Foodish Fetish

Spicy Kimchi

noreply@blogger.com (Jocelyn + Cathy) — Tue, 06 Aug 2013 23:41:00 +0000

Banchan

Ah, banchan, one of the reasons why I love Korean food! At spicy kimchi, they usually only give 4 side dishes, but they switch it up everytime. I wish they gave more, but their prices for the main dishes are generally cheaper than other Korean restaurants in the area. My favorite side dishes are the beansprouts, fish cake, and cucumbers! They're all pretty yummy, so I always get refills hehe.

Leek pancake

This is one of my favorite dishes because I LOVE ONIONS AND LEEKS and anything in that family. I have a friend that doesn't like onions, and it's like YAY more for me! So this is a perfect appetizer for y'all onion lovers.

Shrimp noodles

Knife cut anchovy noodles

Their noodle soups are all strong. They have a deep seafood soup base that is pretty addicting. Plus, they use hand-made knife-noodles, which are thicker and more chewy.

Udon noodles

Japche glass noodles

Yayy this is one of my other favorite dishes here. There's just so much STUFF with the glass noodles— spinach, mushrooms, carrots, onions... you name it! Every bite is like a party in your mouth and everyone is invited.

Kimchi fried rice

OHOHO I am getting hungry just writing this post, and I just ate lunch haha. The kimchi fried rice is another great dish. The fried rice itself is perfect with the kimchi — not too spicy and not too sour. (And not watery, which is how it turns out when I make it at home.) It's topped with a grilled egg....and you know the best part.......poking that yolk and watching it ooze out all over your rice. And then eating the rice, of course.

Bulgogi rice bowl

If you're low on budget, you can get a pretty large size bulgogi bowl for just 4 bucks!! The bulgogi itself is very tender so it's easy to eat, and the sauce is slightly sweet. And just look at all those onions.

Labokgi

Labokgi is pretty much deokbokki (rice cakes) with ramen. I usually like to add ramen with my deokbokki, just so I can have more texture in the dish, and also because my jaw gets kinda sore chewing all that deokbokki! Haha.

This time, I gathered up all my courage and ordered medium spicy. Why? I don't even know, but I regretted it as soon as the dish came out. Just look at how red it is! It was like 90% spicy, 10%. After 2 bites, I was already dying as if I had just watched Titanic. But then again, I have super low spicy tolerance. Any one else that just can't handle spicy but really wants to??

Anyway, this is my favorite place to go to for Korean food. It's a family-owned business, and they are all super friendly! And they play Kpop MV's, which is always entertaining

Spicy Kimchi

1381 S Diamond Bar Blvd

Diamond Bar, CA 91765

(909) 396-9968

myspicykimchi.com

Ji Pin Restaurant

noreply@blogger.com (Jocelyn + Cathy) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 18:00:00 +0000

I know, I know, another Taiwan post. Seems like I've been living in Taiwan for almost a year now, but trust me, it was just one summer! I have a ton of more pics, but Taiwan is soon coming to a wrap. For this adventure, join me through a dim sum experience like no other!

Interior

Tea is always warm!

It was actually a fire under the teapot, so your tea was always the right temperature! The staff here are super friendly and attentive, so your tea pot (and tea cups!) are always full! Great service!

Bamboo shoots

The bamboo shoots were lightly sauteed with a mild, refreshing flavor. The perfect way to start off the meal!

Shrimp dumplings

Chili sauce

You know how normal dim sum places give you a small plate of red and yellow sauce? I usually only eat the red chili sauce just to add a little spice to my dim sum. Here at Ji Pin Restaurant, their chili sauce is hardcore! Imagine a chili sauce that is made to order. Yeah, kind of what it tasted like! They should seriously consider making it into a soup haha

Shark fin dumplings

Shrimp rice roll

Rice rolls are one of my favorite dim sum dishes. The roll itself was very chewy, and I loved how the sauce wasn't too soy sauce-y/salty. It had more of a roasted aroma too it, which made it stand out from the hundreds of rice rolls I've eaten in the past.

Salty egg and pumpkin

Luffa, pork and wood ear

No, not a loofah for scrubbing your lovely legs. Luffa (a type of squash), has a soft yet crunchy texture, quite similar to that of wood ear (a mushroom.) I thought it was pretty genius to put the two together.

Fried daikon rolls

Oh my gawd, daikon! I never thought about mushing up daikon and frying it as a roll, but man, it was so delicious! The soft texture of the daikon played well with the flaky crust. Definitely a must try if you come here, because I've never seen this anywhere else before!

Leek dumplings

Fish on tofu

We came with a friend who frequents this restaurant quite often, and she custom ordered this dish for us. Imagine a long, tiring day at work. It's 9 pm and you finally get to go back home. The first thing I would do? Plop down on my memory foam mattress! Yeah, best feeling in the world.

That must be how the fish feels, lying on top of that silky bed of tofu. The tofu was the star of this dish – so soft, yet rich and egg-y at the same time. You could also taste hints of black pepper, my fav!

Egg tart

Red bean soup

Egg Custard Bun

Haha for you loyal readers, does this look familiar? Sadly, I didn't capture the inner flow-y goodness like Jocelyn's, but it was definitely bursting with that egg custard innards.

And finally, I really have to give it to Ji Pin Restaurant for their excellent service! They seriously treat you like royalty here... pouring your tea for you, clearing out your table, and changing your plates every few dishes! To the manager, if you are reading this, thank you for such a great dim sum meal

Ji Pin Restaurant

2樓, No. 236, Section 4, Xìnyì Rd

Daan District, Taipei City, Taiwan

http://www.jipin.com.tw/

(02) 2700-3311

Clover Bakery & Cafe

noreply@blogger.com (Jocelyn + Cathy) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 18:00:00 +0000

I discovered the adorable and delicious Clover Bakery & Cafe while I went to do some grocery shopping in Mitsuwa Market, right next door. And from then on, I really can't stop coming back. During my one week Spring Break, I ended up coming here 4 times and I think the employees can recognize me now!

Drink bar

Clover has a warm inviting atmosphere with super kind employees. I asked if I could snap a few photos and they were very welcoming The place is homey and has a few tables so you enjoy your burgers and sandwiches over a cup of green tea.

Iced Strawberry Milk

The drink bar is fully equipped with an espresso machine! Their drinks range from Japanese Green Tea to Carmel Lattes. I've had their Green Tea Latte which is handcrafted very well. I've also tried their Iced Strawberry Milk which was DABOMB! Don't be fooled by its simple name, this baby's got real strawberry bits in it! My favorite drink here :D

All the bread labels are hand written with hand drawn pictures. It doesn't get anymore adorable than this

They make Japanese breads and sandwiches.

Burgers, Japanese-style!

Danish

Hello Kitty loves Clover too

Sandwiches

Mini Apple Tarts

Custard Cream Cornets

Mini Smiley Melon Bread

The chosen ones

Note: the following Bread Photo Shoot was over a 4 day span. I didn't eat them all in one day but then again, I probably could of (hohoho)

The dream breakfast :)

Mini Strawberry Tart

The Mini Strawberry Tart was flaky with fresh fruit and custard sitting in its tummy. The fresh fruit is really a great plus to the pastry! It was refreshing to have real fruit.

Strawberry Danish

The bread was soft and had the perfect sweetness. Once again, real strawberries! This is the best danish I've ever had.

Chocolate Mini Pie Croissant

Chocolate Mini Pie Croissant innards

The croissant was decadent with all its buttery flakiness going on and with its chocolate filled inners. You're biting through the layers of flaky-ness and BAM! Smooth chocolate glides all over your tongue. This is some good food porn...mmmm...

Vegetarian Tofu Croquette Burger

Vegetarian Tofu Croquette Burger innards

So the burgers aren't exactly what I picture when I think of "burger" but they're more like a sandwiches made with dinner rolls and hot dog buns. Oh right, did I mention they bake their own bread?

The Vegetarian Tofu Croquette Burger was made with a delicious dinner roll. The roll was cut in half then stuffed with a tofu croquette. And the tofu was filled with all these yummy veggies!

Corn Cream Croquette

Corn Cream Croquette innards

This one's made with a hot dog bun. It's stuffed with a salad which is kind of like a coleslaw then topped with corn croquettes.

Mini Smiley Choco Melon Bread

Isn't that the cutest thing ever?This is the ideal breakfast bread for Mondays, gotta start your day with something sweet and with a smile!

Can't help but get all giddy when I look at it! The melon bread has a hard sugary crust on the outside and a soft sweet bread inside.

Smile!

Breads packaged with love ♥

Almost all their breads and pastries are hand packaged in a sandwich bag then taped. I feel like Clover is just filled with love; you can see it and taste it!

Mini Custard Cream Bun

Mini Custard Cream Bun innards. The cream was super fluffy!

Yakisoba Donut

Yakisoba Donut innards

Look how amazing is that? I cut it open and my breath was taken away. Dude, yakisoba + donut? Woohoo, heaven! And Clover doesn't get stingy, this thing is stuffed!

Red Bean Donut

Red Bean Donut innards

This donut is delicious!! The outside is lightly powdered with sugar and the insides stuffed-to-the-max with red bean paste.

Yakisoba Bun

The Yakisoba Bun was a monster! It was huuugee. There is so much Yakisoba on this bun, I had to use a knife and fork to eat it! You cut it open and...

