Recipes

January 16, 2017 Las Vegas

Exquisite Chinese food at Blossom Aria in Las Vegas

This is the eighth and final post in the series titled An Exploration of Asian Food in Vegas. Other posts in this series include Red Rock Casino and Resort, Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar and Grill, Exploring Downtown Las Vegas, Mr. Chow, Lotus of Siam, and Tao Asian Bistro.

There are very, very few places in the United States where one can truly experience authentic, ultra high end Chinese dining. A vast majority of American associate Chinese cuisine with styrofoam take-out containers, egg rolls, and fortune cookies. Those who get to enjoy authentic food typically see Cantonese dim sum, prevalent in Chinatowns across America.

More recently, we've seen an explosion of Chinese food. At least here in Boston, we've had opportunities to enjoy Sichuan, Taiwanese, Xi'an, and even Dong Bei, or Northeastern cuisine. The Chinese food here is definitely getting more diverse.

However, it's almost always still pretty inexpensive.

*Chinese New Year display at the Bellagio*

Las Vegas is unique in that it receives A LOT of visitors from China every year. The Strip has responded by catering to these visitors. The Chinese New Year celebration seems to get bigger every year. Tons of Asian restaurants, including several very high end Chinese restaurants have sprung up. These places offer exotic Chinese delicacies that you typically don't see, such as shark fin, bird's nest, and abalone.

We had a chance to visit Blossom, a very refined and elegant high-end Chinese restaurant located at Aria. Executive chef Chi Kwun Choi, who has been at the restaurant since 2009, is from Hong Kong and draws inspiration from food trends in both Hong Kong and Beijing.

I must say, I was very, very impressed. I don't think I had ever had Chinese food at this level before, at least not until my visit to a 2-Michelin starred restaurant during my trip to Hong Kong this past year. Here's a look at some of the dishes we enjoyed!
...

January 13, 2017 Asian

Tao Asian Bistro at the Venetian in Las Vegas

Tao Asian Bistro Las Vegas — Tao Asian Bistro at the Venetian in Las Vegas

This is the seventh post in the series titled An Exploration of Asian Food in Vegas. Other posts in this series include Red Rock Casino and Resort, Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar and Grill, Exploring Downtown Las Vegas, Mr. Chow, and Lotus of Siam.

Tao is best known as a popular nightclub that's located inside the Venetian on the Las Vegas Strip. This 10,000 square foot nightclub has seen the likes of Madonna, Usher, Kim Kardashian, and Bono, just to name a few. The nightclub is open Thursday through Saturday evenings.

Another part of Tao that is open all days of the week is Tao Asian Bistro. Tao Asian Bistro is the restaurant side that serves a variety of Asian dishes with influences from China, Japan, and Thailand. The dining space is huge and very impressive, with a multi-story tall Buddha, an infinity koi pool filled with Japanese goldfish, and even waterfalls. It's impressive, over-the-top, and oh-so-Vegas.

I really didn't know what to expect.

Usually when I hear about a restaurant that offer food from so many different Asian countries, I become a bit suspicious. It's hard to execute so many diverse dishes and make them all really good. However, the quality of food on the Strip is quite high, and of all places, I could imagine the Venetian having the resources to hire talented chefs to pull of food from many different geographical regions.

So I was curious to see what the food was like....

January 3, 2017 Barcelona

Montserrat Barcelona - mountainside monastery

This is the seventh post in the Hello Barcelona series. Other posts include Cafe Viena, ABaC Restaurant, Rias de Galicia, Dos Palillos, and Canete Barcelona.

Montserrat stands for “serrated mountain” because of the sharp, jagged, mountains in this area just about 20 km from Barcelona. Up high on this mountain lies a monastery that has been there since the 1500’s. It has clung onto that mountain top through the Spanish Civil War and both World Wars.

It is a popular tourist destination for many reasons. For Catholics, it is a pilgrimage visit various holy sites, such as the black Madonna inside the Basilica, San Joan or Santa Cova. For the nature hiker, it affords stunning views, many hiking trails, and even places to do rock climbing on the stunning cliffs. For the photographer, there are endless opportunities to take pictures of everything from the breathtaking mountain ranges to the intricate architecture of the buildings....

January 2, 2017 Barcelona

Canete Barcelona - off the beaten path (Cañete)

This is the sixth post in the Hello Barcelona series. Other posts include Cafe Viena, ABaC Restaurant, Rias de Galicia, and Dos Palillos.

La Ramblas is a lively, touristy, tree-lined wide pedestrian walkway filled with restaurants, gelato counters, and stalls selling all sorts of gifts and crafts. It’s a fun, lively area in which to spend an afternoon. However, finding good food is a bit more of a challenge.

Yes, the famous La Boqueria Market is there, and you can find some good tapas inside (my chef friend Tracy highly recommends getting the baby squid and eggs at El Quim). However, if you don’t want to fight the crowds, where is a good place to eat?

I’ve already shared with you about Cafe Viena, the tiny, unassuming sandwich shop that sells the most amazing jamon sandwiches. However, if you’re willing to walk just a block from La Ramblas, you’ll find Cañete Barcelona, a charming tapas bar that is reasonably priced, full of character, and serves up great food....

December 28, 2016 California

California Christmas

Merry Belated Christmas!

Ever since we've been married, Bryan and I have spent Christmas with Bryan's family in Southern California. I love getting away from the cold in New England for just a few days to soak up the California sun. Some years we visit Disneyland, other years we go to Knotts Berry Farm. And other years we just chill and spend time with family.

Of course, there is always plenty of good food, whether it be our favorite restaurants or Bryan's mom's great cooking. She always makes an effort to make Bryan's favorite dishes, and we always make a point of visiting our favorite haunts....

December 23, 2016 Barcelona

Dos Palillos Barcelona - Japanese Spanish fusion

This is the fifth post in the Hello Barcelona series. Other posts include Cafe Viena, ABaC Restaurant, and Rias de Galicia.

When I asked my chef friend Tracy (who happens to have just soft-opened her own Japanese-Spanish restaurant PAGU in Cambridge this week!) where to dine in Barcelona, she immediately replied “Dos Palillos”. It was by far one of her favorite restaurants in Barcelona. This hot, hard-to-book restaurant from Albert Raurich (former head chef of El Bulli) serves creative dishes that are a fusion of Spanish and Japanese cuisine.

I tried to make a reservation at Dos Palillos within a week of my visit with little luck. Alas, the restaurant was fully booked that evening. However, they cheerfully advised to me (over email) to dine at the bar, which serves the same menu but a la carte style (versus a tasting menu). The bar is first-come-first-serve, and thus if I showed up early (she suggested 7:30PM, right at opening), I should be able to get a seat.

I showed up at around 7:10AM and saw at least two other people waiting in line. By the time the doors opened, there was a sizeable crowd of about 10 people waiting at the door. A handful had reservations, but most were there to nab bar seats. Shortly after 7:30PM, the bar was completely full.

