Cavalock and The Classic Diner Yearning

It's the weekend and a month since I got back from the U.S. and a part of me is really missing the cheap, sinful meals that were so readily available there. A couple of years ago when we were in Indianapolis for Gen Con, our regular breakfast was this bagel joint but it's gone now and it's taken by ... (wait for it)... a gym! Fortunately our Gen Con hotel this year was nearer to the local Steak 'n Shake diner. Yah, it looks just like one them classic American diners you see on TV and in the movies. Right down to the grizzled waitresses calling folks 'honey'. Well, that's where we settled most of our breakfasts and the occasional dinner, they are open 24 hours.

I miss the above greasy breakfast plate so much. Probably not the healthiest thing to have in the morning but it's so sinfully good plus a hot cup of joe. There's also the extremely tempting 'all-you-can-eat' pancakes for only USD3.99. The burger I had for dinner was pretty good too except for the fries. The salt and vinegar fries I had was perhaps the saltiest pile of fries I had ever shoved into my mouth! Besides that unfortunate experience, their garlic burger is really fantastic too if you like garlic as much as I do.

Topped dinner off with a nice cup of Oreo mint cookie milkshake. Well, would had been nice if it came in one them tall glasses like in the menu. They got all kinds of shakes to choose from. A diner experience ain't complete without a milkshake.

No trip to the U.S. is complete without grabbing this off their pharmacy shelves. The Downers  sleeping pills I picked up the last time were no longer around so I tried these instead. Yup! Really knocks you out like before. Once again, it says 'non-habit forming' on the box so you know it's definitely safe! ;)

Two years later, I still don't understand why we can't buy this off the shelf here in Singapore. If the authorities are afraid someone is gonna OD on it but you can OD on aspirin too right? If someone seriously wants to OD, that individual can OD on just about any other legal drug presently on sale in the market. So what's the real reason we can't find these Benzos on sale here? If you take a closer look, this new one is 50mg, twice the dosage of the last pack I bought two years ago.

Cavalock and The Random Breakfast Routine

It ain't exactly Breakfast at Tiffany's but I really enjoyed my breakfasts in New York. And if you are staying right next to Rockefeller Center, you just gotta drop by Bouchon Bakery. Went down for an early breakfast and it was as good as I had read and expected it to be. Was there when the door opened and there wasn't much of a crowd but I would expect it to be crowded later in the day. Couldn't really think of a better way to greet the day.

Since 2003, Bouchon Bakery has been Chef Thomas Keller’s unique take on a French boulangerie, offering sandwiches, quiches, soups, and salads, as well as a wide range of artisanal viennoiseries, confections, pastries, tarts, and cookies both French and American in influence.

I said it before, travelling alone in New York with (almost) no plans at all was a blast. When I wasn't having breakfast at Bouchon, I simply figured I'll eat at whatever place I walk up to that morning that I liked. Well, the Pret A Manger cafe was my pick while strolling down the avenue heading towards a McDonalds' while actively looking for a Dunkin' Donuts. Yah, breakfast can be as complicated as I want it to be. Sat by the glass window with my almond croissant, coffee and a tub of berries, just watching the morning office crowd go by. And of cos, WhatsApp-ing with people back in Singapore. Which reminds me, something I found out during this trip. Dunno how accurate it is but apparently if you are getting the T-Mobile SIM card in New York, it's gonna be more expensive there than getting it in other states. Or maybe just ask for the USD30 plan if they offer you a more expensive one, if that makes any sense.

My nights in NewYork were pretty straightforward. Afraid I didn't really had time to paint the town red if you know what I mean. A quick dinner then it's back to the hotel room before 8pm to (finally!) catch 'live' telecasts of WWE Monday Night Raw and Tuesday night's Smackdown Live. :)

Cavalock and The Famers' Market Foray

A Farmers' Market in the middle of Rockefeller Center in New York City! As early as 8am, they were already setting up All right, I know the photos could've been a lot better with close-ups and all but I was absolutely enthralled by the fruits, veggies and home-baked goods. My only regret is after buying all them board games from Gen Con, I had no luggage space left for any of the fresh fruits and I don't trust myself or anyone else with hand carrying anything as fragile as a peach.

