New York | DAY 2: (Pt. 2) Times Square, LINE Friends + The Halal Guys

7/12/2018

Read Part 1 HERE !

Slowly but surely, we triumphantly arrived at New York's quintessential tourist spot - Times Square.

The distinct difference between Brooklyn's gross, unsanitary conditions and Manhattan's metropolitan vibe was truly visible here. Even negating the fact that the area surrounding Times Square station was very much a popular downtown destination, it was cleaner than Brooklyn by far.
It should be noted, though, that public bathrooms were revolting regardless of neighbourhood. Yes, even hotel bathrooms in Financial District were incredibly disgusting.

Tourists flooded the vicinity, reiterating the attraction's global status. Yellow taxis and exposed double-decker tour buses were prominent sightings, as were street entertainers clad in pop culture costumes. Random souvenirs were everywhere - unsurprising yet more vigorous a presentation than I was prepared.

I have always wished to spend a short while leisurely visiting the acclaimed Times Square, but reality was less enjoyable than imagined. Fumes were excessive and feelings of claustrophobia were particularly high.

My eyes darted left and right in search for two things: the flagship LINE Friends store and GOT7's "Look" performance playing on the LED (LCD?) screen immediately above.

To be frank, locating the shop wasn't difficult at all; it was the path from the subway to its storefront that proved exhaustive.

The LINE Friends store was an exciting establishment, for it carried everything from monogrammed ceramic mugs to cushions to plushies. A colossal Brown welcomed incoming patrons from the very second they stepped foot within the store.

While there was a substantial variety of items in the United States' only LINE store, I couldn't help but express disappointment to some aspects. Plushie styles were extremely minimal, varying only between a variation sporting a New York hoodie and another that was completely unclothed. Brown and Cony were carried in three sizes: Small, Medium, Large; James, Sally, and Leonard plushies were nowhere to be seen.

Another factor was the lack of practicality in the items being retailed. Plushie headbands could possibly be recycled for concert attendance, small blankets could be carried aboard planes during nap time, and silicon coasters could be distributed along the dinner table when feasting occurs. But products such as mini notebooks, figurines, and small packs of sticky notes could not be justified due to their impractical (or I suppose, less practical) nature.

With the LINE Friends and BTS collaboration, the New York outpost saw an extravagant number of BT21 products (with limitations on the number of items that could be purchased). T-shirts, hair accessories, and stationery were amongst the selection.

Few picks from the Jungle Brown series were located: small/medium Dino Brown plushies were no longer stacked on the shelves. Other skins (Penguin, Pig, etc.) were also gradually dwindling away.

View the full album HERE !

Aims of this visit included:

Snapping a photo with the gigantic Brown fixture
Obtaining one (or two) Dino Brown massage stick(s)
Purchasing a Brown-themed handheld fan
Potentially appending a Dino Brown plushie to my collection

As mentioned previously, choices were scarce when it came to plushies. The one bearing a navy New York hoodie type or the basic topless version were cute and all, but I wished there was greater variety.

In addition, the Times Square location did not retail the same product types as Korea at the same time. The Brown-themed handheld fan that I had desired so greatly was never found.

Lastly, there were no Dino Brown massage sticks in presence, and a regular Brown version was a heaping $15!

I had spent well over one hour in the store before finally departing with a Choco terry cloth face-washing headband, a fleece blanket covered in Browns and donuts, and a few souvenirs.

Upon bidding farewell to the LINE crew, we popped into the Disney store - to check Sulley inventory, of course - and then continued an aimless walk around the block.

In light of the tiring treks across Manhattan, I suggested a caffeinated pick-me-up to curb cravings until dinner.

We began sauntering in one direction, only to find ourselves walking away from Blue Bottle. My compass seemed to malfunction on several occasions while during this trip, and I was informed that it may have been a consequence of the heavy use of steel in the city.

M&M's World was in our direct (retraced) path. The three-floor confectionery shop was colourful, exotic, and exciting. Most alluring was the steady waft of chocolate that escaped from the build-your-own-creation section.

There were quite a number of intriguing souvenirs at this stop. I couldn't help but also pick one up for myself - the Big Apple you say?

