I'm BACK!

Hello followers and readers!

It has been almost 10 months since my last post in Denver and I am thrilled to be at it again for the first time in 2012.  I am currently on vacation in Hong Kong after four great weeks in China for work and instead of checking my work email incessantly, I thought I would take some time to share my love for food and start blogging again.  I can't promise that this will be regular, but you can expect 2-3 posts in the next week at least.

If you know me personally or even professionally, you know how much I love food (and in Hong Kong!), and if Hong Kong does indeed become your next vacation destination I would be happy to be your food consultant.

I've been thinking for a while and I've decided (with much much thought) to abandon the plate score. I invite you to imagine the plate score for yourself and share it with me especially if you go to the restaurants mentioned in my posts.

I thought I would start off with a comparison between 2 Michelin stared restaurants here in Hong Kong, one ultimately more outstanding than the other:  Caprice at the Four Seasons and Amber at the Mandarin Oriental.

Both are incredibly expensive so either come with parents, a for profit company or start a specific savings account for this experience.  The one upside is service is pretty seamless and I always enjoy the "free stuff": Amuse bouche, unlimited bread selection, pre-dessert and of course petit fours (for your eyes to feast on, 1st is Caprice, 2nd is Amber).

First let's explore Caprice. I will not go over each and every single dish otherwise this blog post would become a novel and who has time for that.  I will just go over the highs and lows.

Let's start with the low.  So I've never been to a French restaurant that doesn't serve foie gras in some way.  At Caprice, it was seared and served with a passionfruit carrot puree with cocoa crispies.  Despite the colorful presentation, I tried intently to listen to the server explain the chef's vision for this dish. but the sweet, salty, sour (from the passionfruit) flavors were bizarre and ultimately confusing together.

The second low light was the langoustine carpaccio, beautiful presentation but the temperature was too warm for my palate and peace of mind.  I had flashbacks to epic bouts of food poisoning, not a good to start, luckily the end of the night was just fine.

The first highlight was my dad's lamb 3 ways: rack, tenderloin and braised shoulder. The second was the cheese plate.  Yes, you heard me, cheese.  I can hear all of my cheese friends jumping out of their seats right now.  I never order cheese but it came with our meal so why not right?  My favorite and apparently of excellent choice was the 4 year aged Comte cheese which had these distinct salt crystals that develop during the aging process (the rectangular block in the bottom right corner).  Our waiter proudly explained Caprice has the most complete cheese course in the city and that there are only a dozen or so restaurants in the world that have aged 4 years Comte, most Comte cheeses are aged 1-2 years....I just picked it because it isn't a soft and/or pungent cheese.

Instead of dinner (like Caprice) we opted for lunch at Amber.  There is a lunch set that is relatively affordable in comparaison to their dinner.  The key word is relatively.

So I mentioned that French restaurants find a way to include foie gras on their menu and at Amber it comes in the form of their signature 1st amuse buche: foie gras lollipop. A round ball of pate coated with a liquid sugar coat.  Reminds me of a candy apple in appearance. It was tasty but incredibly rich that I had to promptly stuff a piece of bread to avoid feeling like was I eating a tablespoon of butter.

The appetizer is worth mentioning here. The seared langoustine with chickpeas, chickpea and red pepper puree and the 2 (brown) "raviolis" of mysterious but I assume scientific execution. It was like flavor balloon bursting with shellfish jus and chickpea puree.

Desserts at both restaurants were great but despite the excellent cheese course at Caprice, the unanimous winner is Amber.


This evening we decided to take a break from the fancy stuff and opted for an equally delicious and homemade meal. From top left going clockwise:

1. Fried chinese sweet cruller (basically a Chinese donut but chewy like a pita)
2. 1000 year old (or Century) egg and salted duck egg.  It is not actually 1000 years old, but it might as well be with that color and taste.  You think chicken feet and fish eyeballs are weird, that stuff is amateur.
3. Congee (rice porridge with pork or any variety of your choosing)
4. Boiled Choy Sum (Chinese vegetable)

It's good to be back :)


And if you've decided that my obsession with food is not relevant to your life anymore, I'll be sad but let me know and I can remove you from my emails.

