Sunday Nite Jam with a side of Cornbread

 

My flat is roughly the size of my previous bedroom in the US, and that's with more closet space. Since I've lived here I haven't properly hosted anyone and I miss those days. I decided that small apartment living is a fact of life here and it's time to move on.

Cang and Pierce came over for chili night. Cora made cornbread too. It was a perfect evening. With homemade honey butter!

 

They brought the guitar, I have the keyboard and harmonica, and we digested over jam.

 

 

W52

A Manhattan at W52

 

After dinner at Annapurna, I came across a few friends that were dining just down the street (file under: reasons I love HK) and from Soho we took our business to W52. It was my first time there and really not special. It was a pretty dead night and we only had one drink there.

Apparently the DJ stalks my friends and sends out floods of emails to come see him spin. And you know what he played? En Vogue and Janet Jackson's Escapade. WTF is this, Rhythm Nation??

Annapurna

Saturday night authentic Nepalese cuisine at Annapurna

 

 

Cathy and Ailin caught Avatar, and I joined them for dinner in Soho afterwards. This was my first time at Annapurna and it was a pretty decent experience. The restaurant is very narrow but cozy. The music was a bit off... like something you'd hear at a high school dance in the 90s, but the food was good and the service was excellent.

We were hooked up with a free round of drinks by the super friendly owner. I don't have a problem with that!

Our dinner consisted of the recommended tradition dishes including eggplant, potoatoes, lentils, and chicken.

Wednesday Night Homecooked

seared scallops with tomatoes, bell peppers and broccoli.

I want to make this

http://www.morningstarfarms.com/recipe_detail.aspx?id=1459

Friday Night Drinks: Bacar

Bacar

 

I like Bacar so much that it's the only place I took my sister twice. The pizza is great, and the menu is full of little tapas-like plates.

 

I showed up just in time for free shots. There was whiskey. Then Tequila. Then a long island ice tea. So much for giving up alcohol for Lent. It's a good thing I have a couple of backup plans.

Friday Night: SML

 
SML, Causeway Bay

We arrived at the restaurant at a reasonable hour, and somehow hit the tail end of the dinner rush. Outdoor seating is available and it's a really nice public space. That means your responsible for your own food and drink, which is great if you want to BYOB.

This time we opted to eat inside, because some douches claimed the tables were reserved (a lie, cause it's public space) but the dinner rush had cleared and there wasn't a wait for a table inside.

The cool thing about SML is the dishes are available in small, medium, or large sizes. This is my kind of dining since I like to sample, but don't need the ginormous portions.

 

For dinner: 4 small plates - eggplant parmigiana, polenta, chicken & lamb.

And two small desserts - bread pudding and profiteroles!

 

 

I def recommend this restaurant and can't wait to go back so I can eat my way through the menu. A great place for groups, small, medium, or large.

Friday Dim Sum: Mong Kok

Joel & Ting had various visitors in town, and that means I get to tag along for the food and fun. Halfway into the meal I realize it's Friday and I'm not supposed to eat meat. Whoopsie!

Good food, but this time they ran out of veggies!

The Cake Tasted of Lavender

For CNY, one of our vendors gave us a cake... with dried lavender on top. I know it's kinda 80s, but that basketweave buttercream still appeals to me.

Game Day C Flashback

Hosted by Team Oleykoski

Check out this amazing Colleseum cake by Joanna. I'm not gonna lie, I had seconds.

I've been gone since the end of 2007. That means I missed the first two Oleykoski-sponsored Game Days. As luck would have it, I was able to attend Game Day C.

Football is played. Then we feast.

You will never go hungry in the Oleykoski house. E & The Lady are gracious hosts, and like good eats. So it should have been no surprise that we ordered too much pizza. Way too much. And on top of that, there were salads, appetizers, chips n dip. I hope we earned our feed.

10 Costco pizzas! The other 3 were already in the dining room.


Cookies for every occasion!


Super evil, super good buffalo dip


What's life without mac n cheese?

Favorite Things: In and Out Burger

#1, no contest


If you didn't grow up eating In & Out, you might not have the same appreciation for it, though many do. It's the best thing ever. Just deal.

My normal order: 2 cheeseburgers spread only, diet coke.



Alternate orders:
A. 1 cheeseburger spread only, 1 grilled cheese (cheese, tomato, lettuce, pickle) animal style (grilled onions)
B. 1 cheeseburger spread only, fries animal style (cheese, grilled onions, sauce)
C. Any variation of the above
D. Vanilla or neapolitan shake

Christmas Break Flashback: Mogo's

Mogo's Mongolian BBQ, Sherman Oaks, CA

Mogo's is our old haunt. It used to be one of our long lunch stops. It's kinda shady, the servers might cut you, but it's comfort food.


There's my dinner, going for a spin.

Christmas Break Flashback: The Pineapple

Bingo at the Pineapple Hill Saloon, Sherman Oaks, CA
When did we become the Golden Girls?

After dinner, we stopped for a drink next door at the good ol Pineapple. I like this place because it's ol skool. It has a juke box. And free popcorn. A great neighborhood bar, and even better when my BFF lived across the street.

It was a cold day. I had a hot toddy.

An Evening on the Darker Side: Shenzhen Shennanigans

It has to be a good night if you need your passport.

Shenzhen has the rep of being a seedy border town. There's plenty of truth to that. People venture into mainland China from here for the cheapo shopping and massages. I venture there for work, to visit factories, and have yet to purchase any fake Fendis.

Shortly after I returned back to HK from Christmas, Cora dragged me to the darker side for mischief. While I was skeptical, I knew I was in good hands, and it ended up being a really fun night. We were in a great hood so unlike HK. Trees... space... outdoor chillaxing... We didn't have to worry about bumping into unsavory characters. We weren't fighting people on crowded sidewalks. And everything was super cheap. Nobody believes me, but that side of Shenzhen is awesome.

Hot pot for dinner, and dim sum the next morning.