my first few weeks in seoul

cute waffle cafe in gangnam

 

It's been a few years since i've been here, and to my surprise, the food scene has changed dramatically! The globalization of food is pretty evident here...every corner you will find a waffle cafe, burger joint, pho noodle bar, and even mexican and indian restaurants! I'm excited to start my food exploration, and can't wait to share my adventures with all of you!

 

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alinea. perfection.





Alas, I finally had the amazing opportunity to dine at Alinea on my brithday-America's leading restaurant, located right here in Lincoln Park Chicago! Chef and owner Grant Achatz is absolutely stunning with his gastronomic explosions! I cannot begin to describe all the emotions that took place in this divine, 3 hour meal. From the service, to the personal sommelier, as well as the pastry chef who presented one of the desserts on the actual tabletop-completed the story. Each course was in perfect order, paired with the perfect wine, and excitement followed every second.
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this chicagoan knows how to eat!

My love affair with food continues...will I really have time to hit all my favorite spots in Chicago by the time I leave?  I also recently got back from Los Angeles, and I must admit, I have been pleasantly surprised with the great food every time! The photos will speak for themselves...

@ mana food bar-vegetarian hot spot in wicker park
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chicagoans know how to eat!

I have a few months left in chicago, and my goal is to check out new restaurants or places I have not been too...and of course some of my favorites as well. Last week, I checked out Rick Bayless' new restaurant-'Xoco.'  It's the sister restaurant to his 2 other restaurants (Frontera Grill & Topolobampo), all connected in the same building on Clark St. This spot is somewhat of a fast food/inexpensive restaurant, featuring the 'street foods' of mexico. They are known for their bean-to-cup hot chocolates, and their amazing homemade churros!

Ahogada-golden pork carnitas, black beans, tomato broth, spicy arbol chile sauce, pickled onions at xoco
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back in chicago...

I arrived in Chicago 3 weeks ago, and Chicago has been all about snow and freezing temperatures! I definitely miss the sunny, perfect Sydney weather. So what have I been doing? Well, aside from planning on travel plans in the near future, I have been testing out some fun recipes!

Recently, a good friend and fabulous chef Beverly Kim and I made pizza dough from scratch. Yes, I am embarrassed to admit that I have never tempted to make pizza dough from scratch! Bev's favorite recipe is from Julia Child's baking book...and it did take some time. However, it was definitely worth it!

I made extra dough, and made some neopolitan pizza's for my brother Ray and and his wife Jiye...and Ray said it was the best! A very nice compliment...from a strong food critic.

chicken sausage, butternut squash, mushrooms in red sauce
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feel the earth, discover life-hunter valley wine country



A 2 hour drive north of Sydney, we spent a weekend at this beautiful wine country-Hunter Valley to draw away the layers of urban life. We were very fortunate to stay at this beautiful farmhouse (thanks to K's boss!), and I literally thought I was in a movie! Hunter Valley 's wine industry is one of the oldest in Australia, and is well known for its Semillon and Shiraz, and more recently Chardonnay And Verdelho. There are over 120 unique wineries to visit-ranging from intimate boutique cellar doors to internationally acclaimed wine brands.
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taronga zoo-sydney

    

One of the places that everyone told me was a ‘must see’ was the Taronga zoo. At first, I was like why is this? Apparently it has one of the best views of Sydney from their cable cars! I was fortunate to go with Lena and her daughter Zoe, and found out they literally go every 2 weeks! I even got a personal tour from Zoe herself...I’m just glad I had Lena and Zoe to talk to, instead of just conversing with the animals!    

 

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melbourne. love at first sight.

 




lounge at seamstress

I seriously don’t know where to begin. I heard about Melbourne before, but when you think of Australia, most people think of Sydney first. The moment I arrived in Sydney, all Kristi was talking about was ‘Melbourne, Melbourne, Melbourne.’ So I thought, then why the heck am I in Sydney, and not in Melbourne? Hahahaha. This is actually the exact question the locals in Melbourne asked me! This city is the food and fashion capitol of Oz!
Kristi and Stephan went with me for the first few days, then I was on my own for 3 days. Just an hour flight from Sydney, you can get one way tickets as low as $28! It was nice to getaway from Sydney for a little bit...

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sydney's very own korea town...

