It feels good to be back in the city! The first few days after coming back were tough with baby K having a horrible case of jet lag. Poor kid was still on Bangkok time, sleeping most of the day and then waking up at an ungodly hour at night. At 3 am, he'd be wide awake, wanting to play while all we wanted to do was sleep! Anyway, he has now adjusted to the time difference and we've been able to go out and enjoy the lovely summer that is emerging in NYC. This weekend, Shruti was visiting and we decided to trek over to Brooklyn for the famous Smorgasburg. Known as a food flea market, it literally comprises of a "smorgasboard" of different food stalls. You see all sorts of cuisines (Indian, Ethiopian, Burmese, Mexican, Filipino, Thai, American, etc) and fusion foods. My favorite stall was Masala Tacos. The paneer tikka masala tacos and channa masala tacos were just amazing! What a brilliant idea to blend Indian and Mexican foods together. Overall, we had a great time noshing on different types of foods against the backdrop of the Manhattan skyline on an incredibly beautiful, sunny day.

Tip: Smorgasburg is held every weekend in the summers with two different locations on Saturday and Sunday. Highly recommend checking it out!

Living in New York City is a gastronomical adventure in and of itself. You’re never short of places to eat. You’re also never short of ways to spend money eating. Case in point: Just this weekend, I met a friend for a lunch of spicy Korean BBQ at Korea Town (Shila). Later that night, I enjoyed a delicious, home-style Italian meal in the Upper East Side (Uva), followed by unique libations at one of those Prohibition-style speakeasies in the Lower East Side (Milk and Honey ). This was eventually followed by some late night kati rolls (The Kati Roll Company) in the West Village (a predictable ending to a late night for an Indian in New York, as you will soon find out). Yep, it was one of those ridiculous weekends where you’ve blown easily over $200 just eating and drinking before you know it.

Well, what also makes New York truly unique is the wide variety of street food it has to offer. I’m not just talking about the hot dog stands found at every corner of the city! No, no…I’m talking about those food trucks, also known as “cheap eats” -- the perfect alternative to expensive eating. Indeed, you could perfectly survive on New York street eats alone and have some of the finest meals in a casual setting!