#Taiwanese pickled sour veggies

[nekko-took-egg-photos]

a half boiled egg in my shihlin ru rou fan.

[missguomeiyun]

dinner @ Whyte House Cafe

***back to present day*** (/away from blogmas haha)

Hello!! It’s that time of the yr, where (again & again) I struggle to plan enough in advance to give gifts to my friends before Christmas >.< I need to do better. .. but when it’s shift worker + shift worker or shift worker + office hrs occupation .. okay, *scratch that* when shift work is involved, it’s hard to do anything. But, thankfully, for the short get-together I had with 2 of my classmates last night, we planned this dinner at like the end of October. So it worked out! It’s not a joke.. . we really do have to plan THAT far in advance. Why? Along with working around the clock, there’s also the other part of the equation = sleep. Thus, it really is quite difficult.

In any case, we made it! We went to Whyte House Cafe, which was a 1st experience for all of us.

Interior.

This used to be called Gama Cafe - an Asian (?Taiwanese, I think) cafe that started out at one of the University of Alberta residence buildings, & then it moved to Whyte Ave. I didn’t go to the one in the residence while I was in university, nor have I visited Gama Cafe. So I’m not sure if the interior/layout of Whyte House Cafe is the same or not.

Besides the general seating area with the couches, there’s a section that’s like a regular restaurant with half bench seating & half chair seating.

Their counter.

They are a “Taiwanese” cafe, & it is a family-friendly place.

Drinks menu. Diana got the Taiwanese boba milk tea, & it was a huge drink for 4.99! It was like in a beer glass; it looked like a trophy.

Their food menu.

Their dessert menu. They also have a dessert case by the till with some more desserts in addition to these. I assume those are always changing bcos they’re not on a menu.

Beef noodles x2. Excellent & authentic. The soup wasn’t too salty, & had that characteristic “hong shao” flavour. “Hong shao” [beef noodles] is a Chinese term for what westerner’s call “Taiwanese beef noodles”; it’s essentially a blend of sauces & condiments that Taiwanese ppl use to braise their beef, & the sauce (/soup/broth/whatever you call it) that results in the end is very dark brown in colour. They then dilute out the sauce, & use it as “soup” & serve noodles in it - thus, the same flavour is existent in the entire dish. It’s not only a comfort food item, but also a popular street eat. It’s like on par with wonton noodles in Hong Kong. Anywho, the noodles here were hand-made, & was very bouncy. I really liked it! & the flavour was great. They place some preserved vegetable on top, which are slightly sour.

The pork belly bun. Same sauce, same preserved veggie, but for pork belly & then it’s in a steamed, flat bun. The bun was stretchy & slightly chewy - good texture, if you ask me.

The braised pork belly on rice. So again, same ingredients, but this one had some pickled cucumbers & radish (both cold & refreshing), & a hard-boiled egg that was cooked in the same sauce. While I generally prefer noodles over rice, I genuinely liked this dish the most bcos of the crunchy pickled cucumbers & radish. It just added that extra little *mmph*, you know what I mean?

Chocolate mousse (I found it in their dessert case haha). Their mousse is diff.. . it’s not soft & melty. It has a dense texture, & .. . it was like a cross of sponge cake & mousse. Hard to describe (sorry!). But it had substance to it. Furthermore, it is coated with a dark chocolate ‘shell’. Overall, I enjoyed it a lot. It wasn’t sweet, & resembled a dark chocolate mousse in flavour. Raise your hand if you like dark chocolate!

Their “signature” dessert: boba milk tea cake.

It was such a struggle to get the piece of plastic off =/ like a REAAAAL struggle. What you probably didn’t know is that the light brown part with the boba on top is actually liquid! So it’s like..  milk tea on top of 2 layers of sponge cake. The idea is to remove the plastic carefully so that the milk tea will run down the sides of the cake.

Like this. The flavour of the milk tea was good; wasn’t very sweet, high tea flavour. Diana, who ordered the milk tea drink, said this was less sweet than her drink but the base flavour was the same. I personally really liked the taste of the milk tea. The boba were also cooked well; retained chewiness. The problem was the cake portion. I thought it was bland & something could have been done to keep the 2 layers together. What happened while removing the plastic was the 2 layers started coming apart; so the top cake layer was being taken off as it was stuck to the plastic. & even as we were eating, the 2 layers were basically separated. We thought there was a layer of cream or something in between but there wasn’t - simply 2 sponge cakes slapped together. Therefore, I was dissatisfied with this. I appreciate the concept though!

