Pickled Pig's Feet

I've been having a pretty smooth pregnancy - no morning sickness and weird cravings until recently.  I was desperately craving my dad's white pickled pig's feet and since he's nearly 3000 miles away, I had no choice but to get the recipe and make my own.   After 4 hours of ordeal and refrigerate overnight, my attempt was a a success! 

Chicken Waffle

Sorry I've been MIA recently.  With trips to Paris and Orlando and wrapping up year-end at work, it's been HECTIC!!  Today, I was craving chicken on waffle and my wonderful hubby made them asap.   He made the fried chicken with panko and matzo meal.   Next to come, pickled pig's feet!!

Maestro Steakhouse and Wildfish Seafood

On my second (or is it third?) trip to Phoenix this year, I went with my team to Maestro Steakhouse and Wildfish Seafood Grille.   Both in Scottsdale and pretty amazing food.  First up, Maestro Steakhouse

 Double-cut Porterhouse

Sides - cream spinach, brussel sprouts, and mac & cheese

We were so full from Maestro that we didn't have room for dessert.   The next day we went to Wildfish Seafood Grille to balance all the meat.  

Appetizer - Calamari and Hot-stone beef

I didn't get to take a pic of my main entree, Hong Kong style steamed chilean sea bass with crab fried rice

Dessert - Pineapple upside down cake



Zuni Cafe

As our date night yesterday, we went to Zuni Cafe to try the famous roasted chicken.  Waited almost 2 hours (reservation and another hour for chicken preparation), we got to try the dish.   It was amazing!!!  Not only was the herbs and seasoning just right, the chicken was incredibly moist, crispy skin, and just mere deliciousness!!



Blue Ribbon Cookbook - home cooking

Recently my hubby (best chef ever!) made the herb-roasted chicken from the Bromberg Bros. Blue Ribbon cookbook.  It was delicious - savory, moist, and great texture.   Potential competitor to Zuni Cafe (see next post)..



Vegas Baby!

I have to say the Vegas probably has the most celebrity chef restaurants per square feet.  Having eaten at a number of them, I have to say that the quality is sub-par.  Perhaps it's the desert environment or potentially that there's so much going on around you, it's hard to concentrate on only food.  
I stayed at the Mandalay Bay and ate at Strip House and Border Grill.  I was quite disappointed in Strip House - ordered the kobe filet and it was not as 'melt-in-your-mouth' steak.   Border Grill on the other hand was quite good.  Went there for lunch and I recommend the following (and some home-made sangria!)

White fish ceviche - on top of crispy rice



Spicy Shrimp Tacos - chipotle shrimp, guacamole, cucumer jicama slaw, and chipotle aioli

Mongolian Hot Pot

I eat a lot and like to try new food.  My fave go-to food of all time is anything that is soup-based.  When I'm sick (or anytime actually), my cure is Mongolian Hot Pot.  Good thing there is a Little Sheep Hot Pot place in San Mateo - don't have to go very far to get better =)

1st Annual San Mateo Moon Festival

I accidently encountered the San Mateo Moon Festival today on my weekly farmer's market trip.  The Mid-Autumn Festival, or the Moon Festival, is held on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese calendar, which is usually around late September or early October in the Gregorian calendar.  This is a time of family gathering usually accompanied by cultural customs such as eating moon cakes, pomelo, and other great food.  I love celebrating moon festival with my family and this is one of the few times that I miss living in NYC. 

Noca

I go to Phoenix for business a few times a year.  I'm pleasantly surprise on the food selection in a desert town that's middle of nowhere.  Due to the popularity of Scottsdale resorts, Phoenix nightlife has been on the rise with top restaurants and celebrity chefs to match.  I recently checked out Noca and thought it was fabulous!!   Here's a taste..

NOCA

3118 E Camelback Rd

Phoenix, AZ 85016

(602) 956-6622

Appetizer - Haricot Verts (crispy poached farm egg, pearl onions, shaved almonds, dijon creme fraiche)

Homemade Pasta - Tagliatelle (farm duck yolk, pancetta, chili, shaved garlic, basil, pecorino toscano)

Main - Petrale Sole (soffrito, parsley pistachio coulis, cauliflower, eggplant caponata, red wine reduction)

Best part - free cotton candy!!