I dined solo because Bryan had a business dinner that night. One the one hand, dining at the bar solo was really special because I ended up chatting quite a bit with those around me. The crowd that dines at Dos Palillos is quite international. Our server said he speaks English 80% of the time. To my left was a woman from Malaysia. To my right was a couple from San Diego. Coincidentally, the husband was attending the same conference Bryan was attending, and the couple’s daughter went to Harvard (which meant we ended up talking at length about the dining scene in Cambridge).

It’s fun to sit at the bar because you always meet interesting people. In most certainly made for a much less lonely night.

On the other hand, dining at the bar meant I couldn’t do the tasting menu. That meant I had to order individual dishes, many of which are designed to be shared. One order of dumplings came with 4 pieces, when I could have easily done with just one. Thankfully all of the dishes are still small plates, and thus I was still able to try many. They recommend ordering 4-6 dishes. I ordered 7 (!) plus sampled a couple bites from those sitting around me (thanks, new friends!).

Here’s a look at some of the fun dishes I tried.
...

December 20, 2016 Barcelona

Rias de Galicia Barcelona

This is the fourth post in the Hello Barcelona series. Other posts include Cafe Viena and ABaC Barcelona

Barcelona is right next to the ocean. There is a huge seaport filled with cruise ships as well as industrial ships. It’s no surprise, then, that seafood is a big part of the cuisine.

When I told my chef friend Tracy Chang (who, by the way, has soft-opened her new restaurant PAGU this week!), about my Sunday/Monday restaurant dilemma, she suggested one of her favorite restaurants, Espai Kru, which happened to be open on Sundays. The restaurant focuses on raw preparations of seafood (“kru” means raw in Spanish).

Unfortunately for us, Espai Kru was not open on Monday, the day we wanted to go there. However, their sister restaurant Rias de Galicia, a more casual version that still serves phenomenal seafood, but more in the traditional Catalan style, was open....

December 16, 2016 Barcelona

ABaC Barcelona

This is the third post in the Hello Barcelona series. Other posts include Cafe Viena.

Dining out on Barcelona on a Sunday or Monday evening is brutal. Most nice restaurants - virtually every single one on my list of places I wanted to try - were not open on Sundays and Mondays.

Alas, my trip was short – arriving on Sunday and leaving on Wednesday afternoon. Worse yet, Bryan had a business dinner on Tuesday, which meant the only two days we had together were days when all the restaurants were closed.

Thankfully, there are a handful that are open. Most notably, ABaC, one of only four restaurants in Barcelona with two Michelin stars (there are no 3-Michelin starred restaurants in Barcelona), was open on Sunday evening. They are linked to a hotel, which might be part of the reason.

ABaC is not terribly far from Park Guell, one of the top tourist attractions that’s located a bit further north compared to many of the other sites which are closer to the center of the city.

ABaC only offer tasting menus, and there are two: a 12-course for €140 and a 16-course for €170. After looking at the tasting selections (which have a few overlapping dishes but are more different than similar), we both decided that the dishes on the 16-course side looked interesting, so we went wit that. Bryan also ordered the pairing (€85), while I just ordered a couple wines by the glass....

December 14, 2016 Europe

Terazza del Casino Madrid - 2 Michelin Stars

Terazza del Casino Madrid

This is the fourth post in the series Hola Madrid! Exploring Spain's Incredible Food. Other posts include StreetXO Madrid, Lua Madrid, and Viridiana, Madrid.

This very well may be one of the most beautiful dining spots in the city of Madrid.

Perched on the rooftop of a building called Casino de Madrid is Terazza del Casino Madrid, a two-Michelin starred restaurant helmed by celebrity chef Paco Roncero. This elegant and beautiful al fresco dining experience is only available during the summer (when the sun sets at a glorious 11PM). The rest of the year you can still dine inside their beautiful indoor space.

Terazza-del-Casino-35-of-35.jpg Terazza del Casino Madrid — *Casino de Madrid Building (1st floor)*

Chef Roncero was a disciple of Ferran Adrià, the original gastronomic consultant for Terazza del Casino. Adrià pushed foward a style of cooking he called Deconstructivist. The concept is that you take a known dish, swap out various tastes and textures, and create a new dish that still preserves the essence of the original dish, but presents it in a new way. "Nothing is what it seems. The idea is to provoke, surprise and delight the diner."

Adrià's influence and approach to food is evident all throughout Chef Roncero's menu at Terazza del Casino. In fact, Chef Roncero refers to Terraza del Casino as the "el bulli of Madrid." Chef Roncero has set up his own food research laboratory called El Taller de La Terraza del Casino, located right next to the restaurant. Here that he experiments with new food ideas and concepts. Successful ideas move over the restaurant, where they appear on an ever-changing menu.

Chef Roncero has appeared on several television shows and has written several books. He owns many restaurants, such as several tapas bars in Madrid called Estado Puro, V.O. Versión Original in Bogota, Colombia, and VIEW62 in Hong Kong, the city's only rotating restaurant with views of the harbor and the city skyline.

We dined here in June on a glorious summer day when the sun didn't set until around 11PM. The weather was beautiful, and the long tasting menu was definitely a fascinating look at the type of modern cuisine that's hot all over Spain right now, largely due to the influence of Ferran Adrià.

Here is a detailed look at every single course of our loooooong 25+ course tasting menu!...

December 11, 2016 California

Farmhouse Inn Restaurant Sonoma

This is the sixth and final post in the series titled Weekend in Sonoma + Napa. Other posts in this series include Cafe La Haye, Exploring Sonoma Plaza, Sonoma Canopy Tours - Ziplining Among the Redwood Trees, St. Jean Cinq Cepages Release Party, and Torc Napa

In America, hotel restaurants often have a reputation of not having the best food. They are always open, never full, and offer mediocre food at best. True or not, it is a bias that people have about hotel restaurants. In Napa, there are several extreme exceptions to that perception. Perhaps the most famous example would be the Restaurant at Meadowood, a three-Michelin starred restaurant that is associated with the Inn at Meadowood.

Another example would be the Farmhouse Inn Restaurant Sonoma, a quaint restaurant inside of a house located on the property of the Farmhouse Inn, a luxury “bed and breakfast” with rooms on the property.

We weren’t staying at the Farmhouse Inn, but we had read incredible things about it. This restaurant has received one Michelin star, been named as one of the top 25 best restaurants in Sonoma, and the Inn itself has been named one of the best 100 hotels in the world by Travel and Leisure magazine.

We visited Farmhouse Inn Restaurant on our last day in wine country. It was located not too far from Sonoma Canopy Tours, and thus was a natural place to plan our dinner after an afternoon of zipping around the redwood forests!

We walked into the front door of what looked just like a farmhouse and were greeted warmly by members of the staff.

Our waiter was a pro and knew the menu inside and out. The restaurant also had a sommelier who had excellent knowledge, especially of the Russian River Valley (which is where we were). Although he gave us some excellent California wine recommendations, Bryan ended up being tempted by a 1971 Barbaresco from Produttori del Barbaresco. We were celebrating his birthday, and the price of the bottle seemed surprisingly reasonable for such an old wine that still had a pretty good rating.

