Reminiscing: 2009 in Food

I may not have traveled to too many places this year, but I sure as hell ate a lot. There were a lot of heavy hitters this year, and I'm always grateful that friends and family are there to share the bounty with me. Here are highlights of some of the restaurants I hit up there past year:

Momofuku Ssam Blue Hill at Stone Barn Cookshop L20 Pazzia Aziza
Fuki Sushi Dynasty The Jade The Spotted Pig dbBistro Moderne Santa Ramen
Spruce Ad Hoc Hog Island Oyster Company Commis SGD Tofu House GreensIno Sushi Alinea Out the Door Home Spruce Morimoto Chow Matsugen Le Bernadin

Cafe Boulud Tipsy Parson Kaygetsu A16 Barbuto La Mar Ubuntu

And here are some other food-related fun facts

Most consumed beverage - Quad soy lattes. Ack.

Longest meal - 4-hour dinner at Alinea. It started at 10 and wrapped up around 2 in the morning. Damn, I get tired just thinking about it.

Best in-flight meal - (no winner) - For the second year in a row, there have been no winners in this formerly-favourite category of mine. Domestic carriers suck.

Best dish - (3-way tie) "Deconstructed" pork belly at The Spotted Pig; Kobe Steak with "A1 steak sauce" powder at Alinea; "Off-menu" sea urchin pasta with caviar at Le Bernadin.
Best meal, period. - Blue Hill at Stone Barn. Nevermind that there was no menu. Nevermind that you order wine before you know what the heck you're going to eat. Flawless execution and fresher-than-fresh product makes the meal the best one I had all year.

Best "I'm surprised I'm full" meal - Dinner at Ubuntu, where everything was vegetarian. I still dream about their gnocchi "carbonara". Fake bacon never tasted so good.

Most elaborate meal - That would be, of course, Alinea. Did I mention it took 4 hours?

Best food with a view - Outstanding in the Field's meal at Half Moon Bay by Aziza chef Mourad Lahlou. Where else would your dinner be interrupted because the tide soaked a few guests and one woman "fell" in the water with her purse?

Best meal for watching food porn - Grab a seat at the Chef's Counter at Commis. You will never see tweezers the same way again.

Most overwhelming dining experience - My first-ever American Thanksgiving meal. Y'all are hardcore. There were 7 pies at the dinner I went to, which only had 14 guests.

Coolest fan-girl moment - meeting David Chang with George at work :)

Most overused protein - Pork belly

Most underrated protein - Tripe

Next protein to become overexposed in 2010: Beef cheek

And there you have it. Coming in 2010...Momofuku Ko (gotta get my act together), Momofuku chicken dinner, Manresa, Quince redux, modern, and maybe it's time to hit up Daniel?

Reminiscing: 2009 in travel

2009 was a decidedly aggressive year in travel for me -- not like the multi-country-hopping-in-5-days-esque craziness of yesteryear (oh yes, good ol' 2006) -- but in the sheer volume and repetitiveness of where I flew and how often I flew. If you watched Up in the Air, well, that was my life in 2009, minus the George Clooney and the sad middle American destinations. It's also the first year in probably a decade (!?) that I did not leave the continental North America. At all. And I still made it to 1K. Yes, that's how much I flew.

So here are 2009's (very short list of) cities in no particular order. Yes, this is really the whole list. Sad, eh (especially when compared to this)?

San Francisco Park City New York City Chicago Sacramento
Napa Los Angeles Beacon Vancouver

Miles flown - 113,570

Other ways to think about that how far that is - It's about halfway to the moon. Or 10 roundtrips to Hong Kong from the west coast. Or driving from SF to Mountain View and back, 1,419 times.

Most frequented route - No brainer on this one. JFK-SFO. And then in reverse. Every week for 6 months straight.

Shortest trip - 8 hours in LA. Took the 8pm flight from SFO, came back on the 6am flight the next morning. I didn't even touch the bed in my hotel room. The things we do for work.

