Recipes

October 16, 2015 Boston

Bondir Cambridge - new executive chef

This is a {Snapshot} of Bondir Cambridge. Original posts can be found here (2013) and here (2011).

Chef-owner Jason Bond is currently spending most of his time at his newest restaurant Bondir Concord (which I still have yet to visit!). They have hired executive chef Brendan Joy, to run Bondir Cambridge. Bryan and I happened to visit earlier this summer and were really impressed with the food.

The menu changes daily. Dinner consists of a 4-course prix fix ($72) where you choose four different courses from the menu. Bryan and I purposely chose different things so we could try each others' dishes, effectively giving ourselves an 8-course tasting menu.

I can't remember details anymore, but I do remember really enjoying the meal. The ingredients were really seasonal, the dishes were creative, and the flavors came together nicely. Now that the weather is getting colder, that cozy dining room with the roaring fireplace becomes all the more beckoning!

Chef Brendan Joy is doing a great job continuing the values that Chef Jason Bond set, yet injecting his own spin on the food.

Here's a snapshot of the meal we had!...

October 15, 2015 California

Santé Restaurant at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa

This is the fourth post in the West Coast! A Week in San Francisco and Sonoma Series. Other posts in this series include Sonoma Starlight at Francis Ford Coppola Winery, Sonoma Wine Country Weekend - Taste of Sonoma 2015, and Glen Ellen Star Sonoma.

Santé Restaurant at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa is one of those places that's perfect for a wedding, Mother's Day brunch, or a special celebration. It's located in a beautiful setting, the food is elegant, and everything is just really pleasant.

We discovered Santé thanks to the helpful folks at Sonoma Valley Visitor's Bureau, who I've worked with for years on my trips out to Sonoma. We were drawn to Santé because it's known as one of the top restaurants in the area. It received a Michelin Star in 2012 (it has since lost the star, though the restaurant still appears in the Michelin guide). I also saw it on numerous "top restaurants" lists.

We came on a beautiful Sunday afternoon for brunch....

October 12, 2015 California

Glen Ellen Star Sonoma

This is the third post in the West Coast! A Week in San Francisco and Sonoma Series. Other posts in this series include Sonoma Starlight at Francis Ford Coppola Winery and Sonoma Wine Country Weekend - Taste of Sonoma 2015.

Whenever I travel to a new location, I love seeking out local favorites - places where it's clearly evident that the chef-owners are pouring their hearts into the restaurants.

I most certainly got that sense when I visited Glen Ellen Star, a wildly popular neighborhood restaurant in the small town of Glen Ellen in Sonoma County. I found out about Glen Ellen Star thanks to the helpful folks at the Sonoma Valley Visitor's Bureau, who provided me with a list of local restaurant recommendations. Chef-owner Ari Weiswasser, who has worked at a number of impressive restaurants in New York (Daniel, Picholine, Corton) always knew that he and wife, Erinn Benziger-Weiswasser (yes, of the Benzinger Family Winery!), would move back to California.

When the right space opened up, they designed and built Glen Ellen Star according to their dreams.
...

October 9, 2015 California

Sonoma Wine Country Weekend - Taste of Sonoma 2015

This is the second post in the West Coast! A Week in San Francisco and Sonoma Series. Other posts in this series include the first event of Sonoma County Wine Weekend: Sonoma Starlight at Francis Ford Coppola Winery.

Where else can you get the most comprehensive tasting of Sonoma wines all in one place in a single afternoon?

Welcome to the Taste of Sonoma.

Every year on Labor Day weekend, Sonoma throws a huge weekend-long fundraising wine even called Sonoma Wine Country Weekend. It is a phenomenal weekend filled with various food and wine events, all focused on local producers from Sonoma County. All proceeds go towards a variety of community charities and local community services.

We first came two years ago and totally fell in love with the wine, the food, and the entire region.

The Taste of Sonoma is the main event that occurs on Saturday, starting at 11AM and ending at 4PM.

It's located at MacMurray Estate Vineyards, a gorgeous space in Healdsburg (pretty far north in Sonoma County!) that's only open once a year to the public for this huge event.

Over 200 wineries from Sonoma County participate in this event, and most wineries bring several bottles to share, resulting in 700+ different wines you could theoretically try. It's quite mind-blowing, really.

Once you get inside, enter the MacMurray Ranch house to learn a bit more about the terroir of the different Sonoma landscapes.

Sniff various jars filled with elements of each region's terroir.

A fun place to start is the Bubble Lounge sponsored by Gloria Ferrer, one of the most prominent sparkling wine producers in the region. Sample some freshly shucked West Coast oysters paired with bubblies.

Tents are separated by regions (e.g., Sonoma Coast, Russian River Valley, Sonoma Valley, etc) and wine types. Inside each tent, food and wine tables are strategically placed next to each other, often to form good pairings.

The previous year had been sweltering hot, so this year many food stations were serving cold, refreshing dishes, like gazpacho, cucumber soup, and other cold dishes.

Bryan couldn't resist the Mac & Cheese "Lollipops" and I love a good, fresh tomato gazpacho, especially in the peak of tomato season!

Cheese sampling!

I also really enjoyed tasty paella from these huge pans!

There are all sorts of fun small bites, like the heirloom tomato salad on the left and the sweet corn bisque pictured at right.

One of my favorite desserts was this liquid nitrogen ice cream from Sub Zero Ice Cream made right on the spot. It was incredibly creamy yet light at the same time. It was really, really good!

There are several smaller events that occur during the event, like a Blind Taste Challenge, Sensory Exploration of Sustainable Wine, and other fun workshops. You purchase tickets for these events separately.

We spent most of our time in the Grand Reserve Tent. Grand Reserve ticket holders (who pay an additional $30 on top of the $165 entrance price) are entitled to taste wines at Club Reserve, where wineries pour their limited production, reserve, and award winning wines.

There are three one-hour "sessions." Each session features a different set of ~ 15 wineries. That means, within a span of 3-4 hours, you can sample top reserve wines from over 45 different wineries.

The wines were excellent, and we discovered some new favorites, like Three Sticks and Cenyth, as well as some favorites we had discovered the last time we were there, like Pride Mountain Vineyards and Soujourn. We were bummed that some of our other favorites from last time, Kamen Estate Winery and Peter Michael, were not present this time.

