We get on the train and head into the city. Our plan was to go find some Ramen restaurant in Hell's Kitchen that we had found on Google. It had great reviews so why not try it out? It had been really rainy, but once we got into the city it was beautiful weather. Just a little drizzle and fog that made the tops of the buildings fade. It was beautiful and not too cold a walk at all as we made our way to the restaurant. On the way we happened to stumble upon the Palace Hotel. Come on Gossip Girl fans.. Home of the one and only Serena Van Der Woodsen! We definitely stopped to have a fan girl freak out and take a picture, then we were on our way once again.
The place was called Totto Ramen. From the outside, it's a sketchy little hole in the wall. Even when you first walk in you don't really know what to expect. We knew it had to be good though because there was quite the crowd waiting to pile in. The wait was going to be long and we had five people in our group. There were probably only twenty five seats max in the whole place. So we put our name down, had to split up, and got ready to wait. Just then, a lady's group of four didn't show up so we got to take their place practically right after we had sat down to wait. Pretty freaking lucky I'd say. My first impression was okay this is the coolest place. All of the people that worked there were so cool and outgoing and running around trying to squeeze through to give people their food. It also smelled delicious. There were giant pots of ramen noodles cooking giving off the greatest smells. It was very Kung Fu Panda. I ordered the Totto Spicy Ramen with chicken. Guys.. it was incredible. I would eat there every day if I could! It came out in a big bowl with a spoon and chopsticks. There were the noodles, broth, pieces of chicken, seaweed, some onions, and a little bit of spice drizzled on top. I was absolutely in heaven. If you like a little spice, this was the perfect amount, and the chicken was some of the best I've ever had. It was just plain chicken and I was dying over it! I'm not lying when I say this place is incredible. It was only around $10 too. Not too shabby if you ask me.
After soaking up the warmth and deliciousness of our ramen, we went back out into the rain and decided we would really put our luck to the test. We were going to try to win the lottery to get front row tickets to Wicked on Broadway. We got there and put our names in. I don't know why, but we all knew that at least one of us was going to win. It was the m&m omen, I'm telling you! Even though there were a billion people there and they only call out like ten names we just knew it would be us. The guy starts calling the names and what do you know, the second to last name that's called is Chase! The odds were ever in our favor that day. Since Nate, Sarah, and Corinne had all won the lottery before and seen it, they let me and Chase go because we hadn't before. I love having nice friends.
Before the show started we went to fill our dessert stomachs at the cutest little place called Amy's Bread. Nate had raved about it and told us about their to die for monkey cake. Now I'm not a cake fan in the least, but we each got something different and decided to try a bit of each. We got monkey cake, carrot cake, vanilla with mocha frosting, lemon, and I got a peanut butter cookie. Surprisingly, the cookie was my least favorite. The monkey cake was all it was said to be and more. It was delicious. It is a lot like banana bread, but with pineapple, pecans, and cream cheese frosting. Basically heaven in a cake. The others were so good too! They were all so rich and moist. My mouth is watering just thinking about them now. If you're in the city and you have a sweet tooth, hit this place up ASAP.
Chase and I made our way back to the Gershwin Theatre to go see Wicked. I was freaking out because I was so excited. We sat down in our front row seats, practically in the middle. I was dying. Then it started. Guys. I can't tell you enough how amazing it was. Every member of the cast was so incredibly talented. Call me a boob, but I teared up multiple times just because it was so incredible.
Out of the four shows on Broadway I've seen, this is my favorite. So you must go.
Remember how I said it was a lucky day? Yeah, I wasn't lying. It was such a good way to be welcomed back into the city. I missed it a lot while I was home for Christmas. Although Utah will always be my home, New York will always hold a special place in my heart.
xoxo
Kylie