Wrapping up Denver

 I can always appreciate a large slice of pizza anytime of day, so can my great friend Brittany who has accompanied me on my adventures in search of affordable but equally delicious finds over the last three years.  Though the weather was tumultuous we found our way to Fat Sully's at the Atomic Cowboy on East Colfax.  My first experience with their pies was from their roaming food truck sometime last year and I still dream about it on occassion.  Located in the same shared space as  Denver Biscuit Company which operates in the day time, this place churns out $3 (+$0.35 toppings) New York Style with a crunchy and chewy crust.  While some places can be skimpy with their toppings, the slice came blanketed with my chosen topping of chopped mushrooms!  With a few shakes of salt, pepper, chili flakes and parmesan, a perfect preview to what I know I will find in NYC!

Fat Sully's Plate Score: 9

I finally remembered to a take a photo of the combination noodle bowl with grilled shrimp, pork, beef and vietnamese eggroll 11N from New Saigon.  Isn't it beautiful?  Read the full description here

 New Saigon Plate Score: 9

As I was recovering from a strange bout of food poisoning/flu, my outing for drinks with a few vikings Jen and Andrea resulted in a few shared plates at root down.  I'm pretty sure the waiter judged us for not ordering alcohol but those few nibbles reminded me as to why I love that place and how much I'll miss it.

The zucchini salad was refreshing from the mint yogurt dressing and the citrus, however the few specks of bitter black mustard on the butter lettuce was too overpowering for my taste buds.  Salad Plate Score: 7

The scallops dish, which has been on the menu since Root Down opened in late 2008, were well seasoned and perfectly seared, a method of cooking i definitely prefer to grilling.  The briney flavor from the seafood and the salty crispy red onion strings paired well with the caramelized flavor of the sweet plantain hash and the spiciness of the habanero tartar sauce. Scallops Plate Score: 9

The carrot gnocchi was as wonderful as I remembered over a year ago.  The pan seared pillows were sauteed in a flavorful carrot coriander sauce and tossed with spring peas, mushrooms, asparagus and salty manchego. Though it could have used a little more sauce to bring it all to together, the buttery finish of the dish definitely made up for that fact.  Gnocchi Plate Score: 9

Overall Root Down Plate Score: 9


My friend Luci and I celebrated our last meal as roomates at Izakaya den, also a favorite of mine since first moving here back in the summer of 2007.  You will find the usual sushi and sashimi options similar to that at sushi den next door in addition to small plates influenced by global cultures.  I stuck to what I knew best here and when you go you MUST order miso cod and the korean short ribs.

The miso cod was a perfect medium, flavorful, flakey and just incredibly well executed. Plate score: 10

The short ribs were marinated in soy, brown sugar and rice wine vinegar and served on a hot platter with french green beans, mushrooms and jalapenos (sans seeds) which satisfied my red meat cravings without having to shell out $30 for an overpriced steak somewhere.  Plate score: 9

Overall Izakaya Plate Score: 9.5

Cholon Take 2

My first trip to Cholon was exceptional and I was equally excited to share the excitement with my good friends Jess and Brigitte, who was in town for the weekend from Chicago. In no rush at all, we sat right by the open kitchen and watched as the owner/executive chef Lon Symensma carefully gave his approval to the beautiful plates that emerged from the kitchen.  We sipped on a bottle of red wine while I also double fisted with a house made non alcoholic beverage made from roasted beets, lime and homemade ginger soda with a beet chip garnish. Sounds weird but incredibly refreshing if you want to avoid the alcohol.

As we discussed our plans for the weekend and how to improve/expand my blog readership (one being include the actual names of "friends" I dine with, second to give the individual plate scores of the different dishes, third come up with a more catchy blog name, suggestions?), we decided on a few shared plates and one entree among the 3 of us.

