Ode to Friendships

 

Dear old friend, you'll forever be missed. 

Dear friends, thank you for being so kind to me. 

Dear new friend, thank you for finding me. 

 Thank god for friends. 

Without them I would not have survived.

Happy Birthday!

It was a surprise birthday celebration. I knew I was going to be taken out, but I hadn't expected a such lovely dinner. After getting into the car my dinner companion told me that we were going to Manresa and I was shocked. I had not expected such a lavish surprise dinner for my birthday. I was extremely excited, but was also a little worried that it was way way too expensive. 

I felt so spoilt while sitting at the lounge drinking a lovely glass of cocktail waiting for our table. As we sat down, I wanted to settle with the prefix menu but my dinner companions urged me to try something different, the seasonal tasting menu. So we did.

Omg....the food was so crazily amazing. I wished I had my camera with me to take pretty pictures of the food that we had but my dinner companions were only willing to tolerate phone cameras. Hahaaa......I love my dinner companions for the lovely dinner.  Also how attentive Manresa was with the surprised birthday cake and candle. I felt so special eating a piece of chocolate cake garnished with gold leaves. Hahaha....what really warmed my heart was what my companions said, "The most important thing is YOU enjoyed it and that's all it matters..." ♥♥♥

I feel so blessed to be so spoilt.... I need to be thankful for the life and the friends that I have...Thank you! ♥

Utmost Gratitude

Happy birthday to me...

Happy birthday to me...

Happy birthday to me...

Happy birthday to me...

I am extremely grateful to all my friends whom celebrated my birthday with me. Thank you for making me feel so spoilt. I kept thinking how lucky I am to have this life and to have such wonderful friends and family. I can't ask for a better present than the friendship and kinship that I have.

Dear friends and family, you're the gold in my life...♥♥♥

City Eats Part II: Central Kitchen

This week, we tried Central Kitchen. 

OK, I have to admit, I've been slacking. Again, I had to rush out the door this morning without my camera so I used my phone. I figured, recording happy memories are more important than beautiful pictures :) 

Why a photo of the dessert to start of this post? Because we were there to celebrate my be-earlied birthday! I am very thankful for my wonderful friends and their family for having this small celebration with me. I realized that I've been focusing too much on work that I've completed neglected my love for spending time with good friends and enjoying a good meal together.  So this photo serves as a good reminder for the wonderful time that I had tonight.

It's chamomile oil cake with fennel and blackberry sorbet. For the first time I actually remembered what I ordered. The cake was very moist and yummy. The flavors were perfectly infused together and beautifully plated with flowers. I'm not so crazy about sorbet but the wafer looking thing was actually very yummy. The texture is between a wafer and a pavlova. It reminded me a lot of my childhood wafer snack but much better in terms of taste and texture. A tad chewy and lightly sweetened.

We started the dinner with liver mousse with summer truffle, mushroom and scallion. I love truffle but this time, I didn't pay attention at all to the truffle because I was too surprised with how tasty the liver pate is. I do eat liver pate occasionally but sometimes I find it way too gamey to my liking. This liver mousse was absolutely smooth and sweet. I just couldn't have enough of it, this is a good portion to split with the group. Less is more. Enough to awaken the taste buds but not too much to be sick of it.

This dish is also very interesting, it's melon, cucumber and avocado with fig yogurt and fresno chili. It looked so pretty and tasted very refreshing, like spring. The ingredient sounded simple but I wonder if I could actually replicate this at home? For sure not as pretty. :)

   

For my entree, I ordered the charred squid with tomato, peppercorn fregula & garum. What? Fregula? Garum? When I saw my plate, I thought they had served caviar with the squid. Sweet. I thought. Haha, no, it's fregula, a type of pasta. I don't know why it's black, they definitely don't taste like peppercorn, I wondered if they had used squid ink to cook the fregula to make it black. And garum? It's actually a type of fish sauce. I really love this dish because they had served the squid with different herbs. So when you're tasting the food, you get to savor the tender squid, a splash of sourness from the garum, sweetness from the cherry tomatoes, and the flavorful herbs. Although the dish looked much smaller than I had expected but by the time I finished my food, I was full and satisfied. In the end we split the dessert with the group. The ambience and food were really good, I really like this place, I'm so glad that my friend picked this place for dinner. We definitely wanted to go back for more!

