The Chiconomist

today i'm loving: sprouse + above allen

noreply@blogger.com (the chiconomist ♥ celine) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 23:49:00 +0000

If you liked this:

Then I'm guessing you would love to sip a cocktail and shake your booty in this place:

We partied here last Saturday to celebrate my dearest friend Céline's birthday and it was pretty fabulous! My designer friend Kate and I spent a chunk of our evening hatching diabolical plans to smuggle out the Stephen Sprouse couch covers ... well until "Sexy Bitch" came on and distracted us, at least. It was a dreadful night to be out in New York, what with whipping winds and constant rain ensuring everyone got good and drenched. But it made our stay at Above Allen pretty great. The bar was nicely full without being overly crowded, just perfect for swigging G&Ts and dancing our butts off. This terrace bar is on the 7th floor of Thompson Hotel on the Lower East Side, and has some pretty stunning views of the city:

It is however, only open to members, hotel guests and whomever the doorman deems suitable, so look your best if you're going. I'd leave the Sprouse Neverfull at home though. You wouldn't want to blend into the upholstery.

today i'm loving: sock theory

noreply@blogger.com (the chiconomist ♥ celine) — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 13:00:00 +0000

It's been raining and freezing all weekend, and all I've wanted to do is stay curled up under my duvet, all warm and cozy. That could be why I am just loving Sock Theory today and all the cozy, adorable socks they have for sale. The ones I ♥ the most are these zip-up over-the-knee socks. They're just $5! Shipping might be more expensive. Must stock up on about a dozen then?

How cute are these pencil socks? It would be such a giggle to wear these under my staid black boots at work.

I'm also just enamored with these Japanese arm/leg warmers. Only thing is, I don't quite know how to wear these with shoes! Scrunched up over Maryjanes?

Man that last picture has me pining for green grass and sunshine. Spring, hurry up already!

get your groupon: $79 sailing lessons

noreply@blogger.com (the chiconomist ♥ celine) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 17:05:00 +0000

I love today's Groupon deal: $79 for two sailing lessons with Hudson River Community Sailing (valued at $180)! I think this would be such a great summer activity for couples and families. I zipped around the Hudson a few summers ago on my buddy Randy's speedboat and it is just amazing on a summer day. I can imagine that sailing would be sheer bliss!

I have to skip this deal because I have to focus funds on my 30 Before 30 Project. But I wanted to pass this on to my dear readers since it seems to be a pretty fabulous deal. Purchases are limited to two per person but you can buy multiples as gifts. It would be such a perfect gift for a boyfriend, hubbie or son, don't you think? Groupon has gotten enough buyers for this so the deal is definitely on, you just have to whip out the credit card and get yours! If you haven't signed up for Groupon yet, click here. I will have to be content with daydreams of sunning myself on a sailboat on this frigid and rainy New York Saturday!

alice in wonderland

noreply@blogger.com (the chiconomist ♥ celine) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 04:16:00 +0000

I spent a nice chunk of change to take my niece Nikki to see Tim Burton's Alice and Wonderland last Sunday, and truth be told, the only thing that thrilled me about the movie were Alice's outfits. I adore the blue, ruffled up, frothy concoction below. And I really loved the Vivienne Westwood-esque red dress she wore when she was working the court at the Red Palace. I was so obsessed I must've spent an hour scouring the Internetz for a picture but all I found was a sketch on WWD, as well as an interview with costume designer Colleen Atwood. Hats off to her!

Speaking of hats, I really badly wanted to like Johnny Depp's portrayal of the Mad Hatter. But I just couldn't. My friend Anne-Cecile put it best when she said he pretty much acted the same in Sweeney Todd, and I'd imagine it wasn't too different from Willy Wonka (if you just took out that lispy, Scottish accent). And that futterwack was just whack. Other than the amazing outfits, I found the movie rather dull to be honest. The most gripping character for me was the Queen of Hearts, portrayed wonderfully be Helena Bonham Carter. She still has me wanting to yell, "Off with his head!!!" at pretty much anyone who ticks me off.