The menu at the Farm House Inn is pretty simple. You choose between a 3-course menu or a 4-course menu. It's pretty much up to you how you design it. The waiter half jokingly remarked "we even had a guy order the foie gras as his dessert . . ."

Bryan's ears perked up.

"That's not a bad idea . . ."...

December 7, 2016 California

Torc Napa

This is the fifth post in the series titled Weekend in Sonoma + Napa. Other posts in this series include Cafe La Haye, Exploring Sonoma Plaza, Sonoma Canopy Tours - Ziplining Among the Redwood Trees, and St. Jean Cinq Cepages Release Party

We first heard about Torc from one of our food and wine loving friends, Robert Kamen, proprietor of Kamen Estate Wines. Robert has traveled the world and seeks out incredible food finds everywhere (like this unforgettable hidden find in Alba). Needless to say, we really trust his food opinion.

This past trip, he introduced us to Torc, a new American restaurant right in the heart of downtown Napa. Torc took over the space that Ubuntu (the well-known vegetarian Michelin-starred restaurant) formerly occupied. Torc means "wild bull" in Gaelic, a nod to Chef O'Toole's Irish heritage.

The towering 30+ foot ceilings and exposed brick walls make the space feel open yet still warm and cozy at the same time. There's a huge bar as well as an open kitchen in the back.

Chef-owner Sean O'Toole is originally from Boston yet has spent most of his culinary career on the west coast, spending time at Quince, Cotogna, and the Mina group, amongst many others, before opening Torc with his wife Cynthia. His menu showcases influences from all around the world....

December 6, 2016 Barcelona

Cafe Viena Barcelona

This is the second post in the Hello Barcelona series.

In order to make a transcendent sandwich, all you really need are insanely good ingredients. I was blown away by the simple jamon iberico sandwiches from Cafe Viena, a simple, non-nonsense casual shop serving up sandwiches, salads, burgers, and hot dogs.

I was drawn to the place initially because Bryan and I were strolling around Las Ramblas, a beautiful tree-lined pedestrian walkway filled with shops, cafes, and stand vendors on both sides.

We had originally planned on having lunch at La Boqueria, a huge food market that also houses several tapas bars inside. Our friend had recommended that we try the eggs with baby squid at El Quim.

Alas, La Boqueria was closed on Sundays (so hard to find a place to eat on a Sunday here in Barcelona!). We pulled up our phones and started doing some quick location-based searches on Yelp. This place popped up because 1) it was very close by 2) it had 4 .5 stars from 143 reviews and 3) I caught a quote saying that Mark Bittman had hailed it has the best sandwich in the world....

December 6, 2016 Barcelona

New Series! Hola Barcelona! {Barcelona Trip Report}

Hola Barcelona!

What a Spain-filled year it has been! I always felt that my European experience was incomplete without a visit to Spain. And this past year, I got to visit both Madrid and now Barcelona.

I fell in love with Spain when I first visited Madrid. I thought that city was full of history, culture, and life. The food was phenomenal - incredible jamon, wonderful tapas, excellent wine, and some of the best olive oil in the world. Best of all, the prices were a bit more approachable in Spain than in other European cities.

I didn't think I could love a Spanish city more than Madrid, but I really, really fell in love with Barcelona, maybe even more than Madrid (!). The city was beautiful, filled with incredible architecture by the famous Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí.

Barcelona is a wonderful city to explore. There are so many interesting places where you can just walk around and soak in the energy of your surroundings. People love being outside. There is no shortage of wide open public spaces (plazas), tree-lined wide pedestrian walkways, and tons of art and cool buildings.

And of course, there's the food, which alone require several blog posts to fully describe!

Here's a brief overview of our trip (a Barcelona trip report!) plus some highlights of restaurants we visited. Of course, as always, I will go more into detail on many of these restaurants as we kick off this new series!
...

December 4, 2016 Hong Kong

Sun Tung Lok Hong Kong - 2 Michelin Stars

This is the thirty-fifth post in the Around the World Birthday Extravaganza Series. Please scroll to the bottom to see all the other posts in this series.

Luxury Chinese.

It's not something I'm really exposed to here in America. When most people think of Chinese food, they think of cheap take-out, tiny hole-in-the-wall joints, or dim sum. Chinese food is casual, inexpensive, and family-style. In fact, when people try to "fancify" and charge more for Chinese food, our natural inclination is to revolt, thinking that it's "over-priced" because we can get equally good versions of the dish at a cheap hole-in-the-wall.

Bryan and I knew very little about Chinese high-end food. Yes, we'd been to China a few times, but we were totally seeking the hole-in-wall best dumpling, best xiao long bao, best Peking duck, etc. We didn't seek out fancy food because that's not what we associated with China.

As a result, were both interested in seeing what high-end Chinese was all about. Honk Kong, which has multiple Chinese restaurants with Michelin stars, seemed like the perfect place to try it.

Sun Tung Lok is a Cantonese restaurant that specializes in dishes made with shark fin. 🙁 It boasts being one of only two restaurants in the world back in 2011 to earn three Michelin stars (Lung King Heen was the other one). It has since dropped to two Michelin stars in the most recent 2017 guide.

Interestingly, even before I went, I knew many people questioned why Sun Tung Lok ever received three stars. Neverthless, we decided to try for ourselves and find out....

November 30, 2016 Hong Kong

Din Tai Fung Hong Kong

This is the thirty-fourth post in the Around the World Birthday Extravaganza Series. Please scroll to the bottom to see all the other posts in this series.

Yes, here I am, seeking out Din Tai Fungs around the world again.

There's just something I love about this Taiwanese dumpling chain that has now spread pretty far around the world. I've personally visited close to ten of them worldwide, including ones in
Australia, China, Taiwan, Singapore and all over the U.S. (Arcadia, Los Angeles, Bellevue). And now, Din Tai Fung Hong Kong.

Interestingly, I still haven't visited the one in Tokyo, even though I've been to Japan probably more times than all those other countries combined, excluding the U.S.

We met friends for dinner at Din Tai Fung our second night in Hong Kong. Our friends have a baby so we decided to meet at Din Tai Fung around 4:30PM to avoid the lines (as expected, there was no wait at that hour).

The Din Tai Fung in Hong Kong is the only one to have ever official received a Michelin star (2010 guide to Hong Kong and Macau). In the new 2017 guide, it no longer has a Michelin star, but is still listed as a bib gourmand (good quality, good value cooking)....

November 29, 2016 Hong Kong

Tim Ho Wan Hong Kong (Central Station)

This is the thirty-third post in the Around the World Birthday Extravaganza Series. Please scroll to the bottom to see all the other posts in this series.

In 2009, a chef from Hong Kong's 3-Michelin starred restaurant Lung King Heen, Mak Kwai-pui, decided to open up his own restaurant in Hong Kong's Mongkok region. Called Tim Ho Wan, this restaurant soon became one of the most popular dim sum spots on Hong Kong. Lines were notoriously long (they don't take reservations).

