Need I say more... Sooooo good. The cream is made with coconut milk whipped into a cream. The "cake" is a whole watermelon cut into a cylinder. What a wonderful idea.
Monday, July 15, 2013
Watermelon Cake
Need I say more... Sooooo good. The cream is made with coconut milk whipped into a cream. The "cake" is a whole watermelon cut into a cylinder. What a wonderful idea.
Weekend update.
Weekend highlights: Pastry Saturday, Khasalano festival, and Guu Kobachi.
This Saturday I had made plans to meet up with friends to try a bakery in East Van called Swiss Bakery. It's been around for a while but lately it's been getting quite popular because of a new pastry they have. This pastry is called a Frissant. It's a cross between a fritter and a croissant. We also tried a real pretzel and a bear claw from this bakery.
The top right is the bear claw and the bottom right is the Frissant.
Frissant: looks like a donut and tastes like a donut. The only difference is that the outside of the Frissant is quite crispy like a croissant but not flakey. Inside this Frissant is a vanilla lemon custard. The custard is not too sweet and it just has a hint of lemon. It's quite a nice custard. I liked it quite a lot. I liked the crispy texture of the Frissant too.
Bear claw: basically like a croissant. Very buttery and rich but filled with some almond paste.
Pretzel: very dense and tasteless. I did not like this. I'm pretty sure this what a real pretzel is supposed to taste like but it tastes really bland and not worth the calories.
Next we went to Granville Island. We headed to Bridges for some patio time and a light lunch.
I got their tomato based chowder. Lots of seafood and it didn't taste heavy at all because it was a broth based chowder. I liked it but I think you could make vegetable soup and throw some seafood in it and it would be the same. At least I have a new soup to make at home.
We then walked up the street from Granville Island to Beaucoup Bakery and to check out the Khasalano Festival. It was packed with people. Summer time fun!!
I scored me a pair of heels from Miz Mooz for $20 bucks!!! They were originally $129!!! w00t!!!
Beacoup Bakery: It's a French Bakery and it was my first time there. All the food there looked so tempting. There were 3 of us and we ordered a bit too much. Ooopsies. But... Momma said never to waste food heehee.
Top right: apple tart.
Bottom left: blackberry and cassis cake, chocolate croissant, lemon tart and rosemary chocolate cookie.
Bottom right: Bastock.
Apple tart: I like the concept of this apple tart and it's variation on layering. The top brown cube is a cube of thinly sliced and cooked apples. The bottom is a vanilla custard very similar to a creme Brule encased in a very nice crunchy and flakey crust. It has a flake of gold and a cinnamon stick for decoration. It tastes delicious and is so very rich.
See that custard? A+
Blackberry Cassis Cake: This cake is a mousse and cake layered cake. This mousse filling is not too sweet and even a little tart.
Lemon Tart: I am a big lemon tart fan. The crust of this Lemon tart is similar to that of the apple tart. It is flakey and crunchy at the same time. It's super tart but in a good way. I really enjoyed it. It gives just enough tartness in your cheeks that makes you want to take another bite.
Rosemary Chocolate cookie: this is a super moist and fudgy cookie. It has a very unique flavour due to the Rosemary. It also tastes a bit minty. If you like something a little different you should try this. It's not your typical chocolate cookie.
Chocolate croissant: loved this. Super flakey and buttery. The croissant itself was savoury and when you get a bite of chocolate it gets deep and rich.
Last but not least is the Bastock. A Bastock is a baked slice of brioche that has been soaked on orange flower syrup. It has a topping of almond paste. It's good but since all the pastries at this place were so good this did not stand out too much.
Guu Kobachi: this is the newest Guu restaurant but it has been around for about 2 years. It is on Denmen St near Robson.
Most Guu restaurants have similar items on the menu. What's interesting is that the very same item is made a little different and has a bit of a twist.
