One year older, one year wiser

I picked RobatayaNY for a close friends birthday not only because I heard great things about it but heard about the food and the intimate atmosphere. Since we didnt have reservations, we had to wait a bit but service at the front was great. I put my name down and when our table was ready, which was less than the promised time, I received a call on my cellphone. We walked in and was a little taken aback by the market like action going on. Once you walk past the front counter area, the back area resembled a Japanese garden. It was absolutely soothing and made you feel at home. We were able to catch up and eat at our own pace. Service was polite but not pushy. So the three of us girls decided to order a few small dishes and two main entrees. First up was the grilled uni topped with konbu which is a type of japanese seaweed. My take on uni is that if it's fresh, it should only be eaten raw. However I was pleasantly surprised. The portion was a good size for what it was. The texture was smooth and creamy. The konbu added a nice touch to it. Next came the 5 sashimi special. This included salmon, tuna, red snapper, seabass. All five types were fresh and it was a good selection of fish. A plus would be the freshly grated wasabi. Since its not so easily found in markets around here, I tend to overdose on it and make myself cry but my goodness its a great feeling. Third dish came the grilled stingray fin. We wanted to try something a bit unusual. This came with a small scoop of sweet miso and a slice of lemon. Very well paired and we were told the cartilage was edible. It was a bit hard. The meat of the fun was extremely fine and well cooked. Our other main dish was a grilled ribeye cooked medium rare and perfectly medium rare it was. It was served with a dipping sauce that resembled aujus with a bit of light soy sauce. Lastly we ordered two orders of grilled rice cakes. We didn't want to order rice or noodles but we needed substance. When I was in Japan I would eat this every morning. They're grilled mochi squares that are brushed with a light layer of soy sauce and ten wrapped in seaweed. Filling, simple, and delicious! Of course we couldnt leave without dessert. We ordered a green tea ice cream topped with soybean powder and brown sugar syrup and mung bean/green tea soup with strawberries an rice cakes. The soupy dessert was a bit sweet for me but the ice cream brought me home to Japan. I loved the experience here and I will be coming back except I'll be sitting at the front counter area where all the action is taking place! Anyway, happy birthday Melissa!

And a little bit there...

About a week after Vancouver, I hopped on a plane over to my beloved Asia. This time with my sister, brother in law, and my little man, Sebastian. Quick recap of the 7 weeks I spent there.

Taiwan which is always always amazing , Thailand which has really become my third home and Cambodia which was an eye opening experience for me and I am so thankful that I was able to go.

This time in Thailand, we decided to scrap most of the typical touristy stuff and venture on our own. Bangkok is a place that has great transportation, safe for the most part, and the food is nothing short of amazing. We stayed at a boutique hotel that was named top 10 in bangkok called Hansar. Hansar really was tiptop and location was wonderful. it was right outside BTS Skytrain Rajdamri station. It was convenient to everything we wanted to do and a very safe location. Service at Hansar was great as well, people were polite and attentive. Not to mention the assortment of food for the breakfast buffet. Along with an order of hot food (eggs, bacon, sausage, etc), you also had pastries, fresh fruit (and if you know anything about Thailand, you would know that fresh fruit here is not even comparable to USA, its 100000x sweeter and fragrant), as well as porridge, fried rice, and so much more. After breakfast, we headed down to Chaopaya river for a bot ride. We took a ride down to the Wat Pho (laying buddha) and walked around for a bit since I've never been. Then we hopped on the boat again and went to Wat Arun. Wat Arun is as beautiful as any and all of the pictures out there. The detail on the architecture is just pristine.

Chinatown was next and we walked through, or rather ate our way through. We ate these awesome cakes with raisins, i can still taste them! On our way to Chinatown, we saw fresh pomegranate juice! I hear they were end of season so it was a bit sad we didnt get anymore the rest of the trip. On the bright side, at least we go to have some! On the way out of Chinatown, becuase we always get lost, we took a tuktuk! my first and definitely not last tuk tuk ride!

One of the best parts of this trip was taking a trip to Amphawa. Amphawa is a small town outside of Bangkok about an hour away. Without knowing the language, it is quite a challenge to get out of town! You'd have to be REALLY adventurous... like a backpacker! So we were really out of our comfort zone. Anyway, we went into town at Victoria Monument station. I had read there were a lot of buses that head that way. We found a bus, hopped on another mini bus and an hour and a half later, we finally arrived! Oh I should mention that Amphawa is known for their floating market, similar to Damnoen Saduak but less touristy and populated. 