The Reserve Tent only has one food station, though the dishes are a bit fancier, like the Porcini Mushroom and Lobster Risotto that Chef Adolfo Veronese from Aventine Glen Ellen is preparing.

These delicate bites also came from the Reserve Tent.

We learned you can buy pre-cut eggs from chickens who have been bred to lay extremely durable shells.

Near the end, when we were stuffed from all the food sampling and pretty much done with wine, we checked out the Marketplace, which includes various ice cream, coffee, and snack vendors. We fell in love with this nitro cold brew from Petaluma Coffee, which was made with beans that had been aged in rye whiskey barrels for two weeks! The resultant flavor was phenomenal. In fact, we went back to the coffee shop the next morning (our hotel was in Petaluma, so it was very convenient!), and got some for the road. We also bought two bags of the rye whiskey aged beans to take back to Boston with us.

Just like two years ago, we had a great time at the event. I would highly recommend coming if you're visiting Sonoma over Labor Day weekend.

The grounds are gorgeous, the food is excellent, and the selection of great wines is hard to beat. It's also a great way to really get to know Sonoma area wines, which are very good. I'm personally a huge Pinot Noir fan, and the climate in this area is perfect for that type of wine.

After the event, we drove around the area, soaking in the gorgeous landscape. We ended up exploring the tiny town of Occidental before heading to Glen Ellen for dinner.

Disclaimer - I received press passes to this event and thus did not pay for the tickets. All opinions are my own.

October 6, 2015 Boston

Study Cambridge

I am loving the boom of new and exciting restaurants in Kendall Square. It's happening so quickly that I feel like I just can't keep up. When I look at the list of my favorite restaurants in Kendall, I realize that none of them were around five years ago. The dining landscape in that neighborhood has improved dramatically, and I love it.

A couple weeks ago, we celebrated a friend's birthday at Study, yet another new restaurant in the Kendall Square. Study is the the third venture for owners Diana Kudayarova and Tse Wei Lim, who opened Journeyman in Somerville in 2010, followed by Ames Street Deli and Study in Kendall Square in late 2014. Ames Street Deli is the more casual sister, serving gourmet sandwiches, coffee, pastries, and cocktails. Study is meant to be a space for "academic exploration." Expect an ever-changing menu where the chef plays around with seasonal ingredients and other fun food concepts.
...

October 5, 2015 California

Sonoma Starlight at Francis Ford Coppola Winery

This is the first post in the West Coast! A Week in San Francisco and Sonoma Series.

Welcome to the gorgeous Francis Ford Coppola Winery!

Every year around Labor Day weekend, Sonoma throws a huge weekend-long fundraising wine even called Sonoma Wine Country Weekend. It is a phenomenal weekend filled with various food and wine events, all focused on local producers from Sonoma County. We first came two years ago and totally fell in love with the wine, the food, and the entire region.

This year, we arrived in Sonoma Friday morning and therefore had the opportunity to attend the first major event of the weekend, Sonoma Starlight held at the Francis Ford Coppola Winery on Friday evening....

September 30, 2015 California

West Coast! A Week in San Francisco and Sonoma!

The Ferry Building

Hello Bay Area!

I always love visiting the Bay Area. I have many dear friends and relatives who live in the area; the food scene in San Francisco is phenomenal; and there's Napa and Sonoma just a hour away!

So it wasn't a hard decision when Bryan asked whether I wanted to join him in the Bay area over our anniversary week. He had to be there for business anyway. Since my work schedule was pretty flexible at the time, I decided to join him.

We had the luxury of spending an entire week in San Francisco before heading off to Sonoma for the long weekend. It was such a good week. I saw many of my close friends multiple times in one week, which is so rare these days since we live on opposite coasts.

Bryan and I explored some incredible restaurants, including one that served one of the best meals I've ever had.

I'll be sharing the details of many of these adventures with you throughout the next several weeks. For now, here is a brief summary of our entire trip as well as a sneak peek of what is to come!...

September 26, 2015 Allston

Shabu Zen Allston

Hot pot = family.

To me, the two are inextricably tied. Throughout my childhood, a hot pot (or shabu) dinner represented the times when the family came together. Often it would be just our nuclear family. Other times, it would include aunts, uncles, cousins, and even grandparents.

Whoever was over, hot pot always meant sitting together, chatting, and cooking whatever we chose in the hot, bubbling broth in the center of the table.

I always looked forward to it.

When I married into Bryan's family, I found out they enjoyed a similar tradition. To this day, whenever we go back to California, we always spend at least one meal having hot pot together as a family.

So it seemed fitting that when Bryan's parents visited Boston this past spring, we continued the tradition and had yet another hot pot together.

Sure, we also took them to eat all around Boston, everything from an Italian multi-course pasta table dinner and fantastic pizza to dinner at one of our favorite hangouts. However, we did reserve one day for shabu, this time at one of the most well-known shabu places in Boston....

September 22, 2015 Boston

Beijing Chinese Dining Lexington

The Chinese food scene in the Boston area has dramatically improved in the twenty years.

Back in the mid-1990's when I first moved to Boston, you had to go to Chinatown for Chinese food. Furthermore, most of it was Cantonese food, with a few exceptions, like the Taiwanese restaurant Wisteria House on Newbury street (who still remembers that?!) or Noodle Alcove, the only hand-pulled noodle place in town.

Post 2000, we saw an influx of Chinese restaurants of all different types. Excellent Sichuan places popped up in the suburbs. Several places specializing in dumplings opened up in Chinatown. We got a lot more Taiwanese restaurants. And then even less typical regional cuisine, like Shaanxi cuisine (hello Gene's!), and Northeastern (dongbei) Chinese food.

These days, we have a wealth of restaurants from which to choose. Most recently, I've started adding a new restaurant to that rotation. Beijing Chinese Dining, a Chinese restaurant right in the heart of Lexington Center, has been our new favorite go-to place for group meals after music practice at my church in Lexington....

September 20, 2015 Misc

Reflecting at a Weekend in New York

I can't believe it, but summer is finally coming to a close. {insert sad face}This past summer, I have been writing a series of posts in a partnership with Prudential. In the first post, I reflected upon the question "when was the moment you were inspired to be who you are today?" I wrote about how I realized that my parents were instrumental in shaping a lot of the values that grounded me from an early age. They taught me to work hard but focus on what's important. Don't get too upset about the minutia of life.In the second post, I looked ahead, thinking hard about what are my life aspirations? For me, this came down to three things: keeping learning and never sit still, invest in relationships, and always give back.

