Mini Reunion Pt 2: SF / SJ Eats

If you ever have the opportunity to visit Yosemite, I would highly recommend going on the Moonlight Tour.  They drive you through the Valley on an open-air tram, serve you hot chocolate, and show you the most stunningly beautiful sights.  I was awestruck throughout the entire 2 hours.  I wish I had pictures to show you, but my phone was sorely inadequate at nighttime photography.  I think Cee captured some good pics though!

The next day, we proceeded back to the Bay Area for the eating portion of the visit.  Between the hours of 11am and 7pm, we visited a total of 6 eateries (Sonic for breakfast, Matcha Love, Paris Baguette, Mango Medley, Shanghai Dumpling King, and Hakka).  Though successful in eating many different things in one day, even I have to admit it may have been overly ambitious.  We were so STUFFED.

Matcha Love 

Triple Ice (Sesame, Matcha, and Vanilla soft serve in a waffle bowl), and Hoji-cha Boba

My favorite ice cream was the Sesame.  Have you ever had that black sesame dessert?  Same concept here and it was delicious.  The Hoji-cha had a nice roasted / nutty flavor, but the boba was on the bland side.

Mango Medley

Clockwise from the top: Mango Medley Delight, Banana & Coconut Ice Cream Pillows, Mango Sticky Rice, and Mango Panna Cotta Bowl

Perfect as usual - I will never tire of this place!  I'm adding the Mango Sticky Rice to my regular ordering rotation now.

More pictures on instagram here and here.  Part 1 photos here.

And then sadly it was over.  The children are still asking where Elle and Cee went.  They made quite the impression!

Mini Reunion: Girls' Trip to Yosemite

Some snaps from my weekend camping trip to Yosemite with Elle & Cee.  Will write a proper post soon!  :)

Tunnel View, Yosemite

Taking a picture of Cee taking a picture of Elle :)

Elle & Cee - Mariposa Grove

Marveling at the California Tunnel Tree

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!

LA Fabric Shopping & Science Geekery

We've visited LA several times in the past and spent most of our time eating.  For this particular trip, we decided to DO something as well as eat (ahem, priorities!).

Fabric Shopping - LA Fashion District
While the kids napped and my husband was mindlessly playing soccer games on his phone, I got to spend a precious hour at Michael Levine, a fantastically large (70,000 sq. ft.) fabric store in the heart of LA's Fashion District.  ML is split into 3 stores - the main store (pictured below), a home decor fabrics store across the street, and The Loft (also across the street) that sells a POUND of fabric for $2.50.  Unfortunately, the Loft was closed when I went, but I will definitely be checking it out on my next trip.

 Fabric Heaven - prices ranged from $3/yd and up

Well-priced zippers and 6000 yard cones of thread were only $2.25

Designer fabric options include Armani, Liberty of London, and more

Storefront

The Loft and a peek at other fabric stores (so many!) in the area.  I could spend days here if given the opportunity.  

My loot:

Soft neutral jersey, $5/yd

Brushstrokes chiffon, $3.50/yd

Chain print knit, $5/yd

Navy Stripes Knit, $5/yd

Navy stripes cotton, $5.50/yd

Science Geekery
I am a tried and true science nerd.  I loved the hand-me-down chemistry set my cousin gave me (though all the "cool" chemicals were used up) and spent many years working in Pharmaceuticals as a Chemist.  So I was delighted when the rest of the family was as excited as I was about visiting Griffith Observatory (no admission charge, but I'd recommend making a donation to help support such a wonderful facility):

Periodic Table display

V learning about the stars

Both kids were intrigued by the exhibits

Nice views of the city on their decks

Hollywood sign nearby

 What are your go-to places when traveling?

Travel Maxi Dress DIY

On a whim, we decided to road trip to LA and visit some family.  In preparation for the 6 hour drive, I decided to slap together a maxi on the serger.  The words "slap together" did not work for me as my attempt to quickie sew backfired and I wound up tearing the dress apart 3 times (working up till 2 am the night before the trip).  I still need to properly hem the thing (right now it's narrow hemmed by my serger which is too visible of a hem for me), but this works for now and it lived up to my needs of comfy travel garb.

Machines: Regular sewing machine w/ twin needle for gathering and serger for all other construction.  LOVE the built-in stretch of serger stitching on knits!

