ramblings of a Seattle travel, food and photography hound
Back in 2005, after a long flight to Milan and a late train to our hotel from Malpensa, all we could do after check-in (it was around 11pm) was to try to get some shut-eye. Try, as you can imagine, because our biological clocks were off-kilter. The next morning, we headed out for breakfast. The... Continue Reading →
Yet another Taiwanese restaurant opened recently in Bellevue to join others in the greater Seattle metro area to cater to the significant number of Taiwanese-American residents. With Facing East, MonGa, Dough Zone and Din Tai Fung already attracting the faithful on the Eastside, it's become a bit more difficult for newbies to break in. HardWok Cafe does an... Continue Reading →
I thought my brother-in-law said bok choy. He repeated: batchoy, a Filipino noodle soup dish that had its origin in Iloilo where he happens to be from. While it’s traditional to use pork organs, a pork neck bone was used instead. Combine that with spare ribs and beef bones with marrow, shrimp paste and brown... Continue Reading →
On my photography outings, I've never used a variable wide angle as my only lens. The holiday season was a good excuse to visit Pike Place Market yesterday, which my wife and I would've done last week if it weren't for the freezing temperatures. The closed-in, tight spaces of the market are ideal for wide-angle shots. The summer bounty of... Continue Reading →
In a city known for its international cuisine, including my personal favorites of Japanese izakaya and ramen and Chinese restaurants in nearby Richmond worthy of Hong Kong, I've come across really tasty examples of not local (i.e., Northwest) food but grub transplanted from Montreal. No doubt you've heard of poutine, the Québécois fast-food combination of French fries, cheese curds and gravy. At... Continue Reading →
At almost sea level, my lungs were finally free of high altitude. They sighed welcome relief in Lima after 18 straight days at 7,700ft or higher. I had an extra spring in my step as I deboarded at Jorge Chavez. In our trip planning, my wife and I saw Lima only as a gateway to Puerto Maldonado when we arrived in early... Continue Reading →
It takes only one sip to judge soup broth. Any more, then it hasn't made a good enough impression. It took me a single one to become wowed. My friend who sat across from me and who ordered the same hủ tiếu hoặc mì dặc biệt at Green Leaf Bellevue Vietnamese Restaurant had the same sentiment. The broth was that good. Green Leaf... Continue Reading →
I have had my share of passionfruit the last several years. I consider it my absolute favorite exotic fruit whose incredibly heady aroma can fill a room with its unmistakable scent of the tropics. My frenzy started out in New Zealand where the fruit has a dark, purplish rind and crunchy seeds not unlike pomegranate. One time, my... Continue Reading →
Pisco sours are an essential experience in Peru. No culinary trip would be complete without imbibing at least a gallon of the stuff (so I hear) in the land that learned how to distill the grape. Chile also produces pisco. Unlike cognac that is aged at least two years in oak barrels, Peruvian pisco must be... Continue Reading →
Peru has many surprises. It contains 84 of the world's 103 biomes, has perhaps more archaeologically significant sites than any other country, and enjoys a food culture that is second to none in South America. The biggest surprise for me, despite its proximity to the equator, was the country's sometimes bone-chilling climate, due mainly to the Andean mountain range... Continue Reading →
zoomeboshi 