A century egg, also known as a thousand year old egg, is an Asian tradition in which an egg is preserved for several weeks or months using a process that combines clay, ash, salt, quicklime and rice hulls. Yum.     

We walked through the market with our guide as he pointed out ingredients, some of which we would be using in our meal and most of which would not. He picked up a century egg, gave a brief description and let us all take a whiff. It smelled like ammonia and boasted a moldy green color, so there weren’t many takers when asked if anybody wanted to try it. Except me. And I don’t even like normal, fresh eggs.

Of course, if I’m going to eat something strange so is Peter. Mostly because I make him. He’ll thank me for the experience later. Or not.

Surprisingly, and thankfully, the egg didn’t taste like it smelled. It tasted like a warm, slightly old hard-boiled egg. Not as bad as lamb brain, yet not good enough to eat the entire thing either.

We continued through the market, with the faint scent century egg on our breath. A lasting memory.

With the egg in the past, I fell in love with the eclectic varieties of eggplants, most of which I had never seen before.

And I wanted to make eggplant parmigiana with every one of them.

Even though we would be making our own curry in class, you could purchase it at Somphet Market already complete. But, what fun would that be?

I already had my heart set on using a mortar and pestle to make my spicy paste.

We wouldn’t need to be purchasing coconut milk either, but there was a quick demonstration as to how is was made by simply squeezing.
     

What fascinated me most about the market, besides the smell of the century egg, was the air-filled bags that held random nuts and beans. It reminded me of the plastic bags of live fish being sold at Hong Kong’s Goldfish Market.

And I was completely perplexed by how they got the air in there. Apparently, it doesn’t take much to puzzle me.

With the shopping complete, we headed to the kitchen to learn what to do with all of our purchases. And I was grateful to not see a century egg in any of the bags.

Have you ever eaten a century egg?

The post Eating a Preserved Century Egg at a Thai Market appeared first on Bucket List Journey.

For the past week I have been doing a once-in-a-lifetime wine tour of Chile and Argentina with a wine importer from California. The experience is unlike no other.

We have tasted over 60 varieties of wine, some not even bottled, been welcomed into the homes of winemakers and been treated like we are family. We have bonded over empanadas, heard heartwarming stories and have had so many laughs. And even learned a few bad Spanish words.

What we have heard the most is “please, treat this place like your home”. And we did. Everywhere.

To my complete surprise there has been array of emotions since my time here:

I was brought to tears by a story told by the winemaker at Bueyes about how proud his mom was when he sold his first pallet of wine to America. So proud, the entire town knew by the time he got home from work that evening.

I felt compassion for the humble owner of Lafken Winery whose small and dedicated production was obviously a labor of love. A love that is tasted.

I felt comforted by Edgardo from Siete Fincas as we sat around his dinner table sharing asado and trying to guess the secret to his Secreto wine. I will never tell.

I felt enlightened at the uber trendy VIK as we had an informational formal tasting and then made our very own wine blend.

There is so much more. But, most of all I have felt grateful for being a part of an experience that could not possibly be duplicated.

There is no disguising the hard work they have done to live their dreams of making wine. And it is inspiring.

Each of their wines tell a story, one of the land, the grapes, the soil and their love of what they do. And even though I do not want to make wine, I do want to live a life filled with their passion, but with experiences that tell my own story.

It has been incredible how good wine, food and passion can bring a bunch of strangers together.
No doubt, people will ask me, “did you fall in love with South America?” The answer is, “not as much as I fell in love with the people.”

The post A Note of Inspiration From South America appeared first on Bucket List Journey.

It turned out these little buggers weren’t easy to find.

They were not at the Saturday night market, nor the famous Sunday one. The Night Bazaar didn’t even have one, either did the flower market. I was about to give up when the hotel reception shed a little light on the mystery. My coveted souvenir could be found at Khamthiang Market in Northwest Chiang Mai.

Khamthiang is the colorful garden market that caters to the locals. It was like a dozen Home Depot garden departments. Only better.