Yakisoba Bun innards

...you find treasure! Surprise, it's Mr. Hot Dog! Love hitting the jackpot hohoho

Vegetarian Curry Bun

Vegetarian Curry Bun innards

And for the finale, may I present to you...

Mini Strawberry Cake

Mini Strawberry Cake! And it's a beautiful. It's a mini strawberry cake so it's the size of a large cupcake (4 inches), so adorable! But they also make normal size cakes if you're planning on sharing.

I couldn't stop taking photos of the cake so I have quite a few pics here harhar

Mini Strawberry Cake innards

It was much like a Strawberry short cake. What I loved the most about the cake (other than its delicate pretty craftsmanship), the cake was not too sweet. I'm always out searching for a cake that's not overly sweet so I could eat more than a slice. I ate this whole thing by myself! (Hohoho, I'm a beast.) The cream was so rich, it married well with the fluffy cake. And of course, real strawberries in the middle!

The breads at Clover range from about $1.25~$2.75. You could pretty much have lunch for about a buck but you're bound to buy more than one item! Their stuff's too delicious!

Clover Bakery & Cafe
4342 Moorpark Ave
San Jose, CA 95129
(408) 257-3412
http://cloverbakery.com/index.html

Dining with Princess Cruises Part III

noreply@blogger.com (Jocelyn + Cathy) — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 19:30:00 +0000

Foie Gras

Shrimp Cocktail

Seared Tilapia

(Huge) Scallops

Roast Beef

Chocolate Dream Trio dark chocolate mousse, chocolate opera cake, and brownie

This dish is a chocolate addict's dream come true. The dark chocolate mousse was rich and fluffy and the brownie was surprising delicious. And the presentation is beautiful!

Tian of Crab, Scallop and Shrimp poached seafood layers with duo of caviar and papaya dressing

Escargots Bourguigon glazed with shallot, parsley and garlic butter

Oh-ho-ho-ho snails! I'm not a big snail fan though...it's the texture that throws me off. Or maybe just the thought of it harhar. But it's kind of chewy and reminds me of the fat of meat.

Mmm...doesn't that look simply delicious?

Pear and Sweet Pineapple maccerated with chili flakes, fresh mint and a splash of tequila

Belgian Endive, Boston Lettuce and Tomato Salad with balsalmic vinegrette

Spaghetti with meatballs

Grilled Tiger Shrimp Kabob with Mango-Lime Relish

Pan-Fried Filet of Rockfish "Vichyssoise"

Rollatine Ripiene con Zucca, Mascarpone e Noci baked crepes fill with roasted pumpkin, mascarpon and walnuts thyme-cream sauce

Filet of Beef Tenderloin Wellington with Truffle-Madeira Demi-Glace with spinach flan, glazed carrot and duchesse potatoes

Chocolate Souffle

Floating Islands

These little balls are made of pure fluffiness. All egg whites? They're literally like little balls of sweet cloud floating on vanilla sauce

Bicardi & Coke Marinated Spicy Chicken Wings drenched in a Coca Cola, ginger, soy and hoison glaze

Trio of Seafood, Citrus and Avocado lobster, shrimp and squid with orange filets and lime-cilantro vinaigrette

Grilled Vegetables with Chives and Hearts of Romaine Salad with Balsamin viniagrette

Liguine alle Vongole noodles with littleneck clams in cream sauce and parsley

Mariner-Style Black Mussels in White Wine Cream Sauce

Napoleon Ice Cream

Dining with Princess Cruises Part II

noreply@blogger.com (Jocelyn + Cathy) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 19:30:00 +0000

So more dinners and more fun! Princess Cruise dinner are set in a fancy setting, table cloths, fine service, and even candle lighting. And every night it's a five course meal

Here is Part I for more fun!

Tian of Premium and Gin-cured Salmon poached sea scallops, shrimp and creamy papaya dressing

Beef Carpaccio with Arugula and Celeriac lemon extra virgin olive oil, shaved Marmigiano Reggiano and aged balsamic reduction

Pink Champagne Sorbet maccerated grapefruit, pomegranate and lemon confit

This sorbet was served between the soup & salads and main course to help clean the palate. It was SO GOOD! You could taste all the champagne in the sorbet and I actually got pink in the face (I've got a bad case of Asian glow and low tolerance, even sorbet can get me drunk harhar).

Broiled Lobster Tail and Tiger Prawns

The waiter went around the table helping us take the lobster meat out of the tail, top service!

Fettuccine Alfredo in Crisp Parmesan Basket

Chocolate Pudding Cake

Strawberry Parfait

Cream Cheese Cake

Lunch

James Beard's French Toast with a crumbled-up corn flake coating

Had to get the French toast again. Too yummy

Nasi Goreng Indonesian spiced rice with chicken, fried egg and cucumber accompanied by beef satays and peanut dip

Baba au Rhum baked yeast cake soaked in dark rum

They also have a 24/7 cafe that have trays and trays of these delicious desserts. The whole boat is just tempting you with food

Baby Strawberry Cheesecake

Chocolate Mousse Tarts

Strawberry Shortcake

Dark Chocolate Pudding

Fresh Fruit Tarts

Dining with Princess Cruises Part I

noreply@blogger.com (Jocelyn + Cathy) — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 19:30:00 +0000

My family and I are frequent cruise people (we have connections hoho). Cruising is all about eating! On the Princess Cruises and on most other cruise lines, there is a 24 hour buffet so you can literally sit there from morning and night stuffing your tummy. And in addition to the buffet, there are also sit-down lunches and dinners and cafes all around the cruise. Everywhere you go there's food.

The maximum capacity for the elevators is 15 people. Some guy said that capacity number is only for the start of the cruise (haha).

So the dinners on the Princess Cruise line is fancy and pretty good. The menu does differ from boat to boat but always have similar key menu items (yeah, we've been quite a few times).

So I'm gonna provide you guys with some food porn photos - cruise version and in three parts. It was almost a week's worth of eating, yay!

Dinner:

Bread Basket

The boat bakes their bread fresh every morning! Delicious.

Crispy Hand-Rolled Vegetable Spring Rolls with hoisin-peanut dip, lemongrass and cilantro

Red Snapper Mojito ceviche with mint, mango, avocado and a splash of Bicardi Superior rum

Trio of Cantaloupe, Honeydew and Watermelon doused with vintage port wine and lime zest

Hawaiian Luau Pork with Apricot Drippings served with a white bean and smoked bacon ragout, roast potatoes

Seared Bass Filet with Pineapple-Papaya Salsa peapods, bamboo shoots, daikon sprouts and potato cake

Vanilla Creme Brulee

Passion Fruit Souffle

Brunch/Lunch:

Carbonara-Style Rigatoni with Italian bacon, egg and cream

James Beard's French Toast with a crumbled-up corn flake coating

This was the most amazing French toast I have ever tasted! A thick soft slice of bread with a crispy outside...mmm...

New Zealand Green Shell Mussels in teriyaki-ginger broth

Eggs Benedict with Canadian bacon, toasted English muffin and hollandaise sauce

Mozzarella and Vine-Ripened Tomatoes with basil and balsalmic reduction

Vegetarian Burrito with char-broiled vegetables and red kidney beans, guacamole, Mexican salsa

Sauteed Red Snapper on Bell Pepper Puree with succotash and roasted potatoes

The bell pepper puree was interesting, it was thick and sweet and cheese sauce cooked with the beans was savory. It was paired perfectly with the red snapper!

London Mixed Grill with beef medallion, veal kidney, lamb chop, English banger freen beans and shoestring potatoes

I've never seen sooo much meat on one plate, and so many different kinds! It was delicious but a bit difficult downing all of it.

Fresh Fruit Tarlet with whipping cream

Ramen Sanji

noreply@blogger.com (Jocelyn + Cathy) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 18:47:00 +0000

If there's one thing you should know about me, it should be the fact that I LOVE RAMEN! And I'm not talking about those instant kinds (although those are pretty delicious, too), but the legit stuff is where my heart's at. So when I saw the sign that said "World's #1 Ramen," I had to go see for myself. I mean, I know that technically anyone can claim to have the best ramen, but you better serve some good food to back up your game. Or else prepared to get a back-handed slap from me. Haha just kidding.

Apparently the restaurant, Ramen Sanji, was named after Warrior Sanji. All their ramen is named after warriors, but I was dead-set on the Ramen Sanji. The ramens were all pretty similar, save for a few changes in the number of eggs and pork slices (Woo, so much change...can't deal with it). They also had a few shoyu ramens, but I've learned over the years of ramen-eating to always order the tonkotsu broths on first visits.

Ramen Sanji

The curly egg noodles were cooked al dente, just the way I like it! The egg had perfectly gooey yolk, and I loved the fact that they used brown eggs instead of white.

The pork had a nice char-grilled flavor, but it was too fatty for my taste (although it made the broth super rich and creamy hehe). It definitely wasn't the cleanest broth I had. I mean look at it! It's like when you see a murky lake and you worry about the fishes living in it. But in the ramen world, thick broths are the most flavorful! It was so good, I ended up draining the heck out of that ramen broth lake. I ♥ the broth, but it probably wasn't that great for my ♥.

Bowls and bowls of (plastic) ramen on display! If you're waiting in line, you can just gawk open-mouthed, at these pretty looking bowls. Plastic can be mighty appetizing when you're hungry!

Worth lining up for! I wouldn't say that it's the world's #1 ramen, but it was one of the best I've had. They should advertise that it's one of Cathy's favorite ramens!