Oh well. We'll always have the fashion ...

thank you details

noreply@blogger.com (the chiconomist ♥ celine) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 06:50:00 +0000

It's been awhile since I last obsessed about Robert Pattinson. I actually haven't touched the Twilight DVD in maybe half a year, and I didn't even cough up $14 to watch New Moon. I kinda forgot about him, really, while I went about with life. But when I saw this cover of Details magazine at a subway newsstand, it all came back full force. Sweet Jesus, he is one ridiculously good-looking kid. Though I'm still not coughing up the cash to watch his new flick, Remember Me.

Now, if you have nieces and daughters who are in love with Edward Cullen, I suggest you steer them clear of the Details shoot pictures. Quite risqué, definitely NSFW and styled to fascinate men, not teenage girls. The interview is actually a good read but I'm not posting the link here because I don't want my little sister clicking on it (I know you're old enough to know how to use Google, Katie, but DON'T DO IT). For all you adults out there, Google and read away.

Now to have sweet dreams of this bloody handsome fellow. Good night!

today i'm loving: sandra bullock

noreply@blogger.com (the chiconomist ♥ celine) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 05:45:00 +0000

How can you not love a woman who can graciously accept an Oscar and a Razzie all in the same week? There are quite a few Sandra Bullock movies that I'm not too keen on (*cough* The Proposal *cough*) but I've always liked Sandra herself. And after seeing these two acceptance speeches for getting Worst Actress and Best Actress awards in the same weekend, I love her a little extra.

today i'm loving: alice by temperley

noreply@blogger.com (the chiconomist ♥ celine) — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 18:38:00 +0000

I've long loved the exquisite clothes and accessories by Temperley but the prices are just too far out of my reach. Alice Temperley is a London-based, Central Saint Martins-trained designer who debuted her line back in 2000. Scarlett Johansson and Keira Knightly are just some of her celebrity fans. Temperley's highly embellished creations cost a pretty little penny with dresses starting at about $895. To cash in on a younger, contemporary customer, Temperley has created a diffusion line called Alice by Temperley. While Temperley has a more feminine-vintage vibe, Alice by Temperley veers more towards a rock-and-roll meets vintage aesthetic.

I am seriously lusting over the red polka-dotted minidress and navy polka-dotted skirt from the collection but damnit, even the diffusion line's prices are out of my reach. The cheapest item in the collection (a jersey tee) ringing in at $95. Those with fatter pocketbooks might find these a bargain but I'm sadly not at that point yet.

I would love to have that entire outfit on the left to wear for a summer day at work that progresses into a night out in the city. And the red dress would just be lovely for a dressed-up Sunday brunch. A girl can dream right?

get your groupon: $45 for 4-week dance class + 4 dance socials

noreply@blogger.com (the chiconomist ♥ celine) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 22:04:00 +0000

If I wasn't on a spending freeze, I would totally jump at today's Groupon deal: $45 for a four-week dance class and four dance socials at Dance With Me. I've been wanting to learn the Argentine Tango for years now but never took lessons. I was actually thinking of putting "Dance the Argentine tango in Buenos Aires" on my 30 Before 30 List but due to the lack of a dancing partner, I thought I'd save that for the 30 at 30 List that I'm almost positive I'll end up making!

As of 9:42 this morning, the deal is on with 100 people already. You have 6 hours to get your Groupon! You can only buy one for yourself but can buy multiples as gifts ... maybe for a potential dancing partner?

Have fun!

must you rub salt into my wounds, vogue?

noreply@blogger.com (the chiconomist ♥ celine) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 03:34:00 +0000

As if I wasn't already mourning my failure to purchase a perfect-fitting military anorak in Japan, now Vogue had to pepper its March issue with military fashion AND have that be the theme of the latest Vogue Shop the Issue at Gilt Group. B!tches.

"So, where to start is simple. Three things. First, you are going to see the color khaki (and it’s many other names and incarnations) everywhere this season (starting in March Vogue’s “Military Issue” spread shot by Mario Testino) and, second, it’s going to be fashioned for function in the form of military jackets, cargo pants and dresses that can do the day-to-night double time. Third, we are about to make it easy to add a few key pieces to your closet—right now.

Starting tonight, you can shop the “Military Issue” feature from our March issue—and everything that goes with it—with the Gilt Groupe."

