Buttermilk Channel

How do you start a day that will end with a Muse concert? Brunch of course. I had the pecan pie french toast and it was absolutely delicious. It hit that sweet spot. The whipped butter was light and airy, and was a great balance to the french toast. Highly recommend.

Asia SF Desserts

Being back in California has given me the opportunity to be spending time with friends. I went to Asia SF with friends for the dining out promotion. As always, I had to get something sweet and got this beautiful, rich chocolate cake with ice cream. Whenever you get a warm chocolate cake with ice cream, it melts so quickly. To my surprise, the ice cream at Asia SF didn't met, and was a nice, frozen ice cream that melted slowly. I didn't get a big puddle of ice cream which made my night even better. A big thumbs up to ice cream and chocolate cake at Asia SF!

Oh boy!

I spent the day walking around San Francisco and found this large and charming illustration in the Financial District.

La Esquina

A dinner at La Esquina in Soho was a long wait because it took a month to get reservations. It was well worth it because I order the spare ribs with plantains and it was mouth-watering! And, the dessert was equally as good.

Asian Fusion at its best

Stepping into Kittichai is like entering a different world. It's a very modern, Asian-inspired and cool atmosphere. The fact that it's in Soho and on a quieter street than Prince Street makes it much more exclusive. My friends and I sat near the beautiful water feature with clear bowls with a candle lighted constantly floating by. The menu had many assortments and the best value is the brunch prix-fix and 3 course lunch prix-fix. For brunch, you can get one brunch entree with unlimited brunch cocktails. Because I do not drink, I opted to go a la carte and order a delicious french toast, coffee, and Canadian ham. The first picture of my entree speaks for itself. The second picture comes from the lunch pix-fix menu with a beef entree and the third was a pad thai with omlette.

I can't wait to come back here with out of town friends so they could feel like they were in another cool and sophisticated world with delicious food.

How I love Royale

Royale, a West Village Bakery and sister to Baked in Brooklyn. It's so rare for me to go to Red Hook because I would need a car to go to Baked, but Royale is just as equal. I love the bright pink focal wall and the assortment they have. Cupcakes, I can never get enough!

Snow Day in NY

Yesterday was my first Snow Day in New York. No school, but lots of sleep! Hooray! In my much needed time to rest after living off of a few hours of sleep in the past few days, I took advantage of Snow Day to get sleep. I didn't go outside but I had that baking feeling I get when I want to do something productive. What do I want to bake? Brownies!

The picture above was a chocolate brownie-like dessert from Chez Panisse Cafe in Berkeley. The dessert was warm, chocolate-y and soulful. I want to recreate that feeling when I bake brownies for the weekend.

Brunch is dessert

There's something about brunch I absolutely love. It could be that I have to wait on the weekends and because I hardly eat waffles or pancakes on the weekdays. Thankfully, my friend took me to Almond in the Flatiron District. I had love at first sight when I saw the menu had a waffle with a Nutella butter spread. It was light, delicious and filling. High five to Nutella!

From Chinatown to Nolita

I miss eating Vietnamese food back in CA. Thankfully, my friend took me to this great Vietnamese place in Chinatown for some noodles and beef rolls. Yummy!

After getting groceries, we walked around the Chinatown area and passed by Nolita. I found this charming ice cream place that sells macarons. The colors are so beautiful and the temptation to go inside to get a macaron was pretty high!

A sweet youtube video

I created this Youtube video for ad class and I think it's pretty sweet. Plus, there's some food shots and street art. Please share with friends! =)

Warhol on the street

I've been doing some research on Andy Warhol for class and happily saw this Warholesqe art in Nolita. I guess this is the result of Marilyn and Spock getting together. Ewww!

Arepa, arepa, arepa

The combination of a sweet and savory in one meal is what I look for. I had my first arepa over a year ago after visiting my friends in New York and have had a few since I've been living here. My favorite arepa is the Da Pabellon from the Caracas Arepa Bar. It's the best combination of flavors, sweet and salty, and fun in one.

Tofu dessert

A dairy-free dessert that's delicious is hard to find, but I was able to find a modern restaurant spot called Kyotofu in Hell's Kitchen. This place is a gem and very indiscreet because there is no sign on the outside. On the inside, it feels like you're in a science fiction novel with dimmed lights and white plastic walls. The dessert is unbelievable and light tasting. I had the sundae (pictured above) and was surprised it was made from tofu because it tasted like dairy ice-cream. I highly recommend this place if you love desserts and want to try a new take on the classic desserts.

That bear is everywhere

Walking around the East Village, I have seen this bear in several places: on the "Post No Bills" wall to the newspaper stand.

Gnomes

Graffiti from the Lower East Side. When I saw this, it reminded me of Nickelodeon's "David the Gnome" and Expedia's gnome.

The image that you remember

After talking with a friend today, it made me miss my home in California. I am a visual person that loves to take pictures of what captures my attention or the moment. What I do in NY is not any different from what I do in CA. I still take pictures of food and graffiti, but that one image that takes me back to that time and place is the one above.

It was a great and fine day on August where I was spending the last few days with friends. We went to the Mission to hang out and have a donut, and we walked by this mural. It was breathtaking and a popular spot for tours. I looked at the mural and was in awe, but I was even more fascinated by how I saw it again through the reflection of the storewindow. I haven't seen an image quite like the one above in NY where the reflection is just as powerful as standing in front of the mural. And when I find it, I will take that picture and remember where I was and feeling at that moment.

Dessert Spot

Last week, I went three days in a row to my favorite dessert place, Spot in the East Village. Their desserts are flavorful with unique flavor combinations and beautiful presentation. Above is a picture of the soft cheesecake that was neatly piped into the glass. Inside are pieces of buttery and moist graham cracker crumb crust with a few slices of grapefruit. The cheesecake is light and is paired with tangy foam. In addition, their is a small dollop of raspberry preserve that creates a delectable pairing of all flavors. Spot is truly spot on with the flavors and presentation.

The Resistance

The East Village has a lot of graffiti that I find and take pictures of. I found this and it made me think who would resist falling in love?

Aluminum can art sculptures in a small park in the East Village. There's a sense of whimsy and unique style to everyone of them.

Graffiti outside the popular Momofuku ssam bar.