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    Cooking and Tasting Around the World

    About Me

    I am Jen, an expat who moved from Boston to Hong Kong 7 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

    • Po Toi Island and Stanley Hong Kong
      Po Toi Island and Stanley Hong KongJune 17, 2025
      Old Mansion Family Mo You can walk around and explore the different rooms. The Paths Around the Island are Easy to Navigate The hiking trails around the island are extremely well marked. It will take several hours to explore everything, and we ended up not having enough time to explore the entire island during our...

      Read More »

    • Wakaran Hong Kong
      Wakaran Wan ChaiJune 15, 2025
      Tucked away on Ship Street in Wan Chai, Wakaran is a casual, upbeat restaurant that incorporates a fusion of Japanese, Chinese, and Western influences. The restaurant's name, "WA-KA-RAN" (和華蘭), is really a shortened form of the term "wakaranai", which means "I don't understand" in Japanese. Their rationale is, "who are we to tell anybody what...

      Read More »

    • Godenya Hong Kong
      Godenya Hong Kong (revisited)June 12, 2025
      I first visited this difficult-to-book, sake-focused Japanese restaurant, Godenya, in 2022. Our friends Growing Boy and his wife "Foursheets", who love this place, invited us to join them one day. I fell in love with the restaurant, as it really felt like I was transported to Japan for a few hours. Last spring, we immediately...

      Read More »

    • The Chairman Hong Kong
      The Chairman Hong Kong (1 Michelin Star)June 6, 2025
      The last time I visited The Chairman was February 2022. It was at their original location in Central, and the pandemic era restrictions were still in full effect. In fact, at that time (February), Hong Kong's rules only permitted two people to dine together. I still remember four of us coming to the restaurant, sitting...

      Read More »

    • Hanu Wan Chai Hong Kong
      Hanu (Korean Beef) Wan ChaiJune 2, 2025
      Hello Hanwoo beef! I am embarrassed to say I had no idea what hanwoo beef was before I we visited Hanu in Wan Chai earlier this year. Perhaps it's because I had never been to Korea before (until this past April!!). Or perhaps it's because this premium beef is famously hard to find outside of...

      Read More »

    • Always Joy Hong Kong
      Always Joy Hong KongMay 29, 2025
      Perhaps one of the most anticipated restaurant openings in 2025, Always Joy (a modern Izakaya from Yardbird co-founders Lindsay Jang and Matt Abergel) finally opened its doors in March 2025. I am a HUGE fan of Yardbird, Jang and Abergel's other restaurant. Bryan and I go regularly, and never tire of it. We're not alone....

      Read More »

    Michelin Stars

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    • Michelin Recommended

    Recipes by Category

    • Appetizer
    • Noodles
    • Soup
    • Pasta
    • Seafood
    • Meat
    • Vegetables
    • Snacks
    • Taiwanese
    • Asian

    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.

    • Boston
    • New York
    • Las Vegas
    • California
    • Washington DC
    • Chicago
    • Hawaii
    • Seattle
    • Maine
    • Vermont

    Latest US Articles

    • Michael Chiarelli Ottimo Yountville California
      Bottega + Ottimo Yountville
    • Ciccio Yountville California
      Ciccio Yountville
    • Charter Oak St. Helena Napa Valley California
      Charter Oak St. Helena Napa Valley California
    • Cole’s Chop House Napa California
      Cole's Chop House Napa California
    • Compline Restaurant Napa California
      Compline Restaurant + Wine Shop Napa
    • Napa, California
      Thomas Keller's La Calenda: A Tribute {Now Closed}
    • Ad Hoc Thomas Keller Brunch Yountville California
      Thomas Keller Ad Hoc + Addendum + Bouchon Bakery
    • Mandalay San Francisco
      Mandalay San Francisco (Burmese Food)
    • Boulettes Larder Ferry Building San Francisco
      Boulette Larder (Ferry Building) San Francisco
    • Bodega SF California (Vietnamese)
      Bodega SF (Modern Vietnamese)
    • Tselog Daly City California
      Tselogs (Filipino food) Daly City California
    • Jen's Top Restaurants to visit in Boston - 2023 Update

    See more US travel posts

    North / South America

    Aside from the US, I did grow up only an hour from Canada, so we would often drive to Windsor for dim sum and Chinese groceries! I've only been to South America (Argentina) once, but it was a fascinating experience!

    • Canada
    • Argentina

    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.

    • Japan
    • Hong Kong
    • Taiwan
    • China
    • Thailand
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Australia/New Zealand
    • Indonesia

    Latest Hong Kong Articles

    • Po Toi Island and Stanley Hong Kong
      Po Toi Island and Stanley Hong Kong
    • Wakaran Hong Kong
      Wakaran Wan Chai
    • Godenya Hong Kong
      Godenya Hong Kong (revisited)
    • The Chairman Hong Kong
      The Chairman Hong Kong (1 Michelin Star)
    • Hanu Wan Chai Hong Kong
      Hanu (Korean Beef) Wan Chai
    • Always Joy Hong Kong
      Always Joy Hong Kong
    • Daai Zaak Mira Moon Causeway Bay Hong Kong
    • Amber Hong Kong
      Amber Revisited
    • Softbank Private Kitchen Hong Kong
      No. 9 SBI Canteen 9號軟庫飯堂 - Softbank Private Kitchen
    • Testina Hong Kong
      Testina Hong Kong
    • Estro HK
      Estro Hong Kong
    • Ama Ristorante Wan Chai
      Ama Ristorante by the Amatricianist Wan Chai

    See more Hong Kong travel posts

    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.

    • France
    • Italy
    • Spain
    • United Kingdom
    • Belgium
    • Greece
    • Norway
    • Denmark
    • Germany
    • Netherlands
    • Ireland
    • Poland
    • Austria

    Latest Europe Articles

    • Vienna Opera House
      Vienna Austria Trip Report
    • Steirereck Vienna Austria
      Steirereck Vienna Austria
    • Meierei im Stadtpark Vienna Austria
      Meierei im Stadtpark Vienna Austria
    • Schönbrunn Palace Vienna Austria
      Schönbrunn Palace & Hofburg Palace Vienna Austria
    • Mast Weinbistro Vienna Austria
      Mast Weinbistro Vienna Austria
    • Demel Vienna Austria
      Kaiserschmarbn at Demel in Vienna Austria
    • Cafe Mozart (Landtmann Cafe) Vienna Austria
      Mozart Café and Café Landtmann in Vienna Austria
    • Palmenhaus Vienna Austria
      Brasserie Palmenhaus Vienna Austria
    • Guggenheim Bilbao Spain
      Bilbao Spain - Top Things to Do
    • Azurmendi Spain
      Azurmendi Spain (3 Michelin Stars)
    • Tour of Rioja Wine Region: Part 2
    • Tour of Rioja Wine Region: Part 1

    See more travel guides!→

    Most Popular Posts

    Most popular posts is purely based on the number of hits using Google Analytics.

    • Spherification (Making "Caviar")
    • Pintxos Hopping in Bilbao, Spain
    • Uni Shooters
    • 居然果Ju Ran Guo
      Top Foods to Taste in Shunde, China
    • Guilin Yangshuo China
      Guilin & Yangshuo China Trip Report
    • Japanese Potato Salad
      Japanese Potato Salad
    • chez Alain Miam Miam Paris France
      chez Alain Miam Miam - Best sandwich in Paris France
    • 48 hour Sous Vide Short Ribs (Momofuku)

    Recently Updated

    • A Look Back at the Past 3 Years - Part I: 2022
    • Sai Kung Hong Kong
      Day Trip to Sai Kung, Sharp Island, Cheun Kee Seafood Restaurant
    • Bozar Brussels
      Bozar Restaurant Brussels
    • La Paix Brussels
      La Paix Brussels - Two Michelin Stars
    • Arbor Hong Kong
      Arbor Hong Kong

    Jennifer Che Tiny Urban Kitchen

    Hi, my name's Jen and welcome to my cooking, eating, and travel site! I am 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. Feel free to explore away, maybe starting with the Recipe Index or one of the travel pages! I hope you enjoy this site!

    More about me →

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    Popular Posts

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      Mesa by José Avillez Macau
    • Restaurante Litoral Taipa Macau
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      Antonio Macau Taipa
    • Lijiang Old Town China
      Lijiang Mushroom Hot Pot 野生菌火鍋

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    Recognition


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    of the FOOD Section: 2015

    Best Food Blog Awards:
    Restaurant & Dining 2012

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