Ramen Sanji
at ATT4Fun Mall

台北市信義區松壽路 12號 5樓
No. 12, Song Shou Road, 5FL
Taipei, Taiwan
http://ramensanji.com.tw
(02) 7737-5188

England Rose Garden Coffee & Tea Restaurant

noreply@blogger.com (Jocelyn + Cathy) — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 19:00:00 +0000

The England Rose Garden Coffee & Tea Restaurant is actually a relatively new place. It opened about half a year ago and I've passed by it many times but never actually stepped in. After Cathy posted about her afternoon tea at Salut, I was very envious of the dainty tea cups and nicely presented snacks so I made the England Rose Garden Coffee & Tea Restaurant my next go-to restaurant. Tea time!

Victorian Tea Time for two

Of course I had to order the three-tiered snack plates to make my tea time more legit! I give an A+ for the wonderful presentation and I was all giddy when the waitress was bringing it to our table. But...I wasn't impressed with the selection and I'm sure it couldn't feed two people.

First tier: Chocolate chip, snickerdoodle, oatmeal raisin cookie. Sadly, they weren't made fresh and were kind of hard.

Second tier: tiny muffin, small cream puff, (prettily)sliced fruit, and a small sliver of tiramisu. There was only one piece of each dessert and all of them were small, so we had to ~~fight for it~~ split it. Although small, the tiramisu was the highlight all of the three tiers!

Third tier: tuna and cheese with lots of lettuce sandwich. The most disappointing part...there was barely any tuna salad spread on the bread so it was like eating a salty lettuce sandwich

Tiramisu

The delicious tiramisu: rich cream layered in perfectly coffee soaked layers of cake.

They have a large selection of England Milk Teas and Taiwan Milk Teas. The Taiwan Milk Teas are the usual milk teas with boba. The England Milk Teas come in a teapot with the pretty looking tea cups, which is what we ordered. They had quite a few choices so we asked which tea the waitress thought was the best. She recommended Irish Cream which is supposed to have a strong tea taste.

Irish Cream English Milk Tea

I just can't get enough of the beautiful china. The teapot sat on of a candle so the tea stayed hot throughout our entire meal. The very last cup that I poured was still steaming!

The Irish Cream Milk Tea was delicious! It tasted creamy but light like a tea drink should be. And I was amazed that the cream did not cover up the black tea taste. It was the perfect balance of cream and tea.

Shrimp & Scallop Rice Risotto

In addition to the cafe food selections, they also have noodle and rice dishes. We decided on the Shrimp and Scallop Risotto which came with a cream chowder. The chowder was a bit watered down but the risotto was amazingly decadent! If the Victorian Tea Time didn't fill us up, the risotto sure did! Between me and my friend, we couldn't finish the entire dish.

Their risotto was a fried rice topped it with mushrooms, shrimp, and scallops then topped with a white creamy sauce and a thick layer of cheesy yumminess. The dish is baked so the cheese comes out brown on top and all gooey. If you're craving for those hearty-warm-your-tummy meals, this is it right here! Caution: you may want to take a nap afterwards.

Mmm...look at gooey goodness...

The menu is a bit pricey, ranging from $10-$20 each dish and a pot of tea is $6. Overall, this place is wonderful for catching up with friends over a a nice cup of tea but maybe after getting some lunch. A pretty tea time is definitely my cup of tea! (haha)

England Rose Garden Coffee & Tea Restaurant

640 Barber Ln
Milpitas, CA 95035

(408) 800-6658

TASTy

noreply@blogger.com (Jocelyn + Cathy) — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 19:00:00 +0000

TASTy offers a prix fixe menu with 6 courses, all for a whopping $20! And nope, I'm not missing a zero. If this were served in say New York or Paris, this meal could easily go for $200. TASTy claims to specialize in Western cuisine, but of course there were some Taiwanese (or at least, Asian) influences as well. And yes, everything was mighty TASTY!

APPETIZER:

Shrimp and snap beans

I felt like I was at some museum looking at some minimalist modern art. Like, oh, "good use of space!" Haha anyways, the best part of this dish was the sauce. It was some kind of mustard sauce...slightly sweet, but not quite as sweet as honey mustard.

SALAD:

Seafood salad

Some people might be kind of freaked out by the presentation of the shrimp, but I thought it was pretty cool. The bottom portion was a potato salad with bits of fruit in it.

Fruit salad

Garden salad with thousand island dressing

ANTIPASTO:

Danish pastry baked with beef

I wonder if the chefs were inspired to make this dish while playing Jenga. This dish started with layers of flaky crust, topped with a beef patty, and then topped with cheddar cheese and specks of cilantro. A pretty savory dish, although it felt kind of heavy since the pastry absorbed the oils from the meat.

Square toast

Baked mushroom with garlic and cheese

The square toast and the baked mushroom/cheese came together. You dip the bread into the cheese (or spoon the cheese onto your bread.) The cheese was super rich and creamy, and you could taste bits of the mushroom and garlic for that extra pop of flavor.

SOUP:

Pumpkin soup with king oyster mushroom

Creamy mushroom chowder

Both the pumpkin and mushroom chowders were rich and thick, just the way all chowders should be. Dipping the breadstick was especially fun, since the soup would actually cling to the bread without making it soggy!

Italian beef ball soup

I'm a pretty huge fan of meatballs, so I had to order the Italian beef ball soup! And the beef balls were so yummy. They were super plump and meaty, and you could actually suck the soup from the beef balls.

VINEGAR SHOT:

I first introduced these vinegar shots here, and they're one of my favorite parts of the meal! The (alcohol-free) shots are meant cleanse your palate and open up your stomach for the main course.

MAIN COURSE:

Roasted duck

Roasted pork ribs

They serve you the plate with 2 racks of ribs, and then they cut it in front of you. Talk about good customer service! And they give you these cute little plastic gloves for you to wear, so you don't dirty your fingers! The ribs were nicely seasoned with lots of peppers (who doesn't love pepper?) and a sweet, slightly tangy barbeque sauce.

DESSERT:

Crème brûlée

Oh yeah baby, crème brûlée! It was perfectly toasted, giving it that nice hard shell of caramel on top, and the custard on the bottom was soft and fluffy. When the waiter brought it over, I was so happy because it looks so big, right? Well, the dish was quite shallow. I wished the dish would be a little more open-minded.

Vanilla ice cream with chocolate bag

The vanilla ice cream came in this perfect dome. But the best part about this dish was the chocolate bag that was completely edible! The outer shell was fried, making it hot and crispy. One bite into the bag and LIQUID CHOCOLATE came flowing forth. It was seriously one of the best things I've experienced. The chocolate was also hot, and just SO rich. It was served with small scoops of raspberry and orange jam in that cute flower pattern. It's one of the best feelings in the world when you see something pretty and you find out it's edible (and even better, yummy!)

DRINKS:

Mango sopapilla smoothie

When I first saw "sopapilla" on the menu, I thought it was some distant cousin of the chinchilla... har har. I'm not too sure why it's a sopapilla smoothie because it tasted 100% mango. No pastry or bread taste!

Hot fruit tea

Inside the pot, there were pieces of mango, kiwi, orange, strawberry, and pineapple! Pretty much any fruit you can think of.

Iced roasted coffee

Lemon barley tea

Ohoho see those little googly-eyes floating in the drink? Those are chewy bits of barley goodness! Barley has such a fun texture, and it's natural sweetness paired well with the acidity of the lemon.

TASTY

3F, No.152, Sec. 1, Fuxing S. Rd.
Da’an Dist., Taipei City, Taiwan

http://www.tasty.com.tw
02-2711-2231

Curry House

noreply@blogger.com (Jocelyn + Cathy) — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 19:00:00 +0000

This is actually the first time I've tried Japanese curry at a specialized curry restaurant and I have to say, I'm pleasantly surprised. My whole life, I've only known curry in the form those condensed blocks you can buy Asian Super markets (which are actually pretty delicious) so I was very much looking forward to freshly made curry!

Our Curry House dinner! Woohoo!

We arrived at Curry House about 7PM on a Friday night and it was packed! The menu has a large selection of different Japanese dishes from, well of course, curry dishes to Japanese style spaghetti. And most entrees come with an appetizer.

Corn Potage

So for appetizers we chose their corn potage and house salad. The corn potage was the best corn soup I've ever tasted! Super creamy and sweet which balanced nicely with the slightly salty corn kernels.

House Salad

The salad was drizzled with a light and refreshing miso dressing with lots of different toppings. I loved the addition of the beans! I never add beans in my salad but it gives the salad a break in the crunchy texture of the lettuce. Beans are gonna be my new habit.

Deluxe Pork Katsu Curry

We ordered the Deluxe Katsu Curry. Oh yeah deluxe, I'm rolling with the high rollers harhar So differences between the normal and deluxe Katsu curry is the deluxe comes with a curry fried rice wrapped in an omelet while the normal one is just plain rice. Mmm...curry fried rice with curry...can't get enough curry on one dish!

The curry actually tasted a lot like the cubed curry from the supermarkets but definitely had more depth to it, more herbs perhaps?

Revealing the hidden treasure: curry fried rice!

For the katsu, you can choose from chicken leg, chicken breast, and pork. We went with the typical pork katsu just to see how it compared with other pork katsus out there. It was pretty good, crispy on the outside and had the right amount of saltiness but it was really the curry fried rice that made the magic!

