Tag Archives: USA

I love you New York. Will you marry me? Part 3

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The last 2 full days of our trip to NYC were full on. As you may recall I went back to the hotel quite early the night before (but didn’t sleep til late anyways) so I started my 3rd day in the city that never sleeps super early, as in 6am, with only a few hours of sleep. Why? Because I wanted to watch The Today Show to see the people who have been keeping me company in the mornings. That, and also for my 15 seconds of fame. This was one of those days when I am very thankful for staying in such a convenient hotel. Nobody wanted to accompany me to the show so I went by myself and I had to walk in the dark because I had to be at Rockefeller Center before everybody else to get a good spot. I got there around 6:45am. It wasn’t full yet but there were only a few spots left where you can lean on the railings. Being shorter that almost everyone at the set I really did need to be in front. Let me tell you this - the experience of watching the show on TV is completely different to actaully being on the set and wanting to be on TV. When you watch it on TV it seems like so much fun. Of course it’s only fun on the set when they actually get to your corner. You have to know where the hosts stand so you can greet/shake hand/chat/take photos with them at the first instance; otherwise it’s gonna be a long wait. It didn’t take me long to realise that I would be at the set for quite some time. I was at the opposite end of where the hosts first did their recordings and all that. Then they vanished back into the studio; and then come out again each time going to a corner other than mine. Because of that a group of frustrated middle aged ladies left 15 minutes before Jennifer Garner came out. I’m glad that I stayed back – for a further 3 hours. It became less crowded towards the end as the audience has started leaving once they get their screen time and autographs. Although it was getting frustrating towards the middle of the show it ended well. I got to see the hosts (except for Matt Lauer), Jennifer Garner, Deidre Hall and someone else from Days of Our Lives, whom I don’t even know), took some photos, and got on TV. Wow, what a great start to the day.

After being starstruck and all I met up with K and V and we ventured off to the Museum of Natural History. K and I were really excited at first because we thought that this was where they filmed Night at the Museum. We found out some time later that the movie was a scam. All but two of the “history pieces” they featured were nowhere to be found. Only Rexie and Dum Dum were there. Even though we were disappointed in that regard we still had a great time there, me specially. Out of all the museums in New York that I went to the Museum of Natural History has got to be my favourite. The other museums are too artsy fartsy for my uncultured brain to comprehend. But anyway, we spent a good deal of time looking at the frozen animals on display and I even had a free admission to a show about stars held inside a planitarium that gave me nothing but headache. Yeah, 2 things that make me feel sick: non linear spaces and 3D shows. It was an informative show but I found that there was too much information to digest for half an hour.

After all that brain stimulation, we decided it was time to go for a stroll in Central Park. This park has the same feel as Vancouver’s Stanley Park on a smaller scale. We didn’t really spend much time here other than sitting on a park bench eating lunch and going to see the small castle up in the park somewhere.

Much of what’s left in the afternoon was spent in what I’d call a photographer’s heaven. V brought us to B&H Photography and I almost went crazy. I’m not a pro photographer of any sort but I love checking out cameras and their gadgets. If only I had the whole day to spend there. Well, I almost did damage to my credit card but the guy at the counter convinced me that I do not need a new camera no matter how much I wanted to upgrade. He had a point. I left empty handed but we came back the next day because we just couldn’t get enough of cameras. By we I meant me and V. K was rather indifferent but she did buy me a pink/white polaroid camera as an advanced birthday present.

MP met up with us for dinner at Chipotle after her class and us girls had a girls’ night out. V bought us tickets for Colbie Caillait’s show and it was well worth it. I wasn’t a huge fan of hers before the show but I’m beginning to become a convert now. She is such a good performer and a great singer – sounded exactly like the CDs. Now that was a fun and relaxing way to end the night.

Onto the next day…

I woke up earlier than everybody else, as usual, even though we all went to bed at the same time after our midnight trip to the Empire State Building. No lines during midnight. Hurrah!

So onto this day, with my CityPass, I decided to go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I know nothing about art and ditto for this museum so I didn’t know beforehand what to expect. My only goal was to use all the ticket passes in my CityPass. Well, it’s safe to say that the Met is a huge ass museum full of art and artifacts that I absolutely do not get. Rather than being an avenue for those who truly understand art and all its glory I think this is one of those many museums that is really just a tourist trap (okay, I’ll admit it. I am one of those tourists). A clear sign of this are the many flags displayed at the info desk indicating which languages the museum tours are offered in. It’s also always so crowded that it becomes less enjoyable because I prefer quiet (really, I prefer dead silent) museums where you can just sit in one of the benches and drift away into fantasyland. Not in New York museums. I quickly rushed through the whole building that is so confusing it’s almost like a maze hoping to have enough time before lunch to visit the Guggenheim (also because of the CityPass). I ended up not going though and strolled around Upper East Side instead then met K and V for lunch at the Shake Shack. This place has the most amazing burgers. The shakes are not so good but the burgers are so tasty I don’t know why people would eat a MacDonald’s burger. Oh right, I do know why. It’s because it’s too pricey for such a small albeit filling burger. I suppose you get what you pay for. The burger bun is way too good too; it’s not the usual white bread bun but is a butter bun, as in it tastes like butter and is yellow in colour. Very similar to Asian bread if you know what I’m talking about.

