XXIII

I could live on a diet of frozen treats. Preferably this meal plan would consist of Ben & Jerry’s Oatmeal Cookie Chunk, Phileo taro flavored frozen yogurt topped with red bean followed by cake batter flavored frozen yogurt topped with graham cracker crumbs, Ryan’s Homemade Ice Cream praline and cream ice cream, and Il Laboratorio pistachio gelato. In college, I gained the Freshman 15 by eating a pint of Ben & Jerry’s every other day. I don’t regret a single pound of it-- most of the time.

I grew up eating Breyer’s Vanilla Ice Cream and what I loved about Breyer’s is that their ice cream had actual vanilla beans in it. I thought I was so much cooler for having ice cream with black little specks in it than my other friends who, I was sure, had pedestrian vanilla ice cream in their freezers. Now that summer is winding down, I don’t see that as a reason to start segueing into fall foods. Let’s celebrate the end of summer with more ice cream!

I hadn't had vanilla ice cream in awhile so I decided to try David Lebovitz's recipe since his recipes are so popular with the food blogging crowd. This one called for a vanilla bean, which was perfect given that I wanted black specks in my ice cream. There are few things better than fresh churned homemade ice cream. The texture is creamier than the store bought version, and it's richer. The addition of vanilla bean adds a robust flavor and I will add another one the next time I make this to give it an even more pronounced vanilla flavor.

This was my first time making a custard base ice cream and here are some things that I learned:

• Temper the eggs slowly. In my excitement to have homemade ice cream as soon as possible, I poured too much of the hot cream into the eggs. I highly recommend starting off with a tablespoon or two in order to avoid scrambled eggs.


• Alcohol is essential to achieve a soft consistency so I added a tablespoon of vodka. Without the alcohol, the ice cream will be rock hard.


• If you don't have an ice cream maker (or if you break it like I did), you can simply pour the chilled custard into a shallow baking pan (I used an 8x8 and put mine in the freezer overnight) and stir every half hour. The key here is to break apart the frozen pieces which will give you a smoother consistency. Otherwise, your ice cream will be icy so be sure to mix thoroughly. For this recipe, it took about an hour for the ice cream to freeze.

Now that I've finally tried David's recipe, I'm certain that I will give the rest in his book, The Perfect Scoop, a try. Here’s to the “Quarter Life 15” I’m sure to gain; I’m going to revel in every pound.

Vanilla Ice Cream

Adapted from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz

Yields one quart

1 c. whole milk

A pinch of salt

3/4 c. sugar

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

2 c. heavy cream

5 large egg yolks

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1. Heat the milk, salt, and sugar in a saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the milk with a paring knife, then add the bean pod to the milk. Cover, remove from heat, and infuse for one hour.

2. To make the ice cream, set up an ice bath by placing a 2-quart (2l) bowl in a larger bowl partially filled with ice and water. Set a strainer over the top of the smaller bowl and pour the cream into the bowl.

3. In a separate bowl, stir together the egg yolks. Rewarm the milk then gradually pour some of the milk into the yolks, whisking constantly as you pour. Scrape the warmed yolks and milk back into the saucepan.

4. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom with a heat-resistant spatula, until the custard thickens enough to coat the spatula.

5. Strain the custard into the heavy cream. Stir over the ice until cool, add the vanilla extract, then refrigerate to chill thoroughly. Preferably overnight.

6. Remove the vanilla bean and freeze the custard in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

XXII

I'm a restaurant groupie. If I hear that the owner of a favorite eatery is opening a new restaurant, I stalk that spot like a fat kid stalks the cake at a birthday party. I will read up on any leaked details, follow the planning process and mark my calendar so I can go during the first week it goes public. Eddie Huang's latest endeavor, Xiao Ye, opened while I was away in China. Luckily, my friend Diana suggested we go there for dinner the week after I returned to the States. I was thrilled at the prospect of trying Xiao Ye’s take on late night food found at Taiwanese markets.