Kinoko & Kaiware with Tofu Shirataki noodles

This dish was fantastic with its mix of shimeji and eringi mushrooms and soy sauce based sauce. We payed an extra buck to trade out the normal pasta for the Tofu Shirataki noodles and it was the best choice ever! Tofu Shirataki noodles are yam noodles with tofu and they have this chewy texture to them. It's so fun to eat And evidently, also healthier: 40 calories per dish, no sugar, no cholesterol, and gluten-free.

Vegetable Curry

The curry is the same curry used for the Deluxe Pork Curry but a whole pot of it. Came with a mix of baby carrots, corn, long beans and a HUGE plate of rice! Dishes are actually pretty expensive here, range from about $8-$20. So for the cheap people out there, this dish is for you. You could probably three people!

Teppan Neapolitian

The Teppan Neapolitan was served on a sizzling plate but it wasn't actually sizzling. The sauce is a mix of tomato sauce and ketchup so it was sweet and tangy. There were wieners and vegetables cooked with it. The wieners were salty but the noodles themselves were a bit bland.

But the saddest part was the egg. So you can choose how you egg is cooked: raw, soft boiled, or hard boiled. In the menu, the picture for soft boiled and had this delicious-looking yolk flowing out so we chose soft boiled egg. But when I was cutting open the egg, I was hoping for a food porn shot with all this gold yolk running down the noodles but nope, almost cooked all the way. Sigh...

Tofu Cheesecake

Ohhh Tofu Cheesecake, doesn't that sound interesting? I just had to to try what tofu and cream chesse tasted like together!

Looks like a actual slice of tofu!

The cheesecake did taste like cheesecake but had a nice light fluffy texture to it with a hint of tofu. The crust was thick and sweet like a cookie which paired well with the cream cheese. Mmmm...

Curry House
10350 South De Anza Boulevard
Cupertino, CA 95014
http://www.curryhouse-usa.com/

Houtong Cat Village in Taiwan

noreply@blogger.com (Jocelyn + Cathy) — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 19:00:00 +0000

Houtong village! It used to be a deserted mining town, but it's 'now most popular for being a Cat Village. And it literally is a "cat village." There are probably at least a hundred cats (not even exaggerating!) and they're all tame and neutered, so you can pet them and take pictures with them. Each of the cats even have their own names! I could literally spend all day here because the cats were just so cute and furry. After a couple hours of hardcore cat-petting, I got pretty hungry, so let's just jump into the food right meow:

Taiwanese dry noodles

This was a typical dish of Taiwanese dry noodles. It's so simple, but sometimes, simple is best!

Flat noodles

If you feel like the noodles are a little too plain for your liking, you have plenty of Taiwanese side dishes to choose from!

Beancurd

Seaweed

The beancurd and seaweed are also classic Taiwanese side dishes. They use the same sweet garlic-y sauce on top, which is so addicting!

Pig Stomach

Uh...I didn't try this dish because it kinda freaked me out, but my aunt seemed to enjoy it.

Shaved Ice stand

See those sultry cats luring you in?

Red Bean shaved ice

Taiwan is usually super hot and humid, but I leap at any chance I get for some icy treats. One of my favorites is shaved ice — it makes you forget about the heat for the few minutes you're eating it.

Peanut shaved ice

I was totally digging how there's 3 toppings at the bottom of the shaved ice, so eating it was kind of like digging for buried treasure! I picked red bean, big red bean, and green bean for the bottom three, and topped it with a whopping spoonful of peanuts on top. Mmm, so yummy, dig in!

90% done...

Oh, hello there, cat! Haha it's like a prize for finishing my shaved ice. It's so cute how everything is cat-themed. Seriously, like everything you could possible think of was cat-themed.

Even cat lanterns.

There's lots of food stands in the village, so by the time you've eaten your way around, you'll look just like this orange tabby here. Food coma, or cat nap?

Houtong Cat Village
Chetouding Village (Cat’s Village)
Houtong, Guangfu Borough, Ruifang Dist., New Taipei City
886-2-29603456

Mita Pasta

noreply@blogger.com (Jocelyn + Cathy) — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 19:00:00 +0000

Ciao! I was craving some pasta, and since me-ta craving ta pasta, we decided to venture into Mita Pasta!

(Alternate story: we just happened to pass by, and the entrance was just so beautiful, it sucked us in.)

Butter filled biscuits

Usually when I go out to eat, I just get an iced water. And when they come with lemon slices, I'm like YEAAHH!! So when the waiter brought over the pitcher of water with a cherry tomato and slice of cucumber.... ! I took a sip and wow! It was so refreshing. The water was crisp and cold, and you could taste hints of the cucumber. I honestly couldn't taste the tomato, but it sure made the prettiest glass of water I've ever seen.

Italian salad

I love how the salads here in Taiwan are never skimpy! They come with so many different veggies, and the dressings are just amazing. Italian vinaigrettes are actually one of my favorites types of salad dressings, and this was one of the best I've had. As a garlic enthusiast, I loved the minced garlic and how it complemented the slight sourness of the vinaigrette. Just make sure you eat a mint afterwards... or soup should do the trick too

Cream Chowder

French Onion soup

Remember my previous experience with the French Onion Soup? Well this time, the French Onion soup had cheese on top! Yay! I think cheese adds that serious heartiness to the soup. Although, I would have preferred some kind of white cheese (Swiss, maybe Parmesan?) instead of the Cheddar. Man, I'm so hard to please...haha.

Spinach Pasta

I loved how the noodles were twirled so delicately onto the plate. I almost didn't want to eat the pasta because it was so pretty! But man, it smelled de-lish! The olive oil base created a really fresh fragrance, and the garlic added just the right amount of kick.

Mushroom pasta

Aww, the pasta kind of collapsed before I could snap a good photo. The mushroom pasta came with many different types of mushrooms, making it quite fun to eat! (Hmm, I'll eat one of you...one of you....hmm maybe two of you...) This was also an olive oil-based pasta, so it had a light, refreshing flavor.

Mango Iced Tea

Grapefruit Iced Tea

And it's not Taiwan without your choice of tea! We opted for the mango and grapefruit iced teas, which were both so delicious. Taiwan generally has super fabulous teas, whether it's at a fancy restaurant or a humble street stand.

Jello shots

Teehee jello shots! Jello and shots are a pretty awesome combination, considering how shots are for those who are more mature, yet jello holds such a playful childlike aura to it.

Sour plum jello shot

Grape wine jello shot

The sour plum jello shot tasted like those dried sour plums from the Asian supermarkets. For those of you who have never tried them, they're these dried plums with suspiciously addicting white powder on them. The second it touches your tongue, you're salivating like a mad cow because it's just SO SOUR. My mother always tells me that if I'm low on saliva, I should just pop one in my mouth... and it's worked every single time. Eating the jello brought back a flood of memories, almost as fast as the rush of saliva in my mouth! And for the cherry on top, there was....a plum on the bottom!

The grape wine jello shot was like eating sweet grape wine in the form of jello. It was just as yummy as the sour plum one, but this time, there were cubes of grape chilling on the top!

Mita Pasta

長安東路二段81號

No. 81, Sec. 2, Chang An Road

Taipei, Taiwan

+886-2-2515-7628

Purple Kow

noreply@blogger.com (Jocelyn + Cathy) — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 19:00:00 +0000

My friend who goes to school in San Francisco kept raving about this place and demanding on taking me. We finally got there and man, it was crowded! There was a line all the way to the door and she said this is a good day. Usually the line's out the door. Crazy packed!

Super small space + lots of people = fight for your right to sit at a table. When I saw a group about to leave I ran over and hawked over the table.

Matcha Milk Green Tea with grass jelly

There drinks come in shorter, wider cups which is unique but also annoying since it doesn't fit in the cup holders in cars. Yay to holding drinks!

Purplekow Milk Black Tea with boba

The milk teas are alright, but in my opinion, not enough to rave about! I need my milk tea to have a strong tea flavor and Purple Kow didn't quite cut it.

Salt & Pepper Popcorn Chicken Nuggets

The popcorn chicken was quite good! Crispy and salty..mm...

Beef Rolls

Beef rolls were alright but nothing special. You can actually just go to any Asian market and easily assemble you own beef roll. And even better, you won't have to be stingy about how much beef goes in it!

I would say "ehh" about this place. The main thing is it's just way to packed to sit and have a nice chat with friends, it's like a war zone! But if you are lucky to get a seat and well, you have large cup holders in your car, your good to go

Purple Kow

3620 Balboa Street

San Francisco, CA 94121

http://www.purplekow.com/

NY Bagels Café

noreply@blogger.com (Jocelyn + Cathy) — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 19:00:00 +0000

I would love to revisit New York any day, so I took the opportunity while I was here in Taiwan to visit NY... Bagels Café. Funny how I didn't go here when Jocelyn and I were actually in New York, but hey, I got a taste of New York halfway across the world!

The interior of the cafe was very modern, and it felt just like being in New York! As you walked up the stairs, there were lights on the ceiling! Good thing we sat close to the staircase, or else I would have missed it. The lights brought me back to Broadway and New York...ah, good memories.

If you ever need a getaway from all the Asian-ness in Taiwan (if that is even possible!), this would be the place to go.

Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Fries

Ohoho, fries! Taiwanese snacks are usually like buns, pork rice, potstickers... pretty much mini-meals. I haven't had fries for such a long time so these tasted like heaven! They were almost like Cajun fries, but a tad bit sweeter. The fries were served piping hot, but they were just so irresistible. You know how sometimes you burn your tongue, but you can't stop shoving just one more fry into your mouth? And pretty soon they're all gone? Yup.

