Shop the Night Away

On a warm and breezy Thursday, two girls took to the Meatpacking District for an evening of indulgence – think shopping, champagne, and spa treatments. It was the Shop the Night Away event hosted by DailyCandy and OO.com, featuring exclusive discounts in several Meatpacking stores, including favorites like Diane von Furstenberg, Scoop, Trina Turk, All Saints, Rebecca Taylor, and Theory. My friend and I were like women on a mission, marching into each store with gusto! While no wallets were harmed in the goings-on of this shopping event, a delightfully girly time was had! We browsed the stores, sipped some bubbly, and appreciated beautiful pieces of fashion. A few highlights from our shopping crawl:

- Sampling amazing fragrances at NYC Bond – I highly recommend the spicy Chinatown and the light and airy Union Square fragrances
- Falling in love with the summer dresses at DVF (think bright orange, cool mint, and Santorini blue)
- Trying on floral denims at Paige (Unfortunately, I don’t think I can carry off this current fashion trend!)
- Fawning over the intricate beaded dresses at All Saints (the detailed ethnic designs reminded me a lot of the creations of Indian fashion designers)
- Drooling over a pair of leopard-print flats at Rebecca Taylor

Some snapshots from the evening below...

The evening capped off with a flourish at the Gansevoort Hotel. At the rooftop bar with a view of the sun setting over the Hudson, shoppers were treated to a spread of delicious desserts and drinks. If that wasn’t enough, Exhale Spa offered mini-manicures and massages. Talk about pampering! We also had the opportunity to chat with the editor of DailyCandy and the director of Exhale Spa, the hosts of the event.
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Rihanna Up Close

Thanks to free tickets that I was lucky enough to get, I had the chance to see Rihanna perform live at a benefit concert this past Monday. Talk about a great way to start off the week! 

First about the benefit: Have you heard of the Robin Hood Foundation? It’s an organization aimed at fighting poverty in New York City. According to the Executive Director of Robin Hood, “New York is arguably the richest city in the world, and yet we still have over 1.8 million New Yorkers living in poverty.” That’s a hard-hitting fact when you stop to think about it. With a distinguished board of directors (with big names like actress Gwyneth Paltrow and TV anchor Brian Williams), Robin Hood raises over $100 million every year to fund programs that battle issues related to poverty. The gala on Monday was help to raise money for Robin Hood’s initiatives. 

The evening capped off with a performance by Rihanna. On a stage designed to resemble ancient Egypt, RiRi made her grand entrance in a Cleopatra-style outfit with a gold headband, a gold bustier and mini-skirt, sky-high boots, and some fierce make-up. Singing famous hits like Umbrella, Disturbia, S&M, and of course the currently popular We Fell in Love, she rocked the show! Sure, there was a fair amount of lip-synching going on, but I guess you can’t blame her. With all the dancing she was doing on stage, she probably would have sounded awful and out-of-breath with her real singing. But because of the intimate setting, I was able to see her up close, literally 5 feet away from the stage. Exuding confidence and sex appeal, the guys at the show were literally clamoring for her. I’m still laughing at the random dude next to me who kept screaming, “Rihaaana! Rihaaana!” and then singing off-key to Only Girl in the World. Overall, RiRi did good and it was a great night. And I have the fuzzy pictures to prove it…

On-screen close up

An "artistic" shot of the show's finale

The Unappreciated Subway Artist

If you ride the subway at all, chances are that you’ve come across someone singing, playing a musical instrument, dancing, or doing acrobatic stunts in the subway. Let’s face it, we don’t usually bother to look or listen. After all, in most cases it’s a street bum croaking away to a song that has been sung to death or making a sad attempt of playing the guitar. But sometimes, there are people who seem truly talented. Do you stop to appreciate them? 

A few months ago, I saw a group of young, athletic boys take a moving subway train by storm, doing crazy somersaults and back flips with such control and finesse that they could have been in a Cirque du Soleil show. Last month, it was a little boy playing such a beautiful piece on his cello that he could have been the next Yo-Yo Ma. Recently, it was two women singing the opera with such great vocal strength that I could still hear them as the train pulled out of the station (see the video recording I took below). I’m no judge for America’s Got Talent but honestly, some of these people knew how to put on a show!

