It has been raining cats and dogs in this part of the world so it is time for some good ol' fried chicken and waffles. This one from the Home of Chicken and Waffles in Jack London Square, Oakland is a bit bland. Nothing has come close ever since I tried the one at Emeril's in New Orleans. The waffles need to be fluffier and there was no kick to the chicken. Thank goodness I was with some of my oldest friends and had a fun time catching up with them.
Yours truly reporting for blogging duties in Reykjavik, Iceland! First off is a preview of one of Icelandic delicacies- minke whale, which has a similar texture to a seared tuna. More to come...
You need to give love everyday of the year- not only on Valentine's day- to loved ones and, most importantly, to yourself. I do believe that the best way to love oneself is good ol' healthy home cooking. Nothing fancy. Nothing expensive. As for me, I chose to cook dishes that I love.
Yes, there's way too much love on this post so I shall leave you with a photo of pineapple fried rice and orange sesame chicken by yours truly.
Yes, there's way too much love on this post so I shall leave you with a photo of pineapple fried rice and orange sesame chicken by yours truly.
The original D'Talipapa a.k.a. wet market is really the place-to-be in Boracay if you are looking for fresh and (not so expensive) fresh seafood. There are also many stores nearby that will cook your food the way you want it- grilled, buttered, seared, etc. They can even make sinigang soup!
I just left it to my mum who is an expert in haggling at Carbon wet market in Cebu to buy the seafood I wanted at the D'Talipapa because mothers know best :)
Tip: If you are in a hurry, go to the side streets, and there are many cooks waiting for your fresh seafood to be made into something delicious.
I just left it to my mum who is an expert in haggling at Carbon wet market in Cebu to buy the seafood I wanted at the D'Talipapa because mothers know best :)
Tip: If you are in a hurry, go to the side streets, and there are many cooks waiting for your fresh seafood to be made into something delicious.
Buttered prawn |
Sizzling squid |
Seared blue marlin |
Fresh prawn that became the butter prawns above |
Speaking Bisaya to the vendors actually help in haggling. |
The crabs which we didn't get. |
Sea shell sea shell on the sea shore. Good for sinigang soup. |
A fish waiting to be bought. |
The squid that became the sizzling squid above. |
Cutting the blue marlin. |
It perplexes me how ice cream shops in chilly San Francisco survive as a business. However a lot, such as Bi-Rite, Humphry Slocombe and (my fave) Ice Cream Bar have been able to stay for the long haul and attract patrons even during frigid conditions. Another entrant is the newbie Over the Moon, a name which reminds me of a UK online business called Moonpig- one of the case studies I eagerly analyzed in bschool. The moon logo might have triggered my memory. But I digress...
Over the Moon sticks to some familiar flavors and has a rotating ice cream display that I was fond of when eating or window shopping at gelato shops in Italy. Let's see if Over the Moon located on the somewhat busy Chestnut Street in the Marina has got what it takes to survive in the competitive ice cream market.
Over the Moon sticks to some familiar flavors and has a rotating ice cream display that I was fond of when eating or window shopping at gelato shops in Italy. Let's see if Over the Moon located on the somewhat busy Chestnut Street in the Marina has got what it takes to survive in the competitive ice cream market.
Having brought up in a Chinese family, I believe that ushering in the Chinese New Year with (1) red clothing to fend off bad spirits and (2) Chinese noodles for long life are musts. I was able to do both while eating at Fang, the more upscale sister restaurant of House of Nanking in North Beach. It was my second time at this Financial District establishment, and it still continues to amaze me - probably because the owner, Chef Peter Fang, always takes good care of my dining crew and yours truly. Just tell him what your food preferences are... every dish shows up as a surprise. Rest assured, I was also happily surprised by the total bill, mid-$20 per person, for a filling 7-course dinner plus rice and drinks for a group of 7 hungry diners!
I wasn't able to take many photos because I was starving, but I did save the best, chicken steam bun (below), for my dear blog readers. The sesame Nanking chicken with sweet yam, honey tofu, fish soup with wonton, shrimp dumpling and crispy noodles all made me a happy camper that night. I can definitely say that I started the Year of the Horse with a big bang care of Fang!
I wasn't able to take many photos because I was starving, but I did save the best, chicken steam bun (below), for my dear blog readers. The sesame Nanking chicken with sweet yam, honey tofu, fish soup with wonton, shrimp dumpling and crispy noodles all made me a happy camper that night. I can definitely say that I started the Year of the Horse with a big bang care of Fang!
Note to self: I must order this to-go for lunch next time I am in the area. |
Yes, I made my way back to the soon-to-be second Silicon Valley of the Bay Area, Oakland. With the myriad of restaurants flocking to this city, it is no surprise that Hawker Fare, the casual sister restaurant of Michelin starred Commis, was filled with lunch patrons from nearby offices. Although I was misled by the restaurant name thinking that I would get my Singaporean fix just like in a hawker center in the Merlion city, Hawker Fare actually serves Asian fusion dishes, including but not limited to:
Salted peanuts reminded me of dining in a Chinese restaurant |
Yummy mung bean crepe. A different version of a Chinese pancake. |
I am a bit disappointed with their Kao Mun Gai (poached chicken). Can you blame me if I got spoiled with authentic Hainanese Chicken while living in Singapore? I've also experimented with this recipe multiple times at home and figured out that this dish really works with not one but three different sauces. |