大山無價

I've heard great things about this restaurant, so we decided to have a family meal there on Sunday night.

Located in the beautiful mountains of Taipei county, 大山無價 is famous for its heavenly scenery and surroundings (we could see it better if we went during the day), the rare ingredients used in the dishes, the creative courses, the exquisite presentation, and the enjoyment of "slow dining".

There were a total of 13 courses over a 2.5 hour dining experience. There's no menu, and all of courses were prepared by the famous chef that are primarily influenced by Japanese cuisine. I was impressed by the presentation and the interesting combination of ingredients in each dish.

The truth is I'm glad that I tried this place, but honestly, I didn't love it. I was also surprised that the service was not as good as I've heard. It is questionable whether I'd go back.

No Place Compares to...

Taiwan!

It was a perfect 10-day visit to my hometown, one of the most beautiful places on earth! The air was dewy sweet, the people were warm and passionate, the food is everything I've been dreaming about, and the family that always holds the special place in my heart.

One of the main reasons for our visit this time was to celebrate Jeff's grandma's 90th birthday. Many of Jeff's family also went back from the U.S., including his uncles, aunts, cousins. It was really great to meet some of them for the first time!

Waiting for us after we landed late on Saturday night were local foods and fruits prepared by Jeff's mom....yes, how lucky we are! And that was the beginning of our feast for the next 10 days.

Nick Vujicic

There really are no excuses for the rest of us....NO Excuses!

Thank you, Grace, for sharing :)

The Hungarian Experience

To celebrate our friend Chris' birthday, Chris and his wife, Suzanna, invited us to their favorite traditional Hungarian restaurant in Hillside, IL. It was my first Hungarian experience and an unforgettable one!

Chris is American-born, but he is fluent in Hungarian. It was impressive to see him communicating with the servers and ordering for the table. We ordered many traditional dishes, and they are delicious! My favorites are garlic bread (Lángos), chicken or veal paprikas, garlic sausages and fried frog legs. There are a couple dishes on the menu that I just have to try -- calf's liver and their traditional fish soup! These two dishes are very different from anything I've tasted. The calf's liver is very tender and sauteed with onions. The fish soup is salty and sour, which I really enjoyed. Another dish that made an impression on me was the Zucchini. It was shredded in a creamy dill sause.

Chris also brought a lot of champagne, wine, palinka (traditional Hungarian fruit brandy), as well as Absinthe. It was my first time trying Absinthe, and Suzanna captured a great picture after I took the shot.

It was such a fun night! Jeff was our designated driver, so he was really holding his liquor :)

Partners for Life

After a few glasses of wine...

me: You never told me why you wanted to spend the rest of your life with me...
Jeff: Well, it's because you're goofy.
me: Haha, very funny. No, seriously, tell me.
Jeff: I feel we connect in so many ways.
me: I know, but what made you say, "I want to spend the rest of my life with this person, and not anybody else?
Jeff: You really make me think about things that I normally don't think about.

Thanks for indulging me, bud. And thank you for being patient with me, and for standing by me through thick and thin. You make me realize what really is important in life.

The Best Prime Rib Restaurant

and yes, it is Lawry's!

We decided to walk around downtown and run a few errands Saturday afternoon. We window-shopped in the gold coast, where we haven't been in a couple years, and then back to Michigan Avenue. After strolling for a couple hours, we were wondering what to have for dinner. Since Lawry's was just a few blocks away, we decided to go and see if they have any tables available. Luckily, the wait was only like 15-20 minutes!

The last time we were at Lawry's was when Kuo-Hsun visited us about 1.5 years ago. We had a great meal there and headed to the Red Head Piano Bar. This time we were actually sitting at the same table as last time! We ordered our usual dishes, prime rib, baked potatoes, sauteed mushrooms. The meal comes with their famous and delicious spinning salad and Yorkshire pudding. We also shared a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon.

What a great impromptu prime rib dinner to treat ourselves :)

Remembering Dixin Kitchen

It was a sad day in the early summer. When we called to make sure Dixie Kitchen was open, we were told it is closed PERMANENTLY! Jeff and I looked at each other and were stunned, "Oh, no!" Dixie Kitchen is our favorite restaurant for Southern cuisine in Chicago. Their fried oysters with special dipping sauce might be one of the best things I've tasted. We also loved their gumbo, jambalaya and red beans and rice. Though we realized many of these most ordered dishes will be available at their sister restaurant, Calypso Cafe, right across the street, we were too skeptical to try it.

This Saturday, we just really crave the fried oysters, so we decided to pay a visit to Calypso Cafe. While Dixie Kitchen was full of character with its southern interior design, walking into Calypso Cafe is like visiting a tropical restaurant in Key West or Hawaii. It was a pleasant surprise that we found "shrimp and conch fritter" in the menu, and they are really tasty and authentic! That definitely is a plus because we fell in love with conch fritters in Key West, but haven't been able to find them in Chicago. The gumbo and jambalaya were the same as those in Dixie Kitchen, but I thought the breading on the fried oysters was a little thicker.

Oh well, the whole Calypso experience was actually pretty good. The addition of the shrimp and conch fritter definitely helps!

Thinking in Relative Terms

"The Informant!" is a new movie that both Jeff and I really enjoyed this Saturday. It is based on a true story about Mark Whitacre, the high-level executive at ADM turned whistle-blower in the early 1990s. Being an extremely intelligent and knowledgeable individual, we think Whitacre's biggest downfall might lie in his always thinking in relative terms.