Grilled Chicken Sandwich innards

The sandwich was mighty hearty, yet still very clean. The grilled chicken was a bit dry, but the cheese and tomato added some balance. The Swiss cheese was so melty that when you took a bite, you had a long string of cheese hanging on for its life (just like eating super cheesy pizza haha.) It was kind of annoying to eat, but it's so satisfying when you just cut that string of cheese off!

Since the name of the café is NY Bagels Café , I had high expectations of the bagel. And yes indeed, the bagel was the best part of the sandwich! Their bagels had a slightly chewier texture, but it was perfectly toasted so that you could easily bite into the sandwich. And the sesames on top added a nice kick to the grilled chicken! Plus, eating a bagel always makes you feel a little more healthy...at least for me haha

Salad with prosciutto, poached egg, and blue cheese

If you want a totally healthy alternative, they have salads as well! Although it's not NY Salad Café, I heard that the salad was mighty fresh and once again, the blue cheese added a nice touch.

Brunch scrambled eggs with mushrooms; baked potato; sesame bagel

Cute cups, yummy food, fun company, good life! I don't know why I'm being so philosophical/optimistic, but hey, cheers to the start of a new year!

NY Bagels Cafe
No. 122, Xin Yi Rd, Sec. 5
Taipei, Taiwan
(02) 2723-7977
http://www.nybagelscafe.com

Sizzling Stone: Build your own bibimbap

noreply@blogger.com (Jocelyn + Cathy) — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 19:00:00 +0000

Welcome to Chipotle, Korean-style

But instead of building your own burrito today, you'll be building your own Bibimbap!

For those who are fresh and new to Korean food, Bibimbap is a bowl of rice topped with a variety of vegetables, meat, and an egg mixed with sesame oil. It is usually served in a hot stone bowl with red chili paste you can mix in yourself. You can add as much as you want depending on how spicy and flavorful you want it.

Here you get to customize what goes into your bowl!

There's three types of rice to choose from: wild black rice, brown rice, and jasmin rice. You can also add in japchae noodles for no extra charge

Then you choose your vegetables and meat. They also have cheese, which I thought would be a strange combination. Hmm...rice, kimchee, and cheese?

...and they cook it for you! Sigh, it's quite a beautiful sight seeing so many bowls cooked at the same time. You can also add a pan fried egg for an extra 99 cents. I was feeling Asian that day and cheap so I opted out haha

And they do self-serve style for the sauces.

From front to back: Thai Curry, Original Spicy, Teriyaki, Spicy Sweet Curry.

The sauces...actually tasted kind of strange. Other than the Original Spicy which is pretty much the usual red chili paste but much sweeter, I'm not too fond of the others. They're all, fruity? Especially the teriyaki sauce which has a slight apple taste and that's the only sauce that isn't spicy. I think they need to improve/expand on their sauce choices since so much of this dish relies on it!

Tofu Bibimbap

Although the Bibimbap is cooked in a stone bowl and comes out piping hot, the rice doesn't burn on the bottom Usually, there's a thin crispy layer of rice at the bottom and it's so yummy!

They also have some self-served kimchee for a side dish. It tastes very pickled and not very spicy so I'm not sure what to make of it. Kimchee? Pickled cabbage? Although it was really refreshing when I was heaving in and out from eating my spicy bibimbap.

Chicken Bibimbap

I asked for more kimchee and OMG bad choice. IT WAS SO SPICY ,yummy but spicy, and my spicy tolerance is, well, practically zero. With the Original Spicy sauce, I breathing in and out like I just ran the mile.

Looks so pretty all mixed! It's quite a big bowl and I saved half of it for the next day's lunch. About $6-7 for a bowl so it's not too bad. And if you're feeling poor, you can even split one with you friend.

yummy!

Sizzling Stone

510 Barber Lane

Milpitas, CA 95035

http://www.mysizzlingstone.com/

Salut for Afternoon Tea

noreply@blogger.com (Jocelyn + Cathy) — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 19:00:00 +0000

One of the perks of being a woman is being able to enjoy pretty things — tutus, polka dots, pink bows, and... afternoon tea! I've actually never had afternoon tea before, so I was super excited to try it. Girls day out with my mother and aunt!

I wish I could bring my imaginary boyfriend here too, but can you imagine a hot 20 year-old man eating that cookie daintily, pinky up? HAHA sadly it's true though...there was not a single guy in sight!

First off, you each get your choice of tea! The menu had pages and pages of different types of tea. I'm quite the tea fanatic, but I didn't know 98% of these teas. And it didn't help that all the descriptions were written in Chinese (and I am pretty much Chinese illiterate). So I asked my aunt for a recommendation since she had been here before, and decided on the Assam Black tea.

Assam, Butterscotch, and 1854 Tea

We also ordered a Butterscotch tea and a 1854 tea. And they come with pretty tags so you know which tea pot is which!

All the teas tasted super clean and refined, and had really strong flavors. The butterscotch tea was the most special to me. It had strong caramel notes, making it quite sweet...almost like a milk tea!

Everyone gets their own tea set too, and OMG they were all so pretty. Really inspired me to go buy some tea sets for home. Sadly, I'm so lazy, so that never happened

Peekaboo! Teapot, I see you!

Anyway, Salut provides each teapot with a cover so that your tea stays warm. So nice and fancy, and it actually worked! My tea was hot until the very last sip

Side note: I visited Salut in June, hence the June teacup.

I didn't add sugar to my tea, but hehe, these packets were just so cute with the roses and tulips and polka dot tablecloth.

Afternoon tea for two

OHOHO 3 tiers of yummy, pretty goodness! Top tier - cakes. Middle tier - sweets. Bottom tier - sandwiches.

Start from the bottom and eat your way up

Finger Sandwiches tomato bruschetta, egg salad sandwich, seafood quiche

The tomato bruschetta (left) was a slice of toasted bruschetta bread, topped with pesto spread and fresh garden tomatoes. The bread was a little hard for my taste, but as a tomato and pesto lover, it was still might delicious.

The egg salad sandwich (middle) was so yummy, and that's from someone who usually doesn't eat egg salad! The bread was nicely toasted using a waffle maker, creating a nice geometric design. I was a bit hesitant to eat this sandwich since I don't like mayo, but luckily it was not too creamy. There were also lettuce, tomato, and zucchini, which provided a nice texture contrast to the egg salad.

The seafood quiche (right) was my favorite. It was so light that when I picked it up, I did a double take. It was super crispy, and the layers were so fun to bite through!

Pastries and sweets madeleine cake, chocolate chip cookie, fruit tart

After eating all those lovely sandwiches in the previous tier, I had super high expectations of these sweets. Sadly, I was kind of disappointed. They were all good, but nothing spectacular. The madeleine cake (left) was a bit dense and dry.

The chocolate chip cookie (middle) was my favorite in this tier — so rich and buttery! I wished it was bigger though...literally 3 bites!

The fruit tart (right) was also pretty good, but I mean, I've never had a bad fruit tart before.

Green Tea and Red Bean Cake

What's more Asian than green tea and red bean? A green tea and red bean cake!

I decided to stay in touch with my inner Asian self and chose this green tea and red bean cake. It was a vanilla sponge cake layered with green tea mousse, with chunks of red bean throughout. The cake itself was a bit on the dry side, but the green tea mousse was so divine! It had a refreshing matcha green tea flavor. Add some red beans, and ah...a match made in Asian heaven

Orange Chocolate Cake

Salut sure knows how to put flavors together. Next up, orange chocolate cake!

Personally, I LOVE orange and chocolate together. One time, my brother and I went on an orange and chocolate craze. Everytime we ate a Clementine, we would eat a piece of chocolate with it. (SO GOOD, y'all should try it.) We did this so many times, the next time I ate a Clementine, I started salivating... for some... chocolate HAHA. Well played, chocolate fiend.

Afternoon tea for one

Finger Sandwiches tomato bruschetta, egg salad sandwich, seafood quiche

Damn, look at that egg salad sandwich! Look me in the eyes and tell me you don't want to take a bite!

Pastries and sweets madeleine cake, chocolate chip cookie, fruit tart

Walnut Brownie

The brownie was moist and rich, and was packed with cocoa flavor. One bite made you want more, and more, and more! Hopefully they never ban chocolate for its addictive properties.

Jars of tea leaves

As you make your way to the end of the rainbow, you'll find pots of...tea leaves!

Salut

台北市仁愛路四段266巷8弄2號

(02) 2325-6878

http://www.salut.com.tw

Disneyland's Café Orleans

noreply@blogger.com (Jocelyn + Cathy) — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 19:00:00 +0000

I LOVE DISNEYLAND and I don't think anyone can grow out of it. Cathy is the one that lives in Southern California and is only an hour away from the Happiest Place on Earth but I actually go more often than she does. Cathy, how is that possible? You should be whipping out your Premium annual pass and flashing it in my face making me all jealous!

Anyways, in Disneyland, every ten feet there's a food stand. The churros, the Mickey pretzels, corn dogs, all so delicious! Most people just fill up from migrating from stand to stand but most of their restaurants are also just as wonderful so you gotta save your tummy

Ta-da! That right there on the table is all good delicious yumminess. For the last few years, my family and I have made it an habit to going Café Orleans for lunch. It's in New Orleans part of Disneyland, right next to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.

