The Best Things We've Ate in 2016

Happy New Year everyone! Hope 2017 is off to a good start for you!

2016 has been an amazing year! I've had the opportunity to try different restaurants and foods. I would like to share with you our yearly roundup of the best things we've ate and tried this year and where you can find it.

Ajitama Ramen - ZUNDO-YA

16. ZUNDO-YA was probably one of my favorite restaurants that I tried in 2016. The first time I went I ordered the Ajitama Ramen which contained slices of roasted pork, medium-boiled egg, scallions, seaweed and of course thick, wavy noodles bathed in Zundo-Ya's classic Tonkotsu broth. The noodles were cooked al dente which I liked very much. The combination of all the ingredients was truly delicious and vibrant.

ZUNDO-YA lets you choose the noodle type and broth richness which ranges from light, regular, rich, and super rich. I think that's pretty awesome!

Matcha Ice Cream - 321 Ice Cream Shop

15. I came to 321 Ice Cream Shop with Will and our friends after dinner in Williamsburg. Their Matcha Ice Cream is their signature flavor, so that's what I ordered. OMG, one of the best matcha desserts I've had! This was one of the most unique desserts I've had. It was soft, moist, and the green tea Kit Kat bars really added a unique aspect to the ice cream and crunch!

Prosciutto & Melon - Jamie's Italian

14. During our cruise last year, Will and I visited Jamie's Italian for dinner one night. One of the appetizers we ordered was the Prosciutto & Melon which I absolutely enjoyed. I was on a Prosciutto binge last year. The prosciutto and melon was amazing and delicious. It complemented each other very well.

Bruschetta Di Parma - Piccoli Trattoria

13. Speaking of Prosciutto? This is another appetizer I tried with Will and our friends: Bruschetta Di Parma (fig jam, Prosciutto di Parma and gorgonzola cheese on toasted bread). I fell in love with this appetizer. There's something about prosciutto and fig jam that really goes together. I was literally in prosciutto heaven when I ate it. 

The Surprisingly Green Mocktail - Doka Square

12. The first time I went to Doka Square, I got The Surprisingly Green mocktail (kiwi puree,apple juice, chrysanthemum, honey tea, mint, and Calpico). It was absolutely refreshing and I really enjoyed this. It was simply kiwi heaven.

Fettuccine alla Bolognese - Basta Pasta

11. I tried the Fettuccine alla Bolognese (homemade Fettucine with Basta Pasta original meat sauce) and I really, really enjoyed this dish. The texture of the fettuccine felt thicker and different compared to other pastas I've had before. The homemade sauce is delicious and tasted amazing!

Lobster Bisque - Island Creek Oyster Bar

11. I visited Island Creek Oyster Bar/Boston in May 2016 with Will and two friends. One of the items we ordered was the Lobster Bisque. This was hands down, the BEST lobster bisque I've had so far. It was bright, warm, and inviting and rich with lobster goodness and juices.

Banana Split - Brasserie Seoul

10. Will and I went to Brasserie Seoul in Downtown Brooklyn for our first NYC restaurant week. The dessert that I had there was truly a delight! It was a banana split (devil's food cake, caramelized banana, vanilla ice cream). Everything and all of the flavors really came together and it just tasted amazing. I love how everything is broken down and you can just taste everything one step at a time.

Earl Grey Cream Puff - Bibble & Sip

9. Bibble & Sip was one of the hottest dessert spots everyone was visiting last year and I wanted to jump on that wagon too and I did. I tried their Earl Grey Cream Puff which was pure earl grey heaven! The cream puff was flaky, soft, and absolutely delightful. The earl grey cream filling was absolute bliss. I took my sweet time eating it so I can enjoy and savor each and every bite.

Lobster Salad - Jing Fong

8. My sister had her wedding banquet at Jing Fong last November and the appetizer dish was this beautiful lobster salad. I've had a lot of different lobster salads in the last few years, but this one really stuck out to me. The lobster was delicious and cooked just right. I've always enjoyed the Asian-style lobster salad, but the design of this dish is just breathtakingly beautiful. I like that it is served individually in this serving plate/spoon.

Steamed Rice Noodle Roll - E Noodle Cafe 

7. I absolutely steamed rice noodle roll especially when it's bathed in peanut and hoisin sauce. It's absolutely wonderful. When I saw this menu item on E Noodle Cafe's Yelp, I knew instantly that Will and I had to have it when we had lunch there once and we did. We both really enjoyed it, super satisfying Hong Kong style dish.

Sampan (Tengzhai) Congee - E Noodle Cafe

6. Will introduced me to this congee and I absolutely adore it and love it. I never knew about it until now. The Sampan Congee includes pork, fresh sliced fish, peanuts, fried cruller, shrimp, squid, scallops and etc. It's a popular dish apparently. I've never been a huge fan of congee until recently, it's quite soothing and fun to eat especially on cold wintry days.

Irish Five Onion Soup - Banter Irish Bar and Kitchen

5. I've never been a huge fan of French Onion soup until some point last year. Will and I were having dinner with my sister and brother in-law in Forest Hills (they live there) and I tried Banter's Irish Five Onion Soup - filled with Irish croutons, and Swiss and Irish porter cheese. I really enjoyed the soup, perfect comfort food for a cold day and the soup wasn't oversalted which I was very happy about.

Akamaru Modern - Ippudo Westside

4. I came to Ippudo Westside with a friend and I ordered the Akamaru Modren which I absolutely enjoyed. It was warm, rich, bright, and inviting. This was truly a vibrant bowl filled with a bolder version of the original pork broth, pork chashu, cabbage, sesame kikkurage mushrooms, scallions, and Ippudo's secret Umami Dama pasta, and fragrant garlic oil. The pork chashu was delicious and melts-in-your-mouth texture. I had the straight ramen and it really soaked the flavors and garlic oil from the broth. Noodles were cooked al dente and to my liking!

Matcha Ice Cream - Taiyaki NYC

3. This fish cake with matcha ice cream, strawberry drizzle, rainbow sprinkles, and strawberries on top was probably one of my most favorite dessert of the entire 2016. The desserts at Taiyaki NYC are made for Instagram. I've never had any dessert like this before. I highly recommend everyone give this place a shot. The cake is moist, soft, and the custard is heaven! I am hungry just thinking about it.

Mushroom Friti - Jamie's Italian

2. Another dish that I tried at Jamie's Italian that I simply cannot forget is: Mushroom Friti. The mushroom friti contained king oyster, paris brown mushrooms coated in herby breadcrumbs and served with garlic mayo. It was insanely delicious and crunchy, pure mushroom heaven!

Classic Tonkotsu Ramen - Ichiran

1. Finally, the one item I tried during the last week of December that I truly enjoyed was the Classic Tonkotsu Ramen from one of the now hottest ramen spots: Ichiran. The restaurant only has one type of ramen, but you can customize the ramen to your own liking. I don't want to say too much as I haven't wrote a blog post yet (it's coming soon). All I can say is that the broth here is superb, but it really depends on how you like the stock and the  richness of your broth. The options I chose for my broth were spot on. The broth was delicious and savory.

As always, hope you enjoyed the list that's been put together. Last year, I definitely had a true love for matcha, prosciutto, seafood, and as always ramen. This year I intend on visiting more ramen shops and eating more bowls of ramen.