[celinasky-blog]

Vegan Restaurants in Belize

Belizian food is simple, fresh, tasty & it is vegan and vegetarian friendly!

The staple dish is rice, beans and potato salad usually served with meat or fish, but fear not! Due to the abundance of fresh veggies and fruits around a traditional meal can easily be turned into a yummy delicious vegan meal.

Here is a list of Vegan Spots in Belize

Belize City

Back-2-Live Cafe Living Delight

Southern Foreshore (at Bishop St), Belize City, Belize Tel. 001-501-6699360, 818-627690 Tue-Fri 12:00pm-2:00pm

Cuisine: Vegan, Organic, Raw, Juice bar, Delivery, Take-out, Caribbean

Vegan cafe in the Bliss Institute for Performing Arts. It has no sign and is tucked in a corner. Offers cooked and raw vegan options that change daily. No set menu. If you’re a vegan on a cruise, it’s a place to have lunch.

Vegan Bites

BTL Park, kiosk 16, Newton Barracks Rd, Belize City, Belize

Tel. 501-6671652, 6247687

Cuisine: Vegan, Buffet, Take-out, Caribbean, Catering

Offers a variety of vegan food served buffet style with a Caribbean twist, including mac and cheese, lasagna, potato salad, pasta salad. Located in the BTL Park next to the Princess Hotel.

Mama Chen’s

5 Eve Street (at Queen Street), Belize City, Belize Tel. 501-223-4568

Cuisine: Vegan-friendly, Ovo, Chinese

The family that owns and runs the restaurant and also runs the adjacent guesthouse (approx. $30US/ night). Chow mein noodle, drinks with tapioca boba bubbles, soymilk made in-house, and more. Note: might charge you $1BZ (50 cents US) for sharing food and unlike most small eateries in Belize, this restaurant does add tax to the bill. Best time to go is around lunch time when they have more available options. Has air conditioning.

Orchid Garden Eco-Village Restaurant

14.5 miles, Western Highway, Belize District, Belize City, Belize Tel. +501-225-6991 Now Open: Mon-Sun 8:00am-9:00pm

Cuisine: Vegan-friendly, Lacto, Ovo, International, Organic, Mexican, Taiwanese, Non-veg

A mostly vegetarian restaurant that’s part of The Orchid Garden Eco Village Hotel. The owner is vegetarian. Serves Mestizo, Mayan, Mexican, Garifuna, Kriol, and Taiwanese dishes, bread, and hibiscus flower iced tea. The restaurant is a large, tranquil space with low walls constructed out of river stones, topped with lengths of thick bamboo harvested from the banks of the Sibun River. Natural light streams into the space. Also features a unique eco-museum location with butterfly corridor adjoining.

Sahara Grill

Vista Plaza (at opposite The Best Western), Belize City, Belize

Cuisine: Lacto, Lebanese, Non-veg

You can get a pita sandwich with falafel or potatoes plus veggie kebab, a vegetarian sampler plate, and several salads.

Sumathi Indian Restaurant

190 Newton Barrack’s Rd, Belize City, Belize Tel. 501-223-1172

Cuisine: Lacto, Indian, Non-veg

Mostly North Indian cuisine with some South Indian. Vegans to specify. At current location since Dec 2012.

The Tamale Lady

Battle Field Park, by Albert Street (at facing Brodies Supermarket), Belize City, Belize

Cuisine: Lacto, Fast food, Salvadorean, Take-out only, Non-veg

Salvadorean woman with a fruit stall who sells cold fruit juices, fruit, and tamales. Tell her you’re veg, and she’ll make big tamales loaded with seasonal vegetables for you. If you don’t like spicy, make sure to tell her not to add chili.

Hopkins

Taste of India

On the main street, Hopkins, Belize

Cuisine: Lacto, Indian, Beer/Wine, Take-out, Non-veg

Indian owner/chef making food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Has a page of vegetarian dishes some of which can be made vegan by request, including the korma. Beach view dining.

