Happy belated Halloween, y'all!  I hope this post finds you well.  What did I do for the holiday, you ask?  Well, Lucy, my pup, and I handed out candy in our apartment building before I hit the town and went to a few parties.  As Scarlett O'hara.

But if I had more time, some good ol' fashioned creativity, and actually gave a chit about *not* recycling Halloween costumes, I would have taken a lesson from this young lady and rocked a Chanel purse!

Pretty fantastic, right?  On a more somber note, I cannot even begin to tell you how many obese pleasantly plump "slutty nurses" and scantily-clad "Wonder Women" I saw last night.  While I found them to be a sight for sore eyes, you've really got to hand it to these ample duds, because they have a hell of a lot more body confidence than I do.  Oh, and speaking of sluts, one of my favorite things to do on the morning after Halloween is to laugh at all of the festive "aftermath" from the night before...

Changing subjects, I've happened upon quite a few delicious finds - and revelations - this week.  And one of the best blog posts I've read, to date.  Check them out: 

Lotus Root

When sliced, this root vegetable reveals a white, starchy interior that's dotted with holes.  The texture is crunchy (think jicama) and the flavor, if any at all, is subtle enough that you can pair it with almost anything, sauce or protein-wise! 

Lotus root is common in various Asian cuisines, namely Chinese. 

Han Dynasty

Beyond the friendly and knowledgeable staff, the evenly-paced service, the affordable prices, and the warm atmosphere, the food was damn near perfect.  At 6:30pm on a Monday night, the three of us only waited about seven minutes for a table which, considering Han Dynasty is one of the city's current hot spots, is pretty awesome. 

For appetizers, the three of us split wontons in chili oil, spicy crispy cucumbers, Dan Dan noodles, and scallion pancakes.

We chose to split two entrees among the three of us:  Cumin lamb and "crispy rice shrimp."  While I enjoyed the lamb, I found the shrimp dish to be extremely underwhelming.  It was as if someone accidentally dumped the entire box of corn starch in to the sauce because it was so gelatinous and gloppy.  Blech!!

Vandalism

What?  Sometimes vandalism is cool.  Or funny.  And in this case, it's both!

Maoz Vegetarian

Do NOT let the word "vegetarian" scare you, because this place is a falafel whore's dream come true.  Imagine, if you will, homemade pita bread (your choice of wheat or white) filled with the most crispy, delicious falafel balls you've ever tasted.  And instead of your pita pocket being topped with boring iceberg lettuce and mealy tomatoes, there's a "do it yourself" filler bar just to your right.  Yep, a plethora of both fresh and pickled vegetables and house-made sauces.  Dynamite!

Shanghai Sogo

With both of my grad school classes starting at 6:45pm on week nights, I'm always on the prowl for a relatively portable, quick bite.  Luckily, there are a slew of food trucks lined up in front of NYU's business school, so there's actually plenty to choose from.  This week, I happened upon the Shanghai Sogo truck, as I could not help but turn in the direction of Akon blasting through its speakers.  Random.  "Ma'am, would you like to sample something?"  The friendly chef offered me a handmade pork/chive dumpling.  Unlike most versions that skimp, this particular dumpling was stuffed to the brim with the juicy, pork/chive filling.  "I'll take an order of six!"  I exclaimed.  Secretly, I wanted to order a dozen.  They were THAT GOOD - perhaps some of the best in the city!

This blog post about staying in NYC

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Until we eat again,

Lindsay, The Lunch Belle