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#Chinese Dumpling House restaurant review
stenoodie · 4 months
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Chinese Dumpling House at Metro Square
Chinese Dumpling House at Metro Square. #dumplingsgalore #beefshankpancake
Chinese Dumpling House located at 3636 Steeles Ave E, Markham Chinese Dumpling House has been at this Metro Square for a while but I believe it is the first time that I ever visited.  My friend G and I were meeting up in this area and since she had dined here before, we picked this spot for our dinner and to catch up.  Many restaurants and stores have come and go at this plaza, but Continue…
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Review: The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling by Wai Chim Rating: 5/5
“Remember that we love you and we are here to fight for you. We will fight the bad things, we will fight the shadows together. We are your family.”
Anna Chiu might not be the greatest student but she's shouldering more responsibility than any of her teachers know. While her father working long hours at their restaurant and her mother lies in bed for weeks on end, Anna is the one keeping the house in order and her younger siblings on track. But when her mother's moods become uncontrollable, Anna needs to enlist more help.
Anna is the epitome of the parentified child, charged with caring for her 13-year-old sister, Lily, and her 5-year-old brother, Michael, as well as keeping her mother afloat when she falls into debilitating depressive episodes. She spends all her time thinking about others but you can tell from the beginning that it's not out of selflessness - it's out of fear. Fear of people finding out her family is fractured and she doesn't know how to fix it.
What this book really drove home for me was the struggles of culturally diverse families in talking about and dealing with mental illness. I've read books about this before (see: Harley in the Sky by Akemi Dawn Bowman) but none that have delved into the issue so deeply. It was heartbreaking seeing Anna try to figure things out on her own before things took a turn for the worse. Thank goodness for Rory's guidance is all I have to say.
I will note that this book is way more graphic than I was expecting. Chim hasn't pulled her punches in her descriptions and depictions of Ma's mental illness and the way she abuses her children before she receives treatment. There definitely should have been content warnings because it's a very harsh reality the Chius are living through before the last third of the book.
The bright spot in this exquisite novel is Anna's developing relationship with Rory. They both teach each other so much about how life can be different - in good ways and bad. Anna teaches Rory a lot about the racism she faces in her day-to-day life as a Chinese-Australian. In return, he helps her understand mental illness and how it can be lived with and managed, based on his own experiences. While their story isn't without its own hardship, it's a good contrast to the darker parts of the story.
This book's ultimate strength is its exploration of family. It's a story about how families fall apart but it's also a story about how they can be pieced back together. Anna's relationship with her mother is definitely at the forefront but I loved seeing how her relationships with her father, sister and brother all developed across the novel as well. They each have different strengths and it's only by working together that they can support each other through the events of the novel.
I love when you pick up a book and it shows you a completely different side of life. When it takes you by the hand and immerses you in a world, a culture, a way of life you haven't been exposed to. Anna's story was much harder to read than I was expecting but this is an engaging, thoughtful book that I'll be carrying in my heart for a long time.
Warnings: Racism, depression and bipolar disorder, an abusive parent, depiction of psychotic episodes, emotional abuse, ableism and references to attempted suicide.
The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling is being released in the United States on November 10th, 2020 and is already available in the UK and Australia so be sure to check it out!
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thebiasrekkers · 5 years
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Stay With Me -KSJ [Part 2]
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For the @btswriterscorner​ - Amor Fabula Launch Project in celebration of the month of Valentine’s Day!
Plot: Kim Seokjin is a Therapist for the converted but what happens when he finally understands what his clients go through.
Rating: PG-13 // SFW
Genre: dystopian!au/dystopian themes | angst | romance/fluff
Pairing: Kim Seokjin x Female OC (Leliana)
Warnings: Strong language, mentions of conversion, death and sickness
Links: FAQ || BTS Masterlist || Admin L’s AO3 || [ REQUESTS ARE OPEN ]
Word Count: 1,742
AN: This is the second half to Shouldn’t Be. Please read that one first before reading this one or you might be a bit confused! As always:comments, reviews and requests are always welcome!
© thebiasrekkers (Admin L). All rights reserved. Reposting/modifying our work is prohibited. Translations are not allowed. Plagiarism/stealing is not tolerated by any means. Legal action will be taken in instances of theft.
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Seokjin sat there with Leliana at the Doctor’s office, hand trying not to squeeze hers too much out of anxiety. Ever since he found out about her illness, he had made it a point to go with her to every visit to see if there was a slim hope that she would get better. It had been a couple of weeks since he found out about the Syndrome but they had insisted on her coming in for more testing. She gave his hand a squeeze, pulling him out of his thoughts and towards her--his eyes landing on her and she gave him a smile. 
It was strange to him, how she didn’t appear to be sick but on the inside? They both knew what the result would be should the next tests turn out to be positive. The Syndrome or more known as Solar Sickness in acute forms. It usually formed in lower Castes because the colony that some would live in didn’t have the proper functionality as the others did. A problem that was being fixed with some of the new reforms of the System but the lasting effects could span generations. 
In generations, it turned into a Syndrome that could sneak past the detailed scans of people’s genetic profile. There wasn’t much information on it since it had started to become a problem as of late because of all the upgrades the Colonies were receiving to prevent it from happening as best as they could. However, it was still a problem that they were facing since they established the Colonies because of the troubles Humanity faced with near extinction. He wasn’t a Doctor or Scientist so the details to him were a bit confusing but when the Doctor finally came out, he knew that he would be getting the answers by the grim look on his face. 
He explained that Leliana indeed had Solar Sickness but there was no way that they could find that she had the Syndrome that it would form into. It formed with her constant exposure in her Castes’ colony ecosystem and gotten worse since they made the upgrades to their own. Solar Sickness was a form of radiation sickness caused by the intense solar storms and flares that kept beating down on the Earth since it no longer had an Ozone Layer due to Humanity’s past. The sickness was eating her up on the inside, almost like a cancer that had spread to her bones. Had she noticed it earlier, they might have been able to prevent the genetic damage and possibly have a treatment for her. 
The news hit Seokjin hard while Leliana gave a long sigh. The both of them headed back to the house, not even bothering to pick something up to eat like they had discussed on the way there. For a normal, jovial type of person like himself--the ride was unnervingly quiet as he tried to process everything that he had been told. Even his own tricks that he would use on his clients were not working for him that day, the numbness that overtook him since hearing the words of “I’m sorry…”
The papers he held in his hand were nearly crumpled by the time they got back, the transport had dropped them off and leaving with a rush. He just couldn’t stop looking at Leliana as she walked up to the door, the cute little umbrella that he had gotten her to shield herself from the intense sun. She balanced it in her hand as she reached for the lock, papers of her own in her arms. He wanted to reach out and touch her, his hand almost there but missed due to the fact that she got the door open. His hand closed over nothing as she entered but then she popped her head back out with an embarrassed smile, holding the door open for him. She had almost closed the door on him but luckily she backtracked for him. 
“Seokjin? You need to come inside soon… My arm is hurting from holding the door open.”
He didn’t realize that he had paused for some time as he looked up at her. Her face, round and still healthy looking, stared at him with a slight frown on her face. Seokjin noticed that she had used the lip stain that he had gotten her for her birthday on that day, the twinkling ring that was on her finger as she stood there. If he could, he realized, then he would have put that same twinkling and color into her hair. Finally he stepped in, smiling at her in apology. He took the papers from her and set them down on the table, visions of them having a meal there not too long ago. She picked up the phone and asked him what he would like from the local Chinese restaurant, her words like a breath of wind on his cheek that he could feel at their distance. 
Why did he not notice these things before? Like the Inkblot test, the more you look at it--the more things that you can pick out from the picture. He didn’t even know what he had ordered but his focus was still on her as she busied herself with the house. There was a dimple on the back of her arm, near her shoulder that would appear when she bent down to take something off the floor. Even the way she tied her hair back when the food arrived, huffing a bit at the weight of the food she had gotten for the both of them. Her cheeks poked out even more when she did so, the hair that was around her face was now blown away by the huff. She set the things on the table, near the papers. The damnable papers that sentenced her to a slow death, not even a chance to do anything else anymore. 
He felt something at his lips, something warm and crispy to which he automatically opened his mouth. Leliana had offered him a dumpling, made to the way that he liked it best. She was holding it precariously as he had been teaching her to use the chopsticks better. The chewing and the flavor of the food drew him out of his gaze, focusing on not choking on the food that was fed to him. She smiled and tugged at his arm, wanting him to sit down for the rest of the food. 
“Jin..? Are you ok?” She had asked but he couldn’t bring himself to answer her. He just grabbed more of the food, the hunger starting to overtake him. “Do I need to call someone?”
He slammed his hand with the chopsticks in it on the table, making her jump. Anger grew in his chest at her for being so damn calm. How come she was the only one calm about her fate? Did she give up on her life? Did she want to die? She seemed to guess what it was that he was thinking as she reached out for his hand that was on the table. Up close, he could actually see the tears forming in her eyes. The redness that she had around the whites, proof that she had been holding everything in. A tear fell from his left eye, unwilling and seeming to put cracks in the dam that held everything back inside of himself. Leliana reached up for his face, wiping it away as her own fell. 
And for the first time, they kissed. 
Food was long forgotten when they touched in such an intimate way. His lips trailing every soft part that he could attach them to like he was memorizing the way she was then. Her feather lite touches on his chest, almost scared to touch him because what they were doing was illegal. It was very illegal, the act of consummating their relationship. Seokjin couldn’t stop himself, every step that he took brought him closer to the very emotions that he had purged from his body. Every soft sigh that escaped their lips as they connected in a way that they hadn’t experienced together before. There was a memory deep down in Leliana’s mind but she wanted to focus on what she had there before her. 
Seokjin wanted to cry but he also wanted to bury himself so deep within her, that they’ll never be apart again. The way that he was so close to her, the heat from their bodies causing their pulses to rise as they discovered what it was like to love. He held her so gently, rocked into her so slowly that he wanted to savor everything about what they were doing for the rest of his days. The slight creak of the bed that normally irritated him was like a song as they found each other over and over again. 
He’d never heard such a sweeter sound, other than the sound of her voice, than the ones that were coming out of her mouth then. The slow burn, delicious yearning that he had for her as he got closer to what he was seeking. She gripped at him, holding onto his broad shoulders for dear life as she cried out for him. Her nails ended up marking on his olive skin, causing him to hold her closer. When they had finished, the food was cold and both of them were spent like they had been working out for hours. Sweat and other smells filled the room that they had retired to--a soft and close feeling between the both of them as they stared at each other. 
Seokjin relished that feeling, the quiet and sleepy feeling after their arduous exercise. He wouldn’t pretend to know how she was feeling but his own feelings had been drug out of places that he didn’t know existed. Places that he had only seen in his clients, how they expressed themselves before he sent them off. This was that feeling that others had felt, he realized. He buried his head in the crook of her shoulder and cried, sobbing about what all he had done. The thick tears that fell on her delicate skin at the unfairness of the situation and everything that he had repressed from the very beginning. 
She held him there for hours until they both fell asleep, deciding on how to proceed from there once they both were well rested. 
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thelivebookproject · 5 years
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Book Review: Death by Dumpling, Viven Chien
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Title: Death by Dumpling (A Noodle Shop Mystery #1).
Author: Vivien Chien.
Goodreads page.
Summary: Welcome to the Ho-Lee Noodle House, where the Chinese food is to die for. . . The last place Lana Lee thought she would ever end up is back at her family’s restaurant. But after a brutal break-up and a dramatic workplace walk-out, she figures that helping wait tables is her best option for putting her life back together. Even if that means having to put up with her mother, who is dead-set on finding her a husband. Lana’s love life soon becomes yesterday’s news once the restaurant’s property manager, Mr. Feng, turns up dead—after a delivery of shrimp dumplings from Ho-Lee. But how could this have happened when everyone on staff knew about Mr. Feng’s severe, life-threatening shellfish allergy? Now, with the whole restaurant under suspicion for murder and the local media in a feeding frenzy—to say nothing of the gorgeous police detective who keeps turning up for take-out—it’s up to Lana to find out who is behind Feng’s killer order. . . before her own number is up.