In 2010, Tim Ho Wan received one Michelin star and immediately became known as the one of the cheapest Michelin starred meals one could eat worldwide.

Tim Ho Wan soon expanded to five additional locations throughout Hong Kong. In the latest (just released!) 2017 Michelin guide, two of these five locations received one Michelin star, which is pretty remarkable (North Point and Sham Shui Po).

We ended up visiting the location in Central, right at a large train station, which is probably one of the most convenient locations to visit. It had a line (though not too bad before 12PM), and the food was excellent. I still have yet to try dim sum at an official Michelin-starred Tim Ho Wan, so I can't compare, but this place was quite, quite good....

November 27, 2016 Hong Kong

Fu Sing Seafood Restaurant Hong Kong

This is the thirty-second post in the Around the World Birthday Extravaganza Series. Please scroll to the bottom to see all the other posts in this series.

Welcome to Hong Kong!

Bryan and I arrived in Hong Kong after five lovely days in Japan. This was the last stop of this crazy 3-week trip we had planned for my birthday. Why Hong Kong? Bryan had previously fallen in love with Hong Kong after visiting it on business trips. He really wanted me to see it, and had added it to the end of our itinerary.

Hong Kong is a fascinating city filled with countless food stalls, insane amounts of shopping, and more skyscrapers than you could ever imagine.

The views are stunning and the energy is unparalleled.

And the food!

Hong Kong probably has some of the best food in the world.

Fu Sing Seafood Restaurant Hong Kong

After an underwhelming dinner our first night in Hong Kong (don't ask, I'm not even going to write about it), we decided to pursue what Hong Kong does best: an authentic Cantonese meal. We chose to have dim sum at Fu Sing, a highly recommended (Michelin bib gourmand) seafood restaurant with three locations in Hong Kong. We went to the original one at Sunshine Plaza. Note: the one listed in the Michelin guide is the one at Causeway Bay.

The interior was classic - many large round tables with white table clothes and covered chairs. We sat at a round table in the corner, giving us a great view of the entire bustling restaurant.

It was so hard to decide what to order. Ha ha, clearly we ordered more than we could eat!
The picture menu, written in both English and Chinese, was very handy for ordering.

Their most famous dish is the BBQ pork, or charsiu, and for good reason. It is simply out of this world. The BBQ flavors are complex and deeply flavorful. The meat is super tender and soft, with a lovely crispy skin.

We really couldn't stop eating it, even though we were pretty stuffed near the end.

I absolutely loved their BBQ Pork Baked Buns.

I had already been blown away by the BBQ pork buns at Tim Ho Wan in Singapore, but after trying these, I was convinced these were better.

These buns also have that lovely sugar-encrusted top and a pop of sweet + savory BBQ pork inside. It was seriously out of this world. It's better than the famous BBQ pork buns at Tim Ho Wan in Hong Kong. In fact, this currently ranks as the best charsiu bao I've ever had in my life.

The turnip cakes were also excellent, pan fried perfectly with a delicate thin crust all around the outside.

Yum!

Other dishes were very good as well. We also enjoyed this creamy bone broth with wontons and bok choy. It was warm, nourishing, and tasty.

The handmade wontons were great.

For dessert, we had custard filled steamed buns, which were fine, but not nearly as mind-blowing as the BBQ pork baked buns.

All in all, Fu Sing Seafood Restaurant is a great place to get some of the best dim sum in Hong Kong.

It's well regarded everywhere. Not only is it a Michelin bib gourmand ("quality meal at an affordable price"), it's on the Eater 38 for Hong Kong (38 Essential Restaurants to visit), and shows up in numerous articles and lists of "best dim sum" or "best BBQ pork" in Hong Kong.

As it goes with all popular restaurants, definitely make reservations if you can. Otherwise, show up early to avoid waiting in long lines, especially on weekends and during lunchtime.

Stay tuned as we continue this Hong Kong portion of this crazy series with an aim to finish it all by December 3rd (exactly one year to the date I returned from that trip - can't believe it's almost been a year!)

Fu Sing Seafood Restaurant Hong Kong
1-3/F, Sunshine Plaza
353 Lockhart Rd,
Wan Chai, Hong Kong

Update - January 19, 2018

We have gone back since moving there and the food is still excellent. Here are just a few more dishes we've tried and enjoyed.

Fu Sing Shark Fin — Steamed Shrimp Dumpling

All Posts In This Series

Around the World Birthday Extravaganza
Alba White Truffle Fair
Osteria Dei Sognatori - A Traditional Piedmontese Dinner
Italy Wine Tour - Barbaresco
Lunch at Donna Selvatica in Neive, Italy
Dinner at a Truffle Hunter's Inn - Tra Art e Querce
G.D.Vajra Winery
Trattoria Della Posta in Montfort D'Alba
Nighttime Truffle Hunting with a Dog in Alba
Osteria della Arco - last dinner in Alba
Stunning Images of La Morra and Barolo, Italy
First Day In Bordeaux, France - Une Cuisine en Ville
Chateau Haut-Brion Tour in Bordeaux France
Restaurant Le St. James
Touring Bordeaux Wineries - Day 1 - Left Bank
La Tupina, Bordeaux (traditional French dinner)
Cos d'Estournel Tour
Touring Bordeaux - Pauillac, Chateau Lynch-Bages
Chateau Cordeillan-Bages
A Different Paris
Le Relais de l'Entrecote
Pirouette Paris
L'Ambroisie Paris
Hiking at Mount Takao in Japan
Florilege
Sushi Harutaka
Rokurinsha ramen breakfast (六厘舎)
Azabu Kadowaki
Nakameguro Iguchi yakitori (中目黒いぐち)
Sushi-Ya (すし家)
Shirohige's Cream Puff Factory - Totoro Cream Puff
Sushi Yoshitake

November 23, 2016 California

St. Jean Cinq Cepages Release Party

This is the fourth post in the series titled Weekend in Sonoma + Napa. Other posts in this series include Cafe La Haye, Exploring Sonoma Plaza, and Sonoma Canopy Tours - Ziplining Among the Redwood Trees

Autumn is one of the busiest seasons for wine country partly because there are so many autumn harvest parties, wine release events, and other things going on. The weather is typically very pleasant in this area during September and October, and many wineries announce or release new vintages of wines.

We had the wonderful opportunity to attend Chateau St. Jean’s Cinq Cepages release party this fall. Cinq Cepages is Chateau St. Jean's flagship wine and consists of a blend of five Bordeaux varietals whose make up vary year by year. This year, the blend was 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec and 3% Petit Verdot). The wine was aged in 100% French oak barrels (51% new oak) for 23 months.

This particular release party was a more intimate event (compared to past years) because of the new format they were trying....

November 22, 2016 California

Sonoma Canopy Tours - zip lining among the redwood trees

This is the third post in the series titled Weekend in Sonoma + Napa. Other posts in this series include Cafe La Haye.