Dreams of these cuties in my garden woke me up early for the hunt. It was still early enough not to be blazing hot, so I decided to forego the Tuk Tuk, my feet were the mode of transport today. But, I should have looked at that little scale on the map. You know, the one that actually tells you the distance. And I should have taken a Tuk Tuk.

Luckily, foot massages are only $4 in Chiang Mai.

The few streets in this section were lined with impressive landscape architecture storefronts, colorful plant shops and a handful of places selling ceramic figurines.    

After the very long walk, the garden beverage shop was a savior with its foliage filled patio, set with several cozy seating areas.

I stopped in for a refreshing Thai iced tea, resting my tootsies, before continuing on the hunt.

The figurine stores were separate shops from the plant stores and I poked into every one of the them.

Though they had every other type of ceramic statue, I couldn’t find the style I was looking for. Mine had to be one that was able to hang from the branch of a tree and sans all the colorful paint.

I had all about given up the hunt when, on a whim, decided to revisit one of the shops. And hidden deep in the corner, not on display, was a pile of what I was looking for.

The most adorable hanging ceramic sculptures I had ever seen.

I looked through them all and just couldn’t decide on one, so I bought four, at 100 baht ($3.36 usd) each.

I didn’t even try to bargain. I already felt like I had scored.  

I have never worked so hard for a souvenir and never been so satisfied. One funny little smiling ceramic girl sits on my vanity and never fails to bring a smile to my face.

What has been your favorite souvenir?

The post Hunting for a Souvenir at Khamthiang Market in Chiang Mai appeared first on Bucket List Journey.

That’s right. Ten entire days in South America filled with drinking wine. Lots of it. And there will be meat eating too. Lots of it.

Why you? Peter and I purchase wine for our restaurant from Copa Fina Imports whose President, Shelbi, does frequent research/buying trips to South America. And she decided that she wanted to take some industry folks along for the ride. This is an opportunity for her current clients to not only visit the wineries of the bottles they carry, but also to be introduced to new vineyards.

There are about ten of us going on this trip and we are all in the restaurant/bar business. This should make for some interesting dinner conversation. Watch out Yelp, I am sure at least a couple of hours will be dedicated to you.

This is Shelbi, the president of Copa Fina Imports and our trusted South America guide. Ain’t she cute?

The South America itinerary is one that I did not have one ounce of input on and I have done absolutely NO research (gasp) on the cities we will be visiting, except to check the weather to know what to pack. A girl has to be fashionably prepared. I am purely going with the flow on this trip and from the looks of Copa Fina’s itinerary the flow is going to be pretty damn amazing.

I won’t torture you with the entire itinerary verbatim, just tease with the highlights:

CHILE, SOUTH AMERICA
In Chile we will be visiting at least four wineries; Las Mercedes, Laberinto, VIK and William Fevre. Laberinto is an incredible little project producing cool climate Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc. It is known to be a ridiculously gorgeous place and the owner, Rafael, has invited us into his personal home for a visit. So cool. We will also be having a meaty dinner and spending the night amongst the vineyards at both Las Mercedes and Hacienda VIK.

photo credit | VIK

There will be two surprise evenings out on the town in Santiago. I am certain they will include more wine and meat, but hopefully not dancing.

Peter will be mortified. Even after a dozen glasses of wine.

There is also an optional early morning visit to Casablanca Valley, for those of us who are not too hungover. I haven’t been hungover in more than fifteen years, so doing more wine tasting in the Casablanca Valley looks like a pretty sure thing for me.

From here, it’s off to Argentina…

ARGENTINA, SOUTH AMERICA
Argentina starts with a traditional Asado dinner at the home of Edgardo from Siete Fincas. He is also sponsoring a lazy day picnic. I like lazy days. Our restaurant carries his delicious Secreto, a Malbec blend, so I am excited to meet him. Other planned meals are at Viamonte for a barbecue, postada de jamon for lunch and one more asado in the winery of Bueyes.

That all adds up to muchos meat.

It won’t all be wine and meat in Argentina, there will also be a visit to downtown Mendoza for a few tourist attractions like Parque de San Martin and Cerro la Gloria.

What I am looking forward to most is visiting local butchers and markets to shop for dinner ingredients that we will be using to cook a traditional Argentinian meal together with Mosso at a beautiful home.

