The famous clock inside of the Grand Central Station, a symbol of life in New York. From the moment you step into this monumental landmark, one can immediately feel that in this bustling city, time is everything.

Not a single second gets wasted

In NYC, time flies at blazing speed and the influx of information you must digest can shame a Roman aristocrat indulging in gluttony. This is the price of living in (arguably) the best city in the world. Nobody who lives in the Big Apple has the privilege to take a photo of this grand clock or even admire the city, they just live it.

On the other hand, tourists refuse to leave a scene without evidence that they have paid a visit. You’ll always hear a couple of clicks coming out of people’s phones to cement the moment where they can show their friends that they’ve checked off a major entry from their bucket list.

Albeit, tourists are not immune to the what the clock is illustrating. In fact, they are more susceptible to the reality that they, unlike the locals, have limited time to admire everything. When in New York as a tourist, just remember that your time is scarce—that’s how you make the most out of every minute. And only until then, will you find the beauty that has been so controversial amongst this city’s visitors and residents. Some hate it, some can’t live with it.

The reality is, it is what you make of it.

An Unplanned Short Trip

I was coming back from Washington DC when I decided to surprise my wife for an unplanned trip to New York. It was a shotgun decision that just felt right at that time—I was gone for almost half a year, and she has been bugging me (for ages) to bring her to the Big Apple.

I’ve been to New York a few times and failed at finding anything that made it worthwhile. Staying at the Bronx, living with extended family, pretty much caused a very underwhelming holiday experience back in 2006 when Christmas and New Year’s Eve felt so lifeless. I don’t blame any of them, it’s just that I’m used to a spending the holidays the Filipino way, very festive and alive. To add damage, as I remember back in 2019, the city was filthy and the homelessness situation was a bit unnerving. Moreover, the bold subway commuters, who don’t even pay for their fares, do add up to the “what the f…” moments that you hate about the city.

Although, if you erase that memory and fast forward today, to 2025, things have drastically changed for the better. My wife and I couldn’t believe how much we enjoyed New York. We couldn’t get enough of it, just like how we couldn’t get enough of dreaming about Europe. For some divine reason, the city went through a complete transformation. The streets are much cleaner and organized and the city just feels like it had a rebirth. What did I miss out on while away?

Tip On How To Get To NYC… In The Most Asian Way Possible

When talking about the most asian way possible, this means, the most cost-efficient way.

La Guardia Airport (LGA) is your best bet. It is a beautiful airport and it’s less stressful than JFK.

Prior to your trip, download the Revel app and sign up. Revel is Uber for EV vehicles, cheaper transfers to and from the city. For example, if you book an Uber or Lyft from LGA, depending on the day, it might set you back to about $100-140. On the other hand, if you choose Revel, you get 50% discount on your first two rides. I was able to secure our trip from the airport to the city for about $45.

Once you get to the city, the subway is always your best option, just be careful of special characters (you know what I mean) and don’t stand next to the yellow line while a train is approaching.

Your NYC Trip Is Unique To You

There’s so much to do and see in NYC that it will boil down to how many days you have and how much money you’re willing to blow away. I had a predetermined budget in mind of how much we were going to spend. For the amount of money that I predicted, we really, really had fun.

Also, please do your research beforehand, but, don’t over complicate it. People do get overwhelmed because they try to do so much with so limited time and they end up ruining the trip. Take your time in appreciating the things you see and the places you visit. Quality is better than quantity. Just avoid the places that you should be avoiding and NY will be a good experience. But if you’re a risk taker and find beauty in extremes, then by all means, go ahead. My wife and I decided to just take it easy, we only had a couple of places that we had in mind to visit, but the rest of the trip was just relaxed as we played it by ear. Of course, we can’t skip the shopping for her, chinatown for me and good restaurants for the both of us.

Day 1

The Oppa Begins at Koreatown

UHG Hotel

I booked our lodging at UHG, a boutique hotel in the heart of Koreatown. Back in 2019, I stayed at the same area and found it to be the perfect location. The hotel was charming and we had a nice, spacious room. For the price of about $140-160 per night (pricing towards the end of April), I must say that it was a good deal. The best thing about the hotel, like I said, is our location. It sits perfectly just about two blocks away from where all the shops, restaurants and other Korean-ess are, plus, the Empire State Building. The area is quiet, didn’t hear anything that would cause somebody to wake up in the middle of the night.