Best frequent traveler perks - I get the same room at the Four Seasons every time, stocked with a fridge, humidifier, and all of the luggage & George's stuff that we store there permanently. They also give George bottles of Fiji Water. I get the same white Camry (not just the car type, but the actual car) from Hertz, even though I only paid for a Corolla.

Best frequent traveler perk that went away this year - Westin Heavenly Quilts on United's Premium Service flights in Biz & First Class. Apparently Westin ended the partnership. So now we're back to crappy blankets. Or bringing my own.

Weirdest thing I learned about airport security - They'll pat you down, and turn your stuff inside out, but they will never, ever touch your dog.

Worst travel experience - (Tied) Flying post-shoulder surgery with a giant sling that you can't take off or move. Dealing with the Canadian airport security post-Christmas terrorism attempt.

Coolest place I visited - The town of Beacon in the Hudson River Valley, home to awesome art galleries, and the DIA:Beacon.

Cool places I was supposed to visit but didn't because of work - Japan, Helsinki, Stockholm, Madrid, Copenhagen, and Lisbon.

Best room service experience - Judy came over to the FS Palo Alto for a sleepover and we ordered some fries. They came cold (okay, lukewarm) so we asked for replacements, and the manager brought them up himself, on a silver platter, naturally.

Worst excuse for a hotel - Crown Cabana in Mountain View. The curtains had a binder clip on them to keep them closed, and the sink was about a foot too short for me, even though I'm only 5'4".

Coolest thing I did on a plane (or many planes) - Launched the first-ever inflight online scavenger hunt, Day in the Cloud, with Virgin America, and gave everyone free wifi for the day.

The first half of 2010 is looking a lot like a repeat of the last six months, but there are some exciting events ahead including Sundance and the 2010 Winter Olympics! Here's to friendlier skies and safe travels!

Reminiscing: 2009 in words

It wasn't quite an annus horribilis, but I'll be the first to admit that at times, it felt that way. 2009 has been a trying year, to say the least, and while there's a lot to be thankful for, I can't say that I'll miss it too much when it disappears in a few short hours. So to kickstart the annual "Reminiscing" series, here are the words to sum up 2009:

George - probably the most profound impact on my life this year came in the form of a now-9-pound fluffball named George. He's taught me a lot about life and the world: that pleasure can be derived from the simplest things, and there aren't too many problems in life that can't be solved by a nap or a nice long walk.

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose - Yep, this one made it back on my list again this year, and then some. I know better now. Here's to a smarter, better 2010, without the same ol' drama of yesteryears.

Empire State of Mind - I know this song became every New Yorker's anthem this year, and in 2009, I became a New Yorker, too, sorta. There's still a lot to learn and love about this great town, and I hope to make more time for it in 2010.

Blessings - They come in all shapes and sizes...congrats to everyone who had babies, got married, got engaged, or were just plain blessed this year. Thanks for letting me share in your blessings and happiness.

Home is where the love is - Never felt more true than in 2009, where I basically became bicoastal/nomadic for 9 months out of 12. Not sure if there's any end in sight, but I'm grateful for the friends and family who continue to support and love me, even when I have no idea which time zone I'm in, or which "home" I'll be crashing at that night.

I think my personal theme for 2010 will be "starting fresh" -- in many, many ways. Au revoir, 2009, I don't think I'll miss you too much.

P.S. Stay tuned for Food and Travel reminiscing...

Reminiscing: NYC then and now

Yesterday I stepped foot inside the Hilton NYC again, eleven years after the first time I went with my grade 11 classmates for Model United Nations. Eleven years ago, it was the first time I visited New York City, and we were staying at the Hilton for the duration of our trip. Everything about that trip was exciting -- being in the one of the biggest cities in the world with your closest friends, boyfriend, and even a teacher or two. I remembering shooting one of my first photo essays in New York on that trip: the requisite Time Square shot, a homeless lady on a park bench, and a pedestrian weaving his way through a sea of cabs. Little bits and pieces of that trip come back to me now and again...getting ramen, hiding people in the bathroom during bed-check, that little black Armani...