In this third post, I will reflect simply on "what did I learn?"

In July, this all came together for me when I traveled to New York City for my first BlogHer conference.
...

September 20, 2015 Cambridge

Hi-Rise Bread Company

This post was originally published on September 8, 2009 when Hi-Rise was still located in Harvard Square and the Mass Ave location was non-existent. Enough has changed that I felt compelled to update the post a bit and add some photos that I never got around to adding in the past. I have basically kept the text of the original post, staying true to what I wrote back then (admittedly, my writing has morphed over the years!). Please enjoy!

-----------------------

I love, love, love this place. They make the most incredible vanilla loaf. Their sandwiches are amazing, and the bread - oh the bread!

Hi-Rise Bread Company is a bakery in North Cambridge, not far from the ever-so-famous Formaggio Kitchen that Julia Child liked to frequent. Half of the space is actually devoted to bread making.

You can watch bakers scurrying around a HUGE table where other bakers are rolling out dough. And, if you've never seen a stand mixer that stands taller than me (OK, I'm not that tall, but STILL!), then you should definitely come and take a look.

...

September 18, 2015 Asian

Easy Bánh Mì Sandwich

This post is sponsored by La Brea Bakery

I've always loved the bold pop of flavors in a bánh mì*, the quintessential Vietnamese sandwich. There's something about the flavorful meat, the bright crunchy pickled vegetables, the creamy pate, and the crusty bread that come together to form the ultimate perfect sandwich.

The French first introduced the basic French baguette to the Vietnamese in the early 20th century during the French colonization of Vietnam. Back then, a simple Parisian-style sandwich consisted of a French baguette, butter, and ham. These sandwiches (called “bánh mì Tay“) were meant for the French locals living in the area, and were associated with expensive European delis.

After French rule ended, the Vietnamese began adding their own local ingredients to the simple sandwich, such as pickled vegetables, cilantro, and other Southeast Asian herbs. Voila, the bánh mì we know today was born, and it soon overtook the French version of the sandwich.

Today, a bánh mì typically involves a baguette filled with some sort of meat, pickled carrots and daikon, cilantro, and liver pate.

The quality of the bread can make or break a quality bánh mì. This is why when La Brea Bakery contacted me about designing a recipe with their artisanal bread, I immediately decided that I wanted to try making a bánh mì....

September 17, 2015 Boston

Ogawa Coffee

This doesn't happen very often, but when it does, it's super exciting.

The first Japanese coffee chain to ever open in the U.S. has chosen Boston as the lucky city.

Ogawa Coffee, a well-known coffee roaster from Kyoto in Japan, opened its first U.S. location on Milk Street in downtown Boston. Though Ogawa did consider New York initially, it ultimately chose Boston because of its similarity to Kyoto in its size, huge student population, and rich history. In fact, the two cities are sister cities (I had no idea!).

...

September 16, 2015 Canada

Au Pied de Cochon Montreal

This is the eighth and last post in the Montreal Jazz Festival Weekend series. Other posts include New Series! Montreal Jazz Festival Weekend, L'Express Montreal, A Tour of Montreal Bakeries and Bagel Shops, Lawrence, Market Jean-Talon and Mont Royal, Patati Patata, and Hotel Herman.

It's unquestionable. Au Pied de Cochon is one of the most famous restaurants in Montreal.

Yet, despite my numerous trips to Montreal, I had never visited this restaurant.

How come?

Honestly, I was scared. I had heard that Au Pied de Cochon was a place that required much preparation. The portions were huge, heavy, and would knock you out for the evening. People talked about having to roll themselves home. Others advised, "if you're not really into meat or foie gras, you shouldn't go."

Being a solo traveler to Montreal, it just never made much sense for me to go alone.

Until this past summer, when Bryan and I decided to eat our way through Montreal with two other friends. Finally, I could come and try this crazy famous place and see (and taste!) for myself what all this hype was about. ...

September 14, 2015 Canada

Hotel Herman Montreal

This is the seventh post in the Montreal Jazz Festival Weekend series. Other posts include New Series! Montreal Jazz Festival Weekend, L'Express Montreal, A Tour of Montreal Bakeries and Bagel Shops, Lawrence, Market Jean-Talon and Mont Royal, and Patati Patata.

I'm all about enjoying the food that's famous for a particular region. If I'm in Japan, I most certainly will seek out the best sushi, ramen, and other local fare. When I was in Southeast Asia, I focused more on street food, the hawker stalls in Singapore, the Muslim Indian restaurants in Malaysia, and streetside noodles stalls in Thailand (still the best noodles I've ever had).

So when I arrived in Montreal, of course I had to do the same. I sought out Montreal's famous bagels, smoked meat, and poutine. I realized Montreal was most known for restaurants that focused on ultra-rich dishes, likes dishes that make liberal use of foie gras in all sorts of crazy ways.

Though it was fun to experience all of these Montreal specialties, I was feeling pretty icky by the third day of our trip. All that fat - from the carb-heavy bagels and gravy-laden French fries to the copious amounts of meat - was making me a bit tired of rich foods.

Our last dinner in Montreal turned out to be one of my favorite meals of the entire trip. Hotel Herman is located in Montreal's Mile End neighborhood and first opened in the summer of 2012. It focuses on seasonal, produce-driven dishes.

The entire menu consists of creative small plates (my favorite kind!), and showcases them beautifully. The menu is not huge, and thus our table of four was able to experience a bulk of the dishes, which was great fun....

September 10, 2015 Canada

Patati Patata

This is the sixth post in the Montreal Jazz Festival Weekend series. Other posts include New Series! Montreal Jazz Festival Weekend, L'Express Montreal, A Tour of Montreal Bakeries and Bagel Shops, Lawrence, and Market Jean-Talon and Mont Royal.

There aren't that many foods that can truly claim their origin from the province of Quebec. One unique exception would be poutine, a dish made with French fries and cheese curds topped with gravy.

The dish supposedly came about in the 1950's in a rural part of Quebec. As it often goes with these tales, many claim to be the original inventor. One famous story involves a restaurant regular one day requesting the combination of fries, cheese curds, and gravy. The restauranteur responded "ça va faire une maudite poutine" (that will make one hot mess!).

