Camera Shots

Camera phones are so convenient to use. To minimize the bulk in my purse, I sometimes prefer to just take my phone.

During my few weeks in the states, I had my camera phone next to me to take a few pictures of food related scenery and products.

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Lunch in Yuen Long

Hong Kong is like my second home in Asia. There's so much of the city that I have yet to discover. On my last trip, I spent a couple extra days with my best friend who showed me around Yuen Long. Yuen Long is a town in New Territories that still feels like old Hong Kong. It's full of markets all throughout the day and night. People are constantly eating!

By getting lost in finding this restaurant, I was able to walk through a lot of the town. It's so cool how many restaurants and food stalls there are here. And when we finally found this particular restaurant, it was well worth the confusion.

Sichuan Potato Noodles. It's translucent and very chewy. The texture is almost like eating a firmer rice cake. As for the spice, we ordered level 2 of 5. I cannot imagine what 5 would be like!! I was already crying and sweating from this level 2. But it was so good. I'm growing to like spicier and spicier foods. It makes you hungrier for more to eat. Thankfully, I also ordered soy milk. Wow, that really helped relieve my palate and cool me down.

Following the meal, I was taken to the food stalls to enjoy some milk tea at a teahouse (which is featured here). It was a nice, small glass that I savored. This is probably best milk tea I have tasted so far!

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Neighborhood Korean Restaurant

About a month ago I watched a National Geographic special about the customs and traditions of Korean cuisine. There's a balance to the meal - that yin and yang. The food consist of a colorful and bountiful display. And the flavors play with all your taste perceptions - salty, sweet, sour, bitter, and spicy.

I needed to eat some quality Korean food after seeing this show! So for one of our first meals here in Las Vegas, we tried a new Korean restaurant right in our neighborhood. I love it when there's a great restaurant so close to home!

Soyo Korean Barstaurant is such a fun place to get quality and authentic Korean cuisine! Just note, the portions are huge! Even if it's in the "Tapas" section of the menu, it's actually entree sized. The prices are really reasonable, too. I can't wait to go back to try more of their menu selections.

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Back in Taipei

My parents and I flew to Taipei for another short stay. We stayed at the same hotel, Palais de Chine, because of its great service and cleanliness. Thanks to the director of rooms, we were welcomed back with open arms.

Since we had to get up early each morning, we decided to have dinner closer to our hotel, if not, in our hotel. So on the first night, we enjoyed their Cantonese restaurant, Le Palais.

We dined on one of the set menus which had eight courses (and unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of the fish course - it was excellent, though). This meal was a great opener to the beginning of our trip.

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Hotel Food in Yangshuo

For our last two lunches in Yangshuo, we decided to eat at our hotel for two reasons: 1) Our breakfasts in the past couple mornings have been surprisingly good; and 2) We didn't want to waste time driving into the center of town and wandering for a place to eat. We wanted to maximize our time after lunch.

Just like with breakfast, our lunches were satisfying. All the ingredients tasted like they either came fresh from the market or straight from the farms. The execution of the food was delicious, too. On top of the that, we enjoyed eating in a nice atmosphere with the most beautiful view of the mountains.

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This post concludes my trip to Yangshuo! On to the next adventure!

Hokkaido Rice Pizza

Another trip to my favorite food city - Hong Kong! We hit up our usual spots (Ye Shanghai, Sen-ryo, Ippei-an, and Honeymoon Dessert). Then we expanded our stomachs to try several new places, too. All in one weekend. (Weeks later, and I'm still trying to lose the weight from SF and HK...)

Last trip, we came across this fun looking restaurant, Hokkaido Rice Pizza, in Causeway Bay. This trip, we went to Causeway Bay just to try it out. It's a fun concept of pizza toppings on rice instead of dough. The menu is also filled with pastas, desserts, and drinks. Overall it was nice to try it out, but I'm not so sure if I'll be a repeat customer. Hong Kong is filled with great eats. If a place doesn't give me that wow-factor, I'll be less likely to go back for a second visit.

Iced Matcha
Iced green tea with milk. Yum! A full milky, green tea taste that's not too sweet.

Curry Seafood Rice Pizza
A slight Japanese curry taste. Pretty tasty, but it didn't "wow" me. The concept definitely overshadowed the execution.

Hokkaido Milk with Egg White
A dessert that wasn't too sweet and a bit on the bland side.

Matcha Parfait
Green Tea Parfait. Tasty green tea ice cream!