We ordered these things:
Ebi Mayo (3rd down on the right hand side): this is basically deep fried prawns and mayo. This dish is definately on every menu at Guu restauarants. The difference with this one is that each prawn is wrapped around with a nest of thinly stringed potatoes then deep fried. It lends to a very crispy texture. It's fun that you are eating string potatoes at the same time. It's very good. I like this variation. The mayo is also a touch spicy.
Creamy Potato Croquets (2nd picture on the left) : this potato croquet is like a fried seafood chowder. It's so good but it's very rich so you should only have a bite or two. There is a prawn in the middle.
Seared Ray Fins (3rd on the left): this is a delicious snack. Every have dried cuttlefish or squid from the Chinese supermarket snack section? It's very similar. I like that it tastes more tender and is slightly warm. It is sweet and salty. Parts of it is seared more so it's crispy. Really enjoyed this appetizer.
Spicey chicken wings (first on the right): I'm the only one that liked these but that's because it reminded me of my grandpa's chicken wings. He had lost the ability to taste salt so his good was always overly salty. It was very nostalgic for me. Everyone else stayed away from it.
Squid tempera (2nd on the right): I think it's probably very hard to deep fry squid and have it not fall apart. Basically I thought the batter wasnt crispy enough and the squid was difficult to chew. I didn't really like it.
3 sashimi plate: we got red snapper, wild salmon bad amberjack. The fish was super fresh. I particularly liked the amberjack which is a more solid fish with a fatty finish.
Lastly, Cold Ramen: last photo.
This sauce was sweet and it was garnished with strips of egg and pork. I have had better cold ramen from Guu before. I think I prefer it when they use jellyfish or turkey.
That's all for Saturday!
This Saturday I had made plans to meet up with friends to try a bakery in East Van called Swiss Bakery. It's been around for a while but lately it's been getting quite popular because of a new pastry they have. This pastry is called a Frissant. It's a cross between a fritter and a croissant. We also tried a real pretzel and a bear claw from this bakery.
The top right is the bear claw and the bottom right is the Frissant.
Frissant: looks like a donut and tastes like a donut. The only difference is that the outside of the Frissant is quite crispy like a croissant but not flakey. Inside this Frissant is a vanilla lemon custard. The custard is not too sweet and it just has a hint of lemon. It's quite a nice custard. I liked it quite a lot. I liked the crispy texture of the Frissant too.
Bear claw: basically like a croissant. Very buttery and rich but filled with some almond paste.
Pretzel: very dense and tasteless. I did not like this. I'm pretty sure this what a real pretzel is supposed to taste like but it tastes really bland and not worth the calories.
Next we went to Granville Island. We headed to Bridges for some patio time and a light lunch.
I got their tomato based chowder. Lots of seafood and it didn't taste heavy at all because it was a broth based chowder. I liked it but I think you could make vegetable soup and throw some seafood in it and it would be the same. At least I have a new soup to make at home.
We then walked up the street from Granville Island to Beaucoup Bakery and to check out the Khasalano Festival. It was packed with people. Summer time fun!!
I scored me a pair of heels from Miz Mooz for $20 bucks!!! They were originally $129!!! w00t!!!
Beacoup Bakery: It's a French Bakery and it was my first time there. All the food there looked so tempting. There were 3 of us and we ordered a bit too much. Ooopsies. But... Momma said never to waste food heehee.
Top right: apple tart.
Bottom left: blackberry and cassis cake, chocolate croissant, lemon tart and rosemary chocolate cookie.
Bottom right: Bastock.
Apple tart: I like the concept of this apple tart and it's variation on layering. The top brown cube is a cube of thinly sliced and cooked apples. The bottom is a vanilla custard very similar to a creme Brule encased in a very nice crunchy and flakey crust. It has a flake of gold and a cinnamon stick for decoration. It tastes delicious and is so very rich.
See that custard? A+
Blackberry Cassis Cake: This cake is a mousse and cake layered cake. This mousse filling is not too sweet and even a little tart.