To borrow a quote from my friend Amanda: Somebody call the waaaaahmbulance.

To sign up for Gilt Groupe and shop the darn military-infested March issue, click here.

why i ever doubted military-style anoraks, i'll never know

noreply@blogger.com (the chiconomist ♥ celine) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 05:22:00 +0000

This is reaching epic proportions. I seriously wanna whack myself on the head for not buying an anorak in Tokyo. These photos below taken by Jak and Jil's Tommy Ton for Style.com are making me want to implode with their fabulousness. Especially this first one. A military anorak and lace!!! I DIE, DIE, DIE.

And then there's this: anorak + fur fabulosity.

Seriously, there were so many fur-bedecked anoraks in Tokyo! Most of the time, over-thinking my purchases works pretty well for ~~my bank account~~ me. But on the rare occasion, it haunts me like this. *facepalm*

And now, a moment of silence to take in how Ms. Wintour deals with Winter.

*sigh*

today i'm loving: spring dressing at leifsdottir

noreply@blogger.com (the chiconomist ♥ celine) — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 07:25:00 +0000

New York has been getting pummeled with snow all February, and I was actually fine with it because I've come to appreciate a great snow day. Or so I thought until I wandered onto the new Leifsdottir website and saw all these pretty spring dresses ... oh, winter, just leave us alone already will you?

I have a long night of clubbing in store tomorrow with Nath's blowout at Juliet and Yssa's party at Star Lounge. I want to get decked out, of course, but it'll be puzzling looking for an outfit. Dressing up is just so much more complicated when the ground is piled up with snow! Grrr ...

Can't even bear to look out the window and see how much more snow has fallen ... how I wish that when I open my eyes tomorrow, I'll see sunshine and leafy green trees! Fat chance.

cartier watches 25% off at bluefly

noreply@blogger.com (the chiconomist ♥ celine) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 15:59:00 +0000

To be honest, I usually just delete the messages in my inbox from Bluefly because I'm not supposed to be shopping these days and I don't actually find a lot of things that I like there. However, every now and then they throw some pretty sick sales. If I was in the market for a Cartier watch, I would totally love today's VIP Sale at Bluefly. These watches and more, all at 25% off!

The stainless steel La Doña is now just $3,694 from $4,925. The Tank Francaise is $4,800 from $6,400. And that sick Pasha Seatimer is $32,906 from $43,875. That's over 10K knocked off the retail price!

Sign up with Bluefly and salivate over the gorgeousness!

the 30 before 30 project

noreply@blogger.com (the chiconomist ♥ celine) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 04:50:00 +0000

Dear Readers, I am embarking on an adventure! I came to the cruel realization yesterday that I am getting seriously close to hitting 30, and I thought, you know what? I'm not just gonna let 30 hit me over the head. I will meet it head on, with guns blazing. So I've started this thing I've decided to call The 30 Before 30 Project. Basically, I'm making a list of 30 things I want to do before I turn 30, and I'm chronicling the journey at this blog.

I hope that some of you will add 30 Before 30 to your daily reads, so I can get some motivation to keep going on this challenge. I would also love to hear from you on what goals you'd like to accomplish and if you have any suggestions on what I should add to my list.

I will try my best to keep the posts going on both blogs, but I foresee just being dead tired on some days. The first item I plan to take on is to conquer the 30-day Bikram Yoga challenge. I'm going to start on Monday, March 1, 2010 so next month will probably light on the drinking and eating posts (or so I hope).

Wish me luck! Carpe diem babes!

designer for less: sonia rykiel for h&m

noreply@blogger.com (the chiconomist ♥ celine) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Jesus, I really do have a one-track mind. When I'm preoccupied with food and ... well, stuff ... I just completely miss out on things. What rock have I been hiding under? I completely missed the fact the the Sonia Rykiel for H&M collection dropped last February 20! This is kinda embarrassing because I walk past an H&M to get to my train station everyday. *facepalm*

I want some of the stripey cuteness!

So glad that the prices are not too steep. I was not a fan of those ridiculously overpriced H&M designer collabs (*cough-Jimmy-Choo-cough*) (*cough-Viktor-&-Rolf-cough*). Of course that might mean there'll be nothing left on the racks when I go tomorrow. If I could just have a pair of those crazy striped tights or socks, I'd be fine really. I don't ask for much.

