The City and CUPCAKES!

What an early jog for most people is an early morning drive for me, whenever I get a chance. One overcast summer morning, I took off to the Eisenhower again (Interstate 290 E), with Passion Pit (my new favorite band) keeping me company. Traffic wasn't bad on this Tuesday morning. I've been quite lucky lately.

As long as I have senora (my navi, my security blanket), I'm good. Ohhh I can't live without Nuvi (her real name ;p Garmin Nuvi)!

What started as an aimless drive ended downtown. of course. The feel of the city is exhilarating! I've been downtown many many-a-times, but I still feel giddy and happy like it's the first time every time! I've always loved big cities! And Chicago I'm falling in love deeper and deeper with. It's only recently that I finally pinched myself and said, "you're here, embrace it!" I've been an itchyfoot the past two something years, I've thought of moving to California (got a California RN license!), then considered New York after my aunt's and other family friends' unyielding persuasion.

But Chicago is an amazing city in so many ways! It is dark (a Gotham City-like ambience) but very warm and inviting as well. I guess what it took is for me to approach it like a backpacker would instead of a typical OFW. Now I am wide-eyed with everything Chi Town has to offer! I'm not about the BIG stuff. There are little surprises out there.

Like....
CUPCAKES! :))

more Cupcakes, to be specific. (one east delaware place in chicago, illinois 60611)

I was cynical about all this cupcake hype the past couple of years. I have a huge, nagging sweet tooth, but, cupcakes?! I've tried some until this....

I can't even put into words the experience I had with these cupcakes. I just had my I-roll-my-eyes-I-think-I-just-died-and-went-to-heaven moment. Aahhh just read (*copy-pasted* from More's website) :

located in chicago's gold coast neighborhood at one e. delaware place, (state & delaware), more opened its modern art museum-meets-cupcake boutique in september of 2008.

owner, patty rothman, (and self-proclaimed cupcake curator), opened more with the sole vision of embracing excess in every bite. at more the cupcake sheds its swirls and sprinkles - and evolves into a sophisticated and luxurious indulgence to be coveted.

each blissful bite of a cupcake from more is moist, rich, perfectly balanced, delightfully decadent and totally transforming. more cupcakes embrace the extraordinary – from the individually crafted recipes to the artisan ingredients to the elegant packaging.

now, take a deep breath:
























(L-R: Salted Caramel, the signature More cupcake, Coconut Mango, Black & White, Red Velvet, Cookies & Cream)

look look look at that salted caramel oozing out of the most decadent, dense, vanilla cake! and that icing I can't even explain... it's beyonnddd. sooooo gooooddd!















and the signature More cupcake... all I can say is, my goodness gracious. I wish I took a better picture to document this glorious experience, but I knew this wouldn't be my last. I know it looks like a twinkie that you can get in your neighborhood grocery store, but wait until you put this in your mouth! You can't help but close your eyes and giggle and embarrass yourself! seriously. it is sooooo goood. I can go on and on but thanks to More's website for 'putting words in my mouth.':

...witness the signature more cupcake: a dark, valrhona chocolate cake, laden with an ethereal cream, and topped with a pristine chocolate ganache



the red velvet cupcake is also to-die-for! I'm not a big fan of icing but I am big fan of more's cream cheese frosting!!! a red velvet cake is really just a chocolate cake with red food coloring, but because it's red, it makes you think that you're eating a completely different cake all its own. see what your mind can do to your tongue. this one, though, is a completely different cupcake all its own! :) another must-try from mores.











there's still 3 more cupcakes in that box, and there's about five steps from where I am, writing this blog on my bed, and the refrigerator ;D

and that's just the sweet stuff! didn't even get the savory and the specialty yet ...

bacon maple!
strawberry balsamic!!!
goat fig merlot!!!!
blue cheese walnut praline!!!!!
bacon white truffle!!!!!!
blt!!!!!!!
mojito!!!!!!!!
margarita!!!!!!!!!
gin & juice!!!!!!!!!!

you really can't stop having more of more.