The next adventure was at the Financial District. We got there very late in the afternoon so it was not busy anymore which is a good thing because you don’t get shoved by rushing business people for walking slowly. K wanted to take a picture with the stock market bull (more like the bull’s testicles for good luck apparently) so we searched for it only to find out it was barricaded. We can still go in and take a picture but there are guards around and there was a line. The jumping photo is now a no-go so we just stood stoically beside the bull and hurried out so other people can go in.

While waiting for MP to finish her class we dropped by some pier to catch a glimpse of the Brooklyn Bridge. It was a spectacular view at night with all the lights lit up. The cool breeze from the river that night did not hurt either. V wanted to have dinner at Hagi so we took a much rather expensive cab ride back to Midtown. There were more of us this time so we were able to sample more Hagi food and a pitcher of Sapporo beer. I really cannot stress enough how amazing the food is at Hagi. Twice I’ve been here; twice the amazement.

And so the night ended.

Before any of us knew it, it was time to say goodbye to my love, New York City. But not before squeezing in a trip to the Museum of Modern Art, for me anyway. While the rest of the gang were busy getting pissed the night before, after the dinner, I managed to crash and sleep like a log. My body is really just wired for an earlier bedtime and not being able to withstand alcohol. The rest of the gang were still sleeping when I left to line up for tickets. As with the other museums, I went there because it’s a cliche. All I wanted to see was Van Gogh’s Starry Night but it made me realise that I really like Monet’s works too. Maybe a little more research and preparation beforehand would have me appreciate art more. I have had a bad expeirience with an art class in Uni before so maybe that’s why the museums just do not have that impact on me. But let’s not ruin what’s left of that little impact it has on me by talking about a certain professor; that’s not the memory I’d like to think of before I wave goodbye to New York.

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I love you New York. Will you marry me?

Posted in Adventures, Travel by

No one could have said it better than Chandler Bing when he exclaimed, and I quote, “New York is AWESOME”! To say that I heart New York is an understatement. What’s a deeper level of love? Adore? Nevermind what that word is; the bottom line is that out of all the cities I’ve been to on this trip, New York is my favourite. The lights, the sounds, the smell and the people – what’s there to hate? We had a mere 4 full days to spend in this city so we knew every single day was to be maximised as much as possible. In hindsight, we should have kept New York to 5 full days as originally planned. But no matter how tight the days were I think we did a pretty good job squeezing most of the things that need to be done in New York in 4 full days.

Welcome to NY. As soon as we landed K and I made our way to the hotel, checked in, waited for a friend then headed off to dinner at Sapporo in Midtown. It was a good Japanese dinner, also evidenced by the number of people waiting to be seated. You may have read how I love the Miso Katsu from Taka’s in Perth so I was all excited to see this item on the menu in Sapporo. The verdict? Taka’s wins. The miso sauce at Sapporo tasted more soy sauce-y than miso but the chicken was good. And just to make us even fuller, we shared a plate of gyoza that was very delicious!

Since our hotel is located in a very convenient location (we stayed in Midtown) there was no problem with us getting around Manhattan. The first destination of the night was Times Square; and I thought Dundas Square in Toronto was cool enough. Times Square in Manhattan is just unbelievable – larger than life lights and ads in an overly crowded space. Now that feels just like New York. Even late at night with the rain the city is still bustling with people. Seriously, where do all these people come from? I have already almost forgotten what it’s like to live in a busy city and by the end of my first night in New York I have concluded that I should move and live there permanently.

Top of the Rock & All That Jazz. I woke up earlier than usual the next day so that I can fit in as many things as I can. I left K behind  because she was feeling unwell and wanted to rest so I went ahead to Rockefeller Center and went up the Top of the Rock to see some foggy views of New York City. The line wasn’t long at all. I guess going there solo made it easier to squeeze into lines. A cloudless sky would have made the view more fantastic but, given that the weather forecast was thunderstorm, I am just glad that there was not a single drop of rain that day. As I made my way out of Rockefeller Center I stopped by the NBC Experience store and got dragged in to joining the NBC Sutdio Tour. I have already decided not to do the tour the day before but I just had to go and ask the guy at the counter what time the next tour was. He said it was in half an hour and I had time to spare so I just joined it anyway for $20. It was pretty cool touring the sets of Dr. Oz’s show and Saturday Night Live. They were actually preparing the stage and sets of SNL’s season premier (the one with Alec Baldwin as host) when we visited so that was indeed very awesome.

After that I went strolling around 5th Avenue. No I did not go shopping because I cannot afford anything there.