Well, I did managed to grab a small can of homemade maple syrup from the farmer's market for the baker-at-home. We haven't had a chance to try it yet so we'll see. 

So yah, my hotel was just across the road from Rockefeller Center. Great location with an equally impressive view right in the heart of it all. Came with a nice little balcony too but it might be ...er ... kinda pretentious to be out there. The photos below might appear claustrophobic, with the buildings so close to each other but it doesn't. In fact there's this closed vibrancy or vibe that just makes the city come alive, know what I'm saying?

Heh, a couple of other things I like about my room. In bed with a special visitor and they got a water cooler with empty bottles outside the room just for guests.

Cavalock and The New York State of Mind

There I was, sitting by the fountain by myself in the park, enjoying a Nathan's hotdog, just opposite the Apple store in Fifth Avenue when an extended family of Indian tourists descended upon me and unceremoniously evicted me from my spot. About a dozen of them just swarmed around me, as if I was invisible, absolutely no regard for personal space while I was having my lunch and started posing, snapping pix right in my face. Hey, this is New York, I could be some crazy homeless dude packing some heat! Believe it or not, that was the only (man-made) negative experience I had during my entire two-week long U.S. trip. There was a major technical Delta flight glitch that affected thousands of travellers but that's a story for another day. But seriously, with hordes of unruly China and Indian tourists overrunning landmarks across the globe, I just don't know what to say. Well, I actually do but I shouldn't say such things online. 

Anyway, this solo trip to New York was invigorating on so many levels. It is simply amazing when you get to just chill by yourself, no plans at all, relax and do whatever you feel like in the middle of New York. So naturally I made my way from Fifth Avenue to Times Square to finally visit that famous New York geek tourist attraction called Midtown Comics. Heard and read about the place for the longest time, glad I finally got to visit this incredible comic book shop. Urgh! The day I was leaving NYC, Batman writer Scott Snyder was supposed to visit the store that evening for an autograph session.

On my walk back to my hotel, I sneaked into Lady M Cake Boutique along 40th Street for an afternoon break. Is it just me or does it look a lot greener than the one we have back home? Not bad but was a little too chewy, was kinda expecting it to be softer. What was interesting was me seated between a Russian couple on my left and a Japanese couple on my right. Not tourists but judging from their conversations and opened laptop, I'm guessing they live and work in the Big Apple.

Cavalock and The JFK Shake Shack Connection

If there's ever a go-to meal in New York for me, it's got to be this, Shake Shack at JFK Terminal 4. I don't bother looking for it in the city anymore. Met my friend at the airport as we waited for our connecting flight to Indianapolis, we made a natural beeline to the Shake Shack there and I guess we were so hungry that we forgot what a Shroom Burger was. Yes, it's a mushroom burger but it's also a MUSHROOM burger. A huge crisp-fried cheesy portobello mushroom instead of any beef patty. We forgot what it was but it still tasted absolutely great especially after flying halfway across the world.

And on my way back home, a delicious SmokeShack to end my 2-week gaming odyssey in the US. Now part of me would like to have them open an outlet here but if they do, that's like one less thing to look forward to if I'm ever back there.

Well, if anyone's interested, you can read a little about my Gen Con experience over at HereBeGeeks website. In the meantime, here's my haul of new board games from Indianapolis. Now, I'm not even showing the ton of gaming accessories and expansions to existing games that I bought. So why would I buy them there and carry them all the way back home? Cos the shops here in Singapore would often jerk up the price ridiculously high, like a USD20 game would cost around SGD50.