The Kismet Inn Cafe

North Hopkins, Hopkins, Belize

Tel. 5237280

Cuisine: Western, Beer/Wine, Caribbean, Non-veg

Accommodation with onsite family-style restaurant. Kitchen is aware of veganism and will prepare your dish according to your dietary requirement.

San Igancio

Flayva’s

22 Burns Ave, San Ignacio, Belize Tel. 501-804-2267 Now Open: Mon 6:00am-9:30pm, Wed-Sun 6:00am-9:30pm

Cuisine: Vegan-friendly, American, International, Organic, Beer/Wine, Central American, Creole, Non-veg

Offers vegan options including fruit platters, beans, hash browns and more. Drinks include espresso, latte, coffee with soy milk. Serves an in-house-made veggie/bean burger, fajitas, burritos, quesadillas (ask for no cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise). Try the traditional curry with tofu. Serves breakfast all day. Laid back atmosphere. Free Wi-fi or use computer on premises for free.

Roots Wraps and Smoothies

14 Burns Ave, San Ignacio, Belize Tel. 501-666-2889 Tue-Fri 10:00am-5:00pm, Sat 5:00pm-9:00pm

Cuisine: Vegan-friendly, Thai, Juice bar, Take-out, Non-veg

Thai food. New menu Nov 2016; no longer fully veg. Previously located at 38 West Street.

Placencia

Mojo Lounge Restaurant and Bartique

Placencia Village Rd, Placencia Village, Placencia, Belize

Cuisine: Vegan-friendly, International, Beer/Wine, Non-veg

Offers a good selection of vegan and vegetarian dishes, clearly marked with a V. Menu changes often.

The Shak – Beach Cafe

No.1 Old Sidewalk, Placencia, Belize Tel. 501-622-168

Cuisine: Vegan-friendly, Western, Non-veg

Fresh salads, nachos, stir fries, curries, and wraps prepared to perfection or pick-up one of our fresh fruit smoothies. Vegans ask for choices or see menu.

San Pedro

Mesa Cafe

Vilma Linda Plaza, Tarpon St, San Pedro, Belize Tel. 2263444

Now Open: Mon-Fri 8:00am-2:00pm

Cuisine: Western, Beer/Wine, Caribbean, Belizian, Non-veg

Australian-owned daytime cafe offering healthier breakfast and lunch – with more veggie choices at lunch. Vegan-possible items include sweet potato and black bean tostada, chickpea burger, and bun-less bean burger – let the staff know if you’re vegan. Has chai tea and espresso.

Sandbar

7, Boca del Rio Dr, San Pedro, Belize Tel. 5016301241

Now Open: Mon-Sun 12:00am-12:00am, Mon-Sun 7:00am-12:00am

Cuisine: Lacto, Ovo, American, Pizza, Western, Fast food, Beer/Wine, Take-out, Caribbean, Non-veg

Beachfront hostel, bar and restaurant. Known for its oven baked pizzas. The fried pickles are vegan, and the salads, tacos, and nachos can be requested vegan – ask.

Wild Mangos

42 Barrier Reef Dr, San Pedro, Belize Tel. 501-226-2859

Mon-Sat 12:00pm-9:00pm

Cuisine: Vegan-friendly, Lacto, Ovo, Western, Beer/Wine, Take-out, Caribbean, Non-veg

Menu has a few labeled vegan items for lunch including a house-made burger, a wrap, and a burrito. For dinner a kale caesar salad, zucchini noodle and pesto dish, and gordas. A few other items can be made vegan. Close to Central Park.

Ambergris Caye

Aladdin’s

The end of Front Road, Caye Caulker, Ambergris Caye, Belize

Cuisine: Indian, Juice bar, Non-veg

A tiny restaurant located on the small island of Caye Caulker. Has multiple vegan choices such as hummus and baba ghannoush.

Two Tree Banh Mi

Wally Apartments, Beach Front, San Pedro Town, Belize, n/a San Pedro, Belize, Ambergris Caye, Belize Tel.670-5218 Tue-Sat 11:00am-5:30pm

Cuisine: Lacto, Ovo, Fast food, Take-out, Vietnamese, Non-veg

Serves primarily meat sandwiches, but the owner is fully aware of the vegan and vegetarian diets and prepares a vegan/vegetarian sandwich upon request for 15 BZD. Just ask.

