An extended taste of the Bay Area

Blog entries haven't come as easy since I've been playing "catch up" with life after being stuck for an extra five days in San Francisco unexpectedly thanks to super storm Sandy. Luckily for us, one of T's close high school friends was kind enough to host us for all but one of our extra days and was an extremely gracious hostess!

We made the most of the trip and got to explore the city and some of the surrounding area during our forced vacation. The weather was gorgeous as well: mid 50's and a little foggy in the morning, but sunny and 70 degrees by noon! This really redeems my last few trips to SF, where I had to drive in an unfamiliar city amidst pouring rain.

Ok, now the part you probably are waiting for: the food. Amongst all the delicious things we ate, we really enjoyed the wealth of coffee options in the Bay Area:

Pour over from "Jane," near our hotel in Japan town.

A cute siphon pot from Blue Bottle Coffee

The Mrs. enjoying some coffee from Philz

Philz Coffee in particular won us over, seeing as how we visited the local chain three times. I brought home a pound of their Tessora beans, and with my trusty french press, have been able to recapture a bit of that coffee heaven at home.

Now onto the food: here's a quick bullet list of highlights of the some of the restaurants we hit up:

Obligatory In-N-Out visit

• O-Toro Sushi - super fresh
• Mission Chinese Food - spicy and full-flavored Chinese food. This is the original, and I heard they opened one in NYC as well.
• Koi Palace - delicious dim sum
• Bi-Rite Creamery - really enjoyed the salted caramel ice cream
• Golden Gate Bakery - for their egg tart
• In-N-Out - double-double animal style, check!
• R&G Lounge - repeat these words after me: "salt and pepper crab"

"Eat me, I'm delicious!"

All in all, it was a really great trip, but the next time I visit the Bay Area, we will hopefully have the opportunity to plan (and pack) accordingly!

Taiwan Through Pictures: Part 2

For the first part of this post, check out Taiwan Through Pictures: Part 1.

Wow, it's been 5 months since my trip to Taiwan. That will teach me to wait too long to post about my trips in the future! Unfortunately my memory is getting fuzzier and fuzzier, but hey, that's what pictures are for!

The favorite stop on the trip for both me and T was Sun Moon Lake. A lot of natural beauty here, although it rained the hardest on our way to the lake. This is how I found out my jacket that I packed for the trip was water resistant, as opposed to waterPROOF. You live and you learn. But the thunderstorm finally broke over night, lending us the beautiful view form our hotel room above.

We had the opportunity to visit a Hakka village, enjoy their cuisine, and even make some Hakka tea, which was a mix of green tea powder, black sesame, white sesame, puffed rice, and a couple of items I can't quite remember (in the baggie has either pine nuts or peanuts). Suffice to say, it was all very tasty.

At one of the rest stops, there was signage for one of my favorite Taiwanese soft drinks, Apple Sidra, a caramel-colored apple soda. My other favorite is Hey Song Sarsaparilla, which I guess is like a more medicine-y tasting root beer. Perhaps more of an acquired taste, T is unfortunately not a fan.

For the rest of this post, I will merely share the rest of my pictures, with the occasional caption. This will hopefully teach me the importance of writing things to down during or shortly after my future trips.

Outside the Beitou Hot Spring Museum

Best. Pork. Ever.

We had some delicious mango and strawberry snow from this place, but not as much fun as posing with their mascot.

While I don't know when our next trip will be to Taiwan, I'm so thankful for the opportunity to go with my family, and to show my wife a bit of the motherland!

Reflections from MLK Weekend

Here's an old post that I drafted up back in January, but thought it was a nice road marker for what was on my mind at the time that I felt I should clean it up and post it:

Back in January, my wife and I drove down to NY for an early birthday dinner for my father over the MLK holiday weekend. Three-day weekends tend to make for less hectic visits to my family. Reflecting on the weekend, I've come to realize that I've inherited the love language of Quality Time from both of my parents, meaning that it doesn't matter so much as to what we do or where we go, but rather the intentionality of setting time aside for one another is most readily received.

 

Something else I have to mention, in light of the trip, is my dislike of driving. In driving, I have a drastic decrease in patience and a greater probability for using "salty" language. Some of this may resonate with you out there as these are pitfalls for those who suffer from road rage. However, I'm pleased to share that this trip's car experience was not just tolerable, but almost...pleasant. What made this drive different than the rest you ask? Two things really:

• First, the 3.5-4 hour drive is a great time to really talk to my wife about things both serious, as well as silly. What happens at work typically stays in the office, but for my wife who's a teacher, there's always an abundance of things to work on at home: grade papers, plan lessons, etc. There was an incident leading up to the trip where an email exchange between us seemed the best way to take care of time-sensitive matters, which just seemed so sad since we live under the same roof and don't travel for work! Again, it's that Quality Time-thing showing up again.
• Second, NPR. Something about a long drive and talk radio that goes like peanut butter and jelly and we were treated to a great piece showcasing a bit of history on MLK Jr. in honor of his birthday.

Taiwan Through Pictures: Part 1

Back in April, I had the pleasure of taking a vacation to my ancestral home of Taiwan along with my wife, sister, and mom. We traveled primarily in a tour group, which was a great way to maximize the sights (and eats) on a trip that was just barely over a week. Here now are some pictures from that trip:

We ate at the Din Tai Fung in Taipei both at the beginning of the trip, as well as at the end, and my God, they really were the best xiao long bao (soup dumplings) I've ever had.

The Mrs. picked up a little charm of Din Tai Fung's mascot.

Taiwanese people love fruit! We came right in time for lembu seaso, also known as wax apple or mountain apple. Bear in mind that other than color, this tropical fruit shares nothing in common with the common American apple, but instead has a very light, airy, Styrofoam-like texture, and has a very light, sweet flavor.