Fast forward to today...things have changed in ways I could not have predicted. This time around, I was at the Hilton to attend a tradeshow for work. New York City is no longer a stranger to me. The city, while still exciting, has be become a tangible reality, as opposed to this almost-mythical place appearing only in movies and TV shows. Other than SF and Vancouver, it's probably the next city that I know best. And yet, there's so much more to be discovered. 

I've been to NYC over twenty times since that fateful trip in grade 11. But this current trip will be the longest consecutive stay I've ever had.  There's something almost fateful about that, but that's a whole different post. All I can say is, I <3 NYC. And there will always be a special place in my heart for this city.

Reminiscing: 2008 in food

And I thought 2007 couldn't be topped...but alas, 2008 turned out to be one of the most phenomenal culinary adventures of all time, including not one, but two 3-Michelin star restaurants (and correspondingly, two of the most expensive meals I've ever paid for). To make up for all the caloric intake, I did pick up a Wii Fit to try to work it all off...not sure it's working yet. Anyway, let's get to the list (in no particular order):

Matsuhisa Joel Robouchon at the Mansion A16 Le Pigeon SPQR Hominy Grill The Farm Espetus Farmicia Cav Park Avenue Summer Ted's Bakery Clary's Salumi Buddakan (Philadelphia) Digestif Cha-Bella Restaurant Zoe Aziza Per Se New Sammy's Cowboy Bistro Memphis Minnie's South Stumptown Coffee COCO500 Momofuku Ssam Voodoo Doughnuts Giovanni's Shrimp Truck Bon Chon Lady & Sons Beverly Soon Tofu Park Fora Elizabeth on 37th Lu's Kitchen the girl & the fig Quince Alan Wong's The Herb Box Giordano's

Wow. And that's just some of the more memorable / travel-related places!

Most disappointing canceled food product - Starbucks almond syrup. It's gone, along with my favourite drink of all time -- iced tall almond soy latte. :( They tell me that it'll be back this Februrary with a "limited edition" drink, but still, the damage has been done.

Longest lines for a local favourite - (tied 3-way) Voodoo Doughnuts in Portland, Oregon, Giovanni's Shrimp Truck on Oahu, and sandwiches at Salumi (yes, Mario Batali's family's place) in Seattle, Washington.

Most random location for a gourmet meal - that would be, without a doubt, New Sammy's Cowboy Bistro in Talent, Oregon. Located near the home of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, this place is literally in the middle of nowhere, with some of the best locally-sourced ingredients and gourmet cuisine.

Best celebrity chef encounter - Chef Joel Robouchon, at his restaurant Joel Robouchon at the Mansion at MGM in Vegas. Apparently, Chef has "just arrived from Tokyo" and took the time to chitchat and pose for a picture with us. Awesome.

Most random celebrity 'encounter' - That would be Miss Lindsay Lohan herself at Matsuhisa in LA, not too long after she was "cleaned up". She *did* spend a lot of time in the bathroom...suspicious.

Best decor - (tied) the downtown location of Stumptown Coffee in Portland, and Joel Robouchon at the Mansion. The former was a great example of industrial chic, and the latter was the most luscious "living room" I've ever been in, complete with beautifully upholstered banquettes and dark purple floral arrangements throughout.

Most elaborate meal - (tied) 16 courses at Joel Robouchon vs. 10 (?) at Per Se. There were four courses just dedicated to truffle alone at JR. Two of the best restaurants in the country (and in the world), two of the best meals of my life.

Weirdest thing I ate that I really liked - the bacon maple bar from Voodoo Doughnuts. Basically a maple-glazed long john-shaped doughnut with a piece of bacon on top. Awesome. Addictive.