How will this compare to learning to cook paella in Spain? I am hoping to enjoy Argentinian food much more than I liked paella. Which was not much.

A barrel tasting of high end Malbec at Mi Terruño is also on the Argentina agenda. I’m not going to complain.

Of course, it wouldn’t officially be traveling if there wasn’t a bucket list adventure along the way. That adventure is ziplining. And even though I have already ziplined through the Costa Rican rain forest, I have never done it in a Wine Valley of South America.

If you want to be subjected to an obscene overload of wine and meat photographs during my South America travels please like my Facebook Fan Page.

Adios.

The post I’m Going to South America With a Wine Importer. Today. appeared first on Bucket List Journey.

Bucket List of 17 Things to do in Hong Kong

1. RIDE THE LONGEST ESCALATOR IN THE WORLD
Rest your weary feet from Hong Kong’s hilly streets and get a lift on the longest outdoor escalator in the world. The Central Mid-Levels is a 2624 foot bucket list worthy ride that links the Central and Western districts on Hong Kong Island, with many shops and dining stops along the way. Not only a touristy must-do, but very practical too.

2. EAT DESSERT FIRST
Hong Kong is known for its cutting edge food concepts and The Dessert Kitchen is amongst one of the most creative. It is a trendy little cafe that sells nothing but unique Asian style treats, at just about any time of the day. That’s right. A kitchen dedicated solely to desserts. With masterpiece desserts, like the Blueberry Kiss, it is perfectly acceptable (& recommended) to skip the traditional dinner and replace it with a purely sweet one at a place where dessert always comes first.

3. RIDE ON A TRADITIONAL CHINESE JUNK BOAT
Taking a Hong Kong junk boat ride will give you the second best skyline view (see #6 for the first), but this view is just an after thought compared to the junk boat ride itself. Aqua Luna features a traditional junk boat ride through Victoria Harbour that also coincides with the cities famous light show, the Symphony of Lights.

4. SEE THE HONG KONG STARS
If you take a junk boat ride, arrive at the port an hour early to see the Hong Kong stars. The Avenue of the Stars is a tribute to the famous in Hong Kong’s film industry. It is a stroll along the water that would be reminiscent to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, except I would recognize ninety percent of the stars in Hollywood and only two in Hong Kong; Bruce Lee and Jackie Chen. Good enough.

5. EAT SNAKE SOUP
In the Causeway Bay section of Hong Kong you will find Se Wong Yee, the tiniest eatery, with the menu out front completely written in Chinese, except for the significant bold lettering stating the sale of Snake Soup, an Asian delicacy. There were two options on the menu; just the plain old Snake Soup for 50 HKD ($6.50 USD) or the Snake Meal which includes the of duck’s liver-sausage.

6. WITNESS HONG KONG’S BUCKET LIST WORTHY VIEW
Though the view of the city skyline from the junk boat on Victoria Harbour (see #3) was pretty spectacular, there is nothing like the one from the Sky Terrace at The Peak. It is the highest 360 degree viewing terrace in town and requires a steep tram ride along with several floors of escalators to get to the top.

7. CLIMB TO THE TOP OF BIG BUDDHA
There are 268 stairs to reach Hong Kong’s Tian Tan, one of the largest sitting Buddha’s in the world. And even though at 34 metres (112 Ft) feet tall, Big Buddha was perfectly visible from the ground level, it is hard to tell its true massiveness without getting up close and personal.

8. RIDE IN A “CABLE CAR”
Before actually climbing the stairs to Big Buddha you have to get to its location on Lantau Island and there aren’t many options. You can take a bus, make a strenuous hike uphill or ride the 3.5 mile Npong Ping Cable Car that suspends you high above the ground. Not like the typical street cable cars in San Francisco. At all.

8. EAT STREET FOOD AT A FISHING VILLAGE
On the Western side of Lantau Island lies the quaint fishing village of Tai O where the homes are built on stilts and the markets sell a plethora of dried fish street food. Though there are dozens of fishy dishes to choose from I  tried a meal of BBQ squid jerky, for just 10 HKD ($1.29 usd).