It is a very funny and quirky film, and Matt Damon was incredible in portraying the main character. It might not be a movie that everyone loves, but it will definitely leave you thinking after watching it!

Stumbling on Happiness

This book piqued my interest not only because of the title, but also because I wanted to get more insights on how human mind works from a renowned Harvard psychologist, Daniel Gilbert. "Stumbling on Happiness" discussed how the shortcomings of our imagination and foresight cause us to misconceive our future and misestimate our satisfactions.

According to Gilbert, human being is the only animal that thinks about the future. When we think about the future, our emotion is being affected by our imagination of the future, whether it's happiness or anxiety. Gilbert discussed the results of many latest scientific research in psychology, cognitive neuroscience, philosophy and behavioral economics. Though some of the research results are not surprising to me at all, his conclusions in discussing how human mind works can be quite intriguing.

"And when I go there, I go there with you..."

It was a perfect Saturday night, and we shared it with a few good friends and 68,000 other people. U2 kicked off its North America tour in Chicago's Soldier Field (where Chicago Bears play), and it was amazing!

We met up with the Vlahavas' and the Massucci's at Opera for dinner before the show. It was, to me, a French-fusion Chinese restaurant. Many of the traditional Chinese dishes were transformed into a more decorative entree with creative ingredients and a obvious Western twist in the flavor. We shared a few appetizers before the entree, and I was actually very pleased with my sea scallop with Thai chili corn, hoisin sause and crispy pork belly. Since Opera was conveniently located in the South Loop, many diners were also going to the show.

U2 shows have always been our favorite, and we actually went to 3 or 4 of them in 2005. Their stage design always captures me, and it's no exception this time. The center stage turns 360-degrees, and the island and bridge structure allowed the band more interaction with the fans. Our seats were to the left side of the stage (closer to where The Edge stands), which was perfect! They played a few of their new songs, but also a bunch of their greatest hits throughout the years. "Bad" was a surprise for Jeff, and I was always excited to hear "One", "With or Without You", "Where the Streets Have no Name", "Walk On" and "Elevation". Soldier Field is a great place for concerts, and I'm glad I saw U2 there!

House Warming Party

Though we've had a few friends over for dinner or drinks here and there, this is the first big party we've thrown since we moved to our new home. We had over 25 friends join us this Saturday for a house warming get-together.

We prepared the popular pot stickers, Chinese cold noodle, potato salad, and grilled out burgers, dogs and steaks. I'm glad that my vodka lemonade and chocolate-covered strawberries were big hits, too!

It was just so great to see friends relaxing in our yard, hanging out on our deck, watching football on our couch and simply having a great time. We also got so much compliments on our house.


I'm grateful to have such a group of good friends, and getting together with them is always so much fun.

"The Train Whistle Melody Woved Through the Trees"

It was unlike any other concert I've been to. The free-spirited dancing fans, the smoke and smell of cigarettes and others filled in the air, the flying glow sticks, and the 15-minute songs. Yes, I'm talking about the Phish show. The "phish heads" amaze me. They are true fans....hard-core.

It was a Tuesday evening, and it took us 2 hours to drive to Toyota Park, where the Chicago Fire plays. I have to say, it was the perfect place for a Phish concert other than Soldier Field in the Chicago land. The music and cheering started while we were grabbing some pulled pork and tall boys. Walking into the show was an one-of-a-kind experience itself. "Phish heads" were swinging, tapping, swirling and frolicking all over the place and really enjoying themselves. To me, it was one of the few concerts that worth experiencing at least once in a lifetime.

Disappointing News...

The potential buyers of our condo are pulling back on their deal. The inspection went well with no major issues; however, the buyers wanted to move the kitchen sink to a different location in the kitchen. They got an estimate from their contractor and felt it was too expensive.

In addition to that, while they were in the area to check out the neighborhood this weekend, they ran across a few folks that may have had too much to drink and were turned off by it. This type of crowd rarely appears on our street, but it can happen to any neighborhoods in an urban environment. That's the difference between living in the suburbs vs. in the city.

Anyway, as of this morning, they have pulled out their contract, and the deal is off. I'm really hoping this is a bless in disguise, and we will get another offer soon. Paying double mortgage is definitely not desirable. We are keeping our fingers-crossed, so wish us luck!

Too Much Substance

Me: Who sings this song?
Jeff: Jacob Dylan, Bob Dylan's son.
Me: Oh yeah, I've heard of him. His band is The Wallflowers, right?
Jeff: Yup
Me: Do you like wallflowers?
Jeff: What exactly is a wallflower anyway?
Me: Well, I think in Chinese "a wallflower" implies that a person who is very attractive, but doesn't have much substance.
Jeff: Oh, yeah? Interesting...
Me: Do you think I'm a wallflower?
Jeff: If that's what wallflowers mean in your definition, then you're definitely not.
Me: Really? Thanks, bud!
Jeff: Well, you have too much substance.
Me: Too much? Why?
Jeff: .......
Me: Is it because I tend to argue with you?
Jeff: .......(nodding)

Getting Comfy and Settled In

Scraps has gotten pretty comfy with the new home. He is now used to napping in his own bed by our couch most of the time (while we are around, of course). One Saturday morning, I woke up seeing him sleeping on Jeff's pillow like a little person!

Our outdoor space might still be his favorite. He loves not only to run around in our back yard, but also to hang out on our front porch.

This picture was taken this afternoon. He looked quite like a neighborhood watch dog!