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“All travel has its advantages. If the passenger visits better countries, he may learn to improve his own. And if fortune carries him to worse, he may learn to enjoy it.” – Samuel Johnson
Xin Li, and myself attended the event. So dashing, in his Wong Kar Wai moment.
Greeted with the vibrant orange interior and numerous pictures of Thai street scenes, this place exuded a homely vibe. It was a vibe that was further extended by our warm host, Kenny, and his young team of chefs, headed by Joel.
Nam Tak Krai Kab Bai Toey - Pandanus Lemongrass Welcome Drink
This was a refreshingly sweet and cool drink, with the intensely aromatic and sweet flavour of pandan accompanying the refreshing citrus flavour of the lemongrass. A great drink, probably a hit with the kids with it's bright green colour as well.
Cha Yen - Thai Iced Tea
Using good tea is a key to making thai iced tea. The smoky taste of tea filtered through the richly bodied milky tea, and it wasn't too sweet or heavy. Pretty good.
Kanom Jeen Sao Nam - J's Cold Sald of Kanom Jeen Noodles
While this amuse bouche tasted pretty good, I was expecting a sharper, perhaps more uplifting start to a meal. The noodles had been sprinkled with grated coconut and dried shrimp, resulting in a interesting medley of savoury sweetness. You can imagine the slight "hay bee hiam" taste (acquired taste, this one, I like it though) being quite well-balanced with the full-bodied, slightly salty creaminess of the grated coconut, all gone along with the refreshing vermicelli. Not too bad.
Som Tum - Green Papaya Salad Central Thailand Style
I have to be honest and admit that this wasn't anywhere near the best of papaya salads I've had. It tasted overtly wet and soggy, over-marinated in something that tasted too heavily of vinegar. The carrots tasted slightly raw and it didn't go very well with the long beans at all. Although the accompanying nuts was a good effort, it fell quite short as the characteristically associated flavours of sweet, sharp, spiciness of a thai salad didn't come through.
Tom Yum Talay - Hot and Spicy Seafood Soup with Thai Herbs
First, the good stuff: It wasn't as oily as I expected, and it was quite spicy enough to give me a good kick, like a good tom yum soup should. However, the prawns weren't too fresh, and the offerings inside didn't play the part of revealing the fresh seafood flavours that were masked under very heavy spices in this tom yum soup. Additionally, the overwhelming saltiness (presumably an overdose of fish sauce) made this a very confusing mix of flavours — it sort of kicked away the spiciness of the tom yum, but it also masked the seafood that wasn't very fresh.
Po Taek - Clear Spicy Sour Soup with Holy Basil and Kaffir Lime Leaves
This was a deadly spicy soup, so I was wow. The lime and citrus flavours that presumably came with this was sadly masked by the very heavy overdose of fish sauce. Not good at all.
Pla Nin Pao - Salt Baked Whole Tilapia served with Spicy Coriander Sauce
I am actually not a very big fan of fish even though I eat it quite regularly (happens when your family is Teochew). Tilapia is one of those freshwater fishes that can taste very muddy and fishy (utterly nasty) if not chosen properly — after all, it is a bottom feeder fish, residing at the bottom of the riverbeds feeding on plants and algae. However, I was very pleased to say that this was an excellent tilapia — so good, you could actually eat it on its own. The salt-baked crust ensured that the moisture was packed in, avoiding those situations where you had an awfully dried fish I've had at some tze char restaurants. It had a nice light saltiness to it, presumably because of the crust, and tasted wonderfully fresh, even evoking the taste of the water that it was in. I was okay with the spicy coriander sauce, which was not very spicy despite its namesake. The tilapia was so good in fact that I just ate it on its own, which is something I don't usually do with freshwater fish.
Kor Moo Yang - Seared Pork Collar served with Aromatic Dried Chilli Sauce
This was quite salty, especially for some of my dinner companions on the table. While the pork collar was fairly tender and well-layered with fat (not too much, thankfully), it went well with the dried chilli sauce in my opinion. If I could suggest any improvements to this, I would suggest that the sauce be made sweeter to balance out the salty nature of the pork.
Gaeng Kaew Wan Gai - Chef's Special Green Curry with Chicken Thigh and Thai Eggplant (right)
This did taste surprisingly sweet for a green curry — not that I minded, though. The chicken was not dry (always a good thing) and the eggplant was not too disgustingly mashed and overcooked. Above average, but nothing to write home about other than it being exceedingly thick and creamy, which gets a bit gelak after a while.
Gaeng Phet Pla Krapong Daeng - Dry Red Curry with Red Snapper Fillets
I think this was personally one of my favourite dishes of the night. The slight sweetness accompanied the sharp saltiness of the red snapper well, in a robust medley of textures assaulting my mouth. There was a wonderful smokiness to this dish that added an extra dimension to the interplay of sweet/savoury, and the snapper was sufficiently moist to say the least. This was quite well done, and I would recommend this highly.
