#plus two orders of rice and an order of noodles

[notebookpapers]

do u ever eat so much kbbq you feel drunk afterwards

[hoasvuon]

(12:31 AM)

jeonghan never used to understand why anyone would want to leave the house after 11 pm. after all, his days were so long and all he wanted to do after work was lay down, drown himself under a pile of blankets, and go straight to bed.

plus, eating so late at night meant his body would have to spend even more time to digest the food late at night, and he would have to wake up bloated and still half full. which meant that often times, he would skip dinner, opting simply to crawl into his bed and rot away until the next day. i'll just deal with it tomorrow by eating extra well at breakfast and lunch, he'd always tell himself.

that is, before he met you.

now his nights were filled of random adventures, running with you to the local convenience store to grab kimbap and ice cream, or to the stand down the street that sold udon noodles at nearly all hours (hannie try some it's so good!).

and tonight was one of those lucky nights. around 12 am, jeonghan woke up to you softly tugging on his sleeve. still half asleep, he simply pulled you in closer and tucked your head into his chest before kissing the top of your head.

"what's wrong baby", he mumured, lips still planted on your head.

"hannie ... on a scale of 1 to 10 ... how mad would you be if i told you i wanted kbbq" you whispered.

finally opening his eyes, he saw you staring up at him, eyes wide with a small, hopeful smile on your face.

"negative 1, you know i'm always down for whatever you want" he replied.

you shot up in bed, clapping your hands quietly. "oh i'm so excited! i was worried you'd be mad, or worse, not want to go! ok let me grab my hoodie and we can go, ok?" you said hurriedly.

jeonghan looked at you from the bed as you flurried around the room to find a hoodie to take, smiling fondly. after all, he could never get mad at you for anything, especially not for your random late night food cravings.

tonight you wanted korean barbecue. that meant he could sit flush next to you, blaming his clinginess on the fact that it was so late and he was still sleepy. you'd definitely feed him, feeling guilty for dragging him out of bed. and then he could leave soft kisses on your cheeks as 'thank you's when you remembered to order some fried rice at the end, his favorite.

and no matter how many times you would apologize as you walked back home, clock striking nearly two or three in the morning, all he could see is your face, lit up in front of him and he'd tell himself he would do it all over again just to see you smile. especially when that meant he was able to see you in his hoodie (you always seemed to "not be able" to find yours in time to leave), head burrowed into his side as pulled the covers over the both of you, eyes twinkling at him, murmuring soft praises that he 'finally ate well for once'. plus, in the middle of the night, it meant that he could hold you extra. tight against his body, excusing it to the fact that his body hadn't yet adjusted from the cold temperature outside.

"i love you" you'd say softly, before falling asleep.

i love you too

[buffetlicious]

Saw the advertisement on television promoting the bundle deal of three dishes by Tun Xiang Hokkien Delights (豚香福建馆). Thought that it was a good deal plus the fact I have not been to the place yet. Dragged mum along to Northpoint City mall on a hot weekend afternoon since I couldn't possibly finish the set meal alone.

Upon seated, the wait staff informed us that you can scan the QR code on the table to access the digital menu plus order. Placed ordered for the Bundled Deal (S$28.80++) consisting of the Signature Hokkien Mee, Iberico Pork Fried Beancurd and White Pepper Collagen Pig Stomach Soup.

The Signature Hokkien Mee (招牌黑猪福建面) came with a mixture of yellow noodles and bee hoon (rice vermicelli) served over banana leaf. At a glance, one can spot prawns, squids, matchstick sized pork and plenty of deep-fried pork lards soaked in the gravy. While the overall taste is decent, the flavour profile of the prawn is not pronounced enough like they didn’t use enough prawn heads and shells to render out the prawn oil.

Both of us enjoyed the Iberico Pork Fried Beancurd (酥炸黑猪酿卜) a lot. The minced pork is well seasoned and stuffed into fried bean curd puffs before going into hot oil. The puff outside is crispy while the meat is juicy. Remember to dip the whole thing into the sweet thick sauce for the complete package before devouring it.

Was reminded that the White Pepper Collagen Pig Stomach Soup (胶原胡椒猪肚汤) is hot when it was served. It came with thinly sliced Iberico pork, tripe, fish maw and garnished with coriander and chilli. Taking a sip of the soup, I can detect the stickiness of the collagen on the lips and the spiciness of peppercorns though I would have enjoyed a stronger peppery taste. Both the tripe and pork were tender enough but the fish maw needs a longer cooking time to get to the softer texture I preferred.

While I enjoyed the meal, mum is a lot harder to please. She claims that the noodles look like last night leftover and other than the fried bean curd, I don’t think she like the other two dishes.

[whentherewerebicycles]

top 10 things i cooked in 2023

this year i made 104 unique recipes (plus lots of duplicates when i liked something enough to make it multiple times). the places i went to most for recipes were feasting at home + the NYT recipes app, although i very much liked the weekday vegetarians, love and lemons, cookie & kate, nora cooks, and the foodie takes flight.

my top 10, in no particular order:

NYT ricotta pasta with roasted broccoli and crispy chickpeas (super simple but a great yummy pasta to make real quick for friends. I roasted the broccoli instead of broiling and added lots of extra lemon zest, garlic, red pepper flakes, and a tray of oven-roasted chickpeas)

moroccan vegetable tagine (i blended a bunch of recipes but the one linked was my starting point. this is the one form i like butternut squash in lol. modifications: i went heavy on all the spices but especially the cinnamon and cardamom, added chopped dried apricots to the stew for extra sweetness, and threw in a bunch of extra veggies. yum)

indian-ish nachos with cheddar, black beans and chutney (do NOT skip the multiple chutneys and sauces. it will seem like too much work you will say can't i just make one and be done with it but those sauces are where the magic lies. the great tragedy of these nachos is that i wanted to eat them for DAYS but they do not reheat well. but godddd they were good)

ottolenghi's green pancakes with lime butter (these are SO easy. great for brunch but also make delicious additions to your lunch for a couple days after. also it's a perfect way to eat a pound of spinach and feel very virtuous about it when really you just ate delicious jalapeno-y scallion pancakes. the lime butter is great but it's a lot of work so i usually just top these with some sour cream mixed with a lil bit of lime zest & lime juice)

cauliflower shawarma with spicy tahini sauce (YUM! the tahini sauce as written was too bitter for me with the cholula mixed in. i think i'd try it with sriracha next time so it was a little sweeter. i also added chickpeas yum)

roasted cauliflower daal with chickpeas (my notes say this was "OUTTA THIS WORLD DELICIOUS" but also note that it will "really clean you out GI-wise" lol. lentils always have that effect on me though so ymmv. i added bell pepper, roasted the cauliflower first, cooked the lentils most of the way soft in the rice cooker instead of on the stove, and added two chopped serrano peppers with seeds to give it a lil extra kick. i would recommend halving the recipe if you are cooking for one as there were TONS of leftovers and my GI system could not handle being cleansed that many times lol)

pasta with corn, tomatoes, "onion-bacon," and basil (this method of preparing onions really should not taste like bacon and yet it sort of does????? this was a summer recipe i made multiple times for a range of audiences and it was a hit every time. originally from the weekday vegetarians)

creamy corn pasta (THIS HAS NO RIGHT BEING AS GOOD AS IT IS. IT'S SO SIMPLE AND YET IT'S THE BEST THING I'VE EVER TASTED I COULD EAT IT FOR DAYS. WE ATE IT ALL SUMMER)

ottolenghi's very full roasted veggie tart (it will take you hours to make and no time at all to consume but oh my god it's so good and SUCH a satisfying way to spend a long weekend afternoon. liz and i loved this so much we had to have a serious sitdown to discuss how we would divvy up the leftovers because we felt it could seriously damage our friendship if one of us ate all of it)

bombay burritos (the little sauces and things take a long time to make but you can prep a lot of the stuff a day or two in advance and gosh these are so tasty!! the curried mashed potatoes YUM)

honorable mentions:

ottolenghi's mango soba noodles (skip the eggplant i'd do tofu or something instead)

braised tofu with basil (i made this with a veggie-loaded stir fry and topped it with a fried egg)

this carrot cake (it took forever to make but it was the best carrot cake i've ever had and the only thing i'll ever make on my bday from here on out). she also has a pumpkin cake recipe that is so good and much simpler to make (no grating required)

momofuku's ginger scallion tofu with crispy coconut rice (the recipe is for a shrimp version but we made it with tofu and it was very yummy. i made this at a friend's house and it was so good i wanted to ask to take home some of the leftovers but decided that was too rude ahaha)

and then of course i gotta give a shoutout to my #1 comfort foods this year, SHAKSHUKA (my beloved) + a caprese sandwich with balsamic glaze served on really good bread.

[personaldairyentriesarchive]

Wednesday, July 13, 2022

19:04

Today i slept for 15 hours, from yesterday’s 12 am to today’s 12 pm, plus 3 hours from 1 pm to 4 pm, for lunch mom made sesame oil noodles and pan fired egg, plus two chicken legs, i later went to sleep. Woke up my head was aching badly, dad came home at that time and after walked the dogs i went to do the COVID test because tomorrow i will be taking physical test for the driver’s license, 9 am they will pick me up at the northern gate. After i got home from the COVID test mon gave me a hot patch to help the flow of my period, which is not coming out, still. For dinner we had spinach egg and tofu soup, pork with a sort of small bird’s egg cooked in soy sauce, and eggplant steamed and cooked in soy sauce. Later i got my chore assignment, throw away the trash-> feed the cats-> bring home the groceries we ordered-> pick up the package.

20:07

just got home, i met grandma on my way down, she’s feeling sick and barely could talk, grandpa went to throw away trash and she’s waiting in the building gate. She said she feels suffocating and a neighbour says she feels that too but she looks fine. They went for a COVID test later. I went to feed the cats and A Mi and her kitten were there, later i went to the rice noodle shop for grocery pick up and the owner was making noodles and i waited there for a while, a couple are playing their phones and enjoying the air conditioning there. I piked up the packages, for mom is a book and for me is vinyl of “isle of dogs” and CD of “attack on titans season 1”. I went to and told mom about grandma and she went downstair to check on them. Dad is not happy even though he is watching the Korean food show, the coffee shop business is going in a wrong way and he is worried.

20:11

Mom’s back, she said grandpa took her to hospital for the test by bike, she just wants to go to hospital and check herself out, she’s not gonna to visit great granny.

[xshu]

Saturday Lunch

After Costco run. Bo’s Kitchen. A hard hook-up. Restaurant closed on Sundays, so hard to visit during tax time. Hainan Chicken Rice Lunch and two additional bento. Steamed Won Ton A few leftover for the Cat’s noodles tonight. Chicken Jook The Mouse was in the mood. Plus an order of choi summ. No pic, you’ve probably seen before. Enough for The Cat’s two bento. Be safe, eat good. The…

[thehungrykat1]

The Cheng Dynasty Hotpot Offers Unlimited Hotpot, Sushi, Buffet and Teppanyaki

There's a new hotpot restaurant in Quezon City that's currently the talk of the town with its majestic interiors and luxurious hotpot menu that also includes a buffet and other premium add-on sets which makes its truly fit for royalty. The Hungry Kat was invited to try out one of the hottest new dining destinations in the city so I was more than ready to pay a visit to The Cheng Dynasty.