Lemon Tart: I am a big lemon tart fan. The crust of this Lemon tart is similar to that of the apple tart. It is flakey and crunchy at the same time. It's super tart but in a good way. I really enjoyed it. It gives just enough tartness in your cheeks that makes you want to take another bite.
Rosemary Chocolate cookie: this is a super moist and fudgy cookie. It has a very unique flavour due to the Rosemary. It also tastes a bit minty. If you like something a little different you should try this. It's not your typical chocolate cookie.
Chocolate croissant: loved this. Super flakey and buttery. The croissant itself was savoury and when you get a bite of chocolate it gets deep and rich.
Last but not least is the Bastock. A Bastock is a baked slice of brioche that has been soaked on orange flower syrup. It has a topping of almond paste. It's good but since all the pastries at this place were so good this did not stand out too much.
Guu Kobachi: this is the newest Guu restaurant but it has been around for about 2 years. It is on Denmen St near Robson.
Most Guu restaurants have similar items on the menu. What's interesting is that the very same item is made a little different and has a bit of a twist.
We ordered these things:
Ebi Mayo (3rd down on the right hand side): this is basically deep fried prawns and mayo. This dish is definately on every menu at Guu restauarants. The difference with this one is that each prawn is wrapped around with a nest of thinly stringed potatoes then deep fried. It lends to a very crispy texture. It's fun that you are eating string potatoes at the same time. It's very good. I like this variation. The mayo is also a touch spicy.
Creamy Potato Croquets (2nd picture on the left) : this potato croquet is like a fried seafood chowder. It's so good but it's very rich so you should only have a bite or two. There is a prawn in the middle.
Seared Ray Fins (3rd on the left): this is a delicious snack. Every have dried cuttlefish or squid from the Chinese supermarket snack section? It's very similar. I like that it tastes more tender and is slightly warm. It is sweet and salty. Parts of it is seared more so it's crispy. Really enjoyed this appetizer.
Spicey chicken wings (first on the right): I'm the only one that liked these but that's because it reminded me of my grandpa's chicken wings. He had lost the ability to taste salt so his good was always overly salty. It was very nostalgic for me. Everyone else stayed away from it.
Squid tempera (2nd on the right): I think it's probably very hard to deep fry squid and have it not fall apart. Basically I thought the batter wasnt crispy enough and the squid was difficult to chew. I didn't really like it.
3 sashimi plate: we got red snapper, wild salmon bad amberjack. The fish was super fresh. I particularly liked the amberjack which is a more solid fish with a fatty finish.
Lastly, Cold Ramen: last photo.
This sauce was sweet and it was garnished with strips of egg and pork. I have had better cold ramen from Guu before. I think I prefer it when they use jellyfish or turkey.
That's all for Saturday!
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Sarah's Old Fashioned Ice Cream
I don't like ice cream. Since I was a child each and every time I ate ice cream I would soon gag afterwards. I've never finished an ice cream cone. A few weeks ago I went down to Steveston with some friends and while they were ordering ice cream I decided to try a flavour or two. They were so tasty I ordered some too. I finished it all and did not gag! Now I like ice cream thanks to Sarah's Old Fashioned Ice Cream.
I blogged about this place before. They have a tonne of flavours that they make themselves. They experiment a lot. They have a regular selection of ice cream which are the typical flavours you might see at any ice cream shop. They are about $4 for a double scoop. Then they have a premium selection that are a bunch of home made unique recipes. That goes for $6.50 for a double scoop.
These are the flavours based on the Once Upon A Time TV series. I didn't realize they were available until I order my double scoop. I did get to taste test them all and yummers! By the way, the people who work there are super nice and let you try pretty much everything. Those flavours are all based on the TV characters personalities. Aside from the flavours from the television show they have a premium flavour selection. One of the premium flavours are orange and schezuan peppers! It has a bit of heat going down.