Top 3 Fave Korean Drama

I swear this will be my last posting on Korean dramas.  I'm totally obsessed!!  Been living, breathing, and dreaming about all the kdramas I've been watching.   I'm a sucker for romantic comedies and kdramas are as good as it gets when it comes to romantic comedies.   I've been crying and laughing all weekend and I'm just EXHAUSTED!  Need some rehab for my addiction! 

Here's my all-time FAVE kdrama:
1. Coffee Prince (Yoon Eun Hye and Gong Yoo)
Love love this series!  I've watched it twice already and I laughed and cried harder the second time around.  I can't get enough of the NGs and MVs on youtube! 

Yoon Eun Hye plays the eternal tomboy who after losing her dad at a young age, supported her mom and younger sister by working literally 24 hours a day.  She is independent, strong, and very loyal.   She meets Gong Yoo through a fateful robbery and becomes his 'lover' for matchmaking dates.   Gong Yoo then opens a coffee shop called "Coffee Prince" and hires only good-looking males.  They fall in love and for the details, you'll just have to watch the series. 

The drama is wonderful also because it addresses some tough issues such as homosexuality, sex before marriage, re-marriage, affairs/betrayal, etc. in a very light-hearted way.

2. Full House (Song Hye Kyo and Rain)
This used to be my favorite when I first got hooked on kdrama about 5 years ago.  I've watched this series about 3 times because I just love the couple.  They look so cute together!

The storyline is a bit unrealistic but it's very typical of kdrama.  Song Hye Kyo lost her parents and the only inheritance she has is this house built by her parents.  Her friends manages to sell her house to Rain behind her back.  She persuades Rain to let her stay at the house as a maid.   They fall in love and rest is history.

3. Goong (Yoon Eun Hye and Joo Ji Hoon)
The costumes in this series is amazing!!  The cast members are all really young and cute.  

This is about modern day Korea's royal family (not really sure if they have one).  Due to the king's poor health, the acting monarch decides to marry the prince (Joo Ji Hoon) at a ripe age of 18.  The prior king had already made a matchmaking promise for the prince with his old friend's granddaughter.  That granddaughter is an ordinary gal (Yoon Eun Hye) who happens to go to the same HS as the prince.  Yoon Eun Hye manages to capture the heart of the cold prince by her bubbly yet thoughtful personality. 

Top 5 Fave Korean Actors

I've been watching a ton of kdrama lately due to all the work travels and decided to post my top 5 fave korean actors of all time.   Korea showbiz have some HOT men!!  

TOP 5 Korean Actors - in no particular order:
1. Rain - Full House
2. Kim Bum - Boys Before Flower
3. Goon Yoo - Coffee Prince
4. Kwon Sang Woo - Stairway to Heaven
5. Hyun Bin - My name is Kim Sam Soon

Oahu, Hawaii

Hawaii is one of my favorite places in the world.  I had the opportunity to go to Oahu for work a month ago and had a great time checking out new places to eat.   Here are my favorite eats:

1. Jinroku - teppanyaki
2427 Kuhio Ave, Honolulu, HI 96815; (808) 926-8955
Best teppanyaki place I've been to in the States.  Authentic takoyaki and okonomiyaki.  Portions are meant to be shared so it's tough to go alone.   They also have a great Japanese sake and shochu mix collection.  My fave from Japan is Cassis Oolong. 

2. Sushi Sasabune - omakasei sushi
1417 S King St, Honolulu, HI 96814; (808) 947-3800
This is the first omakasei sushi meal where I couldn't finish the meal.  I was so full, I had to give up with 2 entrees left.  At least I left on a good note, with the lobster!  I've been to the one in West Hollywood and I must say that this one is MUCH better with friendlier sushi chefs and fresher seafood.  Make sure to sit at the sushi bar and make friends with the chef and those around you.