So we thought being full, happy and satisfied, we have no more space for more dessert. Well no, I guess we do have a different stomach for dessert. Humphry Slocome was only 5 blocks away. I've always wanted to go to Humphry's and since we were so near, we had to go.

This place was so unpretentious, the sign was so small, I wouldn't have noticed it if I drove by. Only that I see people lining up for ice-cream. So what is so special about Humphry Slocombe? Because they have the wildest and craziest flavors out there. To name a few, kumquot poppy seed, flaiming rum and raisin, fume, guinness gingerbread.....etc. etc. etc.

They do it on a rotating basis. I was hoping to try out one of those crazy ones but today's selection was more typical and they were kind enough for you to actually taste all the flavors before deciding on which one you want. I only tried 2 - secret breakfast (vanilla ice-cream with bourbon) and brown sugar fennel. Which one did you think I choose? The latter one. I was very curious, I love fennel but in ice-cream? It was very refreshing. On the first bite, the ice-cream tasted like brown sugar but there's a hint of fennel taste after each bite, so that was very interesting. 

A scoop of Humphry Slocombe's ice-cream a day keeps the sorrow away?

I had such a beautiful day and all I can think of is how grateful I am for the people in my life.  I am a better person because of the wonderful people around me. I am so so so thankful....♥♥♥

City Eats Part 1: Mission Beach Cafe

I realized that I haven't been spending enough time in the city lately. So I've set a goal, that is to eat at at least 3 top rated restaurants in the city before the year ends. And who knew, suddenly I have 3 reservations within 1 month to eat in the city.  *How exciting*

Restaurant 1 : Mission Beach Cafe 

This cute little restaurant is highly reviewed and based on the photos we saw online the food looked absolutely delicious. I had a long day at work, and had completely forgotten about my camera before I left the house so I had to use my phone to capture this beautifully plated grilled summer squash and broccolini. They change the menu often and in a state of famished, I don't really remembered what I ordered exactly. All I know was I was eating amazingly sweet grilled vegetables with humus.

The menu was small, and what stood out for me was the pork chop so I had to try it. We ordered medium well and when it came out, it looked a tad well done. We were worried that the meat would be overcooked but no, it was so tender and juicy. It was so yummy and I had the urge to clean the bone but was too embarrassed to do so. Did you notice the strawberry/fig? How they sliced it and stacked it up alternately? The green was cream of kale with some sort of grains and caramelized onions. Yumm.. my favorite.

The food was indeed amazing. The plating was beautiful and what we noticed was not one plate was plated the same. Every plate was unique. I had a really great time and enjoyed the food tremendously. I can't wait to come again to try out their other dishes, since we also skipped dessert this time because we were very full.

What the reviewers hadn't said was parking is awful. I couldn't find a parking spot for almost an hour. How ridiculous is that? I was driving and I couldn't stop to Google for a nearby parking garage and every spot that I saw was not mine to take. Finally on the verge of giving up, there was this beautiful spot right next to me without me noticing it. I was so thankful that finally, I found a spot. I can't wait for my next restaurant next week!  Yippeee....

106°F

On my way to one of my favorite places - Bay Kids Museum on a hot summer day!



Lucky me, special occasions brought me here 3 times this summer!

Much Ado About Nothing

It's time for our annual camping trip. My friend said we were 'glamping' - glamour camping. Why? Because we slept in cabins, took hot showers and all 3 meals were provided. To be fair, we did started this annual event camping by the river, only that we gradually upgraded ourselves to the cabin. 

As usual, there's absolutely nothing to do, in another words, we didn't do anything much but take naps in the shade, read, play games, swam in the river, hiked up to the hill top, and be fed with uberliscious food.

Food is always super good at Emandal, no matter how simple looking, it's the freshness of the ingredients that made it very satisfying, to the point that I couldn't stop myself from having second and third helpings.

Simple breakfast burrito (scrambled eggs, salsa, cheese, beans), fresh fruits, home made yogurt, and granola served in a beautiful dining hall.

