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Slow Moo-vement
My friend Laura, an anthropologist, is convinced that Red Bull is a sort of magic Rosetta Stone that can unlock the deepest insights into human nature. Yet she swears to me her craziest theories aren’t a result of too much Red Bull, nor mixing some of it with a little vodka. And so I indulge...
published: Mar 5 2010 - 12:00am
A Wee Bit Uncomfortable
Upon closer inspection, I realized these things weren’t teapots after all. Their abnormally large spouts, absence of proper handles, and general pooper-scooper shape made it abundantly clear. Yep, I was looking at urinals. Elaborate, antique, encased in glass, but nonetheless—urinals....
published: Feb 26 2010 - 12:00am
Crepe Expectations
If you were judging by the look on his face, you would think Nico was witnessing some sad blight of the human race. But no, it was just his natural reaction to me eagerly describing the highly experimental crepes I made earlier that weekend at the newly opened Simplicity Crepe & Wine store....
published: Feb 19 2010 - 12:00am
Mistress Day
For a long time, I didn’t celebrate Valentine’s Day—a decision that ended up taking more effort than simply letting the holiday run its course. That’s because a simple dinner reservation for two on February 14 meant that Valentine’s Day was going to be shoved down my...
published: Feb 12 2010 - 12:00am
Things that Shuck
The first lesson I learned about knives was that you shouldn’t have the blade pointing directly at one hand while pushing the handle with your entire body weight using the other hand. But that’s the kind of quasi-suicidal technique I had to use to shuck an oyster. Hongkongers, it seems...
published: Feb 5 2010 - 12:00am
The Ex-Files
Depending on how things ended, dinner with the ex-boyfriend may or may not be uncomfortable. Dinner with your mom and her ex-boyfriend, however, definitely is all kinds of awkward. Even now, I’m not sure if she intentionally tricked me into attending the meal. But it wasn’t until we...
published: Jan 29 2010 - 12:00am
My Cup of Tea
It was opening day for Hong Kong’s newest Din Tai Fung restaurant outpost in Causeway Bay. As our order of Taiwanese appetizers arrived—glistening slices of braised tripe and the rarely available ma lan tou vegetable dish with its signature smoky scent—a well-dressed man walked up...
published: Jan 15 2010 - 12:00am
Maestro
At moments like this, only three words come to mind: Please. Don’t. Suck. It’s a mantra I started to chant the second I realized Chef Enrico Innocenti of Duetto restaurant wasn’t going to cook for me; he was going to sing. Enrico waltzed in clad in his chef whites after an...
published: Jan 1 2010 - 12:00am
Eat or be Eaten
The law of karma says that what comes around goes around. And by that logic, I should’ve known I would eventually end up on a lower rung of the food chain. This week, I was dinner. Or rather, a midnight snack. Under the cover of night, the tiny culprit—later determined by the joint...
published: Dec 25 2009 - 12:00am
Santa Baby
Believe or not, I’ve actually heard multiple people say this line: “I don’t eat Christmas turkey because it reminds me too much of a baby.” Laugh if you will, but they’re serious. Take the traditional start to a Christmas meal. Dad gets up from the table to welcome...
published: Dec 18 2009 - 12:00am