Afternoon came and I met up with K again and another friend, MP, who lives in New York. We dub her as a fake New Yorker because, even though she lives in New York, she hasn’t been around as much as we thought. It turned out to be that we were giving her the tour around the city. We grabbed a quick lunch and headed on to Broadway to watch Chicago starring Kara DioGuardi. It wasn’t until MP told us that I realised she was in American Idol before. I was more surprised to find out that Best Buy Theater is merely a small theatre unlike that of Burswood Theatre. Well, there are tons of plays going on at the same time in various theatres every single day in New York so I really shouldn’t be surprised with the size of the venue. Unlike Perth where plays and musicals are on for only short seasons we need a bigger space to accommodate everyone. In New York, just pop by the theatre and sometimes you can score cheaper tickets on the same day. Another thing I found unusual was that almost everyone who went to the theatre was every casual. Everyone except me, K and MP. It’s a habit of ours to dress up a bit whenever we go to the theatre so we brought something dressy and high heels for this show only to find out that New Yorkers are very casual when it comes to this. Jeans and flip flops to the theatre? Oh well.

SoHo shopping. We went back to the hotel to change into more comfortable clothes after the show. On the way we met a stranger, V, who popped by New York to see his girlfriend. V is K’s boyfriend, by the way, and you just can’t imagine my reaction. Even more so for MP. I haven’t had that “confused” look in a long time. Anyway, MP took us to the subway station and showed us how to ride one. The subway map looks exhausting, seriously. I didn’t even bother learning how to ride the subway and just went with the flow. MP says we take N-Q-R we take N-Q-R; easy peasy. We wound up in SoHo for a little shopping – a little only because if we went all out it would take the whole night! For me SoHo is way too crowded on a weekend. Everywhere you turn you bump into someone. It is a great place for shopping though. Just about every store is in SoHo.

Chinatown, NY-sytle. Feeling hungry after that little shopping, we decided that we want Chinese food because, first, we haven’t had a lot of decent Chinese food for this whole trip, and, second, Chinatown was very close by. By that I meant walking distance from SoHo. Wow. New York’s Chinatown is huge and, you’ve guessed it, very China-like. Here are my justifications (and guide for an awesome Chinatown) why NY’s Chinatown is superb.

  • The chaos – There is chaos amongst the streets and people. Vendors trying to get customers and customers trying to get a bargain. People shouting here and there. Fake stuff for sale. It’s almost impossible to breathe and walk without tripping in Chinatown.
  • The smell – The smell is…garbage. When you walk the streets of Hong Kong and smell something funny you’d know for sure you are in a Chinese town. Same thing goes for NY’s Chinatown because it smells like the streets of Hong Kong – garbage. Big black rubbish bags tied up and piled high on the streets. There is stench everywhere.
  • The bakeries – Chinese bakeries are different from Western bakeries and seeing those Asian bakeries reminds me of home. The bread is different, the cakes are different, and there are other Asian treats like sesame balls that I love. Well, there’s pretty much bubble tea in almost all the bakeries too.
  • The signs – These signs and shop names include the words golden, century, horse, lucky, dragon and Mr someone’s-last-name or the number 8 and are in red or yellow or gold colour.
  • The people – do I really need to elaborate this one?
  • The food – “Authentic” Chinese food everywhere. A lot of them claim to be authentic but, really, only a few are worth trying. A guide to which restaurants are good is the number of Asian people dining there. The number of Asian people should outweigh the number of Western people. No, I’m not trying to be racist but that’s how you’d really know which Chinese restaurants are good.

Based on the above, New York’s Chinatown is 4.5/5. Yay. We originally wanted to have dinner at this Peking Duck restaurant but it was very full and we had to wait for another 40 minutes or so for a table. Well our tummies were not up for that so we went to the restaurant across it, a Shanghai restaurant whose name I can’t remember. The xiao long baos, pan-fried dumplings and hot and sour soup were very good. Other dishes we had were a little off taste-wise. They were sweeter than saltier and I find that strange. Like a soy sauce based dish is sweeter that saltier.

Remembering 9/11. After dinner, which finished late, we walked around Chinatown still looking for dessert. Most shops were already closed by then so we thought we’d head off to the financial district while it’s not crowded at night. We passed by the 9/11 memorial but sadly it was all fenced out due to construction. We needed a ticket to actually see the memorial and offices were already closed. Plus, they only allow a certain number people to go in and see the memorial. I really wanted to see the memorial so I walked around here and there, up and down, and finally found a spot where one could see a glimpse of the memorial.

Stay tuned. New York City and I are getting married soon. :)

My San Francisco & Napa Valley eats

Posted in Chinese/Asian, Coffee & Desserts, Food, French, Japanese, Thai by

*Dojima Ann | Dojima on Urbanspoon
Downtown

A nice and cozy Japanese restaurant just a little off Powell Street. K and I came here on our first night in SFO just to get something quick and hot since it was surprisingly cold. Dojima Ann was located near our hotel so we dropped by early enough to be seated before the rush started. I had an udon with chicken, egg and tempura (the name which I have already forgot) and it was delicious! The soup is miso based which was quite unusual because most of the Japanese restaurants I’ve had in Perth serve noodles in a dashi stock. So this one here was not as sweet which is just the way I like it. I would have preferred them to serve the tempura in a separate plate though – it was way too soggy when it was served. Service was quick and friendly though.

*Lori’s Diner | www.lorisdiner.com | Lori's Diner on Urbanspoon
Downtown (and other locations)

A very retro 50′s diner that has an all-American menu. Serving size comes in huge portions enough to be shared. It says in the menu that the French Toast is famous so that is what I ordered with an Oreo milkshake. The french toasts were good in a sense that they were thick and fluffy. Other than that though they were quite tasteless. Adding syrup does not help either because their syrup is also tasteless and not a tad sweet. K had Buttermilk Pancakes. She liked the first few bites but after that they were dry enough to make you want to stop eating. I really wanted to try the breakfasts with eggs like omelette but they make the omelettes with 3 eggs but I don’t think I need that much eggs. The ambiance is good and all that, with 50′s memorabilia and red and white diner tables and seats, and service was very friendly but I once is enough to give me that diner experience. They have a store at the international airport too, just in case you need to get a diner fix before departing the US of A.

*Pier Restaurant | www.piermarket.com | Pier Market Seafood on Urbanspoon
Fisherman’s Wharf

One of the many restaurants in the Pier 39 area offering fresh seafood and the famous clam chowder. K and I decided to dine here because it looked clean enough and it was in the heart of  the Pier 39 shops. Obviously, we had to have the clam chowder sourdough bowl. It was very good – creamy and tasty. The sourdough bowl that it comes in is from Boudin Bakery, a pioneer sourdough maker in the city. We polished off the bread as well. Yum. I wanted to have a bread bowl for myself but we decided that we wanted to try other food too so we shared a bowl and had a seafood grill. The grill had 4 prawn skewers, 1 swordfish and 1 salmon. I only enjoyed the prawn skewers; the rest were just plain grilled seafood. We tasted nothing exceptionally fresh about them.

*Chipotle | www.chipotle.com
Downtown

Quick and fresh burritos and tacos in Downtown and that’s all they serve. I had the beef burrito that looked small until they wrap it up; very very filling specially when you have it at 10pm. I especially loved the cilantro rice!

*Oriental Pearl | www.orientalpearlsf.com | Oriental Pearl on Urbanspoon
Chinatown

How this restaurant made it to the Michelin restaurant guide list and Rachael Ray’s recommendation is beyond me. Walking along Chinatown looking for a place to eat, we dropped by Oriental Pearl based only on those 2 recommendations displayed proudly inside the restaurant. It’s a bit dodgily located on the second floor of some building and first instincts told us to get out this place but, no, we walked in anyway and asked for a table for 2. It was rather empty when we first got there but quickly filled up as dinnertime came around. For starters, we had a dim sum sample consisting of pork, beef and prawn dumplings. Mediocre at best and the prawn dumpling wrappers were disgusting. Tasted like they were made with rancid flour. Then we had tofu soup with minced meat and seaweed. This was the only dish I enjoyed/liked for the night but there was only about 3 blobs of minced meat in the soup. A bit of a rip off. After much debate K and I ended up ordering a veggie yee mien. This was certainly one of the worst noodle dishes I have ever had – in SFO or elsewhere in the world. Noodles were tough and spongy as though they were not cooked through and the sauce was mainly soy sauce. You know what? The noodles I make at home are way better than this. No kidding. If there’s one thing good about Oriental Pearl was that the service was definitely friendly! The waiters can speak and understand English properly so there shouldn’t be any problems.

*Cafe de la Presse | www.cafedelapresse.com | Cafe de la Presse on Urbanspoon
Nob Hill

I’ve had one of the best meals of my life here at Cafe de la Presse in Nob Hill just outside the Chinatown gate. A little exaggeration? Probably so, but enough justification. K and I have been eyeing this restaurant since 2 days before we actually ate here because it looked tres chic. One very late night we managed to finally make it here and left with no regrets. Is it weird that I’ve never ever had french onion soup until I ordered it here? That was my appetiser. It wasn’t as sweet as I imagined it to be so that was a big relief. Well that was why I have never had french onion soup before – I don’t like sweet tasting soup (like dashi based ones). Chunky onions with a slice of baguette topped with cheese made my insides all warm in the cold foggy weather. The size it came in was perfect too. It left room for an entree (or mains as we call it in Perth) without me being too full. I had the confit du ganard maison – duck confit with mushrooms and potatoes. O-M-G. Crispy duck skin with duck meat that falls off the bone sitting on top of mushrooms that were sitting on top of sliced potatoes drenched in duck fat. ‘Nuff said. I polished everything – skin, fat and all – and I am as happy as can be.