I really have to end this. very sweet dreams!:))

On the WINGS of love!

My dear friend Marielle, Nang Marielle as I call her as she is 4 years older than me, went out for the one thing we do best --- EAT :)

This time we went to Great Sea's Chinese Restaurant, a hole-in-the-wall kind of restaurant along Lawrence Ave. It's not the place that will lure you in. It actually looks dingy on the outside, even inside, BUT the place is packed, every table is seated, and every table has a heaping plate of HOT AND SPICY KOREAN-STYLE CHICKEN WINGS!

It is a Chinese Restaurant owned by a Korean afterall!


It's a drumette, deep fried and crispy-fied, and smothered with this sweet and spicy sauce that is fingerlickingoood!

It's also really really meaty, like a chicken wing on steroids!

I aimed for 91 to beat that guy who's eaten most wings! and on my third wing, I thought I'd do even just 40 to at least make it to the Wall of Fame.

I stopped at five. wehehe.
And so did Nang Marielle.

Aside from the wings, there's another thing you've gotta try at Great Sea's - THE BLACK BEAN NOODLES


It wasn't love at first sight nor first bite. But it's one of those dishes that grow on you..the more you eat, the more you love!!










One thing to remember when eating with Nang Marielle is that she doesn't stop at only two dishes ;p "amo gid ko na ya halin sang una, indi ko ya kontento kung duwa lang sud-an!"

so our table always looks like we're eating for four people when there's only just the two of us.

loooooook!


YEAH RIGHT! ;p

..so we also got the Wonton Soup (which was a disappointment!), the Combination Fried Rice (which we never got to touch!), and the Fried Spicy Smelt (mediocre!). We ended up bagging all of them and bringing them home.

lesson learned : when eating at Great Sea's, just eat the wings and the black bean noodles and sleep thereafter :))

*burp!*

All the Single Ladies!

I got this message from my aunt yesterday on Facebook:

Tang, i will pray for a "partner' for you...even a friendly one lang...wala lang, i just feel it will spark up life a li'l bit...not that you need it or be more happier..life is good to you...just would like to spark it a li'l more hehe...i know how it feels to be "alone' sometimes, at times. whatever...love you Tang

...out of nowhere, like a deer crossing the freeway in the middle of the night. That message took me aback completely, I think it's so uncalled for. I love my aunt and this isn't against her, but. it's like "why the heck are you still single?!" IN YOUR FACE! ..like I don't know it yet! Am I that pathetic for still being single at 24? Am I really a desperate case, an old-maid-in-the-making?? Why do I feel like I am being attacked by this issue from all directions?? "teh may migo ka na? ngaa wala pa haw?"

I'd be lying if I say that I don't care and that I'm not wanting to have someone in my life. Of course I do! Even Erik Erikson said everyone goes through that intimacy vs. isolation stage of social development. But I probably wouldn't care as much if everyone else around me does not keep reminding me that it's time. With everyone I mean even my mom and my grandma!

I can't make things fit if they don't. Maybe I'm just unlucky that the guys who've come in my life just don't feel right. Yes I am a "feel" kind of girl, than a "try" kind of girl. And maybe I really should be putting myself more out there. Date some more. Give people chances. Give opportunities chances. But then, that's not gonna be me anymore. I just believe that the right guy will come when it's time. God's time. That I really don't have to look for him. That he will feel right when he is right.

One of my friends here in the States met this amazing guy online. Who woulda thunk it, a gorgeous guy inside out, looking for love in an online dating site?? You start to think, there must be something wrong with him..?! But then you follow it up with, but there's really nothing wrong with my friend and she did it. She encourages me all the time to try it too, `coz I might just stumble on someone like, let's just say his name is, Adam (my friend's boyfriend). But I just can't. Just can't.

Someone tweeted : "I’ve built a wall. Not to block anyone out, but to see who loves me enough to climb over it." #TLS ... and in my case, who I love enough to let them climb over it.