Mekong Delta Tour: Day Two - The Food!

We woke up the next day eager for the continuation of our tour and for more great eats.

Floating Restaurant
This lady was heading towards the floating houses around lunchtime.

Chau Doc Market
From the previous day, our guide learned that we enjoyed visiting local markets. We stopped by the Chau Doc Market before leaving the town. They had a huge variety of goods and they filled the streets.

This is one of my favorite pictures from the trip. We searched the place to take a picture of local French bread. When we found this location, we took pictures of her and her bread, much to her delight.

Lunch Stop
On the drive down to Can Tho, we stopped by a town halfway along the drive for a traditional Vietnamese hot pot lunch. It was a kind of place that Anthony Bourdain would go to.

Lemon Soda
A nice, cold refreshing glass of lemon juice with soda to contrast the heat of the hot pot.

Vietnamese Hot Pot
The broth is made from fish paste. It was an all seafood pot with white fish, shrimps, and squid. The fresh vegetables provided more flavors, freshness, and crisp textures. We were also given rice noodles instead of rice. I really enjoyed this dish!

Lemongrass and Turmeric Chicken
Aside from our generous serving of hot pot, we were also given this dish. It was nicely seasoned and flavored. A great dish to eat with a bowl of rice.

Coconut Juice Jello
A refreshing and light end to the meal.

Coffee Break
Across the street from our hotel was a restaurant and coffee house, Hop Pho. Since we arrived in the early afternoon, we took an iced coffee break before thinking about dinner. Another successful glass of Vietnamese Iced Coffee.

Nam Bo
This was our last night in Vietnam, so the decision of where to eat for dinner was important to us. We decided on this place because of the atmosphere and the menu. Next door was a restaurant with a similar and cheaper menu, but the atmosphere wasn't as welcoming. Nam Bo is a two story restaurant with a French colonial villa interior. We were fortunate to grab a seat on the outside balcony to enjoy the night time river view. Overall, the meal was so enjoyable and a great last dinner in Vietnam.

The Beer Pairing
Dai Viet Via Den. Vietnamese Black Beer. It's decent. It was a nice change from the lighter beers, but the flavor was still mild. The crispness was refreshing and paired well with the foods.

Sweet and Sour Fish Soup with Tamarind
A delicious warm start to the meal. Sweet and sour soup is another Vietnamese specialty. I loved the okra and the fresh white fish.

Fried Rolls, Can Tho Style
The wrapper made this dish different from the standard rice paper used for fried rolls. Nicely fried and crispy!

Fried Frogs Legs
This was fried like fish and chips. Another fun plate!

Pork in Claypot with Coconut Juice
This was a comfort-dish served with steamed rice.

Vanilla Ice Cream with Baileys

Bananas Flambee
Great presentation! The server poured the liquor into the ladle, then lit it at our table. Fun!

Quan An Ngon

Before going on a trip, I usually research locals eats in the New York Times Travel section. The Times recommended Quan An Ngon. After reading about it in our guide books as well, we set out to have lunch there. This is a must try if you're a visitor or local in Saigon. The setting is beautiful, the variety of food choices is plentiful, and the food itself is authentic and delicious.

The Atmosphere
The design and decorations of the restaurant combine both French Colonial and Vietnamese. It's tasteful and classy.





The "Kitchen"
The concept of this restaurant is that all the kitcken prep and cooking is done outdoors, visible to the diners. It takes the street vendors into a classy restaurant setting. It's such a great, fun idea!






Pomelo Juice
Fresh blended pomelo, with sugar and ice.

Iced Coffee
I don't think I had one iced coffee that was disappointing. I need to buy a Vietnamese coffee drip filter so I can start making some of that at home.

Green Papaya Salad with Sliced Pig Ears
Topped with Peanuts, Basil, and Chilis. This came with a fish sauce-citrus dressing. Tasty and refreshing!

Fried Vietnamese Spring Rolls
These were probably the best fried spring rolls of the trip! A thin crispy wrapper filled with a little pork, glass noodles, and vegetables. Dipped in fish sauce. Mmm!

Vietnamese Pork Satay
A tasty marinade and a delicious grilled flavor.

Che Suong Sa Hot Luu
Coconut milk, tapioca pearls, water chestnuts, jelly worms, and crushed ice. Such a fun dessert! It reminded me of a less sweet version of the Filipino Halo Halo dessert.

Fried Bananas
The batter was cooked all the way through, and the frying wasn't oily. Deliciously crispy and steaming hot!