven is that less of it is better. The sources io9 cited “Coffee drinking, mortality, and cancer incidence: results from a Norwegian prospective study” as one of their sources as well as io9′s articles on coffee helping with breast, prostate, and skin cancer.

Remember everyone, too much of a good thing is bad… but I guess that won’t stop some of you caffeine addicts from buying the “Shower Shock Caffeine Body Wash” over at Thinkgeek…

No, wait-!

Posted in Health, News | Comments Off

Free Iphone App at Starbucks and Cooking 2AM Chili… LIKE A MAN.

Wednesday, August 17th, 2011

Today we found out that Starbucks may be giving out free iPhone Apps courtesy of Apple.

According to this article on CNET, this iPhone app promotion is based off the music “Pick of the Week” cards that Starbucks and Apple have been using.

The card. Image courtesy of CNET.

Gizmodo’s article on this topic states that all you need to do is pick up the card near the cashier at Starbucks, punch in the code in the Apple Store, and presto! We’re not sure if it’s that easy, but since at least one member of the Diners.org staff has an iPhone we will find out soon enough!

On another note, we were forwarded this hilarious recipe comic about making Chili (Warning: Contains STRONG language and is long. Text version at the end.):

We applaud you, Tyler Capps

For those of you who can’t read the text, here it is:

“2AM Chili with This Guy” by Tyler Capps
A Pot. Get one.
Groceries. (1.5 lbs of beef) Buy them.
Did you buy something like this [Chili Mix]? Cool.
Now throw that s**t away.
We do it LIVE! Son! (2tbsp. of flour, 1 tsp. of basil, 1 tbsp. of onion powder, 4 tsp. of chili powder, 2 tsp. of ground cumin, 1 tbsp. of red pepper, 1 tbsp. of garlic powder, 2 tsp. of sugar)
Mix it up right.
Shake it.
*Sniff* Mmm. YEAH. Smells like touchdowns.
Pro Note: If your kitchen doesn’t have speakers, you are f**king up.
I keeps it CLASSY.
Brown that beef. And meanwhile…
CHOP. (1/2 to 3/4 pepper, 3 to 4 cloves of garlic, use approx 1/2 of onion). Safety first: “We’re fragile creatures. It takes less than a pound of pressure to cut skin.” Hur hur.
And open & combine those cans. Be sure to drain the beans and corn first or they’ll water down your mix.
Status Check: does your stove look about like this? Good.
Beef is done? Drain it and add to the pot. Clean your skillet and get ready to sauté some s**t.
Why coconut oil? Because I can. WHAT?
Sauté them veggies. Like a BOSS.
Add them veggies.
Add that sexy seasoning and a few healthy pinches of brown sugar.
Finally, add a shot of whatever beer you have on hand.
Bring your manly concoction to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for as many hours as you’ve got. (Stir occasionally)
Busy yourself with important things.
Until…
Ready! Crackers! Cheese! Sweet baby jesus.
What’s that? It’s motherf**king delicious?
I know. You’re welcome. Now stop being a stingy bastard and go feed some of your friends with this big pile of food you just made.
Fin. (Until Next time)
Full Shopping List:

The Base:

1 large can of Tomato Sauce
1 normal can of Tomato Sauce
1 can Diced Tomatoes
1 Green Bell Pepper
1 Garlic
1 Onion (Vidalia)
1.5 lbs Ground Beef
1 or 2 cans of Light Red Kidney Beans
1 can of Green Beans
1 can of Corn
Brown Sugar
Cooking Oil of your choice

The Seasoning

All Purpose Flour
Sugar
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Ground Red Pepper (Cayenne)
Chili Powder
Ground Cumin
Basil
Ground Black Pepper

Topping (Optional, but recommended):

Oyster crackers/Mini saltines
Shredded sharp cheddar
Sour cream

If anyone know who Tyler Capps (name in the first panel) and how to contact him, please give him our thanks.

Posted in How To's, Media, News | Comments Off

Haunted by Lobsterfest and Mai Bento Box

Friday, August 12th, 2011

So, less than a week after arriving back in NYC from the Lobsterfest in Rockland, Maine and what do we see?

This:

It's like we never came back to NYC!

Yes, that is a food van whose specialty is lobster and seafood from Maine. Yes, we can see the irony.

Their menu.

We can chuckle at these people on line since Lobsterfest is still fresh in our memories.

The line was too long for an impromptu sampling, but it is on our to-do list. What did we sample today?

Truth in labeling.

That’s “Mai”, a Japanese cuisine restaurant on 16 East 41st Street. Their phone number is (212)-400-8880 and you can find their website here. Today was a small lunch meetup in nearby Bryant Park where the New York Public Library is. As a result, we went and got Bento boxes with sushi to go.

They of course, do more than just Bento boxes.

Much more.

The choices are the usual assortment of Japanese food: beef cutlet, salmon, sushi rolls, etc. We picked out a beef cutlet bento box, a side of California rolls, and a bottle of unsweetened Japanese Green tea. Altogether, that amounted to $18.55.

My lap has been upgraded to a table extension.

The food was a bit unwieldy to eat from due to the tiny table we shared at Bryant Park. As for taste, the food was kept in a open freezer unit which made the rice and cutlet both cold and stiff. This was perfect for the cucumbers, potatoes, and pickled vegetables. But for the rice and cutlet it was a dissappointment.

In the end, next time I go to Mai I would try some of their hot food instead.

Posted in Lunch, Restaurants | 1 Comment »

Samuel Adams Brewery, the Helltini, and Lobsterfest!