Goong Pad Nam Prik Pao Kab Horapa — Stir Fried Prawns with Thai Chilli Jam and Sweet Basil
Didn't remember much about this dish other than the slightly sweetness of the thai chilli jam kicking in with the robust flavours of the sauce, which was very heavily wok hei-ed.
Hoay Lai Pad Prik Pao - Clams Flambe in Chilli Jam and Chef's Stock
The clams weren't too bad — fresh, and went well with the robust, wok hei flavours of the stock.
Khao Niew Ma Muang - Mango Sticky Rice
With the coconut milk sauce copiously absent, it was replaced with toasted sesame seeds instead. I did miss the full-bodied creaminess this sweet dessert is known for, but I also did appreciate the very soft and mushy texture of the rice going well with the mango that wasn't too sweet. It was an interesting take on the traditional dessert, perhaps from reminiscient of the variant made in Thailand.
Tab Tim Grob - Thai Red Ruby
Tasting just like strawberry milk and red beetroot, there were complaints on the table that the chestnuts weren't big enough. That aside, there was a creamy, fragrant sweetness overwhelming your tongue, and definitely a dessert that the kids would love to go into a sugar high for.
While certainly not the best Thai restaurant I've tasted, I am tempted to give it a chance on the virtue of it being 2.5 weeks old (at time of tasting). It does show a very raw potential, and the passion for such a young team of restauranteurs trying to strike it out in an intensely competitive culinary landscape is quite commendable.
The food, with some misses, was largely above average and the commitment to not using MSG and things like no service charge and GST make the deal a tad bit sweeter here. An honest restaurant wanting to strike it out, I am tempted to give it a chance.
As with most Thai food, actually.
Our deepest thanks to Joel & Kenny for the invite for this tasting and for hosting us.
5th July 2013. Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. Here in Singapore, we have Itacho Sushi, but in Japan, there is Sushi Zanmai where you can get sushi at an affordable price. Sushi Zanmai’s outlet in Sapporo is located in Susukino, near the Nikka Building and the station itself.
Here are Sushi Zanmai you could order just about any kind of sushi from the usual classics like tuna, mackerel, sweet prawn and scallop to more exotic items like squilla and abalone nigiri sushi.
It is my first time trying Squilla also known as shako in Japanese. It is a kind of mantis shrimp and tasted really good, like a meatier version of the ebi and comes served with some sweet sauce drizzled on it.
Along with the squilla, we also had an assortment of sushi such as Aji (Horse Mackerel) and Saba (Mackerel), most of them costing 148 – 400+ Yen each. Overall, I had an enjoyable meal with my Japanese friends whom I met during my exchange in Korea.
I can't believe it's already time for the Snail Mail Collective again! Last month we have over 160 people! Melyssa and I are over the moon excited at the growth of this project of ours. Thank you from the bottom of our package loving hearts for all of your support! We hope you guys have been enjoying it as much as we have been!
I just received my August 'Under the Sea' package the other day from my partner and I'm so excited about it! Her name is Daphne from the blog Life is Like a Triple Chocolate Cookie. She's an aspiring architect student in the Netherlands with her fiancé (they get married in May!) who makes the cutest cards in her spare time! I have loved getting to know her better and you should definitely check out her blog!
And how cute is all this ocean stuff? I personally can't wait to try out the squeeze water toys with Zeke. He'll probably hate me for it but his reactions should be hilarious.
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And now that's it's the first of the month again, it means a new month of Snail Mail Collective! Summer is whizzing by and Twitter and Facebook have been consumed with back to school photos. I have no desire to be back in the classroom as a student (I get enough 'classroom' experience as a teacher thank you very much) but what I do miss are the back to school supplies! Is it just me or does the school section of Target make anyone else want to load up on unnecessary crayons and notebooks?
That's why this month's theme is Back to School!
Your package could include notebooks and pens; organizational tools such as fun magnets or push pins; or you could even include some back to school basic from when you were in school. I'm sensing Smackers and Goldfish crackers for this one. Get creative with this one and have some fun!
It's an easy international package exchange. Aka, send a package, get a package. Our goal is to provide an avenue to connect and get to know people from all over the world by exchanging packages and encouraging postcards each month. This is a great way to not only meet people around the world, but to also learn about new cultures and make new friends! Interested in joining us? Read the rules below and let's get started!
