restaurant review: blue ginger in wellesely, massachusetts

Blue Ginger.

While on a work-related road trip around the country, Mr. Sazy Rock and I decided to check out Blue Ginger in Wellesley, MA. It is a restaurant owned by renowned celebrity chef, Ming Tsai. I've always admired Chef Tsai primarily because of his very informative cooking show on PBS, a public television network. So, I admittedly came in with very high expectations.

travel zen on friday: riga, latvia

Riga.

Old town Riga around dusk.

las vegas north premium outlets - mini haul

(Las Vegas, Nevada).  One of my favorite things to do in Las Vegas is to outlet shop, and my favorite place to do it is the Las Vegas North Premium Outlets.  They recently opened up a new section with higher-end outlet stores (e.g., last call neiman marcus, saks fifth avenue off 5th, rag & bone, etc.) and the choices can be a bit overwhelming!  (See here for center map and store listings.)

What did I end up getting this time?

restaurant review: sakamoto

During a recent trip to Kyoto, there was a dish I ate (I still don't know which one) that didn't agree with me. It was very sad because that meant I was sidelined for one night and couldn't join Mr. Sazy Rock during his food and drinks research. (And, to be honest, I think he was sad too because he couldn't research as much because he couldn't order as much.)

But, I was in town for business. So, I was a good little trooper and went with Mr. SR to help him research the cocktail scene in Kyoto as soon as I felt a little bit better. Bartender extraordinaire Kenji Tsubokura of Bar Rocking Chair recommended that, if I was up for it, we should have a Kaiseki meal at a restaurant called Sakamoto. Kaiseki is essentially a Japanese high end small plates dining experience that has origins in tea ceremonies. Nowadays, it's very modern and based on entertainment and not ceremony. 

travel zen on friday - halong bay

laneige water sleeping mask review

I don't know about you but whenever I am on a long flight or in Las Vegas for a long weekend, my skin becomes severely dehydrated from the recycled air.  After years of suffering, I suddenly wised up and started bringing hydrating sheet masks with me but they seemed to only offer me temporary relief.

Recently I purchased the Laneige Water Sleeping Mask - a cult favorite among Korean skincare products - and I decided to test it out in Las Vegas.  Did it work???

restaurant review: butagumi in tokyo, japan

Upon learning that Mr. Sazy Rock and I were going on a business trip to Japan, a friend of ours highly recommended Butagumi, a restaurant that specializes in pork tonkatsu. Tonkatsu is a breaded and fried pork or chicken cutlet dish. Well, Mr. SR and I love pork, tonkatsu and pork tonkatsu. So, we were only too pleased to give it a go. So, thank you, Mel, for the recommendation.

The Butagumi kitchen.

The Scene

travel zen on friday: sunset in riga

Riga

I took this picture from the Bastejkalns just outside the old town city walls of Riga, Latvia. I loved how the sky changed colors during sunset. No photo manipulation here.

restaurant review: slanted door in san francisco

(San Francisco, CA).  The first time I went to Slanted Door was probably around 13 years ago and I'm happy to report (based on a recent visit) that it's still as tasty as ever.   It is a great special occasion/date restaurant - there's always an energetic atmosphere, a gorgeous view, fantastic service and delicious, modern and award-winning Vietnamese cuisine.  It's rare for a restaurant to stay open while maintaining its quality and hype, and yet somehow Slanted Door has managed to stay on top.   My husband had never eaten here before and I was happy to introduce him to some of my favorite dishes.

restaurant review: usukifugu yamadaya in tokyo, japan

Fugu.

When Mr. Sazy Rock and I recently went on a business trip to Japan, he wanted to try fugu, a fish that, supposedly, if certain parts were eaten or if prepared poorly, could cause death. So, because I highly value living, we chose to dine at Usukifugu Yamadaya, a three-star Michelin restaurant, on the theory that we increase the likelihood of us surviving a meal based on a potentially deadly fish by having dishes prepared by a fugu master.

travel zen on friday: i miss greece!

Happy Friday!

new local favorite bar and special occasion restaurant in los angeles (normandie club and le comptoir)!

(Los Angeles, CA).  I really enjoy cocktails and it's been wonderful seeing the improvement in LA's cocktail scene over the last several years.  I remember a time when I couldn't get a decent sazerac or old fashioned in town nor could I find a bartender who even knew how to make a bee's knees.  Today, that has completely changed.  

Recently, I tried out Normandie Club - which is a newish bar that opened about six months ago in Korea Town - and now I'm hooked!  When you first enter, you see a well-stocked bar to the left and a few banquettes and tables on the right.  It is a bit dark, but in a nice intimate way.  The staff is friendly and unpretentious and the crowd so far has been mellow and a bit hipster.  Hopefully that won't change as this place gets more and more popular.

But the true star are the cocktails - expertly prepared and absolutely tasty.  I especially enjoy sitting at the bar so I can watch the creations.  Currently there is no food (boo), but a server told me that will likely change soon.  I don't know how people can (or want to) drink without snacks.

hotel review: scarlet huntington on nob hill in san francisco

View from our room.

(San Francisco, CA).  Based on reading the lovely reviews on tripadvisor, I decided to try yet another boutique hotel in San Francisco - namely, the Scarlet Huntington.  I had avoided the Nob Hill area in the last few years since I am lazy and didn't want to trek up and down those hills, but the thought of being able to enjoy the views of the city while enjoying an indoor pool/jacuzzi was sufficient to entice me out of my laziness.
 

View of entrance from across the street.

After almost an entire week at a business hotel in the financial district, it was a nice treat to 'upgrade' to a more luxurious experience.  So how was my stay?

restaurant review: 3 pavaru restorans in riga, latvia

3 Pavaru.

Prior to embarking on my solo trip to the Baltics, I made a few searches on the interwebs for places to eat. That research resulted in me checking out 3 Pavaru Restorans in Riga. Apparently, the restaurant was the brain child of three highly acclaimed local chefs. That could be good.... or bad. So, this is what happened.