Foodie: First Ever Chinatown Restaurant Week

Until March 18th participating restaurants will offer both their regular menus plus a special 3-course prix fixe Chinatown Restaurant Week for $18.88 per person. You can visit the official website for Chinatown Restaurant Week HERE.  Here's an interview with a preview of what to expect from each restaurant that was posted by FM News on Not for Tourists.

Participating restaurants include: Asia Roma, Delight 28, Golden Unicorn, Grand Bo Ky Restaurant, Happy Lucky, HK Wonton Garden, Lobster Boat Restaurant, Lucky Plaza Restaurant, Mika Japanese Cuisine and Bar, Nha Trang One Vietnamese Cuisine, Nom Wah Tea Parlor, Peking Duck House, Pho Grand, Red Egg, Shanghai Gourmet, West New Malaysia Restaurant, and Xe Lua Vietnamese Restaurant.  So, if Chinese food isn't your favorite, there are also a variety of Japanese, Malaysian, and Vietnamese restaurants involved.
You can view the menus for participating restaurants HERE. 

I've personally been to Red Egg before and highly recommend it for groups.  They usually have wonderful options served Dim Sum style.  It's also just 1 block away from the Grand Street 6 Train. I've also been to Peking Duck House which is a little bit more upscale, so the $18.88 should come out to a pretty good deal.  Although I've never been, I think the Nom Wah Tea Parlor, Lobster Boat Restaurant, and Lucky Plaza Restaurant's menus look pretty delicious too!

Have YOU been to any of the participating restaurants? Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Foodie: Pranna Happy Hour Specials & Gilt City Deal

Photos from GiltCity.com

One of my favorite Happy Hour venues in Manhattan is Pranna (Madison Avenue at E 28th Street).  They offer a fantastic Extended Happy Hour Special from 4-9pm that allows you to get any of their Wok appetizers (Wok Fired Hanger Steak, Basil Wok Chicken, or Wok Fired Tofu) for only $5 with the purchase of one of their special $5 Draught Beers, $6 Bottled Beers, $7 Featured Red/White Wines, or $8 Signature Cocktail of the Day.  All of their drinks are served with FREE freshly baked Naan bread with 2 delicious dipping sauces. I absolutely love their yogurt and coriander sauces - they pair so nicely with a draught beer!  All of their other cocktails are usually $12, but well worth the splurge for a few of them considering the creative ingredients.  Check out the full cocktail menu HERE.  Be sure to drop your business card in their collection bowl to receive a special on future appetizer purchases (I think it was a $10 credit last time I went).

Aside from Happy Hour, Pranna serves as a wonderful restaurant for "Modern Southeast Asian Cooking" with appetizer dishes like Chicken Satay with Red Curry Peanut Sauce, Edamame Falafel with Raita & Curry Flavor Tabouleh, and Spiced Roasted Duck Spring Rolls with Plum Sauce and Cucumber Relish ($8-12).  For entrees, they have favorites such as Chicken Tikka Masala, Drunken Noodles, and Pumpkin Curry ($20-24).  On Thursday-Saturday nights they host a "Late Night Lounge" which serves a largely International and Southeast Asian crowd from what I've heard.

For the next two days you can grab a great deal on Pranna at Gilt City.  For $95 you get a "tasting menu for two, family-style" that includes two welcome cocktails, an amuse-bouche, two appetizers, two entrees, a dessert, and a Pranna VIP member card (entitles you to 15% off future meals + priority reservations).  It's advertised as 40% off an original price of $160.  You can purchase the Gilt City deal HERE.  Depending on what you want, it may or may not be cheaper to purchase the Gilt deal, as some dishes are quite reasonably priced already (especially the appetizers) and you may not want a dessert and/or cocktail.  I think the VIP card might be the biggest draw for the deal because if you love your meal you will definitely come back and use that 15% off!