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First of all, I'd like to thank @anassarhenisch for helping me discover this book through her Cozy Mysteries Recs Post. I wouldn't have discovered this otherwise!
And well, this sure was fun! Usually, when I read crime or mystery books they are more “serious” (Agatha Christie, Mary Higgins Clark, etc.), but here I smiled a lot and couldn't stop reading. It was such a page-turner, perfect to rest and just enjoy without thinking too much.
The plot is not super deep, but there was enough mystery to keep me intrigued and reading. I had some surprises, which I really appreciated, and overall the crime and its resolution were satisfying enough. No complaints here.
About the characters, I think they could've been better (with more personality and everything), but in general, they were okay. I'm not crazy about any of them, partially because they didn't really have defined personalities, but I liked them. Lana is a good enough main character, and she didn't grate on my nerves, so that's enough for me. (Also, I loved Adam Trudeau, both he and his name. Top notch.)
The narrative was very fast and easy to read, something I was thankful for. It's narrated in Lana's POV in first person, and while it's not my favourite, I have to admit that this way I could see and understand Lana's actions better. 
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Overall, this was a fun, easy, and cozy book I really enjoyed. It's perfect to take your mind off things and just relax!
The best part: Adam Trudeau. All of him. Also, the friendship between Lana and Megan.
The worst part: ...? Maybe Lana's mother, she was quite eye-roll inducing.
I rate this book 3'5/5, great!
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Best Chinatown Restaurants: Top 10Best Restaurant Reviews
New Post has been published on https://www.travelonlinetips.com/best-chinatown-restaurants-top-10best-restaurant-reviews/
Best Chinatown Restaurants: Top 10Best Restaurant Reviews
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Home to the largest population of Chinese people in the Western hemisphere, Manhattan’s Chinatown can be daunting. Hurried shopkeepers peek out from windows while children play ball in the streets. In terms of food? Well, buckle up. To find the good stuff takes a little time and a whole lot of patience. If clean and tidy floors are on your list of musts, well…let’s just say you may be better suited to grab grub somewhere else. 
But if you’re open for culinary adventure and looking for it on the cheap, there’s few better places in the city to get your fill. From old-standbys-turned-neighborhood-hotspots like the dim sum restaurant Nom Wah Tea Parlor to fresh fusion newcomers like Japanese-Hawaiian-Korean-inspired Chikarashi, Chinatown is brimming with possibilities old and new. 
If it’s simply low costs and high value you’re after, you’d be remiss to visit New York and not pass through Chinatown for a bite at Tasty Dumpling, or swing by Canal Street Market for a mini-food tour all under one roof. Another option that’s not as often documented are the food carts dotting the streets, so you can forget halal and skip right to the rice noodles. 
Below, we dive into the 10 best restaurants in Chinatown. 
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Photo courtesy of Mason Wilkes/CSM
Due to inflated rents and high fail rates for new restaurants, food halls are quickly replacing singular brick-and-mortar joints. Sometimes this is good, sometimes…not so good. In the case of Canal Street Market, this is very, very good.
Effortlessly chic and cool with clean lines and boundless natural light, CSM is the antithesis to the rest of grungy Canal Street. And the food vendor game? It’s strong.
Nom Wah Tea Parlor, Ilili Box and the Boba Guys have all set up shop here, among a smattering of others, including a juice bar, sushi stand and a rotating cast of pop-ups. One word to the wise: “seating” is mostly standing room only in the back.
Recommended for Chinatown’s Best Restaurants because: It’s the best newcomer to Canal Street in decades.
Andrea’s expert tip: Sign up for the newsletter to find out when events are happening in the adjoining space.
Read more about Canal Street Market →
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Chinatown isn’t often associated with high-quality ingredients or a focus on sustainability. The newest player on the block, Chikarashi, hopes to change that. Inspired by Hawaiian cuisine like poke (fish salad) and Japanese chirashi (essentially a rice-based mish-mash of goodness in one bowl), this spot is elevating Chinatown’s reputation.
Helmed by Chef Michael Jong Lim who’s done time at hotspots including Marea, Aldea, and Aureole, this is Asian fusion taken to the extreme — and at a price point that won’t come close to breaking the bank. If you’re on the hunt for a taste of the East, with the innovation of the West, Chikarashi should be on your list.
Recommended for Chinatown’s Best Restaurants because: It’s combining interesting flavor profiles in the most unlikely of ways.
Andrea’s expert tip: Take note that Chikarashi is only open for lunch.
Read more about Chikarashi →
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The stylish, contemporary digs at this ever-popular Chinatown joint are a refreshing departure from the other, more ho-hum alternatives in the area. As the name suggests, the star of the menu here is the delicious duck.
Prepared by pumping the fowl full of air, soaking it with boiled water and then slowly oven-roasting it until it’s perfectly crisp, this main is served and carved table-side with the speed and flair of a chef at Benihana – but better.
If duck doesn’t do it for you, the restaurant also delivers a number of other tasty morsels including salt and pepper prawns, Peking-style lobster, fried sea bass and orange chicken.
Recommended for Chinatown’s Best Restaurants because: Rarely does Peking duck taste as good as it looks.
Andrea’s expert tip: Request to take home the duck bones – they’re perfect for making stock.
Read more about Peking Duck House →
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French-Malaysian may not sound like it belongs in Chinatown, but this neighborhood gem is worth a serious look if you’re in the area. With great lunch specials and counter service (they also offer dine-in), Aux Epices nails the cheap-delicious criteria that makes Chinatown special.
Regulars say you can’t miss the curry puff with potatoes and minced chicken, or the seafood laksa, a medley of shrimp, mussels, salmon, squid, tofu and eggplant in a coconut curry broth. This is also one of the only spots in the ‘hood that serves up a curated selection of wines with drops from France, Argentina, Italy and Germany.
Recommended for Chinatown’s Best Restaurants because: French-Malaysian food in Chinatown that’s actually worth eating just seems like an oxymoron.
Andrea’s expert tip: Probably your best option for a date night on the list.
Read more about Aux Epices →
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Dim sum minus the push cart might seem like a crime to some, but Nom Wah Tea Parlor has perfected push-less patronage. Famous for its homemade lotus paste and red bean filling for moon cake, in addition to its almond cookie, you’ll find bakery treats here alongside more traditional and savory dim sum offerings. You’ll also find gluten-free designations on the menu, which is typically unheard of for this type of cuisine.
The restaurant saw updates in 2010, but the food here has remained the same for decades. While it’s true that this is a tourist haunt in every sense of the word, the history makes it a don’t miss if you’re in this part of the woods.
Recommended for Chinatown’s Best Restaurants because: It’s one of the first dim sum restaurants in the city.
Andrea’s expert tip: To beat the crowds, go during off times.
Read more about Nom Wah Tea Parlor →
Though not much to look at on the outside, this Vietnamese restaurant remains popular thanks to its excellent dishes and reasonable prices. Among the regulars, favorites include staples like banh mi cary ga (curried chicken), the steamed fish for two, fried spring rolls, and barbecued pork chops.
And of course, what Vietnamese hotspot would be complete without a decent version of pho? You’ll find that here, though aficionados will tell you it lacks a bit of the je ne sais quoi of the pho in Queens. Make sure you head here early at lunchtime, as they tend to pack quickly.
Recommended for Chinatown’s Best Restaurants because: It’s Vietnamese cheap eats served quickly and popular with the lunchtime crowds.
Andrea’s expert tip: If you find it’s too crowded, walk over to the sister location at nearby 146 Centre Street.
Read more about Nha Trang →
There’s a bit of debate amongst dumpling aficionados about where to best indulge around Canal Street, but plenty of people hand over their hard-earned cash to Joe. Long lines often form in anticipation of stuffing these steamed soup dumplings with pork or crabmeat into hungry mouths. And while the decor and ambiance isn’t anything special, Joe’s Shanghai makes up for it with their other food, warranting high marks for their Hong Kong-style delicacies, such as shredded turnip shortcake, braised duck and spicy yellow fish. Our advice? Go early or prepare to wait, as the crowds can get thick during prime times.
Recommended for Chinatown’s Best Restaurants because: It’s a Chinatown staple and a favorite for soup dumplings.
Andrea’s expert tip: Go early or prepare to wait, though tables turn quickly.
Read more about Joe’s Shanghai →
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Photo courtesy of Xi’an Famous Foods
The original location is in Flushing, but the guys running the show recognized that if they wanted to get Xi’an cuisine out to the masses, they needed a Manhattan-based location. Enter the Bayard Street outpost of this mini-chain, which was one of the first New York restaurants to serve food from the Xi’an region of China.
Specialties include spicy & tingly beef and “burgers” on flatbread, though regulars swear by the hand-pulled noodles with cumin lamb. While purists argue that Xi’an lacks a certain level of authenticity, culinary royalty and media (including Anthony Bourdain and Zagat) have crowned Xi’an a shining star in New York’s Chinese food scene.
Recommended for Chinatown’s Best Restaurants because: Xi’an Famous Foods is a staple among many Chinese loving foodies.
Andrea’s expert tip: On jury duty? This is where to go for lunch.
Read more about Xi’an Famous →
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Photo courtesy of Taste Trekker
Aptly named for their bite-sized morsels of doughy goodness, Tasty Dumpling has amassed a steady flow of regulars. A hole in the wall joint of epic proportions, don’t expect to find pristine conditions or top notch service inside.
But we’re in Chinatown – chances are you came for the cheap eats, not for the Michelin stars. The thing to order here are the fried pork and chive dumplings, which pack a good meat to dumpling ratio for a nominal fee ($1.25 for 5 of these bad boys).
Unlike some of the other spots around, you’ll also find a few tables, so you can sit back and relax instead of scarfing down your goods on the go.
Recommended for Chinatown’s Best Restaurants because: It’s a regular contender along with Prosperity and Vanessa’s for best dumplings in Chinatown.
Andrea’s expert tip: Tasty Dumpling is cash only.
Read more about Tasty Dumpling →
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Photo courtesy of Lalito
Lalito is Mexican food. Kind of. It’s also vegan. Kind of. One thing it’s certainly not is Chinese, though they do fry whole fish, which could fall into nearly any ethnic category. Regardless of how it’s classified, all you need to know is that it’s good. It’s even better if you have vegan friends but don’t want to eat at a vegan restaurant. Alongside a vegan caesar salad with dulse and vegan chicharrones, you’ll find juicy pork carnitas, birria-style chili cumin lamb, and baby steak, a 30-day dry aged NY strip with salsa macha and cilantro. They’re also open for weekend brunch, where you can load up on goodies like coconut grits and bread pudding French toast.
Recommended for Chinatown’s Best Restaurants because: It’s a non-Chinese delight in a sea of Chinese delights.
Andrea’s expert tip: Take your vegan friends.
Read more about Lalito →
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chriscoleman · 3 years
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Covid Lockdown
March 2020 to May 2021
The COVID quarantine is slowly lifting. Here is a quick review of our last year in limbo.
The first COVID death in Seattle was in a nursing home on February 29th, 2020. We discussed the serious threat at Ultimate that day. Then Julia and I went to a Umphrey’s McGee concert at Showbox SODO that evening. I remember questioning if we should be taking this virus seriously, but brushing off the idea.
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March 2nd our life was turned around in another way - the rental apartment we lived in for the past 8 years was being sold. Time to decide if buying a house is a smart decision…
March 11th the CDC officially declared COVID a pandemic. Things get serious fast. We begin watching the news constantly.
March 14th was our last day skiing for the 2019/2020 season. There was still significant snow on the mountain - but state restrictions closed down the resort. Then we jumped into a backcountry ski/camp trip. Shortly after that - even backcountry skiing was forbidden. That’s when the lockdown got serious.
The rest of March and April were uneventful. I thought I had COVID at 1 point, but tests were hard to get. The at-home test I did get returned a negative result. Julia had a small accident that took the Subaru out of commission for a little bit. No big deal.
