Best Happy Hour Ever: Mermaid Inn

A couple years ago, George introduced me to the Mermaid Inn during their blue crab specials in the summer months.  It was delicious.  Especially the fries.  I am not sure what has taken me so long to return, but after this recent visit, I can't stop thinking about the place.  I am freakishly hooked on seafood at the moment (as evident by my recent visit to Boston with Diana - pics soon / eventually / gah!), so it's only fitting I show you the visit that's spurred the craze!

The Mermaid Inn has a special happy hour everyday (yes, weekends included!) from 5:30p-7p M-S, and 5p-7p on Sundays.  They happy hour menu includes $1 oysters (cue the angels!) in addition to fish tacos, fried oysters, shrimp corndogs and more.  (I know!  Why have I not come here sooner!)

George was kind enough to return to the Inn with me to sample their happy wares.

Butter <3

Poppy- and sesame seed studded cracker crisps are served in buckets for appetizers alongside creamy butter.  The butter was so good.

A dozen oysters were ordered, half from the East Coast and half from the West Coast (which do cost 75 cents more apiece).  I was enamored with the oysters Diana and I had eaten in Seattle, but the West Coast ones did not taste anything like them.  I would recommend getting the East Coasters and putting the extra 75 cents towards more East Coast ones.

The oysters were perfectly fresh, mildly briny and delicious.  The Westies tasted more metallic and sharp.

Some of my favorite fries in the city - thin, crispy hot fries dusted with Old Bay seasoning served in a kraft-paper lined cup.  

I could eat these by the buckets.

Han fact: If I see fried oysters on a menu, I must order them.  It's the right thing to do, and I like to do what is right!  

Served atop Old Bay remoulade sauce, the fried oysters were magic - thin, crunchy batter coating plump, tasty oysters.  

We ordered a pair of the fish tacos that arrived as pieces of blackened tilapia balanced precariously atop just-fried taco shells, with a dollop of smushy avocado.

The fish taco shell was so greasy but crunchy-licious.  I loved it.

The fish taco was fantastically flavorful with the cajun seasoning, and the fish was so moist.  George noted he could eat more of these.  Next time I will need to order at least 2/person, because 1 taco is seriously not enough.  (George was totally eyeing mine.)

We ordered one item from the regular dinner menu: the lobster & truffle mac 'n cheese.

Mac 'n cheeses are typically heavy and filling, but the Mermaid Inn's version is light while remaining cheesy and creamy.  I wish there was more toasted bread crumbs on top though because it's my favorite!  There was plenty of lobster pieces dispersed throughout as well.  Total yum and worth it.

The Mermaid Inn offers a blue plate special on some days (check their calendar) which includes a full lobster roll + fries + beer for $20.  Awesome deal.  Their $6 sliders on the HH menu are not a shabby option either! 

A healthy portion of lightly mayonnaised chopped lobster is served atop a generously buttered (and perfectly toasted) brioche bun.  So. Cute. So. Buttery.

George thought the recipe tasted different than the usual lobster roll, but I had no idea and loved every buttery, lobstery bite.  Put anything on a toasted butter bun, and I am an instant fan.

While everything we had was delicious / perfect / fresh / tasty, one must always save a tiny ounce of room for the best part of the meal...complimentary chocolate pudding cups!  Yes!  Because Mermaid Inn does not have a dessert menu, they give everyone a free cup of cool, creamy pudding at the end of the meal.

The pudding cups are served with a Fortune Teller fish - heat activated plastic in the shape of a fish that describes you depending on how the fish reacts to the heat in your hand.

I think this fish is telling me I am fickle.  Or hungry. For more oysters!

In looking at the website just now, I see that The Mermaid Inn now offers brunch on weekends with $1 oysters ALL DAY until 7p (Note: all day $1 oysters at the MacDougal location only).  Ohhh temptation!

The Mermaid Inn

multiple locations, but I do fancy the East Village one

96 2nd Ave

NYC

Chinatown Brunch! Peking Duck House & Lam Zhou Handpulled Noodle

One evening, Anne texted me one of my favorite text messages ever received: "Han I am really craving duck, you want to eat some in Chinatown?"

Hello: Dream come true!
There is nothing I love more than some Chinatown duck! And friends who also crave it!

So we scheduled a ducky brunch @ Peking Duck House the following day.  I've been so curious about Peking duck after seeing Diana's previous entry about it.

Thanan and Anne shared jellyfish as an appetizer.  I didn't care to try this cold, clammy, jiggly dish, but I watched them chow down on it.

"Pretty vinegary."

While they feasted on jellyfish, the chef prepared our duck.  It was a pretty impressive display of duck slicing expertise.

The platter of beautiful duck with crispy skin was swiftly delivered to our table.

Pure beauty!

Here's how you traditionally eat Peking duck! (General cast of ingredients in no particular correct order)

1. Take a thin pancake.

2. Smear some hoisin sauce on the pancake.

3. Add some duck!  I like to have enough to span the diameter. :)

4. Add scallions and cucumber spears as desired.

5. Roll the sucker up and eat!

I know Peking Duck House is super touristy (as noted by a complete Caucasian customer base during our visit), but the duck was good!  It's pricey (~$44), which could buy you at least two complete roast birds anywhere else in Chinatown, but the quality of duck is better here.  The meat is lean but sufficiently moist, the skin is perfectly crispy on every piece (which you won't get in other typical spots), and it doesn't drip fat on you as you try to eat it (though that kinda duck is delicious too).  I enjoyed it!

