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!

Learn more about me →

Latest Articles

Mandalay San Francisco (Burmese Food)April 24, 2025
I still dream of my first time trying Burmese food (at the original Burma Superstar location soooo many years ago) and falling in love with Burmese Tea Leaf Salad. We’ve since had Burmese food a number of times, whether it’s at the new Burma Love or catered to my workplace...
Read More »
Boulette Larder (Ferry Building) San FranciscoApril 21, 2025
We got the notice after we checked into our hotel. Announcement: there’s going to a St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Saturday morning, passing right in front of the hotel, and therefore Market Street will be closed. St. Patrick's Day Parade We had originally planned on driving up to Napa from...
Read More »
Bodega SF (Modern Vietnamese)April 19, 2025
Bodega SF is the modern “rebirthed” version of the original Bodega Bistro, a Northern Vietnamese restaurant in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco open from 2003 to 2017. In 2022, Matthew Ho re-opened this restaurant in a new modern, “casual fine dining” format. We came here as a party of...
Read More »
Tselogs (Filipino food) Daly City CaliforniaApril 16, 2025
There is a sizable Filipino community in Daly City, which explains why it’s such a fantastic place to find Filipino food. My best friend & roommate from college lives in San Francisco now, not too far from Daly City. She recommended Tselogs to me as a great place to meet...
Read More »
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...
Read More »
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...
Read More »

Michelin Stars

Latest Hong Kong Articles

Latest Europe Articles

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.