“…so what now???”

I was asked this tonight, during dinner. What do I want now?….

Let’s first talk about what we ate tonight…. we were at The Local, one of my favorites in my area, which I’m sure you have heard me rage about on my facebook, twitter, and probably even on here (although I don’t do quite as many food posts on here anymore)

We started off with the Salt & Pepper Calamari with pickled peppers, ginger salsa, and cilantro…. which was delicious! I kind of wish they didn’t have the sauce on the bottom of the plate though which makes some of it kind of soggy after awhile.  But the plate was HUGE!  They have really upped their portion sizes since they first opened!

We also had the Roasted Garlic Hummus with “garden vegetables” (today was just carrots and cucumber slices) and grilled pita (which definitely had cardamom in it – which gave it a super “Indian” feel…)  Delicious as usual… just too much EVOO and herbs/garlic in the middle of the hummus, which, I personally stayed clear from.  The hummus was rich, yummy and garlicky enough as it was.

It was quite tasty…. I love hummus myself, so I was enjoying it like a mofo.  Plus I love carrots and recently found a love again for cucumbers…I think it’s the way they sliced it.

Then came our entrees.  My lovely lady date got the Herb-Marinated Half Chicken that came with garlic mashed potatoes and over sautéed spinach – which I have had before, so I highly recommended it.  It was loved.  Everything was perfectly seasoned – but, like I said, a HUGE portion.  Seemed a whole lot larger than the last time I got it.

I was craving beef… and I’ve had the short ribs and the steak tips and the salads with the steak so I noticed they had something new… a Chimichurri Skirt Steak on top of braised kale with steak-cut sweet potato fries.  The steak, while I got it ‘medium rare’ was still cooked medium/medium-well.  Which is why I always ask for things rare to medium rare, or else you’ll just get it well-done and overcooked.

The steak was delicious, as was the chimichurri, though I felt it could’ve been more present – it was pretty…. not “bland” but light. Present, but not really there.  The kale though, tasted overpowering and the salt was just crunching through…. wasn’t my fav.  I stole some spinach from the chicken dish instead.  My dinner date wasn’t too big of a fan of the kale either.  Meh.

[ps. for a nice chimichurri sauce check out Bon Appétit – my fav goto place for inspiration]

I got a nice Californian Cabernet Sauvignon [Red, duh] which took me forever to sip on. Strangely so. [I’ve been cutting down on my alcohol so it doesn’t take much lately]

Delicious.

So  now back to the question…. what am I …. wait what?  I think I’m tipsy now.

Ohhhh so what NOW?!  What now????  After what?  “After taking a chance at love and moving to another country and coming back, so soon after, broken hearted”?  Well, I take that and I continue on. [BTW have you noticed how awesome my hair is? Yay for my new waves/curls]

I can say that I went to another country with full on intentions of nothing but the best… and yes I came home, a bit sad.  I wouldn’t call myself broken.  I’ve been broken so many times, it’s more about who can piece me back together, has the patience to, now, than to say who broke me apart.  How do  you break when you’re already broken?

Am I just damaged goods?

I don’t think so.  I just think that the one who should be with me hasn’t realized it yet.  Or found me yet?! Who knows.  I hope it’s…

…

…

… does it even matter who I say, unless it’s mutual?!

So there it is.  A splendid  dinner and a so-so answer to the question asked.

Buenos Noches mis Amores <3

鹅肉郎海鲜 for Goose and Seafood

After the amazing day and night at the spa… and a super fun day visiting the cultural center and island for biking and coffee… we finally id what we wanted to do.

Eat. Goose.

So off to 鹅肉郎海鲜… one of my uncle’s favorite places in Yilan.

GOOSE…. we ended up ordering two geese of this and another whole goose to go.

Yummy Greens

DELIIIIICOUS noodles <3 Tender, with chew and just perfection.

Spicy Clams with Basil

Fish Soup

Fried Fish <3

Squid with Ginger

I was so full I was up at 2, 3 in the morning and still FULL and bloated. SOOOOO freaking good.. if you’re ever in the area  YOU BEST GO. YEAH BOIIIII….  Uncle even got me beers to go with the food haha…. he knows me too well….