Sadly the white cat, Lucy, had to be put down. The process with COVID restrictions at the vet made the experience extra hard. Sad to see my favorite cat gone after 12 years together.
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May 27th we got the keys to our new house in Beacon Hill, Seattle! Huge day for us. One I didn’t think would ever come. Home prices in Seattle are pure insanity. Buying at the beginning of the pandemic gave us a little advantage - no bidding war at all. In retrospect it was an amazing decision.
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We ate momo’s (Himalayan dumplings) the first night on cardboard boxes. Then got to work on improvements right away. I made the terrible decision to do ‘exploratory drilling’ in our walls at 2am that night to route some ethernet cables for the cable company coming the next day. Luckily it worked out - but I don’t recommend putting holes in your new home on day #1.
A train of professionals came out for the big jobs:
* Plumbers - pressure reducer and expansion tank
* Electricians - new panel and service
* Insulation - replace attic insulation
* Flooring - LVP in the mud room
Julia and I got our hands dirty a bunch too:
* Closet shelving/rods
* Toilet replacement
* TV mount install
* Hanging blinds (after 1 month with none!)
* Siding repair
* Install dog door
* Light/Fan upgrades
* Fence repair
* Bench and table builds
* Chicken coop converted to raised beds
* Yard work of all kinds
* More yard work of different kinds
* Plus a bunch of small stuff that continually keep us busy
Bamboo and Blackberries were the big task. Our house is directly next to a city ‘right of way’. Basically a big plot of land the city owns where no one can build. Kinda like a park or play field directly to our south. We call it the “side yard”. Opposite our fence that separates us from the side yard was a 6 foot tall 6 foot wide 60 foot long thicket of blackberries. Then it turned into 30 foot tall bamboo beyond that.
Julia and I took 1 weekend to clear the bamboo from inside our backyard. Then another 2 weekends to clear the bamboo from the side yard. Luckily a city mower came and tore down most of the blackberries with a tractor after I reported it as a nuisance. It was a beast of a job - but the neighbors came out to help (at least to take away the bamboo poles for their gardens). Then we sheet mulched the entire area to prevent regrowth. Huge project - which we are still fighting currently - but a massive improvement the whole neighborhood enjoys.
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Discovering new local restaurants was hard during COVID. Many places still offered delivery or take-out, but no inside dining. Bahn Mi sandwiches and Bubble Tea has been a staple for us. Too many cheesesteaks and taco truck burritos also. Plus a bunch of other Viatemese, Chinese, and Asian restaurants that are popular here in south Beacon Hill.
Throwing the frisbee with my teammate, Patrick, was my only activity with someone other than Julia or the Grubhub driver. We got together about once a week with masks at Judkins Park to toss. A fun way to get some sun, exercise, and social interaction.
July 11th my grandmother died in upstate NY with my mother and family close by. Not COVID related, just her time to go. The best grandma anyone could have asked for. Always an open house and supportive of all my life adventures.
September 3-6 we got permits to hike in the Cascades, Alpine Lakes Wilderness, Enchantments. It’s a protected area with very limited daily permits for backcountry camping. I tried for 8 years to get these permits - so no chance we were gonna miss the opportunity. Unfortunately I got a small hernia on our birthday in July - but again - not gonna stop me! The prep-hikes in July/August went great. Another fun way to get outdoors safely.
The trip ended up amazing all around. A true life-list adventure filled with lakes, goats, vistas, and leg burning trails.
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October, November, and December were totally uneventful.
January 2021 we began a bathroom remodel with Premier Contractors. Toby and his family/team worked with us to design a totally custom dream bathroom. Ferguson supplied the materials, the discount I’ve been waiting to use for 16 years of employment. Jackpot!
End of January came with great bathroom progress. They ended up replacing the majority of the house plumbing - as our old galvanized pipes were badly corroded. The electricians also came back to install new circuits for the heated flooring, jetted tub, mirror, and heater/fan/lights. We also got new circuits in the garage and my office to expand the power downstairs.
Because we are crazy - we decided to begin a 2nd project at the same time - a deck rebuild. The construction crew we got to design our back deck randomly had availability earlier than expected, which we jumped on. Why not knock out both at once?!? Demo began February 16th.
End of February the bathroom was tiled and the deck had cedar floorboards installed. Floyd, Hank, Jeff, Brian, Robert, and the whole Blue Oak Builders crew were amazing. Unfortunately the bathroom project stalled for a variety of supply/time reasons. They slowly made progress through March.
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March 31st Julia and I got our first COVID vaccine shot. We jumped at the first opportunity, one of the first in our age group to get an appointment. We drove down south to the minor league hockey rink where they had the process down solid after a month of giving shots to more vulnerable people. Relief that the end was in sight! We celebrated by buying strawberry plants on the way home. :)
Then our 2nd Pfizer shot on April 20th. May 5th we were considered fully vaccinated. I celebrated with a game of pickup the first chance possible. I ended up going 441 days without ultimate - my longest streak in 24 years. Before this I had never gone 14 days without some sort of pickup, practice, league, or tournament game of ultimate. It felt amazing to be back in action - even if I’m fatter + slower than ever.
That brings us to today - May 23, 2021. Ski season is nearly over, flowers are blooming, concerts are announcing, Sounders are playing, friends are calling, and mask mandates are lifting. My schedule is already starting to fill up with fun. There really does feel like a light at the end of this tunnel. Finally!
Overall - I consider us lucky. Julia and I were able to work from home without interruption. Our companies had hiccups, but are more profitable than ever. Julia has been extremely busy with work - but that’s the life in a startup I guess.
We had no clue what buying a home at the start of a pandemic would mean. It ended up being ideal for us. Canceled vacations gave us extra time and money to invest in this 62 year old raised ranch style house. Room for Skye to enjoy, as she is getting old fast, is a treat. Not to mention offices on separate floors might have saved our relationship (seriously - who talks that loud on conference calls? just kidding my lover). We even got lucky with great neighbors who really look out for each other.
I realize that so many other people in Seattle / WA / USA / World were not so lucky during this pandemic. It sucks. I hope as these restrictions are lifted that everyone can begin to prosper again - both socially and financially. 2020 will go down as a monumental time in our lives. I look forward to post-pandemic-2021!
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markalina721 · 3 years
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What You Need to Know About Dim Sum
For foodies, the growing number of dim sum restaurants in Singapore is something to be excited about. This is the perfect way to spend a day, particularly after having a lot of work to do. Provided you find a reputable restaurant, be rest assured you won't ever have enough of these individualized dishes served between morning hours and early afternoons.
If you are looking forward to trying out the dim sum, you're better off understanding what it is about before placing an order. Dim sum has its origin from the Cantonese tea houses as a quick afternoon snack. Today, it is served banquet-style from early to mid-morning. Eating dim sum is all about Chinese fine-dining.
For you to enjoy an authentic handmade dim sum, you should realize what goes into its etiquette. It would help if you started by pouring cups of tea to your guests before filling your own once you're seated. Even though the tea runs out fast, you should not bring your server over. Instead, leave the lid of your teapot ajar to indicate you need a refill.
Dim Sum etiquette doesn't stop there since it is courteous to ask when you see a cart you don't understand. Take this as the perfect opportunity to enquire whether they can direct you to a cart service for your most preferred dim sums. A reputable Chinese restaurant will serve dishes on the menu with some vast enough to fill you up in the blink of an eye.
Either way, try not to order off of the menu once you visit a dim sum restaurant in Singapore. Among the most popular dim sum dishes you will come across include Fung Zao-Chicken feet, Siu Mai-Pork and shrimp dumplings, Har Gow-Shrimp dumplings, to mention a few. Ensure that you stick to the menu while placing your order.
To enjoy dim sum in Singapore, consider checking Gao Peng Cuisine. As a leading dim sum restaurant at the moment, you will have a remarkable experience. Ensure you read reviews on Gao Peng Cuisine before visiting them. You can visit MediaOne website today and find more dim sum restaurants here. It is then that you will save yourself the hassle of moving from one restaurant to the next.
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thuthu220100 · 4 years
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Rice is a major component of many of our favorite dishes. It serves as a foundation for delicious curries, adds texture to soups and fills out our menus when made as a side dish.
As common as this ingredient is, it often can give even regular cooks some trouble (raise your hand if you’ve ever scorched a pot of rice!). Even if rice doesn’t present major problems for you, keeping an eye on the pot while you’ve got other parts of your meal in the works is a pain. That’s where finding the best rice cooker comes in. A good rice cooker takes care of making this grain perfectly tender and keeping it warm while you finish up that stir-fry.
What to Look for When Shopping for a Rice Cooker
There are what seems like limitless rice cooker options out there. While we’ve provided some of our favorite options below, there are a few considerations you should keep in mind when you make your selections:
Capacity: How many people do you typically cook for? Look for rice cookers that produce four cups or more if cooking rice as a side for the family.
Settings: Do you want your rice cooker to just cook rice? Do you regularly cook other grains as well?
Cleanup: What level of clean up would you prefer? Some models offer nonstick surfaces and dishwasher-safe inserts. Others require hand washing.
Price: Keep in mind how much you want to spend. There are good options at any price point. You’ll find worthwhile rice cookers starting at just $30.
The Best Rice Cooker Based on Your Cooking Style
We know that everyone is looking for something different when it comes to appliances. Check out our Test Kitchen’s top picks for small kitchens, multiple grains and more.
Best Basic Model: Zojirushi 6-Cup Rice Cooker
Love rice? Make it all the time? Don’t need any frills? You’ll want to snag a Zojirushi Rice Cooker. This brand produces reliably good rice whether you prefer white, brown or even wild rice. With just a single setting, this rice cooker manages to cook and steam these different grains perfectly. The texture is terrific and the cleanup is a cinch thanks to the nonstick insert.
Capacity: 6 cups, though 3- and 10-cup models are also available
Features: Nonstick insert, keep warm setting
Price: $67
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Best Budget Option: Aroma Housewares 2-8-Cup Rice Cooker
The rice cooker that most Taste of Home staffers keep in their kitchens is from Aroma Housewares—and it’s also a great budget-friendly option.
The Aroma rice cooker is compact—about the size of a coffee canister—and can be easily stashed away when not in use. And when you are using this rice cooker, it’s a dream. The intuitive controls make cooking tender rice simple and the keep warm function is triggered as soon as your rice is done. We love that functionality in case the rest of your dinner isn’t quite ready yet—the rice will be toasty but not overcooked.
Capacity: 8 cups
Features: Four preset options, keep warm setting, dishwasher-safe nonstick insert
Price: $30
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Best Splurge Option: Zojirushi 5.5-Cup Rice Cooker
Are you really serious about your rice? Do you eat it more than once a week? Then you should consider spending a bit more on your rice cooker. Just like with any other appliance, if you use it frequently, you won’t regret leveling up a bit. When it comes to luxury rice cookers, try this 5.5-cup option from Zojirushi—the original rice maker manufacturer.
This rice maker has perfect reviews, with many customers raving that this easy-to-use appliance has them cooking more grains than ever. With this Zojirushi model, you can choose from various settings including white rice, sushi rice, brown rice, porridge and steaming (perfect for dumplings!).
Capacity: 5.5 cups
Features: Non-stick finish, LCD display, multiple rice settings
Price: $180
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Best for All Sorts of Grains: Instant Pot Zest Plus Rice Cooker
If you find yourself cooking grains often, you’ll be happy investing in a rice cooker that cooks more than just rice. The Instant Pot Zest Plus Rice Cooker has settings for white and brown rice, of course, but you’ll also find presets for other grains: quinoa, couscous, barley, bulgur, oatmeal and risotto.
These one-touch settings are super convenient if you like to start your day with a bowl of oatmeal or keep fueled with popular grain bowl recipes. These options are also helpful if you’ve been trying to incorporate more grains into your diet but aren’t entirely sure how to properly cook quinoa or barley; this Instant Pot takes out all the guesswork.