I always read reviews on Yelp prior to going to a restaurant. I like to know what people did and didn't like and I like to get an idea of what to expect in terms of food, service and atmosphere. Unfortunately, the reviews weren't too stellar. At all. I must admit, after reading them, I was a bit apprehensive about going to Xiao Ye. A few discontent eaters would be understandable, but if the overall consensus is more “ehhh” than “yay!” ? I looked at Eddie's blog and read this, "I won't put out food that isn't 100 and when we do open, I guarantee it'll be perfect." Then reviewers be damned because as a frequent diner at Baohaus, I know that Eddie can produce delicious food.

Diana and I went on a Thursday night and the restaurant was packed. The place is tiny and hip hop is the music of choice. Personal photos adorn one side of the wall and I laughed when I saw a few FOB-y childhood photos because I could totally relate. There's nothing quite like growing up being first generation and having Asian parents. I'm sure Eddie could relate to my childhood: my parents left the plastic on lampshades, we had a vinyl tablecloth on the kitchen table, the stove was covered with tinfoil, and our Tupperware consisted of old margerine tubs and jam jars. I grew up eating chicken feet and fighting with my brother over who got to eat the fish's eyeball. There wasn't any fish on the menu so I wouldn't have to fight with Diana over the eyeball but... she probably would be more than happy to let me have it.

Forget Yelp. Let’s review my choices here:

First, the Brick Sit on Wall Tofu: The deep-fried tofu's crunchy exterior, its silky innards and the combination of sweet chili sauce and peanut powder made me wish that Diana and I weren't sharing everything. Note to self: order this as my appetizer next time (emphasis on my).

Next? Help U Poo Poo Greens: Snow pea leaves with garlic. At first I thought, $9 for veggies? These better be dericious (chinglish speak, according to Eddie, for delicious), I better get more than just a few leaves and it best help me poo. I won't comment on the last criterion but the first two were definitely met.

Then, Big Trouble in Hainan Chicken: When Diana suggested ordering this dish, I wasn't too enthused. I've had horribly dry chicken at restaurants way too many times to order it anymore. Furthermore, I thought back to my experience in China three years ago. My aunt has a maid whose daily market run involved buying groceries and a chicken that I would, imaginatively, name Chicken Little. I'd say hi to the it as I passed by during the day and, come dinner time, what do I see? Chicken Little dead and completely naked on the kitchen counter! I gagged when I saw her gorgeous feathers in the trashcan and could not eat chicken that night or for the rest of my month that I was there. I made a mental note to never name and acknowledge any living creature that I would possibly eat.

The method used to cook Chicken Little is essentially the same used to cook Hainan Chicken. I'm not one to pass up trying any kind of food so I put that horrible memory behind me and tried a small bite. I then proceeded to eat most of it even though Diana and I were supposed to be sharing it. The chicken was incredibly moist without a dry piece in sight and the dipping sauces were so good that I wanted to drink the house made red chili sauce. And the rice! Oh, the rice! I normally don't care for rice. I never order it. I never make it at home or eat it when I'm at Chinese restaurants. I know; I'm Asian so I'm supposed to eat rice like it's crack. It just does nothing for me. That all changed when I had the chicken rice that is served with the Hainan Chicken. The large bowl of rice is so ridiculously flavorful that I want to eat it at every meal from now on like what a good Chinese person should do.

Diana, ready to dive into the shaved ice.

For dessert? Taiwanse Shaved Ice. We were pleasantly surprised when we were presented with dessert on the house. It must have been obvious that I was a restaurant groupie and the obvious way to my heart is via food, specifically dessert. The mountain of fluffy shaved ice served as the perfect complement to the strawberries, tapioca balls, and mango flan. The condensed milk that is drizzled on the top of this concoction adds the necessary element that really makes this dish a dessert. The shaved ice isn't your typical tiny two scoops of ice cream; it's huge. Given the humidity that evening, it was a refreshing and light way to end the meal.

Due to the Yelp reviews I left my high expectations at the door and hoped to leave Xiao Ye satisfied and content. Instead, I left in bliss from experiencing food that exceeded my expectations and I left dreaming about my next visit, knowing that I'd have to come back to eat Chicken Little's brother sooner rather than later.