K, on the other hand, opted for a lighter and less filling choice. She had tomato soup with basil to start off then followed by a shrimp cocktail. The tomato soup was tangy and tasty, not overpowered by cream so it was not too heavy. The shrimp cocktail, she said, was very refreshing. Fresh and crisp prawns with cherry tomatoes and a few leaves of lettuce – it sounds just as light as she wants her food to be.

*Bangkok Noodles | www.bangkoknoodles.com | Bangkok Noodles on Urbanspoon
Downtown

Bangkok Noodles was a surprisingly good find in Downtown. After a long day of shopping we walked to the restaurant closest to us and found great Thai food. There is a non stop waiting line to this place. K had the pad thai and I had a tom yum soup with noodles. How Thai are we? Both dishes were excellent and great value for money.

*Honey Honey Cafe and Creperie | www.honeyhoneycafeandcreperie.com | Honey Honey Crepe House on Urbanspoon
Nob Hill

K has been bugging me to go to a cafe to have a proper breakfast where she can sip coffee and read the paper. After much research we stumbled upon Honey Honey which had awesome reviews. This place turned out to be just around the corner from our hotel so we went there first thing in the morning. Wow, the line was super long and the place is full. There were literally no empty seats. So while in the line we were starring at the chalkboard that lists all the food they serve – omelettes, crepes, sandwiches, salad, pasta, soup - and it was impossible to choose just one. We finally got to the till and ordered a Miami Heat crepe and eggs florentine. All that hype just led to disappointment. The crepe was not very crepe-like but the filling (chicken, cheese, avocado, scallions, hot sauce) was not too bad. The eggs florentine were horrible which disappointing because it was a breakfast special. Tasteless hollandaise sauce and soggy english muffin underneath. I would say it’s not worth coming back for a second try.

*Bistro Jeanty | www.bistrojeanty.com | Bistro Jeanty on Urbanspoon
Napa Valley

A 2009 Michelin star awardee restaurant in Napa Valley that blew me away with its Sole Meuniere. A sole that melts in your mouth with mashed potatoes, butter, lemon and capers. This was a simple dish with complementary ingredients used at their finest. I’m just not entirely sure what to do with the star shaped lemon pieces that were on top of my fish. Were they to be eaten too? I was such a FOB so I ate one anyway just to try it and it were sour as. Duh! So I resolved to just leave them alone on my plate to make it look pretty. K had the beouf bourguignon that looked small but is actually very filling even just halfway through the dish. I had to help her finish it. It was a traditional French beef stew with the beef very tender but that also holds its shape.

This is a French bistro serving familiar homey French food like the ones we had plus coq au vin, salad nicoise and filet au poivre. Unfortunately the waiters were not French men but they were very friendly. One even had a little chat with us. We told our waitress we were in a hurry (because our tour bus leaves at a certain time) and she made sure that the kitchen prepared our dishes first which, in fact, was what happened because our food was served within 10 minutes.

And oh, eat that complimentary baguette. It is very very good. Ask for more if you need to.

*Bouchon Bakery | www.bouchonbakery.com | Bouchon Bakery on Urbanspoon
Napa Valley

A block down from Bistro Jeanty is Bouchon Bakery, also a Michelin star awardee apparently. K just had to try the stuff from this bakery so we rushed out of Bistro Jeanty and fast walked down the street. There is a nonstop line that forms outside the bakery – a sign that it is good, which is why people line up for it for up to 40 minutes, but which I find deceiving because the bakery is not spacious enough inside to begin with. You start from left to right gazing upon croissants and tarts and macarons while placing your order and the entrance to the bakery is where you start gazing so, obviously, only 2-4 people can go in and be served at one time. To add to that, people take forever to decide what to get which I understand because there is so much to choose from but is almost annoying when you are time pressured and the sun is burning your skin.

Onto the products…K and I had raspberry, pistachio, espresso and mocha macaroons and a blueberry and lemon tart. Hmmm, were they worth the wait? Honestly speaking I’m undecided on this one. They stuff we got were not bad but they were not the best. We waited in line for so long only to find out that they have a store in New York, too, which we are headed to in a few weeks.

Onto the iconic Golden Gate Bridge…and Fremont?

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Two Californian “locals” came to meet us today for some catching up. I haven’t seen these two ladies for about 2 years now and we didn’t really have a plan on what to do that day so we all went to see the Golden Gate Bridge. After all, it is the most iconic and touristy place in San Francisco, isn’t it? A trip to San Francisco wouldn’t be complete without a photo with the bridge.

We took public transport to get there because, let’s face it, my plan of walking there would just end up killing us all. Have you seen the steep hills of this city? I went up one street and I am already out of breath! So we took the numbers 5 and 28 busses and finally got to where the other tourists are. It was a challenge finding a spot to take a photo without other people’s faces in it but I did manage to find that spot after half an hour and countless test photos and my friend’s patience (Thanks Joy!).