Under Google Maps' guidance, we eased our way into Midtown, near the Rockefeller Center.

Despite most sidewalks bearing a heap of unsprayed trip hazards, this neighbourhood was very reminiscent of Yorkville and featured renowned retailers and wide sidewalks whose tiles lay flush. Most importantly, it felt cleaner, even if it was by the most delicate amount.

Situated on the Concourse level of Rockefeller Plaza, Blue Bottle Coffee wasn't the easiest pit stop to find. A total of three tries later, we were finally able to set our bags down in a general seating area underneath connected commercial buildings (think: the PATH in Toronto).

This Blue Bottle outpost did not offer seating of any sort and primarily operated as a retailer for brewing merchandise and grab-and-go counter.

The menu differed slightly from LA (Broadway). I wasn't complaining though.

Requested was the popular New Orleans Iced Coffee and an Oji Cold Brew. The gentleman behind the cashier had described the concoction to be "very strong" with a rather bold, non-uniform profile.
Ultimately, the beverage proved nothing similar of sorts. It was good, but not as strong as advertised. Moreover, its contents were perceived to be relatively uniform in depth and hue.

It was also at this moment that I opted to retrieve the two-pack of Rose Water Shortbread Cookies purchased earlier from Boba Guys.

The specimens were extremely crumbly, though it did contain subtle notes of rosewater, which I enjoyed. The lack of structure was probably owed to the decidedly low butter to flour ratio: fingertips remained clean even after picking up cracked pieces of cookies for munching.

The cookies were satisfying with a side of coffee and decidedly crispy, and did not feel too heavy as a late afternoon snack. I'd conclude that the item was definitely worth trying, but the price tag can be deterring.

The Halal Guys assumed the final stop of the day, as well as our "running supper".

Two of the yellow-red food carts were positioned on either side of the 53rd St and 6th Ave intersection; each boasted a lengthy lineup. Majority of customers were tourists, though some 9-to-5-ers - or should I say 7pm-ers? - also joined the crowd later on

The wait time averaged 10 minutes, which was acceptable given the status of our appetites and the fifteen-or-so customer count before us. Should a noisy, atrocious generator not been situated directly beside us, the waiting process could have been improved significantly. During the entirety of our wait, we had no choice to inhale the fumes hailing from said generator, which made for a relatively unpleasant time.

From observing other patrons, it was clear that portion sizes were on the large side. Thus, we opted to share a Combo Platter (chicken + gyro/beef), which contained shredded lettuce, suspiciously orange grains of rice that resembled shredded cheddar, tasty morsels of chicken and beef, and several slices of soft pita bread. All elements were tasty and complimented each other, but the influence of synthetic flavour enhancers could not be denied.

Long grain rice was lightly puffed and soft (with an almost Basmati-like profile), but unmistakably seasoned.

The infamous White sauce tasted very much like ranch, but perhaps a bit less viscous. Squirts of the fluid were found to contained small black specks of unknown matter. It enhanced the textures of the platter's starchy elements (rice and pita) in spite of failing to embody an exclusive theme.
The spicy red sauce was not applied since we knew we could not tolerate the burn.

Assuming the form of a food cart meant that The Halal Guys did not offer seating. Most tourists had taken to the bottom of commercial buildings. We did the same.

Pitas could be consumed on the go, but platters were a messy mission even while seated. The disposable aluminium containers carried too many components within, heightening the possibility of a disaster if eaten while moving. I cannot fathom the stress of opening a packet of sauce in a subway car operating during rush hour.

In short, The Halal Guys is a source of solid late-night comfort food of high MSG content and maximum satiation. For a mere $8, one could achieve an extremely filling and economic dinner containing protein and a dash of veggies.
Few options are imposed, but that's could conceivably be reason why the crew can operate at such rapid speeds and remain successful with the tried-and-true picks.

That said, I don't understand the hype. The offerings are reminiscent of a good shawarma, though the lack of a pickled component causes one to feel full quickly. Not to be overlooked is the possibility of causing satiation in those unaccustomed to a carb- and protein-heavy diet.

I would still choose shawarma over The Halal Guys any day, even if it's not my eatery of choice.