Capacity: 20 cups
Features: Dishwasher-safe removable parts, settings for nine different grains, delay start and keep warm options
Price: $60
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Best Rice Cooker for Small Spaces: Dash 2-Cup Mini Rice Cooker
If you don’t have much space to spare but love the idea of rice made easy, grab a Dash Mini Rice Cooker. This compact appliance cooks just enough rice for a pair—ideal for when you make Chinese takeout-inspired recipes for your date night in. The Dash rice cooker isn’t fancy or flashy (outside of the cute color options), but it does its job well.
Capacity: 2 cups
Features: Nonstick insert, keep warm setting
Price: $30
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More Than Just a Rice Cooker: Instant Pot Duo Electric Pressure Cooker
We get it: Many folks don’t want to invest in a one-task wonder for their kitchens. But if you snag an Instant Pot Pressure Cooker, you get an appliance that does a lot. The Instant Pot pressure cooks, slow cooks, steams, sautes, makes yogurt and much more—including making rice.
Our Test Kitchen loves the Instant Pot and its multifunctionality. Just like the pressure cooking and sautee functions, the rice setting performs well. And when dinner is done, the insert can go right in the dishwasher. Another big win!
Capacity: 24 cups (though you can get smaller and larger models)
Features: Seven functions, 14 one-touch programs, dishwasher-safe components
Price: $100
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How to Make the Most of Your Rice Cooker
Our Test Kitchen’s recommendation: Use your rice cooker whenever you can! This set-it-and-forget-it gadget makes your rice perfectly and with near-zero effort. Start with some white rice recipes then move on to brown rice and wild rice dishes.
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Southwestern Rice
I created this colorful side dish after eating something similar at a restaurant. It complements any Tex-Mex meal wonderfully. Sometimes I add cubes of grilled chicken breast to the rice to make it a meal in itself. —Michelle Dennis, Clarks Hill, Indiana
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Lemon Chicken and Rice
On our busy ranch, we often need meals we can put on the table in a hurry. This all-in-one chicken dish - with its delicate lemon flavor - fits the bill and it's inexpensive to boot. —Kat Thompson, Prineville, Oregon
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Texas-Style Spanish Rice
The original version of this recipe was given to me by a Mexican friend, but I've modified the spices to suit my family's tastes. It's become a favorite at our house—see if it doesn't do the same at yours! —Melissa Pride, Plano, Texas
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Stuffed Pepper Soup
Some of the cooks at the restaurant where I work were talking about stuffed pepper soup. We decided to stir up similar ingredients for a stuffed pepper soup recipe. Customer response was overwhelming! —Krista Muddiman, Meadville, Pennsylvania
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Herbed Rice Pilaf
This savory side dish has been a family favorite for years. Our 12-year-old daughter, Jennifer, is an expert with this recipe, which is a great help for a busy working mom like me. We sure enjoy this rice dish in the summer with a grilled entree. -Jeri Dobrowski, Beach, North Dakota
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Forgotten Jambalaya
During chilly months, I fix this slow cooker jambalaya recipe at least once a month. It’s so easy…just chop the vegetables, dump everything in the slow cooker and forget it! Even my sons, who are picky about spicy things, like this easy jambalaya. —Cindi Coss, Coppell, Texas
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Black Bean Chicken with Rice
This spicy family favorite calls for just a few basic ingredients, so it’s quick and easy to stir up in your skillet on a weeknight. —Molly Newman, Portland, Oregon
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  Korean Beef and Rice
A friend raved about Korean recipes for bulgogi—beef cooked in soy sauce and ginger—so I tried it. It's delicious! Dazzle the table with this tasty version of Korean beef and rice. —Betsy King, Duluth, Minnesota
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Rice-Stuffed Peppers
Mother used to fix this wonderful, easy dish when we had company. She was from a family of fantastic Cajun cooks, so our food was always well-seasoned. In Louisiana, rice is part of many meals. The cheese sauce sets these stuffed peppers apart from any others I've tried. —Lisa Easley, Longview, Texas
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Wild Rice Soup
As the oldest of eight girls growing up on the farm, I began cooking at an early age! This soup—which I first had at my sister's house—brings me compliments no matter where I serve it. —Elienore Myhre, Balaton, Minnesota
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Makeover Shrimp Rice Casserole
The cooks at Taste of Home made a lightened-up version of my shrimp casserole, and I love it. The makeover has only half the calories and sodium of my original recipe, and less fat, too. —Marie Roberts, Lake Charles, Louisiana
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Black Bean and Rice Enchiladas
I love Mexican food, but I'm always looking for ways to make it more healthy. I "renovated" a dish that I have enjoyed in restaurants to suit my taste and lifestyle. —Christie Ladd, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
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Tilapia with Jasmine Rice
This tender, full-flavored tilapia with fragrant jasmine rice is absolutely to die for. And it gets better—each serving has only 5 grams of fat! —Shirl Parsons, Cape Carteret, North Carolina
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Lemon Chicken & Rice Soup
Years ago, I fell hard for a lemony Greek soup at Panera Bread. It was just a special back then, and I re-created it at home so we could eat it whenever a craving hit! —Kristin Cherry, Bothell, Washington
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Spicy Chicken and Rice
As a working mom with two kids, I have little time to prepare something hearty during the week. This recipe is easily tossed together in the morning and fabulous to come home to at night. Both of my picky eaters love it! —Jessica Costello, Westminster, Massachusetts
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Corn, Rice & Bean Burritos
No one will miss the meat when you dish up these satisfying burritos bursting with a fresh-tasting filling. They’re fast to fix and won’t put a dent in your wallet. —Sharon W. Bickett, Chester, South Carolina
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Contest-Winning Chicken Wild Rice Casserole
While this special chicken and wild rice casserole is perfect for a company dinner, it's so good that I often make it for everyday family meals. We think it is very nice served with some crusty rolls or French bread. —Elizabeth Tokariuk, Lethbridge, Alberta
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Cranberry Chicken and Wild Rice
Tender chicken is baked in a sweet-tart cranberry sauce for this elegant entree. This chicken is delicious, and it’s so easy to prepare and I love that I can do other things while it bakes. —Evelyn Lewis, Independence, Missouri
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Mexican Rice with Chicken
This skillet supper comes together with leftover cooked chicken and a packaged mix. After I prepared this rice, I served the extras on tortillas with cheese and sour cream the next day. Both meals were a hit. —Debra Rzodkiewicz, Erie, Pennsylvania
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  Lemony Turkey Rice Soup
While growing up in Texas, I spent a lot of time helping my grandma cook. Lemon and cilantro add a deliciously different twist to turkey soup. —Margarita Cuellar, East Chicago, Indiana
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Spanish Rice with Ground Beef
I don't know the origin of this recipe, but it's one that has been in my family for a long time. I can remember eating it often as a little girl.—Beverly Austin, Fulton, Missouri
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  Turkey a la King with Rice
I like to make this dish with our leftover turkey. It's a nice change from casseroles and so simple. Serve over rice, noodles, biscuits or toast. —Pat Lemke, Brandon, Wisconsin
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Super Quick Chicken Fried Rice
After my first child was born, I needed meals that were satisfying and fast. This fried rice is now part of our regular dinner rotation. — Alicia Gower, Auburn, New York
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    Sirloin Strips over Rice
I found this recipe in a movie magazine some 20 years ago. It was the favorite of some male star, but I don’t remember which one. Its great flavor and the fact that leftovers just get better have made it a family favorite! —Karen Dunn, Kansas City, Missouri
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Peachy Pork with Rice
Peach preserves sweeten the spicy salsa in this delicious dish that’s nice enough for company. Adjust the heat level to taste by using mild or spicy salsa and seasoning. —Melissa Molaison, Hawkinsville, Georgia
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    Quick Bean and Rice Burritos
These hearty and zippy burritos can be whipped up in a jiffy. —Kimberly Hardison, Maitland, Florida
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Salsa Rice
It's a snap to change the spice level in this popular rice side dish by choosing a milder or hotter salsa. It's a delicious way to round out burritos or tacos when the clock is ticking. —Molly Ingle, Canton, North Carolina
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Chicken & Wild Rice Strudels
I wanted the buttery crunch of layered pastry without the sweet filling of strudel. Using rotisserie chicken from the store, I found my savory answer. —Johnna Johnson, Scottsdale, Arizona
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Cumin Rice with Avocado
Cumin, picante sauce and avocado do a terrific job of perking up rice in this any-day side dish. —Margaret Allen, Abingdon, Virginia
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Shrimp Fried Rice
This delectable shrimp dish is filled with color and taste that makes it vanish fast. Our family of four can't get enough of it. Bacon adds crispness and a hint of heartiness. Consider it when you need a different main dish or brunch item. —Sandra Thompson, White Hall, Arkansas
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Apple-Balsamic Pork Chops & Rice
Thanks to tangy balsamic vinegar and sweet apples, this one-pot pork chop lets you have a little something special anytime. —Greg Hageli, Elmhurst, Illinois
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Beef & Rice Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
This recipe is special to me because it’s an easy one-pot meal that tastes like you spent the whole day in the kitchen. My family loves it. —Lynn Bowen, Geraldine, Alabama
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Chicken Rice Skillet
Pleasant seasonings and plenty of vegetables highlight this traditional chicken and rice pairing. Leftovers are great reheated in the microwave. —Jan Balata, Kilkenny, Minnesota
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Mushroom Wild Rice
This is one of my favorite recipes from my mother. With only seven ingredients, it's quick to assemble in the morning before I leave for work. By the time I get home, mouthwatering aromas have filled the house. —Bob Malchow, Monon, Indiana
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Gulf Coast Jambalaya Rice
As the stew of the South, jambalaya is a definite staple. For ages, home cooks have been making their own tweaks on the traditional recipe. This rendition is my favorite. —Judy Batson, Tampa, Florida
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Skillet Ham & Rice
Ham, rice and mushrooms make a tasty combination in this homey stovetop dish. It goes from start to finish in just 25 minutes. —Susan Zivec, Regina, Saskatchewan
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Wild Rice Stuffing
Since trying this stuffing recipe from my sister, I haven't made any other kind. It's so moist and tasty. When a big bowlful starts circulating around the table, happy holiday smiles get even bigger! —Connie Olson, Green River, Wyoming
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Brown Rice Stuffed Peppers
For some extra flavor, I like to add bouillon to the dish while the peppers bake. It also steams them a little. If I make these with ground chicken or turkey, I use chicken bouillon; if I make them with ground beef, I use beef bouillon. —Hope Huggins, Santa Cruz, California
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Quick Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
My mother-in-law raves about the chicken and rice soup we serve at our house. I tweaked the recipe several times to get it just right. —Teresa Jacobson, St. Johns, Florida
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North African Chicken and Rice
I'm always looking to try recipes from different cultures, and this one is a huge favorite. We love the spice combinations. This cooks equally well in a slow cooker or a pressure cooker. —Courtney Stultz, Weir, Kansas
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Wild Rice Stuffed Squash
I made this recipe when we invited both our families to celebrate our first Thanksgiving in our new home. There were 37 of us, and those who tried this dish raved about it. —Robin Thompson, Roseville, California
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Curry Chicken and Rice
I updated this chicken and rice dish by adding veggies and cashews to give it fresh and crunchy appeal. The green chilies in the tomatoes give it just the right little kick, but if you really like spice, add fresh, diced jalapeño. —Denise Klibert, Shreveport, Louisiana
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Mushrooms & Peas Rice Pilaf
Anything goes in a rice pilaf, so I add peas and baby portobello mushrooms for extra color, texture and a touch of comfort. —Stacy Mullens, Gresham, Oregon
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Lemony Chicken & Rice
I couldn’t say who loves this recipe best, because it gets raves every time I serve it! Occasionally I even get a phone call or email from a friend requesting the recipe, and it's certainly a favorite for my grown children and 15 grandchildren. —Maryalice Wood, Langley, British Columbia
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Broccoli, Rice and Sausage Dinner
The first recipe my kids requested when they left home was broccoli with sausage and rice. If fresh zucchini or summer squash is available, add it to the mix. —JoAnn Parmentier, Branch, Michigan
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Turkey Curry with Rice