Best eating trip - the Pacific Northwest road trip in July takes the cake. Some of the best the Pacific Northwest has to offer including Le Pigeon, The Farm, New Sammy's Cowboy Bistro and much much more.

Best dessert - this is somewhat unexpected, but I'm going to have to go with the buttermilk pie at Hominy Grill in Charleston, NC. It's not fancy, and it's not fussy, but it was damn good.

Best meal for under a dollar - Turkish pide (flatbread with meat and potatoes inside) from a random store in Istanbul for 1 lira...that's like 60 cents.

Favourite place where I ate repeatedly on the same trip - The Herb Box at DC Ranch in Scottsdale. Awesome sandwiches and salads, and the desserts aren't half bad either. Mmmm cheesecake lollipops...

Coolest "perk" in a meal - the tour of the Per Se kitchen and private dining room after our dinner. Did you know that they have a room dedicated (and climate-controlled) just to making chocolate?! And that the entire French Laundry (dining room and kitchen) can fit into just the kitchen at Per Se?

Favourite protein of the year - pork belly. Hands down.

What culinary adventures does 2009 bring? Not sure yet, but a few places I have my eye on: Alinea (Chicago) , Sukiyabashi Jiro (Tokyo), Momofuku Ko (NYC) and many many more...

Reminiscing: 2008 in travel

Another year of crazy plane-hopping, jetsetting, and general travel mayhem. I think this year, there was generally more restraint and more domestic-ness in my travels. I did my first ever day-trip to LA for work, and even flew coach to Europe. (Don't try it at home...babies and people who kick your seat for 14 hours straight suck.) Didn't make it back to 1K, but at least I'll be Premier Exec again next year. :)

So here are 2008's cities in no particular order:

Tahoe Honolulu Savannah Portland Orlando New York City Boston Munich Las Vegas Vancouver Charleston Whistler Flagstaff Scottsdale Napa Seattle Klamath Istanbul Ashland Phoenix Albuquerque Sonoma Grand Canyon Los Angeles Denver Chicago Frankfurt Arcadia Mcminnville Kaneohe

Miles flow - 51,509

Most surprising hotel - W Istanbul. Cooler, hipper, and way less tired-looking than any of its Stateside cousins. They really *do* do things differently in Europe.

Most random flight itinerary - SFO - Denver - Orlando - Chicago - Portland - SFO. Ew. The things we do for work.

Shortest trip - 12 hours in LA. Took the 6am flight out, and came home on the 6pm flight. Again, the things we do for work.

Longest trip (without a plane) - 10-day road trip up the Pacific Northwest. I love the Pacific Northwest!

Most nerve-racking travel moment - (tied) Locking the keys in the trunk of a car during said road trip (I had to climb through the luckily-open sun roof to pop the trunk) in Ashland. Being almost run off the road coming back from the Grand Canyon in the middle of the night by a giant trucker going 90MPH. Uphill. My crappy rental PT Cruiser didn't stand a chance.

Most awkward place to visit - Albuquerque, New Mexico. Went there for a friend's wedding -- turns out that every other Asian person we saw at the airport, the restaurants, and the city were all there for the same wedding.

Most awkward tourist attraction - Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia. It was eerily beautiful, and extremely popular due to the book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. But I still felt like I was trespassing the entire time I was there.

Most visited cities this year (and frequency) - Vancouver & New York City (3), Los Angeles, Boston & Las Vegas (2)

Shortest time between 2 continents - 15 minutes. We went from Europe to Asia in just 15 minutes on a ferry in Istanbul. There was no "Welcome to Asia" sign on the other side. I was disappointed.

Most thematic tourist destination - Ashland, Oregon. Home of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, almost every hotel, restaurant and store in town is named after something Bard-related, including the Best Western Bard's Inn.