Did anyone else manage to hit up H&M? Was it utter madness? Do tell!

designer for less: liberty of london for target

noreply@blogger.com (the chiconomist ♥ celine) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 18:24:00 +0000

Twenty days and counting til the Liberty of London for Target collection drops and I am beyond excited! By May I'll be moving into new digs in the Financial District and I can hardly wait to start decorating. From the ads it looks like they're doing the iconic Liberty prints in clothes and homeware. I'm digging the shams and sundresses, and am dorkily excited about the piggie bank, teapots and mugs!

Get in the mood to shop with this adorable Liberty of London for Target advertisement:

The collection drops on March 14, 2010. So excited!!!

shop for haiti at gilt groupe

noreply@blogger.com (the chiconomist ♥ celine) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 06:43:00 +0000

Gilt Groupe is running a sale 9PM EST on Friday, February 26, 2010 to benefit charities that help those affected by the earthquake in Haiti. There are limited edition shirts by the Council of Fashion Designers of America for just $25, FEED bags for $35, and TOMS shoes from $34 to $79. Just imagine, for every FEED Haiti bag purchased, 50 school meals will be donated to the UN World Food Program's School Feeding initiative.

I'm really liking these gold glitter slip ons by TOMS. For every pair of shoes you purchase, TOMS gives a new pair of shoes to a child in need. Isn't that just brilliant? Methinks these would make a great summer shoe. Wear with shorts, a white shirt dress ... they just look way too comfy!

If you're not on Gilt Groupe yet, then you should be! Sign up here.

today i'm loving: siri tollerød as cat lady

noreply@blogger.com (the chiconomist ♥ celine) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 02:56:00 +0000

I don't know if it's because I feel like I didn't get much time to veg out at home this weekend, but today I find myself mildly obsessed with these images of Norwegian model Siri Tollerød from “The Vagaries of Fashion” shot by Miles Aldridge for the May 2008 issue of Vogue Italia. I've never seen such a glamorous cat lady.

If you suffer from winter blues at all, these highly saturated images can be pretty therapeutic. Makes me want to swathe the apartment in full on color!

Doesn't Siri look just like a living, breathing Barbie doll? Oh when I was a kid, I SO wanted to be this blond and blue-eyed. I've gotten over that (wouldn't trade being Asian and looking like a teenager for decades for anything) but I'm still fascinated by her look.

She also wants to make be break out the knitting needles. On our trip to Pennsylvania last month, Zoe taught me some knitting basics. Might want to do more of that.

So how was this for my first non-food post in ages? Hahaha I'm pretty rusty, I know, sorry about that. The truth is, I have another foodie post in my back pocket because I'm insatiable like that. But I will spare you the gluttony for a few days at least.

Hope y'all had a nice and relaxing weekend. I had to work, but I made up for it with a good amount of partying. This week's social calendar looks pretty full so I'm gonna try to get some rest before it all starts up again. Here's hoping the week zips by in a jiffy!

late night eats: hop kee

noreply@blogger.com (the chiconomist ♥ celine) — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 17:39:00 +0000

It's entirely possible that I ate enough Chinese food yesterday to feed a family of five in Guangdong. After work, I went to Joe's Shanghai to satisfy a weeklong craving for soup dumplings with Ali and then we went to Verlaine for those yummy $5 Hanoi lychee martinis. But by around 1AM, I had downed several lychee martinis with the rest of the Filipino crew and then that inevitable craving for Cantonese food hit us. And before I could say "MSG", I was back in Chinatown stuffing myself silly.

So yes, I guess at this point I must concede that I eat too much. After this post, I am enforcing a moratorium on food stories. I don't think my body can handle one more week of eating at this pace, and I think the blog's readers want to read about something other than food for a change. So this will be the last one for awhile (or so my waistline hopes).