As tradition, we HAVE to spend hours upon hours at Chatuchak (JJ) market and MBK. JJ market is a weekend flea market that sells EVERYTHING you can probably think of. MBK is a shopping mall that sells electronics and all sorts of crazy things. We spent about 4 hours at JJ market and then about 3 hours walking around MBK. The things we picked up were unbelieveable. During the night times, we'd check out Patpong... no we did not go to any pingpong shows, although i wanted to! It was just a pretty chill, relaxed, atmosphere. Eat as you go and go as you eat! Dont forget to get a massage while you are there too! And i'm not talking about a happy ending, although any time spent in Bangkok is happy ending ;)

And now on to Angkor Wat and Siem Reap, Cambodia! I actually joined a tour with my aunt, which is something I would have never done. Tours just arent my thing. This one turned out to be a lot of fun to my surprise. When we landed in Cambodia, we were shuffled into a bus in about 98 degree weather. The heat was practically unbearable. I actually think it was hotter than Thailand! One of the first things I learned about Cambodia was that their money is really worth nothing. They would rather tourists pay in USD than in their own money. I remember the exchange rate being completely absurd to the point their money was pretty much useless. Our first stop was the Tonle Sap River. This was a river village, very small, with not much going on. These people really bank on tourists to survive. After the river village, we headed back to the hotel which was pretty decent, a 4-5 star on their scale which is about a 3.5 in US star ratings. I laid pool side for a while before we went out again. Most of the trip was visiting the ruins that were really incredible. You see the photos of Angkor Wat and it was really just that. Completely mesmerizing and the stories behind all of the architecture was very interesting which says a lot since history bores me! I convinced my aunt a few times to stray from the group to do our own thing. We went to the old night market in Siem Reap, which was walkable from the hotel one night. We also went to the day market for some noodles and breakfast. It was bustling and busy busy. That was another market similar to JJ market on a smaller scale though that had a ton of random goods. Lastly but not least... i had really really wanted to try some balut (a duck egg but in fetal stage). It was an experience... It doesnt taste as bad as people thought but first bite was definitely scary. I was super nervous i'd have feathers in my mouth! It was just something I wanted to do and try to appreciate.. Not sure if i was able to appreciate it the way SE asians do but at least i was able to try it!

A little bit here...

So here it is finally... I'm finally updating with my Canadian snowboarding adventures and my Asian travels!

Back in January, I ventured off to Whistler Blackcomb for some kickass pow. The plan was to stop over in Vancouver for a few days, of course to eat. What else is new?! One of the first things I did was check out Olympic village. It was pretty awesome to be so upclose to the rings. The rings mean a lot to me since I worked for the Beijing games and have a stint coming up at the London games.

The rings werent the only amazing thing though. The mountain itself was massive. Spent a lot of time on the Whistler side but I would say I prefer the Blackcomb side. Its definitely more boarder friendly. Unfortunately, it was quite a mild winter even for Vancouver so I wish they had more snow. Even with the limited snow, the space was just great and it was a pretty awesome experience.

The other part of Whistler was the well known Scandinave Spa. It is a Scandinavian Spa with outdoor baths. The scenery was breathtaking. To be sitting in the middle of a mountain in a bubbling hot bath was incredible. Completely serene and beautiful.





Vancouver is always fun in itself but the food adventures never miss a beat. I wont comment much about them since pictures are worth a thousand words!

(Green tea Bearded Papas, Crab from The lobster man, Japa dog, Tojo, Poutine)

A Whirlwind of Crazy

Things have been really crazy since the last time I blogged. Just finished doing a bit of traveling and trying to settle down in NY now. Its been a month since I've been back from Asia but I'm starting to feel antsy again. Since August, I traveled with some buddies to Munich for Oktoberfest, Kapadokya for some hot air balloons, and Istanbul for some spices and a good time. In January, I managed to make it to Whistler to get some boarding in since the east coast wasnt doing so well with the snow. Soon after Vancouver, I landed in Taiwan with stops in Bangkok and Angkor Wat for about 6-7 weeks.

Oktoberfest was an amazing experience and I highly recommend that everyone should experience this once in their life time. The energy, the lights, the people are all outstanding! We camped for two days in Munich for Oktoberfest and although it was a rough experience, I wouldnt have had it any other way. We met some interesting people, drank a lot of beer, and ate a lot of sausages and pretzels! I think we all gained a few pounds from all the carbs! After Oktoberfest, we ventured out to Fussen to see Neuschwanstein Castle... the castle that walt disney based his earlier classics on. Definitely a must see. Dont forget about the BMW musem either!