It’s not hard to fill up a wine country itinerary with winery visits and restaurants. After all, the region is filled with stunning vineyards, award-winning restaurants, and ample opportunities for wine tasting.

However, sometimes it’s nice to intersperse the multiple winery visits with some other unique activities that take advantage of the beautiful scenery in the area. For example, I’ve biked around both Napa and Sonoma, which is really fun. Consider taking a hot air balloon ride to take in the panoramic vistas of wine country. Or you can do we what we this last trip - zip line through the redwood forests in Sonoma County.

After two solid days of visiting wineries and eating fabulous wine country food, Bryan and I were ready for something a bit different. We drove up to Sonoma Canopy Tours in Occidental, a tiny town in the northern part of Sonoma County in an area surrounded by redwood trees....

November 18, 2016 Barcelona

Has It Been A Year Already? Birthday Reflections

Today's my birthday.

And what a crazy, eventful year it's been!

I'm shocked that it has already been one year since I stepped on a plane headed for Milan en route to Alba, Italy. In some ways that felt like yesterday. In other ways, I feel like so much has happened.

I started a new job just a little over a year ago at a really exciting biotech startup in Cambridge. I've fallen in love with the energy that's ever-present at a startup. The work is fascinating, the people are great, and the company LOVES good food. It's a perfect match!

Bryan and I have continued to travel a lot, visiting Spain twice (Madrid in June and Barcelona in October - posts for that trip coming soon) and visiting the fjords of Norway via cruise ship in August. We also took a few quick weekend trips to New York, Sonoma, and Chicago.

_DSC1460 — *Eiffel Tower, Paris, France*

I vowed that I would finish the Around the World Birthday Extravaganza trip series before the 1-year annivesary of my trip. I guess technically I missed the 1-year anniverary of the beginning of the trip, but I returned on December 3, 2015, so I still have a couple more weeks to finish off the series. 😉

I just recently finished my last Japan post (Sushi Yoshitake) so we will move onto Hong Kong next, the last stop of our trip.

Stay tuned for posts about excellent classic dim sum places, a high-end Michelin starred Chinese restaurant, and awesome dumplings.

For now, please enjoy the many other posts from this series!

INTRO
Around the World Birthday Extravaganza

PIEDMONT, ITALY
Alba White Truffle Fair
Osteria Dei Sognatori - A Traditional Piedmontese Dinner
Italy Wine Tour - Barbaresco
Lunch at Donna Selvatica in Neive, Italy
Dinner at a Truffle Hunter's Inn - Tra Art e Querce
G.D.Vajra Winery
Trattoria Della Posta in Montfort D'Alba
Nighttime Truffle Hunting with a Dog in Alba
Osteria della Arco - last dinner in Alba
Stunning Images of La Morra and Barolo, Italy

BORDEAUX, FRANCE
First Day In Bordeaux, France - Une Cuisine en Ville
Chateau Haut-Brion Tour in Bordeaux France
Restaurant Le St. James
Touring Bordeaux Wineries - Day 1 - Left Bank
La Tupina, Bordeaux
Cos d'Estournel Tour
Touring Bordeaux - Pauillac, Chateau Lynch-Bages
Chateau Cordeillan-Bages

PARIS, FRANCE
A Different Paris
Le Relais de l'Entrecote
Pirouette Paris
L'Ambroisie Paris
L'Arpege

TOKYO, JAPAN
Hiking at Mount Takao in Japan
Florilege
Sushi Harutaka
Rokurinsha ramen breakfast (六厘舎)
Azabu Kadowaki
Nakameguro Iguchi yakitori (中目黒いぐち)
Sushi-Ya (すし家)
Shirohige's Cream Puff Factory - Totoro Cream Puff
Sushi Yohitake

November 16, 2016 California

Exploring Sonoma Plaza in Sonoma Valley

This is the third post in the series titled Weekend in Sonoma + Napa. Other posts in this series include Cafe La Haye.

Most people know that "Sonoma" refers to a wine region in California north of the Bay area next to Napa Valley. However, it wasn't until recently when I actually visited Sonoma that I began to appreciate the various nuances of what that word means.

There is Sonoma County, a large area with close to half a million people that includes the cities of Healdsburg, Santa Rosa (home of the Charles Schultz museum, Russian River Brewing, and much more!) and Sonoma. It includes the "American Viticultural Areas" (AVA) winemaking regions of Russian River Valley, Sonoma Valley, Dry Creek Valley, and more.

Sonoma Valley is an AVA region that is only about 17 miles long and includes the city of Sonoma as well as parts of Santa Rosa and the towns of Glen Ellen and Kenwood.

Historic Sonoma Plaza is the bustling town center in the city of Sonoma. It is filled with cute cafes, excellent restaurants, and numerous wine tasting rooms. It's a lovely place to stroll around, enjoy some wine tastings, and a meal. Partly because of my long standing relationship with the Sonoma Valley Visitor's Bureau, I have visited numerous times and always enjoy coming back. Here are some places that we have visited and enjoyed....

November 11, 2016 California

Cafe La Haye Sonoma

This is the second post in the series titled Weekend in Sonoma + Napa.

Cafe La Haye is the type of place I would visit regularly if I lived in Sonoma Valley. It’s a small, cozy, romantic family-owned restaurant that serves an ever-changing seasonally-inspired menu.

Saul is the owner, and he’s great. A veteran of the restaurant industry (he worked for years in New York City and San Francisco before settling down in Sonoma), Saul is warm, friendly, and seems to know everyone who is dining at the restaurant. If he doesn’t know you, he makes a sincere effort to talk to you and warmly welcome you to the restaurant.

Cafe La Haye is considered one of the top 25 restaurants in Sonoma County by Sonoma.com, was voted “Most Romantic” restaurant in the Sonoma Index Tribune, and is mentioned in the Michelin Guide, Gayot, Zagat, and countless other publications.

We visited Cafe La Haye for dinner our first evening in Sonoma. We were exhausted at that point, having woken up at 3AM to catch a 5AM flight out of Boston that morning. Our 8PM PST dinner felt like 11PM to our east coast brains, and thus we were a bit like zombies....

November 10, 2016 California

New series! Weekend in Sonoma + Napa

Hello wine country!

It's become almost an annual ritual now. Even though we don't specifically plan to go to Sonoma and Napa every year, inevitably we end up there, year after year. There seems to be a magnet continuously drawing us to that region.

I'm excited to start a new series on some of the places we visited this past October when we went to Sonoma and Napa. It was a weekend trip to visit friends and also to celebrate Bryan's birthday. I was thrilled to partner with Sonoma Valley Visitor's Bureau again. They did a fantastic job helping me set up an itinerary with only a couple weeks' notice. I've worked with them for years now, and they are a fantastic resource.

Here's a summary trip report. I have several more posts lined up that go into much deeper detail about each of these locations.

Enjoy!...

November 8, 2016 Japan

Sushi Yoshitake (Tokyo, Michelin 3 Stars)

This is the thirty-first post in the Around the World Birthday Extravaganza Series. Please scroll to the bottom to see all the other posts in this series.