XXI

I love olive oil so much that I often use bread as a vessel (read: excuse) to eat it in large amounts. But olive oil in sweets? I tried the famous olive oil ice cream at Babbo and wasn't a fan; the flavor was just too overwhelming. I felt as though I was straight up eating olive oil. It wasn't until I tried the olive oil cake at Abraço Coffee Shop that I discovered the true decadence of olive oil in a dessert. Its cake is brilliant; it has a subtle hint of nuttiness, a bit of sweetness and it's moist. If you've ever had the pleasure of trying Abraço's olive oil cake, you'll find that this recipe isn't as dense as the one served at the coffee shop. Theirs is more like a pound cake while this one is a a lot lighter with a looser crumb.

I recently made the olive oil cake for my relatives and Asians tend to find traditional American desserts too sweet for their palate but this cake was perfect for my family. I'll always be a carboholic but I just might start using cake as my olive oil vessel instead of bread.

Olive Oil Cake
Adapted from September 2009 Bon Appétit, from Abraço Coffee Shop

8 to 10 servings

1 1/2 c. organic unbleached white flour
1 c. organic sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
2 large organic eggs
3/4 cup organic whole milk
1/2 cup mild-flavored organic olive oil
2 teaspoon finely grated orange peel


1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Oil and flour a 9×5×3-inch metal loaf pan.
2. Combine eggs, milk, olive oil, and orange peel in medium bowl and whisk to blend. Gradually whisk egg mixture into dry ingredients. Transfer to prepared pan.
3. Bake Cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, 60-65 minutes.
4. Cool in pan on rack 20 minutes. Invert pan to remove cake. Cool completely, top side up.

XX

As much as I like to try the occasional high end, expensive restaurants, I usually prefer to go to the hole-in-the-wall places. If you looked up "hole-in-the-wall" in the dictionary, I'm pretty sure you'd find a picture of La Nueva Conquista. LNC, as I affectionately refer to it, has no decorations, no air conditioning, and only a few stools to sit on. The review outside calls it "gritty," which is an extremely kind euphemism for dirty. But I'm definitely not complaining; what LNC may lack in ambiance and cleanliness it more than makes up for in the food department. For $8, you can get a plate of food large enough to split between lunch and dinner. Each plate consists of a choice of meat (chicken, pork or beef), rice (yellow or brown), beans (black or red) and fried plantains. I went with the roasted pork, brown rice, and black beans.

I've never really understood the appeal of beans and rice. On the one hand, they're just beans and rice. You cant really mess them up. On the other hand, they're such staple foods that its hard to make them special. However, La Nueva Conquista proved me wrong. Their rice and beans are so full of complex flavors that I couldn't stop eating the dish! The roast pork, on the other hand, was hit or miss. On the whole the meat was a bit dry but the pieces that were moist were quite tasty. I like how they are not stingy with their food. You get a heaping plate in exchange for pocket change and the wait in line. I now I understand why the lines out their door exist- and why they usually run out of food before 6pm!

Lists are on the top of my non-food "things I love" items (among English bulldogs, YSL, the tv show House, soy chai lattes and the UNC basketball team- Go Heels!) I have Time Out New York's 2007-2009 "100 Best Things to Eat" taped to my refrigerator door. La Nueva Conquista's arroz con habichuelas (rice and beans for you non-Spanish speaking folks) was on the 2007 list. As soon as I finished my LNC lunch, I wobbled home and crossed off the restaurant with a deliriously happy sense of accomplishment. Then I laid back on my couch with a Latin American food baby in my stomach and enjoyed my food coma. All in a days work.

XIX

Although I love living in this concrete jungle that is New York, sometimes a weekend away from the city is just what the doctor ordered. I almost forget what fresh air smells like and how nice it is to have space to myself. Even if only for 2 days, Connecticut was my portal through a coat closet and the Jones Family Farm my Narnia.

I was still rocking Oshkosh overalls (circa 8 years old) the last time I went strawberry picking. I have a long list of things I'm determined to to do this summer and this was one box I couldn't wait to check off. The great thing about fruit picking is that it is an all-weather, all-seasons activity. Despite the slight drizzle on our picking day of choice, we were determined to come away with a bushel of strawberries. I suppose our determination may have had something to do with the fact that we had already talked about how we would use our pickings: strawberry shortcakes for dessert and biscuits slathered with the homemade raspberry jam, that I picked up at the market, with fresh strawberries on the side for breakfast. We were on a mission. At this point our taste buds wouldn't take "no" for an answer.