All beds, and breakfasts, too - This year, I finally took advantage of the actual breakfast portion of B&B (unlike last year). My two favourites would be Morical House in Ashland for its contemporary modern design and yummy food, and the A'Tuscan Estate in Mcminnville for its delicious gourmet breakfasts (ostrich egg omelets!).

Best "3 Days or Less..." destination - Well, it was more like 4 days, but Istanbul, Turkey takes the cake. So it's a bit crazy to fly halfway around the world for 4 days, but hey, why not?

This year, I'll probably be taking it easy due to my shoulder recovery. But there are still some interesting travel destinations on the horizon...including my first Sundance in January, maybe cherry blossoms in Japan in March, and some eating trips here and there. :)

Reminiscing: 2008 in words

Another year. Wow. I always love doing the "Reminiscing" series of posts each year...especially since that's how I first started this blog. In addition to the usual "Travel" and "Food" reminiscing, I wanted to add a new category this year -- "Words" -- general thoughts and words about the year that don't fit into the travel or food categories.

So here goes:

Slow down - my new motto for the year. Slow down so you don't trip and fall and end up having shoulder surgery. Slow down so you don't give yourself a concussion in the bathroom mirror. Slow down in general.

Happily ever after. But not for everyone - Congrats to many friends who tied the knot this year, especially to Mendel and Derek. While I'm still shocked and dismayed that Prop 8 passed in California, I'm so glad that M&D were able to get married in Boston. My hope for 2009 is that *everyone* can tied the knot and live happily ever after as they choose.

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose - Still working on this one. Still complicated. Still somewhat unresolved.

Recession - ouch. Horrible year in 2008 for money and all things investing related. How it will actually affect us remains to be seen in 2009.

Obama - almost made me want to be American! (Emphasis on the word "almost") I love his mind *and* his body (LOL). Well done, Americans.

3 Days or Less... - new blog. New identity. New outlet!

Angels - never underestimate the presence of angels in your life. They are present in friends and family members all around you. I'm grateful to all of you that have helped me out in some way/shape/form this year. Thank you.

2009, here we come!

P.S. Travel and Food reminiscing to follow...stay tuned!

Reminiscing: 2007 in food

Wow. I ate a lot this year.

(And as proof that karma exists, I also had a lot more stomach "issues" this year as well.)

But even for my standards, this was a memorable year in food. There were lots of the oldies but goodies, hole-in-the-wall type places mixed in with some extraordinary, once (or maybe several) in a lifetime Michelin-starred meals that simply blew my mind, and stomach away. I decided that I really liked the city name collage for my travel post, so let's try one for restaurants! Of course, unlike the travel ones, I can't actually name all of the restaurants I've been to this year, so consider these to be highlights.

Mama's Fish House Blue Elephant Esoffier Comerç 24 Perbacco Pazzia Zazie Can Fabes American Bounty Family Fortune Grand Honour Hot Pot Cafe 100 The Jade The French Laundry Meric
Sala Rim Naam Hog Island Oyster Company Da Kitchen Tofu House
Ke'ei CafeTwo Ladies' Kitchen Shanghai Dumpling House Slanted Door Home St. Andrew's 'Wichcraft Tao Town Hall Gary Danko Spruce Tangerine MarketBar Morimoto Chow

And here are some other food-related tidbits worth mentioning:

Most consumed beverage - (tie) Starbucks iced tall almond soy latte, Coke Zero

Longest meal - 4-hour lunch at the 3-star Can Fabes in Sant Celoni (outside Barcelona). It was a 13-course "menu du surprise", which I think requires no translation.

Cheapest meal - Pho and iced coffee all for $1 at Pho 24 in Hanoi. And it was served in under 5 minutes.

Best in-flight meal - (no winner) - This is usually one of my favourite categories, but alas, I flew pretty crappy airlines this year so even the business class meals couldn't legitimately make this list.

Most random foods to drive long distances to eat - (tie) Loco moco at Cafe 100, and hand-made mochi's from Two Ladies' Kitchen, both in Hilo, Hawaii.