It's been two years since Bryan first visited this tiny, 7-seater, 3-Michelin starred sushi restaurant during a business trip to Tokyo. I'll never forget it. He called me from Tokyo raving about this place. In the same call, he used the words "best dish I've ever had in my life" and “we really have to go back to Japan so I can take you there.”

When we planned the Japan portion of our Around the World trip, Bryan only had one request: Sushi Yoshitake.

Sushi Yoshitake is special for a lot of reasons. First and foremost, Chef Masahiro Yoshitake does not adhere strictly to the traditional Edomae style. He takes more liberties, injecting all sorts of creativity into his preparations. Yes, there is still plenty of traditional sushi, but he also creates some mind-blowing, non-traditional flavor combinations.

The Bryan-proclaimed "best dish I've ever had" is one such dish. Fresh abalone served with a decadent sauce from the abalone liver is absolutely divine. A "trio of uni" that uses two-year aged uni is a revelation.

Masahiro Yoshitake is also very fluent in English, having spent years working in New York city as a sushi chef. He's friendly and talkative, and the atmosphere is relaxing inside his tiny 7-seater sushi bar.

I absolutely loved my meal there. It totally lived up to Bryan's "hype." I would not hesitate to return again the next time I go to Tokyo.

He lets you take photos, but only with a phone (no SLRs or even pocket cameras). I'm glad that smartphone cameras are getting better and better, because these photos actually aren't too bad.

Here's a look at our very memorable meal!...

October 31, 2016 Japan

Shirohige's Cream Puff Factory - Totoro Cream Puff

This is the thirty-first post in the Around the World Birthday Extravaganza Series. Please scroll to the bottom to see all the other posts in this series.

Hello Totoro cream puff!

It had been my goal for years to visit this cute Totoro-themed cafe and try its signature Totoro cream puff. It's the only cafe that has the licensed rights to make all of these Totoro-themed desserts (call it the "official" Totoro Cafe). The cafe is owned by Hayao Miyazaki's sister-in law. Hayao Miyazaki is the founder of Studio Ghibli and creator of My Neighbor Totoro along with many other well-known movies.

I was so excited to finally be able to set aside the time to make the 30-40 minute journey from my hotel to this quaint little cafe off the beaten path.
...

October 27, 2016 Asian

Sushi Ya Tokyo (すし家)

This is the thirtieth post in the Around the World Birthday Extravaganza Series. Please scroll to the bottom to see all the other posts in this series.

The name "Sushi Ya" (すし家) translates to "sushi house" or "sushi shop". It is an ironically generic name for a restaurant that is producing some of the best sushi in Tokyo.

Young chef Takao Ishyama opened Sushi Ya in 2012 after training for years at some of the top sushi spots in Tokyo: Sushi Kanesaka (2-Michelin stars) and impossible-to-reserve Sushi Saito (3 Michelin stars). His technique is excellent, and he has quickly risen in fame over the last several years. Words used to describe him include "genius", "meteoric success", and "darling of bloggers"....

October 26, 2016 Japan

Nakameguro Iguchi yakitori (中目黒いぐち)

This is the twenty-ninth post in the Around the World Birthday Extravaganza Series. Please scroll to the bottom to see all the other posts in this series.

Locals tell me that a real, authentic yakitori experience involves a dark, smoky, and crowded space, loud chatter, and lots of drinking. Of course, the chicken is the star, and the restaurant will serve every part of the chicken, down to all the good offaly bits.

I am a bit embarrassed to say that I have never been immersed in that authentic yakitori experience. In fact, the one time I tried to go to yakitori (in Boston, when Yakitori Zai was still open), we were unable to find parking and never made it into the restaurant. Sadly, the highly-rated restaurant soon closed and we never got to go. In Tokyo, we've focused on sushi more (it's Bryan's favorite Japanese food), and thus haven't made it to a yakitori yet.

Until this trip....

October 19, 2016 Japan

Azabu Kadowaki (麻布)

This is the twenty-eighth post in the Around the World Birthday Extravaganza Series. Please scroll to the bottom to see all the other posts in this series.

Two words: truffle rice

These were the words that first drew me to this place. One of my Japanese friends who lives in Azabu-juban (right on the edge of Roppongi) told me about the divine truffle rice at this two-Michelin starred restaurant, Azabu Kadowaki. Azabu Kadowaki is a kaiseki restaurant that focuses on traditional, high-end tasting menus.

Imagine . . . a bowl of hot, steaming rice with generous slices of shaved black truffles on top. I was sold immediately, and decided that I would most definitely visit this place the next time I was in Japan....

October 19, 2016 Japanese

Rokurinsha ramen breakfast (六厘舎)

This is the twenty-seventh post in the Around the World Birthday Extravaganza Series. Please scroll to the bottom to see all the other posts in this series.

Anyone who wants to try the most famous ramen shops in Tokyo will undoubtedly visit Ramen Street.

This is where eight of the city’s top ramen places – in a row – serve swoon-worthy bowls of noodles at one of the most convenient intersections of the entire city. For a ramen-seeker, it’s a dream come true. Forget trekking around the city to random out-of-the-way places just to seek out ethereal bowls of noodles. Now they are all conveniently in one location.

Once you arrive, you'll quickly see lines forming around the most popular places. Invariably, the one place with the longest line is Rokurinsha, a super popular tsukemen (dipping noodle) place with several locations in Tokyo. Be prepared to wait at least an hour during peak times, if not more.

The last time I went, I waited at least an hour. I remember feeling crazy hungry during that wait. Never did a bowl of noodles taste so satisfying after such a long wait.

But there's a little known, secret way of avoiding the line. It's a bit weird, but if you don't like waiting, it works quite well.

Have ramen for breakfast....

October 17, 2016 Boston

Sneak Preview: Tracy Chang's Pagu in Cambridge

There are so many new restaurant openings in Cambridge lately, I'm having trouble keeping up - like Mamaleh's and Smoke Shop in the Kendall Square area; Waypoint, Tatte Bakery, and Tom's Bao Bao in Harvard Square; and Little Donkey and PAGU in Central Square.

These are exciting times!

I'm especially thrilled about the opening of PAGU, Chef Tracy Chang's new restaurant in the Takeda building at 310 Mass Ave right near Central Square, MIT, and many of the area's biotech and pharma companies. PAGU, which is the Japanese for pug, will focus on Japanese-Spanish fusion food, a nod to Tracy's two favorite cuisines.

Tracy's creative food direction is largely inspired by her childhood memories and her travels, which have brought her to Spain, France, Japan, and China (among many other destinations).

Tracy grew up around restaurants. Her grandmother owned the restaurant Tokyo in Cambridge (1988-2000), and it shaped many of her early experiences with the restaurant industry. After graduating from Boston College with a degree in finance, Tracy spent two years working at O Ya before heading off to Le Cordon Bleu in Paris to study patisserie. She then traveled to San Sebastian, Spain to work at three Michelin starred Restaurante Martin Berasategui before returning to America. In Boston, Tracy focused her energy on a variety of local projects, such as the insanely successful pop-up Guchi's Midnight Ramen, the Harvard Science + Cooking series, and the Alícia Foundation.