One of the farm's rules was that you couldn't eat the strawberries until you had paid for them. Definitely understandable; but that clearly didn't stop Alex from eating one...or one-hundred throughout our hour on the farm. Who could blame her?

Once you start picking, you felt like you're on a treasure hunt. We ended up with not one but two of these! Oh fresh berries, how I've missed you. I'm used to the massive, homogeneous and fairly tasteless ones that my mom picks up from Costco. Those can't even begin to compare to the ripe, juicy, small jewels of delicious red love we found on the Jones Family Farm.

I don't have any photos of the strawberry shortcakes because they were devoured before a picture could be taken. I was able to get pictures of breakfast. Here are the biscuits waiting to be slathered with some delicious jam. I don't do small when I make biscuits. I like mine to be massive because, well, that's how biscuits should be: large in size and filled with buttery goodness.

Why, hello there, amazing red raspberry jam. My office supplies us with Smucker's jelly and I like Bonne Maman jam in a pinch, but, like anything else homemade and from a farm, it is just not the same as the raspberry jam we had. There is a lightness and a lack of chemical aftertaste when you eat fresh jam. It was the perfect complement to the buttery biscuits and succulent strawberries.

It's so rejuvenating to take the time to make and share a meal with friends over a great conversation instead of going to the usual loud bar spending money you don't have. It's easy to get caught up in the whirlwind that is New York City that I forget how enjoyable it can be to travel a mere train ride away and spend time with friends.

XVIII

Baking an upside down cake is akin to cliff diving into an ocean because the same type of questions go through your head:

Cake: will the cake flip over properly? Leap: did I jump/dive correctly?

Cake: should I have spent time baking this if it ends up looking deformed? Leap: damn, I broke my arm/face planted in the water/am paralyzed. Was it worth the few seconds of adrenaline?

Okay, perhaps cliff diving is not quite as dramatic but to me, it's all the same! I made the upside down chocolate banana cake for a family BBQ and all I wanted was for the cake to look fabulous. I wasn't concerned with the taste. I knew the rich, chocolaty cake would pair well with the banana and that the caramel top would soak through the cake to make it super moist. However, I didn't know if the caramel would stick to the pan, which would cause the banana slices to not come out with the cake. When your whole family knows of your obsession with baking, you want whatever you present to them to be completely evident of your skill with said obsession. After all, you spend all this time talking about it so the least you could do is serve up something that is delicious.

When the cake was ready, I ignored my inner baker who said to wait a few more minutes for the cake to cool and conceded to the 12 year old in me who kept on shouting, FLIP IT, FLIP IT, LET'S SEE IF IT STICKS! With my breath held, I flipped the cake over, tapped it a few times and prayed to the upside down cake gods as I lifted up the cake pan. Success! I could now confidently present the cake looking like its gorgeous self to my family members. Taste wise, it was especially lovely when served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Given how well this cake worked out, I now won't feel guilty when I ask every member of my immediate and extended family who know how to use a computer if she/he has been keeping up with my blog. I'm sure I'll still get a slight eye roll since I end up asking every single time so I'll just ask, do you remember the amazing cake that I made at the family BBQ? Just imagine how many more you will be eating. In my head though I'll be thinking, that's right, SIT DOWN.

Chocolate Caramel Banana Upside Down Cake

adapted from The Food Librarian

TOPPING

1 stick butter

3/4 c light brown sugar

3 ripe bananas, cut into 1/4-inch slices

CAKE

3/4 c plus 2 T unbleached all-purpose flour

6 T (1/4 c plus 2T) unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder

3/4 t baking soda

1/4 t salt

6 T (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 c granulated sugar

2 large eggs (room temp)

2 t vanilla

2/3 c buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use a 9″ x 2″ cake pan.
2. Topping: Heat butter over medium heat until melted and foamy. Whisk in brown sugar, turn heat to low and cook, whisking constantly, for two minutes or until the mixture is thick. Spread on the bottom of the 9″ cake pan.
3. Arrange the bananas in a circle on top of the sugar mixture. Set aside.
4. Sift together flour, cocoa, soda and salt.
5. Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition. Stir in vanilla.
6. On low speed, alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk (3 flour and 2 milk additions).
7. Scrape down the sides and then beat batter on high for 30 seconds.
8. Pour batter over the bananas and smooth out.
9. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let sit on wire rack for 5 minutes. Then carefully invert onto your serving tray. Let sit at least 20 minutes before diving in.