3. Morio's Sushi - my FAVE sushi restaurant - *a MUST GO!*
2443 Kuhio Ave, Honolulu, HI 96815; (808) 741-5121
I LOVE Morio's Sushi!!  This is by far my favorite omakasei sushi place.   No only is the chef and owner, Morio as funny as hell, the seafood is fresh and exotic and the price is unbelievable.   Most memorable sushi was baby abalone.  Omakasei for two came out to only $65!!!  This is a BYOB so do remember to get your drinks before going and make reservation as the place is tini!!

4. Blue Water Shrimp & Seafood Co. - shrimp truck
2145 Kuhio Ave, Honolulu, HI 96815; (808) 926-3532
If you like shrimp truck, this is a must go in Waikiki!  Not only do you not have to drive around the island to Giovanni's, this place have more than shrimp!  I got the shrimp and lobster combo and licked my plate clean.  It's located in a parking lot with other food trucks so if your companion does not want to get seafood, there are other food choices (steak and Mexican) for them.  

5. Giovanni's Shrimp - shrimp truck
Burroughs Rd & Kamehameha Hwy, Kahuku, HI 96731
This is the one place that I try to go to everytime I'm in Hawaii.   My fave is still the regular - garlic scampi.  You can even get half portions to try other flavors.  I tried the spicy and thought the garlic scampi is still my favorite.  There are a lot of other copycats but Giovanni's is the original and still my fave.  The best thing is you can go check out North Shore beaches and head to Matsumoto or Aoki's for shave ice after.

6. Yakiniku Hiroshi - yakiniku with waygu style meat
339 Royal Hawaiian Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96805; (808) 923-0060
A favorite amongst Japanese celebrities, the place is very popular with Japanese tourists.  They offer superb quality beef and pork option that just melts in your mouth.  Portions are small with around 8 thin slices of meat each so keep track of what you order as the bill can be quite high. 

7. Alan Wong's - high-end Hawaiian fusion
1857 S King St, Honolulu, HI 96826; (808) 949-2526
Located on the 3rd floor of an office building, it is by design the hidden gem of Oahu.  The elegant entrees changes with the season and everything just melts in your mouth.  This is by-far my FAVE place for special occasion and it never disappoints.  If you want to go during popular time (such as UH graduation, etc.), make sure to make reservation a month in advance.

8. Aoki's - shave ice
66-117 Kamehameha Hwy, Haleiwa, HI 96715; (808) 637-7017
Located next to Matsumoto's, Aoki's tend to get overshadowed by its more famous neighbor.   In my opinion, the syrup and portion at Aoki's is better and it's nice not to have the long wait.   They do need to update their t-shirt designs so fans can proudly advertise the place.

9. Matsumoto's - shave ice
66-087 Kamehameha Hwy, Haleiwa, HI 96712; (808) 637-4827
Matsumoto's is the tourist's fave and I'm not sure how that came about.  The place always has a long line.  I have to say that the t-shirt options are awesome and I can't leave the place without getting a shirt.  My fave is mango and guava with azuki beans - yum!

Okonomiyaki - Korean or Japanese

The 2nd annual SF Street Food Festival delivered to its promises of good eats.   Contrary to the name, the food was not quite 'street' vendor as one may believe.  Vendors ranged from low to high end restaurants that offered 3 options - small plate, main plate, and drink.   We heard that they ran out of food last year so went early.  Even though it became progressively crowded, the lines moved fast and the wait wasn't so bad (although, we didn't go to the super popular ones such as Nombe, Slanted Door, etc.).

One of the booth, Namu, provided "okonomiyaki" which is a Japanese pancake containing a varierty of ingredients including yakisoba, cabbage, meat, etc.  However, Namu is Korean-based and what was supposed to be "okonomiyaki" was a really "pajeon" made of light batter, kimchee, and bonito flakes.   The only thing that was similar between what was provided and "okonomiyaki" is the bonito flakes.   Usually Japanese okonomiyaki is a full meal while pajeon is merely an appetizer. 

Thoughts?

Okonomiyaki

Pajeon