The food at PAGU is a mix of all these influences - strong Japanese memories ingrained since childhood, Spanish concepts hatched from experiences in San Sebastian, and solid culinary training from O Ya and Le Cordon Bleu.

Here's a sneak peek at some of the items which will be featured on the new restaurant's menu!...

October 12, 2016 Michelin

Sushi Harutaka Tokyo

This is the twenty-sixth post in the Around the World Birthday Extravaganza Series. Please scroll to the bottom to see all the other posts in this series.

Sushi Harutaka consistently ranks as one of the best sushi restaurants in Tokyo, at least among voters of the Japanese online community food site Tabelog. Chef Harutaka Takahashi spent 13 years working for the world famous Jiro Ono before opening up his own place. Diners love Sushi Harutaka because you get the quality and style of the sushi at Sukiyabashi Jiro, but at a much more relaxed and friendly environment. For example, meals at Sukiyabashi Jiro typically take 30-40 minutes, and everyone sits in serious silence. The environment at Sushi Harutaka is much more relaxed, and you can take time with your meal!

It's also known as the place where Tokyo's top chefs like to eat. Regulars include Yamamoto-san from Ryugin, Saotome-san from Mikawa Zezankyo, and Yoshitake-san from Sushi Yoshitake. We finally had a chance to visit Sushi Harutaka for dinner in November of 2015 after an active day hiking at Mount Takao.
...

October 6, 2016 Boston

Backyard Farms Tomato Dinner at Seaport's Action Kitchen

Can you believe we're already in October?

It feels like it was just yesterday that I was in Norway exploring the fjords. Just recently, the weather started to really feel like autumn here in Boston. I started wearing my jacket and I finally took out my long-sleeved shirts for the first time.

It's been a crazy couple of weeks filled with tons of different activities. Last Friday, after giving a seminar about patent law as a career at a biotech networking event, I headed out for a late dinner at Grill 23 with Bryan and a good friend to celebrate the friend's birthday. Our friend had been intrigued by the 100-day aged prime ribeye on the menu (it's very good!). I tried the A5 Wagyu from Kagoshima, which was also very nice.

We spent Saturday morning at church with our praise band practicing the song set for Sunday morning's service. After a quick lunch at Hi Rise Bread Company, I spent the afternoon catching up on random stuff at home.

That evening, Bryan and I headed out to the Seaport Hotel's Action Kitchen to enjoy a cooking demonstration and dinner by Seaport’s Executive Chef Richard Rayment. I had never been to the Action Kitchen before - it's beautiful! It's a dream kitchen with all sorts of fancy ovens, grills, and various types of cooking spaces.

The event was done in collaboration with Backyard Farms, who supplied a ton of tomatoes for the event. In fact, tomatoes were incorporated into every single course, even dessert (!)....

October 4, 2016 Japan

Florilege Tokyo

This is the twenty-fifth post in the Around the World Birthday Extravaganza Series. Please scroll to the bottom to see all the other posts in this series.

Typically when I travel, I stick to exploring food from the local region. For example, I eat dumplings, noodles, and Peking duck when I'm in Beijing, not pasta. When we were in the Piedmont region, on the other hand, we ate handmade pasta with white truffles every single day!

However, I make an exception for Japan. When the Japanese execute food from another region, they often incorporate so much of their own culture, ingredients, and values, it really becomes its own separate cuisine.

A perfect example would be the Japanese hamburger ("hamburg" in Japanese). Although it's considered a foreign-influenced dish in Japan, we now have Japanese restaurants in America dedicated to this unique Japanese-American fusion cuisine.

Another example is French food in Japan. Many Japanese chefs train in French culinary methods and techniques. However, they are also influenced by Japan's strong identity with kaiseki, a centuries-old, ingredients-driven, hyper-seasonal food philosophy that arose from a mix of imperial court cuisine, Buddhist temple cuisine, and traditional tea ceremonies. the result is a beautiful blend of France's sophisticated culinary techniques (arguably the best in the world) combined with one of the most obsessively ingredients-driven food philosophies in the world.

Florilege is one such restaurant....

October 2, 2016 Japan

Hiking Mount Takao (Takao-San}) Japan

This is the twenty-fourth post in the Around the World Birthday Extravaganza Series and the first post in Japan! Please scroll to the bottom to see all the other posts in this series.

It’s been my wish forever to hike and enjoy fall foliage on my birthday. Hiking is one of my favorite activities, and I always try to do something I love on my birthday. Unfortunately, my birthday falls in November, which means (at least here in Boston), it’s really cold outside, the sun sets super early, and the leaves have long fallen off the trees.

So I never get to go hiking.

This past year, for the first time, we were not in Boston on my birthday. Instead, as part of this crazy Around the World Birthday Extravaganza, we were traveling through Italy, France, Japan, and Hong Kong.

In Tokyo, fall foliage peaks in November. Finally, for the first time in my life, I would be able to hike for my birthday, as well as be in one of my favorite countries in the world.

I chose Mount Takao, a fun, popular hiking spot that is located about 50 minutes from Tokyo via train (390 yen)....

September 28, 2016 Boston

Bar Mezzana

I can't tell you how excited I was when I found out that Chef Colin Lynch was opening his own restaurant. Chef Lynch has spent the last twelve years as part of the Barbara Lynch Gruppo, first serving as chef de cuisine at No. 9 Park before becoming executive chef of the Gruppo and helping to open Sportello, Menton, and Drink.

I first met Colin (no relation to Barbara Lynch) at a Guchi's Midnight Ramen pop-up event when he was executive chef at Menton. I later met his wife Heather at another "pop-up", this time at Menton where Daniel Humm of Eleven Madison Park cooked a special menu from his cookbook for just one day.

Chef Lynch left the Barbara Lynch Gruppo in early 2015 to open Bar Mezzana, a "coastal Italian" restaurant in the South End focusing on seafood crudo and pastas. He opened Bar Mezzana together with his wife Heather Kennaway Lynch (general manager) and business partner Jefferson Macklin in June 2015.

I can't believe I waited this long to try this restaurant for the first time. My first visit, which was just a couple weeks ago, was great. I loved the strong seafood crudo program, the phenomenal fresh pastas, and excellent cocktails. Here's a look at some of the dishes we tried!...

September 20, 2016 Madrid

Viridiana Madrid

This is the fourth post in the series Hola Madrid! Exploring Spain's Incredible Food. Other posts include StreetXO Madrid and Lua Madrid.

Viridiana in Madrid is a fascinating restaurant, largely because of the personality of celebrated chef Abraham García, a passionate, talented, and independent-minded chef who is constantly innovating in the kitchen. Chef García is obsessive about the quality of his ingredients. Locals often see him personally shopping at area farmers markets. He enjoys hunting, and is very skilled at cooking all sorts of interesting game. He changes up the menu frequently, and is almost always at the restaurant. He makes a point of going around and chatting with all the guests.