This will be a running entry in my blog as I continue to try the flavours.
Regular Flavours.
Walnut Caramel: a nutty sweet ice cream. The walnut flavour stood out more than the caramel.
Black Licorice: Delicious!!! Creamy and not too sweet. I'm not even a licorice fan but somehow as an ice cream it's da bomb! It's my favourite of all I've tried at this shop so far.
Premium Flavours.
The Evil Queen: a vanilla ice cream with a hint if rosemary as that was her original name before she turned evil. This ice cream is very creamy and the rosemary really gives it a unique flavour. Have you ever had lavender ice cream before ( a flavour they also sell there)? It's a very similar taste. I think it's not for everyone but If you are looking for something different you might like this.
Red Riding Hood: that's the flavour on the bottom. Yummers! It's texture is creamy and then a little grainy. I think it's from the cinnamon. That being said it has a cinnamon flavour but it also tastes like red velvet cake. Please try! You won't regret it. :)
I blogged about this place before. They have a tonne of flavours that they make themselves. They experiment a lot. They have a regular selection of ice cream which are the typical flavours you might see at any ice cream shop. They are about $4 for a double scoop. Then they have a premium selection that are a bunch of home made unique recipes. That goes for $6.50 for a double scoop.
These are the flavours based on the Once Upon A Time TV series. I didn't realize they were available until I order my double scoop. I did get to taste test them all and yummers! By the way, the people who work there are super nice and let you try pretty much everything. Those flavours are all based on the TV characters personalities. Aside from the flavours from the television show they have a premium flavour selection. One of the premium flavours are orange and schezuan peppers! It has a bit of heat going down.
This will be a running entry in my blog as I continue to try the flavours.
Regular Flavours.
Walnut Caramel: a nutty sweet ice cream. The walnut flavour stood out more than the caramel.
Black Licorice: Delicious!!! Creamy and not too sweet. I'm not even a licorice fan but somehow as an ice cream it's da bomb! It's my favourite of all I've tried at this shop so far.
Premium Flavours.
The Evil Queen: a vanilla ice cream with a hint if rosemary as that was her original name before she turned evil. This ice cream is very creamy and the rosemary really gives it a unique flavour. Have you ever had lavender ice cream before ( a flavour they also sell there)? It's a very similar taste. I think it's not for everyone but If you are looking for something different you might like this.
Red Riding Hood: that's the flavour on the bottom. Yummers! It's texture is creamy and then a little grainy. I think it's from the cinnamon. That being said it has a cinnamon flavour but it also tastes like red velvet cake. Please try! You won't regret it. :)
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Stuffed mushrooms
At the last staff dinner I made stuffed mushrooms. It was my first time making them and they turned out really well. Everyone really liked them. They were your most basic stuffed mushrooms made with cream cheese and mushrooms.
I made them again last night for dinner. I got the gist of how to make them so I threw in a couple more ingredients and took some out. I liked them a lot more.
This is my crab stuffed mushrooms recipe.
1 can chunk crab meat
3/4 pack of cream cheese
10 large sized button mushrooms
1-2 teaspoons of oil
Salt and pepper to taste
2 teaspoons of onion powder
1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 handful of arugula leaves chopped
1 cup panko bread crumbs
Clean your mushrooms and take out the mushroom stalk. Save the stalks and dice them. Pan fry them with the oil until they are cooked through and dry. Set them aside.
In a bowl mix together the softened cream cheese, spices, arugula, crab meat and cooked mushrooms.
When the mixture is even throughout use a spoon to spread them into your mushrooms. Dip your mushrooms, studding side, into a bowl of panko bread crumbs.
Bake them for 30-45 minutes at 350 or until a pool of liquid forms under each mushroom. If your bread crumbs do not brown broil them for a bit until they do. It won't take long.
This is what they look like when they are done. Enjoy!
I made them again last night for dinner. I got the gist of how to make them so I threw in a couple more ingredients and took some out. I liked them a lot more.
