My 1st write up

I got a great opportunity to do a review of the newly opened macbar in Soho by partly sunny - one of Vancouver's foremost fashion industry insiders. Check it out! :)

Golden Shopping Mall, Flushing

Today, my girlfriend & I decided to venture Flushing, NY - famous for good Chinese food, cheap Chinese groceries and all around Chinese goodness. Our goal Anthony Bourdain's featured spot on the "Outer Boroughs" episode on No Reservations - Golden Shopping Mall.

Armed with an empty stomach we made the trek out of Manhattan into the burbs of what is a predominantly Asian/Chinese area. All the signs are in Mandarin, no one speaks English and not a single Caucasian soul in sight. Feels like Asia already! And of course being Sunday, its universal grocery shopping day so Main Street is bustling!

With our iPhones and Google Maps in hand, we find our destination and eventually find the entrance and walk downstairs to enter a bustling, cramped, dirty food court. Ah! At last! & it feels so authentic too. Brought me back to the days in Singapore where hawker stalls are cramped together, while patrons sit on make shift seating consisting of stools and foldable tables and orders are always yelled out. PERFECT!

We do a quick look around and settle with dumplings first. We place our orders and dug in. Note: they aren't any menus and if there are its all in Chinese so if you don't read or speak the language, be prepared to point and pay. I also think its cash only but that shouldn't be a problem, our dumpling feast was $5 with a side of fried chive pancake. Disgustingly cheap for NY's standards but also fresh, handmade and piping hot. Plenty of chilli paste and chinese black vinegar. Slurp and all 12 are gone. Next stop, Xi'an Famous Foods - another foodstall toured by Mr Bourdain. Famed for Liang Pi & their lamb burger. Seeing how I don't eat lamb we went for the pulled pork instead which was well-spiced and seasoned to perfection. Mmm..Mmm...The Liang Pi was a first for me and it was AMAZING! Apparently, the recipe from this stall is several generations old and very authentic. Chewy, tangy, spicy and peanuty all in one - its a flavour that's hard to define and must be tried.

Stuffed and sweaty, we decided to pop outside for a breather and some bubble tea and before venturing home. We swung by for cheap groceries and hopped back on the 7 to return to the city. What a wonderful way to spend a Sunday!

Philly

Our weekend away from Manhattan left us hot & bothered but it was a pleasant time exploring a new city with my better half. Philly reminds me much of Boston, colonial and old with tons of heritage & history. We ate well, slept well and enjoyed each others company. Highlights included an amazing omakase meal at Morimoto, a spectacular lightning & thunderstorm viewed right from our waterfront hotel room, savouring Philly cheesesteaks for the 1st time and an insanely comfy hotel bed.

I miss you already. Thank you for an amazing month and for being more than anything I could ever ask for.

Summers are spent...

Eating lovingly-made tapas courtesy of my man :)

Online shopping resulting in a newly purchased wall clock...

And brunching on weekends with my favourite person in the sunshine.

How we do love to brunch! :)

Happy Summer everyone! I do hope yours is as lovely as mine

Simple pleasures

After a great spinning class, I made myself a piping hot bowl of homemade comfort. Ground pork porridge (aka congee) with scallions, garlic and fried shallots. YUM! A perfect end to the day, without compromising my good workout! :D I'll consider making this more often. As a child, porridge was always seen as a meal taken when I'm sick. But as I get older, my appreciation for a good piping hot bowl of porridge is greatly appreciated!

The secret - use old rice! And I like to season the meat before cooking and throw in the rice after the meat is half cooked so the juices will soak into the porridge, rendering it tasty! :) And my favourite toppings? Scallion and a must-have, deep fried onions straight from the motherland!

Healthy and happy me! :D

Gong Hey Fatt Choy!

We rang in the Year of the Ox with a Feast! Thanks to my aunt & grandmother who were with us this festive season. All the dishes have significance - everything had to be in tact. You wouldn't be believe how difficult it is to find a decent whole chicken with head & legs! I guess most North Americans don't like to look at their food whole. The menu of the night included:

Sweet & Sour Pork

Shitake Mushrooms

A whole Hainanese style chicken

Our family traditional "zai" (vegetable stew)

Braised pork knuckle

Spicy prawns

Sticky rice

Steamed fish

*BURP*

Happy Chinese New Year!

Burning the midnight oil with Kettlecorn

OMG. Its the last 2 weeks of school and we're all working hard for the final push of the semester and for many of my friends & myself, the final push of our post graduate program. Projects are due, presentations need to be prepped & final exams need to be studied for. And to keep me company on my lonely long nights? The best kettlecorn I've bought from a store! Ike & Sam's Kettlecorn is AMAZING.

I'm no popcorn fan mind you. I don't usually purchase popcorn at the movies but this yummy, crunchy bag of goodness was first introduced to me by a girlfriend who shares my love for munchie snacks. While perusing Whole Foods one night after class, she pulled out this bag of kettlecorn goodness! Both salty & sweet, Ike & Sam's has the cutest mascots and yummy flavour variations. My faves being: The Original and most recently, a bag I picked up tonight in Kickin' Cayenne! Mmm..Nyum Yummmmy. So friggin good. Did I mention they are all natural with no preservatives, no trans fats and no cholesterol! And its manufactured right here in Brooklyn, NY. Go find a bag in a grocery store near you. Happy healthy munching!

Lunch before school

While back in Vancouver, I shopped at my neighbourhood asian grocery store and found that this childhood fave of mine was on promotion: 10 packets for $3! So I promptly picked some up to bring home to NYC. Its hard to find here and I don't often venture to Chinatown. As a result, many of the asian goodies I purchase are Japanese rather than Chinese because there's a small Japanese convenience store within walking distance from my apartment.

Today for lunch, I decided to make an old favourite of mine: Fried Mee Goreng. Although not 100% authentic - my home-cooked, student version serves as a quick, tasty meal before I head off to class. YUM!

he's here!

NYC Weekend Highlights: Jordan bussed down for a visit - we spent the glorious weekend eating, sleeping, walking, sweating in the subway and checking out Times Square, 5th Ave & The new Apple Store.