An Abundance of Basil

After throwing money away in the form of tossing over-the-hill pungent, slimy, and browned cilantro, basil, and parsley all too-often, I decided it was time to grow my own. Besides, there's nothing like fresh herbs just nipped from the garden to accent your dish! I grew up with raised beds full of tomatoes, onions, snap peas, parsley, lettuce and the like in my backyard, and this is something I'd always wanted to replicate. Only, here in California I'd forever hesitated due to the harsh afternoon sun. I feared it would fry any greens I'd attempt to bring to life outside. Recently, though, it dawned on me that our tiny balcony faces eastward. Thus, it only receives morning sunlight and is actually sheltered by the apartment itself from the blazing hot rays of the afternoon sun. This was all I needed to know to get going on my first herb garden.

Due to size constraints, I had to be very selective about what I chose to grow. After some debate at the local OSH, I picked out basil (for pestos and caprese salads), parsley (Shrek makes an awesome clams linguine that calls for loads of parsley and garlic), mint (for the mojitos, of course!), and some thyme, oregano, and rosemary. 

I laid moss along the bottom of a 36" x 12" x 10" rectangular pot before filling it with a combination of potting soil and used coffee grounds (a la a 6th grade science fair project that earned me a blue ribbon!) True to my 6th-grade findings, the plants took to the new and caffeinated soil immediately and are absolutely thriving. I water them about every 3-4 days (I let them go for an entire week while we were in WA which they survived) and am actually getting a little concerned that the basil is getting a little too comfortable.... As you can see, it's practically taken over the box!

Total cost of plants + gardening supplies: $60.

Markdown of the Season

I scored an $130 Armani Exchange dress for $26 last week. 

It was "only" marked down to $29, but I noticed a little tear on the extra strap that could easily be fixed or the strap could be removed altogether. When I went ahead and asked for more off my request was granted! They gave me an additional -10% off. Now I've just got to find a place to wear it. Oh, and take it in a bit. Or gain 10 lbs. It's a size 4 and I usually wear their dresses in a 0. 

Also, finding prices like this reminds me to avoid paying full-price for everything.

These Boots Were Made For Walking

I have super narrow feet and high arches which equals - though I know it wouldn't appear this way by looking at my closet - a difficult time finding shoes that fit properly. Seriously, my first trip to Italy was in high school and my dad jokes that my mom and I spent half the 3-weeks in shoe stores --- and I didn't find a single pair that fit! Therefore, when I happen upon a pair that feel great, I snatch them up.

Love the lace-ups on these (there's a zipper on the inside so you don't have to actually use the laces) and the fact that they're actually comfortable. I can't wait to pair them with a skirt and light scarf once it gets a little bit cooler. And a top, of course! Hey, and check it out: they were originally $365 and I got 'em for $119! "Saved" $245+! One good thing about having super narrow feet? My feet fit what a lot of other people would find too snug. Paired with the fact that I wear a size 6.5, I have pretty good luck when shopping clearance!

Tee Nee Thai Serves Up Big Taste

I've had the pleasure of eating a lot of fantastic Thai food since moving to the Bay Area seven years ago. My first taste was at New Krung Thai while checking out Santa Clara University as a prospective student still in high school and I've been hooked on the cuisine ever since. Case in point, these are the Thai places I could come up with just off the top of my head at which I've dined: Thai Pepper and Jasmine Fine Thai, both in Santa Clara's Franklin Square. Amarin Thai in Mountain View. Thai Spice Los Gatos. Osha in SF. Thai Cafe, Banana Leaf, Coconut Grove, all in Milpitas. Blue Mango and House of Siam in San Jose. While some are better than others, New Krung Thai on Winchester at Forest Avenue is still one of my favorites. And it's quite reasonable, too. Shrek and I can get 1 cucumber salad side, 1 large Tom Yum soup, Pad Thai, Yellow Curry, and Rice for 2 for about $45. Pretty good considering the large Tom Yum is $13+ alone. And we always have leftovers - plenty enough even for a full meal the next day. (Or a snack a few hours later.)

Recently, however, I have been frequenting a little place on the Alameda called Tee Nee Thai. A lot. I can count three times in the past month we've been, and that's saying something as 

1. There are a lot of awesome dining options around here, and

2. Shrek and I were only first introduced to Tee Nee just a month ago by our neighbors (who, to our delight, like food almost as much as we do!) I always enjoy dining out in a larger group, especially at places that encourage family-style dining because it means you can try so much more but for the same or less price than going by yourself or with just one other companion.

We ordered our standard plates (Tom Yum Soup, Cucumber Salad, Yellow Curry, Pad Thai, sides of rice...) and I can honestly say that I've never had them taste SO GOOD before. Now that's a statement because, as you saw, I've tried them at a lot of places! (I realize I should be a little more adventurous when it comes to ordering, but at least this way I can truly compare dishes at different restaurants when I order consistently.) 

