Eat. Travel. Eat!

Trattoria Amici is a small, local, two location Italian restaurant chain (the other being in Brentwood ) focused on fresh ingredients, handmade pastas, and wine. On a recent visit to the Americana at Brand, we decided to visit it for lunch. . Inside, Trattoria Amici presents multiple seating areas and options, whether it be a covered patio or indoor seating with different setups. We were seated close to the main entrance, with plenty of sunlight flowing in from the windows. As we perused the regular menu and seasonal menu (spring) our waiter, who regularly checked up on us throughout our meal, brought us some warm, crust bread with fruity olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The soft interior and crusty exterior of the bread paired very well with the accompaniments, and were great to snack on while waiting for our main entrees. In curiosity of what handkerchief pasta would be like, I ordered the Fazzoletti Al Pesto, Gamberetti e Menta (19.95 USD) from the seasonal men...

A visit to Hong Kong entails a list of places to visit-- Tim Ho W an, a Mic hel in starred dim sum restaurant chain also widely known as the cheapest Mic helin starred di m sum, was on that list. We found one outlet conveniently located at the MTR Hong Kong Station , nestled beneath the large IFC Mall in Central , Hong Kong, and chec ked it out during a weekday lunch. The ca veat of the weekday lunch, however, is t hat the office workers nearby head down toward s IFC Mall for many delicious eate ries. Tim Ho Wan, as a result, was pack ed, with long queues for sitting inside the restaurant. Unwilling to wait, we d ecided t o order to-go, and enjoy the food at our hotel room instead. After filling out a menu sheet, paying for the ite ms, and waiting fo r only a short period of time, we were on our way t o en joying some dim sum.

Inspired by a post from Wandering Chopsticks , we decided to visit Bhan Kanom Thai--essentially the place to go for Thai desserts in Thai Town. With a whole host of homemade desserts, as well as a onset of special ethnic snacks, Bhan Kanom Thai truly is a fun place to be. So much so, that its dessert options have been featured on Buzzfeed , amongst other media outlets.

After disembarking from the Asiana Airlines Boeing 777 , it was time for the next step in my journey: a seven hour layover in Seoul Incheon International Airport! Prior to beginning the trip, I had read about how Seoul Incheon International Airport fuses culture for all passengers through various tours and programs . As I disembarked the plane, this became quickly evident, with large poster boards displaying delicious Korean cuisine and picturesque landscapes. Walking down the walkway, a transfer sign then directed me to the next step in the transfer process: a quick security screening. Given that the Asiana flight arrived so early in the morning (around 5 AM), there were barely any passengers other than those on my flight, and as I was one of the last to disembark, I barely even had to wait! A looser screening took place-- no need to remove belts and shoes, and no full x-ray scan-- and I was off to explore the airport. *Note: If you wanted to go on one of the ma...

After eating lunch at Zen Chinese Cuisine, a thirty-minute ride on the MTR whisked us off to our next destination, Hang Hou; that is the second to last stop to the right on the purple line in the picture. Having recently experienced other subway systems in the United States, I really appreciate the clarity and simplicity of the MTR system. Easy-to-hear prerecorded announcements are made between each stop, and the busier lines have interactive maps (as seen in the first picture) that make it easy to identify one's location. The purple line did not have these maps, but the clear announcements made up for the lack of those maps. When our friends met us at Hang Hou, they immediately treated us to egg tarts and milk tea at Honolulu Cafe, a chain that is quite famous for its egg tarts in Hong Kong. The egg tart and milk tea was a great starter to our Hang Hou visit. The Honolulu Cafe Egg Tart (4.5 HKD) had an eggy custard, and the crust was flaky while not being too o...

After a stroll in Hong Kong Park , we headed downstairs for a meal at Peking Garden in Pacific Place. We would have gone to Shang Place in Island Shangri-La (apparently where the mango and pomelo sago dessert was created), but since it was full, we headed towards Peking Garden, one of the two large Chinese restaurants in Pacific Place. Peking Garden, as the name may suggest, is famous for its Peking Duck; however, it does serve up a  plethora of fine Chinese food in an environment that Pacific Place says "resembles an ambiance of modern metropolitan America." It does certainly feel decidedly western; the crown moldings on the walls and comfortable chairs give a sophisticated, not tacky, Western feel. We were seated next to a wavy wood and glass wall that gives a modern touch to an otherwise classic environment.Yes, we could see the people in the elevators and vice versa, but this is undoubtedly a cool touch. Even the tea had a Western influence. The typical Chin...