And thus the name was born.
Poutine literally translates to "hot mess", and messy it is indeed. The basic version includes a pile of fries topped with chewy cheese curds and tons of gravy. Anything else is optional and extra. Some dedicated poutine places go crazy with the creativity and are willing to serve almost anything with poutine.

We chose Patati Patata because of its many positive reviews online. Diners praised its great poutine and super reasonable prices....

September 9, 2015 Canada

Market Jean-Talon + Mont Royal

View of Montreal from Parc du Mont Royal

This is the fifth post in the Montreal Jazz Festival Weekend series. Other posts include New Series! Montreal Jazz Festival Weekend, L'Express Montreal, A Tour of Montreal Bakeries and Bagel Shops, and Lawrence.

Let's face it. Our purpose for visiting Montreal was two-fold.

There was the Jazz Festival that was going on that weekend, and we made sure to spend our evenings checking out different concerts and fully taking in the experience. However, we were also in Montreal for its fantastic food and culture. We planned our days around our meals and various food destinations.

Of course, you can't just eat all day, so you have to find activities to do during those off times between meals. Here are two great places we found to visit and explore: Market Jean-Talon and Parc du Mont Royal....

September 3, 2015 Canada

Lawrence Montreal

This is the fourth post in the Montreal Jazz Festival Weekend series. Other posts include New Series! Montreal Jazz Festival Weekend, L'Express Montreal, and A Tour of Montreal Bakeries and Bagel Shops.

Mile End is the name of a neighborhood in Montreal that's not too far from the foot of Mont Royal, the city's beloved hill and the highest point of the city. The neighborhood is known for its art galleries, classy cafes, and Montreal's two most famous bagel shops.

What we didn't fully appreciate (at least, not until our second day at Montreal), is that Mile End is where virtually all of our dining choices were located. Apparently, there's a lot of good food there.

Our hotel, which was located closer to downtown (and the Jazz Festival), was about a 15-minute drive from Mile End. As we found ourselves continuously heading back into the same area meal after meal, we jokingly questioned whether we should have just gotten a hotel here instead.

Lawrence is just one example of the many excellent (and currently, super hot) restaurants in Mile End. Its brunch is the most famous, and it's not unusual to find lines winding out the door....

September 2, 2015 Canada

A Tour of Montreal Bakeries + Bagel Shops!

This is the third post in the Montreal Jazz Festival Weekend series. Other posts include New Series! Montreal Jazz Festival Weekend and L'Express Montreal.

I just spent an entire post gushing about how Montreal is so French.

In a lot of ways, that's totally true. The French influence is undeniable, and the resultant plethora of cute cafes, bakeries, and French bistros most definitely confirms that fact.

However, Montreal is different from France in a lot of ways as well. There is a sizable Jewish population in Montreal. From a food perspective, that means the city boasts some of the best smoked meat sandwiches, Jewish babka loaves, as well as some pretty amazing bagels.

We only had a long weekend, but we made sure to hit several of the best bakeries around, everything from traditional French boulangeries and Jewish bakeries to the most famous bagel shops in town!...

August 31, 2015 Asian

Hojoko at Fenway Boston

This article was original published in TheFenway.com as an article titled "Rock & Rolls: Sake and Sushi hit the Fenway". This blog version takes the original article and expands upon it, both in terms of my own thoughts as well as additional photos of dishes!

Fenway just got a lot more exciting.

On August 6th, the long anticipated Hojoko, from James Beard Award winning Tim Cushman and his wife Nancy Cushman (also owners of O Ya and Roof at Park South), finally opened its doors inside the Verb Hotel. Hojoko is an izakaya, traditionally a Japanese drinking establishment that serves food to accompany the drinks. Of course, knowing Chef Cushman's talents in the kitchen and Nancy Cushman's expertise on sake, it's no surprise that Hojoko excels at both food and drink equally well. The executive chef at Hojoko is Hart Lowry, who comes over from O Ya....

August 27, 2015 Canada

L'Express Montreal

This is the second post in the Montreal Jazz Festival Weekend series. The first post was an overview of our entire trip.

I've met several Europeans who have told me they are drawn to Boston because it is the city that feels most like home to them. For better or for worse, Boston's cobblestone roads, abundance of rotaries (or "roundabouts" as they call them in Europe), walkability, and architecture make it one of the most European cities in the U.S. The British influence is clear, and Boston really holds true to its "New England" identify.

But what about those Europeans that aren't British?

Drive up 5+ hours north to Montreal, and in many ways, you will feel like you have entered Paris in North America.

French is the official language in Quebec province (which includes Montreal and Quebec City). Rules dictate that commercial signs must be in French, and if another language is added, its font must be smaller. Children must go to French-language schools unless if the parents can show that they themselves had been raised in English-speaking schools.

The rules definitely make Montreal feel much more French than other parts of Canada.

For visitors like us, it means we get to experience many elements of France without actually flying across the Atlantic - such as, for example, the abundance of authentic French bistros and cafes.
...

August 25, 2015 Boston

Serafina Boston

This meal was provided by Serafina

The dining scene has changed in Boston over the last several decades.

People prefer craft cocktails, small plates, and a more casual atmosphere. They demand an ever-rotating menu of really high quality food, made using locally sourced, seasonal ingredients and artisanal ingredients. Out are the white tablecloths, the waiters in tuxedos, and super fine dining, which are not as popular as they once were.

It was shocking for many when Michael Schlow's flagship restaurant Radius, known for both its excellent high-end food as well as its crazy burger, decided to close its doors for the last time in 2013. Many wondered who would take over that space, a large, airy spot right in the middle of downtown Boston.

It stayed quiet for nearly two years, until finally Serafina, an Italian restaurant from New York, opened its doors in April 2015.

Serafina comes from restauranteur Seth Greenberg, who also opened Mistral and Bastille Kitchen in Boston, in collaboration with Sterling Group Management. Chef Brendan Burke came over from Bastille Kitchen to become executive chef at Serafina. The food is Tuscan-inspired, with an emphasis on lighter Italian fare, antipasti, and super thin-crust pizza....