This is my crab stuffed mushrooms recipe.
1 can chunk crab meat
3/4 pack of cream cheese
10 large sized button mushrooms
1-2 teaspoons of oil
Salt and pepper to taste
2 teaspoons of onion powder
1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 handful of arugula leaves chopped
1 cup panko bread crumbs
Clean your mushrooms and take out the mushroom stalk. Save the stalks and dice them. Pan fry them with the oil until they are cooked through and dry. Set them aside.
In a bowl mix together the softened cream cheese, spices, arugula, crab meat and cooked mushrooms.
When the mixture is even throughout use a spoon to spread them into your mushrooms. Dip your mushrooms, studding side, into a bowl of panko bread crumbs.
Bake them for 30-45 minutes at 350 or until a pool of liquid forms under each mushroom. If your bread crumbs do not brown broil them for a bit until they do. It won't take long.
This is what they look like when they are done. Enjoy!
Monday, July 8, 2013
First day of summer vacation
I am working during my summer vacation. I still have clients that I see and this year I'll be working during summer session to make a bit of extra money. Summer session starts tomorrow. Its only for three weeks and three hours a day. But there is a sense of freedom I'm really enjoying from having all this free time. This morning I prepped my breakfast, lunch and made a salad dressing for dinner. I also brewed some tea for making iced tea later. I feel like I'm getting so much done. I will also get to go to the early pound class today. It's at 1:15 so I plan to eat my lunch at the park and enjoy the weather. I love free time.
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Mindfulness and the lotus flower
The lotus flower is a symbol in many religions for reaching enlightenment. It is a flower that incubates in the darkness of muddy pond waters and inches its way upwards until it breaks through the surface. In the open air it blooms into a beautiful flower. It is something that overcomes darkness and comes into light revealing its true form.
Every time I feel I'm getting pulled back into old thoughts I remind myself I am supposed to be pushing myself up not pulling myself down. I want to reach my best. I want to feel happy 100% not 75%. I don't want to put myself into the old. I hate the feeling of getting stuck. However, even when I have an awesome day something triggers me and old thoughts come back. The old feels new again and it feels like I'm back in the moment of pain I'm remembering.
Once that happens the ball keeps rolling. Like a snowball it collects more old thoughts until it runs you over. Sometimes you are your own worst enemy. Eckhart Tolle says there is a part of us that enjoys pain and feeds on it. If it weren't for that we wouldn't force ourselves to relive painful moments in our lives. This is the pain body. It lurks around unconscious beings and pounces on us when we are not conscious. I find I am not conscious when I'm alone with too much time to stare at the wall. My mind wanders where it shouldn't. Some people think perhaps your brain is trying to work out a problem but instead it is creating a problem. Ive gone to that place in my mind too many times now for it to do any good. Another place that makes me unconscious is my basement where it is dark. No sun shines through the windows there. I never know what the weather is like. I guess it is a place where I can get trapped by my thoughts.
While I'm out and about I feel less of that. I feel more alive. I guess what I'm describing sounds really depressing. I'm not depressed. I just notice that I am still affected by things in my past. They seem out of my control but I know it's my brain. I guess it IS out of my control though. In "A New Earth" Eckhart Tolle said to say "I think" is as ridiculous as saying "I circulate blood". It's not something we consciously do. It's something that happens to us. The least we can do is notice that. We aren't our negative thoughts but sometimes it feels like they run our lives. I am very happy in my life now but i get flustered thinking I can still get affected by my old feelings.
A song lyric keeps coming into my head. I don't know what song it's from. It just always repeats when I feel a little stuck. "All we have is here. All we have is now." I don't want to waste this perfect moment. So every time I feel stuck or an old thought happens to me I'm not going to let it snowball because I'm going to think of the lotus flower and keep pushing my way up.