Source

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[chineseinamerica-blog]

6 Ways to Learn about Food at MOCA

What is Chinese food? We all may have a different idea based on where we come from and who we are. As a suburban-raised second-generation Taiwanese American, I grew up on a hearty diet of all-you-can-eat Chinese buffets, where hibachi and Mongolian barbecue were thrown in the mix. I also remember then curious ingredients, like taro, Chinese-style pickles, and dried pork floss, that appeared throughout my family life. What was authentic and inauthentic Chinese food was a confusing mish-mash for my younger self. But I still loved growing up around all kinds of Chinese dishes and ingredients that helped form my love for both healthy and tasty cuisines around the world.

With our current exhibit Sour, Sweet, Bitter, Spicy: Stories of Chinese Food and Identity in America on view through September 10, 2017, the Museum of Chinese in America’s Education Team strives to get kids excited about all the vital customs and rituals around food - from grocery shopping, to cooking, to tasting. Here are 6 interactive ways that your kids can learn about culture through food at MOCA this season!

1. “Remarkable Recipes” Kitchen

Chinese food doesn’t just appear at the dining table! At our miniature kitchen, kids can explore a whole variety of essential Chinese ingredients, kitchen tools, and wares in a fun, safe way. By following along with actual recipes from some of the 33 chefs featured in our exhibition, kids can discover how their favorite dishes are prepared. They can also come up with their own recipes and decide what they think makes a tasty, balanced dish. Bilingual labels will help kids of all backgrounds explore the language of Chinese cooking.

2. MOCACREATE Arts & Crafts

Every 1st and 3rd Saturday afternoon, come by for our inventive, drop-in arts & crafts! From making watercolor prints out of Chinese veggies, like lotus roots and enoki mushrooms, to playing with the beauty of Chinese ceramics with your own nature-imprinted clay plates, kids can be inspired by healthy food customs to express themselves! On February 4th and 18th, kids can reflect on their favorite meals and be inspired to embellish an apron of their own design or draw a restaurant menu incorporating all their favorite meals!

Learn more about MOCACREATE >> 

3. Sour, Sweet, Bitter, Spicy Exhibition Tour

How does the food we love help to tell the story of who we are? We offer guided group tours of Sour, Sweet, Bitter, Spicy, an in-depth look at the diversity of food cultures among Chinese Americans and an intimate telling of personal stories in Chinese food service, happy and sad. Our educators moderate a discussion between you and our exhibition, asking you some of the same questions we asked our 33 featured chefs. If you could go back to your childhood, what food would you eat? When do you eat sweet foods, and when do you eat bitter foods? Check out some responses below!

Book your tour today >> 

4. “Follow Your Nose” Spices & Sauces Cart

Learning doesn’t just happen through facts and figures, but through playing and sensing. With a topic as playful as food, we wanted to make sure there was plenty to see and smell. MOCA educators have prepared more multimodal approaches to learning with our “Follow Your Nose” cart. See if your sense of smell can match the right scent to the right sauce or spice! In the process, you can discover Chinese food’s rich diversity of flavors, like five spice powder, and complex food preparations, like fermenting and braising. With all the rage around probiotic foods, this activity is a great game for your kids to explore soy fermentation, a craft that has been millennia in the making.

5. Healthyville® 

From January 5th to March 26th, check out a little town known as Healthyville®, where your kids can learn to fall in love with picking produce and turn exercising and healthy eating into a game. Generously provided by the Stepping Stones Museum for Children, this exhibit is the premiere show for our new exhibit space on the basement floor devoted to young visitors.

Learn more >>

6. Lunar New Year Family Festival 

It’s the coming of spring all over again! On February 11th, save the date for our annual Lunar New Year Family Festival. “Strut on over” for Year of the Rooster themed activities. The day-long outing will be a great chance for your kids to play, learn, and eat. We’ll have a Festive Foods tasting station where you can sample dumplings, sesame balls, and other bite sized treats, as well as a dumpling folding station, where you can learn to make your own.

These are just the first 6 ways for your kids to explore food and culture through fun and creativity at MOCA! Keep in touch with us at our website and Facebook.

Learn more >>

Post by Alex Ho, Visitor Services associate and educator at the Museum of Chinese in America.