Ithaca, NY. Nov, 2024. My husband was born in Nepal, and eating momos is a national past-time in…read morethat country. In fact, when visiting Nepalese relatives both in Nepal and in various U.S. cities, we often have "momo making parties." So, we HAD TO try this restaurant when we discovered it in the food court of the Center Ithaca complex, just off the Ithaca Commons. For those who aren't familiar with momos, they're similar to Chinese dumplings or Korean mandu. Food. The server told us that he had just made fresh beef momos, so we ordered one plate (8 pieces, $11) and a plate of Chinese noodles with chicken and mixed vegetables ($12). Overall, we'd rate the food as 3/5, acceptable for a quick meal but not outstanding. The momos were of a nice size, but the outer shell was quite thick and doughy, and the filling lacked the complex spices (ginger, garlic, etc.) to which we were accustomed. They were served with a mass-produced spicy-looking red chili sauce that really wasn't too spicy. Traditionally, momo would've been served with a homemade tomato achar. The noodles dish featured lo mein noodles, tasty and plentiful teriyaki? chicken, and a few pieces of cabbage. We were disappointed that there weren't more vegetables, especially as our dish had far fewer vegetables than the promotional photo of the dish. Service. We visited the food court on a Wednesday afternoon around 1 pm. Upon approaching this restaurant's counter, we weren't sure if they were open as there were no staff in sight. We called out and the sole employee came to take our order and to prepare our food. Ambiance. The food court is in the inviting in the Ithaca Center. The area is light, airy, and clean -- with a nice variety of foods to choose from, such as Indian, Jamaican, Tibetan, Chinese, and more.

Cute small food stand at the Ithaca Farmers Market! We got the pork momos and hapayaki (spicy…read morechicken) rice. The momos were juicy and tender but could use a bit more flavor in the filling and/or sauce. The hapayaki rice dish was more oily, however, and had a spicy mayo-type sauce on top? Despite this, it wasn't bad. The portions were also very generous. Overall, it's a decent place and would recommend to try when browsing at the market.

Four Seasons is veryyyy mediocre, but I have to admit, the portions are great -- if you order the…read moreright thing! It's one of those places where you need to know exactly what to get to have a good experience. If you want the perfect affordable meal for two people (they note two but honestly if your friend group is small backed like us, three might also do the trick), head on right over and try their casseroles. If you want to perfectly replicate our experience, try their Boo Dae Jeon Gol, better known as Korean army stew (for curious folks and my fellow food baddies, definitely check out this link about the history of this sexy dish: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budae-jjigae#:~:text=It%20also%20goes%20by%20the,stew%2C%20and%20spicy%20sausage%20stew.&text=The%20dish%20has%20its%20origins,Korea%20was%20experiencing%20significant%20poverty. ) It's not a healthy meal for sure nor is this the best budae jigae I've ever had (quite bland for what it is) but omg, it's definitely THE ONE where you can have the most bang for the buck. They have an massive hotpot pan just for their casseroles. My friend and I, both very hungry college students, literally could not down this thing. The menu also mentioned to "share with my people" but perhaps it was a warning all along. The soju here is pretty expensive per bottle, which is a bit of a letdown. However, I do like their green grape soju and the specific brand that they have; it doesn't have that alcohol taste upfront, which is arguably dangerous. Will I willingly come back? Probably notttt, heh heh. There are better places out there to spend your money and time. Nothing about the food or the atmosphere really wowed me. It's just okay for a casual meal, but it didn't leave a lasting impression.

Four Seasons isn't gonna blow you away with how authentic or excellent the food is. However, if you…read morejust want some Asian food that isn't bad, you could do a lot worse. I've been here countless times, and the service has always been good. With regards to the food, it's always serviceable and sometimes pretty decent. Another advantage of Four Seasons is how open they are to sake bombing - it's one of the top sake bombing locations in Collegetown.

Mediocre Korean food. They seem understaffed…read more The ban chan was not good. There only seemed to be one person waiting on all of the tables, so we didn't have water for a large portion of the meal. I ordered the kimchi jigae as a main- it was fine. Definitely an improvement from the ban chan, but not spectacular. Overall, I would probably not return.

Kinda strange place. Its main dishes are Korean Chinese like jjajangmyun and tangsuyuk but they…read morealso have some Korean dishes like soondubu jjigae. Banchan was very basic but home made and not too bad. Soondubu jjigae with beef was pretty good. Beef was bulgogi I think (Korean marinated beef) which is kinda weird but it worked. No raw egg to put in the soup though. But it was spicy and good. Jjajangmyun was okay but I imagine this is the only game in town for that dish so you have to give them credit for having it. Tangsuyuk was the star though. It was freshly fried and crispy. Make sure to ask for sauce on side. Ambiance is absolutely zero. LOL. They have tables and they were clean I give them that. No AC so probably best to order delivery in the summer. The owner is Korean Chinese and very nice. I was only passing through but if I went to school at Cornell I can see myself coming here.

One of my favorite restaurants in Ithaca!! Hidden gem 100p (meaning 100%, for all the non GenZers…read moreout there) The decor and inside seating area both relaxing and charming. Gold and brilliance complete the dining experience paired with delicious Thai cuisine made quick & fresh. Their service is intimate and personal, I'm always taken care of there. Walk in cold and hungry, leave warm and full [of yummy food and serendipity]. **thai tea is a MUST get** Bon appetit!