The Cheng Dynasty is a new Szechuan and Japanese hotpot restaurant that recently had its Grand Opening just a few weeks ago. You can find it along N.S. Amoranto Street (formerly Retiro) near the corner of Banawe Avenue where a lot of foodies go to find great dining places. If the character in their logo looks a bit familiar, that's because the restaurant is named after one of it's owners - toy and sneaker collector, DJ, vlogger, scion of the country's biggest foam producer Uratex, and now restaurateur, Big Boy Cheng.

The restaurant comes with an opulent but casual vibe, with most of the interiors in bright red and gold colors. There's plenty of tables for small and big groups, which is how a fun hotpot dining experience should be with.

There's also a semi private room at the back of the restaurant which houses some of Big Boy's personal artwork and art collection. Big Boy Cheng is a very prominent art collector and his Ronac Art Center in San Juan showcases contemporary art and pop culture displays.

The Cheng Dynasty Hotpot comes with several All You Can Eat options depending on your preference. The most basic set is the Terracotta (₱599) which offers their unlimited hotpot menu and is available from 11:00am to 5:00pm on weekdays and from 10:30pm to 1:00am daily.

The first thing to do with hotpot is to prepare your sauce. The Cheng Dynasty has a station where you can customize your choice of ingredients, but you can also request for their special sauce if you're not sure what you like.

Now it's time to try their hotpot! There's a time limit of two hours for each diner, but that's more than enough time to cook and enjoy all these delicious items from meats, vegetables, balls, and noodles. Just check the boxes of the dishes that you want to order and the server will bring these to you on a golden trolley.

We ordered some of our favorite items like the US Fatty Beef, Lean Beef Tenderloin, Shrimp, Squid, Smoked Duck Breast, Beef Balls, Lobster Balls, Golden Cheese Balls, Crab Roe Bomb, Golden Mushroom, and more.

You can also choose from their eight soup bases. The great thing about The Cheng Dynasty is that their hotpot bowls are all in individual sizes, so each diner can choose his own broth flavor. No need to share the pot with everyone else.

I chose the Tonkotsu soup base which has a flavorful broth made from pork bones. Just put your hotpot ingredients inside the golden bowls and wait for them to start boiling. It's as easy as that.

My husband ordered the Beef Sate soup base which comes with a meatier and saltier flavor. I really want to try their other flavors so I will surely do that on my next visit.

If you are feeling really hungry, another menu option is their Weekend Terracotta (₱699) which is available for lunch on weekends and includes unlimited hotpot PLUS an all you can eat Buffet selection.

It's rare to find a hotpot restaurant that also comes with a buffet, but The Cheng Dynasty lets you have all the tempura, tonkatsu, and chicken karaage that you want.

There are also plenty of other cooked dishes like the Lo Ba Chinese Braised Pork Belly, shrimp sotanghon, egg fried rice, and more.

If you want an even bigger buffet selection, head over to The Cheng Dynasty Hotpot from 6:00pm to 10:30pm for their Dinner Terracotta (₱899) where you can get unlimited hotpot and buffet PLUS as many trips as you want to the Sushi Station.

Aside from the aburi sushi, truffle maki, mani salad rolls, and other sushi variants, you can also get unlimited servings of the premium Scallop Gunkan and the Hunan Style Spicy Salmon and Salad.

If that is still not enough for you, then go for the Samurai (₱999) set which features all these unlimited hotpot, buffet, and sushi PLUS Unlimited Teppanyaki!

Choose from among the following teppanyaki dishes that will be cooked upon order: Miso Butter Beef Enoki, Pork Yakiniku, Salmon Yakiniku, Beef Pinsu, Shrimp and Garlic, Yasai Itami, and even Angus Beef Chahan.

I was already quite full so I wasn't able to try all of the teppanyaki options, so I'm surely coming back to sample these other tempting dishes. The Angus beef chahan will be first on my list next time.

Now if all those delicious and sumptuous items still leave you wanting more, then go for the ultimate menu that is fit for an emperor. The Emperor's Feast (₱1,299) comes with all those unlimited items mentioned above PLUS unlimited Shao Kao and a single serving from their Star Selection. Shao Kao are Chinese skewers which are grilled upon order. You can enjoy a selection of unlimited barbecued meats, balls, and vegetables that will be served and cooked on a skewer. It' a different way to experience eating these items that are usually just served for hotpot.

That's not all because the Emperor's Feast also lets each person get one serving of their deluxe Star Selection menu. You can order the Premium Sashimi Set which comes with salmon, ebi, and scallop sashimi. You can get your money's worth with just this dish alone.

Another option is the Emperor Cheng's Dragon Roll which has a tempura roll topped with unagi and salmon roe.

The Abalone in Chicken Essence with Crunchy Noodles is another premium dish you can order with your Star Selection. These exquisite abalone are beautifully plated on top of crispy noodles and doused with a special chicken sauce before being served.

We were all so full and satisfied from our hotpot, buffet, and teppanyaki lunch at The Cheng Dynasty, but there was one more activity waiting for us. The owners of the restaurant also placed a small room inside the restaurant that featured their other passion, Drip Art! All About Art PH has a studio at Secret Fresh inside RONAC Art Center in San Juan where kids and adults alike can enjoy drip painting and art activities. They decided to put a small branch here so that guests waiting for their tables or those too full to leave can have another activity to share with the family.

These DIY kits will give the artist inside everyone a chance to shine and sparkle. I had never done this kind of painting before so I was excited to have my first drip painting experience here at The Cheng Dynasty.

First, choose your figure. The price of your DIY kit depends on the figure you choose and its size. Next, choose three different paint colors that you can mix together or separately on a bowl. Lastly, pour the paint slowly on the figure, making sure all the corners and crevices are covered. That's it! The staff will then box these since it takes a few days to totally dry. Drip painting is a great bonding activity that can be enjoyed with friends and family so check out their Facebook and Instagram @allaboutartph if you want to know more.