When I have leftover turkey and a hankering for non-holiday food, I make turkey curry with carrots, cauliflower and mango chutney to spoon over rice. —Nancy Heishman, Las Vegas, Nevada
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Shrimp & Broccoli Brown Rice Paella
Years ago my husband and I were vacationing in France and came across an open market where a man from Spain was making paella in a skillet; we've been hooked ever since. I love to whip this up for a large group, but if the gathering is small, I know I can easily freeze leftovers for another time. —Joni Hilton, Rocklin, California
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Caribbean Shrimp & Rice Bowl
I had a similar rice bowl on vacation and re-created this lighter version at home. It takes me back to the islands every time I make it. Try grilling the shrimp for more beachy flavor. —Lauren Katz, Ashburn, Virginia
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Broccoli-Chicken Rice Soup
I transformed leftover chicken and rice into this tasty soup. It even passed the company test. —Karen Reed, Middletown, Ohio
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Rice Pilaf with Apples & Raisins
I love making bulgar pilaf with apricots. So glad I tried it with dried apples and golden raisins! —Elizabeth Dumont, Madison, Mississippi
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  Lemon Rice Pilaf
No need to buy premade pilaf mix when you can easily make your own in 20 minutes. The lemon zest adds a welcome burst of tang. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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Grilled Peach, Rice & Arugula Salad
This hearty salad was created when I needed to clear out some leftovers from the fridge—and it became an instant hit! The grilled peaches are the ultimate "tastes like summer" salad booster. —Lauren Wyler, Dripping Springs, Texas
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Spicy Rice Casserole
Stirring up pork sausage, wild rice and jalapeno to taste makes this a terrific side. Or serve it with cornbread to turn it into a main dish. It’s easy to make ahead and reheat for a potluck meal. —Debbie Jones, California, Maryland
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Pesto Rice-Stuffed Chicken
Juicy stuffed chicken is perfect for basil fans, but I've just as easily used shredded cheese in place of the pesto for my pickier eaters. —Rachel Dion, Port Charlotte, Florida
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Southern Pork & Rice
At our house, we're big on healthy eating. These ultra tender chops with colorful rice and black-eyed peas are a meal fancy enough for a dinner party. —Annie Holmes, Murfreesboro, Tennessee
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  Hearty Turkey 'n' Rice Soup
Use the leftover cooked turkey in the fridge to speed up dinner. You'll be ladling up bowlfuls of goodness in only 30 minutes. —Maggie Brewer, Canandaigua, New York
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Pork & Rice Meatballs
My appetizer meatballs combine two of my favorite Asian dishes —Chinese pork dumplings and steamed chicken balls. —Elizabeth Dumont, Madison, MS
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  Cajun Pork and Rice
I created this recipe upon returning home from traveling. With little food in the house, I used what was there. My husband loves this dish because it's tasty, and I love it because it's easy. —Allison Gapinski, Cary, North Carolina
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Asian Chicken Rice Bowl
This super flavorful, nutrient-packed dish makes use of supermarket conveniences like coleslaw mix and rotisserie chicken. This recipe is easily doubled or tripled for large families. —Christianna Gozzi, Asteria, New York
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Northwoods Wild Rice Salad
This is my Minnesota version of a vintage German slaw served at church suppers. The wild rice has a nutty flavor that’s perfect with tangy sauerkraut. —Jeanne Holt, Mendota Heights, Minnesota
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Wild Rice, Quinoa & Cranberry Salad
This fragrant salad is a vitamin and protein powerhouse. Toss in leftover cooked turkey to make it a meal the next day. —Jerilyn Korver, Bellflower, California
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Festive Rice
My mom and I transformed plain rice by adding feta, cranberries, pumpkin seeds and cayenne. We wound up with a sweet and spicy crowd-pleaser. —Lisa de Perio, Dallas, Texas
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Slow-Cooker Spinach & Rice
I started making this in the slow cooker to save oven space during the holidays. It's so convenient, I no longer reserve it for special occasions!—Erica Polly, Sun Prairie, Wisconsin
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Chicken & Vegetable Wild Rice Soup
This go-to weeknight recipe is one I tweaked over and over till it was just right. It has morphed from a labor-intensive wintry bowl to a steamy, comforting, slow-cooked favorite for our family. —Courtney Riggin, Hatchechubbee, Alabama
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Glazed Cornish Hens with Pecan-Rice Stuffing
Cornish hens bake up with a lovely golden brown shine when they are basted with my sweet and tangy glaze. The traditional rice stuffing has some added interest with crunchy pecans and sweet golden raisins.—Agnes Ward, Stratford, Ontario
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The post The Best Rice Cooker for Your Kitchen appeared first on Taste of Home.
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orbemnews · 4 years
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Blue-Collar Increase: How China Bounced Again From the Virus CHANGMINGZHEN, China — The scent, salty and pungent, wafts via the freshly paved streets close to the gleaming new manufacturing unit. The manufacturing unit is owned by an organization referred to as Laoganma, which makes a piquant chili-and-soybean sauce well-known throughout China for its energy to set mouths watering. In a time of world pandemic, when the roles of working folks all over the world dangle within the steadiness, the manufacturing unit’s scents sign alternative. Because it opened in March, when China was nonetheless within the grip of Covid-19, the manufacturing unit has struggled to seek out sufficient equipment operators or high quality management technicians. Now employees are flocking to Changmingzhen, a once-quiet farming city ringed with inexperienced mountains and rice paddies, from which younger folks as soon as fled for higher jobs elsewhere. Changmingzhen stands as a testomony to China’s gorgeous post-coronavirus revival — one powered by the calloused arms of the nation’s manufacturing unit and development employees. With few exceptions, the remainder of the world stays in a pandemic-driven malaise. However when China reviews financial figures for 2020 on Monday, they’re anticipated to indicate its financial system grew regardless of dropping early weeks to the lockdown. On a current night, employees flush with cash left the manufacturing unit at shift’s finish and flooded close by market stalls in search of hand-cut noodles, bananas and mandarin oranges. The family-owned firm pays its manufacturing employees as much as $1,200 a month. “Not dangerous for employees our age,” stated Wang Mingyan, an worker leaving her shift. The slight 50-year-old stated she obtained a rent-free condominium, free cafeteria meals and different advantages, as Laoganma competes with different corporations for employees. The menu isn’t all the time to her liking, however that’s a small worth to pay. “Once you’re away from residence,” stated Ms. Wang, who moved from her hometown greater than two hours away, “you simply fill your abdomen.” China froze a $15 trillion financial system final February. It used brute pressure to isolate cities and provinces and drag folks into quarantine. Beijing turned to the identical set of blunt instruments to get the financial system going once more. It ordered factories to reopen and state-run banks to lend. It informed state-run corporations to restart. Now the financial system is charging forward. Authorities subsidies are fueling new rail strains and factories. One state-owned firm, a would-be competitor to Boeing and Airbus, says it would make investments $3 billion in 22 huge development initiatives. The federal government’s function makes China’s revival distinctly blue collar. The state’s levers are handiest in relation to restarting huge factories or huge development initiatives. It has lengthy centered on maintaining the working class completely happy for worry of the kinds of upheavals which have upended politics in the USA and Europe. Beijing has a tougher time fixing different issues. Consumers stay skittish, and should develop into extra in order the virus has resurfaced in a number of cities currently. Its financial system nonetheless depends much less on innovation and companies than on making stuff. Legions of faculty graduates nonetheless discover satisfying jobs in brief provide. About 50 miles up the freeway from Changmingzhen, within the provincial capital, Guiyang, Laoganma marketed positions with three-foot-high indicators at an area job truthful. However the work holds little attraction for younger folks in search of jobs. “Yow will discover one should you look, however it would simply not be the type you imagined,” stated Grace Cai, a senior majoring in tourism administration at a Guiyang college, “and never the type that meets the demand in your coronary heart, or reaches your objective.” Ms. Cai had an internship final autumn working as a waitress in a resort restaurant. She dreads discovering a full-time job. Up to date  Jan. 15, 2021, 8:08 a.m. ET “There are too many college students now,” she stated, “and due to the epidemic, it’s truly not straightforward to discover a job.” The villagers in Changmingzhen might not agree. It’s in southwestern China’s Guizhou Province, in a county that was so poor 5 years in the past that it grew to become a goal for China’s antipoverty marketing campaign. Even earlier than the coronavirus, officers strove to place idle arms to work. The nationwide authorities simply constructed a contemporary expressway and a bullet practice connecting Guizhou to a neighboring province. Laoganma and different corporations quickly adopted. The city buzzes with development laborers throwing up residences for brand spanking new employees. “Each manufacturing unit is wanting employees — the native ones have all been recruited,” stated Zhou Xin, a former farmer who gave up his rice paddies in order that Laoganma might construct its manufacturing unit. “It’s too toilsome and native individuals are not prepared to do it.” His personal daughter studied in Shanghai and stayed to work for an industrial design firm. He now runs a small eatery throughout the road from the manufacturing unit and nonetheless fishes in an adjoining river. He resents only one factor: the manufacturing unit’s fixed low rumble and hiss. “It doesn’t matter should you get used to that sound,” he stated. “There are billions of renminbi invested right here.” The manufacturing unit was purported to have opened in February. Then the pandemic struck. Streets emptied. Residents arrange barricades at city entrances, checking everybody’s temperature. A mixture of worry and camaraderie saved virtually everybody at residence for six weeks, residing on corn, potatoes and greens from yard gardens. Yang Xiaozhen runs a Changmingzhen diner along with her dad and mom, charging $1.50 for a plate of dumplings. They closed. Her dad and mom stayed indoors. Ms. Yang scarcely ventured out both. “We tried to be conscious,” she stated, “as a result of we Chinese language are definitely very united and really conscious.” However the virus by no means struck Changmingzhen. By late February, with the financial system nonetheless halted, native officers and Laoganma’s managers sprang into motion. (Laoganma didn’t reply to requests for remark.) Neighborhood officers everywhere in the county had been ordered to seek out unemployed employees for the manufacturing unit. Municipal employees put in lengthy hours to finish close by roads. Even the gardeners rushed to plant rows of saplings contained in the manufacturing unit fence. Wen Wei was one of many first employees. She carries spices to the manufacturing line and earns $620 a month. Her husband, who fries scorching peppers, earns $1,200 a month. Laoganma’s bundle deal lured them to Changmingzhen. It supplied a free condominium for them and their two kids and free meals on the firm cafeteria. They pay just for water and electrical energy. “You may’t discover such a excessive wage in different places,” she stated. A couple of blocks to the south of the Laoganma manufacturing unit, Zhu Haihua drives vehicles for a metal manufacturing unit that makes towers for wind generators. His month-to-month paycheck of $2,300 doesn’t embody meals or housing. That’s barely half of what the common American truck driver earns. However the cash goes a lot farther in a Chinese language mountain village. Frenetic development over the previous few years and permissive zoning laws have produced a glut of not too long ago constructed residences. That enables Mr. Zhu to lease a three-bedroom condominium for simply $175 a month. “Renting right here could be very low cost,” he stated. For now, the sounds of equipment and development typically drown out the sounds of the birds within the Chinese language maples surrounding the city. However indicators of weak point aren’t distant. Enterprise at Ms. Yang’s diner has by no means fully recovered. Whereas the Laoganma manufacturing unit continues to pump its spices into the air, the government-aided development initiatives might not final. The high-speed rail development crews are shifting past the village. They arrive again much less typically to spend cash. Cai Liuzhong, the proprietor of a drilling provides retailer subsequent door to Ms. Yang’s diner, is making ready to observe the work to the subsequent increase city. “We simply observe the place it goes,” he stated. Yang Faxue, a diner common, feels a quiet confidence that he’ll all the time have work. The 36-year-old development employee has been on the street many of the previous 20 years, leaving his residence about two hours’ drive from Changmingzhen to work initially within the huge metropolis of Nanjing. His spouse — and, ultimately, three kids — stayed residence. Mr. Yang was happy to discover a job opening in Changmingzhen, nearer to residence. And work barely stopped in the course of the pandemic. “The homes nonetheless must be constructed,” he stated. “Work is figure.” Claire Fu contributed analysis. Supply hyperlink #BlueCollar #boom #bounced #China #Virus
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sheylafethurva · 5 years
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The  creation
I felt inspired after this visit to the Ethiopian/ Eritrean restaurant, and for some time I wanted to create a dish that could work as a translation of this experience.
