Chicken Kara-age... At Home!

I loove chicken kara-age (Japanese style fried chicken)! So when my brother said he'll make it at home for dinner, I was excited! Meals at home keep getting better and better!

He made a complete meal with lots of vegetables. Ever since I traveled to Thailand in February, I'm always looking for more vegetables with my meal. His chicken kara-age was soo good! And I'm not saying that because he's my brother.... Actually, we all love joking each other so I normally wouldn't say that, haha... But really, such a fantastic dinner at home!

Check out http://www.flickr.com/photos/angelasibal/sets/72157625570726004/ if you can't see the slideshow here.

Visiting Home!

I'm off to my next trip... home! I'm visiting my hometown of San Francisco and the Bay Area for a few days this week, and again for all of next week! I'm excited to hit up my favorite restaurants and the new ones that have opened up this year.

I'll have updated posts this weekend before heading back to SF for the following week. While I'm out, I'll be posting up mobile pictures on my Facebook and Twitter pages!

It's the food that you grow up with that are the most comforting and welcoming. I can't wait to reunite with some of my favorite foods!

Thanksgiving in Vegas

Thanksgiving in America! I flew into the states on Thanksgiving day - which meant dinner was my Thanksgiving feast. Because we were in transit for over 24 hours, we obviously had no time for a home-cooked meal. So, being in Las Vegas, we went to the Strip!

Several restaurants were advertising special menus, including Wolfgang Puck's restaurants. So we went to his Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill at the MGM Grand Hotel. I chose his 3 course Thanksgiving menu. It was all so generous! I totally took home what I couldn't finish. The white turkey meat made for some great sandwiches for the next couple of days. The best part of the meal was definitely dessert - the lightest and creamiest pumpkin pie I've ever eaten! I want to go back to his restaurant to enjoy his classic Chinese Chicken Salad and more of Sherry Yard's desserts.

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Check out my Flickr album if you can't see the slideshow here.

Linguine alle Vongole at Home

I love when a night's dinner menu is created spontaneously in a grocery because of the freshness of the day's ingredients. Walking through Whole Foods can be so inspiring. At the seafood counter, we saw there were some great looking fresh Manila clams. We had to get it. It was so fresh (as in, if you hit the shell a little, the muscle would move inside) that we had to eat it for dinner that night. So what to make with fresh clams? Linguine alle Vongole!

With a tomato, some garlic, parsley, and delicious white wine, the clams were tossed in and steamed to open. Then we mixed in the cooked linguine. The result: A flavorful pasta with dimensions of flavor from the clam juice and the white wine.

To cap the meal, we enjoyed a cheese course, thanks to the great cheese selection at Whole Foods. And, of course, it was paired with some port which is a fantastic way to balance and heighten the experience of a cheese plate.

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Check out my Flickr album if you can't see the slideshow here.

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.

Place your cursor above "Notes" to read a little more about each picture.

Check out my Flickr album if you can't see the slideshow here.