The Cheng Dynasty Hotpot is truly a fantastic addition to the ever growing foodie destinations along Banawe Avenue and Quezon City. The luxurious interiors and the premium dishes will surely make you feel like an emperor yourself. I suggest you make reservations first before going because the lines can get pretty long, so send them a message and book your tables now.

Cheng Dynasty Hotpot

625 N.S. Amoranto St. , Quezon City

(0917) 159-7877

www.facebook.com/chengdynastyhotpotph

Instagram: @chengdynastyhotpotph

[stephenandsparklesdokorea]

Busan | Haedong Yonggungsa

For lunch we ate at a Chinese restaurant in one of the buildings neighboring the hotel. We collectively ordered waaaaay too much as the portions were three times bigger than expected and definitely meant for sharing. We shared sweet and sour pork,  orange pork, spicy seafood noodles, tofu+shrimp over rice, plus the complimentary pickles, white rice, and eggdrop soup and tea. It was delicious but everything had a strong kick to it, and I couldn't keep the water coming fast enough. Poor Josh, his tofu meal ended up having shrimp in it. 

I was ready for a nap before lunch but definitely needed one after gorging on Chinese food, and slept until 4:30. I tried to recover with water and an ice cream bar but didn’t feel my best. After droning for a bit in front of the hotel we got a large taxi for the remaining five of us to visit Haedong Yonggungsa temple, which was somewhat removed from the city but on the water and something I wanted to make the extra effort to see. Hailing a taxi took two attempts because the first driver tried to get Keumhee to pay more but we ended up in a comfortable Hyundai van. 

We got to the temple at dusk. It was buggy with clouds of gnats, and still busy, but the pink and purple hues in the sky made for a pretty backdrop. We took a bus to the surrounding downtown area with the intent of visiting the crab market for dinner and although we walked through it, we ultimately ended up eating at a small udon place after a bit of a wait for a table in the chilly evening air. I still didn't feel great, so a light dinner of broth and a few gimbap pieces was perfect. I was very tired and after our taxi dropped us off at the hotel the other four got some drinks at a bar near the hotel, and I forced myself to do some night droning over the harbor because it was my last opportunity even though I would have rather headed straight to bed. The highlight was watching schools of minnows being hunted by three foot long fish, stirring up bioluminescence. 

[daisynik7]

hello!!! hiiii!!! happy valentine’s day my sweet, stunning snookums<3 i hope today is as lovely as you are, sending you a bouquet of all the prettiest flowers, a basket with all your favourite snacks + chocolate (if you like chocolate), and whatever else people get their spouses on v-day! 

the seollal spread was a relative success given that it’s been the first in a few years, so i’m glad about that:) ironically it brought me to a resolution i wasn’t anticipating: to just pace myself and that not everything i do has to be an over-the-top endeavor, it’s something that’s lingered for as long as i remember but needed to be addressed considering how much it can drain me rapidly, but it’s def a work in progress for this year moving forward 🫠 everything was pretty typical in terms of a korean new year’s spread, soy braised short ribs, sesame-soy noodles, bulgogi, rice cake soup, banchan, and pancakes (the savory kinds, not sweet lol), sticky rice dessert(?), and so many dumplings! but can i say that lobster photo you shared looked absolutely amazing! 

i’m also realizing how refreshing it is to not be tethered to socials with my millionth break from here this month alone lol, but i do have one reason to come back<3🪞🫵🏼 in all seriousness, i hope you’re enjoying your hiatus, remember to breath (duh), drink water, eat well, and give yourself breaks as needed! spoil yourself not just because it’s valentine’s day but because you deserve it! in the literal sense of self-care, i’ve re-ordered skincare products i’ve run low on plus some new things to try! what about you?

i sincerely hope you’re lunar new year weekend and valentine’s day were amazing (if you celebrate), how’s your week been so far? anything special plans or is everything as usual? i don’t remember if you’ve already been on your anniversary trip with your partner if that’s coming up but i hope it’s so so memorable and special for the two of you, 10 years together!!! i’d say a huge congratulations are in order and of course to your brother and his fiancee🥹

it’s getting warmer! we’re getting closer to spring, but until we’re fully there i hope you’re still keeping warm and cozy as needed, as always sending you all my love, hugging you so tightly, kissing you so tenderly!!!!<3 i love you so so so much my wonderful daisy 🤍 i hope you know that

WIFEY!!! you sent this to me at the perfect time! been on a bit of a break and am now just going through my inbox. I'm so happy to see you here, I've missed you SO MUCH!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY TO THE BEST WIFEY AND SNOOKUMS A GIRL COULD ASK FOR 💗💗💗 sending you a giant teddy bear, a gourmet meal, and lots of kiss and snuggles on this very special day.

I'm happy to hear that it was a success, and most importantly, you learned something about yourself! I think that's a huge takeaway and I'm very proud of you. that's something I struggle with at times too, and it will always be a work in progress. But any step, even if it's tiny, is progress, which is always something to be proud of.

The food sounds AMAZING! Each and every dish you listed has my mouth watering. And as for the lobster pic, that was one of the courses we ate for dinner to celebrate my brother's engagement! it was perfect timing with lunar new year.

I agree with you 1000%!!!! it has been very refreshing and in a way, enlightening to be off social media! I am technically still on a break/hiatus, but I do like to check in on my notifications and especially to check in with my beloveds (YOU). oooohhhh enjoy the new skincare products! did you buy it from a favorite brand of yours? I'm going to treat myself with a facemask tonight, since I have so many just sitting in my drawer lol. Also, I just bought myself a new makeup product that I tried today and am in LOVE. might be a new holy grail product for me, but I need to try it out a few more days to really see.

nothing too special! just hanging out with some friends, and celebrating Valentine's a few days later, when it's not as crowded. our trip is next month, we're very excited! thank you for the well wishes my darling. 💗

love you so so much thea! thank you for always taking the time to send me your love, you have no idea how much it means to me. I hope you know just how much I love you too. take care my sweetheart! sending you all my love and more.