August 24, 2015 Canada

New Series! Montreal Jazz Festival Weekend

Posts in this Series!
L'Express Montreal
A Tour of Montreal Bakeries and Bagel Shops
Lawrence
Market Jean-Talon and Mont Royal
Patati Patata
Hotel Herman
Au Pied de Cochon

It's been over 13 years since I last visited Montreal during the Jazz Festival. I mean, I've most certainly visited Montreal in the interim. My previous job took me there almost annually, allowing me many opportunities to experience the amazing food scene in Montreal. But the Jazz Festival? Not since mid-2002, when Bryan and I were fresh newlyweds.

The Montreal Jazz Festival (Festival International de Jazz de Montreal) is really fun. I don't know that much about jazz, but I can appreciate good music, having grown up playing piano and violin, and then picking up guitar, bass, and drums in college.

I can attest that there many extremely talented musicians who perform at this festival. And many of these acts are free, performed on large outdoor stages around the festival area. It's really fun just to walk around at night, stopping by various stages to listen.

We visited the Festival virtually every evening. During the day, we ate our way around Montreal!...

August 21, 2015 Europe

Tantris Munich

This is the twelfth and FINAL post in the London & Munich series. Though this post is last, it was actually the first meal we had in Germany after flying in from London. Other posts in this series include The Square, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Exploring London by Foot, Alain Ducasse, Marcus Wareing, Classic Munich Beer Houses: Hofbrauhaus & Wirtshaus, Viktualienmarkt and De Pschorr, Chinesischer Turm Beer Garden, Visiting the Residenz and lunch at Spatenhaus, Weinstephaner Brewery - Oldest Brewery In the World, and Paulaner + Weisses Brauhaus

We had just stepped off the plane.

After a 2+ hour flight from London, we were famished. It was my first time in awhile (not since Malaysia) that I was visiting a brand new foreign country, so I was psyched. New sights! New language! And the food! I knew so little about German cuisine, I couldn't wait to learn more.

Our first meal in the new country would be a fancy lunch with influences from Germany, Austria, and France. It was a nice segue from the Michelin starred whirlwind adventure we had in London to the many subsequent meals of traditional Bavarian fare and lots and lots of beer!

Open since 1971, Tantris is widely regarded as one of the best restaurants in Germany. It boasts two Michelin Stars as well as a place on Restaurant Magazine's 50 Best Restaurants List in 2009. Chef Hans Haas has been overseeing the kitchen for over 20 years. A French restaurant with Austrian and German influences, Tantris serves food focused on local ingredients interpreted using traditional French cooking techniques....

August 17, 2015 Europe

Apfelwein, Outdoor Festivals, and Business in Frankfurt Germany

The Eiserner Steg (Iron Bridge)

Bryan often travels for work. Occasionally, armed with his trusty little Sony camera (affiliate link!), he takes photos and sends me his thoughts on some of the more note-worthy restaurants he has visited. Other posts I've written for places he has visited (but I have not!) are Sushi Yoshitake (3-Michelin stars) and Sushi Kanesaka in Tokyo, Luce in San Francisco, Olo in Helsinki, and The Square and Sketch in London.

Other posts in the London & Munich series include The Square, Sketch, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Exploring London by Foot, Alain Ducasse, Marcus Wareing, Classic Munich Beer Houses: Hofbrauhaus & Wirtshaus, Viktualienmarkt and De Pschorr, Chinesischer Turm Beer Garden, Visiting the Residenz and lunch at Spatenhaus, and Weinstephaner Brewery - Oldest Brewery In the World.

Alas, our fun European adventures were coming to an end.

After spending a week together in London & Munich, Bryan and I parted ways in Munich. I returned to Boston to prepare for a food photography workshop I was running with an out-of-town friend. Bryan continued his European adventures by heading over to Frankfurt for some more business meetings. During his week there, he had many opportunities to try the local food and drink, as well as explore the city a bit....

August 11, 2015 Europe

Paulaner + Weisses Bräuhaus

This is the eleventh post in the London & Munich series. Other posts in this series include The Square, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Exploring London by Foot, Alain Ducasse, Marcus Wareing, Classic Munich Beer Houses: Hofbrauhaus & Wirtshaus, Viktualienmarkt and De Pschorr, Chinesischer Turm Beer Garden, Visiting the Residenz and lunch at Spatenhaus, and Weinstephaner Brewery - Oldest Brewery In the World

"There's never a bad day for a beer and a weisswurst."

These famous words were uttered by President Obama as he munched on a traditional Bavarian breakfast in Munich while visiting the G7 Summit this past summer. We happened to be in Germany at the exact same time.

"If it's good enough for Obama, it's good enough for me" said Bryan as he started researching where to get weisswurst.

Unfortunately, my schedule did not exactly line up with the President's. He had just arrived, and I was flying out early the next morning. Unfortunately, I would not be able to follow in the President's culinary footsteps here in Munich. Luckily for Bryan, he still had several days in Munich and another week in Frankfurt.

So Bryan went solo, hunting down fun things like weisswurst and many other German eats for another week. Here is the rest of the Munich and Frankfurt trip, from Bryan's camera's eyes!...

August 11, 2015 Europe

Weihenstephan Brewery Munich - oldest brewery in the world

This is the tenth post in the London & Munich series. Other posts in this series include The Square, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Exploring London by Foot, Alain Ducasse, Marcus Wareing, Classic Munich Beer Houses: Hofbrauhaus & Wirtshaus, Viktualienmarkt and De Pschorr, Chinesischer Turm Beer Garden, and Visiting the Residenz and lunch at Spatenhaus

Living in a country that's less than 250 years old, I'm not used to seeing buildings or establishments that have been around for close to a thousand years. At most, we have certain well-known places, like Harvard University (right near my home), that have been around for maybe closer to 500 years. And that is already really old for us!

On our last full day in Munich, based on a recommendation from a beer-obsessed bartender friend, we hopped on a train (the S-bahn) and traveled 45 minutes to the outskirts of Munich to a cute little town named Freising.

There, we would visit the site of the Benedictine Monastery, Weihenstephan Abbey, which, to this day, houses the oldest continuously serving brewery in the world....

August 7, 2015 Boston

Shepard Cambridge

Everyone was devastated when chez Henri closed.

The quaint little French bistro had been operating on a small street right off Mass Ave between Porter and Harvard for 19 years. Its Cubano sandwich was legendary. Its French and Cuban menu was always a favorite, and the place remained very popular until the end.

The space sat silent for over a year.