XVII

One of the joys of summer is being able to eat fresh berries. Blackberries and raspberries are my favorite to consume and I like blueberries but they are rarely on my shopping list. However, after walking by them week after week at the Union Square Greenmarket, it was time to incorporate them into my daily diet. My usual standby is to eat berries with yogurt for breakfast but after I saw a buttermilk cake recipe make its round through the food blogs, I knew that was what I wanted to use the blueberries for. The recipe is from Gourmet Magazine and it originally called for raspberries but like any great recipe, it's versatile in that any berry can be substituted. It's so simple to make and the lightness of the cake makes it perfect for dessert for the summer. I've also eaten it for breakfast because well, who doesn't like cake for breakfast?

The cake is relatively thin so next time, I'm going to double the recipe in order to yield a cake that provides more substantial slices. I know it's summer but that's not a valid excuse to slack on portion sizes. I should know. After all, I made this last year and I finished it in two days...on my own. I wish I was kidding.

Blueberry Buttermilk Cake

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen via Gourmet

Serves 6

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided*
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, optional**
1 large egg
1/2 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1 cup fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Butter a 9-inch cake pan and line with parchment; butter parchment.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. With a standing or hand mixer, beat butter with the 2/3 cup sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla extract and egg, beating thoroughly. Turn speed to low and alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk, mixing until just combined. Spread batter into prepared pan, smoothing the top. Scatter the raspberries evenly over the top (no need to push them down) and sprinkle with the 1 tablespoon sugar.

Bake at 400º for about 20-25 minutes or until cake is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

*I forgot to sprinkle the cake with sugar and it wasn't missed

**I used 1 teaspoon of lemon as I like the lemon flavor to be more pronounced when combined with blueberries

XVI

Does good, inexpensive, Mexican food actually exist in Manhattan? I want tacos that don't cost $9.50 for two because frankly, that should be illegal. I'm eating tacos, not fois gras. Granted, those two tacos from Mercadito Cantina were the best that I've eaten in the city but I can't justify paying that much when I can hike to Sunset Park in Brooklyn and get amazing tacos for $3.50. I keep on trying taco and after taco from various places and I have not had any success. I've tried Pinche Taqueria, La Esquina, Cafe Habana (I know it's not Mexican but they serve tacos), Baja Fresh, La Lucha, Downtown Bakery, and San Loco, and they all just don't do it for me.

Last summer, I had amazing shrimp mango tacos from Surf Taco in NJ but they were something like $7, and I wasn't about to a)trek to NJ, of all places, for tacos and b)spend $14 for two servings because that is how much I would need to fill me up. So, what is a taco starved person to do? Make my own, of course!

I took the corn tortillas recipe from the back of Maseca's masa bag and goodness gracious, they were hard and flavorless. I found a few recipes online that contained lard but I didn't realize that it was necessary. Then again, it's like saying that butter can be substituted in biscuits, which is absolutely absurd. Next time, I will add a nice helping of fat to my tortillas and that should do the trick. I made a mango avocado salsa and baked my coconut shrimp instead of frying them to make it healthier and thankfully, the filling made the taco edible. This whole endeavor took a bit of time so I still need to find a place to get my quick fix. Perhaps one of the taco trucks will do? The search continues on…

XV

A perfect weekend day:

Froyo for breakfast with Alex, Diane and Chris. I have finally found my favorite frozen yogurt place! Not only does Phileo have the lychee flavor but also taro and more importantly, it is the only place that has red bean as a topping. I am obsessed with red bean. Red bean ice cream, red bean soup, pineapple bun filled with red bean... just put red bean on anything and I am there! It's like nutella for Asians.

Tamale from the street fair for Diane.

Gazpacho for lunch from Bottino with Molly. My gazpacho lacked flavor and was a bit too watery for my liking. I like my gazpacho to have substance and not taste like tomato water with chunky bits of vegetables. Molly fared better with her cucumber soup, which was refreshing and had a nice tang but all in all, our soups weren't up to par.