Once checked in, off we went. First stop, Times Square, but a quick pit stop to a matcha tea store. It was goooooood.

Times Square was about a 20 or 30-minute walking distance from the hotel, we were quite early for check-in so we decided to visit one of the closest “must see” attractions. From how I remember it, TS was so disorganized and it felt like I was back in my homeland at a place called Divisoria—a battleground for cheap commerce, pick pocketing, kidnapping and other petty crimes. I also recall that there was an old lady running naked, shouting random words. She was so loose up there and the only thing that kept her from going full-on vulgar is how her body was painted with the american flag.

Coming back after 5 or 6 years, none of these existed anymore. The only thing that’s ruining this touristy area are the people in costumes forcing you to take a picture with them, telling you that it’s for free (initially) and then start harassing you once you have the photo on your phone. Beware of this scam.

The sky felt like it wanted to bring heavy pouring that day. Luckily, it didn’t until the evening. Apologies for the dark and gloomy photos. These were the best that we can provide.

Lunch at Olle

For this trip, we decided to go heavy on GOOD Korean cuisine, something that is scarce in Miami. Our first meal in NYC happened at Olle. Everything was splendid and the place filled up really fast, so be sure to come with a reservation.

I had an amazing vegetarian Bibimbap. It was not overdone (as it is always in Miami) and delicious, the flavors were light with just the right amount of seasoning. Plus, all the extra stuff that we had, it was a “mix and match” type of dining. The Banchans or the mini appetizers are unlimited, for your information. We had 4 or 5 refills of the fish cake. Ugh… The wife got the cold glass noodles—I just couldn’t wrap my head around it.

Lady M

We can’t end a meal without dessert. The boss wanted to try Lady M, a very famous layered crepe cake shop and it did not disappoint. Tip: take your time eating it! Savor every bite. We failed at this miserably as it was just so good that you won’t even realize that you’re halfway through already 30 seconds in.

Madison Square Park

Parks are essential to New Yorkers, they balance the flora, energy flow and provide a temporary sanctuary of peace for the people who dwell in this chaotic jungle. These places keep people sane, period. Take advantage of these parks. People watching has become a favorite hobby of mine the more I get older. For a more serene retreat, Central Park is what you will need. There’s always something to see and somebody to talk to.

I didn’t expect some cherry blossom trees were still blossoming towards the end of April.

Fellini Coffee Shop SOHO

25,000 steps in, we decided to take a break and enjoy a cup of coffee at Fellini in SOHO. We sat down outside and spent hours and hours talking.

Washington Square Park

Fishs Eddy

This store is fun and hilarious, you won’t have a dull moment checking out their merchandise! Close to the Flatiron building, Fishs Eddy is a home goods store that brings a new meaning to hilarious things. Check out their stuff below.

La Dong

Our dinner happened at La Dong, a vietnamese kitchen. It was a blessing in disguise because after we got in (with prior reservation), the rain poured heavily. Since we couldn’t wait for a table, we just opted for bar seating.

They took really good care of us at the bar. Our bartender was amazing, nice and very hospitable, he even gave us a bunch of extra stuff. The food? Oh my… I can’t even think of anything bad about it. The steamed flakey bass in soy ginger sauce was just heaven on earth.

We had the beef carpaccio and mussels for appetizers. For the main course, we shared the bass and crab fried rice. I can still taste them in my mouth right now as I’m typing and it’s just mental torture to know how well executed the dishes were. Kudos to the team. Will definitely come back.

Enjoying Our First Night

I can’t decide whether New York is better at night than during the day time. There’s so much things to admire about this city. After a long day, we decided to come back to the hotel and freshen up a little bit before heading out to the highlight of this entire trip…

Bar Orai

Bar Orai is a listening bar. No loud noises, no bullshit parties, no drunk people throwing up and lying down on the floor. No. Bar Orai is an amazing place where you just listen to well-curated music prepared by their DJ, good, simple bar food and drinks that will heighten your experience. This is by far, one of the best nights that we’ve had in a long, long time. We were so happy that despite feeling a bit lazy to go out again, we persisted.

We were late for our reservation due to the weather and got sat down at a large, communal table with other young guests who are in their 20’s. Man, we felt so old and realized how much time has gone by. But once Sade’s Paradise song started playing, my wife and I looked at each other, nodded our heads while we sipped our chosen drinks—completely spaced out, vibing to the music. God, it was a night to remember—one of those “I deserve this because I’ve worked so hard” type of moments. The last time I had that really good feeling was at the Sky Lagoon in Iceland. If you want to check that blog out, click here.

I credit my wife for finding this amazing place and we are already looking forward to going back. You can find the music that they play on their Youtube channel. Just type in Bar Orai on the search bar. You’re welcome.

Grand Central Terminal

From Orai, we decided to walk on our way back to the hotel, about 30-35 minutes.We stumbled on Grand Central Terminal, took a few photos and left.

Day 2

Chinatown

Of course… This is where I become alive—at the sight of my people’s neighborhood! What is chinatown synonymous with? Good food, dimsum and freshly baked goods. NY Chinatown was magic to me. The moment we stepped out of the subway station, live seafood was welcoming you like your old friend. The air smelled like beef tendon noodle soup, very reminiscent of Hong Kong. And of course, there’s always a market selling fruits, veggies and other finds.

Mei Lai Wah

If I can eat one thing for the rest of my life, it is Mei Lai Wah’s BBQ Pork stuffed pineapple buns. Good lord, it was worth $3 a bun. They’re famous for it and there’s a reason why. First off, the bun is generously filled with their bbq pork recipe. Second, the bread itself is amazing, plus the croquant on top really adds a different mouthfeel. Third, they go through so much that you eat them while they’re still hot or warm. Divine. They deserve the recognition.

Lunch happened at a noodle house. It was decent, but nothing to remember.

Famous View Of Manhattan Bridge, DUMBO

Aside from taking photos of this view, you can actually walk along the waterfront park, a revitalizing activity. See the skyline of New York and take as much photos as you can. We sat down by the park and just admired the environment. With the 66-68F weather, heck yeah.

Chelsea Market

Chelsea Market is a large compound that houses hundreds of shops and restaurants. This place is fun and can get really crowded. You can satisfy any type of craving that you can think about. Aspiring business owners who can’t afford a brick and mortar use this as a platform to test the waters.

Aside from serving meals, I believe this hub creates a tight-knit community that brings along everyone together, under one roof. In bustling cities like this, you definitely need something like Chelsea Market help people socialize and remind them that life isn’t just about working and hustling.

The High Line Park

The High Line Park is an elevated greenery exhibit that is 1.4 miles in length, starting from W 16th St and 10th Ave all the way to W 34th St and 11th Ave. It is a converted light rail train line, with some of the best views of NYC. The park is surrounded with plants, flowers and impressive buildings. This place does magic to you as it transports you away from the chaotic “urban jungle” to a real, isolated "urban forest” setting that you can’t help but admire.

And when you’re wanting a quick break from the walk, try pausing for a little bit and observe the perfectly straight avenues and streets. Kind of weird.

If you like sticking your nose into other people’s business, you can take a peek at somebody’s window to check out what they’re doing with their lives. We were impressed by some modern condo buildings that were next to the park, just like this photo below, where the architect took some inspiration to fabricate barrel-shaped glass windows stacked on top of each other, like a distillery ageing alcohol. Impressive.

The photo below shows an observation deck with the view of the Edge Building, a modern skyscraper that you can visit after you reach the end of the trail. It offers one of the highest views of the city.

I can definitely say that the High Line was a one of a kind experience. If I live in NY, I will frequent this place to relax, meditate and exercise. This is where the trail ends as it takes you to the Hudson Yards area where you can visit a huge mall or this, a modern artwork.

Dinner at Moono

Moono is my 2025 Meal of The Year. It is a modern Korean restaurant that exceeds any expectations one might have for high quality Korean dining. I LOVE THIS PLACE and the best thing about it is that it was just across our hotel.

They really did an amazing job converting a historic building into a very serene, calm and warm restaurant. The food was atrociously and illegally good. It’s the first really, really, really, really high end Korean meal that I’ve ever had. It bestowed a profound impact and inspired me in many ways. I didn’t expect Korean food can be elevated to unwavering high standards and felt sorry for myself for missing out on this train ride.

Moono doesn’t have a Michelin, but it sure did taste like it deserves at least one. The kimchi itself can stand as a testament that even the most humble fermented cabbage can be elevated to something amazing. I couldn’t explain the sensation that my mouth was having while eating it. The kimchi tasted bright and just right (see what I did there?), I was picking up “parmesan cheese” and lots of umami—I mean, it was playing with my emotions and my mind.

The pork belly was so delicate that it just felt like melting gold in my mouth. You can definitely notice the difference in the cooking method between Moono’s pork belly compared to Olle’s. I knew right away that Olle’s pork belly was boiled or simmered aggressively because it came out a bit drier than Moono’s. Did they sous vide it? Probably.

The beef tartare? Divine. Rather than chopping it like traditional tartare, they opted for julienne cuts and that itself just made the chewing experience sexier. Raw shmeat in my mouth? That’s wild, but I like it. The asian pear did an amazing job cutting through the richness of the dish.

The servers were all courteous, warm and knowledgeable about their craft. Our server gracefully did her table-side presentation of mixing and portioning our bibimbap with sea urchin—it was perfect. This place is just outstanding and deserves recognition.

At about $80-120 per person, I wouldn’t complain. It was well worth every penny for delivering such top quality dishes. I find it to be a steal!

Dinner pretty much summed up our second day.

Day 3

Central Park

Well, you can’t skip Central Park. It’s eating a burger without the patty. I don’t see the connection there but I stand my ground! But please, beware of how big this place is. A lot people underestimate how vast this park is and they end up surrendering after 20 minutes. Why do I know? Well, let’s just say that I know a friend. You will need a bike to roam the entire park, doing it by foot will take you the whole day. I prefer to choose a spot and just enjoy the surroundings from there. There’s plenty to see though, there’s even a museum inside the park.

Halal Guys

After all the walking, of course we got hungry and opted for finding some cheap eats. Visiting the original Halal Guys in Manhattan was a cool experience. The food was priced right and had generous portions. It was a very New York thing to do and we were proud to have done it. Luckily, there's a building next to it and will keep you from the sunlight and a concrete bench to sit down on, it’s the perfect public dining area!

Bryant Park

Bryant Park is famous because it’s the only park that has a functioning toilet when you need it. They (the employees) take pride in having the “cleanest” public toilets in the city. It’s so clean that you even have to fall in line to use it.

The Glade, Hudson River Park

We had a reservation at Perry St Restaurant and I told my wife that we could probably walk along the river park and check out The Glade before we head for supper. The Glade stood out from the Maps and I got curious. This place is a work of art. I admire the design and beauty that it brings to the people. What a cool park to visit. There’s a lot of interactive activities in the park, a amphitheater and sights to see.

Perry St Restaurant

For my birthday dinner, I got invited by the sous chef of Perry St Restaurant to dine. Paul, a Filipino colleague whom I had the chance to work with when I trained at L’atelier NY, was running the show that night. He’s come a long way and I admire the guy for being his hard work. The team was super hospitable and took really good care of us. Perry St is Jean George’s son’s restaurant, inspired by his travels and life overseas.

The food and service were amazing. The interior, very minimal, which adds to the calmness of the place. Amazing experience.

SOHO and Little Italy

Before we went back to Miami, we went back to Chinatown to bring some pork buns back home and went around Little Italy.

Everything was going well.. until I discovered this gem that just pulled me in… I have a weakness with rice rolls. It’s been a favorite since I was kid. Don’t blame me. I want you to look at the shots below and tell me that I’m wrong. These soft, chewy creations are so good.

After the uncalled for and delicious interruption, we spent our remaining time taking pictures of NY’s facade.

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And that pretty much sums up our trip to New York. It was birthday celebration worth remembering. We are already formulating plans on how to move to the Big Apple.

‘Merica ‘25:New York City

‘Merica ‘25: Washington DC