A scrumptious but simple looking lunch. Rosemary bread, humus, olives, roasted vegetables, garden salad and fruits.

*cluck cluck cluck* Oven roasted chicken, brown rice and garden salad. Dessert was rhubarb crisp with home made ice-cream.

Oh no! A lover's dispute? Nah....this year, I thought we'd do something funny and my friends were sporting enough to entertain me! :) We always had lots of fun at Emandal, all of us can't wait to go back next year!

Emandal [2012] [2010]

Dawn to Dusk

 

The view of Golden Gate Bridge at 7am from Sausalito.

Literally chasing after the sunset at Sunset.

Memorial Day Weekend

Decided to take an easy trip down south with friends and the twins :)

And of course, to enjoy the yummylicious food.

Beijing's Hidden Gem III

1.2.3? T.R.B? It's Temple Restaurant Beijing. Another hidden gem in Beijing. Even the taxis didn't even want to drive into the restaurant because it's a hassle for them to drive all the way into the alleys and out again without any guests. We had to walk to the restaurant after being dropped off at the main street. The history for this temple is really funny because it was previously a temple which they restored and turned into a restaurant. I kept thinking they served vegetarian food since it is a temple after all.

Let's see... we had the lobster bisque (complimentary), Lyonnaise Style Frisee salad, Orange Fennel Salad, Seafood En Papillotte, Braised Lamb, Panfried Chicken Leg, Asparagus Risotto,  Chocolate Ganache Mousse, Creme Brulle, Pistachio Framboise and Tiramisu. I really loved the location of this restaurant but the food wasn't 5 star, I returned my lamb, it was overcooked despite requesting only medium well and the desserts were way too sweet to our liking. We couldn't finish some of the desserts and had to take home some of it.  All in all it was still quite an experience and would love to come back again because my companions swore that the panfried chicken was out of the world. Haha....

Beijing's Hidden Gem II

What else that was uniquely Beijing this time? French food! Haha.....I know it sounds crazy but the price is pretty crazy too! Meaning, for this level of comfort, service and quality of food, it was between US$20-55 depending on how many course you order with endless supplies of bread and complimentary desserts. Maison Boulud is so hidden that, if you didn't know, you probably wouldn't know. It was located in the former US embassy in Beijing. It was a really great and fun place to do brunch at.

We had the green pea soup, Nicoise salad, escargo, salmon, monk fish, gnocchi, lamb and chocolate molten cake. After we were done, they even served fresh madeline and a platter of macaroons and candies. 

Beijing's Hidden Gem I

When one is in doubt where to eat, one should refer to the... Time Out magazine! I have to admit, it's such a touristy thing to do, to refer to a Time Out magazine to look for eating places in a city filled with such a vast array of food. Especially when we were going towards Nan Luo Gu Xiang. It's blocks after blocks of streets and alleys filled with quaint bars, galleries, trinket shops, souvenirs, food joints and etc. That is precisely why it is interesting to find out what the foreigners are recommending the tourists to try out. Every stalls, be it drinks, desserts, or Beijing yogurt, that were somewhat famous or highly recommended by the locals were packed with crowds. But who knew tucked in a small alley, is this Korean restaurants that uses only organic produces and ingredients.

Ah, what can I say, we always order our favorite - Bibimbap.

Not forgetting japchae.

And..............the star of the meal! Ginseng cage free organic chicken! I know it's crazy to be eating chicken amidst the bird flu but but but....this is really really good. Enough ginseng flavor and the chicken, so tender and sweet. I enjoy meat and I like my meat to be cooked and tasted right! I don't know why I was craving for Gingseng Chicken for the longest time when I heard we were going to eat Korean, my mind was set on this and it sure hit the spot. Ah...that warm and fuzzy feeling inside.

Flowers and Gardens

Somewhat disappointed but not disheartened, we continued our search for cherry blossoms in Beijing! Due to the temperature differences, flowers in Beijing were scheduled to bloom much later. We were very excited to find out that there were still gardens after gardens full of cherry blossoms. How lucky were the Emperors and Empresses to have enjoyed such beauty in their own gardens, not having to fight with the iPhones, iPads and SLRs of those commoners to look at the flowers. 