Materials: 2 yards red ponte roma fabric (this is quite heavy, but very stretchy - modal might have been a better choice, but I wanted to use something I had on hand)

Difficulty: Easy if you don't try to shortcut it (I eyeballed instead of pinning - bad idea)

Dress Pattern: Modified bodice from McCall's M5893 (cut the neckline extra high then drew the asymmetry and cut), self-drafted skirt, bodice edges finished with facings rather than full lining to make sure it didn't get too thick / hot (ponte)

Another asymmetrical neckline

Long and drape-y with gathers at the center front and back.  This helps with tummy camouflage and I think the vertical lines look elongating (at least I hope so).  Belting it made it seem slimmer IRL, but the pictures here don't seem to look that great.

 The color IRL is more like this bright red from my original instagram

Will post about the fabric stores and food here soon!

Hong Kong: Fabric Shopping & Travel Musings

This post marks my last (finally! Sorry for drawing it out, I didn't have the energy to make one gigantic post) Hong Kong travel installment.  If interested, here are the other posts:

• Shopping: Bargaining and Buyer Beware
• Local / Traditional Eats
• Other Asian Cuisines
• Kanizen: Japanese Crab Restaurant

Aside from the food, I was most excited about the prospect of fabric shopping in Hong Kong.  After finding this useful post from Traveller's Yarn, I knew to check out Ki Lung Street in Sham Shui Po for good bargains.

Finds from Ki Lung Street in Sham Shui Po

Fabric swatches galore in Sham Shui Po

Where we were - we also noted some street markets in the vicinity selling similar wares as the Ladies Market, but at more competitive pricing.

Recommended by my Aunts, we also visited the Western Market in Central for higher end silks and brocades:

Western Market in Central

Since I'm still not crazy confident in my sewing skills, I wound up buying a little brocade but did not purchase any silks.

Scenic Pics:

 Tsim Sha Tsui on a gloomy day

 Central

 Central (or Sheung Wan - I can't remember)

Hung Hom

The rest of this will be a very wordy post, so please feel free to skip :)

HK Preparation
Almost every major decision in my life has been researched first on Google - house hunting, car buying / selling, travel, etc.  It goes without saying that many little things are also Googled first - where to eat, what to do in X, where to find X.  We had originally planned on visiting Hong Kong around my birthday in October.  How apropos would it be to visit your birthplace on your birthday?  My mother has always planned our Asia trips with a travel agent and I wanted to do a pulse-check to see if that was still the best / most economical way to travel.  So I tapped the shoulders of fellow Asia-travel enthusiasts Elle, Cee, and Jean, and found none had gone the travel agency route.  (To appease Mom, I also checked with several travel agents and the prices were the same or slightly higher.  I *think* if you were planning a multi-country trip, the prices might be better.)

I first did some Kayak research which essentially told me October was a semi-pricey time to travel, but March / April had some good deals.  I was excited to see that Singapore Airlines (have always heard such good things about them) had a direct flight from SFO to HKG and went on their website to find out more about their flight "amenities".  To my surprise, the prices on their website were over $100 cheaper than quoted on Kayak!  A bonus was that the A380 also offered bassinets for children under age 2 - perfect for Baby E.

The Flight
Even with 2 little ones, our flights (both redeyes to take advantage of sleepy children) went pretty smoothly.  Our son either slept, watched the bevy of in-flight entertainment options (so many movies and programming!), or played with the iPad.  Our daughter slept for small snippets and had some cranky moments, but we tried our best in entertaining her with family photos / videos and snacks.  Often lauded, the service, food, and options of Singapore Airlines really did live up to the hype.  If given the choice, this will be our go-to HK airline from now on.

In Hong Kong
HK is not much of a morning person.  Most shops do not open until noon-ish, but there are plenty of yummy breakfast places to occupy your time (mostly open at 7 am).  Our daily schedule consisted of cha chaan teng breakfast - nap - lunch - sightseeing - nap/swim w/ the kids - dinner.

Garb

I gave up trying to look cute after Day 1 in favor of my running shoes, cropped pants, and loose, flowy tops with a scarf and cardigan at the ready for heavily air conditioned malls / eateries.

Fashion-wise, it appeared as though there were 2 general style populations - those that were uber casual (Converse sneakers, skinny pants, flowy tops, little to no makeup) and those that were willing to suffer for fashion (sky high heels, short and/or body con dresses, very made up).  I quickly fell into the casual one and was thankful I could travel in comfort without looking too touristy.  The amount of walking we did helped offset the mass amounts of food we consumed.  It was that much walking and that much sweating (humid high 80s)!

