The King of Fruits

 

Durian. Either you love it or you hate it, well that is for most people. For me, I don't love it nor I hate it. I like it when it is just right. The key is to eat it when it had just ripen and still fresh. If it's overly riped, it tastes watery, mushy and emits a strong odor. There are myriads of durian out there, we've always been curious with how different each variety tastes like. So this was our chance to eat and compare. Question is, how does one open a thorny fruit?

Step 1: Get a strong knife, find a stance that gives you the best balance because you'll be needing some hand muscles. When the fruit is ripe enough, there will be a hair line crack at the bottom of the fruit. With one hand firmly holding the fruit (mind it's thorns), the other hand uses the knife to pry open the hair line crack at the bottom.

Step 2: Once the crack is big enough, with all your might peel the skin open.

Step 3: With more strength, split the fruit into half.

Finally, serve as if and enjoy. 

From Portland to Seattle

Every year we go somewhere new (for me that is) for Thanksgiving. I've never been to Seattle and I was dying to visit the lovely place via Portland. Unfortunately, I had a mild food poisoning on my first night in Portland. I was unable to feast on the uber delicious local flavors but I was able to capture some of my favorite spots.

   

How quaint.

Little Bird, my first lunch in Portland. This meal is so affordable, a prefix menu is only at $25 and the portion is good for 2. It was so yummy, I had soup of the day, a daily special and some desserts. They change their menu often, and I can't remember what I had. It's crazy that it came up to only $53 with all the food that we had and tax free!

Andina, beautiful ambience, beautiful live music and yummy peruvian food. The scallop was amazingly yummy, I was very inspired to learn to cook my own scallops. (*Note to self: Must learn to cook scallop.)

Voodoo Donut, another spot that made famous by Food Network. There was a line even at 9pm but the  service was fast and they're relatively cheap considering, even the most expensive item is not more than $3. Our box of 3 items came up to around $5.

The next day, we drove to Seattle and ventured into Pike's Place and the public market.

The wall is filled with graffiti and gums!

I love the public market at Pike's place, there are so many things to see. Apparently the food was also very yummy, but all I could digest was only graham crackers and bananas :(

The public market was deserted because it was Thanksgiving day.

The next day, it was all business again. Cheap seafood! 

Oh beautiful flowers like this starts at only $10!

These are slightly more expensive, almost $20 a bunch.

More fresh seafood!

Of course, not to be missed clam chowder and seafood chowder. 

I love the colors and the fresh produce at this public market.

One of the many pig bronze statues scattered around the public market.

And of course, not to be missed, the very first Starbucks.

I can't wait to visit Seattle again!