[downtoearthmarkets]

January is historically the coldest month of the year here in New York. With the onset of chilly weather comes a peak in the cases of seasonal illnesses as people spend more time indoors and the cold, dry air lowers our resistance to viruses. So, if it seems like you and everyone you know is currently sick, was recently sick or is in the process of recuperating from being sick, it’s most likely not your imagination as these types of illnesses are cresting right now.   Getting regular exercise, adequate sleep and consuming a diversity of fresh, unprocessed, nutrient-dense foods, such as those found in the farmers market, is fundamental to boosting your immune system and keeping you as healthy as possible throughout the winter months. But, when you’re sick or under the weather, incorporating these traditional, food-based therapies featuring wholesome ingredients can help you feel better and get you back on your feet faster.  A Better BRAT The BRAT diet is an acronym that stands for its four food components -- bananas, rice, apple sauce, and toast. This diet used to be recommended for people, especially children, experiencing gastrointestinal symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea or gastroenteritis. Due to its restrictive nature, the original BRAT diet should be considered a temporary solution and is no longer recommended for extended periods of use beyond a meal or two. Instead, when mild tummy troubles arise, medical professionals now typically suggest consuming a greater variety of bland foods that are gentle on the stomach, along with plenty of fluids and electrolytes. If a bland diet is what the doctor has ordered, congee (Asian rice porridge) makes an excellent choice for an easily digestible, yet nutrient-rich, meal that has been used by the Chinese as a stomach remedy for thousands of years. Congee is made by boiling rice in a large amount of water or stock until the rice softens almost to the melting point, and the broth thickens with creamy rice starch. Adding small quantities of nutritious, stomach-friendly flavorings including minced garlic and ginger, and toppings such as shredded chicken breast will add extra appeal and goodness to your congee without aggravating your digestive system.  Gather all the ingredients you need at the farmers market this weekend to make this deliciously warming and soothing Ginger Chicken Congee recipe from Food and Wine Magazine: 

1 cup Great Joy Family Farm long-grain white rice, rinsed 

7 cups Yellow Bell Farm chicken stock or homemade vegetable stock 

One-inch knob of Jersey Farm Produce ginger, peeled and sliced thin 

Optional: 3 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded (Yellow Bell Farm, Roaming Acres)

1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt, plus more for seasoning 

1/4 teaspoon sesame seed oil 

Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste 

Sliced green onion from the farmstalls, for garnish 

Chicken Soup for the Cold While a steaming hot bowl of chicken noodle soup isn’t necessarily a cure for a common cold, it can help relieve its uncomfortable symptoms and defrost you after spending time outside in the “common winter cold”! Not only will the vapor from homemade chicken soup relieve nasal congestion, the broth will rehydrate you, the noodles will provide instant energy-boosting carbs, and its nutritious goodness will feed your entire immune system. 

Trisha, our long-time Larchmont Farmers Market Manager, shares her trusted recipe for healing chicken soup that can be made with either rice or noodles, depending on your personal preference: 

Ingredients

1 whole chicken (Yellow Bell Farm, Roaming Acres) 

3 cloves garlic (Jersey Farm Produce) 

2 medium-sized Great Joy Family Farm purple or orange carrots

1 large leek (Jersey Farm Produce)

1 red onion (4E Green Farm)

1 large rib celery plus handful of leafy celery tops (Great Joy Family Farm)

1 bunch of parsley (4E Green Farm)

1 cup Great Joy Family Farm fragrant long grain rice or 1 cup La Trafila fresh pasta 

Instructions

Roast chicken, when cooled, remove most of the meat but be sure to leave some on! 

Place chicken carcass in a large pot filled with water. 

Add garlic cloves (minced or whole), roughly chopped leek, celery, carrots and red onion to pot. 

Season with salt, pepper, parsley and start a low simmer for 3-4 hours. 

Taste occasionally, add seasoning if needed. 

When done cooking, remove chicken carcass and remove its remaining meat. 

Add chicken meat back into the soup. Add cooked rice or noodles. 

Garnish with fresh parsley. 

Serve piping hot! 

Of course, consuming a diversity of fresh, healthy and delicious farmers market fare all year-round is the best way to make an ounce of prevention worth a pound of cure! But, as the ancient saying goes, 'Let thy food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food', so, if need be, we hope these tried-and-true food-based remedies come in handy during peak virus season. In the meantime, we look forward to seeing you ready to ward off the ‘cold and colds’ by bundling up well and heading out to the markets this coming weekend.

[formeryelpers]

Hay Tea, 35284 Newark Blvd, Newark, CA 94560

With so many milk tea places around, I’ve been experiencing milk tea fatigue. However, most milk tea shops in Fremont/Newark close early, and Hay Tea was one of the few that was open after 8 PM. Hay Tea seems fairly new. The grand opening sign is still up.

I really like what I’ve had so far and it was good to see that they use real fruit in their drinks. I could see mangos and other chopped fruit. They have milk tea, salted cheese tea, smoothies, Yakult drinks, fresh fruit tea, brewed tea, and slushes. The drinks come in two sizes. You can specify the sweetness level, ice level, and add-ins (e.g., boba, grass jelly, red bean, etc.). Plus, they have a food menu with the usual fried snacks (popcorn chicken, fries) but also egg puffs, beef noodle soup, and more.

Happy hour is Monday – Friday from 7 PM – 10 PM. When you order a drink during happy hour, they’ll give you another drink free – but there are only a few kinds of free drinks to choose from.

