Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Food court nostalgia (in the best way)
Saturday was set to be laidback day. Nothing planned with just a couple casual errands to run. I decided to pick up lunch while out and began scanning Google Maps for a good takeout spot. While reviewing menus, one item jumped out to me: bourbon chicken. The iconic food court item (the quintessential sample on a toothpick) was being offered at a place called Hibachi Master, located on 5th Avenue in Bay Ridge, between 85th and 86th Streets, and the nostalgia was just too strong.
The restaurant is located within a row of other dining establishments. Stepping inside, there were some seating booths and a couple high-top tables; I had assumed it was solely a takeout place.
Their menu is prominently displayed above the cash register and spotted the bourbon chicken.
The order comes with vegetables and the choice of steamed rice or fried rice (with an extra charge for noodles and brown rice). Looking forward to that bourbon chicken sauce, I went with the white rice.
This was a massive serving!
At first glance, the chicken looked dry but, as I started digging into the platter, a lot of the sauce had settled to the bottom and, once everything was mixed up, this was a tasty meal.
Next time, I’m asking for extra sauce!
In addition to the chicken, I also ordered some sushi.
I ordered the Snow White roll, which is comprised of shrimp tempura and avocado, and topped with spicy crab meat. It was presented nicely and looked very appetizing.
The rolls were well-stuffed, with the very tasty crab meat and the delicious filling hitting every taste bud nicely. This was great and I look forward to trying their other varieties.
The food court nostalgia was a good instinct to follow!
Nearly getting scammed in Shanghai
While watching a random travel video about China, the narrator discussed a common scam where supposed locals approach tourists to visit a local tea house. The “host” takes their guest to a nearby tea house where they, literally, have tea. However, in the end, they are left with an exorbitant bill to take care of. Additionally, Sergi Mateo wrote a piece for Medium.com in 2018 where he discussed getting scammed—even allegedly drugged—when he was roped into one of these tea houses and ended up paying around $160.
His experience sounded eerily similar to a situation I nearly found myself in when visiting Shanghai in 2015.
A friend, who was on business in Shanghai, invited me to join her. We had gotten the opportunity to meet-up in Hong Kong on a previous trip, which was so much fun. During the day, she had work while I roamed the city. During one of our dinners, she suggested visiting the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center, a huge structure that showcases Shanghai’s development and their plans for the future.
Dropped by the following day only to find out they were closed.
With a backpack and large camera in tow, I couldn’t look more touristy unless I was wearing an “I-heart-Shanghai” t-shirt. At one point, I was approached by this couple, they spoke English and introduced themselves as cousins who were visiting from Beijing. We got into a conversation and they invited me to “a show.”
Immediately, I had my reservations but also had that “when am I going to do this again” hankering.
In his piece, Mateo wrote, “While walking, the guys bombed me with questions.” Yes, same here.
In order to get to the venue, we had to walk through a subway underpass and down a couple streets, and it was nonstop questions. Five years later, I still remember them telling me about running difficulties communicating in the city because they don’t speak Shanghainese; the girl said I have “a very Chinese face” but my physique was not because, as she put it, “Chinese boys are like spaghetti;” and the guy asked me if I spoke Mandarin and, after spitting out a few words and phrases, he asked, “How are you going to get a Chinese wife?”
We were literally a block from the place—I could see it from the corner—and my curiosity came to a halt and I stopped right there. My intuition was probably kicking in at the last minute and I told them I had to be somewhere and left. They both gave questioning looks but they let me leave and I walked away without looking back.
Based on what others have disclosed about their “tea ceremony” experiences, I dodged a bullet.
I did end up going back to the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center the following day, which was open and is a very cool spot to hit up when in Shanghai. I especially liked the massive scale-model city where visitors can walk over the entirety of Shanghai—it’s like taking an aerial tour of the city. The facility even cuts the lights every 15 minutes in order for visitors to watch the city illuminate.
On that day, I nearly ran into the pair again! I know I saw the girl duck behind somebody as they noticed me approaching. Looking at pictures from that initial visit, I also happened to get them on camera.