Since it's all sit-down, it's the perfect way to get away from the hectic crowds for a bit and give your poor feet a rest. Café Orleans is pretty busy during lunch hours so make a reservations beforehand!

Pommes Frites

These Pommes Frites are THE BOMB! We always have to order two of these because it's like a cat fight when these are put on the table. My two sisters and I are pulling hair and grabbing each other's necks for these sticks of joy. They're deliciously deep-fried to perfection and tossed in garlic and herbs. They also provide a Cajun spice remoulade dipping sauce which is plain amazing. I would be willing to drink these right out of the little cup. Mmm...BOTTOMS UP, CAJUN REMOULADE SHOTS!

New Orleans Gumbo

Their gumbo is gold. Liquid gold. Savory, with the right amount of pepper for spice and all the vegetables and meat taste fresh. You can actually get Disneyland gumbo at the food stand right across from Café Orleans and it's actually just as great. And it comes in a bread bowl

(I wish I would have wiped that dot of gumbo off the plate before snapping pictures, it kind of erking me and making me a bit OCD haha)

Monte Cristo Sandwich

Their most popular dish is the Monte Cristo Sandwich. It's a sandwich filled with ham and cheese then thrown into the deep-fryer until a crispy golden brown then topped with powdered sugar. And you should definetely dip you sandwich in the jam that's provided. The sweet and salty combo what makes the Monte Cristo!

N'awlins Vegetable Ragout

My mom's a vegetarian so we ordered so we ordered a vegetarian dish for her. The N'awlins Vegetable Ragout is a tomato based so to contrast its tanginess, its paired with cornbread. I guess it was alright, but I felt the flavor wasn't deep enough. Gorgeous presentation though!

Café Orleans

1313 Harbor Blvd Disneyland Park

Anaheim, CA 92802

http://disneyland.disney.go.com/disneyland/cafe-orleans/

Japanese Curry at Aubergine

noreply@blogger.com (Jocelyn + Cathy) — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 19:00:00 +0000

Pork Curry over Rice

Aubergine is most famous for their Japanese curry! And they have options where you can add soup, salad, and drinks, and, well...YES MAN!

Aubergine actually means eggplant, but there's no eggplant on the menu. One of life's greatest mysteries...

Salad with Japanese style dressing

The Japanese-style (Wafu) dressing was lighter, and has a more of a sour/tangy afternote from the vinegar.

The lettuce was super fresh and crispy and there were plenty of different veggies. There were tomato, corn, and even alfalfa sprouts! It was so good, I could have just eaten a whole big bowl of this salad!

Salad with Thousand Island dressing

The thousand island dressing was very creamy, but surprisingly not heavy at all! Though I still preferred the Japanese-style dressing.

French Onion Soup

Where is the cheese?? The soup had a really strong roasted onion flavor, but it would have been perfect with some melted cheese on top.

Corn Chowder Soup

The corn chowder was very rich and creamy, but I wished it had more corn in it. In this bowl, there were maybe 4 pieces of corn. Yeah, I counted. Haha I know I must sound really bitter about these soups, but I was actually really surprised at how flavorful the soups were, considering that Aubergine specializes in curry.

Mulberry Vinegar Shots

Shots, everyone! Gahh, I love these vinegar shots so much. They don't have alcohol in them, but they have lots of vinegar! So much so that when you swallow, you feel the burn.
The mulberry tones it down by adding a nice fruity sweetness, making it similar to a sparkling juice!

These vinegar shots are often served with meals in Taiwan. They cleanse your palate and supposedly open up your stomach for more food, in case you got full off of the soup and salad already. Gotta warm-up before your main course!

Pitcher of Curry

I love playing with my food, so it was fun pouring the curry onto the rice and seeing some action!

Japanese curry is much sweeter than Thai or Indian curry, and tends to be less spicy. At Aubergine, you can choose your spiciness level from 1-5. Being the strong independent woman that I am, I chose 1....Mild. HAHA.

Pork Curry over Rice

The pork was cooked perfectly! It was so tender and delicious, it got me wondering how long it took them to prepare it...lots of love indeed!

I used to think that curry was the same whether at a restaurant or at home, as long as you don't water it down, but Aubergine changed my mind. They used beef broth instead of water to make their curry, and not just to be fancy..you could definitely taste the difference! It had more depth, and the rich flavor just lingered on your tongue like a little girl snuggled up in her blankets...yeah.

Mango Tea

Lychee Tea

Both teas were fruity and refreshing, a nice contrast to the curry. My favorite was the lychee tea! It tasted like those cute jellies I used to eat as a kid

Milk Pudding

And to officially end the meal...dessert!

I was super stuffed by this time, so I was glad that the milk pudding was very light. It had a nice, mellow milk flavor, but it wasn't too dense. Plus, it left a nice flavor in my mouth... think: exact opposite of garlic

This was the window view when we first got seated. Then a salad, soup, mulberry vinegar shot, curry plate, fruit tea, and milk pudding later...

...ta-da! Oh, how time flies when you're eating good food!

Aubergine Curry

Bistro 98, 3F

No. 98, Zhong Xiao E Road, Sec. 4

Taipei, Taiwan

(02) 6638-6889

http://aubergine.com.tw

MOCHICREAM

noreply@blogger.com (Jocelyn + Cathy) — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 19:00:00 +0000

I've eaten my share of mochi, from the usual red bean or mung bean filled to fruit filled mochi. But like this?

Green Tea (Ujikintoki) mochi cream

The cream in MOCHICREAM's mochi are light and unique! It's like they pulled pieces of fluffy cloud and injected it into the mochi...mmm...

The MOCHICREAM I went to is located actually inside the Mitsuwa Marketplace. I actually came to the market for mochi, not for groceries haha

These pretty mochi are actually just for display. When you're ready to order, you fill out a slip of paper marking which flavors you'd like and they pull out the mochi from the back.

They have so many flavors and I had the hardest time choosing. They're also a bit pricey and range anywhere from $1.80-$2.30 a pop, which is too bad because I WAS GOING TO BUY THE ALL OF THEM MUAHAHAHA

Mochi "Donuts"

MOCHICREAM just came out with their mochi donuts! How freaking awesome is that? It's like the best of the western world and eastern world come together and have a baby. Yay!

They're pretty much just mochi but in a circular form. And if you were wondering, they're filled all the way around!

I ended ordering 11 mochi: 9 normal and 2 donuts. At first, my list was at 5 mochi but the longer I stared at the gorgeous display (*star eyes*), my list mysteriously became longer and longer.

All prettily hand packaged!

And from here on, it's a mochi fashion show. Except I cut open each model. And eat them (MUHAHAHA)

Café au lait French coffee

Café au lait innards

This was the first one I ate and OMG! It was like a party in my mouth! While the coffee filling was dense, the cream perfectly balanced it out with its fluffiness. It tasted like a cup of latte with the perfect dopple of foam.

Strawberry Short Cake Donut

Strawberry Short Cake Donut innards

This one was so pretty with its baby pink dough the specks on top. But because the outside was not dusted in flour (which is unusual), the mochi was sticky and I kind of had a hard time prying it out of the bag while trying to keep its perfect donut form.

I was surprised when I cut it open, it was mousse filled! The strawberry mousse was light and fantastic. It also had real strawberry pieces in it.

Green Tea (Ujikintoki) innards

Green tea is a very popular flavor for Asian desserts and I feel that everywhere I go, there is bound to be something green tea. But nonetheless, I like to purchase all the green tea stuff because it's straight-out delicious and I like comparing them (haha).

The green tea taste in this mochi was very strong and pungent. The specks of red bean were also a nice touch. While the Strawberry Short Cake Donut wasn't dusted with anything at all, this mochi was exccessively rolled in matcha powder. It definitely helped kick the green tea flavor up a notch, but it also made it a bit bitter.

And my lips were all green by the time I was finished. Green lips are the new sexy

Sakura cherry blossom

Sakura innards

Sakura was super interesting because I was wondering how cherry blossoms tasted. Hmm, never ate a flower before. But the strange thing is, the mochi did taste floral! Delicious and AMAZING! The flavor is hard to explain, it also had a cinnamon-y taste? Could kind of compared to Ladurée's Rose Macaron. Next spring, I'm going to walk up to a cherry tree and eat the flowers.

Darjeeling tea

Darjeeling innards

I think the tea and coffee flavored mochi are delicious because they really do taste like the drink with cream but all rolled up in a little package! The Darjeeling was just as great. It was like a sweet tea with added milk and sugar. Tea time!

Honey Cranberry

The tangy raspberry filling wonderfully contrasted the sweet cream and honey bits.

Raspberry Mille-feuille

Raspberry Mille-feuille innards

Instead of cream or mousse, this mochi was filled with a thick custard. MOCHICREAM is really packed with surprises!

~~Life~~ MOCHICREAM is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get.

Anyways, this mochi was the most unique one out of the batch. Along with custard , there were raspberry pieces and little crunchy bits (which I couldn't make out what it was, actual mille-feuille? It kind of tasted like Captain Crunch Cereal haha).

I finished this box of mochi all on my own. I didn't share with anyone else and was slapping mochi out of peoples' hands. DON'T TOUCH MY MOCHI! (okay, not really but...)

I couldn't finish them all in one day so I kept the rest of the mochi in the refrigerator. The employee said they can last an extra day in the fridge. The texture of the dough was still the same, chewy and delicious!

