The Food Post (NYC)

So a tad bit late (that of course is an understatement) but, doling out the honors...


: Breakfast :



Best Bagel and Coffee
225 W 35th St, New York, NY 10001

It literally is the best bagel in town! It's the best because you can build your own. We heaped salmon, capers, onions and cream cheese on top of an everything bagel. You know, the works.



: Lunch :



Pellegrino's
138 Mulberry St, New York, NY 10013

Tucked away in a little corner of Chinatown is a charming spot that is Little Italy. There are plenty of Italian restaurants to choose from, but we parked ourselves in the al fresco dining area of Pellegrino's. Here's a picture of my favorite appetizer - Vongole Oreganata!



: Tea time :



东来海鲜酒家

When our trusty Google failed with provide us with a lead for Chinese dim sum, we stopped to ask a local where to go. He pointed us to a local joint, complete with a Cantonese speaking crew, pushing dim sum trollies, and serving up piping hot dishes in bamboo baskets. That has got to be some legit dim sum.



: Mid Day Refreshments :



Valhalla
815 9th Ave, New York, NY 10019

Hopping on over to Hell's Kitchen, we stopped by Valhalla to quench our thirst after sifting through the flea markets. Surprisingly, the prices were pretty decent. Since we didn't have to drive, we made sure we quenched our thirst right and proper.



: Dinner:



Gahm Mi Oak
43 W 32nd St, New York, NY 10001

Our hotel is a stone's throw from Koreatown in Midtown NYC. We randomly walked into one of the many restaurants, but I believe they would all have been just as good. I love bibimbap and was pleasantly surprised as this one was super delish!



There were other cuisines we were sad we didn't get to try, like Japanese and Thai. But we were able hit the spots we wanted to go most, so in all, it was a really satisfying gastronomic journey for us!

New York New York!

Picture taken from across the Jackie Onassis Reservoir in Central Park.
Here's an overdue post of my recent trip to NYC! I had a fabulous time! The weather was in the mid 70s throughout and we had sunshine for most part of our trip. When it was raining, we sought shelter and wandered around in the museums!

Here are the highlights of our trip in pictures!



We stood in line for rush tickets for a production of Avenue Q! It's an Off Broadway musical about the humans and muppets living on Avenue Q (a less than desirable side of town), trying to find a purpose in life. It's the adult version of Sesame Street, with hit songs like "The Internet is For Porn" and "If You Were Gay". The tunes are so catchy I caught J humming the songs days after we watched it. And mind you, he isn't the musical type of guy! I had missed this production in several cities, and I knew I had to catch it this time! And I wasn't disappointed! We got front row seats at the price of $26.50 apiece when the regular tickets cost anywhere from $40 - $90! Score! Here's a tip if you want to get rush tickets for the same day show. Check out New World Stages for a list of Off Broadway productions, and for its opening hours. Stand in line about an hour before they open, and voila! You're guaranteed a seat in the house! (limited to two per person!)



Birding in Central Park had been on my bucket list for the longest time. I watched a documentary called Birders: The Central Park Effect a while ago, and I knew I had to do this one day. So, check!



Central Park is my favorite spot in NYC. It probably isn't fair to say so, since I've spent only 4 days in the city, but I am in love with the quiet solitude, the calm amongst the hustle and bustle. The air is cooler and fresher. The people are all smiles, and they actually STROLL. J and I walked for a long time, but we managed to cover only about half the park. We wanted to see how many statues we would come across, and we found Alice in Wonderland, amongst others.



What's a trip to NYC without going to Purl in Soho! I bought myself some pretty fabric, which I'd probably hoard and stash aside, instead of putting them to use. I couldn't decide on what to buy because I wanted a little bit of everything. So when I stood in line with a stack of fat quarters, and a none too pleased husband, I was a little sad that I had to go. But my dear fellow crafters, you have to pay them a visit if you're ever in NYC!



The Natural History Museum is absolutely a must see! Well, depending on what you like. The place is so big, we had to pick and choose to see our favorites! My favorites were the section on the dinosaurs and fossils, and the exhibits of the Birds of the World (d-uh). I was so excited I even took pictures of all the dinosaurs and sent them to the kids I usually babysit, because they love dinosaurs too!



Here's the other museum we visited - the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The above picture is a collection of some of my favorites. But this next abstract piece is one that stood out for me. I am drawn by the shapes and colors!


Arboretum by Flashbulb - Stuart Davis





Shopping at Macy's
Traveling between levels on the original wooden escalators from the early 1900s!
We did a quick shopping trip at Macy's and H&M just because they were right next to our hotel. I love H&M, I can't get enough of it because you can stretch your dollar and buy in bulk for less. And not to mention they've got cool stuff. I did a double take when I saw the Macy's building. It stretches one full block and is at least floors of shopping!

Now there's definitely more to write about NYC, but I shall stop here for now. I'm gonna keep all the food pictures for the next post so watch this space!

Start spreading the news....

Via

So my dear blogger friends, I'll be visiting New York City in a week, and I'd like to hear some of your suggestions on what to do, where to go, and food to eat! I pretty much have an itinerary, but I'd like to see some off the beaten track places. If you have any suggestions throw them my way!

I'm so excited!!!

Long haul flight to Singapore

Via

Every time i fly home, I tell myself, never again.

But of course, year after year I buy myself a ticket, and brace for the worst.

Wanna see the itinerary?


