Blue Ribbon Restaurant - NYC

As we were trying the bone marrow at Barbuzzo on 13th Street, some new friends from Philadelphia recommended Blue Ribbon. As a new bone marrow fiend, I had to eat at Blue Ribbon ASAP. Although it has been only one of two bone marrow dishes I have tried in my life, it was definitely amazing. The oxtail marmalade really provided that sweet kick to the beef marrow spread on buttery toast.

Beef Marrow & Oxtail Marmalade

Moving on to the main course, I had the salmon with asparagus and crispy potato and mustard sauce. The fish was cooked medium rare, which provided a very balanced and moist texture. The mustard sauce definitely put it over the top on such a simple dish.

Salmon Dish

Website: http://www.blueribbonrestaurants.com/rests_brass_man_main.htm

Joe's Shanghai - NYC

I was craving soup dumplings over the weekend, so I took a trip to NYC to try a Penn favorite. These were definitely some of the best soup dumplings I have ever had. The ratio between soup and filling was perfect, and the taste was on point. I could have not asked for a better lunch.

Soup Dumplings

I also got to try some other foods on their menu. The eggplant and garlic sauce was alright, but I would have probably preferred to just fill my stomach with more soup dumplings.  

Eggplant with Garlic Sauce

For dessert, I had some fried red bean pancakes. If you like red bean, this was an excellent dessert dish. If not, I would skip dessert and grab some of Joe's Shanghai's mint candy at the entrance. Actually, everyone should grab at least five of these. They are SO good. 

Fried Red Bean Pancakes

Website: http://www.joeshanghairestaurants.com/ 

CHeU Noodle Bar - Philadelphia, PA

I have been dying to try this place since it opened. Even friends all the way from San Francisco have been recommending this eat, so I had to try it. Here is my review of this new Asian-fusion spot:

Black Garlic Wings, Buns, Dumpings

What's a good noodle bar without some amazing appetizers? (Think Ippudo Pork Buns) The appetizers here did not disappoint. On the right, we have their signature buns, served on biscuit goodness and one of three filling options: pork, cheeseburger, and mushroom. The dumplings above were made of curry beef and potatoes; however, the kitchen mixes up this dish on the daily and perhaps hourly. Within a few hours of ordering, the daily dumpling dish had changed. 

Duck Pho

The noodles were pretty standard. The picture above is of the Duck Pho, which was probably not much better than your $8 pho in Chinatown.

If you're looking for a place to grab some tapas-style dishes by the bar, this is an excellent hangout. If you're looking for an excellent main course at a table, CHeU is probably not the spot for that. 

Website: http://cheunoodlebar.com/