 

Also, not forgetting the beauty of the royal gardens, so serene and peaceful sans the crowd.

West Lake

This is my 3rd time going to Hang Zhou, and we were lucky enough to be staying right next to the lake. Also, this time, they have an hourly water fountain and light show! So we spent a lot of our time staying in the hotel, enjoying afternoon tea while watching the water and light show :)

This is a funky restaurant right by the lake. Serving local dishes paired with light electronic music. It opens around 11am but within half an hour, there was a minimum half an hour wait. No matter at what time we passed by this place, there was always a huge crowd waiting outside. The name is really cute - The Grandma's and the menus was in the form of a magazine. I can see why this place was super packed, mainly because the price was decent and the portions were huge. Our hungryselves accidentally ordered these amount of food and we pretty much finished all of them!

Let's see...from top left, we ordered the potato and mushroom hot pot, spicy and sour vege fish, pickled radish, dessert (red bead, mango, lotus seeds and sticky rice ball soup), garlic pork slices, spicy cold noodle and lotus root stuffed sweet sticky rice. 

Shanghai 2013

This time we only spent 3 days in Shanghai, apart from visiting the Bund and a few other typical tourist attractions, we went to search for something different; cherry blossoms! Yes, there was a huge cherry blossom festival in Shanghai. 

We read about the cherry blossom festival before we reached Shanghai. Hence, after we got into Shanghai, we immediately arranged a trip to visit the cherry blossom gardens. Unfortunately, we were 1 week late for the cherry blossom festival. 

This was the last batch in the garden...

According to the locals, they bloomed early this year and due to the big wind, there were all gone after  1 week. So, they recommended that we visit the tulip garden instead!

My oh my, a tulip garden in Shanghai ? 

Actually, the garden was quite spectacular. I believe they have all types of tulips and colors featured in the garden and it was also probably the biggest tulip garden outside of Holland. Never had I thought I would be able to see such array of tulips outside of Holland. It was very breathtaking and exciting. The ticket wasn't cheap, but I would say it was worth it, because I get to see such an spectacular tulip garden! :)

Of course we had a great time in Shanghai but what really made this trip memorable were the tulips!

Hong Kong

The first quarter of 2013 had been an eventful one for me, I desperately needed a break to recuperate. Hence, I took a 3 week vacation to the Big Mainland.

 

Where do you get the best dim sum? Hong Kong of course! I went to this local joint and had their daily specials. Do you know that if you look carefully in the menu, there is such a thing as the 1+1 specials. If you didn't notice that little slip, you would probably end up paying for every item. With the 1+1, you pay only half. The dimsum may look the same, but seriously, they tasted different! It's so fresh and flavorful that they melt in your mouth. My most unforgettable item being the steamed brisket with preserved vege. Even the rice tasted so good and the briskets so tender, they melted in my mouth.

My family said, when we're in Hong Kong, we must have one of Hong Kong's best roasted suckling pig. San Dao Kei not only is famous for their wonderful meals but also their unique rooster motived cutleries. 

The skin is not only CCCCCRISPY but also not greasy at all! *crunch crunch crunch* The meat was not only tender but it's buttery. Apparently, I heard they removed all the fat between the meat and the skin. So, you don't have to feel guilty when you it this! *chuckles* 

And of course, the rest of the dishes that we ordered for a table of 14. Deep fried calamari *triple thumbs up*, braised pork knuckles, seafood, vegetables, and many other dishes which I forgot their wonderful names. :)

For those of you who travels around Asia much, you may have heard of Crystal Jade Palace. However, according to many friends and family, this particular branch of Crystal Jade Palace in Shatin is the best. One of their must try, apart from noodles and Xiao Long Bao is the sweet and sour pine nut fish. Haha...we sure do love sweet and sour sauce! I also love their cold noodle in sesame sauce. Even the fried rice (which is not shown here), was also one of the best fried rice we have ever tried! Yuummmsss.....

So, what else did I do in HK besides eating? A little sightseeing here and there and most important of all, after a streak of incidents, I needed some "reassurance", so I visited Wong Tai Xin. It was early in the morning and it was already packed with tourists. I'm sure many asked for fortune amongst other things, I on the other hand, asked for..... (now why would I tell you? :P)