9. MAKE AN INCENSE WISH AT A TEMPLE
In Hong Kong, as well as much of Asia, burning incense is done by worshippers as an offering with the belief that it attracts attention from the Gods or, in some cases, is food for the spirits that have passed prior. When we visited the Man Mo Temple a layer of smoke filled the room and coiled incense hung from the ceiling. Though you can make incense wishes here, we followed a different cloud of smoke to Po Lin Monastery where worshippers were waving their enormous joss sticks. We purchased a bundle of incense at a nearby booth for 20 HKD ($2.50 USD) and made wishes of our own.

9. GET YOUR FORTUNE TOLD
After you have done your shopping at the Temple Street Market, pay a visit to the late night fortune tellers near Tin Hau Temple. There are about a dozen, some English speaking, that will enlighten you about the future.

photo credit | f8Bthere

10. EAT AT THE CHEAPEST MICHELIN STARRED RESTAURANT IN THE WORLD
Tim Ho Wan is a hole-in-the-wall dim sum restaurant in Hong Kong that gained recognition after receiving a coveted Michelin star and therefore being known as one of the cheapest Michelin starred restaurants in the world. And it is cheap. Really cheap. Though they are well known for their pork buns, all their food is quite tasty.

11. STROLL THROUGH THE GOLDFISH MARKET
Hong Kong’s Goldfish Market is a quirky line of shops that cater to the locals and their Feng Shui lifestyle. Aquariums equal good luck in the Asian culture, fish symbolize good fortune and water attracts energy of wealth and abundance. This market is devoted to selling an array of interesting fish and their accessories. Even if you won’t be shoving an aquarium in your carry-on luggage, it is worth a visit.

12. DINE AT A FLOATING RESTAURANT
The Jumbo Kingdom Floating Restaurant is an ornamental restaurant that floats. Duh. The eatery was built in the style of of an exquisite Chinese imperial palace. While you are there you may as well order the signature dish, the Flamed Drunken Shrimp which is prepared right in front of you.

photo credit | Arthur Chapman

13. GO TO THE HORSE RACES ON WEDNESDAY
Head to the Happy Valley Racecourse for the uber trendy Happy Wednesdays. On this weekday evening the racecourse has great food, drinks and entertainment, all while being able to bet on the ponies. Each Wednesday is a different theme, such as Wines of the Valley. Could that be any more perfect?

14. EAT DINNER IN THE DARK
At Hong Kong’s Dialogue in the Dark you have the opportunity to take a culinary journey where blind waiters serve a meal in complete darkness. A perfect way to challenge your taste buds!

15. DRINK TRENDY COCKTAILS
As previously mentioned, Hong Kong has some killer food concepts, and the same goes for drinks. Quinary is a swanky place for pre-dinner cocktails where they concoct creative beverages like an Earl Grey Caviar Martini. I had their refreshing Oolong Tea Collins.

16. TAKE THE STAIRS
You have not fully experienced Hong Kong unless you have walked up a set of some of the steepest stairs you have ever seen. It is a hilly city. Though there are many inclines around, Ladder Street from Queen’s Road Central to Cain Road is amongst the most impressive…and painful.

17. TAKE A TAI CHI CLASS
Tai Chi is a gentle form of martial arts known to be a big part of Chines culture. Three mornings a week you can take a free introductory Tai Chi Class to get acquainted with this craft.

photo credit | Hong Kong Tourism

Which of these adventures will you add to your Hong Kong bucket list?

The post Bucket List of 17 Things to do in Hong Kong appeared first on Bucket List Journey.

Hong Kong’s spectacular bucket list view is from the Sky Terrace at The Peak, the highest 360 degree viewing terrace in the city.

When we arrived at The Peak, the wait was about an hour long, surrounded by a sea of heads. This was reminiscent of the London Eye ferris wheel line, when not using the Fast Track option. How’d I miss the fast track option here?

The tram was jam packed and one of the steepest rides I have ever been on, at 27 degrees to horizontal.

I started out standing towards the back, but lasted about two minutes when I squished my butt into a seat. Better the seat than the floor.