That was it for the major part of the day – just us and the bridge. It was already 4pm when we got back to Downtown. Somewhere in the middle of all that photo-taking we lost track of time, well, not that we went there early to begin with. Once we got back to Downtown we had either a very late lunch or a very early dinner at Pinecrest, a 24-hour diner that serves “the best char-broiled hamburgers in San Francisco”, says their banner. I had a Penny Melt burger that was a hamburger with sautéed onions and American cheese served with fries. The bread was too greasy and the patty was tasteless. K and Joy had the Chili Dog, a footlong hotdog on a bun with mexican chill. A huge hotdog that no one can finish! It’s so big you have to eat it with a knife and fork because it’s impossible to eat it like a normal hotdog on a bun. My other friend has the Spaghetti with Marinara Sauce. She said it wasn’t anything special. She was happier eating the side of bread with butter and jam.

So it’s time for the 2 “locals” to go back home and we walked them to the train station and said our goodbyes. Then an idea came upon me – why not check out what Fremont is like? It is, after all, only a 30 minute train ride and we will be back in San Francisco before dark. Off we went and it was a good experience to see what suburban California is like. Fremont is definitely a very quiet city. Not at all hustly and bustly like San Francisco given the absence of any buildings. To me it felt like a good retirement place. It’s a good place to be if you are looking for a peaceful town but I will definitely not thrive there. I already find Perth too quiet so Fremont is even quieter than Perth.

We came back to civilisation and went on a little shopping. A good and productive day indeed.

Following the trails of ye old faithful grape in Sonoma & Napa Valley

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Sitting outside San Francisco is a town covered in magnificent vineyards. Today we headed an hour away from San Francisco to Sonoma and Napa Valley to discover and taste Californian wine. We went to 3 vineyards altogether with each giving wine tastings of their best and popular products. I must warn you though that I do not know the names of the wines that we had. I can only remember the pinot noirs that we had and 3 others that I just absolutely loved from Sutter Home.

First stop was Nicholson Ranch Winery. Maybe it’s because we have had better wines in Australia but we were not at all impressed with their wine. All that we sampled tasted watery. I am not a wine connoisseur but, to me, the wine was simply not that good. They were not strong wines, red or white, so I guess they suit those who prefer a smoother drink. Well, different grapes different products. The setting was very idyllic though. We were told that a wedding was going to be held that night so preparations were going under way when we went there.

Next was Madonna Estate. Wines that we sampled here were a big improvement from Nicholson’s produce. They have a more pungent flavour and we sampled one red that had a chill taste. It smelled spicy too. I was busier window shopping for souvenirs than tasting wine. I was very hungry to by this time so I figured I better hold off drinking plenty lest I want to end up with a hangover the next day. Yes that’s right – alcohol hates me. A full glass will send me off right to sleep.

At last our tour guide, Gordy, told us we were stopping for lunch in Napa Valley. My tummy cried out for joy! As he drove past the restaurants, delis and bakeries he gave us some tips and hints about which restaurants are good, expensive or better suited for quick bites. One restaurant that stood out for me was Bistro Jeanty simply because Gordy said this is a Michelin star awarded restaurant. I think he said that there were 3 Michelin starred restaurants in that area in Napa Valley. Well K was sleeping on our way there so she didn’t really hear the choices. All she knew was that Bouchon Bakery was a must try, apparently. When travelling we must eat as much as we can. I convinced her to have a very quick lunch at Bistro Jeanty then head over to Bouchon Bakery for dessert. The restaurant was very chic and we were given a table straight away. We told our waitress when we placed our orders that we were pressed for time and she said “no problem“. Food came out in less than 10 minutes after placing our order. Impressive. K had the beouf bourguignon and I had the sole muniere. Both were very delicious and right up to standard. The beef cubes were so tender that it falls off when you stick a fork in then. The serving looked small but it was actually very filling. The sole was perfectly cooked – crispy on the outside with flesh that melts in your mouth. The mashed potato that came with the fish were very tasty too. It was not overly smooth with tiny chunks here and there. Top that will butter, lemon and capers and it was heaven. I came home that night to discover that the Michelin star given to the bistro was revoked in 2010. Oh well, it was still good without the star in 2011. Their complimentary baguette was very tasty too. Give me the whole loaf and I’ll gladly eat the whole thing.

We rushed straight to Bouchon Bakery after paying our bill and there was a long line waiting to get inside the bakery. The bakery is not big at all so that’s probably why only a few can go in at one time. Plus there was so much to choose from people just take their sweet time deciding what to get. With 5 minutes to spare before our bus leaves K and I managed to get 4 macarons (raspberry, pistachio, espresso and mocha), a chocolate bouchon and a blueberry lemon tart. The macarons were huge compared to the ones I normally have in Perth for the same price! The shells were good but nothing special with the overall taste. Flavours are not that unusual so I really wouldn’t buy them again. The chocolate bouchon is essentially a chocolate brownie. This was sinful – very dark and rich and moist. The lemon tart was only so-so. I like my lemon tarts super tangy and i still couldn’t decide whether the blueberries made this tart better or destroyed its taste. Some berries were sweet so that took away the tanginess of the lemon and some berries were sour and not in a good way. This was apparently a Michelin starred bakery too.