Mangoes unfortunately were NOT in season, but this farm stand that our bus stopped by on the way from Kaioshung to Kenting had some large mangoes for sale.

Banyan trees are everywhere we went.

We also got to ride both the bullet train, as well as the classic train.

This is a picture of the wonderful wooden bowl that acted as a container to our delicious lunchbox, modeled after the offerings train riders would order back in the day.

Here we have a smoked chicken leg, that was light but flavorful. You'll also notice the wonderful variety of flavors and textures along with the chicken: a slice of Taiwanese sausage, veggies, corn, and diced bean curd, all on top of a bed of rice.

The wife and I also came across some very interesting restroom signs at this train station...

...which were strangely similar to abstract art.

Saltiness and shawarma

Since returning from Taiwan, a few things have changed in the area of food:

• Everything tastes too freaking salty! I mostly blame the light (but delicious) seasoning of the food in Taiwan. A meatball sub I had this past week for lunch left my mouth feeling like the Sahara. Bleh!
• I've had a lot of noodle soups and rice porridge, mostly because I've been struggling with a cold for nearly two weeks now.
• Before my trip, I was set on blacklisting a few things from my diet upon returning from vacation, and while the list may grow, it currently includes soda (club soda is OK), artificial sweeteners, and fast food (with the exception of desperate moments like at an airport or on a road trip).
• I haven't been cooking too much in 2012 other than a few staples that my wife and I enjoy, but I was really inspired to take up the spatula again when I caught my first episode of American's Test Kitchen. The episode featured a very tasty looking recipe for spaghetti and meatballs which I'm dying to try. 
• Just barely related, but The Avengers movie has boosted sales of shawarma! This is shawarma in case you were wondering:

Back from Taiwan, initial thoughts

• Traveling with Signet Tours was a wonderful way to see Taiwan. The accommodations chosen were top notch and there was no emphasis on shopping or vendor partnerships, which can make a lot of decent tours seem tacky. Definitely recommended, but note that it is for Mandarin speakers.
• The food was so light and not overly seasoned, even when we had fried foods. I didn't really miss the normal fare we normally have in the States, though this may only be the case with a week-long trip.
• I realize that I'm overly cautious and risk-averse. I need to take more chances and say "Yes" to new experiences and opportunities
• Everyone, family or just random sales people, were very emphatic that I learn Mandarin. Might be worth looking into :P

Off to Taiwan

Things will be quiet for the next two weeks or so on the blog as the Mrs. and I take a family trip to the beautiful island of Taiwan! We'll be seeing family and will primarily be on the tour of the western side of the island. What's there you ask? I'm not entirely sure, but I can't wait to find out as there are both bustling cities and an abundance of natural beauty in Taiwan.

Man, the last time I was back in the motherland was April of 1999, this trip has been waiting to happen for quite awhile now. While my spoken Taiwanese is decent, I can't read or write, and my Mandarin is practically non-existent all the more reason why I'm thankful my mom and sister are along on this trip.

While you can expect entries for "Tuesday's Tunes" to continue, other content will be on hold until I return...

....with tons of pictures...

...mostly of food.

I'm especially look forward to trying as many bowls of Beef Noodle soup as I can, in the eternal quest to improve my own recipe.

Photo from Chow Times
I was instantly drooling after my Google Image search for this...

And while travel for me goes hand-in-hand with eating, I am really looking forward to members of my family that I rarely get to see and to experience with all of my senses the place that previous generations of my family called "home."

Photos: Christmas vacation to Hawaii

We had the lovely opportunity to spend a week in Hawaii visiting my wife's family for the last week of December and through New Year's Day! A few quick highlights:

• A lot of quality time with immediate and extended family (we had parties both New Year's Eve AND Day)
• Although the winter is the rainy season for the islands, we had a beautiful weather the whole week we were visiting.
• Got better with the family dog, Mia. I never grew up with pets, but I definitely learned what great companions they are and what fun a simple walk into town could be with her. Needless to say, Mia doesn't get out much and she really enjoyed the new scenery and people, but was pretty tired afterwards.
• Explored a new beach we never went to before, that was a super-popular spot for local surfers. We went in the late afternoon which made for some beautiful photos you'll see below. Reminded me that God sure is a talented artist.
• Checked "experience omakase at a nice Japanese restaurant" off my bucket list. Best nigiri sushi I've had, ever, and such a great culinary adventure to share with my wife.. Note to self: formalize the rest of my mental bucket list.
• I love izakaya restaurants...kinda gleamed this from our trip to Hawaii two years ago. But when we were catching up with an old college roommate this trip, I had ama-ebi nigiri for the first time, and to my delight, when you order this, you also get the head of the prawns deep fried so that you can just eat the whole thing like a big 'ol shrimp chip. DELICIOUS.

And now, here are a few snapshots:

Panda pastries

Katsu curry

Horse lamp at the restaurant Stage

The Mrs. with the family dog Mia

Pancakes with a delicious macadamia nut sauce at Boots and Kimo's

Dessert @ Snow Factory

Last night in Hawaii, down by the tourists in Waikiki

Last activity before flying? Why a hike up Diamond Head National Park w/ family friend Jeremy.

So sad to say "Goodbye" :( See you again soon Hawaii!

Photos: Los Angeles/Santa Barbara, CA

The Mrs. and I had the opportunity recently to fly out to California for a wedding earlier November. Here is a photo dump of that excellent trip of food, friends, and festivities. Congratulations again Rob & Stephanie!

Touchdown LAX. First stop? In 'n Out! A modest 1x1, animal style of course.

Lilly's Tacos: beef head, tongue, cheek, eye, and adobada pork

 

 

A stellar venue and menu