Dim Sum at 新葡苑 – Cantonese Style

Was ridiculously hungry today… I slept in til super late…. so by the time I was up it was tea time….. which is usually between 2-4 in Taiwan… instead of going to one of my go-to places to eat… I decided to finally try out the Cantonese restaurant I’ve been wanting to try for awhile and just never went to… 新葡苑…. while the waitresses all had stinky faces and meh attitudes… the food was freshly made/steamed…. it took awhile for each dish to come out but it was definitely worth it. If you’re into small dishes and trying lots of different things, this is the place to go.  Don’t expect HUGE portions… but expect fresh, hot and yummy!

Delicious “health” tea.. which had goji, jujubes and lots of different asian herbs… naturally sweet and just delicious.

I’m hungry, please feed me…. waiting for the food was SOOOOOO frustrating because it WAS slow… but, like I said, it was worth it.

叉燒酥 which is basically.. .Char Siu Sou…. Flakey Buttery Pastry with Char Siu Pork inside…. this was the only thing I wasn’t really into… I’m not into Char Siu… and I thought the outside was too buttery for a savory dish…

Squid Ink Dumplings… this was amazing… Seafood innards and just the most delicious thin squid ink wrapper… NOM NOM NOM

Boy Choy and Mushroom, Veggie Dumplings. This was actually my favorite of the meal.

Leek Pan Fried er… bun/thing.. uhhh yumminess?!… needed  more leek/onion taste.. but the skin was crispy and delicious… the filling needed a little more ooomph

Fried Shrimp Roll… we actually ordered a steamed one but they got it wrong and gave us this instead… so we kept it, ate it and re-ordered what we wanted. I’m not a huge fried food fan, so good but not a favorite.  But that’s just personal preference.

Pork Ribs.  Sadly, while it was good, there was little meat and mostly bone :[ Sad. I LOOOOOOVE Pork Ribs at dim sum…. they need to give more, and actually give ribs WITH meat.

Chicken Feet. My favorite Dim Sum item.  It wasn’t greasy like a lot of other places.. had a nice black bean taste to it… not spicy  and just yummy. I can eat tons and tons of chicken feet for ages.

Trotters…. aka Pigs Feet… the same thing as with the Pork Ribs… a lot of bone, not a lot of meat… but I did get some good skin.. and some meat.. so it wasn’t too sad… it was a bit too sweet for my taste and it was on a bed of boiled peanuts.  I did love the addition of cilantro… I LOVE CILANTRO… it really enhanced the flavor of the pork feet…. just wish there was more meat/skin to it than just bone.

This is the steamed vegetarian tofu skin roll that they got the order wrong of before…. I had a better pic but I’m too lazy to re-upload.  This always reminds me of my dad cuz it’s his favorite dim sum dish :]

燒賣, Shu Mai… of course… it’s so typical but I love this shizz… 

After a nice walk…. I went to my fav place for boozy coffee drinks… Cafe Kitchen… got a Rum Coffee and a Jameson Whiskey Coffee… 

YAYAYAYAYAYAY… I’m a LUSH

Me after my lovely massage :]

阿嬌海產店 – Deliciously Fresh Seafood

Headed to Hsinchu to pay respect to my grandparents’ alter in the old house and to visit my uncles…. we were expecting to get there around 2 but since I woke up super early we ended up there around 1130 or so…. and my uncle & aunt know me to well (4th) so they made us my favorite dumplings!!!!!

I visited all of my uncles and then after looking at some amazing condos in the area to possibly purchase, we headed out to dinner… at 阿嬌海產

Sashimi…. Delicious Red Snapper…

Salt & Pepper Shrimp

Pan fried/Deep Fried Fishies, 竹夾魚… which is basically Mackerel… sooo delicious!!!!

Basil & Clams

Chinese Celery and Squid

山蘇 aka Asplenium….. SOOOO GOOOOOOOOOOD

Yummy Noodles

A modernized 蚵仔煎 … Oyster Pancake… without the gooey corn starch… and some shrimp…. but just fried oysters in batter which you would dip in the traditional red 蚵仔煎 sauce.