After lunch we were off to the last winery for the day and this is where I fell in love with sweet wine. Sweet wines are my type of wine even before this trip but, out of all the ones I’ve had, the White Zinfandel, Sweet Red and Muscat of Alexandria from Sutter Home have got to be the best ones yet. They were very smooth so they were easy to drink and had enough pungency that was not too overpowering for my body to take. Yes, I am weak. The winery itself is beautiful as is the gift shop. They sell dips and salsas too and the wines also come in a very tiny bottle. The bottle is made of plastic so it is very handy to bring them overseas. One of the staff assured me that they’ve done tests with the bottle to ensure that its material does not affect the taste of the wine.

Sonoma and Napa Valley is a very picturesque town. You see vineyards and vineyards splashed across the hills almost straight out of a postcard. All that wine did not react so badly within my system as it usually does but, on our way back, it sent me right off to sleep – one of the better sleeps I’ve had on our trip. I awoke to find traffic jam on the Golden Gate Bridge and fog all over the place. Great.

Day 2 in SFO: chowder, sourdough and crazy fog

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We’re onto our second day in the wonderful city of San Francisco and after waking up at 2am the previous day I survived another 20 hours on the road without any rest. Oh boy it sure was a long but fruitful day.

First up was breakfast at an all-American diner – Lori’s Diner. It’s a very 50′s diner complete with memorabilia and red and white diner seats. When they say food in America is super sized they are not kidding. I am one who usually eat up everything on my plate no matter how full I am but this is the 2nd meal in San Francisco that I cannot finish no matter how hard I forced myself to chew and swallow. I ordered Lori’s famous french toast plus an Oreo milkshake, thinking that serving size would be just like the ones in Perth – substantial but not overly filling. Boy was I wrong. The french toast came in 3 thick slices of bread cut in half essentially giving me 6 freaking pieces of bread. Don’t get me wrong, it was good but way too much. The milkshake was good too. It’s not like the usual runny liquid-y ones we get in Perth. This one was t-h-i-c-k, almost like a smoothie consistency. I dare not even think how many scoops of ice cream are in there. They serve it in a milkshake glass and give you the leftovers. It was enough for 2 people and I managed to consume 3/4 of it.

After breakfast we planned to take the cable car, or trolley as San Franciscans call it, to the Fisherman’s Wharf area. You know that cable car stop on Powell and Market Streets? Here’s a hint: Either you get there super duper early or take alternative transportation instead if you wake up late. Walk a few blocks up and you might find a shorter line. The thing is that the trolley can only take a few number of passengers and they won’t usually fill it up in order to accommodate passengers from other stops. We got there late so the waiting time was close to, or at least, an hour. Not wanting to waste any more time K and I decided to take the F-line, like the trams in Melbourne. It’s not as fun as the cable car but takes you to right in front of Pier 39. Pier 39 is not the wharf exactly but is a must go and see. It’s like Disneyland but without the rides and characters. You can find everything in there – fruit stalls, souvenir shops, ice cream shops, chocolatiers and, of course, restaurants that serve seafood freshly caught early morning. A must try is the clam chowder sourdough bread bowl – creamy soup served in a Boudin Bakery sourdough cob. I am not a huge fan of sourdough bread but Boudin may have just converted me. We make sourdoughs in our bakery back home but this one here in San Francisco is way better. Well, after all, San Francisco is famous for its sourdough bread. Perfectly crusty and very tasty. I can’t really explain it but you just know it when you chew it that it is one tasty bread.

Then we’re off to visit Alcatraz Prison, home to Al Capone and the Bird Man, America’s once toughest prison, closed down in 1963. We were lucky because a couple sold us their extra tickets for a cheaper price and for the tour that was just departing. Remember to bring a jacket with hood when you go there. Head to the top deck of the cruise boat and fog and strong cold wind will be right in front of your face. Upon arrival a ranger briefed us about safety what nots and gave a us short history of the prison. Just keep walking uphill to where you get your audio tour and follow the instructions. It was a very smart way of guiding people, really, without the need for a tour guide. It tells you of the history, escape attempts, warden profiles and the like. I’m actually surprised that the prison itself is not as gloomy and claustrophobic as I thought it would be. The individual prison cells were claustrophobic though specially the solitary confinement cells. It gives you time to reflect when you visualise how the prisoners lived. Mostly, it just gave me the chills. Here’s another tip – don’t make the same mistake as I did – wear sneakers and not flats. The roads are uneven and when you start running downhill your toes will begin to hurt in flats.

