We down-shifted quite a bit on day 4. The day was much more chill than the previous days. Again, some more highlights in as much detail as I can remember. Wouldn’t want to forget all the fun we have had on our first trip out here =).

– Slightly slower from the day before, we woke up and headed straight to lunch in Union Square at Republic. I ordered some spicy beef noodle soup while Laurie had something a little more exotic… the spicy coconut chicken noodle soup. Both were pretty good even though I was a little skeptical about the “pan asian” restaurant to begin with.
– Said goodbye to Bryan and Cho who headed back to their respective hoods then we quickly headed to Broadway to watch the matinee showing of Les Miserables at the Broadhurst Theatre. I can see why this show has such a large following. The music is catchy, the story is touching… there is love, fighting, comedy… the show has everything you could ask for. It was AWESOME. It could have also been the fact that this show was on Broadway although I don’t have any other musical for comparison. Laurie said it was a lot better than the version she saw in SF…
– Post show, I picked up some honey roasted peanuts at a Nuts for Nuts cart. I wasn’t sure how sanitary nuts would be from a cart (reference from Along Came Polly) but the smell of them made them irresistible. Plus, they were a great snack for the subway…
– For dinner we headed to Gyu Kaku, a Japanese BBQ joint (it felt more like a Korean place though…) for Matt’s birthday. It was a little pricey but the beef was really delicious. The one thing that I am not a big fan of is the fact that I smelled like piece of steak once we left… I think Korean BBQ places (or in our case Japanese BBQ) should provide some Febreeze at the door so you can spray yourself before you leave. Just a thought…
– Ended the night with some drinks down the street at B Bar and Grill which had a great red sangria. Good times with both old and new friends. Post drinks we had a late night snack at Mamoun’s on St. Marks. We originally were craving Belgium fries at Pommes Frites but they had just closed 15 minutes before we got there. Boo! I shouldn’t complain though. Getting a $2.50 falafel past 1AM on a Sunday night is not half bad.

Highlights from day 3 in the big apple:

– Started the day in search of foooood. We had THE BEST pastrami sandwich at Katz. It was pretty pricey, but the meat was so tender and juicy. As I type this, I am actually craving it again. Add some hot mustard and I am in heaven. Katz’s is located on Houston street which is weird because it is really pronounced “How”-ston vs. the Texas city.
– Headed west and “shopped” around SOHO. We were going to meet up with some people but they were busy shopping for intimate apparel. I convinced Laurie to pass on meeting up.
– Spent some time at the World Trade Center. I can’t believe that two skyscrapers stood there… It is true, America will never forget.
– We headed to Taisho for a pre-dinner snack but it wasn’t opened yet so we headed to Crooked Tree Creperie because Laurie wanted a cup of their apple cider. I wasn’t a big fan of the cider (or any cider for that matter) but it was nice to get out of the cold and relax from all the walking. After, we headed back to Taisho. This place is all about these mini skewers that they cook over a charcoal grill. The chicken skin skewer felt so bad but tasted so good…
– Later we had our real dinner and celebrated Carolyn’s birthday at La Palapa and had some pretty good duck with mole and some awesome plantains. After we went to Ludo and got our groove on. Grace was by far the most popular girl on the floor because she can really shake her booty. Anyway, we all had a great time. I still don’t know if I have the endurance to last in NY. Leaving the clubs at 3:30 am is rough.