If you go to Tee Nee Thai, here's what I would keep in mind:

1. Watch how spicy you order your dishes, because we order "medium" each time and it is still pretty darn spicy. It's just the way we like it but it is equal to other restaurants' "hot."

2. We made the mistake of ordering Tee Nee's "sticky rice" the first time we went and the rice was the consistency of rubber. It was very difficult to tear apart and didn't allow dishes such as the curry to soak into it. Now, I always enjoy steamed white rice when I go there.

3. It's pricey for Thai, but the flavor, quality, and service is excellent. We went just last weekend and ordered our favorite plates, of course, minus the Tom Yum but +1 beer and it totaled about $45 with 18% tip. (P.S. I love the Check Please Lite Iphone App. Sooo helpful) Tee Nee's Pad Thai is $10+ where I usually see it closer to $7 at other places, but check out the casserole-type dish it's served in. It's pretty monstrous and we always have leftovers. (Though, not as much as when we go to New Krung Thai...)

4. GO!

*Note: All the photos were taken at Tee Nee Thai last week with my iPhone. 

Hey Infiniti, Listen Up

I finally found something negative about my car. 

While Infiniti did a beautiful job enhancing the car's interior with African Rosewood (most G35 models have a chrome-like metallic finish), they left it off of the most important place - on top of the gear shift! My poor right palm has been scorched on several occasions as temps reach 100+ degrees inside and heat up the metal strip atop the gear shift (which is slightly visible in the lower left of the photo). 

Shrek told me to quit whining about it until he, too, gripped the gear shift to put the car into drive over the weekend and got burnt. So there. Hopefully Infiniti rethought or will rethink this on the newer models.

Goodbye Wisdom Teeth

I'm a total wuss when it comes to inflicting pain upon my body and seeing my own blood. (Oddly, I am okay patching up other people.) Case in point: I actually put off getting my wisdom teeth extracted for about 5 years longer than I should have. Horror stories about others' experiences definitely attributed to my resolve until New Years Eve '07. My teeth got infected and I fell physically ill with a fever, chills, and flu-like symptoms due to those unhappy little guys. 

It was time for them to go.

For extractions, Dr. Timothy Thoai Nguyen is the man! He's an oral surgeon in Milpitas who specializes in wisdom teeth extraction among other services. I was referred to him after a quick trip to a random 1-800-dentist dentist to pinpoint exactly what was causing me my teeth-grief.

After looking up his reviews on Yelp and seeing all the good things people had to say about his work, I was a little less dreadful. After going in for a consultation and meeting with the man himself, I was very reassured that I was in good hands. I also just really wanted them out at that point. 

Since my teeth were pretty much fully grown in, Dr. Nguyen helped me decide that a local anesthetic was all I required instead of getting completely knocked out. I didn't even need nitrous oxide! (My not having any dental insurance may have played a role in my decision, but turns out in the end the general numbing was really all I needed and what I would recommend. Remember, I'm a wimp at this stuff.)

Getting my 3 wisdom teeth extracted was $1100 and took no longer than 30 minutes total from the time I took to my seat to when I walked out to the parking lot with a mouth full of bloody gauze. I can honestly say the worst part and what took the most time was getting numb. They made sure to give me a lot of foul tasting numbing gel so all I felt was a little pinch at the injection sites. Okay, multiple little pinches. Twenty minutes later, after making sure I was nice and numb, they started in. 

I forgot to mention that they let me listen to my Ipod throughout the entire process. One Justin Timberlake song after they started in -- "My Love" from FutureSex/LoveSounds (I can't listen to that album now without flashbacks to sitting in the dentist's chair with a set and a half of hands in my mouth) -- my 3 teeth were out! And off they sent me, no stitches, just a mouthful of gauze.

Though they require someone to drive you home, I totally could've driven myself. I think Shrek was pretty shocked when I skipped out of the office and was chattering away as we sat in traffic. After all, he'd braced himself, expecting me to be all mopey and whiney after the procedure. But to his surprise, at home I simply settled in with some ("free") vicodin, an Orange Dream Machine with protein (eaten with a spoon, of course), and the first two seasons of Lost. No problem. By the next evening I was eating Shrek's homemade chicken noodle soup. 

It took a good 6 months for the gaping holes in the back of my mouth to completely fill in with gum tissue which was a real pain when I started eating solids again. Shrek referred to my pockets as my "flavor savers" (Ick!). After each meal I'd lean over the sink and squirt water into each pocket to clean them out. Apparently, there's a reason the dentist doesn't give you a little squirter before your follow-up appointment a week later. It's so you don't mess up the healing process/blood clots that are supposed to form. Oops! Shrek gave me one he keeps in his emergency survival kit after watching me struggle to remove the leftover food around the third day after. Glad everything went without a hitch! Now, if only I could find a dentist to take care of my root canal with my current dental insurance....