There’s a famous story about a social experiment conducted in a Washington DC station where a world famous violinist played his best work for 3 straight hours. While his shows would normally sell out with people paying $100 a ticket in the art world, no one stopped to listen to him in the subway station. Maybe it’s the abundance of starving artists around us, or maybe we don’t have the time to stop and watch “street acts” in the busy, grungy setting of a subway station…but it brings up the question, have we become desensitized to art and beauty around us? Can we only appreciate it when it’s in a formalized setting of a hall or theatre? I suspect there is still more hidden talent in the city subways. The question is whether we will bother to stop and appreciate it when we see it. 

A subway act gone ignored

Opera singers in the Herald Square stop

A starving artist playing the guitar at Penn Station (he's there every day!)

What about you, readers? Have you seen any subway acts that have wow-ed you?

"Kidding Around" in Manhattan

If you’re living in Manhattan, you know that children are rare sightings. I’ve gotten so used to seeing adults wherever I go that when I do see a bunch of kids or a baby in a stroller, I’m thrown off! Exaggerations aside, it’s not often that I frequent places in the city with heavy kid traffic. But this past Saturday, I found myself at the Tribeca Family Festival Street Fair (organized by the Tribeca Film Festival). 

How did I find myself at a street fair for children, you ask? With my little niece and nephew in town, I knew the usual touristy activities that I recommend to visiting friends wouldn’t do (read: no shopping in SoHo, or visiting a rooftop restaurant or hanging out in the Lower East Side!). Luckily the events calendar on the Yelp! pages came in handy and the Tribeca Street Festival seemed like the perfect place to take the little kids. Upon arriving, it took a moment to adjust to seeing tons of little children running around everywhere. The familiar cobblestone streets of Tribeca, where one usually goes to enjoy a fancy “grown-up” brunch or dinner at a trendy spot, had transformed into bustling street fair. 

 

With numerous activities for children such as face painting, kite making, arts and crafts, acrobatic performances and storytelling, my niece and nephew had a whale of a time. Swayed by the lively atmosphere and the laughter and excitement of children, I soon found myself succumbing to my inner child. If you saw someone going crazy over the “Decorate Your Own Cupcake” booth, that was probably me. And if you saw grown-ups in the “Bubble Garden” blowing giant soap bubbles, I was likely one of them. By the time we left the street fair, my niece and nephew were tired from the excitement of the day but happy. As for me, I thought of how refreshing it was to experience NYC through a different perspective…and to be a kid again, if only for a few hours.

Street performers and cupcake decorating

Acrobat shows, food trucks, and kiddy play areas

Hula hoop lady with mad skills

 What about you, readers? Which children's activities do you enjoy doing even now?

Favorite New York Street Food: Update

Update: I recently tried the Tuk Tuk Boy's Thai street food in midtown, and I have to say that it was GOOD! Their pad thai was very authentic. I was also quite excited about their Thai iced tea because it tasted the way it should (I feel that most places here don't make it right). Definitely one of the better food trucks I've had in the city, and very much like the street food I would have in Bangkok. I'm looking forward to going back and trying their papaya salad (som tam), fried rice (khao pad), and masaman curry!

I followed up my Thai lunch with some crepes for dessert. The Crepes Truck was right next to the Tuk Tuk Boy's cart so I shuffled on over to get myself crepes with nutella, strawberries, and walnuts. Yum! Overall, the perfect Friday lunch!

  

Living in New York City is a gastronomical adventure in and of itself. You’re never short of places to eat. You’re also never short of ways to spend money eating. Case in point: Just this weekend, I met a friend for a lunch of spicy Korean BBQ at Korea Town (Shila). Later that night, I enjoyed a delicious, home-style Italian meal in the Upper East Side (Uva), followed by unique libations at one of those Prohibition-style speakeasies in the Lower East Side (Milk and Honey ). This was eventually followed by some late night kati rolls (The Kati Roll Company) in the West Village (a predictable ending to a late night for an Indian in New York, as you will soon find out). Yep, it was one of those ridiculous weekends where you’ve blown easily over $200 just eating and drinking before you know it.