With that, let's end the food tripping streak with an ode to my beloved Chinatown hole-in-the-wall: Hop Kee. Hop Kee has gotten more attention lately for being featured in Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations in the "Disappearing Manhattan" episode. He went to Hop Kee with Chef Chris Cheung to show the vast difference between what the white folks and the Asian folks ordered back in the day at this place. Bourdain's childhood menu consisted of egg rolls and sweet and sour pork, while Cheung's included snails in black bean sauce and Cantonese-style crab. Watch it, I kinda love this episode:

Filipinos particularly love Hop Kee because the Chinese food we grew up eating is precisely this type. Well, plus we love ending a night out by pigging out on Cantonese food and Hop Kee stays open til 4AM, ably satisfying our post-drinking cravings. I've actually only been at this place at normal hours once: for dinner with my friend Kathryn last Wednesday to sample their snails in black bean sauce. Yummy as they are, it's a bit of a challenge to eat the snails so it's not something I'd ever order when I'm suffering from drinking-induced hunger pangs at 3AM. This was quite possibly the healthiest meal I ever had at Hop Kee, with just the snails, sauteed veggies and some salt & pepper pork chops:

The 3AM lineup is not quite as healthy. It's gotten to the point that I just fire off the orders at the waiter without looking at the menu because I know what everyone wants: yang chow fried rice (2 orders), salt & pepper squid, salt & pepper pork chops, and walnut shrimp. Last night we got thrown for a loop because the waiter heard me say "salt & pepper shrimp" instead of "salt & pepper squid." But we ate it anyway, and it was good. And we still had the squid. Oink oink.

The walnut shrimp, with it's sweet white sauce, batter-coated shrimp and caramelized walnuts, is to die for. I want some right now.

The chicken was something new on our lineup, but it was pretty good too.

I always find myself with deadened taste buds the next day from the massive intake of MSG. But I don't care. Like Anthony Bourdain, I too love MSG. And I have to say that it's bugging the hell out of me right now that I've never tried that pan-fried flounder. Damn you Chris Cheung, damn you ...

Ok, last of the food posts, I hope. Let's see how long I'll last.

Hop Kee is located at 21 Mott Street (between Chatham Square & Mosco Street), New York, NY 10013. Tel. (212) 964-8365

fat tuesday at good enough to eat

noreply@blogger.com (the chiconomist ♥ celine) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 04:00:00 +0000

I may have overdone it this time. I already have a problem with ordering more food than my 105-pound frame can handle, but when you're at a restaurant with the owner's son and an enabler of a friend, things can get out of hand. Buck and Alida introduced me to the delicious comfort food at Good Enough To Eat last night, and I was torn between wanting to hug them and choke them for the food coma I suffered from afterward.

It seemed like a good idea at the time to order one starter, entree and dessert each. I picked the mac and cheese to start, and it was quite possibly the best I've ever had in my life. This mac and cheese was serious business: big plump ziti noodles generously coated with velvety melted gruyere, parmesan, cheddar and mozzarella. And when you happen upon the nicely browned cheese bits? Good lord ...

Ali has never been able to steer clear of the chicken fingers, and with good reason. Having a younger sibling and niece, I've had to eat many chicken fingers in my life and none of them ever tasted as good as these. Underneath the light and crisp beer batter were super tender and juicy pieces of chicken. Ali came up with the idea of having a bite of mac and cheese with a chunk of chicken tenders, and it was so delicious I felt enormous guilt at having it. It just wasn't right. The world might implode if those two things were served on one plate.

Buck got some cheesy quesadilla goodness going on because there can never be too much carbs and cheese within a 1-meter radius ...

Good Enough to Eat does a weekly "Traveling Tuesdays" menu, and since it was Fat Tuesday, they had a special Mardi Gras menu, which we took full advantage of. I ordered the jambalaya, which was the perfect hearty dish to enjoy on such a godawful chilly winter evening. I loved how they did not skimp on the heat and meaty goodness.

But the truth is, I didn't have all that much of the jambalaya because I got distracted by the catfish that Buck ordered. That's some of the most flavorful catfish I've ever had, made even better with a dollop of avocado sauce. And that bed of creamy mashed potatoes tucked under the fish? Best argument on the planet against going on the Atkins diet.

Ali ordered spinach fettuccine tossed with shrimps and crawdads. I've come to the conclusion that if you ask a crawfish, "Who's your daddy?" it would point to the crawdad. I'm sorry I don't have more to say about this dish. I was too distracted with the catfish, which in case you already forgot, was wonderful.