And then a delicious fish skin, 紅紺, soup… 

Ended the night at 09 Whiskey Bar with lots of wine…. :] and here is one of the drawings one of my nieces drew for me today :]

Italian Date Night….

I know I know it’s bad when I go on a date. But I did go on one recently… to an Italian place, super hidden away, called Marcellino’s…

Leaving….

He doesn’t even like wine but he ordered a bottle and share it with me… UMMM… kinda really awesome

Carpaccio – Sliced Beef Filet, Arugula, Fennel, Parmesan, Lemon Vinaigrette, Capers

His VEAL Saltimbocca – Prosciutto, Sage, Mozzarella, Demi Glaze which he gave me a taste and it was YUMMMMM apparently it’s his always go – to.

And the waiter recommended to me the
Fruitti Di Mare – Shrimp, Calamari, Mussels & Linguine in a spicy red sauce —- which I asked for to be extra spicy… but it wasn’t :T But it was still super yummy so I had the leftovers the day after… there was SO MUCH FREAKING PASTA

We headed to a bar after… tried this Rebel IPA which was yummy

But we ended up having some Whiskey…FUCK! I got sauce on me…

:[

alta strada

Life has been super hectic and busy, but I thought I’d post a slightly late but still kinda recent food adventure before a personal post :] This is first and foremost a food blog right?

So last month I finally had the chance to eat at alta strada in Wellesley. It’s so close yet I never had the chance to go.

I even broke out the nice Vera Wang stems

Of course I started off with a nice Italian red…

They gave us a beautiful slab of delicious bread.. EVOO, S&P and I asked for some Balsamic Vinegar as well :]

COULD NOT STOP EATING THIS BREAD.  The crust was perfection.

We ordered three AntiPasti [basically Italian Tapas]

Chilled Calamari with Cucumber and Citrus [top]
Marinated White Anchovies with Frisee [botom]

I looove anchovies.. the frisee totally helped balance out the saltiness of the fish… MMMM…..  The calamari almost felt like a ceviche… and the squid was cut into noodles… It was good, vinegary but nothing out of this world.

And of course Roasted  [Golden] Beets with Grana Padano

I actually wanted more but the waiter said that for two people this was far more than enough.  And he was right, I expected smaller dishes but these were HUGE.

And then split a pizza…

Prosciutto and Arugula

I asked for an egg in the middle, you know the pizzas that come out like this:

But I guess they just had no clue.. even tho I just asked for ONE gooey egg in the middle… they gave me chopped eggs all over the pizza… Kinda disappointing but it was still delicious.

And for dessert, even though we were super full, we got the Mascarpone Cheesecake; Lemon Curd, Vanilla Tuille

Light fluffy and a perfect sweet ending to an amazing dinner.

Adventures of Serina and Tiffie Ninjas….

She got me this gorgeous Hello Kitty Swarovski Ring <3

I brought her to get her ears pierced a a Birthday present <3

Met Bar

Worst Sole EVER

Cubano

My Athens Burger

I think she got the LA Burger

Brunch at Bullfinchs

I made dinner for everyone

Fugakyu for Girls’ Nite

We wanted a boat

Szechuan Chili Beef a la Mama

I made Breakfast for me and Serina

Sisters <3

Legal Seafoods

Black Friday Shopping

Best Purchase

Love you S <3 Miss youuuuu!!!!

Seriously, we only came for a Burger…

Bourbon Steak is a go to in DC.. and a place W and I like to head to just cuz… especially when we’re craving a good burger.  But I don’t think we’ve ever gone for a burger and ONLY gotten a burger.  As soon as I was done with work I slipped on some clothes and we headed over for some food.

When I sat down I ordered a champagne cocktail.. but was quickly presented with a yummy special one from the head bartender, Dwayne. YUM!
[Note: this drink will reappear in a Baltimore post!!!!]

Look at him at work.

Like always we were soon after presented with the Trio of Duck Fries. YUM – Crisp, flavorful and yummy, piping hot, they NEVER disappoint.  And I love how they switch up flavors and dipping sauces all the time. WOOHOO.

