Mesa Grill- NYC

Ever since we got cable, I have been addicted to Sunday shows such as Chopped & Iron Chef. Of course, Bobby Flay is always featured on the food network. Coincidentally, for Christmas, my boss took me to Mesa Grill, his first restaurant in NYC!! Bill came out to $198 excluding tips. I wish I had a better camera, but here’s a review of the dishes with blurry pics 🙂

The Pumpkin ice cream was a bit too sour, the cake was a bit soggy. However, the caramel pumpkin seeds were interesting, The sweetness of the caramel melts in your mouth and then it is balanced by the natural lightly saltiness of the pumpkin seeds. Wonderful contrast! However, because that’s only part of the cake, I would only give it a 3/5. It didn’t save it from being an unimpressive dessert.

Don’t know how it tastes but it has roasted banana ice cream! My boss didn’t end up eating the tart so it’s probably not great 😛 (Assumptions!)

Obviously I can’t pronounce Dorade, I literally thought it’s pronounced Do-“rade” but it’s actually Dorad. First time I had a WHOLE fish at a restaurant. It was steamed just right- between tender raw and not overcooked. It’s a refreshing and light dish with a hint of citrus and ginger. The flavor wasn’t strong but it allowed the taste of fish to shine through. Not bad and good for a light meal and yes, I finished the whole entire fish! Would give it a 3.5/5.

The outside of the chicken was flavorful; you can taste the sweetness of the mango mixed with a subtle hint of spiciness. However, the juicy chicken underneath the skin is a bit tasteless. It is good, but not perfect. Missing something. Will give it a 3/5.

The meatballs were crumbly and well seasoned. The spiciness was overpowering so it’s a killer for me so i’ll rate it 2.5/5.

Another Winner! I loved how they cooked the shrimp and corn together. They blended in the sweetness of the corn and the taste of shrimp to a flavorful fiesta screaming I am more than a normal tamale! I guess I am used to traditional tamale where it could be a bit dried and bland. But I almost felt like I was eating shrimp and corn in soup form. Wonderfully blended. 4/5!

This appetizer is my favorite dish of the entire meal. The duck is braised and flavorful with a hint of chile and bbq. It is the perfect balance wrapped in a light crepe kind of pancake. When you put it in your mouth, the flavors melted in and blended in wonderfully. I could close my eyes and imagine all the spices and feel the wholeness of it! Definitely a 4.5/5.

4 Different types of bread. Jalepeno bread. I just remember their bread was warm and I love warm bread. Haha. Not going to rate bread 😛

I guess this is where the grill effect is? Above the bar, and on top of your head.

Not pretentious. Dim light. The ambiance is nothing extraordinary.

Simple interior

Changing the tool changes the art

“The Paint Evolution” by Culdesac for Valentine

I saw the posting at Designboom and find it fascinating. Often times we are so accustomed to the tools given to us/ already designed that we forget to rethink them. If we are struggling with the outcome, perhaps it helps to go back to the source of things and re-imagine how things could be done. It sure takes a lot of practice to dismiss existing solutions while we brainstorm but the process gets easier. It’s a good to step back from time to time and reinvent ourselves!

It’s getting chilly… Let’s hibernate!
(Featuring a fennel Fox at Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago. One of the cutest thing I’d say!)

Random Musing- Paint the World with 20 Colors

It took nearly two hours to mix a total of 20 colors. In painting class, we were vigorously trained to mix paint with the same saturation. According to the Art professor then, there was a scientific approach to creating a painting. The more colors there are, the more it will appeal to the eyes. Pointism is a proof of the scientific appeal of colors.

I don’t agree 100% but just looking at the mixed paints makes me happy. I like to believe there is more out there than saturation and pigmentation to analyze a painting. How about experiencing it emotionally and let your mind wander? 🙂

So! Going to take on this self proclaimed project on a 18 x 18 canvas called Paint the World with 20 colors.Let’s see how it turns out.

Diner en Blanc Chicago

Tickets for Diner En Blanc, the Parisian pop-up dinner event, was sold out in 13 minutes. I was put on the waiting list at first but eventually got tickets. Hurray! So on Saturday night, August 27th, my amazing friend Stephanie and I participated in the 500-people white picnic. The night was magical!

Although, we totally underestimated the amount of time and effort we needed to put into this. We had to bring EVERYTHING – white table for two, chairs, table cloth, napkins, appetizer, main entree, dessert, plates, bowls, glasses, utensils, even a white trash bag! Our arms were sore the next day, but it was worth it. I think our table was lovely. The beads in the glass plates reflected light very well.

This couple surely captured a lot of attention.

The organizers kept the location secret until the very night. We signed up to meet at various “harmonization points,” which for us was at Logan Square blue line station. When we got there we found out we were going to Daley plaza! We arrived around 7:30pm to set up our tables. By 8pm, when a nearby bell tower struck, all of us were told to wave our white napkins in the air to begin the magical night. How well thought out.

After dinner many danced to the jazz band while the more adventurous ones climbed onto the signature Picasso sculpture (yes, I checked : ). The night was elegant, chic, warm, and sweet. I think we did very well, Chicagoans.

To read more about the event and the history behind it, visit http://www.dinerenblancchicago.com/
http://chicagoist.com/2011/07/25/diner_en_blanc_comes_to_chicago.php

Swimming on land

As I walked down Haight Street in San Francisco, guess what greeted me?

Beautiful koi fishes swimming on land!

A Walk to the Garden

Besides having ubiquitous partying Los Angeles also houses the Getty Center and Villa, both of which are testaments to the late billionaire J. Paul Getty’s love of art. This weekend had the perfect condition for my visit: unlimited sunshine, blue skies, and warmth; quite a sharp contrast to the ever-present overcast skies of San Francisco chilly “summers.”

The architecture was astounding: it felt like being in a manmade Grand Canyon because of the various levels of the structures that affords dramatic and beautiful views from different perspectives that are public and yet feel private at the same time.

One of my favorite parts was the walk to the garden, so follow me along.

First I wind down these stairs from the open 2 floor to lower areas. I saw mainly the outdoor seating area of the cafe with glimpses of pink blossom peeping past the columns beckoning wanderers to go closer.

The perspective changed as I descend down the ramp and the the gardens comes into view. The late afternoon sunshine pierced the air, saturating the colors in a way that my point and click camera cannot fully capture.

Then turning a corner, I was in the garden.

Hope you enjoyed the stroll!

Happy Friday!

These girls write so well, don’t they? So I’ll draw. Put on a pair of red shoes and step in puddles! Let loose, push boundaries, and make the most out of muddy circumstances 🙂

Hello world!

Hello World,

The mix of three different personalities and our unworldly perspective will fill the blog as we embark on a journey of tiny steps to observe the curiosities unfamiliar to us. They may seem irrelevant to those attune to it, banal to those who always had it but we will still make it as dramatic as it tickles our intellect and captures our interest.

The objective of our blog is to conquer the vast universe with pieces of our small inquiries. Let the journey begin as we celebrate with a picture of Yaki ramen from Hinotori in Los Angeles, California!

The interesting part about this Yaki-ramen is it’s a soup noodle, not dried fried noodles. It wasn’t really that tasty as the ginger overpowered the broth but at least it’s aesthetically pleasing! The elasticity of the noodles is pretty good, but the egg makes it really heavy and you will feel really stuffed afterward.

Happy Monday!