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

Din Tai Fung Taipei - 2024 updateDecember 16, 2024
There's no shortage of Din Tai Fung articles on this blog (Taipei original Sydney London Hong Kong Orange County Bellevue Arcadia Shanghai Beijing). Still, I thought it would be a good idea to give a brief update of our experience dining at Din Tai Fung in Taipei in 2024. First,...
Qin Yuan Chun 沁園春Taichung TaiwanDecember 12, 2024
After the pandemic, I finally made my way out to Taiwan the summer of 2023. It was a special family reunion, with my Mom and sister's family flying out from the US meeting up with our relatives in Taiwan whom we hadn't seen for years. My uncle in Taichung knew...
Ahong Popiah 阿弘潤餅December 7, 2024
I am a huge lumpiah/popiah fan. This is a soft spring roll filled with vegetables that possibly gets it roots from Hokkien (you see it in Malaysia, Singapore, Xiamen, Taiwan . . .). My mom makes an awesome one (recipe here!), and I’m always trying to seek it out wherever I go. I...
Fuhang Soybean Milk 阜杭豆漿December 3, 2024
Fuhang Soybean Milk 阜杭豆漿 is probably THE most famous traditional Taiwanese “soymilk” restaurant in Taipei. The place is a sight to see, with workers making all sorts of scrumptious Taiwanese pastries from scratch right before your eyes. The lines are looooong, and start early. Basically, if you don’t want to...
Eating in Taiwan - 2024 EditionNovember 3, 2024
After going to Taiwan in February 2017 and July 2017, I never would have imagined it would be so many more years before I returned again. After all, I lived in Hong Kong, only a 1.5 hour flight away. But then the pandemic came, and before you know it, it...
Top Foods to Taste in Shunde, ChinaSeptember 23, 2024
They say Cantonese food has three main roots: Chiu Chow (chaozhou), Hakka (kejia) and Shunde (pronounced SHUN - Duh). Many say that the origins of Cantonese food comes from this small but packed region full of incredible food. In 2014, Shunde was recognized by UNESCO Creative Cities Network as a...

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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.