the chocolate show

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the chocolate show's only north american date is happening this weekend in the city at the metropolitan pavilion.

the chocolate show

metropolitan pavilion, 125 w 18th st

oct 30 - nov 1st, (sun 10-5pm)

tickets: $30 at the door

i went early this morning with a friend, and we basically ate ourselves jittery with chocolate.

one of the best items was from chocolate santander which is a colombian chocolate brand. these roasted cocao nibs were one of the top items we sampled. yes, good enough to buy.

cholocate santandar cocao nibs, 60g box. $1.25 (i bought several of these, good for gifting)

my friend and i also bought this for ourselves:

chocolate santander roast cocao nibs, 1 kg! $25 (we split it)

these cocao nibs are so good. i can't even describe it. you just have to try it for yourself.

the other chocolatier we were impressed with was william dean. wow. this is definitely haut-couture chocolate, peoples. we sampled the pumpkin spice and passion fruit chocolates... not only visually pleasing, but possibly the most delectable little things i've ever tasted in terms of chocolate. yumm-y.

william dean chocolates are based out of florida, but they are also available online.

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planning on ~briefly~ checking out the west village parade tonight. (yes, we are crazy...)

happy hallowe'en!

sales: ysl and max co

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headed down to the metropolitan pavilion to check out the yves st laurent sale. no lines...good reason, not so great stuff remaining. few small sizes (blazers, some skirts, blouses..but all fairly meh). lots of belts remaining, but again, with good reason...they weren't that great. good deals, yes. but if you don't like it, there's no point in buying a ridiculously reduced item, no?

after, i headed to the chelsea marketplace to check out the max&co sale. there were dresses, sweaters, summer tops, blouses, jeans, and shoes (mostly sandals, few boots). there's a lot of stock, some small sizes. jeans were a deal at $19. shoes $40 (boots $90). blouses $35. dresses, i think were $50-ish. random accessories (chunky bracelets and necklaces) for $5. i did get a cute blouse for work.

max&co blouse. (retail $145) sale $35

half of the space in the back was blocked off. i took a peak and it was filled with racks of stock...mostly same items it seemed. they should be restocking. i'd say if you needed dressy blouses or pants for work, it would be worth checking out.

on-call gloom-y

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it's a gloomy night tonight. "meh" for being on-call.

looking forward to the prospect of sunshine and post-call tomorrow...

the platter guy

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one of my friends convinced me to be a medical volunteer for the nyc marathon.

happening this sunday. fun times. at least we got assigned to the medical station at the same mile (which is not on staten island, thank gawd).

the orientation was held tonight in midtown. afterwards, we crossed the street to pick up some food from the platter guy (53rd st & 6th ave halal cart). 'k. so it was not only cold, but also raining tonight, and there was still a line about 20-or-so deep for this place.

mixed lamb & chicken with rice (with pita, yogurt & hot sauce). $6

now, it's good and all. but not wow. and certainly not walk down to 53rd & 6th to especially get this kind of good. generous portion tho'...have enough for lunch tomorrow.

happening this week

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rena lange sample sale
oct 26 - 28th, (mon 12-6pm, tues 9-6pm, wed 9-3pm)
33 w 55th st, (shoreham hotel gallery)

acne, filippa k, & nudie jeans sample sale
oct 28 - 29th, 11-8pm
267 elizabeth st, (b/t houston & prince)

max&co sample sale
oct 28 - nov 1st, 10:30-7pm
75th 9th ave, (b/t 15 & 16th st)

andrew marc yearly sample sale
oct 31 - nov 5, (sat & sun 10-6pm, mon-fri 8-7pm)
401 7th ave, (b/t 32 & 33rd st)

asian food weekend

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friday night in flushing chintatown. yes, out of the way. but why not? peking duck buns for $1, of course. i almost couldn't find the place! i thought my colleagues were going to kiillll me. O_o. bubble tea at sago tea cafe post dinner was also very good. even better, there's (apparently) a sago tea cafe in the city at herald's square.

sago tea cafe
macy's herald square
34th st & broadway
and
39-02 main st & 39th ave
flushing

saturday, the dumpling festival at roosevelt park on houston. i was looking forward to the event because really, what's better than sampling dumplings from the around the world? bah! the event was poorly organized. the venue really couldn't accomodate the number of attendees and the lines for food were not only long, but disorganized and chaotic! meh. after waiting in the perogi line for over half an hour, we had just about enough of the dumpling festival and decided to head to the dumpling man instead. turned out the dumpling man was packed with people who had given up on the dumpling festival! arghgh!! 'k. so, we finally ended up at cha-an to have great matcha lattes and desserts.

cha-an japanese tea house
230 e 9th st

after, we went to see where the wild things are. i don't even want to comment on this again, i think you can guess what i thought about it.

today was a gorgeous day for brunch. have been wanting to try sobaya, so that's where we went.