Turkey was another completely difference experience in itself. Our first stop was Cappadocccia (Kapadokya). Here there are known for their caves, rock houses, valleys, fairy chimneys, and wonderful hospitality. The first day we were there, we did a 9 mile? (close enough) hike through Red Rose. October is definitely a good time to visit. Very hot during the day and cools down at night. We ate at some local restaurants and smoked some hookah and called it a night. The next day, we woke at 5am for a hotair balloon ride over the colorful valleys of Cappadoccia. One of the most unique experiences in my lifetime. If you ever want a hotair balloon ride, this is the place to be. Balloons rose over the valleys and lit up the sky before sunrise. Wonderful silhouettes of the balloons hung in the background as the sun began to rise.


We flew back to Istanbul after as our last and final stop. The culture and history of this city is so fulfilling and makes you just say "Wow". From the stuffed mussels on the street, the pubs, the clubs, nightlife, to the Hagia Sofia, Blue Mosque, and to the Spice Market, Grand Bazaar, the density of things that happen in this city is amazing. I have to say my favorite part of this city is definitely the spice market and the grand bazaar. Wish I had more time to explore. Pierre Loti is gorgeous on a sunny day as well as the ferry ride down in the middle of town. If you ever make it to Turkey, do not overlook the hamams (bath houses). Another experience I will never forget... Women and men are separate, for good reason. You are scrubbed head to toe, felt nice afterwards but definitely exprience this with friends you are close with. Though we didnt get to visit the Asian side of Istanbul during the day time, we did have a very nice dinner at La Civert to celebrate a birthday, which is located right under a bridge and has a very nice outdoor area.


Since I'm on a travel freeze right now with school and babysitting my nephew, I'll be back soon to update Vancouver/Whistler and my Asia trip after I plan my next epicurean adventure, till then... Pleasantly Epicurious

Just a number

Its scary how fast summer comes and goes. In a blink of an eye, its over. This past tuesday, I started my first class for graduate school. As scary as I thought, it was okay. It wasnt too terrible. The next class will be even better. I started to think, hmm.. this graduate school thing might not be as bad as it sounds.

Ever just feel like a small fish in the ocean? I feel like I'm just a number, no one cares who you are. you pay all this money for people not to care about you and just to get a piece of paper. I guess when you are getting your Masters, you're supposed to fend for yourself. I'm not the first to in this program to or be getting this degree. Advisors are supposed to lead you and provide answers to questions, however, they dont even know your name. (yes, even after multiple emails and phone calls and meetings). Sometimes, I wonder why they even have a job. In any case, this program isnt too organized but we'll see how it goes. I'm sure the classes will be interesting and I'll meet a lot of cool people.

Powerless for 43 hours

Hurricane Irene hit the east coast this weekend. I personally didnt blieve it was going to make a huge dent in the tristate area, more so NY/Long Island. Stores and restaurants all around shut down starting Saturday early afternoon. The buzz and hype about Irene was incredible. Supermarkets were cleaned out, gas stations were out of gas, the world seemed like it was really ending!There was slight drizzle and rain until about 9pm Saturday. The rain started to come down around 10pm, which is also when the winds started. I was playing mahjong with the family and around 230am, the power went out. We waited and waited and waited... power at my sisters went out around 5am and they live 2 miles away. Sunday morning, the sky had cleared a bit but still no power. Roads were closed, trees were down, parks were flooded, and traffic lights were out. We ended up making breakfast/lunch on a gas grill and might I say, it was damn delicious. We made cha siew fried rice, miso soup, chapaghetti, and instant noodles. Monday morning, the skies looked so clear and cloudless it looked like Irene never touched us. Monday afternoon, still no power! This was starting to get a bit absurd. After dinner tonight around 9PM, the power FINALLY was back! I have never been so happy see electricity. All in all, we made it through and everyone is safe.

Are you happy?

A friend asked me earlier this week if I was content with my life. I wasnt quite sure how to answer. Being that we were both abroad for so long, no one else could really understand what it was like to come home. Luckily for me, my family is great. I was able to really gain a new and better perspective on what family really meant to me. One of the biggest mistakes that I am still regretful to this day, is something I cant look passed. I do have to take responsiblity for the mistake but this mistake took two. In any case, I thought about her question for a bit before I answered. I'm extremely content with where I am with my family. Socially, I could be doing better but its definitely improved a lot since last year so I'm def happy about that. Academically and profesionally... theres still a lot I need to work on. Essentially, I just want to do what I love.. its just a matter of turning that into a business or a career. In terms of relationships and romance... I cant complain. I mean no matter what happens and who you end up with... you have to love yourself and be happy witho yourself before you can be happy with someone else.

BrunoMars says it best... (Today My Life Begins)