This past weekend I dined at Ruby Foo’s Times Square with some of my best friends to celebrate my (belated) birthday in New York City. Ruby Foo’s is a gourmet Asian Fusion restaurant with Thai and Japanese influences. The interior was lovely and spacious, with Buddha statue in the back.
My friends and I shared two of the appetizers: Pork Bao Buns and Calamari. The pork buns were tasty, and had a bit of a twist: It came with bacon and soy marmalade. I enjoyed the extra crunch the bacon gave and the pork was tender and flavorful. The fried calamari was also delicious and extremely crispy, which is the way I like it. It came with a delightful sweet and sour sauce.
For the entree, I ordered char siu pork lo mein. Char siu pork is the wonderful tasting special pork that is red in color. The dish also came with mustard greens and was seasoned with black garlic. It tasted pretty good, but I thought the portion was a little small and I was actually more satisfied with my two appetizers than the main course.
The dessert of chocolate molten cake with Vietnamese coffee ice cream and caramelized banana, more than made up for the mediocre pork lo mein. The waitress brought the dessert over with a candle in the cake, as my friends sang Happy Birthday to me! I then proceeded to enjoy the molten chocolate cake. It was simply delectable with rich chocolate-y flavor and tons of warm gooey melty sweet chocolate inside the cake. This was probably one of the best chocolate molten cakes that I have ever had. The ice cream was also good with an intense coffee flavor.
The meal ended with mochi with dulce de leche ice cream filling which were decent but a bit too sweet, even for me and fortune cookies. We had such a great time at Ruby Foo’s! (Group Photo Below) I loved how spacious the place was and I would definitely come back to try other menu items.
After dinner, some of us headed to the after party at Monarch Rooftop Lounge, right by the Empire State Building. Monarch is located on the 18th Floor Penthouse of the building and has a beautiful interior. “The Scandinavian-chic décor, features an indoor lounge that radiates glamour and allures with seductive appeal, seamlessly connecting to the exterior oasis patio with sliding floor to ceiling glass doors. The modern, yet unimposing deep seated upholstered sofas invite guests to relax and bask in the views of Midtown Manhattan, while floor to ceiling silk curtains frame the picturesque view of the iconic Empire State Building.” I truly enjoyed the space: From the gorgeous up close view of the Empire State Building, the colorful sparkling lights, the awesome (and easy to dance to) music and the friendly and accommodating staff.
We had our own area with reserved seating, which was really nice and different friends came out throughout the night. It was great to see everyone from close friends to friends I hadn’t seen in a long time. We all had a blast, enjoying the music, atmosphere, conversation and company.
The whole night was a beautiful experience and I really enjoyed my night out celebrating my birthday in NYC at Ruby Foo’s Times Square and Monarch Rooftop Lounge.
Ruby Foo’s
1626 Broadway
New York, NY
Monarch Rooftop Lounge
71 W 35 St
New York, NY
Dress, Dine & Sparkle 