As you can imagine, at this point, we were stuffed to the gills. But did we stop? No. I ordered some Good Karma (that's coffee, Godiva liqueur, Frangelico and Baileys) hoping a warm drink would help some of the food go down. Even though I was completely stuffed, I still ended up getting the berry crisp. They had me at homemade ice cream. OHMYGOD.

There was also some Devil's food chocolate and banana walnut cake, but I was too overwhelmed by then to have anything more. Well, maybe another cocktail ... I concede that GETE's Garden of Eden is indeed the best pomegranate mojito in the city. And the Autumn Leaves (Amaretto Disaronno, Cointreau, apple cider and OJ) will have me constantly wishing for the leaves to turn.

To close, here's me defeated by all that food.

I hate losing though, so I'm definitely going back for another round.

Good Enough To Eat is located at 483 Amsterdam Avenue (at 83rd Street), New York, NY 10024. Tel. (212) 496-0163

valentine's day dinner at dbgb

noreply@blogger.com (the chiconomist ♥ celine) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:37:00 +0000

I've posted about DBGB before but I think it warrants another post since my dearest friend Nina Vargas took such beautiful pictures during our group Valentine's Day dinner last Saturday. That and the food was amazing!!! We shared one of their specials: a decadent foie gras mousse. I prefer my foie gras seared but for $13, this was not bad at all.

We also ordered that beautiful escargot dish ($14). Cannot get enough of the creamy parsley custard, plump escargots, juicy roasted tomatoes, and crunchy filo pastry. Yum! It just seems to get better every time I have it.

Also part of their specials: a light Hefeweizen from an obscure German brewery for $16. Even the non beer drinkers in our party liked this one since it's so light and devoid of bitterness. It was apparently quite popular with diners because we had to lock down the last two bottles before they completely ran out. At the end of the day, I still preferred the richer Schneider Weisse that I started with.

Some of the girls who were more dainty eaters ordered appetizers as their dinner. Mia had the Tuna Crudo with harissa-sesame sauce, cucumber radish, crispy rice ($11), while Annavi had the Chipolata—a pork sausage link with pommes mousseline and black truffle.

I am a tiny girl but definitely not a dainty eater, so I ordered steak frites. Holy peppercorn, fat-laced, 10-ounce Black Angus ribeye goodness! I asked for my steak to be cooked medium rare (more on the rare side) and it was absolute perfection. Although I must admit, I had a very Pinoy moment of wanting A1 sauce on the side at one point. Hahaha ... I didn't do it, don't worry! That would be like spitting on the Eric Ripert copper pot on display. I did not disrespect Daniel Bouloud's steak.

I talked up the Frenchie burger ($17) so much that all of the boys ended up ordering it. Brandon went for the Monster Frenchie (add $8 for an extra beef pattie). He had to eat it with a fork and knife since the burger was so unwieldy but he loved it. Our friend Dan, who was quite hungry, regretted not ordering the monster because the regular Frenchie didn't fill him up. But he made up for it by ordering a mint chocolate sundae that he deemed the best sundae he's ever had. Fighting words!

My dearest Nina, who is usually more preoccupied with the wine list than what she's having for dinner, just loved her entree: sauteed skate with cauliflower risotto, romanesco, pinenuts and saffron brown butter ($22). The fish was so flavorful and that risotto was to die for.

I highly recommend DBGB if you're looking for a place that can accommodate large parties. We were a party of 9 (originally 12) and although we had to settle for a very early reservation (at 5:30pm!), they were very relaxed about time and didn't mind that our party trickled in slowly. We probably sat down for dinner closer to 6:30pm but they were very cool about it. I've gone to DBGB three times now, and every single time I had a wonderful experience. Do try it if you still haven't!

With my gorgeous Valentine's Day dates at DBGB

DBGB Kitchen & Bar is located at 299 Bowery at 1st Street, New York, NY. Tel. (212) 933-5300

let's do brunch: yerba buena perry

noreply@blogger.com (the chiconomist ♥ celine) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 15:58:00 +0000

It must seem like all I do is overindulge in rich food, but people, I don't actually eat like this all the time! Most days, all I have are salads, soup, yogurt and coffee. But I do live in one of the best cities to eat at in the world, and it would be a crime not to take advantage. I get plenty of exercise walking all over the city, climbing my 5-floor walkup, and sweating it out at Bikram Yoga so no need to be concerned about my health. I'm not going for death by foie gras/bone marrow/fatty duck, I promise.