Chef García is a movie buff, naming his restaurant after a famous 1961 Spanish film. He also collects hats, and you'll see evidence of his obsession with hats throughout the meal.

We chose to visit Viridiana because we had read great things about it. It was known to serve traditional Spanish food with a slight haut-cuisine French twist. We soon found out that this place is quite famous - everybody knows about it. It's in most English-language guidebooks, which would explain why it felt like the place had more tourists than locals (or at least it did in the lower level "basement" dining area, which is where we sat).

Nevertheless, the food was great, so we tried to ignore the fact that we could hear English spoken all over the restaurant. Instead, we just focused on enjoying Chef García's creativity and excellent cooking skills....

September 13, 2016 Madrid

Lúa Madrid (Lua Madrid)

This is the third post in the series Hola Madrid! Exploring Spain's Incredible Food. Other posts include StreetXO Madrid.

Lúa means "moon" in Galacian, the language spoken by those from Galacia, a region on the northwest corner of Spain. Chef Manuel Domínguez, who is the executive chef of a Lúa in Madrid, is from Galacia and his cuisine incorporates food from his roots. In fact, he blends traditional cooking he learned from his grandmother with modern techniques he has acquired from his culinary training. Lúa is one of only a handful of restaurants in Madrid to have earned a coveted Michelin star.

I decided to dine at Lúa by myself on one of the evenings when Bryan was busy with a work dinner. I chose Lua because it was highly recommended, seemed like an amazing bargain, and was within walking distance of my hotel (~20 minute walk).

Lúa only serves a tasting menu that changes on a weekly basis based on seasonable ingredients. The tasting costs a very reasonable 60 € (remember, this includes all taxes and grauities!). Ordering became ridiculously easy: all I had to decide was whether I wanted some wine with the tasting. I could either order by the glass or get the pairing, which cost an addition 27 €....

September 9, 2016 Las Vegas

Lotus of Siam Las Vegas

This is the sixth post in the series titled An Exploration of Asian Food in Vegas. Other posts in this series include Red Rock Casino and Resort, Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar and Grill, Exploring Downtown Las Vegas, and Mr. Chow.

I've been to Lotus of Siam many, many times. We almost always make a point of visiting it when we are in Las Vegas, especially if we are seeing our friend who has a car (yes, it's off-Strip). I love many of their Thai dishes (especially anything with their phenomenal sour sausage) and Bryan loves their excellent wine collection and very reasonable wine prices.

Even though I've been here many times, no exploration of Asian Food in Vegas can be complete without the nationally famous Lotus of Siam. Therefore, I am highlighting some new favorites I discovered this time at Lotus of Siam, plus other excellent dishes we tried this time around.
...

September 8, 2016 Chicago

Happy 15th Anniversary + Chicago!

I celebrated my 15th wedding anniversary this past week.

In some ways, our wedding feels like it wasn't that long ago. I can distinctly remember various moments of that day - everything from how the groomsmen helped me move stuff out of my apartment the day before the wedding (yep, the next tenant was moving in on infamous September 1st!) to how the bridesmaids and I (and my mom!) munched on sandwiches from Il Panino Express for lunch after getting our hair done.

And yet, when I look back to who I was back then, I feel like I've changed a lot. I've experienced so many things. I've traveled to so many places, and I've learned so much. I'd like to think that I've matured a bit and acquired some wisdom along the way. I think I have a more balanced perspective on things.

15 years sounds like a long time, but it definitely flew by. I feel like I just moved to my new house, even though it's already been five years. It's so true that time feels like it moves faster and faster as you get older. I feel like I need to seize the day and begin really checking things off that bucket list. Take risks. Try something new.

Such a beautiful city #chicago #navypier #anniversarytrip #15years

A photo posted by Jennifer (@tinyurbankitchen) on Sep 5, 2016 at 5:33pm PDT

This past weekend Bryan and I flew to Chicago over Labor Day weekend to celebrate our anniversary. This all came about because we had friends who invited us to join them in trying to reserve Alinea's exclusive Chef's Table (requires 6 people minimum to book!). The Chef's Table offered a special extended tasting menu as well as unlimited views of the kitchen.

It was definitely an interesting experience trying to book the restaurant. After a heroic tag-teaming effort of people from our group constantly monitoring and refreshing the Alinea reservations webpage (to no avail), two of my friends accidentally BOTH booked a table for six at Alinea.

Oops! We were stuck with two reservations for the Chef's Table.

After frantically trying to sell them on Twitter (heh, it's hard to sell $3000 worth of tickets in one shot), we were relieved to find out that Alinea agreed to cancel our second reservation and sell it to someone else (phew!).

Dinner at Alinea was an unforgettable experience. We were surprised and delighted by all sorts of tastes, aromas, and visual experiences.

We also enjoyed a late dinner at Girl and the Goat, tried two of Rick Bayless's Mexican restaurants, sampled Chicago deep-dish pizza twice at two famous institutions, and avoided long lines by trying Portillo's Chicago-style hot dogs during brunch hours.

We hung out at Millennium Park listening to jazz during the Jazz Festival, soaking in the unbelievably perfect weather. We learned about city's fascinating architecture via an excellent river boat cruise. We explored world class art at the Art Institute of Chicago, a stunning museum that houses an impressive collection of art.

I fell in love with Chicago. The city has gorgeous architecture, phenomenal culture, and great food. Being a Midwesterner myself, I felt comfortable in Chicago. I could totally imagine living there and really enjoying it.

It has been close to 20 years since I last visited Chicago. I'm sure it won't be another 20 before I visit again!

Stay tuned as we begin our new A Chicago Anniversary series.

*Chicago-style deep dish pizza from Giordano's*

August 29, 2016 Las Vegas

Mr. Chow Las Vegas

This is the fifth post in the series titled An Exploration of Asian Food in Vegas. Other posts in this series include Red Rock Casino and Resort, Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar and Grill, and Exploring Downtown Las Vegas.

I must confess, I'm a bit embarrassed to say that I first heard of Mr. Chow's not because of its food, but because of the numerous celebrity sightings there. For some reason, it seemed like rich and famous celebrities loved dining at Mr. Chow, and paparazzi were always ready to snap a photo or two. The restaurant name came up so often that I started to recognize it. I didn't live in Beverly Hills, so I had no clue what kind of Chinese restaurant would command such popularity with Hollywood's hottest stars.

Years went by. I totally forgot about Mr. Chow. I probably got busy with things in life like law school, the blog, and other activities.

And then one day about 4 years ago, we spotted it in Beverly Hills while touring Los Angeles with my parents, sister, and brother-in-law. I snapped a photo of it, remembering that it was famous. I proceeded to forget about it again until this past Las Vegas trip. I found out that a Mr. Chow had just opened a new location at Caesar's Palace in 2015. I was very curious to see what made Mr. Chow so popular with celebrities who could afford pretty much anything for dinner....