Incidentally, during one of my friend’s free days, we were walking to lunch when we were approached by a different couple—another pair of “cousins.” We made sure to walk away as quickly as possible.
Japan’s restaurant industry has had social distancing figured out
My first visit to Japan was two years ago. I explored Osaka and had a day trip to Kobe. Incidentally, Facebook included the trip on my “Memories” last week. Thinking back to that trip and seeing where the world is now, when it comes to food service, Japan already had social distancing figured out.
With the restaurant industry jumping through hoops trying to figure out how to stay in business in order to comply by social distancing measures, a lot of those issues wouldn’t be relevant to many Japanese restaurant establishments.
Upon arrival at the hotel in Osaka, was greeted by a lobby robot that provided a variety of information about the hotel and the local neighborhood. The robot was multilingual and served as a viable supplement to a concierge. A similar device roams South Korea’s Incheon International Airport, which serves as both a custodian and guide for travelers.
One of the first dinners was at a conveyor belt sushi place where diners are seated around a device that carries various pieces of sushi and other dishes around the restaurant. My first conveyor belt sushi experience was in Shanghai, which operated in the same manner, customers grab which pieces they want with prices based on the color of the plate the dish is served on and, in the end, the plates are totaled up to determine the bill.
In such a situation, the sushi chefs are distanced from customers, preparing the food with proper sanitation standards. The only change would probably be keeping customers apart while dining, which would result in a lower occupancy; however, there isn’t much else to adjust for current times.
A previous blog post discussed dining at a gyoza restaurant in Osaka’s lively Dōtonbori district. The way that place was organized would also work well for social distancing protocols.
When ordering, everything is done through a tablet. While it did require some assistance from the server, there is otherwise no need to communicate with any of the staff. Put in orders for gyoza, soba noodles, and beer and the only time a server was present was to bring the food to the table.
Upon leaving, payment was done through a machine. Aside from taking takeout orders, the person manning the front desk also directed customers to kiosks in order to take care of payment.
Something very prevalent in this part of the world are vending machines. While vending machines certainly can be seen elsewhere, some machines offer more than drinks and snacks, including clothing, electronics, various accessories, among other items.
Even at convenience stores, they already provide trays for customers to place money in order to avoid direct contact.
There was also dinner at a tonkatsu restaurant, which was just down the street from the hotel. Much like the gyoza place, ordering was done through a device, this time, it was a vending machine. The touchscreen displayed the menu items and customers just have to check off each item they want and, at the end, pay either by cash or card. Again, the only interaction with a server came when the food arrived at the table.
Plus, if you wanted more, you just visit the machine again to put in another order.
While some fast food establishments have already installed machines in place of cashiers—have seen some in use across Asia and Europe—having full restaurants already equipped with such measures gives Japan’s restaurant industry a leg-up on their contemporaries in other countries.
Pandemic or not, such innovations are also massively convenient.
Missing Overseas Convenience Stores: Part 3 (Taipei)
The last trip before locking down was to Taipei, my second visit to Taiwan. This vacation had to be the most convenience store-heavy holiday of them all.
The hotel we stayed at was in the Ximending neighborhood, arguably the most lively part of the city. Walking from the subway station to the hotel, there were at least three convenience stories within a two block-radius of the place—very convenient.
During morning walks around the area, a stop for coffee was often made at convenience stores, either an iced coffee from the refrigerated section or one of those warm canned coffees from the heated cabinet. I’m particularly intrigued by the heated cabinet and had to give it a try.
Just like in Seoul and Osaka, samgak kimbap/onigiri were also readily available at convenience stores and regular stops were made for that sole purpose. When wandering the city, would often stop by a convenience store and keep a couple in my bag.
They also had big Yakult!
Something that was introduced to me during a visit to Hong Kong were tea eggs; eggs that have been boiled in tea, or some kind of herbal broth. The tea adds flavor and darkens the color of the egg—particularly well done tea eggs will have a marbled egg white.
Convenience stores across Taiwan keep them on a counter, sitting in a pot, and customer select the eggs themselves. They’re usually sold at three for NT$30 (around one dollar).
