Obao x SELECT

In New York City, it’s almost as if I could eat out every single night for years and not got to the same place twice. Every street, every block, every borough there are restaurants upon restaurants boasting every cuisine imaginable. Last week – with my trusty Select Card in tow – C and I headed into Hell’s Kitchen for a spot of Asian cuisine.

Now this Select Card is a bit of a gem. Giving discounts at tons of restaurants across the city on food and drink for your entire party. The handy Select app also acts as a tool to find affiliated restaurants in the neighborhood whilst also acting as your actual select card when you forget your wallet. What more could you want? 

OBAO is a little fusion hot spot bridging the gap between Thai and Vietnamese comfort foods and adding that luxurious element for the New York foodie. Dim sum, lobster pad thai, pho bo and more, I was salivating just reading the menu. Would ordering one of every appetizer have been too much…?

When C told me she wasn't a huge fan of squid, I was NOT disappointed. More for me! This appetiser was one of the specials of the day. Chilli, salty, crispy, calamari deliciousness.

Now this little beaut was the icing on the cake. Not only did we eat like kings and queens but with the Select Card we got a whole 20% off the entire bill. Eating out in New York is as frequent as catching the subway, so isn't it great to dine at all your favorite restaurants with a cheeky discount from Select? 

How can I get my hands on one of these you ask? So the Select Card is available to buy online (click here) for a year membership it costs $80 or if you'd rather pay monthly its only $10. 

But you for you lucky readers you get a whopping 50% off! Be sure to use exclusive code 'SUPERCALAFASHIONISTIC' as the invitation code when signing up at www.meetselect.com. 

Most users start reaping the benefit after only two uses of the card, and in the city that could be done in a week. So what you waiting for? Click here to get your hands on your very own Select Card. 

And be sure to tag all your foodie pics that you post all over the internet with #meetselect. 

Can't wait to try out some more SELECT restaurants soon. 

Speedy Shrimp Curry

After a long day at work with rushed commuters barging into you to get last last seat on the train and your tummy rumbling away with the thoughts of that Pret sandwich eaten all those many hours ago. The last thing you want to do is slave away in the kitchen for hours, so before you go grabbing those take away menu's here is the perfect quick dinner fix, taking you no longer than 10 minutes to whip up. A twist on a traditional thai dish, this curry has just the perfect heat to just make you all toasty inside which is much needed with the ridiculous snow storm in Leeds yesterday afternoon. If you're not much of a spice fiend then just loose the chilli and this ones a keeper.

Here's what you need;

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic gloves, crushed

1 medium chilli, seeded & finely chopped

1 tablespoon of tomato puree

1 tablespoon on fish sauce

1 table spoon of red curry paste

1 tin coconut milk

1 lime

200g large prawns

100g baby corn

100g sugar snaps

Dash of salt & pepper

Splash of olive oil

Start by heating up your pan and add a splash of olive oil. When hot, throw in the chopped onions, garlic and chilli and sauté until soft, but not brown. 

Add a splash of fish sauce.

Pour in the coconut milk and reduce the heat to a simmer.

Add a generous spoonful of red thai curry paste and a big squeeze of tomato puree and leave to reduce for about 5 minutes until it develops a gorgeous golden colour. Remember to stir the curry, to stop it from sticking.

Approx 2 minutes before serving add the veg and the prawns to warm though/cook. (Remember if youre using raw prawns, be sure to add them before you add the coconut milk to ensure they are cooked through)

Before serving add the juice of half a lime and a bit of salt and pepper, and stir through. 

And you're done!

Completely up to you what to serve it with, noodles, rice or just have as a soup dish. 

Easy as 1 - 2  - 3, and ready in just 10 minutes (the longer you cook it for the more the mixture reduces so feel free to continue to reduce for a thicker result). 

Serve up immediately and with a wedge of lime for the perfect finish.