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I decided that my dish would incorporate all the elements that captivated me the most.
The first element was the bread, injera. It would be great trying to make it ( and I will make it one day, I hope), but I didn’t know where to start looking for the Teff flour. It should be something more accessible but carrying similar characteristics: unique appearance and texture, delicate taste, and should be eaten by hands.
My job was to think about a kind of bread that could carry those specific features. 
How about Bao? I’d never made it or eaten it, I’ve just seen it in some trendy foody Instagrams and Pinterest.
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Bao Buns
Retrieved from: https://seonkyounglongest.com/bao-buns/
I started my researches and easily decided to go for it. As the injera, Bao is also an ancient bread but originated in Northern China. It’s meant to be served with stewed meat (usually pork belly), and it’s made of the abundant ingredient in the region: Wheat.
The pork belly wasn’t going to be an option since what I really wanted was to transport myself(and my husband) to that day when we tasted the African dish for the first time.
It had to be lamb.  I’m not very much into lamb meat, so it would be a challenge. In my head, it would make sense to make it very soft and fragrant, melting in the mouth, and preferably gamey smell/taste-free.
To wrap all up, I should use Berbere. My newest spice blend discovery had to compose the dish as a powerful sauce. The berbere had to stand out and the sauce had to build up the flavour of the lamb and bread altogether.
I decided to go with mayonnaise. It seemed to be a good choice.
Fortunately, I found the berbere blend at an AMAZING store called The Spice Trade & The Oliver Pit *.
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Silva S. (photographer).2020 Downtown, ON.
With all the decisions made let’s go to the recipe:
 BAO
 I could just imagine how this bread should taste. I knew it wouldn’t be like the Chinese dumplings I���ve had so many times.
I wouldn’t risk creating my own recipe for such traditional delicacy. So I started looking and comparing recipes to see if they all had the same ingredients and method.
The winner was the recipe from:  https://seonkyounglongest.com/bao-buns/.
The recipe/ method is thorough and worked perfectly.
I didn’t have some of the tools like the rolling pin or the steamer baskets, but it all worked with pinches of improvisation.
If you want to make all the elements of my dish, just click on the link above and follow the steps.
My pictures are the proof it works, even if, like me, it is your first time making it.
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Silva S. (photographer).2020 Downtown, ON. 
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Silva S. (photographer).2020 Downtown, ON. 
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Silva S. (photographer).2020 Downtown, ON.  
My rolling pin was a glass and it also worked as a molding cutter.
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  Silva S. (photographer).2020 Downtown, ON.
My steamer was made with a large pot, a perforated pizza pan, parchment paper, a microwave cover and a kitchen cloth.
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Silva S. (photographer).2020 Downtown, ON. 
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Parchment paper                           
Silva S. (photographer).2020 Downtown, ON. 
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Improvised steamer
Silva S. (photographer).2020 Downtown, ON.
The secret is to follow ALL the steps carefully.
 The results are incredible, but I’ll talk about them later on.
 Lamb filling:
 My references for lamb are based on Middle Eastern cuisine, so I decided to use ingredients that are common in this particular cuisine to build the flavours in a logical manner.
                                                Ingredients:
 Serves: 10 entrée sized baos
Equipment needed: Pressure cooker
 500 g lamb shoulder cut into pieces
1/2 red onion julienne
3 garlic cloves roughly minced
1/4 cup red cooking wine
1 tsp Paprika
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 star anise
Olive oil to taste (searing)
 Method:
  Season the lamb with salt, pepper, cinnamon, and paprika.
Sprinkle the garlic and place the star anise in a place it is going to be in contact with the wine.
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Silva S. (photographer).2020 Downtown, ON.
  Pour the wine, cover the container and leave it in the fridge overnight so the meat will capture all the flavours.
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Silva S. (photographer).2020 Downtown, ON.
The next day, in a pressure cooker, pour enough olive oil on its bottom and heat it. When hot, add the lamb and sear it until it reaches the desired brown colour.
Add the remaining marinade liquid and cover it.
 Leave it under pressure for about 35 min in medium heat ( I used an instant pot so I can’t really control the temperature)
When the time is up, release the pressure carefully, open the pot and see if the meat is soft to the point you can shred it easily with a fork.
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  Silva S. (photographer).2020 Downtown, ON.
Collect the pieces of meat reserve the remaining liquid (for future purposes you can freeze it, as I did) and shred the meat with a fork on a plate.
* In the picture above I had just started to shred the meat. It was very soft, not requiring much effort.
Add the shredded lamb to a frying pan, heat it so it can reach a shining brown aspect.
 Reserve it.
  Mayonnaise
  (For a approx. 3/4 cup of berbere flavoured mayo)
 This berbere flavoured mayo should be the star of the dish, as it was the star of the red lentils dish.
I wanted to put together all the elements I could taste when I tried Berbere for the first time.
I had to be robust, sweet, spicy and citric at the same time.
Most of the Ethiopian/ Eritrean dishes had garlic so I decided to incorporate some roasted garlic to it as well.
To make the roasted garlic, you just have to wrap them in foil, sprinkle some salt and pour a little bit of olive oil and bake them (180 C) for approximately 25-30 min.
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  Silva S. (photographer).2020 Downtown, ON. 
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Silva S. (photographer).2020 Downtown, ON.
When the time is up, remove them from the oven and smash them turning them into a purée.
  Ingredients:
 1 egg yolk
1/3 cup canola with avocado oil
1/2 tsp berbere blend
1/2 tsp lime juice
1/4 tsp honey dijon mustard
3 garlic cloves (roasted)
 Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
 Heat the berbere in a frying pan so it can release its aroma
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Silva S. (photographer).2020 Downtown, ON. 
Add a little bit of the oil and let it cool down
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Silva S. (photographer).2020 Downtown, ON. 
Once the flavoured oil is chilled add the rest of it to the whole amount of oil.
Place the egg yolk in a deep container (the mixture will incorporate air and double its size)
Start adding the oil little by little, until you realize it’s emulsifying.
You can use a hand mixer or even a blender. I honestly don’t like using my blender for mayonnaise and my stand mixer’s bowl was being used (the bao dough was growing there) so I used a milk frother at the beginning and it worked. When it became thicker I used a regular whisk.
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  Silva S. (photographer).2020 Downtown, ON. 
Once you finish adding all the oil, keep whisking it and add the lime juice, the mustard, and the roasted garlic.
When it’s thick and all the ingredients are well blended add the salt and pepper.
Voilá!
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 Now you have all the components of the dish ready.
It’s time to assemble the Baos.
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As the Ethiopians/ Eritreans, we also should use our hands to eat and assemble the bites. There’s no right order or amount, do it as you please.
Place them (baos) on a plate while still warm.
In separate bowls serve the shredded lamb, mayonnaise, iceberg lettuce julienne, and carrot julliene. You can add any other vegetable of your choice.
I used lettuce and carrots because they were also present in the African dish.
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Silva S. (photographer).2020 Downtown, ON.
Open the baos, fill them with the toppings in any other you want.
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Silva S. (photographer).2020 Downtown, ON.
Enjoy them with a very good company and beverage ( I strongly recommend a very cold IPA beer).
 The final result
 The results were very positive. How wonderful it is to see an idea materialized.
My first baos seemed accurate. When I opened the “steamer” my house was involved in fresh baked bread smell, even though it was just steamed.
Inside it was fully cooked, and its texture was similar to a pillow, fluffy and soft to the touch.
In the mouth, it was light, delicate, slightly sweet and positively yeasty.
The filling was super fragrant. The gamey smell that I tried so much to avoid was replaced by a sweet and garlicky mouth-watering perfume.
The berbere mayonnaise wasn’t the thickest one, but it was creamy and ideally fluid. Its taste was pungent, sweet, spicy and savory, all at once.
The lamb and mayo were complemented by similarities, carrying their several layers of flavour. The contrast occurred when those powerful elements were wrapped by the velvety sweet bao. Since the Ethiopian/Eritrean plate had a fresh lettuce and carrot salad in the middle, I also decided to add those two ingredients to the bao. They incremented it with freshness and crunchiness that were missing.
That’s my interpretation of the African plate that has taught me an inspired in so many ways.
Those baos are very different from the plate we tasted in that restaurant, but in their essence, they carry all the important elements from the Ethiopian/ Eritrean plate, together with the influence of other diverse cuisines.
 My husband is always a crucial part of my gastronomic journeys, and since he was with me at the African restaurant, and also tasted the Bao recipe, I asked him to write a short review about it.
 Here it is:
“When my wife gave me a little taste of that steamed bread, I knew we would be in for a real treat that night. We sat down at the table and the presentation of the food was rather simple. No frills. The quality was something else though. It was Bao breads with Berbere mayo, lamb and a lettuce leaves and sliced carrots to be used as desired in what resembled some kind of sandwich. I didn't know Bao breads were called that, but I did try this before. I think it goes way back to my childhood, when my parents took me to Chinese restaurants. But I only ever had them plain. It was the first time I tried them as a sandwich. The Berbere spice, on the other hand, was a recent discovery from one of our forays into Ethiopian cuisine. It felt unique the very first time I tried it. Never had experienced that flavour before. So, the experience of this Bao sandwich was reminiscent of a journey to the East. More precisely, from Africa to China. The mayo had a lovely consistency and felt rich in flavour. The Berbere spice was a bit more discrete in that mix and I wouldn't mind if it was a tad more spicy. The shredded lamb was soft, cooked to perfection and tasted delicious. And finally, the Bao steamed bread felt very authentic, just like I remembered. I had a great time and couldn't have enough. Overall, the experience had a touch of African, Chinese and perhaps Middle Eastern - the lamb might have something to do with it, but also the fact that it was food that we eat with our hands. But most importantly, apart from the nods to different cuisines, it felt like it was food that was reimagined and presented as something new on its own. It could definitely find its way into the menu of a western restaurant as an entrée”.
This recipe is full of love and meaning. I hope you could try it and tell me what you think. You could also reinvent it, add your touch to it, after all, that’s what cooking is all about, right?