My friend once told me "we are all damaged goods". I would like to think that some of us are just trying to get through the mud. Soon we will fully understand who we are, what our purpose in life is and how perfect we are.
I have 3 goals in life:
1) Obliterate the things that I don't need. You can't hold on to things because they were once meaningful. They will eventually just drag you down. Their time in your life has already fulfilled the purpose that it was meant to fulfill. Appreciate it and move on.
2) Find my purpose, my passion and my joy. I use to have more passion for things. I think maybe I've spent too much time on those things and now they have become work not pleasure or love. Go where your heart leads you.
3) Keep giving. Giving and receiving are the same thing. I will always try to give something to everyone I meet. It can be a hug, a smile, or even just a happy thought. Most importantly I will give them the freedom to be who they are without judging. Deepak Chopra says give what you feel people have taken from you. Give people what you want for yourself and start the circulation of wealth and joy in your life. And when you feel you have nothing in you to give, give anyway.
These are the goals I will work on heavily. Enough preaching for now.
Every time I feel I'm getting pulled back into old thoughts I remind myself I am supposed to be pushing myself up not pulling myself down. I want to reach my best. I want to feel happy 100% not 75%. I don't want to put myself into the old. I hate the feeling of getting stuck. However, even when I have an awesome day something triggers me and old thoughts come back. The old feels new again and it feels like I'm back in the moment of pain I'm remembering.
Once that happens the ball keeps rolling. Like a snowball it collects more old thoughts until it runs you over. Sometimes you are your own worst enemy. Eckhart Tolle says there is a part of us that enjoys pain and feeds on it. If it weren't for that we wouldn't force ourselves to relive painful moments in our lives. This is the pain body. It lurks around unconscious beings and pounces on us when we are not conscious. I find I am not conscious when I'm alone with too much time to stare at the wall. My mind wanders where it shouldn't. Some people think perhaps your brain is trying to work out a problem but instead it is creating a problem. Ive gone to that place in my mind too many times now for it to do any good. Another place that makes me unconscious is my basement where it is dark. No sun shines through the windows there. I never know what the weather is like. I guess it is a place where I can get trapped by my thoughts.
While I'm out and about I feel less of that. I feel more alive. I guess what I'm describing sounds really depressing. I'm not depressed. I just notice that I am still affected by things in my past. They seem out of my control but I know it's my brain. I guess it IS out of my control though. In "A New Earth" Eckhart Tolle said to say "I think" is as ridiculous as saying "I circulate blood". It's not something we consciously do. It's something that happens to us. The least we can do is notice that. We aren't our negative thoughts but sometimes it feels like they run our lives. I am very happy in my life now but i get flustered thinking I can still get affected by my old feelings.
A song lyric keeps coming into my head. I don't know what song it's from. It just always repeats when I feel a little stuck. "All we have is here. All we have is now." I don't want to waste this perfect moment. So every time I feel stuck or an old thought happens to me I'm not going to let it snowball because I'm going to think of the lotus flower and keep pushing my way up.
My friend once told me "we are all damaged goods". I would like to think that some of us are just trying to get through the mud. Soon we will fully understand who we are, what our purpose in life is and how perfect we are.
I have 3 goals in life:
1) Obliterate the things that I don't need. You can't hold on to things because they were once meaningful. They will eventually just drag you down. Their time in your life has already fulfilled the purpose that it was meant to fulfill. Appreciate it and move on.
2) Find my purpose, my passion and my joy. I use to have more passion for things. I think maybe I've spent too much time on those things and now they have become work not pleasure or love. Go where your heart leads you.
3) Keep giving. Giving and receiving are the same thing. I will always try to give something to everyone I meet. It can be a hug, a smile, or even just a happy thought. Most importantly I will give them the freedom to be who they are without judging. Deepak Chopra says give what you feel people have taken from you. Give people what you want for yourself and start the circulation of wealth and joy in your life. And when you feel you have nothing in you to give, give anyway.