After taking the cruise boat back to Pier 31, K and I had a long debacle on whether or not to take the cable car up to Lombard Street to find the crookedest street. Again, this is where wearing sneakers comes in handy. We ended up walking there because it is really not that far from the wharf. San Franciscan blocks are not that big of a block so it was walkable. With us on lower hill, it was such a trek to get up to the crookedest part of Lombard Street. When you get to the base of the crookedness try looking back and you would see just how steep the streets are. There was such a sense of accomplishment on my part when I saw that I managed to climb up that hill of a street. Oh yes, another tip here: take the photo from the base of the crookedness. Once you get to the top to try to take a top view photo you wouldn’t really see anything. Unless you are really really really tall, standing on one of the posts there holding up a self-timered camera screwed on a really long tripod, all you will see is a fog covered city and plants. After that climb there was no way I was going back down that hill – I felt a little nauseous at the sight of the steepness. K felt the same way so we crossed to the other side of the street where there is a cable car stop. Being on the top of the hill in an extremely foggy day (is that normal in San Francisco?!) we almost froze to death waiting for the cable car that either took forever to arrive or is too full to pick up passengers. Okay, feeling the fog on your face was cool for the first few minutes but when it started getting colder and colder I couldn’t help but curse the cable car. Half an hour later it finally arrived and we ran towards it when the conductor yelled he had space for 7 passengers.

Riding the cable car was such a fun experience. It was like riding the trams in Hong Kong only this was much smaller and had no second floor. It costs $6 one way! We bought a City Pass to allow us to ride on Muni transportation unlimited. What made the ride fun was going up and down the hill and making turns. K and I were standing inside packed with other passengers and holding on with 1 hand does not really help when you are going downhill. Everyone slips forward and you hear people go ooooooh. The conductors will forewarn you though if the trolley’s going downhill or making turns to ensure that you hold on tight.

What better way to end the day than retail shopping? We got off near Union Square and went shopping at Macy’s and H&M. Though there wasn’t really anything to spend on it was good having a look around and trying on things. After the shops closed we had a very late dinner at Chipotle, a Mexican chain. This restaurant gave me a new liking to burritos and that is all they sell.

We got back to the hotel after 20 hours and I dropped dead. Okay, not dead, more like drifted off into an uninterrupted sleep.

Journey to a thousand miles begins with a single step, literally.

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More than 5,000 miles later – couple that with 4 movies, 1 episode each of UK Junior Masterchef and Modern Family, Adele’s 21 album and 7 hours of sleep tops – it is such a relief to say that after 26 hours of flight and transit time, K and I have finally made it safely to San Francisco.

This was my first time aboard a Singapore Airlines aircraft and with their badge as one of the best airlines they sure did not disappoint. Customer service was good. Entertainment on board was so-so. There were not a lot of movies and TV shows to choose from but they did have the latest ones like X-Men: First Class and Bridesmaids. Food was exceptionally good too. While most people loathe airplane food I, for one, am one of those weirdos who actually look forward to airplane meals. I think I am so over Cathay Pacific food already that Singapore Airlines food was such a breather for me. I wouldn’t usually eat the appetisers in Cathay coz they suck but the ones in SQ were so delicious! We had 6 airplane meals altogether and if I had to choose the beef goulash would be the best one so far.

We have stepped into 3 cities – Singapore, Seoul, San Francisco – within 24 hours. We only made it to the airport for the first 2 cities but both airports were pretty awesome. Singapore’s Changi Airport Terminal 3 is absolutely fantastic! It is very modern, clean and busy. We had 3 hours to kill so we walked around instead of getting some sleep as originally planned. They had showers, gym and a butterfly garden. Well we never made it to the butterfly garden because we couldn’t find it. K was dying to get a foot massage and the airport offered a free service for that. We were thinking of masseuses giving foot rubs but instead found a foot massager machine. It was not that great but good enough to get your circulation going again after a long flight. Then off to get some breakfast and of course that Asian in me decided to have wonton noodles at 7am, just silently praying that I won’t get indigestion. After breakfast we decided it’s time to get some sleep so where better to do this than on the seats in the waiting room lounge.

The reality of being in the USA did not really sink in instantly. It’s probably because we are literally dead tired. Crying babies, turbulance and exotic smells on board just made it quite impossible to get proper sleep and, quite frankly, I was very grumpy at this point. It wasn’t until we stepped out of Powell St station and seeing all the buildings and shops standing majestically above us that we realised this is a far cry from the quiet city of Perth that we came from. We were instantly greeted by street performers with a roaring crowd. The hustle and bustle of San Francisco made me feel alive once again and I was not so tired after all.

We headed straight to the hotel after getting into the city and slept for a few hours then got dinner and groceries. There are no supermarkets in San Francisco?! How bizarre. We found Walgreens and I find it so strange that most of the products they sell are locked with security. I want that shampoo but, no, you have to press a button for assistance to be able to get that bottle of shampoo. Maybe those products are high risk for theft? Only in America.

So now it’s about 4am here and I am wide awake typing these words. Can anyone spell jet lag? I’m signing off now to try and get some sleep before I need to wake up again in a couple of hours.