And everyone, especially those who live nearby (like me), were insanely curious to know what would take over that space. I would check it out whenever I walked by, seeing if anything looked different. One day, I noticed that they had repainted it. And then more recently, a sign came up.

Shepard.

We found out that the restaurant was a collaboration between James Beard Award-winning chef Susan Regis of UpStairs on the Square (one of our old favorite stomping grounds) and Rene Becker of Hi-Rise Bread Company (umm, yet ANOTHER one of my favorites!).

Shepard is named after the street on which the restaurant is located, but Chef Regis is quick to point out the street was named after Thomas Shepard, a "crazy minister at Harvard back in the 1600s . . . [h]e was all about big ideas, and he used them to gather people together. We’re basically doing the same thing." [source]

Now that I knew who was behind this project, I was official thrilled. I could not wait until we could get back another awesome neighborhood restaurant.

And hopefully, another place we could call our second home.

About three weeks ago Bryan and I walked by the Shepard space again. It was most definitely open, and there were tons of guests inside.

"Welcome!"

"When did you open?"

"Almost three weeks ago."

"Bummer, we already ate. But, can we have a copy of the menu? We'll be back . . . we promise!"

It took a couple weeks, but finally we returned, just like we promised....

August 4, 2015 Europe

Visiting The Residenz + Lunch at Spatenhaus Munich

This is the ninth post in the London & Munich series. Other posts in this series include The Square, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Exploring London by Foot, Alain Ducasse, Marcus Wareing, Classic Munich Beer Houses: Hofbrauhaus & Wirtshaus, Viktualienmarkt and De Pschorr, and Chinesischer Turm Beer Garden

Munich is a beautiful, old-world, and very walkable city. You can see many of the sights without ever leaving the bustling area around the Marienplatz or the city center.

In fact, Bryan went out of his way (even "cheating" on his beloved Starwood where he's Platinum) to find a hotel within walking distance of the city center. Our Hilton hotel sat right on top of the subway (or the U-Bahn), thus giving us the freedom to go pretty much anywhere without a car.

But we didn't even use the U-Bahn during our entire trip (except to the airport).

We walked everywhere.

We walked to the gourmet outdoor market Viktualienmarkt, the festive city center Marienplatz with its wide pedestrian only street and famous beer halls, the huge recreational park English Garden with the famous Chinese Tower beer garden, and last but not least, the Residenz, the former royal palace for the monarchy of Bavaria....

July 31, 2015 Boston

Farm to Table Dinner Series - No. 8 Kitchen & Spirits + Colby Farms

Can you believe summer is more than half over?

Inside I'm crying just a bit. I've realized that abundant sunshine contributes tremendously to my overall mood. I'm already dreading the return of winter, especially if it resembles at all what we experienced last winter.

I've realized that I'm just a much happier person in the summer. This summer, I've really been enjoying biking, both on the shady Minuteman Trail as well as the beautiful Esplanade along the Charles River in Boston and Cambridge.

I've been loving it.

Before the summer ends, I wanted to tell you about a Farm to Table dinner series that's going on this year. I had the opportunity to attend a media preview tasting earlier in the summer, and I really enjoyed it!

This fun Farm to Table Dinner series is a collaboration between Tiger Lilly Events, Colby Farms, and No. 8 Kitchen & Spirits.

This summer, the trio will be hosting a series of outdoor (summer) and indoor (fall and winter) themed dinners. Tiger Lilly Events is in charge of organizing and running the event, Colby Farms provides the fresh local produce, and Chef Paul Callahan from No. 8 Kitchen will design and execute the menu....

July 30, 2015 Boston

Boston Public Market is OPEN!

It's finally here!

TODAY is the grand opening of the public market that we've all been waiting for! Finally, Boston gets its own year-round indoor market.

I've always been jealous of other cities that have great public market spaces, like Seattle's Pike Place Market, Philadelphia's Reading Terminal, and San Francisco's Ferry Building.

Now, finally, FINALLY, Boston gets its own.

This public market is special and different from most public markets in that it's the first public year-round market to have 100% of the products locally sourced.

Celebrate New England!

I had a chance to stop by the soft opening last night and I must say, I am REALLY impressed. It looks fantastic. There are many vendors selling all sorts of really high quality products. After all, around 300 vendors applied for the coveted 40 permanent spots in the market. Since it's a year round market, vendors had to show what kinds of creative produce they would serve during New England's notoriously cold winters.

The result is a very carefully hand-selected list of exceptional vendors with locally-focused products.

It's a food enthusiast's dream.

I was thrilled with the variety and quality of the products. Fresh fruits, summer vegetables, pasture-raised meats, local honey, artisanal cheeses, chocolates, and much, much more.
...

July 29, 2015 Europe

Chinesischer Turm Beer Garden (Chinese Tower Munich)

This is the eighth post in the London & Munich series. Other posts in this series include The Square, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Exploring London by Foot, Alain Ducasse, Marcus Wareing, Classic Munich Beer Houses: Hofbrauhaus & Wirtshaus, and Viktualienmarkt and De Pschorr

Beer gardens are ALL OVER Munich.

It's one of the most fun things about visiting Munich in the summertime. Walk around, and you're bound to see people sitting outside enjoying beer, pretzels, and traditional German food.

One of the most well known beer gardens in Munich is Chinesischer Turm, or Chinese Tower inside the Englischer Garten (English Garden). The second largest beer garden in Munich, Chinesischer Turm was originally built in 1790 when the Great Elector Karl Theodor decided to convert old hunting grounds into a public recreational area.

What resulted was the English Garden, Munich's largest public park area. On a warm summer day, the place is packed full of people enjoying all sorts of recreational activities....

July 28, 2015 Back Bay

SELECT Oyster Bar

Ask anyone to name the number one most popular restaurant in Boston, and you're bound to hear Neptune Oyster thrown in the mix. Quintessential New England fare, Neptune Oyster has always been known for its excellent oyster selection, the best hot lobster roll in town, and an unforgettable Johnny cake (just to mention a few!). There is always a line, and waits can easily stretch up to 4 - 5 hours. It's not unusual to show up at dinnertime and to be told that the line is too long and no more tables are available that day.

And then Neptune's Executive Chef, Michael Serpa, decided he was going to leave and open his own restaurant.

It's no surprise that this opening has been highly anticipated.