Order at the register or at the kiosk. You’ll get a number and they’ll call your number when your order is ready.

Fresh mango coconut milk purple rice drink ($5.50, 0% sweetness): coconut milk with pieces of ripe mango, purple rice. The purple rice wasn’t as chewy as Yomie’s used to be but the drink was very good. It tasted like coconut milk with bits of sweet mango and nutty rice.

Hong Kong milk tea (0% sweetness): very good, does taste like HK milk tea (stronger tea flavor) and the milk adds enough sweetness for me

Hey lemon tea (0% sweetness): This was free. It’s made with fresh lemon. I drank it the next day. The lemon rind and lack of sugar made it bitter. Probably wouldn’t get again. Might be less bitter if fresh?

Egg puffs with red bean ($8.25): the red beans are sweetened so the waffle was sweeter than usual but the puffs were well formed, soft in the middle with crispy bits in between. Really good egg puffs!

Popcorn chicken ($9.50): Big pieces of boneless, skinless chicken, seasoned. The batter is crunchy. Spotted a little basil. Served piping hot - juicy and tasty. Wanted more basil though. A bit crunchier than average.

The décor is cutesy with a light up boba cup. They just changed the loyalty program - it's not free but you pay $9.99 for a card.

I might try camping here.

4.5 out of 5 stars

By Lolia S.

[susanayaocheng]

Wondrous Milk Pond, etc. Part Two

Day 2 was an early Sunday morning taxi ride to LongShan Temple in the Bangka District.  This was the same temple that John and I visited thirteen years earlier (2010) to petition the mercy and graces of the Goddess of Kuan Yin to grant us a grandchild.  The temple was packed as usual, and it was so popular, we went back again another night before dinner.

Grand Hyatt Taipei  provides us buffet breakfast the menu of which was unchanged from day 2 to 6, so we usually hurriedly take our meal. They would put a 1-1/2 hour timer on tables, we then continue to chill and chat in the grand lobby before proceeding with our activity for the day.  Concurrent with our stay at the hotel was the 4-day state visit of the President of Columbia and his party who were billeted there,  so there was extra security all around the property.  Taxis were stationed in front of the hotel and readily available; we even had the same driver on two different days, plus a second one who knew all about us.

After the temple tour, we leisurely walked through the local streets on our way to Ximending,  stopping at convenience stores and drugstores to pick up essentials. The hotel stocked us generously with Balmain amenities, but we needed function and brand specific items and cool drinks.

On our food list was Ah Chong Misua (rice stringy noodle).   People just stood in the middle of the street, on the sidewalk, heartily enjoying this hot bowl of noodle. There were not enough chairs or tables. Ah Chong only sold noodle and is just a stall.

Heading out next on the agenda, by the way, because of the inclement weather, we did not go up to the 101 Observatory.  Besides, John and I did that already on our last trip. We picked up small foods because we had a dinner engagement. There were sideshows and performances to delight the Sunday crowd, and as the afternoon wore on, there were noticeably more people and vendors in anticipation of the night food/sundry market. I saw some macrame dream-catchers that were perfect for granddaughters, but again, the packing was going to be a problem. Without a line, I tried the grilled mochi with brown sugar and ground peanut.  Heavenly!  John and I shared a Xing Fu Tang brown sugar boba milk tea with a small bag of fried chicken ordered as a set that was so good.  The boba pearls are cooked on site every hour.

Our dinner that evening was in Shilin on Tianmu Road. The venue was the Golden Formosa Taiwanese Cuisine, casual family-oriented vibe and one Michelin star, known for their fried spare ribs. Delicious!

So good and excited to look forward to our third night dinner with long time friends from our Guam days. It was at a Shanghainese cuisine restaurant in Daan District, “Chez Yeh”, known for their delectable dishes such as smoked yellow fish.  We were enticed to order their blueberry cheesecake which was fantastic.  Catching up with friends and enjoying their company with good food and wine never gets old.

Friends sent us packs of goodies to bring home. We also loaded up on fresh fruits during our stay such as guava, wax apple, pineapple, and honey tangerines but could not bring them home.  Customs can be a pain.   The trip became too short, too little, and left us wanting to explore more the beauty, the friendships, the scenery, and good foods of Taipei and the cities beyond.  Hopefully, it will not take John and me another 13 years to go back.

[ledenews]