Rules & Information
In order to participate in the Snail Mail Collective this September, please fill out this form. Filling out the form means you commit to actively participating and following the rules below. 1. You will be paired with one new person. We will do our best to make sure this person is from a different country, or at the very least, a different area of your country. We will strive for you to make international friends, but it's also nice to get to know the different parts of our own homeland. 2. Each month's gifts will have a theme. The theme for September is "Back to School" Get creative! Try to relate it back to your culture, if you can. 3. Each month, we will be taking sign-ups until 22:00PST on the 7th day of the month. After that, the pairings will be posted on our blogs on the 9th or 10th of the month. Please check Lost in Travels or The Nectar Collective to find out who you're paired with. 4. You will have 72 hours to contact your partner (both partners must communicate together). If your partner does not respond within 72 hours, please e-mail Melyssa or Chelsea. 5. You will have about two weeks to get to know your partner. After that time, your gifts must be sent by the 22nd of the month. 6. Gifts: Your present(s) should not total more than $5. We want this project to be affordable for you, so think small, but meaningful. Also, all packages must include a postcard (preferable) or a letter to your partner. Motivate them, tell them all the beautiful things you learned about them this month, and make them feel special! We could all use a little encouragement, especially from our new friends. 7. Once you receive your gifts, we highly encourage you to write a blog post about your experience. Share what you gave, received, and learned through participating in the Snail Mail Collective and meeting your new buddy. 8. On the 1st of each month, we will hold a link-up on our blogs (The Nectar Collective & Lost in Travels) where you can share and link-up your SMC blog posts. This way, you can see how people around the world interpreted the theme, learn about other cultures, and meet even more new friends!
While it was abandoned, they put up these fake widows. It helped keep squatters out, reduced the fire risk. From a distance it was a good look. Up close it seemed an odd optical illusion.
The interiors might have been impressive in 1928.
They are removing soffit and fascia. You don't realize how important it is to the design until it's gone. Flemish bond brick work faces the street.
How they built it. Looks like bird nest territory.
They've got some big saws. The right stays, the left goes.
They are protecting the right side, the part they are saving. They'll saw through everything inside and out.
Can I just say how much I adore blogs out there that scream positivity and encourage others to do the same? And can we agree that we can all use a little pick me up...oh I don't know, just about every day? One of my favorites is written by Kenzie of Chasing Happy. This girls screams positivity, and you can't help but feel instantly brighter when reading her sweet words of encouragement, looking at what she has created next or when she gives great, relatable advice on how to pretty much live your life better; or some of my favorites, how to blog better. That's why I'm so excited about the piece that she's written for you all today. I know you're going to love her as much as I do!
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Hello there, beautiful people! I'm Kenzie from Chasing Happy, a blog about creativity, happiness, and real life. I'm so glad that Chelsea is having me on her blog today--I love meeting new people in blogland! Hi, hi, hi! The thing I love about Chelsea's blog is how much it feeds my wanderlust. I don't know about you, but I'd sell all my stuff to travel the world in a heartbeat, if I could. My husband might have an issue with that, though, so for now I content myself with taking vacations and stalking reading blogs like Chelsea's. But what's a girl to do on a long weekend (like this one!) when it seems like everyone has exciting travel plans? If you're stuck at home like me, here are a few ideas on how to scratch your adventure itch in your own city.
Visit a local tourist attraction
Head to a museum, snap photos of a public sculpture, explore an historic building, or sip coffee at a popular coffee shop. As a local, these little gems might have escaped your notice--but now's your chance to experience them with new eyes. Explore your city with the perspective of a visitor: what's unique about these attractions? What stories would you tell about them "back home?"
Go out for an exotic dinner
One of my favorite parts of any new place is the food. But most cities have exotic food of their own. Here in Nebraska, we've got Indian, Korean, Sudanese, authentic Mexican, Brazilian, Spanish, French... it's a huge variety. And this is Nebraska. If we have it, you have it, too. Probably even more. Treat your taste buds to something new!
Watch a foreign or inspiring movie
Even if you can't go anywhere, you can pretend you did by watching a carefully selected movie. Pick a foreign film to feel like you're in a different country, or rent a travel flick to live vicariously through someone else's adventures.
Start planning
Page through a travel guide and plan your next trip, even if you don't have a date in mind just yet. Anticipation can give you a huge happiness boost, and planning a vacation is a great way to create that excitement.
Have a spa day
Try recreating the typical vacation experiences, like a day at the beach (or pool, locally) or an afternoon of spa treatments (or even just a mani/pedi). The actual activity is probably pretty similar from place to place, so just close your eyes and pretend you're in Mexico.
Book a hotel stay
If all else fails, get out of the house. Reserve a hotel room and fake it. Ask the concierge for recommendations on things to do, lounge in bed and watch TV, order room service... do whatever it is you would if you were really out of town. With a little creativity, even a long weekend at home can feel like an adventure--you just need an open mind and a free spirit. Test out some of these ideas this weekend, and be sure to stop by Chasing Happy and tell me about your adventures!
When you think of Asahi, you probably think of Japanese beers but they also have restaurants named Asahi Beer Community Halls around Japan. It is not so much about drinking beer at these restaurants but more of eating meat either by grill or shabu shabu. Our dinner on the first day with the Chan Brothers’ Hokkaido Passion tour was at the Asahi Beer Community Hall Yōyōtei (アサヒビール園 羊々亭) at in the Susukino district of Sapporo, just opposite the iconic Nikka Building.
The thinly sliced pork slices here are really tender and doesn’t have any of that strong “meaty” aftertaste. It is best enjoyed with vegetables and condiments such as their goma or ponzu sauce. Dinner’s not bad in short.
Outside, political parties are trying to pull some votes for the 2013 Upper House Elections.
