JOYA Restaurant Review

Ever since our epic backpacking adventure to Thailand last year, Ariel and I are always on the look out for great Thai food.  Shortly after moving to Brooklyn, we found a local spot which quickly became our go-to.  However, this past weekend we decided to venture a little further and check out JOYA in Cobble Hill, and boy am I glad we did.  Delicious, cheap, and full of veggie options, JOYA is definitely our new favorite Thai spot.  We've already been back and I expect there will be many a takeout order in the near future.

To start, we've ordered the Papaya Salad and Summer Rolls (with tofu instead of shrimp).  Both were good, but nothing too spectacular.

Mountain of papaya salad

For main dishes, our hands down favorite has been the Spicy Noodles (vegetarian version).  Wide noodles loaded pan-fried with vegetables, this dish perfectly balances both spicy and sweet, something I personally love about good Thai food. Just thinking about it makes me hungry...

Spicy Noodle mess

We have also tried both the green and red curries.  Both were good, but the red curry definitely had better flavor.  I appreciated that both curry dishes had tons of different veggies that were perfectly cooked - not raw, but also not overdone.  Also, JOYA does offer brown rice... you just have to ask for it!

Blurry green curry

We haven't tried the Mango Sticky rice, but that will change soon. =)

As far as the atmosphere, JOYA is a happening spot.  It's been crowded each time we have gone, the bar filled with folks enjoying a cocktail while waiting for a table.  I will note that the inside is pretty loud - the crowd plus the music may be overpowering for some.  For those who prefer a quieter vibe, try to get a seat out back.  While it may be a little harder to see your food (if its dark, as it was both times I visited as you can see from my pictures above), it will be much easier to enjoy conversation with your dining mates.

I will note:  JOYA, like many NYC establishments, is CASH ONLY.  Sigh.  While it won't keep me from coming back, it is a little disappointing that so many places in NYC still don't accept plastic.

Do you like Thai food?  If so, do you stick with one tried-and-true restaurant or are you always checking out new places?

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

The ice cream maker finally made an appearance this past weekend.  We had a few friends over to test out the new grill, so I thought this was the perfect time to whip up a batch of something cool and sweet.  I was torn over what flavor to make, but as soon as I suggested mint chocolate chip, we were set on it.  This recipe was a huge hit - the  mint was so refreshing and cooling, a perfect end to a hot summer day!  I used no more than 1/4 cup of agave, but taste as you go and add the sweetener of your house to your liking. 

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream - Vegan, Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free

-2 cans coconut milk (I used 1 can full fat and 1 can light)

- 1/4 cup agave or other liquid sweetener (honey, maple syrup, etc)

- 1/3 cup fresh mint leaves

- pinch of salt

- 1/2 cup chocolate chips or chopped chocolate

Combine all ingredients except chocolate chips in your high speed blender or food processor and blend/process until well combined.  

Add to your ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer's instructions.  When ice cream is almost done, mix in the chocolate chips.  Scoop into bowls and enjoy!

My finished product got eaten up too quickly to photograph, but I did get this shot mid-churn - look at the lovely freshness the mint leaves give this! Yum!

Urban Backpacker Travels: Wanderlust Stratton 2014

Hello and happy Wednesday!  Two more travel adventure posts, but then I'll be back to recipes I promise!

Two weekends ago I traveled to Stratton Mountain, Vermont for Wanderlust - a yoga festival, or as the founders put it "an adventure of the mind, body, and soul."  It truly was an incredible experience in so many ways.

So what exactly happens at a yoga festival?  I was a Wanderlust virgin, so I really had no idea what to expect from the weekend.  I actually considered dropping out last minute because I was super stressed at work and had to be in Chicago the following week.  Boy am I glad I didn't!  While it was a bit of a hassle to get to Stratton Mountain (subway > Amtrak > taxi > rental car),  once we made it there, we never wanted to leave.  My friend Kelly and I made the trek from NYC and met up with four of my girlfriends from my yoga studio in DC.  Kelly and I arrived around 10PM on Friday night, parked the car, checked in, and immediately joined the massive dance party that was happening in the main tent (coined "The Greatest Place on Earth").  There was live music and local beers, hula hoop-ers and electric body paint.  It was awesome.  We danced for a few hours, but headed back to our motel before too late because we were all signed up for an 8AM class the next morning.

Note on the motel:  We had originally planned to camp out, but when some of the girls arrived, the campsite was very wet.  It was also much colder than we had expected, so they found a cheap motel about 20 minutes away.  This was a little bit of a pain since we had to drive to the Stratton resort in the morning and home to the hotel at night.  Next year (yes, there will be a next year), we plan to get our acts together early and score one of the cheaper hotels on the mountain.

After only a few hours of sleep, we awoke to a beautiful but chilly Vermont day.  We piled into our car and headed back to Stratton.  The day went something like this:  8AM yoga class, 10AM yoga class, quick break to grab some lunch and sit in the sunshine, 2PM hike, 4PM yoga + dancing + meditation, more sitting in the sunshine and perusing the various vendors, wine and vegan pizza and deep conversations as the sun set, another epic concert + dance party until too late.  Sunday was pretty similar, except people started leaving early in the afternoon as it was the last day of the festival.

So what made this experience so great? First, there was the amazing yoga.  The classes were all taught by some of the top teachers, so not only were you physically challenged, but they also made you go deep into some of the other limbs of yoga (breathe, meditation, etc).  Then, all the other activities offered - an adventure race, hikes, runs, lectures, henna, massages... the list goes on.  Also, the food was first class - from smoothies to sushi to pizza to dumplings, there was a little something for everyone and it was all super delicious.   Oh and did I mention the live music yet?  Not only at night, but also during a lot of the yoga.  While all these things were great, the most incredible part of this weekend was the people.  Everyone was so happy and positive and open and you could really feel this energy. 

Sunday afternoon came way too soon.  It was not even a question as to whether we would be going back next year - we all agreed that we would be back, and this time for the full 4 days of the festival.

This is what we arrived to Friday night.

Hang out area

Hiking up the mountain

  

And riding down on the ski lift

Amazing local food

  

The Greatest Place on Earth

   

The group

Until next year...