All I know is that... when I fall in love again, it will be forever. And when I give my heart, it will be completely. I feel like I have saved so much love in me that I have so much to give and I can't afford to waste it with someone because I just wanna try it out. Can't even go on a second date with someone if I don't feel the spark the first time!

Yeah, maybe they're right, what the heck is wrong with me?

But in the pit of my stomach, I know it'll come... every train has a destination.

The Best Egg Dish I've Ever Eaten

The best egg dish I've ever eaten is hands down -- PANERA BREAD'S SPINACH AND ARTICHOKE BAKED EGG SOUFFLE!!!!

I don't usually like how they cook their eggs here in the States. For me, they're bland and jiggly.. eeeyuck. I guess I'm used to my eggs overcooked, browned and crispy on the bottom and the sides, and the yolk, set.

But this egg souffle gave me and the humble egg a second chance!!

The souffle itself is light and fluffy, a little gooey, and warm, and cheesey!! Folded into the egg are spinach, Romano cheese, red peppers and artichoke hearts, lightly flavored with a hint of garlic & a dash of Tabasco®.
It's like an omelette that has lost weight and became as airy as a cloud!!!

...and they bake it inside their own sweet French pastry dough. The crust is flaky, and light, and crispy but still has that slight chewiness like a croissant!

It's my tiny piece of heaven especially after a long night at work!

and the bonus... I don't need to go to a fancy French restaurant to get this. coz Panera Bread is just a few steps away from my apartment! ..ain't I lucky?! only for this egg souffle!

what's the best egg dish you've ever eaten? :)

Let's do KUMA!

If you were to pair heavy metal music with food, what would it be?

Definitely a humongous, pure carnivores' delight BURGER!



KUMA'S CORNER is where you get it here in Chicago - consistently dubbed as one of the best in the state, if not the country! Soo not your typical burger joint! You are greeted with loud heavy metal music; and naturally, the staff are all heavily inked and pierced. The burgers are named after famous metal bands like Megadeth, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin... ahhhh let me just *copy paste!*

“OUR FAMOUS KUMA BURGER”
Bacon, Cheddar, Fried Egg - $10
Kaijo
Bacon, Bleu Cheese, Frizzled Onions - $10
Black Sabbath
Blackening Spice, Chili, Pepper Jack, Red Onion - $12
YOB
Smoked Gouda, Bacon, Roasted Red Peppers, Roasted Garlic Mayo - $11
Iron Maiden
Avocado, Cherry Peppers, Pepper Jack, Chipotle Mayo - $12
Slayer
Pile of fries topped with a ½ lb. Burger, Chili, Cherry Peppers, Andouille, Onions, Jack Cheese, and Anger - $13
Neurosis
Cheddar, Swiss, Sautéed Mushrooms, Caramelized Onions, Horseradish Mayo - $11
Metallica
Buffalo Sauce, Bacon, Bleu Cheese Dressing - $10
Clutch
Cheddar, Swiss, Jack, Smoked Gouda - $10
Mastodon
BBQ Sauce, Cheddar, Bacon, Frizzled Onions - $12
Led Zeppelin
Pulled Pork, Bacon, Cheddar, Pickles - $13
Judas Priest
Bacon, Bleu Cheese Dressing with Apples, Walnuts, and Dried Cranberries - $12
Motorhead
Goat Cheese, Kalamata Olives, Oregano, Tzatziki, Onion, Tomato - $12
Mayem
Sliced Jalapenos, Pancetta, Pepper Jack, Gardinera Mayo - $11
Pantera
Roasted Poblano Pepper, Bacon, Chedder and Monterey Jack, House made Ranchero Sauce, Tortilla Strips - $12
Plague Bringer
Roasted Garlic Mayo, Tortilla Strips, House Made Hot Sauce, Fresh Garlic, Pepper Jack, Sliced Jalapenos - $12
High On Fire
Siracha Hot Chili Sauce, Prosciutto, Roasted Red Pepper, Grilled Pineapple, Sweet Chili Paste - $12
Lair of the Minotaur
Caramelized Onions, Pancetta, Brie, Bourbon Soaked Pears - $13
Megadeth
Chorizo and Red Potato Hash, Pico de Gallo, Cayenne Avocado Cream, Tortilla Strips - $13
Brujeria
Cream Cheese and Chorizo Stuffed Jalapeno Popper, Cheddar Cheese and Charred Tomato Salsa
Baroness
Chimichurri, Fire Roasted Corn Salsa with Bacon and Toasted Red Peppers, Green Beans and Grated Asiago Cheese. - $13
Insect Warfare
Panko-Crusted Goat Cheese, Bacon Roasted Corn and Green Chili Medallion, Topped with Roasted Corn, Cilantro, Green Chili Salsa and Paprika Creme Fraiche. - $13