The Kaya toast was exciting and different like the last time and the pork belly potstickers were incredibly flavorful with the exterior of the dumpling pan seared to a nice crispiness.  (Plate score for both: 9)

The chili crab rolls, which were my favorite, were a refreshing summer appetizer with fresh lump crabmeat mixed with sweet corn, lettuce and diced red bell peppers and wrapped in a rice paper roll, served with a spicy sriracha mayo.  Chili Crab Rolls Plate Score: 9

The lemongrass dressing on the beet salad was incredibly light and the greens were well dressed.  The golden and red beets were well roasted but in my opinion the light sprinkle of blue cheese (which you can't even really see) was confusing for this asian influenced salad.  Salad Plate Score: 8

 The sea bass entree was the most expensive and also the most disappointing.  The pan seared fish was overcooked and the accompanying vegetables were spicy but mostly bland.  Sea bass Plate Score: 6

The chinese sausage fried which I had last time but did not review is served with a soft boiled egg on top that you mix into the steaming pile of rice.  The rice dotted with small pieces of salty chinese sausage  was balanced out by sweet pieces of fresh pineapple.  Like most asian rice dishes out there, this was delicious and quite addicting.  Fried Rice Plate Score: 8

Towards the end of the meal, Lon who is good friends with Angelo Sosa (NYC chef who was a finalist on Season 7's of Top Chef) came by to ask about our meal, I was star struck :)

Cholon Plate Score: 8.5


The pictures are courtesy of Jess' Android.

Review: Parallel 17 and L'Asie

Parallel 17 was voted top 10 best new restaurants by 5280 in 2008, however the meal was at points almost inedible.  The vietnamese french fusion cuisine flopped for me in many areas.  On mondays, they offer happy hour all night which brought in a full house around 7 on a traditionally slow dining night.  The tuna and tofu tacos, both tried to imitate TAG's version of sushi tacos however, P17's version were excessively salty and inedible. The fried taco shell sitting on a guacamole mousse reminded me of what you would find prepackaged from the grocery store.  The duck spring roll was bland and the grilled beef on the bahn mi slider was more like deli style roast beef.  The only dish interesting was the pork belly sliders on the traditional asian white buns, with a blueberry coulis and heavy flavors of hoisin.  We shared the sizzling saigon crepe (pictured above) which was a coconut scented crepe filled with sauteed mushrooms, beansprouts and shrimp.  It was pretty bland, but piqued our interest in terms of the concept.  I've decided that when any portion of the meal is deamed inedible, in this case the tacos, the restaurant cannot score anything higher than a 5.

P17 Plate score: 4


I went to L'Asie because one of my friends absolutely loves this place and insisted I try it before I left denver.  L'Asie offers thai, vietnamese, japanese and chinese dishes and on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, deals such as half price appetizers and two for one drinks will please both drinkers and eaters.    The combination platter of appetizers including the chicken satay, thai spring rolls (which are really vietnamese) and gyoza (japanese) were all solid and I was pleasantly surprised with the calamari.  After tender slices of squid are deep fried, they are sauteed in a garlic, onion, spring onion sauce that made the flavors pop and made this appetizer a success and different from the usual calamari dishes you find elsewhere.  While the color of my combination (chicken, shrimp and tofu) pad thai was a little too neon  and desperately needed some hot sauce to add dimension to the dish, the flavor was on point and the portion was more than generous.


L'Asie Plate Score: 7.5

Last Supper: ATL style

From lunch to brunch and dinner and breakfast, the week in Atlanta was filled with delicious food across the board.  No pictures, but a dining guide for all of you who plan to make atlanta your next weekend getaway


Right off the plane, we headed to Rosebud in Atlanta.  I didn't realize how famous this place was until after the fact when I happened to catch an episode of Food Network's Throwdown with Bobby Flay- Fried Green Tomato BLT!  The bbq duck and grits were excellent with a smokey and sweet flavor from the meat and the peach gastrique.  I literally said "holy s**t" when my mom's mushroom scramble arrived at the table that it caught the attention of nearby diners.  I swear it was at least half a dozen eggs on top of toasted brioche bread.  A photo would have confirmed my initial reaction.  Rosebud plate score: 8

Dining at Umezono has always been a pleasure for my family and me in the 10 years since we first moved to Atlanta.  Umezono focuses on classic japanese fare,  none of the complicated dragon or rainbow rolls.  The sashimi (with 3 slices each of salmon and tuna) and beef teriyaki lunch combination (with salad, soup and rice) is just $7.50 and you can choose between 21 dishes so that is a lot of combinations. Umezono plate score: 9