Charlotte --> Houston (2 hr 41 min)

Houston --> Moscow (11hr 30 min)

Moscow --> Singapore (10 hr 25 min)

Total distance: 12,065 miles
Total duration: 24hr 36min (28hr 39min with connections)

Before I can even get over the initial jet lag, my two weeks will be up, and there I go again. Back to Charlotte on that nightmarish flight schedule. Why on earth did I move halfway across the world?!!

One major plus point this time is that I am travelling on Singapore Airlines. I don't know if you've had the opportunity to be on this airline, but I'm proud to say it is one of the best, for the following reasons:

1. The Singlish (Singapore English) spoken by the cabin crew make me immediately feel at home. I converse with equally spirited Singlish.

2. Every time I wake from my sleep, it's meal time! They don't give you a chance to feel hungry.

3. Their ultra long complimentary drinks list, ranging from scotch to riesling to Singapore slings. I don't need no sleeping pills, just bring me 5 Bloody Marys and i'll sleep like a baby, I promise.

4. Awesome inflight entertainment -- I watched 2 movies, 2 documentaries and created my own playlist which included Regina Spektor! Who?

Except that i think I broke my inflight entertainment from pushing the buttons too much. Then I was reduced to reading on my Kindle, and having depleted my battery 10 hours later, I contemplated on demanding an upgrade to business class. But I didn't think they'd buy it, so I weighed my options and settled on subjecting myself to heavy drinking (which I don't mind one bit!) It was La-la-land, pretty much after!



P.S. I'm typing this in the dead of the night, just because jet lag is unforgiving.


Sweet dreams, my friends.

The face I miss...

This was taken on our trip to Cebu, Philippines a few years ago,
with a bottle of local rum in my hands. Oh yeah!

So this is Day 11.

J and I have been chatting on Skype almost everyday. Sometimes we miss each other on Skype because he is 12 hours ahead. So i'm in bed by the time he is online. But we manage to talk pretty frequently.

He is in Bohol, Philippines. Before he left, I tried to get him into my work to get some travel shots (at least just a tetanus shot!), or just some medication to take with him. Two hours before his appointment, he cancelled on me, and i was FUMING MAD. He just doesn't believe in vaccinations.

So with a heart heavy, I say a little prayer every day, hoping he'll be safe and sound until he returns.

But already, he has ...

1. eaten a local fare called balut (OH-EM-GEE!) do you dare eat this? according to him, it just tastes like egg.

2. rented a scooter and fell while riding it.

3. stepped on a sea urchin in the sea.


One day during our Skype conversation, I said "I TOLD YOU SO". But he had anticipated my response and had hit the 'Mute' button so he didn't have to hear me say it.

"Say what?"

Cheeky bugger.

I'm halfway through and hanging in there. Now he tells me he's going to take a short flight to Cambodia to see Angkor Wat. The nurses at work scare me with malaria stories. Thanks J! I just need one more thing to worry about.

Memorial Day Weekend at the Chadbourne Farm

How was your Memorial weekend?

I had tons of fun visiting my in-laws at their temporary residence on Chadbourne Farm in Hoffman, NC. Hoffman is in Asheboro, near the towns of Southern Pines and Pinehurst. It's a rider's paradise as there are many trails and ranches. My father-in-law had arranged for some riding lessons for us.



Here's me and my buddy Ace, who was ever so patient with me learning to ride. I don't look too confident in the picture! At one point I was telling him to stop and go at the same time! But he was a very steady and gentle horse who's used to beginner riders, so when in doubt, he would stop when I was giving him crazy mixed signals. Such a well trained horse! I think he's a Tennessee Walker, I'm not too sure. I'm also proud to say I actually saddled my own horse before I rode!




Here's the cosy living area we lounged at.




This was our room for the weekend. Isn't it pretty?



And there are charming little nooks and crannies just like this all over the house. I loved it! It would be such a dream to live on a farm, tending to horses, growing veggies in the yard, crafting and quilting the day away!


Be sure to check out Chadbourne Farm if you're in the area! I'm not done exploring the area so I'll be back sometime soon!

i'm sitting at my computer now because a friend just called to cancel his meet-up with me. i was pretty ok with that, seeing how i have a TO-DO list sitting on my dresser, i think i better tackle it before it grows. And it grows so quickly!

it's not fair that i should have a to-do list on my vacation.

but. i am bridesmaid to my dearest friend E this sunday. on top of that, she just told me that I am going to be the English emcee (Master of ceremonies) for her wedding dinner reception, so now i have to write a script, so my Mandarin emcee counterpart can translate.

so. i. need. to. stop. procrastinating.


the list looks something like that:


1. write script and email B.
2. email other bridesmaids the morning gatecrashing itinerary (i'll have LOTS to post about this chinese wedding tradition!)
3. collect contact lenses.
4. design and make a stamp for my etsy shop. (excited! but NOT ENOUGH TIME!!! arrrrgh)
5. buy baking stuff
6. make an appt for mani, pedi and brazilian wax.



would you take a look at Number 5? I think i'm getting way out of my league trying to bake a birthday cake for my mom. but i will try. because i know she'll love it. and since i'm singapore anyway, she probably won't read my blog till it's past her birthday.




Via



and all i want is to sit on the beach and read my new book.

thank you all for the lovely vacay wishes! i will shower some blog love after the 22nd! xoxo


P.s. i think i just ate what looked suspiciously a deer hoof tendon in my soup.