After, Anne wanted to check out Lam Zhou's dry minced pork noodles.  I've only had the soup, so was game to try a new dish, as stuffed with duck as we were!  We also ordered the fried dumplings because it's pretty much expected/necessary/required.

Pulling our noodles fresh post-order

Checking in, naturally

Within minutes, the minced pork noodle dish was complete! Topped with boiled bok choy.

Anne prepared the dish for us to share by properly mixing everything to ensure every strand of noodle is coated in proper porkiness.

Thanan gets interested in the process.

And we are all amazed at the strength and length of the noodles!

The dumplings arrive; Thanan presents them with the finesse they deserve...Lam Zhou has my most favorite dumplings in Chinatown yet.

Thin wrapper + chivey pork filling + crispy bottom = perfect fried dumpling!

Anne dishes me up a small bowl of the noodle.  She's so good at portioning!

Without the broth, the noodles resemble spaghetti...Chinese spaghetti laced with pork sauce.  And it's a solid bowl of Chinese spaghetti at that.  I still prefer the brothy items though because I am just a soupy sorta girl.

Thanks for reviving my duck cravings, Anne!  I just ate some more duck today.  Gah!

Peking Duck House

28 Mott Street, New York - (212) 227-1810

Lam Zhou Hand Pulled Noodles

144 E Broadway

New York, NY

Carrie in NYC! Part 1 - Shopsins / Doughnut Plant

I think when anyone comes to visit me, Shopsins is a must. It's one of my most favorite restaurants in NYC (and in life, for that matter).  And the restaurant holds the true test of when someone is in fact my best friend: when they glance at the menu and immediately proclaim: "We must come back here."  Both Diana and Carrie have both passed that test. There are simply too many options to be captured by a single visit.

So, here's what we tried on this go-round!

S'mores french toast:

It's impossible not to like this gritty/graham cracker crusted french toast with melty/gooey marshmallow insides.  Impossible.  You will try to mouth the words, but the marshmallowmadness will prevent you from ever really uttering them.

The most brilliant/ingenious/amazing breakfast sandwich of all mankind (a.k.a. the Mo'Betta 2)

The most beautiful, heaping pile of scrambled eggs ever covering four glistening links of the most delicious, flavorful pork sausage links all sandwiched by two huge/fluffy/fat mac 'n cheese pancakes.  You can't describe this without making a run on sentence.  It's just the necessary evil one must take when hoping to share this breakfast beast with others.

I will know true love when it makes me feel like how I do when I look at this sandwich.  Y'namean?!

My classic breakfast special (wheat/scrambyeggs/bestporksausagelinksevvverrr):

Top of the top 5 best scrambled eggs ever (included this shot only for Diana's lust)

So light...eggy...moist...and...perfect!  Ugh!

And one of the top 5 breakfast potatoes one could hope to eat in life.  I know. What's up with all these tops?  Why don't you just tell me?  How does Shopsins do it?!

It's skin on potatoes smashed to tarnation, fried with sweet, caramelized onions and crisped, thick pieces of bacon.   (Confession: these may be just thick cut fries smashed up, in which case, they'd still be some of the best breakfast potatoes ever. :)

Carrie could not stop eating her plate, because it was just wrong not to finish it. I told her I ate more than I intended to, but that was a fat lie.  I intended every bite. 

And every visit to Shopsins is not complete without a visit to the Doughnut Plant.  Yes. You know. I've done it every damn time.  I am so predictable.  But...but..you have to walk it off...in order to get more food to immediately put back on...(haha I think that's the kind of math/nonsensical logic I can get behind!).

Carrie is sooo cute.

Cake doughnuts are my faves, especially at the Doughnut Plant.  These beauties are showcased behind glass, like the works of art they are!

Special glazed yeast doughnuts with edible four-leaf shamrocks in the spirit of St. Patrick's Day (this post is totally dated, I know! I eat too much, I'm behind!)

A new cake doughnut for us to try!  Carrot cake doughnut bedecked deep orange bits of real carrot.

With a surprise ring of CREAMCHEEZICING. My eyes widened and nearly fell on the sidewalk when we made this realization.  Yes. SayWHAT X A bajillionzz.

Can I jump on this Doughnut Plant carrot cake doughnut bandwagon immediately please?  This is one of my top 5 favorite doughnuts in life now.  Potentially tied with the Doughnut Plant trademarked tres leches doughnut and behind the McMinnville Cream. Instant. Love. Life. Cinnamon. Cream Cheese. Carrot Cake. Yum. Bliss. Whatever. #suchabeautifulprivatemoment

Oh right. 

We had gotten some other doughnuts.

The square coconut cream doughnut that Ida had fallen in love with during her first visit, and  I finally got to try.

The crunchy coconut piece exterior wrapped around the coconut creamy interior.  Delightful doughnut that reminded me of Thai food and my mom's sticky rice all at once.

The tiny creme brulee that I insisted Carrie eat all by herself.  She loved the crunchy sugar top as much as I did.

The pudding center of the Blackout was just as good as the first time I had it.

Unfortunately, they had run out of tres leches on our visit, so Carrie could not experience it, but she has to look forward to something on our next visit to ShopsinscomboDoughnutPlant right?

Shopsin's

120 Essex Street New York, NY 10002

(212) 924-5160

Doughnut Plant

379 Grand Street New York, NY 10002

(212) 505-3700