Well, what also makes New York City truly unique is the wide variety of street food it has to offer. I'm not just talking about the hot dog stands found at every corner of the city! No, no...I'm talking about those food trucks, also known as "cheap eats" -- the perfect alternative to expensive eating. Indeed, you could perfectly survive on New York street eats alone and have some of the finest meals in a casual setting!


Having grown up Thailand and spent significant time in India, I know the joys (and sometimes potential dangers) of eating street food. Perhaps my simplest and most satisfying meals have been from the food stalls of Bangkok and the dhabas in Delhi and Mumbai. For me, New York food trucks are a little piece of Asia in the U.S. – simple, no-nonsense grub that packs a punch.

Below is a list of food trucks in the city that are my personal favorites. Some are well-known and have even been featured on the Best Food Trucks of New York; others are just ones I enjoy in my part of town. So next time you’re looking to save some money or find something that hits the spot, give these food carts a try. You might just see me there!

1. Dosa Cart (on 39th and Broadway) – Warm South Indian dosas and spicy sambar

2. Souvlaki Gr: Greek souvalakis so good that the owners opened a restaurant of the same name. I highly recommend the Greek fries with feta cheese too

3. Pita and Falafel Cart (on 31st and 7th Ave)

4. Eddie’s Pizza – It’s pizza, enough said!

5. The Halal Guys (on 52nd and 6th Ave) – Heaping portions of flavorful chicken and rice that really fill you up!

6. Wafels & Dinges – Try these Belgian waffles with the spekuloos spread and a vanilla ice-cream topping that's to die for!

7. Taim Mobile – The falafels and the home-made sauces are delish!

8. Comme Ci, Comme Ca – Really good cous cous

9. DessertTruckWorks – Melt-in-your-mouth desserts

10. LaNewyorkina – Super refreshing Mexican ice popsicles with real fruit flavors

11. Cupcake Crew – Ah-mazing cupcakes!

Not to be outdone, D.C. also has a booming food truck business. Food Truck Fridays, or Truckeroo, is a monthly festival that showcases the different food trucks in the D.C. area. There's also this awesome website that allows you to track where the trucks are so you can see which ones are near you! Check out http://foodtruckfiesta.com.

What are the favorite food trucks in your city?

Of Museums and Martinis

It’s Friday and you get a message from a friend – “Happy hour at the museum tonight?” Normally, that would garner a response like, “Is the name of the bar Museum?” or “Girlfriend's already drunk!”. Well, if you have been to the Rubin Museum, then you’ll know that a happy hour at a museum is possible!

The Rubin Museum of Art is a small place that focuses uniquely on Tibetan/Himalayan art. Every Friday night, part of the museum turns into a lounge where a DJ plays worldly eclectic beats and a mixologist serves up fun cocktails like a Watermelon Mojito or Pomegranate Margarita. There’s even a small food menu comprised of fusion South Asian tapas like naan pizza and coriander shrimp.

When I first visited this place, my friends and I were so engrossed in the eating and drinking part of the experience that by the time we were ready to check out the museum, it was closed! It was kind of shameful. Recently when I went back, I made sure not to make the same mistake again. Once we had a drink in hand, our group proceeded to walk around and check out the exhibits. The one we saw, which is still ongoing, is called Hero, Villain, Yeti: Tibet in Comics. It was definitely interesting!

Funky cocktail drinks at the Rubin Museum

DC has its fair share of museum happy hours too, like those at the national Smithsonian museums and at private galleries. Phillips After Five is a happy hour held on the first Thursday of every month at the Phillips Musuem. The gallery organizes an enjoyable and interactive happy hour with live music and tours, making it easy for people to meet and appreciate modern art! There was something so bourgeois, yet fun, about sipping a glass of wine and discussing a Picasso painting with friends that I can’t wait until my next visit!

So if you’re the type of person who typically finds museums too educational or feel the need to add some culture in your life while still socializing, a happy hour at a museum might just do the trick. It’s certainly different from the usual weekend routine!

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