Wednesday, August 10th, 2011

I am going to need twenty pounds of butter for this

Whoa. This has been quite a journey and a pleasure for the Diners.org team. For five days (August 3 to August 7), we made our way up to Boston (Massachusetts), Salem (Massachusetts), and finally to Lobsterfest in Rockland, Maine. It was an extraordinary trip and we are thankful to all of the people we met on the trip for their hospitality and friendliness.

First off, the Samuel Adams Brewery in Boston, Massachusetts. It is near the outskirts of Boston, but is accessible by subway. No need to be modest about your reasons for going: there was a city worker shouting out directions to the brewery right at the turnstiles. In hindsight, we should have tipped him.

You know what to do.

Hidden among the residential houses is an oldstyle building surrounded by wooden barrels that we are confident believe to be beer. After paying the tour fee, guests are allowed to sample new brands of Samuel Adams beer and then vote on them.

Samuel Adams takes their awards seriously.

Yes, vote. The brand with the most votes will be produced for consumption in the following year.

(To the regret of the Diners.org team, we forgot which brands we sampled. Or how many. MOVING ON.)

Box ol' booze

Inside we are introduced to the methods behind the magic:

65 barrels worth of Samuel Adams

The filtration process.

Then we get to see the barrels where the beer sits:

Truth in the name.

Please keep your Donkey Kong jokes to yourself.

Finally, we get to the fun part. The sampling room:

Classroom chalkboards wish they had this much attention.

Unlike the outside patio before, this wasn’t a ballot for future lines of beer. This was fresh batches of draft beer fresh from the manufacturing line.

The drinking glasses handed out are pretty nice too.

All Thursday mornings should start like this.

Afterward sampling three different brands of Samuel Adams, the tour is over. The Diners.org team stayed in Boston for the rest of the day where we dined at a few excellent restaurants. One of them is “Legal Seafood” which was so amazing, we forgot to take pictures.

We were serious when we told you they are called "Legal Seafood". No, we were not served by lawyers.

Situated on the Long Wharf on Boston’s waterfront, the Diners.org team enjoyed excellent tea and seafood delivered by a very friendly staff. Check them out at this link. But all of this would pale to the 20,880 lbs of lobster being cooked up in Rockland, Maine (keep that number handy as you continue reading).

During the drive north, we did a small pitstop in Salem, Massachusetts. On one hand, members of the team want to check out the Salem Witch Trial museums. On the other hand, we found a drink call the “Helltini”.

Drinking this might hurt.

The Helltini is a drink offered by the Rockafellas restaurant on their menu. They also offer a variety of other specialty drinks relevant to the town, but we were only going try our luck once that day.

This is an omen.

Since we have at least one member of the team who is not a driver or backup driver, Diners.org took on this challenge. Waiver signed and pumped up with adrenaline, our “fearless” team member grabbed the martini glass and…

…chugged it.

One emergency glass of cold water later and our Diners.org team member is awarded his t-shirt. Mints shortly followed as the team realized we will have to drive with him burping in the car all the way up to Rockland, Maine.

Ah, Rockland's Lobsterfest. How full of... seafood you are.

There are no words to adequately describe the experience of eating at Lobstefest. So we’re going to let photos and captions do most of the talking.

Just in case you didn't know where you are...

The tents where the magic happens!..... Eating folks, I mean eating.

View of the harbor from the eating tent. Puts a smile on your face knowing there is a fleet of ships out there harvesting seafood for you to chow on.

All you can eat Blueberry pancakes for breakfast!

The awesomeness starts with steamed lobster, corn on the cob, bread, melted butter...

... smoked shrimp, smoked scallops, smoked mussels...

... and of course more lobster.

Somewhere along the way to over 20,000 pounds of lobster being cooked.

Rockland's Lobsterfest parade. Go Rockland go!

As if eating tons of seafood wasn't enough...

... there are carnival games...

... and more games and food.

Live band for the festival!

Ah, that was good. For the curious, three lobsters with fixings only cost $18.40 at Lobsterfest. Naturally, the cost drops the less you eat lobster. Steaming starts at 11AM but from 7AM to 11AM there is all-you-can-eat-pancakes… for $6.

Amazing isn’t it? We hope you enjoy the photos and perhaps we will see you at Lobsterfest next year!

Diners.org also has video of the Helltini drinking. We will post that in another article once it is ready.

Now, please excuse me as I hit the gym to work all this extra weight off.

Posted in Food Event, Holidays, Outer Food Limits, Restaurants | Comments Off

We’re Home!

Monday, August 8th, 2011

After a five-day journey through the New England states, the crew of Diners.org has returned from their visit to the famous Lobster Maine Festival! We ate, took photos, and over the next week we will share our experiences which range from Boston eateries to seafood munching in Maine.

So stay turned!

Posted in Food Event, Holidays, News | Comments Off

Prepare to fight Enemy Crab!

Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011

That’s right, ladies and gentlemen, the Diners.org team has geared up and is now ready to travel to the MAINE LOBSTER FESTIVAL (August 3 – 7) in Rockland, Maine.

Official logo of the Maine Lobster Festival

What does this mean? It means a glorious weekend where Diners.org writers will try to see how much seafood they devour before someone claims it’s a violation of the Geneva Convention.

Image Courtesy of Maine Lobster Festival

Aside from the fine dining, activities at the LobsterFest include Blind Rowboat Racing, Lobster Crate Racing, Coast Guard Survival Demonstration, public tours of the USS Mahan (DDG-72), music, and live entertainment.

Image courtesy of Maine Lobster Festival

If you are going to be at Lobsterfest as well, feel free to meet with us and tell us what you think of Rockland’s crustacean extravaganza.

Image courtesy of Maine Lobster Festival

Look for Diners.org reports this week!

Posted in Food Event, Holidays, Outer Food Limits | Comments Off