sobaya japanese noodle house
299 e 9th st

tried the lunch box set with hot soba...yummy. this place is definitely one of my new favourites.

a fabulous weekend of asian feasting.

where the wild things aren't

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possibly the most depressing movie. ever.
bahhh!

sale reviews: betsey johnson & elie tahari

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there were a lot of dresses up for grabs at the betsey johnson sample sale. more stock sale than anything. the question was whether you needed a party dress or not, because that's what most of the dresses were all about. there were few pieces appropriate for fall wear. there were mostly summer-y type dresses perfect for attending a wedding. i did see one customer try on one of the wedding gowns. prices were already marked down ($45 for day dresses, reduced from $60...i suspect prices will drop even more tomorrow). the accessories and shoes are a total pass. i did end up getting a checked dress, which i think i can still wear with a blazer if the weather continues to co-operate.

betsey johnson sample sale dress. (retail $300) sale $45

after, i decided to check out the elie tahari sale. what a dis-aster. there was a mild queue to get in. all sizes of purses needed to be checked in. hmm...what else? ah, yes. no organization whatsoever into sizes or styles. and a somewhat ridiculous wait for a fitting room. some customers ended up waiting in line for nuth-ing...as someone started to shout out the closing time and announced that the cash register was soon closing. i could see and hear the frustration as customers who had waited >45 minutes in line listened to the employee making the announcement. i honestly thought some sort of lynching would soon break out. anyway, i didn't end up getting anything. if you need some work-type-clothing, then may-be it would be worth checking out the final days of the sale. they had already reduced the pricing on most items (eg. dresses are now $79, reduced from $99). but really, who's up for final day prada sale tomorrow?

grace's marketplace: barricini milk chocolate pistachio toffee

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i walked up to grace's marketplace to buy some pasta for lunches and ended up buying a bundle of other goodies as well. i just had to share with you the stand out item.

barricini milk chocolate pistachio toffee.

i'm definitely not a choco-holic and certainly wouldn't claim to have a sweet tooth, but these pistachio-encrusted-chocolate-covered-toffee-squares are just too good. here's the beauty shot:

and the center cut:

and yes, the empty container:

this week's sales!

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ugh. so busy the past few days...

here's what's going on this week:

portolano sample sale
oct 19 -23th, 10-6pm
15 w 37th st, (b/t 5&6th ave), 2nd flr

elie tahari sample sale
oct 20 -24th, (tues - fri 8:30-7:30, sat 10-5pm)
510 fifth ave, (b/t 42&43 st)

prada sale
oct 17 - 23rd, (sat & sun 9-6pm, mon - fri 10-7pm)
609 w 51st st, (b/t 11&12th ave)

gunmetal luxe shoes
oct 22 - 24th, 10-7pm
metropolitan pavilion gallery (4th flr)
123 w 18th st, (b/t 6&7th ave)
cash only

john varvatos warehouse sale
oct 23-24th, 10-8pm
metropolitan pavilion (4th flr)
123 w 18th st, (b/t 6&7th ave)

betsey johnson sample sale
oct 21 - 23rd, 10-8pm
145 w 44th st

alexia crawford sample sale
oct 21 -23rd, 9-7pm
35 w 36th st, 11th flr (b/t 5&6th ave)

s'mac (!)

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i finally went to see the september issue this past weekend. better than i expected. creative director grace coddington was the real star of the movie, yes?

anyways. after, i dragged my cousin to s'mac for a snack. because sometimes, you just need to eat mac & cheese.

[photo: http://www.smacnyc.com/]

we tried the 4 cheese mac (cheddar, muenster, gruyere and a touch of pecorino) and the parisienne (creamy brie, roasted figs, roasted shiitake mushrooms & fresh rosemary). although not one that i would have chosen off the menu myself, the parisienne was surprisingly taste-y. there are 12 variety of macs on the menu... cheeseburger and cajun to be sampled next visit...

sarita's macaroni & cheese
345 e 12th st

happening this week

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wink warehouse sale
october 15 - 18th, 11-7pm
188 columbus ave, nr 68th st

escada sample sale
october 16 - 18th, (fri 10-8pm, sat 10-6pm, sun 10-5pm)
metropolitian pavilion north
110 w 19th st (b/t 6&7th ave)
(212) 852-5446

uniqlo: heat tech

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i dropped by uniqlo to check out the +J collaboration this week. the pieces are wardrobe staples. if you don't already them (them being: cashmere turtleneck sweater, trench coat, button-downs, pencil skirts, etc), +J would be a best bet.

although i tried on lots, i ended up not getting anything from +J. after, i went downstairs to peruse the tights. there's currently a sale of 2 tights for $7.90 (this only includes the solid opaque tights and patterned black tights). certain tights priced at $10.90 are on promo for $7.90 (including stirrup tights). 'k, i did buy a few.

the other thing that caught my eye in the lower level of uniqlo were the heat tech pieces.

these are basic pieces: camis, tanks, tees, long sleeves, & turtlenecks. the packaging proclaims the multi-functions of the heat tech technology.