Fat Man Eateth: Zhuzi Chinese Restaurant

It’s been a hectic week in the home of the Fat Man and his growing family. Now that the population of two-legged beings in this house has increased by one since last week, going out to eat poses more of a challenge than normal. Doable? Yes. But at present, sleep is at a premium and we’re trying to reduce potential headaches before they spring up. Therefore, takeout was in order toward the end of the week. When you think takeout, one of the first cuisines that pops into the mind, and stomach’s eye, is Chinese. Any type of Asian cuisine really—(can someone open a Thai restaurant here locally please, seriously—will do, but in this house, Chinese food is generally what comes to mind. The greater St. Clairsville area has some decent options in that regard. That further opens up if you’re willing to travel greater distances, say, to Wheeling, Steubenville, Moundsville, or even Cambridge. I was trying to limit our driving, as well as the time spent waiting to eat said food, so we opted to stay in the city. And since we were going takeout, we decided to go with our old Chinese takeout standby in Zhuzi Chinese Restaurant. That’s not to say we never eat at Zhuzi in person. We do. But given Zhuzi is in the same plaza as Starbucks, and Starbucks forever has a line wrapped around the building for its drive-through, it makes parking a headache at best. We also could have gone full lazy and ordered Zhuzi through DoorDash and had it delivered.  But, as someone who occasionally delivers food for DoorDash, I’m glad the public is willing to pay those upcharges. Because I’m not. They are a bit much. So I went to Zhuzi’s online ordering portal, found here, and decided to pick it up myself. You can also call ahead and order that way. Either way works. I’m just people-averse, so the less talking I must do, the better. Either General Tsos or Kung Pao Chicken is a great option at Zhuzi. The fried dumplings at Zhuzi are a quality option to share as an addition to your overall meal. An order of Sweet and Sour Pork plus fried rice. The Food The girlfriend is pretty standard in her ordering when it comes to Chinese takeout. She’ll want an order of Sweet & Sour chicken or pork, coupled with either fried rice or occasionally an upcharge for a side of lo mein noodles. The sweet and sour sauce she uses to dunk her egg roll. The chicken? She prefers ketchup. Yes, I know. But we all like what we like. She’ll also want an order of fried dumplings for us to share. Twist my arm, right? That’s a definite order. I don’t vary too much either, truth be told, but at Zhuzi I’ve slowly worked to try some of its different options. On this occasion, I went with General Tso’s chicken and fried rice. I will say this, it’s my second favorite menu option at Zhuzi. To me, there is nothing better than order a quart of Kung Pao chicken (no veggies, but including the peanuts), mixing that into the generous helping of fried rice, and feasting. The Kung pao provides a nice wee kick to the flavor profile. You won’t be running for a glass of water to dull the burn. It’s not that kind of hot. But it’s subtle and enjoyable. The General Tsos chicken is also tasty. Each Asian food eatery locally I feel puts its own little twist on this classic dish and, if you’ve enjoyed it long enough, you can pick out which restaurant has made it. Zhuzi’s General Tsos isn’t the best I’ve had locally, but it is good. I’d definitely order it again and have. That being said, I must revisit and state Zhuzi’s Kung Pao is the best I’ve had in the area. If I am in the mood for Kung Pao, it’s the only place to go. The friend dumplings were also pretty tasty. The GF and I are both in agreement that, in the Asian-style restaurants locally, the dumplings at Golden Chopsticks are tops, followed closely by Osaka in St. Clairsville. Zhuzi’s dumplings fall just below that top tier, but much like the General Tsos, are a worthwhile addition to your order. What sets Zhuzi apart, in terms of takeout, is it tastes just as good when you get hit home as it does in the store. Can’t say for sure why, but it doesn’t seem to lessen the flavor. That’s why when we opt for Chinese takeout, we head to Zhuzi. Zhuzhi is located at 67800 Mall Ring Rd. in St. Clairsville, right next to Starbucks. Read the full article

[lagycart]

wasabi plus 山葵日料.

found this newly opened japanese restaurant nearby my neighborhood and decided to give it a try. the interior is quite lovely with wooden furniture and lots of totoro figure around, which you can take photos with. and there’s two floors so the place is quite spacious and comfortable.

the menu has a mix n match option that you can choose small dishes to make your own meal set, which will have a rice or noodle, main dish and side dishes. some dishes will cost extra money while other simpler ones like vegetable or tofu will not. i picked salmon mentaiyaki with stir fried vegetables, with cold udon, and salad, it also comes with mochi as desserts. we ordered green tea separately too.

the food takes a while to be served though, and there’s quite a lot of people because it’s a new restaurant. food taste was alright, nothing stands out though and the portion is quite small as well. given the price point, it is not really worth it, i was definitely expecting more in terms of taste and quantity. i would not recommend this place as i do know better japanese restaurants nearby.

[young-able-leader-blog]

The Momo Restuarant !

by: Dareth Rosaline

Are you the one who always want to try tasting different kind of food beside Khmer food? It can be Chinese’s food, European food, Korean food, or Japanese food. Nowadays, we are noticed that there are many restaurants for Korean, Chinese, and European taste but only a few for Japanese food. So LIFT this week will introduce everyone to a new Japanese restaurant, which just open in November last year (2012).

The new Japanese restaurant named “Momo Izakaya”, and it is owned by Miss. Momoko Nagasawa. Momo Izakaya is the restaurant that serves the taste of the original Japanese food especially the kind of Japanese grill meat called Yakitori.

If you travelling along the Norodom Blvd and pass across Lux cinema traffic light in the direction to independent monument, looking at the left side there is a road called Ly Yoak Lay. So you can turn left a long that road and look at the left side again you will see a logo of Momo Izakaya restaurant in the block road 23.

The Momo Izakaya is decorated with the bamboo as well as the beautiful painting with the peach tree and pink color. If we just glance a little bit, it will attract our eyes because it is quite different from other building around.

According to Miss. Momoko, the owner, the reataurant was opened in the purpose serving the original taste of Japanese food with the effort able price for the customer. “Last two years, when I came to Cambodia, there is only one or two Japanese restaurants with the expensive price so I came up with the idea to open a place that customer both Khmer and Japanese can get the Japanese food.” She said.

For Momo Izakaya restaurant, they provide food only for lunch and dinner menu. Lunch time start from 11am to 4pm with the DON lunch set, which is the kind of food with rice, meat, seaweed soup and salad. Besides they also have UDON, which is the kind of Japanese noodle. Then for dinner time form 4 pm to 11 pm, they serve the dinner menu which content different type of Yakatori, grill meat with the Japanese sauce.

Miss Momoko said that all the ingredients of the food in the restaurant are bought from the Japanese food supply Company in Cambodia but for sauce is a bit different from other taste. “ In order to keep the original taste I have to bought the original ingredients too and for the sauce I make it more better but mixed it with my secret recipe.” Miss Momoko said.

Besides Japanese food, Momo Izakaya restaurant also serve different kind of drink both soft and alcohol beverages. Those also included Japanese Sake both hot/cold, Sake with fruit, Shochu, Cocktails, Mocktails, Plum wine, and Wisky

Talking about the price of the food, Miss Momoko said that it is set for all customers with an effort able price. For lunch menu is 3.50 per set and dinner set is from 3.99 up. “ I think the price is  should be acceptable enough because if we think about the ingredient of the food is a lot and I also have to buy it in the high price too so it seem balance between the price and the taste that customer will get.” She said.