I took some comfort knowing that this erect tram was equipped with three stop modes, one of them being emergency stop mode. Though I was truly hoping we wouldn’t be using it today.

After the 268 stairs to see Tian Tan Big Buddha the day before, I was overjoyed to see the escalators the rest of the way once we stepped off the tram. Though this was not much of a surprise since Hong Kong boasts the longest outdoor escaltor in the world, the Central Mid-Levels. They must really dig escalators.

Just like the Mid-Levels this ride boasted shopping along the way. Though here it was more shot glass style souvenirs than Asian antiques.

The wait and steep tram scare was worth the stunning skyline view of the city. One of the most beautiful I have ever seen.

What has been your favorite view? Have you been the Hong Kong’s The Peak?

The post Hong Kong’s Bucket List View is at The Peak appeared first on Bucket List Journey.

And I am more than willing to admit that on occasion we screw up. As I am sure you sometimes do too.

But, here’s a prime example of why as a restaurateur I am sometimes not a fan of Yelp:

Apparently, I need to bathe. According to a knowledgeable Yelper, I stink. They actually said the “owner”, so technically this can mean either me or my husband. But, have you seen the man? He’s pretty even when he wakes up in the morning and after 14 hours of travel, with severe jet lag.

See exhibit A below. This was after a fourteen hour flight with no sleep for over twenty-four hours.

And any guy whose nail beds look like this everyday can not possibly be accused of being stinky. His feet are also naturally as smooth as a baby’s butt and he has NEVER had a cavity. Can you sense the jealousy?

Besides, if you were close enough to smell him, you need to take a step back, away from his two foot bubble…and mine.

So, that would lead me to believe that the reeking comment was in reference to me. I immediately smelled my armpits. All good there. And today my hair smells like strawberries. Nice. I also used coconut-lime lotion on all my limbs.

If anything, I am going to overdose potential Yelp authors with scents of fruit.

This would appear to be an attack on us personally, most likely from a disgruntled employee. What? Us? Turns out they can get pretty angry when you do crazy things like fire them for not doing their job.

So, what is our recourse as business owners?

We Can Respond
Here is the problem as the restaurant owner: If I were to respond to this comment I look like the desperate (& a bit pathetic) restaurateur trying to justify why we could possibly be smelly that day. And that just ain’t gonna happen. I don’t respond to stinky crap. Pun intended.

We Can Flag the Review
If I flag the review and tell Yelp that it is a disgruntled employee and I would like the review removed, they will most likely think it is just another owner excuse, much like the ones given while trying to escape a speeding ticket.

What do I do? I do nothing, except wear a little extra deodorant, hoping that people are savy enough to read between the lines. And, if not, I can offer free whiffs of my underarms.

For the record, we take showers daily and most people think we smell pretty good.

The post I Need to Bathe. According to Yelp. appeared first on Bucket List Journey.

Hong Kong’s Goldfish Market caters to the locals and their Feng Shui lifestyle. Aquariums equal good luck in the Asian culture and can be found in many homes.

Fish symbolize good fortune and water attracts energy of wealth and abundance. Who couldn’t use a little fortune, wealth and abundance? I think I need some fish.

I have never had an aquarium and the only pet fish I have owned was Goldy who I won at the fair by tossing a ping pong ball into a small fish bowl. He died. Not lucky at all.

We headed to the Goldfish Market in the late afternoon to look at all the other still living Goldy’s.

I was on the lookout for blocks of closed off streets dedicated to fishy goods running straight down the center. Just like the architecture of most of the markets I had visited in the past.

But, this “market” is actually just a typical road lined with several dozen shops devoted to selling an array of interesting fish and their accessories.

All of the stores were packed with locals. This is a market that caters to them, not the tourists who will obviously not be buying aquarium fish as a souvenir.

Every conceivable fish tank accessory can be found here too; gravel, lighting, plants, nets, etc.

And they don’t just sell fish, they also sell snakes, spiders, lizards and such. But, mostly aquatic vertebrates. Not sure where amphibians fit into the Feng Shui lifestyle. But, spiders have no place near my imaginary fish tank.