So now that I've issued that disclaimer, I can tell you all about my girls Valentine's Day brunch at Yerba Buena on Perry Street. I'd read about the all-you-can-drink brunch at Yerba Buena in the East Village but couldn't get reservations so we ended up at Yerba Buena Perry instead. No unlimited booze here, unfortunately, though the cocktails were at least relatively cheap at $8. In any case, I wasn't in a boozing mood. I was way more interested in the food. The churros con chocolate ($8) immediately caught my eye among the starters since I've been craving for Dulcinea's churros con chocolate for ages.

While yummy, these still don't hold a candle to Dulcinea's version. I love the really thick, slightly bitter hot chocolate we have in the Philippines but I haven't found anything similar here. Since this was advertised as Mexican hot chocolate, I thought it would be closer to Philippines-style hot coco but no dice. Our friend Mitch, who's a pastry chef, said the churros reminded her of Disneyland churros. Not a great sign, I think.

The chunky guacamole with chipotle and queso fresco ($10) that Jenn ordered was a winner though.

I loved that there were chunks of avocado in the guacamole, rather than it being just a thick paste. We had to ask for a second helping of tortilla chips. So good.

I was a bit peeved that the entrees took long to arrive. We were loaded up on guac and chips by the time our "real food" came. Jenn's Pan Dulce ($10) looked amazing but I was too full to try it. But how can you go wrong with a french brioche toast with grilled manchego cheese, maple syrup and fresh fruits anyway, right? Yum!

Mitch and I both ordered the Cachapa Benedict—sweet corn cake, asadero cheese, poached eggs, ham, yerba buena-aji amarillo hollandaise ($13). I wasn't too crazy about the sweetness of the corn cake because I felt like having a savory dish this day, but at any other time I would love the sweet-savory combo for sure. Overall I was still happy. Eggs Benedict for brunch is one of my most favorite things ever.

I'd recommend Yerba Buena Perry for a chatty girls brunch because the setting is so chic and they don't rush you through your meal. (It also didn't hurt that our waiter looked like a younger version of Djimon Hounsou!) I'd definitely do brunch at Yerba Buena again, though I want to try the boozy brunch at their East Village location next time. Oh New York and your weekend brunches ... love, love, love!

Yerba Buena is located at 1 Perry Street at Greenwich Avenue. Tel. (212) 620-0808

today i'm loving ... love!

noreply@blogger.com (the chiconomist ♥ celine) — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 13:00:00 +0000

No I didn't miraculously turn into a romantic sap overnight. I just really love this image from the J.Crew catalogue. Who says I can't just love cocktail dresses?

As much as I relish rolling my eyes at this Hallmark holiday, I truly am happy for those who've found love. That said, I still hid all you mushy people from my Facebook feed today just to escape all the sweetness! Hahaha ...

You know what's funny though? I seem to be celebrating Valentine's Day more now that I'm single compared to when I was attached! Last night we had a great group dinner at DBGB, and today there are things planned like a girl's brunch and drinking marathon. I've learned that one of the best things in life is knowing that love and happiness can come from many parts of your life, not just one.

So even though it irks me to say it, I will ... hope you'll have a happy heart's day, lovies!

fatty crab

noreply@blogger.com (the chiconomist ♥ celine) — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 07:38:00 +0000

I'm going to have to pay for tonight's Fatty Crab noshfest with a serious Bikram Yoga session tomorrow. For some reason that I still can't figure out, Fatty Crab had been off my radar until tonight. But now that I've popped my Fatty Crab cherry, you can bet I'll be coming back for more. We were celebrating our friend JM's birthday so we were a fairly large party, which meant lots and lots of food.

We were all famished so the plates of Watermelon Pickle and Crispy Pork ($15) disappeared rather quickly.