* The Spice Trade & The Oliver Pit:
 877 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M6J 1G3
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yaycheese · 5 years
Text
China & Myanmar 2019
Nov 12 - Tianjin - Breakfast in Ritz - Walked around Dagu road - Century Park - Porcelain House - Nitro matcha at Starbucks Reserve Heping - Walked down Heping road took picture with Babiboy sign - Muji at mall - Nanshi food Street - Guobao lunch snack at Xibei 西贝 - Mall with Coca-Cola store and bought Keith Harding hat - Guwenhuajie (bought spicy sauces) - Dinner with family Nov 13 - Tianjin - Breakfast at Ritz - Saw technicolor Tesla - Butterscotch and truffle lattes at Starbucks Reserve Heping - Shopping at Cos (bought a sweater) - Supermarket in basement of mall - Took a photo with the I❤️TJ cat - Guwenhuajie (got free tea at the metal work and jewelry store) - Walked along river - Sichuan dinner with cousins (Er Jie / Shao Chung / shauishaui, Da Jie / Qi Tao / bei bei) - Met Simon at the hotel lobby Nov 14 - Beijing - Breakfast at Ritz - High speed train to Beijing - Dropped bags at 161 Lenai - Walked down Nanluoguxiang: bought ceramics, stabbed a yoghurt, saw ptfo babies and “eat chicken tonight” waffles - Lunch at Kanpai Sanlitun - Taxi to airport, saw a lady doing donuts - Met Tun on airplane - Taxi from RGN to Pan Pacific Hotel at midnight Nov 15 - Yangon - Did laundry at wash n dry (very nice people, left a google review) - Tried Lucky Sevens teahouse (closed for renovations) - Lunch at Thai 47: fried chicken salad, pad thai, >, thai coffee - Picked up laundry and it was neatly folded! - Walked around Secretariat: saw art exhibition and the Facebook pop up - Took pictures at St Mary’s Cathedral - Attempted to enter Pegu club: denied - Walked through Bogyoke market: bought sheer shirt and four faced Buddha heads - Lounged, drank watermelon juice and napped during sunset at the Pan Pacific infinity pool - Dinner at Shan Kitchen (wasn’t great) - Pegu Club cocktail at Blind Tiger Nov 16 - Yangon - Breakfast at Rangoon Teahouse: chai, milk tea, milk tea with skin (custard), paratha, curry noodles, samosas (some of the best!). Purchased enamel bowls and tote bags - Went shopping at HLA, bought pants and 2 shirts - Walked to Bagan Book House and saw the Pandosa Burmese Brasserie on the way - Sule Pagoda and Independence Square - Refreshments and AC at the Strand Cafe - Chinatown: walked through the markets, saw the banana vendors, bought a Java apple - Rested at the Pan Pacific - Went to City Market and bought fruits, yoghurts and chips - Went to Shwedagon Pagoda for golden hour and sunset: saw the 4 Buddhas, bathed our birthday Buddha’s (Mouse for Thursday, Naga for Saturday), saw the sacred bodhi tree - Taxi into town (our driver knew sheise and gracias amigo — said the military government was bullshit and their environment is being destroyed) - dinner at 999 Shan Noodle House (arrived 2min before closing): dry fat fried noodles, garlicky chayote leaves, spicy basil ‘curry’, Hawthorne berry juice, passion fruit juice - Walked back to Pan Pacific Hotel to pack Nov 17 - Inle - Yoghurt and juice breakfast in taxi - 8a flight to Heho - Drive to Tuanggyi to pick up our local Pa’O guide, July-Thun - Walk through Kakku with July-Thun - Lunch at Hlaing Konn Pa’O National Restaurant (tried the local “guacamole”) - Arrival at Inle Princess Hotel (walked the grounds, found one of their Buremese cats) - Drinks and dinner at the hotel restaurant - Sauna and massages at hotel spa Nov 18 – Inle - 630a breakfast at the hotel - 715a boat tour departure - Market near Phaung Daw Do pagoda (bought bell 40k kyat and a metal spatula 3k kyat) - Silver workshop, saw Acacia nuts being used to polish silver and touchstone - Paper and umbrella-working workshop with long-necked women from Karen - Coconut water from Mr. Soe’s coconut boat (2k kyat) - Indein Temples (long hall with many vendors, saw puppies, took panoramas) - Road bikes to Bamboo Hut restaurant (had ginger salad, pork curry, fried noodles, lime juice, watermelon juice = 12k kyat) - Purchased teak hands, closed out with hotel) - 5:40pm flight from Heho to Nyaung U - Sorted Bagan itinerary with hotel concierge - Puppet show over dinner at Bagan Thande Hotel Nov 19 – Bagan - Sunrise and watching balloons at Nyaung Lat Phet Viewing Mound (with brief visit to Tha Beik Hmauk Gu Hpaya) - Breakfast at hotel - Tuktuk temple tour begins! - Shwezigon Pagonda (washed Buddhas, peered into reflection well, took photos through sunglass reflections, rang bells/gongs) - Htilominlo Temple (purchased bowl hand holder, bells, ogre puppet/ornament) - Shwegu Gyi Phaya (saw good views of Thatbyinnyu Phaya, got thannaka face paint, purchased sand paintings and lacquerware cups) - Gubyaukgyi Temple (saw old frescos on temple interior, washed buddhas, pet a small cat) - Lacquerware workshop - Lunch (had chicken curry, nasturtium/pennywort salad, lemongrass juice, coffee) - Rested at hotel - Ananda Temple (4 large golden Buddhas) - Thatbinnyu Phaya - Brief pit stop at Dhammayan Gyi Temple (saw field of cows on the way) - Sunset at Dhammayazaka Pagoda - Dinner at The Moon Vegetarian #2 (New Bagan) – watched ginger salad being made in kitchen, tasted tamarind candy Nov 20 - Mandalay - Started sunrise at Shwesandaw Pagoda, watched sunrise at 3 small temples ~300m directly south - Breakfast at hotel - 3.5hr drive to Mandalay - Lunch at Shan Ma Ma - Picked up coffee beans at Goffy Coffee (oddly the entire staff was Chinese) - Tuktuk to Shwenandaw Teak Monastery (took a photo with a monk drinking Coca-Cola) - Kuthodaw Pagoda (world’s largest “book”) - Mandalay Hill + Su Taung Pyi Pagoda (washed buddhas, drank holy water, watched sunset) - Tuktuk to Shwe Pyi Win Restaurant to try Spirulina Beer - Walked across street and purchased milky popsicle for 100 kyat ($0.066 !!!) - Burbit Beer at Tropical Bar (not very good) - Joy BBQ for dinner Nov 21 – Mandalay - Breakfast at hotel - Drive to Min Kun (saw a wedding and parade of decorated oxen for a monk ceremony) - Mya Thein Tan Pagoda (top room smelled deeply of fresh lilies, kid took our photos) - Min Kun Bell (at on time the largest in the world) - Min Kun Lions of Stone - Mingun Pahtodawgyi - Casting workshop + marble workshops (from the van) - Quick stop at Zay Cho Market (not much other than a ton of raw textiles) - Snack at Shwe Pyi Moe Café (Dosa, Samosas, Burmese banh beo, Chai with malai ‘milk skin’, strong tea) – all for ~3900 kyat - Shopping in Ocean Supercenter for local goodies - Quick stop at Nova Café (coffee was soso, not local but also a poor attempt at ‘Western style’) - Lunch at Mangalabar (salad, spicy and sour chicken curry) - One last souvenier run back at Shwenandaw Monastery! (bell, door knockers, puppets/ornaments, jade necklace) - Drive to MDL, layover in RGN, redeye to PEK Nov 22- Beijing - 5:55am arrival in PEK - 2 hour nap at 161 LeNai - Spa + Cat Café - Jianbings + watching the talking Hill Myna say Chi Bao Zi, Piao Liang, Gong Xi Fa Cai - 798 Art District // Voyage Coffee - Great Leap Brewing (got 2 flights, and on the way got a FAT persimmon and some Beijing LaoNai) - Pit stop at hotel - Dinner at Zhang Mama Jiaodaokou with Henry and Sophie (ordered the entire menu including delicious peanut milk drink) - Rice wine tasting at Nuoyan Rice wine - Bought Er Guo Tou on the walk back Nov 23 - Beijing 0.5 - Breakfast at Wiggly Jiggly’s Café - Walked to and around Guozijian - Browsed designer furniture at FNJI - Oolong tea at 月溪香林 - Walked around Wudaoying Hutong - Lunch at Xian Lao Man 馅老满 (pork and cabbage dumplings, cabbage salad, gong bao ji ding) - Wangfujing COS + supermarket - Hotel to grab bags - Didi to PEK
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aleksikessen-blog · 5 years
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Luk Yuen offers Cantonese dining that was effectively translated to Filipino genuine experience.  It started as a traditional noodle house offering congee, noodles, and dim sum. Their focus on quality, freshness, consistency and affordability made them a local favorite, and now, Luk Yuen is a full-service Chinese restaurant.  
LUK YUEN BRANCHES
They have 5 branches – Greenhills, SM Megamall, Cash & Carry (Makati), Alabang Town Center (ATC), and Glorietta 2. We have been to 3 of their branches (SM Megamall, ATC, and Glorietta) and all of them offer a casual ambience. We frequent the ATC branch, even if the place smells old, because of its accessibility from our home.
Luk Yuen ATC is more like a hole in the wall. It’s just beside the supermarket so the place is usually packed with diners who just finished doing their grocery.
LUK YUEN MENU – OUR ORDERS
We recently ate in their SM Megamall branch and as usual, we were not disappointed. We spent ₱1,225 on this set:
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Luk Yuen Noodle House is our most favorite  Chinese restaurant. They offer great quality of various Chinese food options for affordable prices. We frequent their ATC branch. Today, we dined at their SM Megamall branch and as usual, we were not disappointed. We spent P1,225 for this set: Buchi – P110 Yang Chow Rice – P250 Hakaw Dumplings – P195 Beef with Broccoli – P360 Hot and Sour Soup – P110 Mango Sago – P120 Stuffed Eggplant – P110 JimBry loved the Hot and Sour soap while I super enjoyed their Hakaw Dumplings stuffed with chunky shrimps! Their Stuffed Eggplant is also one for the book!
A post shared by Love. Eat. Wander (@loveeatwander) on Dec 26, 2018 at 3:49am PST
We also like their Chicken Feet with Chili for its right amount of spice, sweetness, and flavor. Their Peppercorn Spareribs were fried until golden brown. It’s crunchy on the outside but juicy on the inside. Its kick of spice is notable. Their Yang Chow Fried Rice is also a must-try. And oh! Do not forget their congee and noodles in your order list!
You can check Luk Yuen menu and prices here. Delivery is available through Food Panda.
SERVICE & STAFF
For all of the branches we dined at, we can say that their crews are friendly and attentive. Service was fast and professional. Although we hope that they can be more proactive in offering house tea.
LOVE. EAT. WANDER. PLATE OF THOUGHTS
Luk Yuen truly has delicious and affordable Chinese food options that you will enjoy. Prices are reasonable; they also have ample servings that can be shared with other diners you are with. Definitely, this is a must-try restaurant if you want great dim sum food.
If you want to bring your date to a good place with good food without having to burn your pocket, then bring her/him here!
OTHER CHINESE RESTAURANTS
Disclaimer: We are not professional food critics. Ghaad, we cannot even cook a decent meal. We just love eating and criticizing  (lol) recording our experiences. That given, please do not take our word against us, as our reviews are solely of our personal opinion, purpose and consumption. We may be swayed, subjected, or somehow influenced by background, sex, religion, nationality, affiliation, and experiences.
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New Post has been published on https://travelonlinetips.com/best-gold-coast-restaurants-by-precinct-2/
Best Gold Coast restaurants by precinct
If you can’t find a rockin’ place to eat on the Gold Coast, than you’re doing something wrong. In fact, there just aren’t enough mealtimes in the day to get through this mammoth list of Gold Coast restaurants and cafes that are truly local faves.
We’ve broken it down by precinct, starting north and heading our way down the coast, so no matter where you’re staying, the best eats and Insta-opportunities are just moments away!
Southport
The go-to for authentic Asian eats on the Gold Coast, you can expect to rub shoulders with office workers by day and dim sum lovers by night in Southport (or SoPo as the kids at Randy Wallhole like to call it).
Randy Wallhole is basically all your childhood breakfast dreams realised. Start your morning with their iced latte Coco Pops – yep, literally Coco Pops served over an iced latte (Tobys Estate none the less) – or go old school with a Mum’s Special Jaffle (aka Heinz spaghetti and cheese).
If you’re feeling a little more grown up and sophisticated, they do bagels too.
Then, make a beeline for Blendlove. While they serve a full plant-based food menu here (try the Magic Mushrooms with basil vegan mince and cashew aioli for brekkie, and gluten-free BBQ Ranch Burger with housemade bean and kale patty later on), we’ll admit, it’s ALL about the raw desserts and bowls.
Top your choc berry ripe smoothie bowl with flaked coconut and caramel buckinis, and take away a slab of Cheezecake made from the flavours of the day.
If you’re after cheap, quality Japanese BBQ, head for JFX where you can grill your own or fuel up with a tasty bento or ramen. For authentic north Chinese Uighur cuisine, grab a table and BYO at Xin Jiang, or join the queue for yum cha at Top One at Australia Fair Shopping Centre.
Also check out… Chinatown Street Markets are on the first Saturday of every month from 5pm to 9pm.
Main Beach
A bundle of fish and chips or a Chiko Roll are just as at home in Main Beach as the swanky prix fixe lunches found along Tedder Ave. One thing’s for sure, Main Beach packs a lot of culinary punch into its patch.