There is no foot traffic near this restaurant, yet on a tuesday lunch, this place was almost filled with the business lunch crowd.  The corn soup was sweet and smooth but the pan seared georgia trout was the winner.  With 2 large filets over local summer succotash, the dish was amazing and for a bargain price of just $14.  The tasting portions of desserts allowed us to indulge in the key lime tart and the "snickers" bar for just $4 each.  Local Three plate score: 9

Aside from the atrocious service, Cakes and Ale restaurant is a farm to table eatery in downtown Decatur that served up delicious food.  Shared plates of eggplant flatbread, seared scallops, rabbit ragu gnocchi and sauteed shrimp were all very good.  I never write an email to the owners but i felt compelled because i think they would want to know about this lapse in service.  The owner graciously offered up a gift card and I can't wait to find it in my mailbox! Cakes and Ale Plate Score: 8

Despite the lack of parking in the area, the food at the Social House  comforting and the service was on point. I had the benedict with the sauteed mushrooms, leeks, country ham and gouda.  The english muffins could have benefited from a longer time in the toaster, nevertheless, the breakfast was solid and put a smile on both my grandmother and mom's face after our stroll through the Marietta Square farmer's market.  Social House Plate Score: 7.5


Owned and operated by a Top chef contestant, Hector Santiago, Super pan latino sandwich shop which is open on Tues-Fri from 11:30-2:30, this fast casual place is inspired by traditional latin flavors.   The sandwiches were interesting but did not really  The pork belly buns were soft and flavorful however the smoked tofu version was too smokey, tasting almost burnt.  It is definitely hard for tofu to compete against pork belly, it's like trying to say that the minnesota timberwolves will have a better record than the miami heat. The chicken torta sandwich was slightly spicy but was well balanced by the soft avocado spread and the vinegar based vegetable slaw.   SPL sandwich shop plate score: 7.5

Go Now: Vert Kitchen

Nestled down the street from dive bars such as the Kentucky Inn and the Candlelight in Wash Park, Vert Kitchen (Vert being green in french) has been churning out amazing sandwiches and salads since it opened in early 2009.  My initial review was on the Tortilla Espanola Sandwich which you can read about here, but this "Go Now" order is really about the turkey sandwich.  There are not many sandwiches that make me crave it 3 hours after eating it.  However, the turkey sandwich from Vert Kitchen conjured up similar feelings that I had the first time I tried the smoked turkey sandwich from Masterpiece Deli. This sandwich is made to order, which means they shave the turkey right there in front of you and lay it on a fresh baguette, with ample amounts of soft goat cheese, lemon olive oil dressed mixed greens, tomato and a roasted sweet fig spread.   Simply amazing!

Vert Kitchen Plate Score: 10

Review: Lucile's Creole Cafe

For those who love brunch you have probably been to or at least heard of Lucile's, a creole inspired spot on the corner of Alameda and Logan.  Having never been but always heard great reviews from friends, I wanted to make sure that I hit this spot before leaving denver.

We nibbled on a large buttermilk biscuit while we waited for our food with a variety of housemade jams, strawberry (amazing), blueberry, apple butter (too much cinnamon, it was like eating a christmas air freshener) and orange marmalade (not my thing).   You could see bits of melted butter throughout which brought a salty but addictive quality to the gigantic biscuit.

The Eggs New Orleans is a dish with fried slices of egglplant topped with creole sauce, soft poached eggs, hollandaise (on the side) and breakfast potatoes.  The creole sauce was more like a mild chunky tomato sauce but nevertheless was delicious over the soft discs of fried eggplant.  If you know me, I would never choose potatoes as a side (except french fries) but these potatoes which i'm pretty sure were cooked in bacon fat infused wonderful flavorful into these bland starchy vegetables.

Beignets, which are fried pillows of dough were just that, fried, delicious and dusted with plenty of powered sugar.

Overall the food was delicious.  My only pet peeve is when restaurants/servers offer you something like "would you like to add cheese to those potatoes" and then you end up with a surprise charge of an extra $1.40 when the bill arrives.  Not a good practice.

Lucile's Plate Score: 8.5