Chef Serpa's new restaurant, SELECT Oyster Bar, is finally here (grand opening was April 2015). I'm pleased to report that it's fantastic. It's everything I would want in a neighborhood seafood restaurant (too bad it's not my neighborhood, boo hoo). Despite having ridiculously high standards (how can you not when it's Michael Serpa?), I came away from my first meal extremely impressed and wanting to return as soon as I could....

July 24, 2015 Europe

Viktualienmarkt + Der Pschorr Beer Hall

This is the seventh post in the London & Munich series. Other posts in this series include The Square, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Exploring London by Foot, Alain Ducasse, Marcus Wareing, and Classic Munich Beer Houses: Hofbrauhaus & Wirtshaus

Viktualienmarkt

If you only have a couple days in Munich, there are a few places that you must visit. I've already talked at length about Marienplatz, Munich's festive open air city square that's surrounded by tons of shops and pedestrian-only streets. Definitely walk around and explore that area.

And then there's Viktualienmarkt, Munich's biggest gourmet food market. Just steps away from the Marienplatz, Viktualienmarkt began back in 1807 when King Maximilian I issued a decree telling the food vendors to move into this new space. The original location, right in the middle of the Marienplatz, had become much too crowded.

Despite struggling with damage from a bad fire and then World War II, the market continually rebuilt and expanded over the last two centuries....

July 22, 2015 Europe

Classic Munich Beer Houses: Hofbräuhaus + Wirtshaus

This is the sixth post in the London & Munich series (and the first one about Munich!) Other posts in this series include The Square, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Exploring London by Foot, Alain Ducasse, and Marcus Wareing.

Hello Germany!

We have finally completed our journey through London in the London & Munich series and will begin exploring Munich!

It's not every day I get to visit a new country. A couple years ago a friend told me her goal was to visit at least one new country every single year. It was her way of making sure that she was diligent in her overall grand plan of seeing the world.

"That's a great idea" I said to her at the time. "I wonder if I've been doing that . . ."

I thought back a bit.

2008 - First time in London in 9 years . . .
2009 - First time in Japan and Taiwan in over 10 years . . .
2010 - China (Shanghai, Xi'an, and Beijing)
2011 - Greece
2012 - Australia and New Zealand
2013 - Thailand
2014 - Argentina, Uruguay, and Malaysia
2015 - Germany!

On track, I think!

2015 started out tough!

Boston was blanketed in record snow and it was just pretty hard to get out. Between shoveling ourselves out of snowpiles and dealing with the ice dams and a broken roof afterwards, the first part of 2015 was a bit painful.

When spring came, my travel bug came out in full force and we dashed off on several trips one right after another. In April I tagged along with Bryan to Orlando on one of his business trips and we enjoyed Disneyworld for three days. During the month of May I stayed put and eked out 22 blog posts that month (!) - see how productive I am when I am home!

In June we went to Montreal as well as London and Munich!

Yay, new country!

Germany is FULL of beer halls and you have to try at least several of them. In fact, we hardly touched fancy restaurants while we were in Germany. Instead, we went around to numerous beer halls and beer gardens, tasting various types of Bavarian food along the way.

There's too many to squeeze into one single post, so I will split the restaurants up into various posts, discussing them in groups based on location and what else you can see in the area.
...

July 15, 2015 Europe

Marcus London (Marcus Wareing)

This is the fifth post in the London & Munich series. Other posts in this series include The Square, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Exploring London by Foot, and Alain Ducasse.

When I'm in a pinch and have very little time to research, I find the Michelin Guide to be a pretty reliable source. Virtually every restaurant I've ever tried from the guide has been very good. Admittedly, it's limited in that it generally favors high-end European-influenced restaurants that emphasize service and fancy decor (forget discovering a street stall in the Guide!). Additionally, it seems to be biased against certain cuisines (like, how many Chinese, African, and Indian restaurants have stars?). Nevertheless, if I'm not too fussy about that, I know that the restaurants it recommends will be very good.

Our trip to London was a bit last minute, and thus I had less time than usual to research. We relied on the Michelin guide, which (not surprisingly) steered us towards mostly high-end white tablecloth restaurants helmed by chefs with classic French culinary training.

Marcus Wareing is an English celebrity chef who trained under Gordon Ramsay. He credits Ramsay with teaching him how to cook, citing his time with Ramsay as one of the "most important times of my life." Though the two eventually had a falling out of sorts (including legal battles), both have continued onto very successful projects.

Wareing started his own solo namesake restaurant called "Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley", which quickly gained two Michelin stars. More recently, the restaurant went through significant renovations and re-opened as a more relaxed space simply called Marcus.

We thought our meal at the revamped Marcus would be similar to the other Michelin-starred restaurants we had visited during this trip, and in many ways, it was. However, it wasn't until the staff made a grave mistake during our meal that we realized, and learned, what separates a Michelin starred restaurant from your ordinary restaurant....

July 11, 2015 Boston

Mu Ramen Boston Pop-up "Mu Invades Alden"

I really thought I was too old for this.

It's been three years since I stayed up way past midnight (on a weeknight!) to head into a restaurant to experience really, really special ramen. Yes, that was in 2012 when Guchi, a sushi chef at O Ya, introduced the world to his fantastic "Guchi's Midnight Ramen" during a series of late night pop ups that always sold out within minutes.

I remember coming home around 3AM that night thinking, "I can't believe I just did that" while at the same time saying to myself "that ramen was insanely good . . ."

About a month ago, history repeated itself.

Bryan and I walked out into Harvard Square around 10:45PM to visit Alden & Harlow. A New York Japanese ramen shop called Mu Ramen, from Per Se alum Joshua Smookler, was doing a pop-up for just one night. Bryan had recently forwarded me a New York Times article from Pete Wells raving about the place, so it was already on both of our radars.

Despite the inconvenient time (we were hosting a Bible study dinner that night), we ended up convincing at least one member of our group to come along with us for a second, late night dinner.

The restaurant was packed!

We got seated around 11pm and decided to try most of the menu, since it wasn't too big. Both Chef Smookler and Chef Scelfo contributed to the joint menu, each providing his own twist on Japanese street dishes. The left side of the menu was the Smookler side, while the right side was the Scelfo side. We had a party of three, so we ended up trying the entire menu (!)....

July 8, 2015 Europe

Sketch London

We continue the London & Munich series with another solo meal from Bryan.