Cavalock Returns To Indianapolis & New York

Hey, I'm back after two weeks in Indianapolis and New York, not that anyone misses me I'm sure. Just like two years ago in August, I was attending Gen Con 2016 in Indianapolis, the biggest boardgame convention in the free world. If you read some of my older posts, you'll know that I'm a huge analog gamer. I have over 50 boardgames and a gazillion cards and miniatures games in my tiny apartment. Gen Con was a blast and I had so much fun, playing and buying the latest boardgames.

I must admit I was kinda apprehensive bout traveling to the U.S. after reading and watching Trump's rise to power. For awhile, I told myself this is not unlike Jesse Owens going to compete in Nazi Germany during the Berlin Olympics. Hey, Indy's Governor is Trump's running mate right? So you never can tell how the locals are going to react to four Asian guys suddenly showing up in their midst.

Fortunately there were no ugly or racist encounters and almost everyone I met was extremely generous and friendly. Alright, more on those games in a future post. And now I ask the question I always ask when I'm back from an overseas trip. Why can't we have this dish/meal here?!? Delicious pulled pork sandwiches. Had it the last time I was in Indy and I was really looking forward to this. It's just pulled pork meat in a naked bun. Nothing fancy, no weird dressings or toppings, just a simple pork sandwich. That glorious tender meat in a soft bun, why can't we have it here? I know preparing the meat takes time plus you need a proper BBQ smoker and all that but come on, other more "complicated" food joints with crazier, bigger kitchenware have opened up here.

Now since everyone's talking about it and playing the game, I thought I'll just share my experience on playing Pokemon Go overseas. My friend helped install the app in my iPhone while we were in the U.S. a few days before it was (finally) available in Singapore, so I had a tiny head start in catching a handful of Pokemon. Wow, J.W. Marriott is Drowzee central. Caught almost a hundred of them while staying there. I also managed to bag the exclusive North America Pokemon, Tauros right in my hotel room.

Then I was alone in New York where I trekked across midtown. That's the layout of Central Park down there. Best experience was the ride back to JFK Airport. Afternoon traffic was bad and that meant slowing down at every intersection, giving me time to catch half a dozen Pokemons in the back of of ride as well as winning one gym fight! Total different Pokemons caught in the U.S. = 75, levelled up to 15 before coming home.

Cavalock and The Black Forest Stopover

Oh wow, looks like I managed to churn out 12 posts bout my odyssey to Gen Con Indianapolis and New York without even knowing it. For anyone who actually read them, I sure do appreciate it. All three of you. :)

Well, I guess this is technically still a post bout my US trip but it went down during my SQ stopover at Frankfurt Airport. Only had 20 euros in my pocket and there were a couple of delis in the airport that sold some really lecker-looking German hams, cheeses and sausages. Managed to purchase the above slices of black forest ham and chunk of black forest shoulder ham for exactly the amount of euros with me.

Finished the strips in a matter of days and they were really delicious. Thinly sliced like prosciutto but not too savoury or dry. As for the big guy, we decided to stuff it with cloves, brushed it with pure pineapple juice and then sent it right back into the oven for a short while. Sliced it up and had them for several breakfasts accompanied by some Japanese apple jam from Meidi-Ya. Excellent start to the day. So the next time you are having a stopover at Frankfurt airport, don't forget to grab some really cool German meats that you probably can't find back home.

I suppose that's it for my trip for now at least. Just wanna say I'm really glad I took it despite being worried like crazy just days and hours before boarding my flight. Everything turned out great, people I met were really pleasant although the NYC folks were bit more sullen than the Indy ones, and the only negative experience was when the wheel fell my big-ass Samsonite luggage right after I arrived in Indy. Coming up next, all local stuff and thanks again for dropping by! <^;^>

Cavalock and The Shake Shack Shakedown

This was a no-brainer. Almost everyone I spoke to before our New York trip has insisted, recommended or ordered that I head to Shake Shack and grab one of their famous burgers. Well, we knew there were several Shake Shacks all across the city but we also knew that since we were gonna be flying out of JFK Airport's Terminal 4, there's not one but two outlets at the departure hall.

