ROC - Möge Tee

ROC - Möge Tee

I’ve gone for a ride here trying Möge Tee in Rochester so come along for my journey!

LOCATION: 3679 W HENRIETTA RD., ROCHESTER, NY 14623

Of course, I’m a little tapped into the bubble tea scene in Rochester, even though I’m in Cortland/Syracuse now, but having friends in town scoping out the new spots is always a win. This is how I knew I had to make a stop next time I was in town. I’ve been following along on their instagram to check out their menu and see what they had going on, so I was super excited to get a cup with a cute bear lid with ears and all.

Unfortunately, social media isn’t always 100% truthful and I was hoodwinked! (I’m exaggerating of course, and a bear lid is not the end of the world though they are going to get me to visit again to see if I’ll get any luckier next time so I guess their marketing worked!)

In my attempt at getting the bear lid, I even ordered a drink that they featured on their socials with the lid - Yogurt Mango Tea - now I typically don’t get yogurt drinks since they’re super filling and dairy is not my BEST friend but we trucked along. I do love a good mango drink a la mango lassi so this was not a bad choice if you like something like that. This drink did come with a crystal boba topping too which I’m not the biggest fan of. The texture is less chewy than regular tapioca/boba and it’s kinda dense. Not huge in flavor but I guess it’s a good filler and a different texture to add to the mix. I’d still rather have a normal boba or go with a lychee jelly or similar for more flavor and a more familiar texture for me.

While I was there, I figured I’d also get some wings as well since it was lunch time. I got their 6pc with fries in a soy garlic sauce which seems like a pretty safe choice. These wings were a lot bigger than I expected! They’re a pretty classic, chinese style breaded wing which is something I grew up with. Doesn’t taste like any sort of classic buffalo style wing I’ve had so if that’s what you’re looking for, adjust your expectations. These wings have a crispy seasoned exterior that’s flavorful without the sauce tossed around it. I don’t know that the soy garlic did too much for me but this took me back to my dad’s fried chicken wings when I was growing up so major points for nostalgia and taste.

As mentioned, I’ll be back - gotta get that cute bear lid! Plus there’s a whole menu of other items to try out if I’m feeling up to it.

SYR - Il Limone

SYR - Il Limone

We’ve made it to the end of the semester! And to celebrate, a bunch of us went out for a semester holiday lunch at Il Limone.

LOCATION: 7421 OSWEGO RD, LIVERPOOL, NY 13090

This is a super cute restaurant in a strip mall (makes perfect sense for central New York) that I’ve been told is a gem of an Italian restaurant. It’s not too big, family owned vibes, and it feels fun and casual. This was a great spot for our group and I’m never one to turn down pasta, even at lunch.

I decided to get the Chicken Riggies, a classic for the area and never a bad time. I’m not a huge fan of bell peppers, but luckily for me, this had huge chunks that were super easy to eat around. This portion was huge and I had enough leftover as well, even though it was de-licious! I don’t know that I would say that this felt like a super special - must stop restaurant, but if you’re in the area and want some solid Italian food, this is an easy win.

ROC - Taichi - Snowflake

ROC - Taichi - Snowflake

I’m back and town at a trusty spot for a new menu item!

LOCATION: 1367 MT. HOPE AVE., ROCHESTER, NY 14620

Taichi is basically a Rochester staple at this point. I love that it started here and because of that, we get to try all the new menu items that they’re testing before they hit other markets including the new Snowflake which is basically a bingsoo style shaved ice. I’m in.

I’ve met up with bestie Julia for a dinner/dessert catch up and trying this new menu item was the key. As always, I’ve been keeping an eye on socials and saw that taichi is testing this out and I’ve never seen bingsoo anywhere in Rochester so I was pumped.

Julia and I each ordered our own snowflakes since they’re so customizable and we have different tastes for dessert. I got a coconut ‘snow flavor’ base with strawberry, mango, blueberry, and crystal boba. They offer up to 6 toppings included per order and I didn’t want to go too overboard or mix too many flavors so I went all fruit with the crystal bobas because I haven’t had it before and was really interested to try. I also got a condensed milk ‘dressing’ on top to add a little extra sweetness.

This dessert came out much bigger than we expected! This was the size of a full cereal/soup bowl - not one of those little guys you get at a froyo shop. We probably could’ve just shared one but snowflake is just shaved ice so it’s light and fluffy right? Let’s just say were were there for a while and more of it melted than necessary but it was a fun discovery.

Overall, I love having a new option to try and mixing and matching toppings always makes for a good time for everyone. Not sure that I’d eat an order solo again and I can’t say that I love a crystal boba, but for Rochester’s first bingsoo spot, I’m in.

SYR - The Halal Shack

SYR - The Halal Shack

I’m back a few weeks later to make good on my goal to try some new protein!

LOCATION: 303 UNIVERSITY PL, SYRACUSE, NY 13210

SCHINE STUDENT CENTER

Not the most groundbreaking development, but I did realize that I could order a half chicken/half beef combo and I think this is the one. Along with my standard rice bowl toppings from last time (rice, chickpeas, lettuce, red onions, cucumbers, mozzarella cheese, and the halal classic white sauce) I’ve tried the half and half and it was pretty solid. I do think the varying sizes between the chicken and beef is throwing me off a little but the beef itself is pretty salty so I think the addition of chicken helps mellow out that sodium content a little. Plus, it always feels better to me to have some variety so I don’t get tired of eating the same bite over and over.

Now, there aren’t a ton of other options for protein but I think there are a couple more to add into the mix if I feel like I need a switch up in the future - crispy chicken, hot bbq chicken (probably not the option for me), falafel, etc. so this could be a nice little side journey I have here behind the scenes but what I do know is, I’ll be back for sure.

The Halal Shack doesn’t feel heavy or greasy and I get two lunches out of it with the amount of scoops they’re giving here. I love an affordable, semi-healthy option for lunch (that’s not straight up salad - sorry to all my salad lovers out there) and I can’t deny that the proximity to my desk isn’t a factor in this either. Convenience really gets you far sometimes.

SYR - The Halal Shack

SYR - The Halal Shack

I’m getting settled in to my new position here at Syracuse University, and with a new job and a new work environment comes new places to eat! Cue The Halal Shack!

LOCATION: 303 UNIVERSITY PL, SYRACUSE, NY 13210

SCHINE STUDENT CENTER

Of course, I’ve eaten at The Halal Guys back in New York City as well as Chicago, so I was pretty excited to find The Halal Shack here right in the same building as my new desk. Of course, this isn’t the same franchise, but close is close enough, no complaints here - at least not until I give The Halal Shack a shot!

I had to do a build your our rice bowl of course, and I decided to go with chicken today along with chickpeas, lettuce, red onions, cucumbers, mozzarella cheese, and the halal classic white sauce. This is a pretty standard bowl for me with everything that I want and nothing extra (sorry tomatoes but you don’t quite make the cut) and I wasn’t disappointed.

I can’t say that this is a good as The Halal Guys but this isn’t a bad substitute for a college campus in central New York. I’m excited to go back and try a few other protein combos - I don’t know that chicken hits for me every time - but I think the rice bowl is my order and I’m super pumped that this meal is a stone throw away from my office. Things are looking up here in Syracuse!