1. heat generation

2. heat retention

3. soft texture

4. odor control

5. stretchable comfort

6. anti-static

7. non-deforming

of the above, i can already attest to #3 and #5. these tanks are exceedingly comfy, possibly the most comfortable tanks i have ever owned. the one slight criticism i have is the thin-ness of the material...but 'ehh, i guess that's where layering comes, no? 2 of these tanks layered is still quite agreeable in terms of comfy-ness.

uniqlo heat tech tank tops. $10.90 each

hola senor pollo

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one of the best meals i had while backpacking in cusco a few years ago was at this hole-in-the-wall rotisserie chicken place (where all the locals seemed to be eating). it made perfect sense for me to seek out the peruvian rotisserie chicken from senor pollo in the east village. finally did this week and it didn't disappoint.

senor pollo
221 1st ave, nr 13th st

for a mere $6.50, you get a quarter chicken and choice of 2 sides. i chose the maduros (fried sweet plaintain) and mixed rice & beans. the tostones and fried yuca will have to sampled at a future visit. the jalapeno and parsley sauces are de-licious. on everything. well, except the sweet plaintains.

dare i say it? i think senor pollo is better than swiss chalet. there, i said it. it is what it is.

boot pursuit

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most of my boots are not made for walking. really, they're far from friends with winter weather. this was perfectly fine when i had the luxury of a car, underground parking and a tunnel connecting work parking to hospital. i didn't have to set a boot outside.

needless to say, it was necessary to start the hunt for boots that would have a chance at surviving a winter walk. so many choices... riding boot? this season's over the knee boot? here were some that caught my eye:


french connection rosa boot. $368

stuart weitzman reserve over the knee boot. $535

sigerson morrison flat over the knee boot. $795

michael kors bromley boot. $250

bcbg maxazria hughes over the knee boot. $495

tory burch sawyer riding boot. $495

winner:

dknyc jada over the knee boot. ($275)

-25% boot promotion, currently at lord & taylor = $224

totally loving this hybrid riding-boot-meets-over-the-knee boot feeling.

the tory burch riding boots were a close second. if i had just wanted a classic riding boot, i would have definitely gotten those.

lord & taylor's boot promotion (just started today)

25% off 1 pair of boots, 30% off 2 pair of boots

424 5th ave, nr 38th st

restaurant review: markt

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bottom line: if you like moules et frites, then you must eat here.

reminiscent of rue des bouchers in brussels, markt is a belgian pub serving hearty fare best eaten on a dark & gloomy day. the generous portion of mussels comes in your own hot stone pot and there are variety of moules options ranging from the classic Moules À La Crême Et L'ail (mussels with garlic and fresh cream) to Moules À La Coriandre (mussels steamed with cilantro, curry and a dash of cream). the Carbonades Flamandes (belgian beef stew prepared with leffe brown beer) is also taste-y.

markt
676 6th ave, at 21 st

upcoming sales

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2 sales that i'll probably check out this week:

clothingline sample sale
adam, free people, chaiken, custo barcelona sample sale
october 6 - 9th, (11-7pm on oct6&8, 11-6pm on oct7&9)
261 w 36th st, 2nd flr (b/t 7&8th ave)

huit-paris sample sale
october 7 - 9th, 10-5pm
40 e 34th st (b/t park & madison)

cole haan + nike air = ultimate walking shoe

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i recently trudged thru central park with my walking flats in the rain and now they are officially dead.

perished white house black market flats (a memorable deal at $13.80 during my last hawaii trip)

during my expedition to brooklyn, i took in what the atlantic center dsw had to offer. it's a sizable dsw and the clearance section seemed to have a disproportionate number of 7-7.5 shoes. i selected these cole hann air flats from said clearance section.

cole hann air ballerina flats. (retail $220) dsw $71

i have to admit, the nike air technology in the shoe is no joke. these are the most comfortable pair of flats i now own (surpassing my beloved sigerson morrison flats). on a quick peruse of the cole haan website, there are seems to be a fair selection of shoes with the nike air option. interesting.

back to brooklyn: target

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i still had my target gift certificate from fashion's night out freebies and decided it was about time to use it. so, i headed to brooklyn's target this week.

there were still a lot of anna sui for target merchandise (including small sizes). i tried on most of the blair-inspired dresses. initially, i thought i would like the blue or white lace dresses, but this multi-coloured party dress was the pick. the cut of the dress is somehow making me look taller than my actual 5'1" height.

not all of the anna sui line is available on target.com... so, hitting up stores might be necessary depending on what you want.

target
139 flatbush ave, brooklyn

current obsessions: hayden-harnett

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my obsession with hayden-harnett continues...

hayden-harnett thames silk dress, oyster. $280