These are the goals I will work on heavily. Enough preaching for now.
Friday, July 5, 2013
Chicago... Last Day.
Day 4 highlights: Field Museum, Lawry's and John Hancock Observatory.
Today was our last day in Chicago and we had a long list of things to do on our list. We wanted to finish all the activities on our citypass. We only had two left: The Field Museum and the John Hancock Observatory. They were on the opposite sides of Downtown so it was going to be another long day of walking. At least we get to walk off all the food we eat. We also had dinner reservations at Lawry's. It's a high end restaurant well known for its prime rib dinners. Our plan was to go to the Field Museum, walk down State avenue for a bit of shopping, have dinner and check out the Observatory at night. We did pretty well today!
The Field Museum: this museum seems like a natural history museum. It had dinosaur bones, specimens of bugs and animals, sections on different parts of the world and exhibits on rocks and minerals. It was very diverse and I really enjoyed it. It had a special exhibit on animals and bioluminescence. There was a tank of flashlight fish that flashed very dimly. Many dish and animal specimens were on display in jars and preserved. We weren't allowed to take photos in that exhibit but we were in other exhibits.
At the entrance of the museum you meet a huge dinosaur specimen wearing a Blackhawks jersy. Pretty funny.
There was a section on the evolution of clothes. They had a pair of lotus feet shoes there. Ouch! I thought high heels were bad! I just can't imagine.
I love jewelry. What girl doesn't? Ancient jewelry was so nice. Some things were so intricate I'm pretty sure no one can make them now. They had a huge display of Chinese jade. I appreciate jade much more now.
A lodge house. The bed is made of bison fur. It's so comfortable. The reinforcements are made out of tree branches. This is an 8 post lodge. It was the most common lodge made by the Panachee. It's about 1300 sq feet.
Many dinosaur bones everywhere.
Here is a mummified child.
We spend about 5 hours there and we had to go fast to see everything.
After the museum we went shopping on State street. It's an awesome shopping area. We saw a fast food place called Wow Bao. It had signs all over it that said Bao zi and gao zi. Of course we has to try it. We had a kung pao chicken bao and a spicey Mongolian beef Bao. They were soooo good. It's like a cha sui Bao just with different filling.
Weird... But I want to try.
Dinner Time!!!
It's a classy place but everyone working there was dressed like they were still in the roaring 50's. So weird. The decor was very old school posh. Amanda said she felt she was dining on the Titanic.
Famous spinning salad. This salad was mixed in a spinning metal bowl. It is a green salad with beets and French dressing. It was nice. I prefer less dressing but it was fun to watch them mix it.
The beef guy. He rolls this big beef cart to you and you choose your cut. He also loads your plate up with mashed potatoes and gravy.
I got the famous Lawry's cut which is the same as any other cut just really big. I'll be having prime rib for breakfast. It's yummy.
Your dinner also comes with Yorkshire pudding which I love. Yummy! This restaurant set us back a bit but it's good to experience.
Cheers!
John Hancock Observatory. Im glad we went to the observatory after dinner as we had already seen the aerial view of Chicago from the Skydeck during the day. Chicago is really nice. The observatory is not as high as the sky deck but apparently the elevator goes faster. They have a mini restaurant up there too. It would have been great to see the fireworks from here yesterday since you had a great view of the pier. While at the Observatory we met a guy from North Carolina. He told us some things about Chicago we didn't get to discover. 1) You can rent bicycles all over the city. We saw the bike stations everywhere. However we didn't know they were only 7 days for a whole day. That's awesome. 2) There is also place in Chicago outside of downtown that is more of a south Asian neighborhood. The area is covered in markets just like China and India. I'd like to see them one day if I ever come again.
Now it's time for me to pack. We leave tomorrow at 5am!! It's weird to think I'll be home in Vancouver before lunch time. Anyway, awesome trip! Chicago has a lot to offer.
I'll leave you with more random art.