A treat I used to enjoy when I lived in New Jersey were cold noodles with peanut sauce, which they sold at one of the local Asian grocery stores. On nearly every visit, always picked one up to enjoy when I got home. More recently, on both visits to Taiwan, I found the convenience stores carry the same noodles. Packaged like ramen noodles, they have the sauce packs inside and, since it’s served cold, no need for hot water and you can enjoy immediately.
A delicious snack that offered a “blast from the past.”
Meanwhile, there was a convenience store a block from the hotel that was decked out in a Lay’s theme, all the tables and wall decorations had elements of their snack products. As I browsed that store, I happened to stumble upon two interesting Lay’s potato chip varieties: lobster and fried chicken.
They were both enjoyable.
Like everybody else, I cannot wait for this pandemic to be over. I was chatting with a friend recently and we discussed the little things encountered when travelling such as airport amenities and mass transit around the world; convenience stores are also among those special joys when overseas.
Missing overseas convenience stores: Part 2 (Seoul)
On every visit to South Korea, it is very easy to notice the numerous convenience stores down every street. In addition, aside from the primary players in the game, during a walk through Jayu Park in Incheon, before reaching an observation point, stumbled upon a tiny shop run by an older gentleman for a much-needed water break.
Much like the previous blog about Osaka, Seoul (and across South Korea), convenience stores are plentiful and offer a diverse selection of goods—again, a far cry from those in the United States or the Philippines.
Before visiting Japan and making frequent onigiri stops, it was in Seoul where I first fell in love with these rice snacks, which are called samgak kimbap in Korea. The flavor varieties are endless and, to this day, still can’t seem to pinpoint a favorite filling.
Another popular item in South Korea is banana milk, or banana uyu; but, for me, I’ve developed more of an affinity for strawberry milk. In terms of the fruit themselves, I do prefer strawberries over bananas (as a kid, I also leaned more towards Nesquik strawberry milk over chocolate).
On the last trip, found a supermarket that sold a multipack, which proved to be very useful.
However, unlike Osaka, where Yakult was plentiful, on the most recent visit, was unable to find it anywhere. Although, 7-11 did sell a version of it in jelly form, which was enjoyable; there was a similar probiotic drink that had less sugar and came in a larger container—again, also enjoyable.
The local convenience store was also a nightly stop for soju and beer.
Other beverages frequently purchased include tea, which often feature cute cartoons. The green bottle (“Tea with Friends”) was picked up at a convenience store along Haeundae Beach in Busan.
My ultimate favorite is Chilsung cider, a local lemon-lime soft drink. Referred to as “Korea’s No. 1 original carbonated beverage,” have enjoyed it on flights to and from Korea, along with spotting it among the soda fountain options at the Lotteria location at Seoul Station.
Besides alcohol, the other evening treat is always ice cream. In particular, the Skippy peanut butter ice cream sandwich was a pretty remarkable find.
Going through old photos, I’m surprised there weren’t more food pictures. However, staying in the Myeongdong area, there are copious street food vendors all around, along with restaurants both there and at nearby Namdeamun Market. Rest assured, there are plenty of food options available at the local convenience store—something I’ll have to keep in mind whenever the fourth visit happens.
Missing overseas convenience stores: Part 1 (Osaka)
Aside from local cuisine and traditional foods, something that has become prominent for foodies when it comes to visiting east Asia are the way convenience stores truly live up to their name. Convenience stores are often taken for granted as merely a spot to pick up a coffee or a sandwich. However, across east Asia, they are also places to refill transit cards (and pay with said transit card), ship and receive packages, pay bills, and an array of other… conveniences.
Visiting Osaka in 2018, one of the first places visited was a convenience store.
After arriving early in the morning, got to the hotel, which was located a block from the Dotonbori area, and (as usual with any trip) it was not time for check-in. Left the bags with the concierge and immediately went out wandering.
The Dotonbori area, which is typically crowded with people, is pretty desolate in the morning. There are a couple shops open for workers to grab breakfast and lots of trucks coming in and out with supplies but, otherwise, it was empty. However, those early morning walks allow you to explore the area and get a lay of the land, along with unobstructed shots with the iconic Glico Man.