DSC_0201 in strathfield k-town, with my cousins wife and daughter

I had a chance to visit Strathfield, the largest Korea town in Syndey. It's a 20 minute drive from the city, in a very nice, quiet neighborhood...I didn't know what to expect at first, but to my surprise, it was quite lovely! I had a great time with my cousins, and they made THE 'Aussie-Korean' meal at their place-'Wallamsam' (direct translation=vietnamese spring rolls). Basically, the concept behind this is the vietnamese spring rolls meets Korean banchan, served with homemade chili sauce and crushed peanuts. You dunk the rice paper wrap in hot water, then add veggies of your choice, wrap, dip in sauce, and chow down!
Another Korean-Aussie couple mentioned this wallamsam concept a few weeks back, and explained that since there aren't too many good K restaurants here (totally agreed unfortunately), the Koreans feast on this specialty at home. Great treat for guests (lot of labor preparing for it, even though it's make-your-own), but the Koreans love it, and it's freakin awesome!!! I seriously didn't know when to stop.
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sydney gong ride!

What is the gong ride?

The Gong Ride is a one of a kind fundraising event. You can pedal 90km from Sydney to Wollongong on any day of the year but it’s only on the first Sunday of November that you’ll experience the camaraderie, fellowship, unity, safety, scenery and sense of achievement for pedalling in support of people living with MS (taken from their website). 10,000 cyclists participated this year!

Kristi, Stephan, and a few others that I have met, participated in this years gong ride. It's a 90 KM ride that started from St. Peters, and finished in Wollongong-with tea and lunch breaks along the way! I took a 2 hour train ride to meet these guys at the finish line, where we had a sausage sizzle, beers, and other good food! The train ride was a amazing, I cannot imagine how great the view was for the cyclists! I don't really cycle, and I would have died if I did this 90 KM ride. However, after seeing how beautiful it was to cycle along the coast, I would definitely try it if I live here!

Well done K & S!!!




DSC02921 rob, kristi, and stephan

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sculpture by the sea exhibit

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Last weekend, we had a chance to walk along Bondi Beach to Bronte Beach, and see all the beautiful sculptures part of the 'Sculpture By the Sea' exhibit. They only have it for 2 weeks, and I'm glad I was still here to see it! The concept for Sculpture by the Sea is the culmination of many years thinking, where a new step in the thought process came up every year or so. It was absolutely stunning!
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yummy mummy's!

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Kristi recently explained the term ‘yummy mummy,’ which is a trendy, urban mom who mostly spends time taking care of kids, doing yoga, and having coffee at the parks with their other yummy mummy friends! Not to mention, they have the resources to really take advantage of the ‘yummy’ part. Hrm...this sounds like some of the mom’s I know in Chicago! Last week, we spent an afternoon at Centennial Park with Kristi and some of her friends...enjoyed a picnic lunch on a beautiful day, with 2 adorable kids! I was just amazed at how many mums and their kids were at the park, on a Thursday afternoon...what a life I tell you! It seems like Sydney is a great place to raise a family-so green, the pace of life is great, and people here take their ‘free time’ seriously. I guess when the weather is perfect almost all year round, how can you not be out and about with outdoor activities!

 

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breaky 2

single origins special breaky single origins special breaky

Part of the October food fest, 'Single Origins Cafe' was also having a special breaky. First, they made coffee of my choice, with a morning muesli and fresh fruit...followed by a ‘Colombian’ tamale with fresh pico de gallo, matched with a pot of colombian coffee. Food was excellent, and the best part-I met the manager (actually I think he’s the owner) of this cafe, and I received a special goodie bag at the end of my breaky! Gotta say, quite nice when you start chatting with the chefs/owners...they definitely take care of you! This cafe is absolutely the best here...not just by recommendations from friends, but I am already addicted! It’s quite a walk, but I’ll be making my frequent stops there for a ‘flat white!’

 

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qvb

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One of the buildings that I absolutely adore is the ‘Queens Victoria Building,’ a.k.a. ‘QVB.’ One of the oldest buildings in downtown Sydney that was built in 1898, has stunning architectural details that include stained glass windows, intricate mosaic floors, and two large mechanical clocks-each featuring dioramas and moving figures from moments in Australian history. The QVB takes up an entire block on George Street, which originally housed street markets. Now it houses 200 shops, cafes, and restaurants! I was also fortunate to have high tea at the tea room, located on the top floor. The best high tea ever, and I think I ate a whole bowl of clotted cream myself!!!


The photos will speak for itself...  

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