Miss Momoko added that the restaurant also have to promotion for the customer such as 1 stamp for every 5 dollar spent then when you get ten stamp you will get 5 dollar off for your next meal as well as the Happy Hour from 4pm to 7pm, if customer buy one jar of beer, they will get other one for free. “ if customer want to taste the original Japanese food with the acceptable price plus a good environment, Please choose to visit our place Momo Izakaya.” Miss Momoko said.

For more information about the Momo Izakaya restaurant, Please go to FB page MOMO IZAKAYA or send an email to MOMOIZAKAYA@gmail.com or contact to the number 023999008.

[qingxin-dream]

—SPECIAL INVITATION ENCLOSED! 💌

Greetings traveler,

You are invited to join us for a special celebration in honor of @qingxin-dream’s 550+ amazing followers during July 8th - July 15th at Komore Teahouse in Inazuma City. Graciously hosted by Taroumaru of the Yashiro Commission. Please RSVP with the name of your plus one and your order. Menu attached. Thank you for always reading, commenting, and supporting my writing! We hope to see you there!

Sincerely, Kat + Kuni <3

Etiquette

I’m opening requests again! The menu includes prompts to help you think about your request, or you can order a Komore Special and give me all the yummy details of the unique idea you have in mind! Submit your request HERE with the following general format:

“Hi! For your event, I’d like to bring Venti and order a Egg Roll + Sakura Mochi please. [Insert any extra details you would like]. Thanks!”

Your request doesn’t have to be fluffy either! Feel free to ask for angst, hurt, comfort, suggestive (no smut), etc. Be as descriptive as you like! Completed works will be posted with the tag “[komore teahouse party].✿”! More details under the cut!

STATUS: CLOSED!

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Guest List

Please choose one (1) guest who will accompany you!

Aether, Albedo, Diluc, Gorou, Kaeya, Kazuha, Scaramouche, Thoma, Tighnari, Venti, Xiao

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Menu

Please pick up to two (2) items!

🍙ONIGIRI - thick, sticky rice shaped and stuffed with a special vegetable filling; essence: a mysterious love letter from someone unexpected.

🍳EGG ROLL - a common Inazuman dish consisting of scrambled egg well-seasoned and folded carefully into a rounded shape; essence: realizing one has fallen in love with their best friend.

🥟JADE PARCELS - delicious morsels of ham cooked to perfection, delicately wrapped in cabbage, and blanketed with a spicy Jueyun Chili sauce imported from Liyue; essence: the raging jealousy your lover feels when someone else has their eyes on you.

🍲MISO SOUP - a warm and welcoming dish full of tofu and green garnishes; essence: learning to love someone all over again after a bout of amnesia.

🍜TONKOTSU RAMEN - hot noodles adorned with half an egg, sliced bamboo shoots, and Chashu pork in a wonderful broth; essence: finding a moment of peace in your lover’s arms during difficult times.

🌸SAKURA MOCHI - a rich chocolate core wrapped in an elegant blanket of pink mochi with a sakura petal garnish; essence: secret glances and accidental touches that drive you crazy.

🍡TRICOLOR DANGO - perfectly plump and sweet rounds of decadence; essence: your lover’s favorite places to pleasure you when it’s just the two of you.

🍮ALMOND TOFU - a traditional Liyuean dessert made of an apricot kernel pudding topped with a sprinkling of sugar and almond crumbles; essence: the loving embrace of two depraved lovers reunited again after a long separation.

🍬MINT JELLY - a turquoise-hued snack with a refreshing aftertaste, reminiscent of the airy, light Anemo slimes of its homeland; essence: the sudden tap of a rock against your window from your lover who wants to whisk you away at midnight.

🥞TEA BREAK PANCAKE - exquisite stacks of fluffy golden pancakes topped with a slice of butter and a gorgeous drizzling of maple syrup; essence: all the gentle and subtle ways your lover expresses their admiration for you.

🧋BUBBLE TEA - a fun and flavorful drink swirling with chewy tapioca pearls; essence: one who is completely head-over-heels for someone who is utterly oblivious.

🥛DANGO MILK - an unusual but addictive combination of honeyed dango and cool milk; essence: one who feels undeserving of the person who actually makes them whole.

🐾KOMORE SPECIAL - thanks to Taroumaru, you can request a unique dish of your own! Make sure to give as much detail as possible in your request.

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Reservations

Listed below are the received requests! While I hope to fulfill them all, please note that my time/motivation varies due to external circumstances. Links to finished works will be updated accordingly.

Xiao with Almond Tofu + Tricolor Dango

Kaeya with Tonkotsu Ramen + Almond Tofu

Tighnari with Egg Roll + Tea Break Pancake

Thoma with Bubble Tea + Dango Milk

Scaramouche with Tricolor Dango + Almond Tofu

Venti with Tea Break Pancake + Dango Milk

Tighnari with Egg Roll + Sakura Mochi

Gorou with Dango Milk + Tonkotsu Ramen

Scaramouche with Onigiri + Bubble Tea

Xiao with Bubble Tea + Dango Milk

Aether with Sakura Mochi + Tonkotsu Ramen

Tighnari with Jade Parcels + Tricolor Dango

Venti with Jade Parcels + Tricolor Dango

Thoma with Egg Roll + Jade Parcels

Thoma with Tonkotsu Ramen + Almond Tofu

Tighnari with Sakura Mochi + Bubble Tea

Scaramouche with Onigiri + Jade Parcels

divider credits: @/softpinecone, @/delishydelightfuldividers