Stopped into a convenience store to pick up my personal favorite, onigiri (rice balls), and, while at the register, my Dad pointed out the delicious-looking skewers on display. After having just gotten off the plane, with the last thing we ate being the in-flight meal, we proceeded to pick up a couple sticks.
Sat outside and checked out the skewers. They were piping hot—freshly made—and glazed with a delicious sauce. It was a fantastic start to the trip.
The vacation proceeded with even more visits—more onigiri.
In addition to beer, there is also quite the variety of canned drinks available at Japanese convenience stores, including highballs. Before coming to Japan, watched a show where they discussed the growing popularity of highballs; to the point they are now mass marketed in cans! These things are really tasty… and strong!
As somebody who consumes Yakult on a daily basis in order to keep the digestive system regular, of course, in the birthplace of the probiotic drink, there are copious amounts of the tiny bottles being sold at convenience stores (while they’re primarily sold in packs at supermarkets, they are often sold individually at smaller establishments).
While a return trip has yet to happen, once this pandemic is over, another visit will definitely be in the works.
All-you-can-eat but no buffet
Amid the ongoing pandemic, at this point, nearly all local businesses have reopened. Customers have started returning to shops and restaurants with owners limiting capacity, checking temperatures, providing sanitizer, and taking down information in the event contract tracing is necessary.
One of the main staples in the city has recently been all-you-can-eat places. There are spots that serve unlimited seafood; Korean food, primarily samgyeopsal (pork belly); and chicken wings.
Once restaurants were ready to reopen, the first place I visited was my favorite unlimited samgyeopsal place. Hand santizer was readily available and all the service staff were equipped with face masks and face shields. The food was delicious as usual with a few missing elements due to continuing issues with the shipping of goods around the country.
Luckily, I also got there as the city dropped their liquor ban prohibiting the consumption of alcoholic beverages at restaurants. Two bottles of soju helped polish off the first meal back after the place shut down back in March.
I have also stopped by a couple unlimited chicken wing places.
One place has a wide array of flavors, along with bottomless rice and drinks (iced tea or lemonade).
Another place has a similar offering, except they also had fried pork chops as part of their promotion. This place also served MASSIVE chicken wings—they were huge. Definitely impacted how many refills were possible in one sitting.
However, the government is not yet ready to reopen traditional buffets—the establishments where customers get up and pick up food from a counter—and for obvious reasons; there is way too much interaction between clientele and food, and it would be impossible to social distance.
Hopefully, proper protocols are implemented to allow those places to reopen soon. A news report out of South Korea showed their buffet establishments are providing gloves when handling tongs and requiring face masks when walking around the restaurant. In addition, the Wynn Las Vegas reopened their buffet and are doing it with servers. Customers have two hours to eat as much as they want off a huge menu and all dishes are serves tapas style—not a bad deal as long as the service is prompt.
An obsession with toasties
If there’s something that’s become a habit for me with this pandemic it’s making toasties for breakfast. A while back, I was scrolling through Facebook videos and saw one about making egg sandwiches wherein the cook placed the bread on half-cooked eggs and simply flipped them over in the pan to get a toast on the outer portion of the bread, and then fold it to make a sandwich. It took me right back to Seoul and those sidewalk toast places.
On trips to South Korea, I always visit a small shop just down from Myeongdong Station for breakfast. I was first drawn to it because of the line that forms down the street every morning.
The first time walking by and there were only a couple customers, jumped right in line and had to see what the fuss was all about. Putting into writing, it seems all too basic—egg, ham/bulgogi, sauce, and vegetables on toast—but these are pretty memorable sandwiches.
Equipped with the video and memories of watching the ladies in the small booth shell out dozens of sandwiches a day, didn’t think it would be too difficult a task.
The first sandwich was very simple. Beat some eggs in a bowl and placed it into a pan. Once it mostly solidified (still with a bit of moisture still on top), placed two pieces of bread on the eggs—buttered side on top. Then came time to flip. I am not very skilled in the kitchen aside from basic Korean food and the act of flipping food is not a common practice for me. Given the circumference of the egg, felt the need to use two spatulas. Luckily, managed to do so without too much damage.