I love sweet and salty combos so I was definitely a fan of this dish. The contrast between the textures and tastes of the crispy fried pork and refreshing cubes of watermelon was a winner. Next came some Nasi Goreng ($16), spicy fried rice typical of Malaysia and Indonesia. Very tasty but those sliced chilis meant business.

Then came steamed pork buns ($9) so juicy and flavorful that I'd pick them over David Chang's any day. I especially liked the little coriander salad on the side, which added another dimension of flavor and texture to the pork buns.

I just realized that I didn't get to try the Lamb Shoulder Curry with that deliciously oily roti. Making my mouth water at 2AM when I have no business being hungry.

If there's one dish I would definitely come back for, it's the Fatty Duck ($17). It's fried to a delicate crispness, and is somehow not as greasy as I've come to expect duck to be. And the rice that it comes with ... Filipinos are already slaves to white rice, but when you add a crunch factor to it, I'm just done for.

Of course, we had to get some Fatty Crab cooked in chili sauce and served with white toast. Not a lot of people are willing to work for their dinner, so most of our party just dunked pieces of the toast in the chili sauce, which was quite good in itself. Other determined foodies like myself dug in with the claw crackers for the juicy prize within the shells. The crab meat I was able to salvage from the claws were very tender and juicy. But I wish they would take a cue from the brilliant folks in my country who serve just piles and piles of crab legs. So much more conducive for stuffing yourself silly.

Drink order tip: the Lachouffe Dobbelen Triple IPA ($10) turned out to be a great choice because it's slightly sweet so it always worked with and never against the spicy food.

And with that, my food coma and I are going to bed ...

Fatty Crab is located at 643 Hudson Street (between Horatio and Gansevoort) and at 2170 Broadway (between 76th and 77th Streets), New York, NY. Tel. (212) 352-3592 (West Village) and (212) 496-CRAB (Upper West Side)

my snow day

noreply@blogger.com (the chiconomist ♥ celine) — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 06:17:00 +0000

Photographed by Dante Sta Cruz wearing my trusty Gucci rain boots and beloved Theory puffy coat (my best outlet store purchases to date)

I'd envisioned a day fit for a total sloth for myself on my very first New York snow day but life had a few curveballs to throw my way. First of all, I woke up to a laptop that was on a rebooting loop. Epic hardware failure. This led me to trudge to the nearest Best Buy through a snow storm and finally buy a MacBook. And yes, it's one of the best decisions I've ever made!

After making my purchase, I waddled over to Starbucks on 79th and Lex to meet up with Zoe, who had sent me a very enticing message about going sledding in Central Park, and Dante, who wanted to come along and take some pictures. We walked over to Central Park and were breathless at the sight of the trees blanketed in pure white snow. It was truly magical. Look at us grinning like little children:

Photographed by Dante Sta Cruz

And then we heard the shrieks of pure happiness/terror of children and adults zooming down the snowy hill in sleds and anything else that could serve the same purpose as a sled (i.e. cafeteria trays, IKEA tabletops and underbed storage containers—I sh!t you not). It was hysterical and oh so very New York. My initial fear quickly turned into sheer joy at being able to frolic in the snow like a child.

I was very pleased with how my winter clothes held up on this day. The Gucci rain boots that I bought from Woodbury Commons two years ago are amazing for a snow storm in the city. They're lined and padded so my feet stayed warm, and I actually felt really comfortable hiking up and sledding down the hill in them. Best of all, I felt invincible sloshing through slush and muck on the streets. And that Theory puffer coat! Oh, it has been my most worthwhile purchase this winter. I wear it absolutely everywhere, from the office to dinners out to sledding, and it always looks good.

I have a whole new love for Central Park after this amazing snow day. I've always loved it for the wonderful summer picnics and concerts I've had there, but never realized it could be such a magical place in the winter, too. Can hardly believe it but I can actually say it and mean it ... I can't wait for the next snow day!

rip alexander mcqueen

noreply@blogger.com (the chiconomist ♥ celine) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 18:33:00 +0000

Alexander McQueen passed away today, the cause reportedly a suicide. Such a sad loss. The man was a genius. But sometimes people just can't shake their inner demons, I guess.

I remember being in awe of the beautiful, otherwordly quality of his last collection. His passing will surely be felt in the coming Paris and London fashion weeks.