Motorino pizza for dinner with Alex, Diane and Chris. We all shared the margherita and brussell sprouts pizza but Chris and I, obviously the true team fatties, forged ahead and ordered the cremini and sweet sausage pizza for "dessert."

The margherita tasted of bland tomato sauce and it was missing the key flavors that I associate with that type of pizza...so much so that I can say it's the most flavorless slice of margherita that I've ever had. I'll just give them the benefit of doubt and say that they most have forgotten to add something...

The brussels sprouts pizza was my favorite and Chris's as well. The smoked pancetta gave it a nice salty flavor and the brussels sprouts were crispy so it was all sorts of deliciousness in your mouth. I'm a huge fan of garlic so I do wish that the garlic flavor was more pronounced.

The cremini and sweet sausage pizza had more than ample drizzles of olive oil and that is exactly how I like it. A slice isn't a slice if there isn't oil dripping down your hand while you chomp away at it.

Red velvet cupcake from Pinisi for dessert. I'm a red velvet fanatic and I've tried them all. Pinisi will always be number one with it's incredibly moist innards and perfect cream cheese frosting.

Can I eat like this every weekend? Come to think of it, why wait for the weekend? Eating is one of life's greatest pleasures so I'll just indulge like this on a daily basis.

XIV

When I’m cooking or baking for myself, I do it for stress relief and the sheer joy of the process. But really, there is nothing that makes me happier than when I’m in the kitchen preparing treats for someone else. Regardless if it's for a friend or a significant other, the best way I can show my love is through the gift of food. My fondest memories are the times I spent hosting and preparing dinner parties for friends and loved ones.

A few months ago I attended the “Doing What You Love” panel at the 92nd Street YMCA. Panelist Tom Colicchio said, "There's nothing better than being able to serve someone a plate and seeing them smile." Amen to that. I haven’t baked for someone other than myself in such a long time that I almost forgot how nice it is to hear someone blissfully exclaim, “Who made this? It’s so good!”

I forgot, that is, until I made pumpkin mini muffins for Chris’s surprise birthday brunch. The kiddie-themed rooftop party included pin-the-head-on-the-dinosaur, spider man themed skeet ball, and bubbles. As the sun beat down on the partygoers and melted the ice cream and cupcake icing, my decision to make muffins proved a wise choice. Some might think pumpkin should be relegated to the fall season but I’m of the opinion that anything pumpkin related is always enticing!

Like most cooks, sometimes I have to bake things I don’t really care for. The birthday boy loves pie more than a fat kid loves cake. I’m not much for fruit pies so I compromised with an avocado pie. I had never made avocado pie before but I figured now was as good a time as any to give it a shot. Surprisingly avocado pie tastes like an extremely rich key lime pie. The richness of the pie is mostly due to the use of evaporated milk. Three easy ingredients to make a sinfully delicious pie? It never ceases to amaze me when simple recipes result in such scrumptious fare.

My omelet was being guarded by ninjas while I prepared pancakes for the group

Avocado pie on a sophisticated dinosaur plate

Omelet bar options

Brunch is not complete without bacon...lots of it.

Happy birthday, Chris!

XIII

There are over 18,000 restaurants in NYC but I go to the same restaurant for my birthday. For the third year in a row, I went to Degustation Wine & Tasting Bar, one of Jack Lamb's trifecta, a quaint 16 seater that serves Spanish inspired tapas. Its 10 course tasting menu never disappoints me and the courses are spaced out perfectly so you leave in state of gluttonous bliss and not feeling like an overstuffed moo moo.

I mentioned to Jack the weekend prior while I was at Jewel Bako, his Japanese restaurant, that I'd be coming for my birthday at Degustation the following weekend. He remembered when I saw him and so graciously sent over a piece of otoro sushi (which was incredible, by the way. I've had toro before but I've never had the pleasure of having otoro, which is far superior) and a cheese plate for dessert.

This is exactly why I continue to choose the same restaurant for my birthday. Do I want to try the hottest restaurant of the moment? Sure but at the end of the day I know that Degustation's service will always spot on and it's a guarantee that you'll mutter, oh my god, many times throughout the night after having bite after bite of heavenly goodness.

Food porn will now commence: