Kam-pei HanGawi! - recommendation for best Korean vegetarian food in New York City

With plenty of time today, I thought I should definitely pen down my last nights experiences....

If you are in NY and want to get the best vegetarian healthy meal....this is the place to go....
HanGawi -on 32nd between 5th and Madison Av. http://www.hangawirestaurant.com/
The philosophy of this resturant is to introduce in your food by adding nutrition, taste and peace to make it one of your best dining experiences.

From the external look of the place, it definitely does not seem like a great place for dinner, but as you pass the waiting zone to the dining zone, you are definitely transformed to a venue where u can just forget everything and be ready to enjoy one of the best meals....

You are not allowed in the eating area with your shoes, so get comfortable and relax....This is restaurant has a unique ambiance....low tables, bamboo straw mats, Korean clay and wooden dinner sets and above all authentic Korean cuisine. The service is great too which makes it just the perfect.

If you are a birthday boy/girl, 'Kam-pei' or Cheers as they call it.....be prepared to click a picture with your traditional Korean attire and hear the gong....

I definitely recommend this with 5 stars to all my vegetarian friends....and for the strictly non-vegetarians....its worth a the experience and I can bet you wont be disappointed at all!

My first day in Pitt

Going through my albums for the last two years I smiled and memories of the awesome time I have had in this city came alive. 

After months of hard work ....GRE, getting an admit, arranging for funding, VISA, immigration finally when you reach this city, in spite of the jet lag and heavy suitcases, you will definitely feel a sense of euphoria. I did not have the first 28X experience as most students of CMU do. Unfortunately I had to wait for another day to get the $2.60 worth of Pittsburgh sight seeing. As I was landed I was rather lucky to have met the parents of an Indian post graduate student who offered me a ride in their cab. As we emerged through the dark tunnel, the downtown skyline of Pittsburgh left my eyes agape.

YES finally I was here to achieve my dreams! I am sure many of you will concur to the same feelings. Coming from the most populated country of the world,  you first need to set your eyes to the emptiness of the city. Where are all the people you wonder? However, as you ride through the city, your eyes get accustomed to it.

Pittsburgh used to be the steel city. It has numerous beautiful bridges over the Allegheny and Monongahela river. In fact it is called the city of bridges as well.  We rode along Shadyside, a pretty green neighborhood. IGSA (Indian Graduate Students Association) at CMU, help new students every year with temporary accommodation help till we finalize on our apartments. This is a great service for the confused students who come after a long travel from India.

As I got down from the car, Shivangi came over with a pleasant smile. She helped me with my suitcases and we went inside the house '407 S. Aiken'. I had no idea how dear that house would remain to me for the rest of my life. :)  The house was cozy and tidy. She had prepared an awesome Indian lunch. I suddenly felt like a kid in a new world. As I left Kolkata, I remember having this uncertainty and somewhat fear to traveling so far from home for the first time. I had no family or friends in the US. At this moment in 407, even though I had met these people for not even an hour, I felt so secure and quite at home.

I had just finished lunch, when the doorbell rang. A slim, tall, cute looking girl came in with a smile and said hi. She was Dhanu, my room-mate-to-be. I had a quick liking to this bubbly & chatty girl. We started talking about apartments in the area and about our third room mate who I was yet to meet. Soon we decided we should take a walk around the neighborhood. Dhanu suggested I should go to school and get my ID from the Hub (the enrollment center). We walked to the bus stand. There was a beautiful church facing the Marriott hotel. Right near the Marriott lobby area was a Starbucks. I recollected my Uncle's recommendation 'Don't miss having Starbucks coffee. Its so much better than Coffee Day'. I did not have time to go in but I decided to check it out soon.

The school bus arrived shortly. Shivangi informed us about the bus schedule. Following her advise we left the house 10 mins before to avoid having to wait at the bus stand. All this while I was looking for a telephone booth to call my parents. Unlike India, there were so telephone booths. Dhanu assured me there is a pay booth in school for which I carried coins.

It took us about 20 mins to reach the university campus. Even though I had seen enough pictures of CMU on google before coming over, the actual site of the campus excited me. The central part of the campus is a huge lawn surrounded by 2 storey building. On the right hand side was Cyert Hall, where we were supposed to go. At the entrance to the campus, stands a tall tilted pole with people walking up to the sky. A man standing with a kid are gazing the pole. Seemed an apt entrance for Carnegie Mellon. To realize how many great men and women this university has produced and to be reach the campus gave a mixed feeling of humility and pride at the same time. 

I got my CMU id card at the Hub. We looked through the administrative block trying to find a pay phone. The notice boards were an amusing and colorful site. Right before the information center there was a small enclosure where there were yellow color 2 pay phones. It was around 7 pm but it was broad daylight outside. Both Dhanu and I spend the next few minutes talking to our families back in India. I was excited and happy to talk to my parents and described everything to them hurriedly. I wish my parents could have come with me to see the campus and Pittsburgh. 

We hung around in the campus for a short while and decided to go house hunting. Dhanu had spoken to a few new students who have recommended some apartments in Shadyside. Amberson Apartments and Amberson Gardens both seemed to be popular with the students. The later being the economic and fast-selling one. We took the bus to Amberson Garden. Unfortunately the rental office was closed. Amberson Apartments was right next. This was quite close to our current accommodation 407. The apartment the lady showed us was quite nice. It had all the amenities and utilities were included in the rent. This seemed to be as per our requirements. The rent was a bit higher than other apartments but splitting it between 3 people it would work out fine for all of us. We were quite happy and talked on finalizing this apartment by tomorrow. 

On the way back we decided to have dinner and explore around a bit. It was 9 and still well lit around. I was quite tired by now. Walking on Center Avenue we found the delicious 'Palermo Pizza'. I still salivate thinking about the 'hoagie'  this place sells. We shared a 6 inch 'hoagie' partly because we weren't too hungry after the satisfying Indian lunch and partly because we wanted to save $s (as new Indian students you always find ways to save $s). We managed to have free lemonade by naively operating the wrong tap in the fountain. 

Finally exhausted after a really long flight and a long day I fell asleep like a child in the couch in 407, my soon to be home. I did not have a dream that night probably because I was living my dream that day :)

P.S: 

407 was my home for 2007-2008. 

Amberson Garden became my home from 2008-2009. 

Amberson Apartment was where Malay moved in 2008. 

(As it was right next to my apartment we could spend maximum time together)

Dhanu, Somya, Kavya remain few of my closest friends from 407. 

Apt 1,3 and 4 at 407 became the best of friends and 407 continued its tradition to remain a party house.

Thanks to Sid it also became the 'poker house' :)