Raw Oysters with a Kimchi Sauce…

Delicious and fresh.  Tasty.  The kimchi wasn’t chunky like I thought it would be.  And see those little white balls? They’re little rice balls.

An amazing Rockfish Crudo

Sooooo many elements but the taste came out sooo simple and fresh.  A mixture of sweet – from the melon – and salty, different textures of the raw fish to the crunch of the shallot and then the creamy sauce.

Heirloom Tomato Salad with Mozzarella…

That hand is none other’s than Exec Chef Adam Sobel‘s…

I love anything with tomatoes and mozz. Maybe not the best season for tomatoes this year but I thought it was tasty anyways. I loved the little marshmallows of mozz! So cute and pillow-y. FLUFF.

Deconstructed Bahn Mi

This was SOOOO GOOD.  Everything about it was amazing. Creamy liver pate on a nice brioche… and then some meats on the side. AMAZING.

Calamari with Chorizo and Brioche Croutons

This was a HUUUUUUUGE bowl of squid. SO freaking much.  It was delicious but just SOOO much.  I could’ve had a little more chorizo as well :] Teehee.

Sheep Ricotta Agnolotti with Veal Cheeks and Bone Marrow

This was SOOOOOO GOOD!!!! Delicious!  The cheeks literally MELTED in my mouth as soon as it hit my tongue. BAM!  And the chunks of bone marrow, ahhhh meat butter. <3

And while we were gonna split a burger…. We realized we wanted our own.

I even got a nice salad on the side, NOM NOM I need my greens!!!

ALWAYS AMAZING.

I finished mine. WOOT. W didn’t *point and laugh*

BUT we always have room for desserts. Yes. PLURAL!

BSDC Red Velvet Cake
tainori chocolate cremeux, cocoa nib gelato, bulls blood

This was probably the best Red Velvet cake I’ve ever had. SO. FREAKING GOOD.

Chevre Cheesecake with Virginia Berries
strawberries, pistachio streusel, basil gelato

I wasn’t as into the cheesecake but I LOOOOVED the basil gelato.  It was beautifully plated though. I think it was a goat’s cheese – cheesecake or something.

BTW, here’s a sexy pic of Adam holding the A-5 Wagyu Beef straight from Japan.  Best of the best.

Orgasmic no?

만두 at Mandu

W and I finally met up with Brent, aside from seeing him for a brief second at Proof.  After the longest avoidance, laziness and procrastination we FINALLY decided on Mandu [K street one, I didn’t know and suggested we walk there, since we always go to the one closer to W’s apt] for lunch.  So off we went.  We sat down right as it started pouring and B got a beer, W got some iced tea and I got….

Aloe Sojutini

SO. ME.  It was delish with chunks of aloe on the bottom and thru-out, lightly sweetened and – what can I say I MUST be Korean on the inside cuz I love the taste of soju.  Love it more than Sake.

Banchan 반찬

Sweet Potato, Sprouts, Cucumber, Cabbage Kimchi, Spicy Mariniated Fried Tofu and Steamed Broccoli

SO good.  I loved the tofu :]  A nice chew to the skin that gave away to a soft fluffy innard and nice heat to it.

B got the Bar Special, Pint of Beer and Pan Fried Mandu and Shrimp Tacos. YUM.

I forgot what kind of dumplings they were but he loved them.  I duno how a big guy like him ate so little.. but then again I think he had like 3 or 4 beers… hahaha..

Soon Doobu
spicy seafood stew w/ soft tofu and egg
Scallops, Squid and Shrimp with Soft fluffy tofu… a poached egg in a spicy broth. SO good.  But probably a bad idea for me to be eating this on such a hot summer’s day OOPS. SOOO worth the sweat tho.

And of course W got his
Duru Jjigee
marinated and spiced pork belly sauteed w/
kimchi and rice cakes, served with steamed tofu

With dduk, rice cakes, of course. SO GOOD.