I think the people there try. The food is okay. Thai Basil has been around a long time so there…read moremust be something that people like about it and that it's doing right.

Nestled between two popular Collegetown spots, Le Cafe is a charming new Korean cafe with a cozy…read morevibe. The first noticeable thing when you enter is undoubtably the welcoming ambiance, accentuated by the flowers and fairy lights. This place feels like it belongs in Commons rather than Collegetown. Ctown doesn't really have a lot of cafes beyond Cornell campus so I was initially excited for a nice change of scenery. However, I must say that I'm slightly disappointed. The staff were extremely friendly during the times I visited. They offer a variety of reasonably priced drinks such as their homemade fruit juice. I've tried their grape juice and it was VERY sweet -- consider yourself warned! Their kimbap is okay, but I probably wouldn't get it again. Their snack and drinks corner is absolutely adorable and makes it easy for those that want grab-and-go snack or beverage. It's super charming and makes Asian snacks accessible, saving you a trip to the Asian supermarket. As a group study spot, I probably wouldn't recommend it! The area could feel a bit tight. I came with a friend for a study session and the tables weren't big enough to hold both of our laptops. There's also seats near the windows and and blue sofas to sit but for both, you would have to work at an awkward angle. Overall, it's a good place to hang out casually with friends or to do a coffee chat.

So delicious with excellent service!! Kimbap, bulgogi, and fruitade are all amazing, highly…read morerecommend

Such a cute food truck and conveniently located right by the fire station in Collegetown!…read more I ordered the spicy pork roll which was very good. It had a perfect filling to rice ratio. I added on the gochujang which was a nice addition as the pork itself wasn't very spicy. Service was friendly and fast! I waited ~5 min for my food.

I recently visited bop!, the new kimbap truck, and had the pleasure of meeting one of the owners -…read moresuper friendly and welcoming! You can really tell they care about their food and their customers. I tried their Lobster Kimbap roll, and I have to say, it was so, so delicious. What?! Literally the best kimbap I've ever eaten in my life. If you haven't checked out bop! yet, you should! Bring your friends, enjoy some amazing rolls, and support a local business that's doing it right :)

Bento boxes are like my favorite thing since I was like a child. everything is neatly organized and…read morefun, so to have a restaurant that focuses on bento boxes with a large variety of everything is great for me. Everything was tasty. Everything tastes fresh, every time I pass by it's always busy and popular , service was fast and friendly. It was clean inside. I think I'll go back there again today for lunch now, I'm craving it thinking about it but yeah, you know first time I went there. I was moving on packing and it just hit the spot so well definitely try it out. It's great because you get such a tasty variety on your plate.

In my three years in Ithaca, I've dined at Fusia Bento Bar a few times, and each visit has been a…read morebit of an adventure, strictly from their Japanese food menu (I'm not the biggest Chinese food fan). Picture this: One evening, when everything else was full or closed, I decided to give their bento box a try. It was a gamble that didn't pay off. What a letdown! The food tasted just passable, like something you'd reluctantly grab at a mall food court after a long day of shopping. Definitely not worth the price. On another night, when options were limited again, I found myself back at Fusia, giving their ramen a shot. To my surprise, it was pretty good! I thought, "Hey, maybe I've found a hidden gem!" Here's the kicker: In all my time in Ithaca, never once have I found myself saying, "Hmm, I'm really craving Fusia Bento Bar tonight." It just doesn't happen. Fusia Bento Bar is that backup plan when all the better options are closed, or the lines are way too long.

I had to come back for round two. Ordered the dry Vermicelli noodles this time. Yum!…read more Very well flavored and generous serving. If not provided, request a lemon slice, I personally loved it with the lemon.

I've only been once and try not to review before visiting a few times. This review is an exception…read more I had read the reviews and heard from a variety of people that it was now open and sooo good. As a Vietnamese food lover, I'd been waiting impatiently for another addition to the (two) restaurants currently in town, and I love that they'd opted to open in a newly-vacant space. Was there on a Saturday evening with an air of frustration among guests and panic as the one lovely and well-known server was doing everything out front and could not keep up. Many people waiting without drinks or food. Normally I'd leave but I had nothing else to do and was not overly hungry, and my curiosity got the best of me. The place looked like it needed a little more work to be considered fully decorated and set up looked hastily done. That would not be a deterrent - some of the best food happens when decoration is not a priority. Eventually we got a table - a high-top next to a curtain that hid what used to be an open kitchen used by the previous occupant. From there we could see everything in the dining room. Someone was called in to assist, and she brought friends and sat down; Maybe promised a free meal if she'd fill in in an emergency. We could also hear everything, unfortunately. Whoever was preparing food was loudly coughing, blowing their nose, hacking, sneezing, spitting and...well, it was disgusting. We heard it all through the curtain and were grateful we could not see. We almost ran out after ordering but I couldn't do that to a fledgling place. I think the pressure to open and get things running and get money coming in means, in late winter restaurant staff are working when they shouldn't be. Our food was okay. Not spectacular. Not hot. Vietnamese pancake that should have been stuffed with much more veggies/filling, a salad and chicken pho that tasted more like "chicken noodle soup" and lacking the usual accoutrements (sprouts, basil, etc.) that come with pho. We could not really enjoy the meal. I'm shocked we're not sick after that experience. Just beware. I'm sure sick restaurant staff happens everywhere but the curtain arrangement made it impossible to hide.