Weirdest foods - Surprisingly, they were both consumed in the same meal during the tasting menu at Meric in Siem Reap, Cambodia. The winners were fried snake salad, and frog-on-a-stick -- not the more palatable frog lollipops that you may see in French restaurants consisting of parts of a frog skewered, I'm talking the whole damn frog, breaded and fried and skewered whole. Lovely.

Most elaborate meal - That would, of course, be the French Laundry.

Best breakfast foods - (tie) I would kill for either pastries from Bouchon in Yountville, or a chocolate pastry puff thing from Pinxto Cafe inside La Boqueria Market in Barcelona.

Best outdoor meal - Picnic lunch up in Tomales Bay with friends and shucking through 100 oysters fresh from Hog Island Oyster Company.

Food worth risking deportation to smuggle into the country - Iberico ham. I should smuggled some back from Spain. Some nights I still dream about it...

And so there it was...2007 was definitely a year to exercise my inner (and outer) foodie. 2008 brings more exciting eating adventures -- there are more 3-star places on my list (Joel Robouchon, Per Se), more ridiculous but must try places (Masa), and the return of some perennial favourites (Matsushita, Spruce)...and the list goes on!

Reminiscing: 2007 in travel

Another year already? Admittedly, I haven't been exactly prolific in my blogging this past year, except for those 7 or 8 weeks in the fall when I wasn't, well, either working or sick, or working while sick. This year was a much less stellar year in terms of miles traveled (only about 70,000, didn't make it to 1K on United -- ack! No more red carpet for me!), but in terms of life experiences and perspective, it's definitely got a one-up on 2006.

Cities visited in 2007 (in no particular order) -- in an homage to the Facebook / TripAdvisor variable-sized text format:

Barcelona Hyde Park Hong Kong Las Vegas Orlando Bangkok Albany New York Frankfurt Hanoi Siem Reap Maui Point Reyes Monterey Napa Detroit Cambria Kailua-Kona Manassas Carmel Hilo Macao Bangkok Chiang Mai Vancouver Yountville Denver San Diego Washington DC
Ann Arbor San Simeon

Some particularly memorable moments:

All beds and no breakfasts - stayed at not one but two B&B's this year, one for night, and another for a week and still managed to not eat a single breakfast. The two places were the Maison Fleurie in Yountville and the Journeys Inn in Hyde Park. Both were excellent and highly recommended. Not so sure about the breakfasts though.

The upgrade of a lifetime - that would be the Peninsula Hotel in Bangkok. We booked two regular rooms, and got upgraded to one of the penthouse suites in the hotel (the hotel was sold out), complete with formal dining room, a separate entrance for 'the help', and a jacuzzi on the wraparound balcony / patio with panoramic views of Bangkok. I mean, what else would you have on your patio? My parents are still talking about this one.

The most un-vacation-like vacation - the Pastry Boot Camp at the Culinary Institute of America. Lectures at 7am, baking in the bakeshop by 8am. And yet I loved every moment of it.

Most "duh" moment - going to Hawaii (Maui, to be precise) for the first time. Ever. Closely followed by the second time (Big Island). Why didn't anyone tell me about this place?!

Best last minute getaway - Barcelona. Planned only 2 weeks in advance. 4 days of all-out Spanish goodness. Doesn't get better than that.

Biggest luxury - Time. Taking 2 months off this year really helped to put life in perspective. And gives a whole new meaning to work/life balance.

Hardest farewell - You know who you are. It's been one crazy roller coaster ride these last couple of years, but it just wasn't in the cards for us. It's been fun traveling the world with you. Take care of yourself, and goodbye.

And with that, 2008 starts with a bang! First up, Honolulu (island #3 of 5 in my Hawaiian adventures), closely followed by LA, Vancouver, and Vegas. And who knows what other travel adventures await this year!