One of the owners, Danny, also one of W’s friends, came by and let us try his favorite summer dish…. With Sliced Beef, Egg, Pickled Radish & Cucumber, a few other things and you add vinegar, mustard and chili sauce to your liking/taste.  I think it’s called 물냉면, a Naengmyeon :] YUM

The three of us shared this…

And then I got another Sojutini, since I was between two flavors, I got the other one…

Grape Sojutini

This one had fresh skinless grapes on the bottom, it was sweeter than the aloe one – both were delicious.

For dessert we got mango, strawberry and green tea ice cream mochi.  The strawberry one was my favorite!!! The green tea one’s mochi skin was a bit tough and not soft and chewy like the others… it was more cookie like, weird.. maybe it thawed weird or was old?! YUM nonetheless and we gobbled it up in mere seconds.

I tried to open these.  WHY WON’T THEY OPEN?  I want to climb it as well.. TEEHEE…

You can never go wrong with Korean :]

Dinner at Saltwater a la Chef William Morris @will0724 – Beware a sappy post :D

I’m psyched! I’ve had W’s food but not a whole dinner specifically cooked by him for me, well.. you know aside from the obvious, like breakfast and stuff, but I meant at a restaurant… Yes yes yes if you guys haven’t realized by now, guessed or just not… KNEW cuz it’s on my FB, he’s always on my blog AND I talk about him on my twitter 24/7… the love of my life is cutie Chef William Morris of DC. He was up for Hottest Chef of DC on Eater earlier this year… and it all started with pretzels…

I love seeing him all cute in his chef clothes :]

I always squeal when I see him at work. He makes magiccccccc with the food and looks adorable doing it. #sappy I know. DEAL WITH IT. It’s my blog and I’m finally in a relationship with someone I actually really like love.

I started off the day with some hoarding at the concierge lounge. HAHA.  Oatmeal, pastries.. coffee, OJ, yogurts, cereal, fruits.. etc….

And then I did some work.. okay fine, I did a lot of work… but this caught my eye whilst the drama…. riot? protest? oh #detroit

And then I MAY OR MAY NOT have had a few drinks whilst getting FANCY for my special, highly anticipated dinner at Saltwater by my boyfriend, for the night.

Last look of the Isabella Wen necklace I LOOOOOOOOVE cuz I got drunk and broke it :[ WOMP.

Blurry picture of the restaurant.. it was a Tuesday night.. in a Casino.. hottest casino of Detroit.. and sadly bare :[

The host even gave me a magazine to read while I dined solo LOL…

Now before I begin I have to say…. I was highly.. intoxicated.. so much so in fact that I vow never to be this tipsy again… ok I was more than tipsy, when W cooks for me.. EVER.  His food is too good to waste on drunkeness.. altho I remember everything being FREAKING AMAZING so I couldn’t have been that trashed ;] AND I took pictures SO HA!

Cold Calamari Salad

This was freaking amazing.  Delicious, fresh and UGH… perfectly cooked squid! I FUCKING LOVE SQUID. This was so amazing that I kept telling the servers and the GM to put it on the menu!

Sweet Pea Ravioli :]

I haven’t craved pasta like this in SO long. I actually had DREAMS about eating pasta and ravioli after eating these… tender, perfectly cooked.. mmmm and I have a huge things for peas…

Snapper with Mushroom & Sunchoke Consumme

Tender, the fish was perfectly flaked and melted in my mouth. AMAZING flavors!!!!

Roast Pork over Crispy potato and Rainbow Chard…. Apple Butter & Mustard Jus
See that bubbly? Not sure how many glasses I had but they kept filling it up. I love the pig.  Piggy piggy piggy, I could eat it for days, this was like butter in my mouth…. dissolving on my tongue in piggie deliciousness. Amazing greens.. perfectly wilted and then a nice crispy tater… MMMM…. It’s always a miracle when anyone can get me to eat potatoes. I’m SOOO picky about my potatoes… it’s usually only chips, fries and dirty mashed potatoes. HEE HEE… And potato skins..

Cheeeeeeeeeeeeesecake

LOVE.

Love of my life made a delicious meal that I loved.  Sorry I got too happy and drunk to remember full details.  BUT I LOVED IT.  I am a really really really blessed girl :]