Crystal Jade

Crystal Jade is a restaurant that I have been to numerous times. It is really popular in Hong Kong due to its reasonable prices and convenient locations and there is usually always a wait during peak hours. When you arrive you need to pick up a ticket and a little ticket booth will announce on big red letters which table is ready to go. The food is not the best Shanghai food I've had but its always a enjoyable experience.

Rice sheets with shredded chicken and cucumber in a sesame sauce (雞細粉皮)
One of my favorites, chewing flat rice sheets smothered with a scrumptious sesame sauce with crunchy cucumber threads and chicken. 

Pork Dumplings in Chili Oil (紅油抄手)
These are meaty dumplings soaked in a savory spicy sauce. Always a good choice.

Pork dumplings/Xiao long bao (小籠包)
One of the restaurants specialities. The skin is thin and the filling is juicy and flavorful. These dumplings are not as delicate as the ones from Ding Tai Feng but they are still delicious. Just make sure they don't break when you pick them up with your chopsticks!

Noodle in spicy sesame broth with minced pork and peanuts (擔擔麵)
The noodles are chewing and the broth is rich and aromatic. There is a sprinkle of scallions and crushed peanuts for a nice balance of textures.

Crystal Jade (Various Locations)

Shop 2018-2020

IFC 

Central

Hong Kong

Cafe Lavande

I've been trying to look for a cozy cafe that was not Starbucks or Pacific Coffee in Hong Kong, sadly these type of businesses face a daunting struggle in a busy city such as Hong Kong. Most people do not care for these type of establishments and many close after opening for a few months due to high rents and lack of demand. Cafe Lavande is a gem amidst the hustle and bustle of Central and makes you feel as if you have entered a quaint cafe in the countryside of France. The size is a little too small for comfort (always very close to the barista/waiter) but overall the decor is very charming and it has some decent coffee and food. There is also outdoor seating but since it was summer we opted to go inside to enjoy the air conditioning, but I believe the outdoor seating to be extremely lovely when the weather is more permitting.

The interior of Cafe Lavande

A charming but small space

Foie Gras Pate Salad
The salad had a very generous amount of pate and the salad greens were fresh. Nothing mind-blowing but it was a enjoyable afternoon snack. 

Iced Lavender Coffee
The coffee was topped with little bits of lavender along with some lavender syrup. I've always loved floral flavored foods such as rose macarons and lavender ice cream so I was really excited to try this lavender coffee. The coffee was decent but I would have liked it more if the lavender flavor was stronger. 

Cafe Lavande 

4 Prince's Terrace 

Mid-levels

Hong Kong

Senryo

Senryo is a really popular rotary sushi restaurant with numerous locations in Hong Kong. The reasonable prices and relatively high quality of the ingredients result in long waits during peak hours that could easily go over an hour.

Eye Candy

Strawberries ready to be stuffed with cheesecake :)

Yaya's Kitchen Feast

My dear friend L has two helpers who are master chefs who can create restaurant quality (or even better) food at home. Lucky for us L always invites me over for a home cooked feast and it is an event I look forward too all the time.

Pomelo Salad

Chicken Satays

Pork Neck Salad

Spring Rolls 

Hainan Chicken

Laksa 

There are no reviews for each dish. Just know everything was absolutely fantastic :)

Shake Shack

Oh my gosh I have so many posts to do and they are all from summer! I have a lot of catching up to do. Shake shack has always been a favorite of mine and is widely considered to be part of the "holy trinity" of burger joints along with In-N-Out and Five Guys. Their frozen frozen custards and hot dogs are also raved about but I have always stuck to the burger. 

Shack Stack Burger - Cheeseburger + 'Shroom Burger
I decided to go all out and have the biggest burger on the menu. The cheeseburger is already mindblowingly delicious but the Shack Stack burger is on a whole other level. The juicy meat patty is topped with a crisp fried portobello filled with Muenster and Cheddar cheese, resulting in a party of flavors and textures in every bite. Needless to say it was a bit messy and I basically got cheese all over my face but that may have made it even more delicious. With each bite you could hear the crunch of the exterior coating of the mushroom and then taste the gooey cheese oozing out. The heaviness of the mushroom and beef patty was then contrasted with the crisp and fresh lettuce and tomato. And last but not lease one of the most unique aspects of Shake Shack is their burger bun which is a potato burger bun. The bun is a bit more chewy and sweet than most buns and just is the cherry on top of this already epic burger. 

Close up

Shake Shack (various locations)

Madison Square Park

Near Madison Ave. and East 23rd St.

New York

I ♥ Meat

I once tried being a vegetarian for one week and then a vegan for one week. After my week of vegetarianism I realize that the vegan week was definitely not happening. Meat is way too delicious to give up :) After some glorious partying at San Diego we stopped off for some Korean BBQ after reaching LA. I forgot the name of the restaurant but I believe the pictures are satisfying enough.

Beef tongue

Wagyu Kalbi