Bestie NYC Trip - Day 7 - cont

Bibble & Sip - New York, NY

After every scrap of tasty Thai has been scraped off every plate, we amble over to Bibble & Sip for something sweet. 

We sit down to a Black Sesame Cream Puff, a crusty shell encasing an airy cream. 

The Milk Tea Cloud Cake comes from the heavens, a hard cream cover with a tea-soaked sponge inside. 

Even in a city where even a single slip can put you out of business, the stars can't help but shine. Bibble & Sip is bound to be a favorite for anyone who loves a perfect pastry, full of classics and creations that never go out of style.

Death Becomes Her

Oh what a note to end on. 

Our Broadway shows just keep getting better. Michelle Williams belts it out in Death Becomes Her, finally free of her more famous girl-group counterparts. Her voice is rich, and she is unbelievably beautiful, a talent no longer stifled by Destiny's Child, allowed to shine like the star she always was. She sells it as she prods the plot in this devilishly dark comedy about victims of their own vanity, a side-splitting comedy that toes the line between hilarity and absurdity.

Death becomes the rest of this incredibly talented cast as well, and of all the shows we saw, I'm glad we saved the best for last. 

An EPIC trip comes to an end as we selfie and go our separate ways. 

I've never seen so much in such a short time, and never so many memorable things in a single week. There was music and museums, decadence and dining, and best of all there were friendships that are meant to last forever. I saw so many of my friends with my bestie by my side, and even with all the crazy-amazing things we saw and did and ate, it was truly all these people that turned a good trip into one that was truly spectacular. 

Chalong - New York, NY

Walk it off with a little shopping, my first foray against the beckoning boutiques of Brooklyn's best shopping streets. 

I didn't buy anything there, but I got the girls some stuffies at the store of every child's dreams. FAO Schwarz, we salute you.

Chalong - New York, NY

Chugging along to Chalong for a pre-theater treat. Far less formal than all that fine dining, this menu manifests marvels, bright and bountiful, delightful and delicious.

The Baerng Golae is my first and favorite plate. Coconut crisp encases grilled shrimp smothered in an oozy yellow curry.  

No wait, the Lumpu Salad is the best. Supple scallops sing in a seafood sauce, lifted by minty greens and a flash of chili. 

Wash it all down with the Yah-Nud, a mocktail of basil pineapple. 

Tom Sompla is a sour soup, a tom yum with chunks of buttery bass. 

Gotta get your greens, and the Wok of Greens is lush and leafy.

Sator Goong has stinky beans! I only taste savor and spice, and it is sensational. 

Wait, maybe the Goat Curry is the best, with meat so soft it melts in your mouth. Served with a side of some of the best roti in the world.

There is fried rice everywhere, and Khao Pad Mun Goong is the king, cooked with jumbo shrimp head-on to add extra fat to the flavor. 

Fantastic Thai food, highest praise from a California transplant and a woman who's lived in Thailand. I can't imagine there's much better Thai out there than this, and I can't think of a better place to eat the last meal of our trip. 

Eat it ALL at Empanada Mama - NYC

It’s not about the size of the empanada…seriously, they look small but 2 or 3 will fill you up, 4 if you’re a manly MAN (insert beating of chest here).

My bff and I have the tradition of grabbing a pitcher of sangria and dinner here after getting Broadway tickets. It’s a small, chic, affordable (important after blowing $60 on a Broadway ticket), hole-in-the-wall type place but a table always magically frees up shortly after you enter. The tables are just close enough together to make it cozy but far enough apart to prevent you from skull bashing the guy at the next table every time you shake your head.

The food comes out hot and fast, and the (decent but I’ve had better) sangria flows like a fountain of youth, which btw, leaves you well-prepared to see Disney musicals.

Tapas tickle your taste buds, crispy-crumbly corn empanadas emolliate your esophagus, and meat fillings conjure up your inner carnivore.

Noteworthy notes:

          1) DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT get any of the pepperoni pizza type empanadas. Hot  pockets are cheaper. They don’t taste nearly as good, but seriously, you can order something better than that. DO order something with a corn shell.  

          2) I don’t normally endorse eating baby cow, but the veal and rice balls are worth the sin. Just make sure to do a good deed to atone (I personally carried someone’s stroller complete with large 2 year-old child down 3 flights of stairs on the subway), which also burned off the calories. Win!