Tiny Urban Kitchen: Cooking and Tasting Around the World

About Me

I am Jen, an expat who moved from Boston to Hong Kong 5 years ago. Born and raised in Ohio to Taiwanese immigrant parents, I am a chemistry nerd, patent attorney by day, blogger by night, church musician on weekends, and food enthusiast always.

I've eaten at over 800 restaurants, developed close to 350 recipes, and have traveled to over 50 cities spanning 20+ countries and 5 continents. Have a look around, and enjoy!

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Latest Articles

Mesa by José Avillez MacauApril 2, 2025
Mesa by José Avillez Macau is a contemporary Portugnese restaurant located in the Karl Lagerfeld Hotel in the Grand Lisboa Palace in Macau. José Avillez's namesake restaurant in Lisbon, Portugal has 2 Michelin stars. Mesa re-opened in just a few weeks ago (after a few weeks closure for renovations) with...
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Restaurante Litoral Taipa MacauMarch 28, 2025
A Michelin Bib Gourmand, Restaurante Litoral in Taipa (Macau) serves both Portuguese and Macanese food. According to the restaurant itself, Macanese cuisine is "a blend of Southern Chinese and Portuguese cuisines." This family owned restaurant uses recipes that are over a hundred years old, "many of which have been passed...
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Antonio Macau TaipaMarch 20, 2025
Antonio Macau is a well established Portuguese restaurant located in a really cute, walkable area of Taipa.
Vienna Austria Trip ReportMarch 16, 2025
Vienna Opera House
Steirereck Vienna AustriaMarch 13, 2025
If you're looking for a lovely high-end dining experience in Vienna, Steirereck is certainly the natural choice. Located inside a large park called Stadtpark, you feel a bit like you are getting away from the city (even though it's really quite centrally located). As soon as we knew we were...
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Meierei im Stadtpark Vienna AustriaMarch 10, 2025
What better place to enjoy Vienna's (arguably) most famous dish the weinerschnitzel, or most famous Viennese dessert, Kaiserschmarr‘n, than Michelin Bib Gourmand Meierei im Stadtpark? Meierei is the sister restaurant to 3-Michelin starred Steirereck, which is located "upstairs" of Meierei. We were crazy. We decided to book both restaurants. We...
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Michelin Stars

Latest Hong Kong Articles

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Latest US Articles

Recipes by Category

Globetrotter

I travel A LOT, and I always do extensive research about food before going to a new location. Therefore, if you’re planning on visiting a new place, definitely check out the places I’ve visited and written about in these locations when you’re planning your trip.

United States

I grew up in Ohio (where I ate mostly my mom's cooking - see recipes above!), but spent 20+ years living in Cambridge, a college city right next to Boston. I've spent a lot of time trying food all over the US. There are certain places I visit almost annually, and thus know especially well, such as New York, Las Vegas, and both Northern and Southern California.

See more US travel posts

Other North + South America, AU/NZ

Asia

I have lived in Hong Kong for the past 5 years and thus have traveled quite a bit around the region (heh, until the pandemic came). Hong Kong and Japan are both magnificent food cities. One could spend a lifetime just exploring those two places alone. Taiwan is the place of my roots, and I have nostalgic memories visiting it with my family. Finally, these past several years I’ve been able to taste my way through numerous cities in Mainland China, as well as explored many locations throughout Southeast Asia.

Europe

I love Europe's rich history, stunning architecture, breathtaking landscapes, and incredible food. There's a sense of familiarity, perhaps because I spent so much time in Boston, a most "European-like" city in the US. Through the years I've had unique opportunities to explore many parts of this continent, both for work and pleasure. I never tire of it.