Anyways, part two:

Houji Tea

Houji Tea innards

This one was alright, had the least "YAY!" out of all of them...It lacked tea flavor and actually tasted a bit like sweet red bean.

Sweet Potato

Sweet Potato innards

This one tasted like a sweet potato, with a lighter texture, rolled in mochi dough. YUMMY! The cream added a nice touch to it. Maybe next time we bake sweet potato at home, I'll top it with some whipped cream.

Double Mango

Double Mango innards

Mango mousse + mango pieces = WIN. The Double Mango might just be my favorite! The whole mochi was just fluffy all the way through and the mango flavor is right on the dot.

Choco Banana Donut mochi cream

Choco Banana Donut innards

I wanted to save the best for last because who doesn't like chocolate and banana? And it didn't dissapoint. I love fake banana flavoring so this was heaven! (Fake) banana flavored filling with chocolate mousse and the mochi was dipped in milk chocolate giving it a hard chocolate shell on the bottom. The hard, chewy, fluffy texture of the whole mochi was amazing.

My goal is to try all the MOCHICREAM flavors! They're just so good and who knows what I'm missing out on if I don't have them all. They have 24 flavors for the normal mochi and 5 for the donut mochi. So I still have...18 more to go! I predict, in the near future there will be a MOCHICREAM Part 2

MOCHICREAM

Mitsuwa Marketplace
675 Saratoga Ave
San Jose, CA 95129

http://www.mochicream.com/

espressamente illy at Taipei 101

noreply@blogger.com (Jocelyn + Cathy) — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 19:00:00 +0000

My last Taiwan post covered the crazy food court located in the basement of Taipei 101. This time, I took the elevator to the 35th floor and found espressamente illy.

Espressamente illy is a nice, quiet cafe, and it has a much more sophisticated feel, since it's amidst the offices in the buildings. I think usually office workers come here to eat, but visitors are also welcome. Just make sure you make reservations ahead of time.

Cute coffee cup table numbers

Coffee

Ever wake up in the morning, all groggy, thinking "I NEED MYSELF A CUP OF COFFEE!" Well, your best friend is probably your trustworthy espresso machine. And guess what? Espressamente illy is the daughter company of the people who invented the world's first espresso machine. So of course, I had to order a cup of coffee while I was here.

Um, I'm actually not a big fan of coffee (it makes me crazy sleepy!), but I did try a sip. Even though I'm a total coffee newbie, it was one of the most flavorful coffees I've had. And to put it into perspective, my coffee-addict uncle claims they have one of the best coffees! Bottom line: inventors of the coffee maker make great coffee themselves.

Cute display of coffee cups....with fish on them!

Espressamente illy also serves food! Given that they have Italian roots, their menu consists of mostly Italian sandwiches. Here goes...

Focaccia al tonno

First, up, the Focaccia al tonna! To translate from Italian, it's simply a tuna sandwich with Focaccia bread! I'm not a big fan of tuna, but my madre said it had a very nice flavor, not fishy at all!

Ciabatta al pollo

Ciabatta al pollo, aka Roasted Chicken Ciabatta Sandwich. Remember those Jack in the Box commercials, with mini-Jack struggling to say "ciabatta"? Ahh, those were the days.

Anyways, I was worried that the ciabatta bread would be hard since it was so flat, but it was actually very soft! It had a nice crisp crust, but the inside was quite chewy. The chicken, sliced very thinly, had a fragrant rosemary taste, and it went perfectly with the nuttiness of the pesto.

Focaccia al salame

And finally, we have the Focaccia al salame, or salami sandwich with Focaccia bread. Italian's getting a bit easier, yeah?

The Focaccia bread was nicely toasted so that it had that crispy outer edge, but the inside was still soft. It was very similar to a sourdough texture, but with a more herb-y instead of sourdough flavor. I could have eaten loaves of that bread by itself if I had some balsamic vinegar and olive oil!

Jambalaya Rice

Black tea

In Italian, this would be tè nero. Hahaha, but this was just your usual Asian sweetened black tea.

Here's Taipei 101 on a dreamy, puffy-cloud day. Imagine eating on the 35th floor! And here's the (free) view...

espressamente illy
Taipei 101, 35th floor

No. 7, Sec. 5, Xin Yi Rd.

Taipei, Taiwan
(02) 8101-0798

http://www.espressamenteilly.tw

Taipei 101: Basement Food Court Adventures

noreply@blogger.com (Jocelyn + Cathy) — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 19:00:00 +0000

If you go to Taiwan, you HAVE to go to Taipei 101. It's kind of like the Eiffel Tower of Paris, but Asian style! While I was in Taiwan, I stayed literally 10 minutes walking distance away, so I came here quite often. On the first couple floors, there's high-class shopping (window shopping is always fun). Then on top of that, there's fine dining. And then above that, it's just offices. Kind of lame, but the floors that are open to the public keep you coming back.

And don't forget the basement level! It's just as popular as the top floors (if not even more crowded). There's a full-blown food court down there, with super yummy and much cheaper food...which means you can eat even more!

Combination Meal

OHOHO, so much food! Starting from the top left: minced pork with rice, fried tofu, meatball and fish ball soup, and veggies!

You get the idea, right? And this is just one corner of the food court! Imagine standing in the middle of the floor, being surrounded by food 360°. I had such a hard time deciding what I wanted to eat. I swear, there were probably 50 food vendors! Knowing how indecisive I am, I walked around the floor at least twice. Got my pre-food workout of the day

Noodles with Beef Soup

This was kind of like a dissected version of a beef noodle soup, with the noodles and beef/broth in separate bowls. I have to say, the noodles were the best part. It was served with a little bit of broth for that extra flavor and slurpilicious fun!

Minced Pork Rice

This is one of my favorite dishes of all time. So simple, but so yummy! It's basically minced pork (they added some mushrooms here), served with a soy-sauce braised egg and a slice of pickled radish. I'm so easy to satisfy haha.

Veggies

Sizzling Seafood Noodles

OMG See that sexy piece of squid? It was the biggest squid I've ever seen in my life. And it was so juicy and tender, you didn't have to fight with it at all.

And oh man, the presentation was so pretty. There were so many toppings, you could barely see the noodles! And being the indecisive person that I am, I didn't know where to start eating. Squid? Mushrooms? Fish balls? Egg? Corn? GAHH, someone just feed me please!

You can't call it a meal without getting dessert! There are many choices to choose from in the food court, but one of my favorite dessert places is 小南門 (literally, "Small South Gate"....don't ask my why), who specializes in Douhua. "Douhua" is a sweet tofu/soybean pudding. It's super soft like extra-extra-silken tofu, but it has a nice, mellow sweetness. Perfect for a hot day! Aka every day in Taiwan.

You start off with the douhua, and then you add on as many toppings as you like! You can choose from peanuts, red bean, green bean, grass jelly, boba, etc...ya know, the usual Taiwanese shaved ice toppings, but with so many variations.

Then they add sweetened soup with a ginger base (ohoho ginger, my love), then top it with ice cubes to keep it cold all the way til the last spoonful! So considerate of them

Peanut Douhua

For this bowl, I chose Douhua + peanuts. In the US, they have canned versions of these, which you can get at any Asian supermarket. They're pretty good, but you can't compare with the fresh bowls here! The douhua is so soft, it just falls apart in your mouth.

Scoop of douhua and peanuts

Red Bean with Jelly

If you're not a big fan of tofu, they also have jelly instead of the douhua. The yellow jelly here is made from a flower (chrysanthemum, I think?), so it has a very distinct floral sweetness. The name "jelly" is misleading... well, I guess it's like jelly, but a SUPER DENSE jelly. It's really chewy, so you gotta work out those jaw muscles. Once you chew it, it bounces back as if you never chewed it at all.

I really liked the flower flavor, but it was a bit too chewy for me. Towards the end of the bowl, my jaw was a bit sore. Gotta stick with my silky tofu... or go work out those jaw muscles by eating more HAHA

Peanut, Red Bean, and Jelly

Taipei 101

So pretty! It lights up a different color each night, and for holidays, it even shoots out fireworks!

Taipei 101, basement

No. 7, Sec. 5, Xin Yi Rd.

Taipei, Taiwan
http://www.taipei-101.com.tw

Ringer Hut for Nagasaki Champon

noreply@blogger.com (Jocelyn + Cathy) — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 19:18:00 +0000

First, a little preview to get your mouths watering:

Spicy Nagasaki Champon

Green Tea Heaven

Yeah, yeah? Looking good?

It was actually a friend of mine that introduced me to Ringer Hut. Anyways, as we were driving into the parking lot I was kinda unsure what she dragged me into. To be honest, the outside appearance of Ringer Hut is a bit iffy, kind of like a hardware store? I actually missed it and had to make a U-turn.

But the interior was actually quite nice! Small but clean and cozy. Even had dim lighting Getting the romance on with my girlfriends (harhar)

Ringer Hut is a Japanese noodle house "using the finest quality flour milled in Japan for [their] noodles". Their specialty is the Nagasaki Champon which is uses a type of ramen noodle cooked with pork, shrimp, fishcake and vegetables.

Nagasaki Champon

They have three sizes of bowls that you can choose from and I decided to stick with the regular bowl. AND IT'S HUGE! It's definitely finish-able if you go for it but you're pretty stuffed by the end.

The soup or broth was thin but creamy and flavorful but not too salty. I was tempted to lift the bowl to my mouth and just chug it all down. This stuff was pretty tasty, my bowl was nearly empty when I was finished.