I only wish I had the chance to visit one of the homes that had a lucky aquarium on display.

Would going to the Goldfish Market in Hong Kong be on your bucket list? Have you ever owned an aquarium?

The post Visiting an Offbeat Asian Market. Hong Kong’s Goldfish Market. appeared first on Bucket List Journey.

Elephants trump stingrays.

The one thing I was looking forward to most about traveling to Chiang Mai was an experience hanging out with elephants in Thailand. Nope. We will not be riding them or seeing an elephant show. Too many horror stories about the training techniques for these. Didn’t you see Water for Elephants? I’m not saying that all trekking or ellie show companies are bad, but instead we were headed to the Elephant Nature Park, an animal sanctuary where the elephants are rewarded for good behavior, not punished for bad.

The Elephant Nature Park is an elephant rescue and rehabilitation camp where visitors can get an elephant education, plus feed and bathe these majestic creatures.

The park is located an hour from the Chiang Mai city center and on the ride over you will pass by several trekking companies where some of the elephants are tied up waiting for their next tour.

And then, the fields open up with endless stretches of green and there is the gorgeous sight of ellies roaming free. You have arrived at the Elephant Nature Park.

We started the day with an informative tour of the grounds and an introduction to its animal residents. They are an eclectic bunch; some old, some young, some blind, some injured from working in the logging industry, some abused and some rescued from the circus. All beautiful.

How could anyone hurt this face?

After the tour, it was feeding time and everybody was hungry. And their appetites seemed endless, but the barrel of fruit wasn’t.

We got some grub too, a tasty buffet with a line of chafing dishes filled with both Asian and American cuisine.

As we finished up the last french fry on our plates there was an indication that the bathing of the elephants in Thailand was about to commence: a herd of dirty ones heading towards the river.

Peter walked his new four-legged friend to the water and I followed closely behind. We spent the next hour in the river washing, scrubbing and rinsing each of the herd.

Look…all clean!

This was one adventurous day, thats memory will last a lifetime, where I felt that I had an intimate experience with these charming elephants in Thailand. And I didn’t miss riding an elephant one bit.

Big Butt Montage
Elephants have big butts. And at the risk of sounding like a complete whack job, I am going to admit that I think their big behinds are adorable. And just because it makes me laugh here’s an elephant Big Butt Montage.

Bonus Head Scratching Video

Have you had any experiences with elephants in Thailand?

The post Bathing Elephants in Thailand & a Big Butt Montage appeared first on Bucket List Journey.

Hong Kong is known for its cutting edge food concepts and The Dessert Kitchen was one I wish I had invented. Or at least that every city had one. Simply genius.

It is a trendy little cafe that sells nothing but unique sweet treats, at just about any time of the day.

Yep. A kitchen dedicated soley to desserts. This may be slightly better than a room filled with puppies licking my face.

When we arrived at The Dessert Kitchen, in the late afternoon, there was only one other table indulging. We were told to find a seat and handed a thick menu filled with enticing photographs to accompany the briefest of menu descriptions. It was filled with the prettiest parfaits, sundaes and puddings.

We chose two for our meal, the Joy of the Party and a Blueberry Kiss. Plus one fresh Watermelon and one Peach slush. An entire dessert meal without any chocolate. Tsk. Tsk.

The Blueberry Kiss was a masterpiece of flavored shaved ice surrounded by fresh blueberries, mochi ice cream and jellied pearls that popped in your mouth.

It would make for the perfect summer refreshment, not to sweet or heavy.

The Joy of the Party sundae wasn’t like any of hot fudge ones I had eaten before. No fudge. And I kind of missed it. It was ice cream layered with corn flakes and small jelly balls.

After finishing our dessert dinner we headed out and had to squeeze our way through the line forming at the door. It is that good.

Though next time, I am going to swap my sundae for the housemade waffles that I saw blanketing the tables.

waffle photo credit | the dessert kitchen

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Have you ever been to a kitchen dedicated soley to dessert?

The post Dessert Comes First at Hong Kong’s Dessert Kitchen appeared first on Bucket List Journey.