..when you go the first time, of course you must try the famous Kuma Burger!



look at that big boyyy!!!! what makes Kuma's Corner's burgers special is the bread! It's not the hamburger bun you grew up with. The bun is a cross between ... hmm .. a pretzel and a brioche -- it has to be a stubborn kind of bread to carry all the weight!

Kuma's is small place for the crowd it draws, that the last we went, we had to wait an hour for a table. But it was well worth it.... Not just for the food, but the experience altogether. If you're a foodie and you go to Chicago and you don't go to Kuma's Corner, rethink your being a foodie! :))

That Lair of the Minotaur sounds yummmm-ieee!

Here's me, ready to devour! (Tattoed Zooey Deschanel look-a-like waitress behind me)


And me, defeated by the Kuma :(

Skyline Drive

I gave up on counting sheep this morning and drove to The Harbor very, very early. like 5am early.

to catch the sunrise.

Yes, better than coffee! :)

These pictures are unedited. The raw beauty of the sunrise by Lake Michigan. One of the most breathtaking sights I was blessed to witness!

aaahhh.. peace.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOwI8AQhBiY

Cheers to Sunrises!

This is supposedly strictly a food blog. but since this blog is the only world that revolves around me, I might as well...own it. After all, I finally had the nerve to start one, after considering it for uh, a long time.

You might already know me, if you're reading this. But let me introduce myself all over again.

I am a Registered Nurse living in a Chicago suburb for almost 3 years now. I have been working in the Medical Oncology/Palliative Care Unit of a community hospital in another suburb for about a year and a half. And I have been living by myself in a small apartment for exactly a year.

I am here not just because I have to make a living. This is more of a personal journey for me. I am the little girl with itchy feet, wanting to see the world, eat the world, walk the world, at my own expense. I am here to show the world (myself) that to be brave and adventurous does not always mean jumping off a cliff.

You see, my life back home, though most say ideal, is constricted. Stereotyped. Sheltered. Coming from a small town, you become like a word in a dictionary - one with a definition, a reference.

Fragile and perfect are things I am NOT and never intended to project, but seem to always catapult back to me. (please don't think I am being arrogant, if you are open-minded enough, you get my point... don't you?) The life I had / have is far from perfect. But don't get me wrong. I am truly grateful for the family I have. My parents, for me, are like no other. I am beyond words as to how blessed I am for having them. The only downside to that, is the comfort. That zone of convenience. Which I chose to break away from.

I am here because I am just a girl wanting to let her hair down. To make mistakes. And to learn from them without having someone pointing them out. To eat in a restaurant or walk in the mall all by myself and not even care what other people think. To be clumsy, and dumb. To be in a crowd of strangers. To decide. To fix my own broken lamp. To pay my own bills. To hate folding my own laundry, but to do it anyway. To eat Cheetos for breakfast, because I have nothing else. To be broke.
To get to know people for who they really are, and to get to show people who I really am.
I am here, to just, not care.

To be free.

And here, I have rediscovered my love for food. And music. And travel. And people. And writing. I have rediscovered my love for myself.

To make this blog more emo than it already is (harhar), I want to share with you The Harbor. The place I go to, to think, or not think. It is one of the most beautiful places in Chicago. The most beautiful for me.




Thanks..for listening :)