Other posts in the current London & Munich series include The Square, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Exploring London by Foot, and Alain Ducasse.

Going to Sketch in London is so much more than just a trip to a restaurant.

It's about entering the wild imagination of David Shrigley, the artist who designed the crazy, whimsical space. It's about tasting the handiwork of one of the most talented chefs in the world, 3-Michelin starred master chef Pierre Gagnaire from France. It's about letting yourself pretend, even if just for a moment, that you're living in another world.

London's most expensive restaurant is hardly subtle or understated. It's famous for its over-the-top treatment of everything, from its multi-course meals (where each course further comprises multiple additional courses) to the plethora of wacky art that adorns its walls, ceilings, and floors.

Writers have used terms like "sensory overload" and "gastronomic playground for the well-heeled scenester" to describe the restaurant.

And that's really not far from the truth.

The space is huge and is an adventure to explore. One moment you think you're Alice in Wonderland. Turn the corner, and you're in a forest with what looks like overgrown trees over your head. Hopscotch your way down the hall and up a set of stairs into a room decked out with plush pink chairs and jewels on the walls. The entire two-story building includes multiple bars (all with different themes), dining rooms, and a bakery cafe (five separate establishments). In the afternoon, you can even enjoy a fancy afternoon tea.

But it's not just about the space.

The food here is exquisite and similarly extravagant. The Lecture Room and Library is where the upscale dinners are held. This is also the restaurant that holds two Michelin stars.

Let's live vicariously through Bryan as we enter the whimsical land of Sketch and spend an evening dining solo here.
...

July 7, 2015 Boston

Updated! Jen's Top Restaurants in Boston

Hi all - Hope you all had a great Independence Day!

I originally wrote this post on April 23, 2013 following the Boston Marathon bombings. It was in honor of my beloved city, which was going through so much grief at the time. I felt compelled to support Boston and share about it, which I did by wrote a round up of my favorite places that I recommend to friends whenever they visit Boston. It's been a few years, and the list needs updating, so here's an updated, 2015 version of my top restaurants in Boston! Currently working on updating this to become the 2017 version . . .

...

June 30, 2015 Misc

My List of Life Aspirations

You are very fulfilled in your life, but are there any areas you wish to improve on to be the best version of yourself? What are your aspirations and inspirations?

1. Keep Learning & Never Sit Still
Growing up, I always shied away from things I was not good at. I avoided sports because I was not coordinated. I focused on math and science and avoided the humanities like the plague because I just didn't get it. My brain wasn't built the right way, I reasoned. Maybe because English was technically my second language (I grew up speaking Chinese at home), I always hated writing because I struggled so much with it in school.

For college I chose MIT, a school that requires all undergraduates to take a year of physics, a year of calculus, biology, and chemistry, yet has no formal foreign language requirement nor a strict writing requirement. I loved how I didn't have face my weakest subject, writing, and instead could throw all my energy at math and science, my comfort zone.

When I graduated with my chemistry degree and had to decide what to do next, I considered science-focused careers, like medicine, scientific research, or teaching at the university level. One thing I knew I didn't want to be: a lawyer.

It's funny how things work in life sometimes.

Through an unusual twist of events, I found myself attending law school at night and pursuing a career in patent law working at a bio-pharmaceutical company during the day. After law school ended (and I actually had time at night again!), I started Tiny Urban Kitchen. Strangely, I had become a writer. Not only that, some folks actually thought my writing was decent, and gave me a couple well-respected awards.

These odd set of events in my life have shaped who I am and what my aspirations have become. I've learned not to underestimate what you can do. Don't use your background as an excuse. Through sheer hard work and lots and lots of practice (both through law school and writing this blog), I actually became a better writer.

I'm less afraid now, and I aspire to continue learning new things. Of course, many of these new things are things I naturally enjoy. I love cooking, photography, and (surprise!) writing (sometimes). The blog has been a great way for me to continue improving in that area. Music comes easily to me, and I've been picking up new instruments every few years since college (my latest few: electric guitar, and more recently, voice!).

But I am also willing to try things that are hard for me.

About six months ago, Bryan and I went and got certified for SCUBA diving. You may not know this, but I am terrified of the water. I learned how to swim a little too late in life, and thus have never been super comfortable in the water (see above re: sports). I struggled tremendously during the certification process. While Bryan easily passed with flying colors, I had to deal with psychologically freaking out every time I put my head under the water. But through time and persistence (and patient teachers), I managed to pass as well, and we ended up enjoying some great diving in Hawaii.

I aspire never to get complacent and lazy. I want to keep challenging myself to learn new things. Like honing my skills at the workplace so I can be a better patent attorney. Or learning about the world through extensive travel. I want to broaden my skills in other areas, whether it be cooking, photography, new instruments, or a brand new hobby altogether.

In short, never sit still.

2. Invest in Relationships
Of course, becoming a self-actualized person is nice and all, but in my mind, life is nothing without the people surrounding you. I have been blessed to have a wonderful family as well as a great community of friends from both the college years and afterwards in Boston. It's taken me awhile to realize this, but it's invaluable to cherish those friendships and continue investing in them.

It's harder to make new friends when you're older.

People are busier and saddled with the responsibilities of life. This makes it that much more important to preserve the deep friendships you already have. I'm not the best at this, but (thankfully) through my more frequent traveling in the past 5 years, I've had a chance to visit many friends who have moved away. It is during these catch dinners and "sleepovers" that I realize the most how precious these friendships are. I aspire to remember the value of these friendships and to continue fostering them into the future.

3. Always Give Back

Similarly, there's really no point in gaining all these wonderful skills if I just keep them to myself, so my third aspiration is to remember to always give back. I try to do this in many ways currently. I lead one of the music ministries at my church and play/sing in the praise band on Sunday mornings. I organize a group to shop for, cook, and serve a hot meal to the needy at the Boston Rescue Mission once a month.

But I think I could do so much more. As I look at my time spent as a whole, I realize a lot of it is taken up by work, this blog, and travel, which is still mostly for my personal enjoyment. As I look forward to this next few decades of my life, I hope to change that ratio and to have more of my time and resources spent helping others in need.

What are your aspirations and inspirations? Share your vision by joining the growing community of women inspired in the comments below, or on Twitter using the hashtag #womeninspired.

With your long-term goals in mind, do you have any financial challenges that you want to tackle?