If you plan on traveling to HK or a similar destination, I would highly recommend the following:

• Look for hotels within an easy walking distance from the MTR (mass transit rail)
• Take a little time to map out where you'll be spending your time and where you'll be staying.  You wouldn't want to stay in Tung Chung if you're planning on spending the majority of your time in Kowloon Bay (opposite sides, multiple transfers).
• Bring your most comfortable shoes
• Bring weather-appropriate garments (read: hot weather), but also a jacket and scarf.  The temperature indoors is a stark contrast to the heat outdoors.  Garments with pockets are a plus!
• Be wary of pickpockets when it comes to your wallet / purse.  I wore my crossbody bag in front of me.  Seeing people with backpacks worn in front is a common occurrence.
• Many hotels now supply you with a converter.  Check if this is offered before you buy one.
• If you have small children, bring a small, lightweight stroller that can recline.  Between the jet lag and all the walking, they spent a good portion of the day zonked out in the stroller.
• Bring small "fresh" (either ones they haven't played with in a while or new ones) toys to occupy the children on the plane

Looking forward to going back in a few years!

7th Wedding Anniversary & SF City Exploration

My husband and I have a tendency to forget our anniversary every year until the day is actually upon us.  This year, we remembered a few days in advance (we are such romantics) and decided to explore San Francisco more sans children.

7 Years Ago

We spent the day hiking, sightseeing, and of course, eating:

 Sutro Baths & Lands End Trail 

 Palace of Fine Arts

Hong Kong Breakfast

Giant Bubble Teas (3, because we tend to overindulge)

Sashimi and Sushi

Via Yelp, we discovered Silvanas, a frozen Filipino cookie reminiscent to a macaron.  They are heavenly!  Only $12 for 14.

Flavors included Original Buttercream, Strawberry, Ube (a type of yam), Mango, Pandan, Mocha, and Chocolate

Mango, strawberry, and original were my favorites.

To everyone in the US, I hope you're having a wonderful Memorial Day weekend.  Endless admiration and gratitude to those who serve our country past and present.

Hong Kong Eats: Kanizen (Japanese Crab Restaurant)

Upon review, I realized I took around 150 food pics during our recent trip to Hong Kong.  That's a LOT of eating!  I'm not planning on dedicating a post to each restaurant we went to (that'd be 12 weeks of nonstop food posts), but Kanizen is an exception.  I am a huge fan of Japanese food and seafood, so when I heard about a Japanese Crab restaurant, I was beside myself.  I know that sounds exaggerated, but my stomach is very influential upon my moods.  :)

It took me a few minutes to realize this was a door (press white button on right side and it will open) and not a wall.  If I could read, that nifty little sign probably would have told me that.

The crab tank upon entering

A private room w/ 3 self-cooking stations

Grilled edamame and Chuwanmushi (a savory egg custard dish - silky smooth!)

Shabu shabu w/ a basket

Assorted fresh mushrooms, noodles, tofu, and veggies for hot pot

Matsuba Crab Tempura and veggies

See that green powder in the corner?  This is green tea salt (new to me) and it tastes good on EVERYTHING

Horsehair crab for shabu shabu

Gorgeously marbled Wagyu beef slices for shabu shabu

This crab really is hairy looking.  SO good and I very much appreciate them de-shelling a portion so I can eat it lazily

Crab Tsukune - a little like a crab meatball on a stick

 Grilled crab roe

 Our crab rice steaming away next to our strands of udon for shabu shabu

And the end result? Delicious!

The first time we tried to find this restaurant, we got lost and wound up getting there right when it closed.  Disheartened, we almost gave up on it since Wan Chai was so far from Sha Tin (4 MTR lines to get there).  On the very last day, we decided to try again and I am so glad we did!

Despite the fact that we didn't have reservations, the staff very kindly let us dine in one of their private rooms upstairs.  The private room was fantastic both for the overall experience and for the kids.  Service was very attentive without being intrusive.  The wait staff took great care in informing us how to cook and/or eat each item.

We ordered 3 lunch sets (3 adults, 2 children).  One executive set ($500(?) HKD) including crab tempura, crab shabu shabu, grilled edamame, chuwanmushi, and veggies, one Wagyu set ($150 HKD) including wagyu beef and udon, and one Crab Rice set ($180 HKD) with Matsuba crab / salmon roe and the crab tsukane.  Each dish was beautifully presented, incredibly fresh, and oh so tasty.  I would highly recommend this restaurant for the food, service, and experience.

Stay tuned for more Hong Kong travelogue posts :)