Head to Marina Mirage for the pick of the bunch, like Glass Dining, which fits like Cinderella’s slipper every time you visit. Start with a mixed dozen of the freshest oysters and wash them down with one of Glass’s signature cocktails as the sun sets over the marina. (Psst. You might have seen it in our list of 11 Gold Coast restaurants with epic water views.)
Just down the road you can treat yourself to a swanky high tea (gluten-free options available) in the Le Jardin Lobby Bar at Palazzo Versace. For Italian, book into Ristorante Fellini, or there’s good ol’ fashioned fish and chips at the Omeros Brothers. 
Also check out… Pick up just-shucked oysters and fish and chips at Peter’s Fish Market – one of the best spots for fish and chips on the coast.
Surfers Paradise
For first-timers to the Gold Coast, Surfers Paradise usually becomes the epicentre of your stay.
On the eating front, options span the entire spectrum – from Shake Shak-style burgers and frozen concretes at cult burger joint, Betty’s Burgers, to unbeatable water views (and insanely good oysters) at Seascape.
Hotels are the hotbed of restaurant stars in this precinct, with Bazaar at QT Gold Coast offering a gourmet buffet like you’ve never experienced before. If it’s a Friday night, make a bee-line for Rumba Caliente at Stingray Bar, where you’ll be transported to Latin America with empanadas, Cuban espresso martinis, and Latino jams.
Get your teppanyaki on at Misono at the Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort & Spa – which claims to be the largest teppanyaki restaurant in the country – or experience Asian fusion delights at Catch Restaurant in the Hilton Surfers Paradise.
After you’ve eaten your way around the hotels, head to the 4217 complex for an excellent brew at Paradox Coffee Roasters, wings and burgers from Brooklyn Depot, or a gooey woodfired pizza from Salt Meats Cheese.
Also check out… Cute cafe Bumbles (okay, technically it’s Budds Beach but at just a two-minute amble from the bungee bullet).
Broadbeach
Just six kilometres south of Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach is a food lover’s mecca, with everything from Bavarian to Middle Eastern, through to high-class Japanese and vegetarian on the menu.
If you’re into sharing, pull up a seat kitchen-side at Social Eating House + Bar for a theatrical dining experience, or keep the carbs coming with authentic pasta and pizza at Rivea Italian 
We’re not surprised Kiyomi scored a coveted chef’s hat in the 2019 Nation Good Food Guide. Tucked neatly away inside The Star Grand, this modern Japanese restaurant hits all the right notes. (Read our full review in this post.)
If Asian fusion is more your bag, check out Mamasan Kitchen + Bar (hello, spanner crab ravioli dumplings!) and Hideaway Kitchen and Bar.
From yellowtail sashimi and Thai-style ceviche, through to dumplings and wontons, every variety of Asian street food garners a mention here. Wash it down with imported Asian brewskies or a local Balter can.
Looking for breakfast? If there was an award for the prettiest cafe on the coast, we’d give it to Elk Espresso. Always buzzing and always adorable, this Broadie cafe starts the day with the likes of blueberry pannacotta, and basil and chilli scrambled eggs with goats cheese, and warms up to hearty salads and burgers at lunchtime.
Also check out… Epic vegetarian eats at The Cardamom Pod (also in Southport).
Mermaid Beach
Once only seen as a strip of the Gold Coast Highway where Sizzler and Hooters laid their claim, Mermaid Beach is now a hot foodie haunt with everything from meatballs to perfectly flaky croissants.
If you like your margaritas spicy and your empanadas stuffed with pumpkin and salted caramel, slip into Bonita Bonita for blow-your-mind Mexican. While you’re waiting for a table, road-test their cocktail list in sister bar, Bon Bon, right next door.
Consistently rating its pants off on the Gold Coast dining scene since the doors opened in 2010, Little Truffle is on an unassuming corner but once you step inside, it’s so Frenchy; so chic. We love the Monday to Thursday three-course deal for $60.
Looking for something more casual? After lighting up the backstreets of Miami with Paddock Bakery, the owners decided to open Bam Bam Bakehouse in homage to artisan croissants through to a full bistro menu. Order the croissant French toast. Don’t ask questions.
When we said Elk would win the award for cutest cafe on the coast, we had forgotten all about everyone’s favourite Disney movie (and also Gold Coast cafe), Little Mermaid.
Just like Ariel’s high notes, Little Mermaid’s menu is filled with sweetness, from the Nutella & Grilled Strawberry Toastie with flaked sea salt at breakfast time, to jugs of rose-infused sangria and Stone & Wood beer-battered fish and chips come nightfall.
Also check out… Etsu Izakaya for sublime Japanese.
Nobby Beach
Ten years ago, Nobby Beach wouldn’t have been a blip on the food radar, but this beachside strip now has some of the coast’s most-wanted menus and linger-all-afternoon vibes.
Hellenika could be credited with starting the movement, the Greek baby of restaurateur Simon Gloftis, that will want you leaving more with every mouthful.
From zucchini chips to wood-fired octopus and melty lamb ribs, you can’t go wrong here. But if we were the betting type, we’d put our money on the $88 signature banquet, which takes the decision-making out of the equation so you can just indulge in the seemingly endless stream of dips, saganaki, calamari, salty pork belly, fish, salad, baked lamb and greek sweets.
If you’ve got a hankering for Cocowhip, superfood salad or big ‘ol bowl of sweet potato fries, wander down to the beachfront to BSKT. You can downward dog before or after you eat with their yoga studio just upstairs.
For a slice of Italiano in Nobby Beach, intimate pizza and wine bar Gemellini (sister restaurant of Gemelli in Broadbeach) is ready and waiting to serve you with piping hot, cheesy arancini, traditional pizzas and nonna’s secret bolognese recipe.
Also check out… The Yard for shakshuka eggs by morning and cocktails and cuca tins by afternoon.
Miami
A blink-and-you’ll-miss it suburb snuggled in between Nobby Beach and Burleigh Heads, the Gold Coast’s Miami is less ’80s TV cop dramas and South Beach pastels, more hipster grunge and vegan delights.
Housed in a cute cottage, Paddock Bakery brought queue-inducing dippy eggs and salted caramel cruffins to the backstreets of Miami in 2014, and locals have been addicted ever since. We don’t know what we love more – the purple eggs (poached eggs served over house woodfired toast, slathered in beetroot and za’atar puree and topped with fetta) or the eggy custard tarts… or the, well, everything!
Head to Greenhouse Canteen when you want to treat your body like a temple and your Instagram feed like a boss. Working under the tagline, “Cruelty-free and killing it”, you can expect brain-tricking dishes like smoked jackfruit enchiladas with turmeric rice, cucumber guacamole, sour cream and pickled cabbage, and an epic plant-based grazing board.
If cheap and cheerful Chinese is more your cup of (Jasmine) tea, Miami Rice will keep your belly happy and Kung Po your taste buds with Malaysian and Thai dishes sidling up alongside your chow mein and Cantonese crispy roast duck.
Also check out… Miami Marketta for a smorgasbord of food truck eats and live music every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday night under the fairy lights.
Burleigh Heads
The list of epic eats in Burleigh Heads is as long as the sets of perfectly peeling waves curling around the headland, best watched from a picnic rug on the hill. From beachfront fine dining to rooftop bars and backstreet secrets, you’ll feel completely satiated here.
The fresh catches flown in twice-daily, the crisp, white tablecloths and the smooth-talking sommelier are just a few of the reasons why we’re sure the judges awarded The Fish House a chefs hat (again)  in the 2019 Australian Good Food Guide. The views and the tasting menu are what takes it over the line from fine to freakin’-fabulous-every-time for us.
Across the road, in prime beachfront territory, Rick Shores (named one of the Australian Financial Review‘s 2018 Top 100 Restaurants) offers up its trademark Thai twist, with goodies like crispy tofu sliders with pickled kimchi through to sticky pork belly with wok-fried pak choi and yellow peach.
For casual eats and curl-your-toes coffee, head to Canteen Coffee and Kitchen or local fave Commune.
When the sun starts to shimmy its way down towards the horizon, the rooftop at Justin Lane is where you want to be.
Also check out… Willow Dining Room for tapas by candlelight.
Currumbin
It’s hard to go past the Currumbin Beach Vikings Surf Life Saving Club – perched on the most impressive piece of waterfront land on the entire coast – but the dreamy, beachy strip of Currumbin has plenty of other food stars in the lineup, too.
Start your day the right way with an acai bowl from the kings of the purple berry, The Salt Mill, or munch on breakfast bruschetta and bircher at Elephant Rock Cafe.
Also check out… Biker hangout Iron and Resin Garage on a Sunday for great coffee, live tunes and a rolling roster of food trucks.
Coolangatta
Home of pro surfers, one of the coast’s most famous breaks, and right on the border of New South Wales, Coolangatta is Queensland’s final frontier when it comes to beachfront eats done right.
If you’re into cafe hopping, you’ve found your zen. Plan to spend a morning at longtime local fave Cafe Dbar, then check out Rockleigh Cafe (can you say all day brunch?!) and Black Sheep Espresso Baa, which you’ll find in The Strand.
Make a sneaky sidestep to Griffith St Larder. They do a mean breakfast, but let’s face it, with the sweet treats being dealt from their window, we know it’s all about the doughnuts. And the cakes. And the muffins. (Okay, we’ll stop now.)
Later on, tame your tapas cravings at BiN 72 or discover Americana in full swing at Eddie’s Grub House, with burgers, Southern fried free-range chicken, and Texas chilli cheese fries just some of the waistband-stretching wonders on the menu.
But perhaps our favourite food baby on this end of the coast comes from Tupe Aloha for its Mexican delights and tiki cocktails. Because, let’s face it, how can you not love tiki?
Also check out… You can’t leave Coolangatta without a triple scoop from Gelato Messina.
*For more ideas, check out our 48 hours in Coolangatta post.
That should keep you full! Are there any you think we’ve missed? Add your favourite Gold Coast restaurant to the comments below.
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Blog # 11 Asian American Food Establishments
Throughout history, shifts of migrations have already begun as early as the late 19th century which marked the first Asian migration to the U.S. As migration follows and time goes by, Asians/ Asian Americans in the U.S. who made a stable living by their hard work have begun to establish restaurants in the U.S., ie, San Francisco. Asian Dim Sum, or banquets are not strange to local people in the U.S. nowadays as they are popularized by Asians and the following adaptations of local Americans. Dim Sum originated in Canton, China are restaurants that have really come a long way throughout history in the U.S. as more Chinese people open similar restaurants, some even lasted for nearly a hundred years since the 20th century based in Chinatown SF. A restaurant called Hang Ah Dim Sum Tea House is one of the oldest Dim Sum house in SF which was established in 1920. The Chinese tea room serves traditional/ classic dumplings, egg rolls and etc. A good review 4.1 is currently present. 
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Another famous Asian dish called ‘Chop Suey’ 雜菜 is mainstream in America as well. Chop Suey is a dish in American Chinese cuisine as well as famous across the globe. A overseas mainstream dish basically. The dish contains meat and eggs which is quickly cooked alongside vegetables like bean sprouts, cabbage, celery altogether in a starch-enhanced sauce. So called the recipe for the dish. It also serves with rice and the form of fried noodles/ chow mein. Chop Suey is invented by a Chinese cook, which also originated in Canton, China dates back to the Qing Dynasty period as its earliest origin. Today, it’s as popular as Dim Sum, probably more popularized than Dim Sum as it serves in the form of a mixture of American/Chinese dish. 
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Overall, it’s good to see different kinds of Asian Dish from around Asia that become popular in America and across the world. The rise of Asian dish in western countries is not merely popularizing the dish itself but also the influence of part of a Asian culture being spread. Thus, the awareness and cognitive will gain for the particular cultural food following the influence of popularity increase in a foreign country. As for relevance, the topic ‘food establishment’ relates significantly to our class which links to the research and the studying of a certain Asian country/ culture that permitted us to learn and look into the culture more. Most importantly, the food is representing a certain history behind the creation of it that links to the Asian American culture. It defines the people.
- Tony Ruan
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