Suits everywhere! (Look familiar?)
More Blackhawks.
And this is the Magnificent Mile.
Today was our last day in Chicago and we had a long list of things to do on our list. We wanted to finish all the activities on our citypass. We only had two left: The Field Museum and the John Hancock Observatory. They were on the opposite sides of Downtown so it was going to be another long day of walking. At least we get to walk off all the food we eat. We also had dinner reservations at Lawry's. It's a high end restaurant well known for its prime rib dinners. Our plan was to go to the Field Museum, walk down State avenue for a bit of shopping, have dinner and check out the Observatory at night. We did pretty well today!
The Field Museum: this museum seems like a natural history museum. It had dinosaur bones, specimens of bugs and animals, sections on different parts of the world and exhibits on rocks and minerals. It was very diverse and I really enjoyed it. It had a special exhibit on animals and bioluminescence. There was a tank of flashlight fish that flashed very dimly. Many dish and animal specimens were on display in jars and preserved. We weren't allowed to take photos in that exhibit but we were in other exhibits.
At the entrance of the museum you meet a huge dinosaur specimen wearing a Blackhawks jersy. Pretty funny.
There was a section on the evolution of clothes. They had a pair of lotus feet shoes there. Ouch! I thought high heels were bad! I just can't imagine.
I love jewelry. What girl doesn't? Ancient jewelry was so nice. Some things were so intricate I'm pretty sure no one can make them now. They had a huge display of Chinese jade. I appreciate jade much more now.
A lodge house. The bed is made of bison fur. It's so comfortable. The reinforcements are made out of tree branches. This is an 8 post lodge. It was the most common lodge made by the Panachee. It's about 1300 sq feet.
Many dinosaur bones everywhere.
Here is a mummified child.
We spend about 5 hours there and we had to go fast to see everything.
After the museum we went shopping on State street. It's an awesome shopping area. We saw a fast food place called Wow Bao. It had signs all over it that said Bao zi and gao zi. Of course we has to try it. We had a kung pao chicken bao and a spicey Mongolian beef Bao. They were soooo good. It's like a cha sui Bao just with different filling.
Weird... But I want to try.
Dinner Time!!!
It's a classy place but everyone working there was dressed like they were still in the roaring 50's. So weird. The decor was very old school posh. Amanda said she felt she was dining on the Titanic.
Famous spinning salad. This salad was mixed in a spinning metal bowl. It is a green salad with beets and French dressing. It was nice. I prefer less dressing but it was fun to watch them mix it.
The beef guy. He rolls this big beef cart to you and you choose your cut. He also loads your plate up with mashed potatoes and gravy.
I got the famous Lawry's cut which is the same as any other cut just really big. I'll be having prime rib for breakfast. It's yummy.
Your dinner also comes with Yorkshire pudding which I love. Yummy! This restaurant set us back a bit but it's good to experience.
Cheers!
John Hancock Observatory. Im glad we went to the observatory after dinner as we had already seen the aerial view of Chicago from the Skydeck during the day. Chicago is really nice. The observatory is not as high as the sky deck but apparently the elevator goes faster. They have a mini restaurant up there too. It would have been great to see the fireworks from here yesterday since you had a great view of the pier. While at the Observatory we met a guy from North Carolina. He told us some things about Chicago we didn't get to discover. 1) You can rent bicycles all over the city. We saw the bike stations everywhere. However we didn't know they were only 7 days for a whole day. That's awesome. 2) There is also place in Chicago outside of downtown that is more of a south Asian neighborhood. The area is covered in markets just like China and India. I'd like to see them one day if I ever come again.
Now it's time for me to pack. We leave tomorrow at 5am!! It's weird to think I'll be home in Vancouver before lunch time. Anyway, awesome trip! Chicago has a lot to offer.
I'll leave you with more random art.
Suits everywhere! (Look familiar?)
More Blackhawks.
And this is the Magnificent Mile.
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