After a few more tries, added ingredients like tomatoes to the sandwich.
I then remembered the veggies the ladies in Seoul would put on their sandwiches. Decided to give it a try and put together a really basic coleslaw with cabbage, mayonnaise, and rice vinegar.
The coleslaw provided a lot of nice texture with crunchiness from the cabbage and creaminess from the mayonnaise. There was also a bit of bite cutting through the mayo with the added vinegar.
The combination also worked for bagels.
At this point, with the gym reopened, it’s now a morning ritual of hitting the gym and, after a shower, make a toastie for breakfast. Now, I get one made pretty quickly and only need one spatula.
My “first” haircut
If I recall correctly, my last haircut prior to the coronavirus pandemic may have been right before leaving for Taiwan—last November. Since then, with barber shops and salons shutting down around the world for a few months, along with the previous trauma of cutting my own hair and having the clippers break mid-haircut, was not expecting a haircut for a while.
In the meantime, with my hair extended down my neck, resorted to trimming the underside of my hair—a quasi-undercut—in order to keep the thickness under control. The look seemed doable for a while until encountering things such as hair getting in the way when looking down, unruly tangles when waking up, and lots of extra hair fall.
It went even further when the gym reopened.
Aside from extra sweat with the additional volume, had to deal with masks being required while exercising. However, after encountering difficulties with strenuous activity while wearing a mask, the owner said a bandana would suffice; and, at the time, as the first client in after disinfection, had nobody to social distance from and (unsuccessfully) tried pulling off a bandana the way BTS’ V does as a way of keeping the hair out of my eyes (eventually pulled it down as a face covering once somebody else entered the premises).
Not one to post selfies very often, took the opportunity to document the longer hair.
Coincidentally, the next day, the salon posted a notice on Facebook to announce they were reopening—made sure to make time to visit ASAP. Since I saw the notice at night, it was already too late to make an appointment and decided to get there right at opening; if they did require a reservation, I was hoping nobody else was gunning for a 10:00 a.m. appointment.
Arrived just after opening and it was empty. Even approaching the salon, the receptionist, who I suspect already knows my regular stylist, was about to walk out and quickly snuck back behind the counter. She let me know my stylist was available and I took a seat as they were still setting up for the day.
While waiting, the receptionist brought over a clipboard where I had to fill out my contact information in the event contact tracing was necessary. There was also a health information form that asked about travel history and any recent illness.
When my stylist was ready, I immediately asked if it was OK to remove my mask—wasn’t sure how it would work with cutting around my ears and all. She said it was fine and let her know I was going for a much shorter look. I usually show her a photo of Jackson Wang for inspiration but was ready to go shorter; having longer hair for a period of a few months was enough.
She had a face shield, which she bumped once with her arm, but, otherwise it was fairly routine. She pointed out how long my hair was and made several runs with the blow dryer as there was hair all over the immediate area.
It was then time for the shampoo. My stylist said, for a shampoo, a face shield would be required, which they conveniently had on sale for P60 (US$1.20). Proceeded to quickly decide if a shampoo was really necessary and went with it anyway—the extra P60 wasn’t too much to ask especially since they had been shuttered for the past how many months.
Got a shampoo, rinse, and style and was out of there.
Aside from forms to complete and extra precautions, things didn’t seem all that different. Just have to remember to bring my newly-purchased face shield for the next haircut.
Nai Cha
The quintessential beverage when visiting Hong Kong, basically, had one with every meal, from breakfast to dinner. Essentially, It’s just milk and tea, but, somehow, unable to capture the exact taste when making it at home. Beyond the numerous stands across Southeast Asia that sell bubble tea, there is something special about the basic milk tea that every establishment in Hong Kong offers.
When stopping by casinos in Las Vegas or Atlantic City, waitresses walk around the floor offering complimentary drinks. Step into a casino in Macau, they have waitresses pushing huge carts around offering complimentary milk tea.
It’s quite the staple.
DoesThatHelp 