What better way to end a year than talking about food! In my last post, I highlighted some of the most memorable moments of 2015. I had to leave food out because it was getting too, too long. Now that this is a separate post, I thought hard about how to structure this… whether to list my favorite meals, to do a recap in superlatives, etc. In the end, I thought it’d be most interesting to talk about my top…
A sampling of Chaozhou cuisine
After visiting the famous Chaozhou bridge, we headed through the old city gate and entered the Old Town area. We walked around a bit, occasionally popping into shops to take a look at the local handicrafts. The day was brutally hot and humid, even for the locals. So it wasn’t before long that we decided to seek refuge indoors – somewhere that we can sit for a bit and fill our tummies, and most importantly, somewhere with air conditioning. The…
[Hong Kong] Tim Ho Wan: dim sum with a star
My last post was about one of the more pricey meals (if you can even call it that) we ate at Hong Kong, and this post is about one of the cheapest. In fact, this is the cheapest Michelin starred restaurant in the world! Before we get on with this post, I have to first tell you that I’m not a huge fan of dim sum. Dim sum is an old Cantonese tradition of small plates of snack foods being shared…
[Hong Kong] Afternoon tea at Le Salon de Thé
“Hey wake up,” the voice sounded far away but the nudging on my shoulder felt very much real. “Maybe we can have afternoon tea today.” What?! These words jolted me wide awake from my still groggy early-morning daze. These are words I never expected to come out of D’s mouth. “Are you serious??” D hates stuff like this. Girly + expensive does not an ideal afternoon make. I had to drag him to tea at Twinings in Bangkok (and he only agreed…
Breakfast around the world, Vol. 1
I have a confession: I’ve never been a huge fan of breakfast. Breakfast is usually cereal hastily gulped down before rushing to school, toast being nibbled at a work desk while reading emails, or in most cases, just a cup of tea slowly getting cold as the demands of the day take priority. But on weekends, breakfast is an activity to be enjoyed slowly. And then breakfast becomes a spread of my mom’s homecooked traditional Chinese items, a leisurely brunch with…
Grandma’s kitchen: a taste of my childhood
Through numerous foodie adventures over the past year and change, I’ve fallen in love with many new foods. My mouth waters at the thought of salty garlicky bun cha in Hanoi and spicy succulent khao kha moo in Thailand and soft pungent French cheeses. And of course, who can forget my ultimate profession of love to the pierogis of Poland? But even with all the newly discovered favorites, when it comes to comfort food, there is still nothing, nothing, that…
Chinese hotpot: a spicy good time
Hotpot (火锅) is a favorite among the Chinese. It’s so ubiquitous in China that it can be found just about everywhere – from the very north in Mongolia (where it’s believed to have originated) all the way to the humid south. Each region does it a little differently: Beijing is known for lamb hotpot in a copper pot, Sichuan for their signature numbing-spicy broth, and the Cantonese region for fresh seafood. But in all versions, hotpot is essentially the cooking…
[Wuhu] Geng Fu Xing: the best xiaolongbao in the world?
Xiaolongbao may just be the world’s favorite Chinese dish ever created. Who doesn’t know it by now?? They are commonly known as soup dumplings, or my personal favorite – “dumplings with delicious juice running down your chin,” as seen on the English translation menu of many Chinese restaurants where I lived in LA. (Actually the literal Chinese translation is “little bamboo steamer buns”, because these buns are a lot smaller than traditional Chinese steamed buns, so they are made in a much…
[Beijing] Da Dong Roast Duck: probably the fanciest meal I will ever eat
Thanks to everyone who supported more food posts on this blog! To start off, I am introducing you to Da Dong restaurant in Beijing. This is probably the fanciest food post I will ever have on this blog. Be forewarned: the following picture-heavy post may make you very very hungry. Beijing’s roast duck is perhaps the most internationally acclaimed Chinese dish ever created. And so when we went to Beijing, aside from cravings for my favorite childhood dishes from my…
[Taipei] A street food lover’s guide to Taipei cuisine
A couple of weeks ago, D saw this article on Matador Network – 9 Foods You Have to Try in Taipei, Taiwan – and he was infuriated. Really?? Wontons?? Where are the stinky tofu and the pork belly rice? Both quintessential Taiwanese eats. Or even beef noodle soup? Only the dish that Taiwan is known for! Did the author only spend 2 days in Taipei and deemed the few meager snacks she had as must-eats? And seriously half of that list is…