Foodaholic in NYC!

Finally got to step foot on NY soil once again! But because I was so cash-strapped, most of my dollars went to filling my tummy instead of shopping :) Besides, while I can get pretty stuff online at State College, it's pretty impossible to get any good food here.
YAKITORI TORYS: sister restaurant of YAKITORI TOTTO - great japanese cuisine. we ate A LOT and spent $65/pax. the grilled squid was my fav - reminded me of my trip to hokkaido! other must try's are tsukune with tare sauce (meatball), harami (skirt steak) was so well-marinated and succulent, homemade liver paste was smooth and a little sweet which went well with the garlic bread, and ocha zuke (rice in hot broth which comes in a little teacup) was interesting as it was like making my own porridge! Among this pair of sister restaurants there's ABURIYA KINNOSUKE and SOBA TOTTO too!
KEE'S CHOCOLATES: really small hand-made chocolate house with their little factory right next door! the lady boss was really friendly :) the creme brulee is a MUST! the lemon basil was real refreshing too! and the rose macaroon with lychee.. not overpoweringly sweet, yet the rose fragrance fills your mouth to your brains!
AURORA: chanced upon this right at soho. this really handsome and suave gentlemen greeted us when we entered - couold be bossman! ambience was cozy (they dimmed the lights so much when we left the eatery i felt like i came out of a cave!) the la tagliatelle was simply scrumptious! the rabbit ragu was so tender and black olive flavored pasta was delish! ordered a mojito there but it was too strong, couldn't taste a thing but the alcohol
ALICE'S TEACUP: great scones! blackberry with chocolate chip is the way to go :)
LE PAIN QUOTIDIEN: always a great place to play catch up with your gf's. ordered the bread basket, and trust me, it's meant for 3-4 ppl. shared it with val alone and i doubt i'll have bread again for a longgg time. loved the hummus (chickpeas) and baba ganoush (eggplant) dip! now, the mint lemonade there is simply heaven after walking under the blistering sun for a few hours!
CAFFE FALAI: modern princessy feel - practically all white with cute chandeliers. my experience there wasn't too good, but i would give it another try, as i would love to try their oven-baked eggs! risotto was bad, terribly undercooked. love their mozzarella barrata panini, the bread was grilled well and not greasy and the vegetables were greatly sauteed.
FOLLOW ME CAFE: a real cozy (on the brink of tight) place to go to for lunch on a rainy day with friends or your loved one. food is more lunch than dinner. interesting savory crepes include skirt steak with caramelized onions, moroccan chicken, and portobello mushroom. i had the skirt steak crepe, it was good but not great. the steak wasn't all that well-marinated and it was a teeny bit tough. service wasn't good - grumpy waitress - but maybe she was just having a bad day..
THE MAZE: pure disappointment from Gordon Ramsay. for the same price, you could get a a prix fixe menu at JEAN GEORGES which was much much better. i ordered the hand dived sea scallops but it was too salty. the texture was great, but too much salt. not to mention the cauliflower beignets that tasted of nothing but SALT! the branzino (italian sea bass) was good, but not great. thought that the tomato and olive fondue was ordinary, though the branzino was well-prepared. the lemon quark cheesecake was to highlight of my lunch! it simply melted in my mouth.. and i'll never turn down dessert with pistachio ice-cream :)