But we also found time to just drop by their outlet at Madison Square Park. The weather was fantastic that afternoon, sunny and with hardly any clouds in the sky. What I found fascinating was seeing people of all ages sitting outdoors, having picnics or just enjoying a book. I mean, this was like a working weekday but this garden scene was something I would only imagine happening on a weekend cos everyone looked so relaxed and picture-perfect. Really.

Looking at everyone lying on the grass, we began to wonder "what about the ants and bugs, don't they get them here?". Cos if you try doing that back in Singapore, you'll be playing host to half a dozen mosquitos and an ant farm climbing up your leg pants. I guess it's also cos there are no food courts or coffee shops like we are familiar with, where working folks can gather for a cheap good lunch. I reckon in NY, it's a quick eat-and-run routine where you basically grab a burger or salad and head back to your office. So this picturesque park is kinda like an oasis in an urban desert where one can really unwind with friends and just enjoy a lazy afternoon. 

Alright back to Shake Shack, super long line at Madison Square Park. This is like iPhone 6 and Hello Kitty put-together-level kinda queue. Took a panoramic shot and I know the picture ain't big but it starts from one end and ends at the other. Trust me, it's loooong and I'm surprised people were ready to stand in line outdoors in the afternoon sun. I guess them burgers are really that good.

So on our last day, we finally made it to (one of) the Shake Shacks at the JFK Airport Terminal 4. Ordered the Smokeshack, which is a "cheeseburger topped with all-natural applewood smoked bacon, chopped cherry pepper and ShackSauce". I really liked it but I have to admit, I can't remember exactly why! I mean, its been almost a month and I can't remember all the specific reasons except that it tasted really good. Another reason why I can never be a food blogger! I could pretend and come up with a buncha synonyms for 'delicious' but I figured it's better to just be honest. However I do remember how the buns are not completely cut through so it nicely captures all the sauce, and none of it drips outta the burger. Now why can't other burger joints do the same with their buns?!?

Had me the Fly Me To The Shack custard ice cream for dessert. It's "chocolate custard, fudge sauce, chocolate cookie dough and Mast Brothers Shake Shack dark chocolate chunks, topped with chocolate sprinkles". A bit too chocolatey for me but may be great for some chocolate lovers out there.

The Fifty/Fifty drink is simply half lemonade and half organic iced tea which tasted just like very strong lemonade to me.

Cavalock and The New York Korean Food Splurge

Sometimes I do wish I knew someone overseas. When I'm in a faraway city, I thought it would be absolutely smashing if I already knew a friendly local who would show me around. On social media, I see folks I know with friends all around the world and I can imagine how exciting it would be if I'm in a new city, there'll be a familiar face there. Know what I mean? Anyway, in New York we only had one reliable contact to show us around and that's our trusty online friend Mr. Google. Since we were staying in Koreatown, it would be stupid not to try some of the food there and with the beef being good ol' US beef instead of the Aussie meat we have back home, we had to try us some Korean BBQ for sure!

So for dinner Mr. Google directed us to a few popular restaurants along our street, and we hungrily scouted them out before deciding on the one with the most crowd cos everyone knows that means the food must be good, right? And that would be the popular New Wonjo Restaurant right across the road from the our hotel in Midtown West. There was a line leading out the door on the ground floor but we managed to jump it as we were ushered up to the above BBQ floor. Now you know you really blend in with the locals when the restaurant staff start speaking to in their native tongue the moment they see you.

We ordered the Wonju Combo for 2 plus a couple side dishes like that egg pancake thingy. The combo was US$63 and consisted of short rib, sliced beef brisket, sliced ox tongue and pork belly. Gawd, everything was so good especially the ox tongue. An extremely gratifying dinner that I wouldn't mind having again if I'm ever back in the Big Apple.

Presenting the latest obligatory food collage, this time from New York! This may had been a short trip but I'm really glad that I got to savour several proverbial favorites like having breakfast at Dunkin Donuts and enjoying a Smores pie for dessert.