A slurp of the Nagasaki Champon

If Mr. Udon and Mrs. Ramen had a baby, he would look just like Ringer Hut's noodles. Not quite as fat as Daddy, but not as thin as mommy.

Yakimeshi fried rice

For a buck and 25 cents more, you can get the Lunch A combo that comes with a regular bowl of Champon and also a half yakimeshi (fried rice). It was good fried rice but just good. I would say, if you had room for rice, you're better off just ordering a large Nagasaki champon. So much yummier!

Spicy Nagasaki Champon

When it comes to spicy, I'm a wuss. I'm always scared the food will get so painful that I can't finish it! ...And that would be heartbreaking...so I wasn't the one who actually ordered the Spicy Nagasaki Champon. But I did try a few spoons and it wasn't actually all that bad. It kind of tasted like that just added some chili oil to it. My friend was all red in the face when she was finished haha

Again, we were stuffed but a meal isn't a meal without dessert. And their dessert menu was so pretty, I couldn't resist! They had an assortment of crepes, ice creams, parfaits, and mochi

Green Tea Heaven

Who doesn't love green tea desserts? Once I set eyes on the Green Tea Heaven, I knew it had to be in my tummy. The parfait had a great presentation with all of its wonderful layers.

Layered from top to bottom: whipped cream, sweet red bean paste, whipped cream again, green tea mousse, cornflakes, sencha sauce, and green tea mouse once more.

The mousse was fabulous! It was fluffy and you could actually taste green tea. But I thought the cornflakes were a bit out a place. It did add an interesting crunch texture to each bite but there was just too much of it. I mean, they're corn flakes! Eating cereal with mousse?

Warabimochi with a scoop of black sesame ice cream

I wiki-ed warabimochi and evidently, the mochi is dusted with sweet toasted soybean powder. I always thought it was peanut powder! Kind of looks like it, doesn't it?

I hadn't been so full since New York! But this was the type of hearty meal that has you lean back in your chair and pat your big tummy.

Ringer Hut

1072 Saratoga Avenue

San Jose, CA 95129

http://www.ringerhutamerica.com/

Verde Tea Cafe for Lunch

noreply@blogger.com (Jocelyn + Cathy) — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 19:00:00 +0000

While lucky Cathy was in Taiwan having fun, I stayed at home representing USA. As much as I love my country, I really wish I could have gone with her! We would have totally taken over with our big mouths and large stomachs. I swear, our stomachs have the ability to just keep expanding. We always have room for more!

Well anyways, Verde Tea Cafe is popular for their cheap "frothy" boba milk teas and their crazy pint size cups. Last time I came here I got that pint size milk tea because I wanted to be adventurous and oh man, that cup lasted me a good few days. But I became super curious about their food because there's always a lot of people eating inside Verde. So I gathered my friends to make a trip over there for lunch!

Our hoard of drinks

Well, they are popular for their drinks so we all had to get a cup. I have to say though, other than their pricing, their milk tea is just alright. There's not enough of a tea taste for my liking.

So this time I decided to try something different on their menu and went with the grapefruit green tea with added aloe:

Grapefruit green tea with aloe

PRETTY DARN GOOD! They use fresh grapefruit juice (I'm pretty sure, look at all that pulp!) and it's so refreshing! Aloe pairs perfect with fruit juices, they're a bit sweet and have a nice texture that's fun to chew on. But the grapefruit was so pungent and I couldn't taste the green tea...but the grapefruit was good!

And finally, the food! I'll be honest, I don't remember the exact names of the dishes because I was so busy catching up with my friends I forgot to jot them down! But they're all around the ball-park. You should be able to identify them on their menu if you wanted to try it.

BBQ salmon salad

I was pleasantly surprised just how good the salad was! Most cafes don't really focus on their food, so the food is always at best mediocre. The dressing was savory and packed with flavor which married the grilled salmon. The salmon was cooked nicely as well.

Seafood Thai noodles

OH, THE BEST DISH! The noodles are served cold and tasted like WAH-BANG! It was spicy, tangy, and savory all at the same time. Triple threat, baby. And they were pretty generous with the seafood. The dish had an assortment of tempura/deep fried squid, shrimp, and clam.

Chicken in gravy on a sizzling plate

The last dish was, well, cafe standard: mediocre. The gravy was simply salt and the consistency was much too thick. It was smothering the chicken! SAVE THE CHICKEN!!

By the end, all my friends were full but I can't finish a meal without dessert! So I took the initiative and ordered a mango shaved ice for us all to share. I knew in their hearts they secretly wanted it haha

Mango shave ice

I guess it wasn't mango season...the mango was kind of premature. But the Mango shaved ice is a Verde Summer Special! Oh, how confusing life can be. The mango sat on top of shaved ice mixed with condensed milk. A cafe standard dessert.

But everyone ate the Mango shaved ice despite how stuffed they said they were and we finished it without breaking a sweat! I'm influencing them with my awesome eating powers

One nice thing about eating at Verde Tea Cafe is they don't pressure you to leave. In fact, they won't give you your check until you ask for it. So we just sat there for hours chatting away. (Hopefully that wasn't just a fluke, like they forgot about us).

Verde Tea Cafe

19620 Stevens Creek Blvd

Cupertino, CA 95014

(408) 873-2868

www.verdeteacafe.com

Afternoon snacks at TMSK

noreply@blogger.com (Jocelyn + Cathy) — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 19:00:00 +0000

I did super tourist-y stuff while I was at Taiwan, and one of them was to visit art museums. There was an art exhibit next door, so afterwards, we stopped by TMSK for some fuel to keep us going (art exhibits can be quite tiring!) But once we got to TMSK, we realized that the art exhibits wouldn't end. TMSK shares the building with Liu Li Gong Fan, which is another collection of art... but that explains why TMSK has such awesome decorations.

Walking into the dining area was an art exhibit in itself. The neon blue lights were all throughout the room, even on the floors! And they had all sorts of figurines, from tiny ones to life size birds. Plus, the bench-style seating arrangements had an outdoors-y feel...kind of reminded me of PUBLIC in New York, but much more decked out.

Rows of wine

Pound cake served with 3 types of cookies

Cranberry scone served with three types of cookies

I was a little disappointed by the afternoon snack sets here. They only had 2 options: pound cake or cranberry scone. The honey pound cake was very soft and moist, but it had a very faint honey sweetness. I liked the cranberry scone much better. It was served warm and fluffy, and it was so soft, almost like a sponge cake!

The cookies were quite delicious as well. They were the buttery kind with the rich, crumbly texture, and it just went perfectly with a nice, ice-cold glass of ....

... BEER!

Just kidding, this is just green tea.

They have tables and tables of figurines all throughout the dining area that you can look at! But don't worry, it's not like you're in a museum and you can't step over the line. It's a very casual setting, and at nights, they even have bands playing live music! Sadly I didn't get to meet any celebrities when I went, but apparently some pretty big pop stars played there before.

But the best part about TMSK is not the art, or the music.....

It's ..... THE BATHROOM!!!

Wooooo, it was like going into a club on ecstasy! All the walls were reflective mirrors so there were like 837103543 images of myself and the toilet. (Perfect place if you want to camwhore...your face is on the walls 360° haha.) There were so many people taking pictures in the common area, probably because it's the trippiest bathroom you'll ever walk into. Makes all other bathrooms seem like prisons...ONE MIRROR AIN'T GOOD ENOUGH NOW!

TMSK

信義區光復南路133號, Taipei, Taiwan 110

+886 2 2766 5610

http://www.tmsk.com/xst/

How to Make Bacon Cinnamon Rolls

noreply@blogger.com (Jocelyn + Cathy) — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 11:29:00 +0000

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! I like to think of the holidays as a license to stuff yourself crazy. "I shouldn't be eating my sixth slice of pie but...oh heck! Thanksgiving is only once a year, might as well finish the pie." Yeah...that's me.

Highlight of Thanksgiving dinner: the big juicy (or, if unfortunate, dry) turkey. And you know what's also awesome? TURKEY BACON! I'm so addicted to this stuff, I could probably eat in place of the real turkey (imagine if you brought out a tray of bacon instead of a turkey harhar). It's got all the good fatty taste that normal pork bacon has but with turkey flavor and 60% less fat! That right there, is winning. Less fat in each piece means you could eat more of it. BOOYAH!

And with these strips of gold you can make...

Bacon cinnamon roll

...the King of Breakfast: best of the savory and the sweet. And you could even use this as a side dish to your real turkey! Of course you could use whatever bacon you'd like but I'm telling you, turkey bacon is MMM!

Making it is super easy

You'll need:

Pilsbury Cinnabon Cream Cheese Rolls
8 strips of bacon

Turkey bacon...mmm...

What's in the can: the rolls and cream cheese frosting

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Unroll each piece and just place a strip of bacon on to it. Roll it back up. By sticking the raw bacon right in there to bake with the roll, all the good bacon fat gets soaked up in the bread!
Bake for 10-15 minutes.

And then BAM!

How mouthwatering is that? I'm writing this post two in morning right now and I'm starving! My tummy's making all these crazy noises.

And for the final touch...

4. Drizzle on the cream cheese frosting.

I always loved pairing savory with sweet! And for some reason, breakfast items are the best. Breakfast sausage dipped in maple syrup = heaven!!(On the other hand, Cathy thinks they go horrible together. She doesn't know the good stuff!)

Eating this in the morning makes waking up so much easier! I should make this a Monday ritual