Sf City Staycation 2.0 Denied

Just tried to book an overnighter at the Intercontinental Hotel SF and everything, even the $1500 per night suite (not that they would've given us that for the CA Staycation Package price), is booked for the weekend we want to go! Damn, my blog must be getting a lot of hits to send people in droves to stay there! (I kid, I kid :D )

Worth Every Penny: Aveda's Smooth Infusion Styling-Prep Smoother

I'd tried everything: leave in conditioners, skinny hair serums, smoothing gels and multiple blow-drying and hair straightening tactics, but my hair never felt quite right after applying any of these methods. I'm Asian-American and supposedly should have this fine, silky straight gorgeous head of Asian hair, but mine was all dry and poofy. Finally, Tuesday, I found the solution on a random trip to Aveda with my friend. 

"Wow, you have Asian hair!" was Shrek's reaction as he ran his hand through my hair after I applied a sample of Aveda's Smooth Infusion Styling-Prep Smoother the next morning. For the first time in 10 years I didn't flat iron my hair to wear it down. I just blow dried it and skipped off to work. I can't stop running my own hands through my hair, either. It's so silky and light! And I love how it falls just so, just right, with hardly any effort in the morning. 

Yikes, I sound like an infomercial. But, seriously, this is the best hair product and completely worth the money. I immediately made a return trip to Aveda and picked up a full size, 3.4 fl.oz. ($26 in-store. Though, if you're not ready to make the $26 commitment, just go in and ask for a sample. The location I went to in Valley Fair Mall had tons and was more than happy to send me home with some which I just added to the full size bottle after I made my purchase.) 

Pho For All Seasons

Despite the temps soaring into the mid 90s this weekend, Shrek was craving Pho on Saturday. Though I thought he was nuts for wanting a steaming hot bowl of Vietnamese noodle soup, there is no denying a Pho craving. 

We arrived at our favorite Pho place, Pho Viet at Trimble and First, and were immediately ushered to our usual table, as we have quickly become regulars. 

"Same thing?" our server asked as we took our seat. I've dined here for lunches and dinners on all days of the week (except Sundays since, unfortunately, they're closed) and the same guy's been our server each occasion. Typically, Shrek and I share an order of spring rolls (pictured second) and then each get a regular number 11, pho with rare steak (pictured first). But this time I was feeling BBQ pork and shrimp over noodles (pictured last). 

I don't know how they do it, but all the pho places I've been to provide lightning fast service. This one, however, takes the cake. Especially if you come during the lunch rush as they are quite popular being in the midst of all the Silicon Valley tech companies. For lunch, servers punch your order into a handheld device as they take your order from your table. This electronically sends it straight to the kitchen so your order is brought out to you once the server moves on to take the next table's order. Even so, I prefer coming during off times which are evenings and Saturdays. The wait isn't too much longer. Right after we ordered, water and a little chopstick/napkin/spoon pack was dropped off followed by our fresh spring rolls with peanut sauce. I always mix hoisin in my peanut sauce and Shrek likes, no, LOVES, Sriracha. Before we'd had a chance to finish the rolls, out came the pho and my bbq plate. I'd say in total we waited 4 minutes for everything to come out and mmmm, was it delicious! 

I love coming to this place due to its consistent fast, friendly service, cleanliness, and the food is the freshest around. (You must try their spring rolls if you go!)  Sorry to all who love Pho Thanh Long on El Camino, but the food, cleanliness, and friendliness just doesn't compare to Pho Viet's. Incidentally I ended up wanting pho the very next day but Pho Viet was closed so we had to go to Pho Thanh Long. Their spring rolls were limp and had a funky taste, the peanut sauce wasn't nearly as good as Pho Viet's and the pho was super salty. Since the prices are about the same at both places, 2 plates or bowls + spring rolls = about $20 before tip, I'd definitely head over to Pho Viet if given the option. After writing this up, I'm already anticipating going back for more!

Sunset Over San Jose

Last night Shrek and I discovered a new place to perch and watch the sunset without having to drive all the way to Santa Cruz. And it's on Santana Row, of all places! I say this because even though it's part of a popular hoity-toity drinking destination, this little spot is still obscure and not as crowded. Therefore, I found it to be a lot more chill than most places on the row. (And notice I'm not naming my new place to watch the sunset, though you can probably guess if you're familiar with the vicinity.) 

I love the ambience: it's open air and live music drifts up from the courtyard 7 stories below. If it's your thing, they'll let you smoke cigars which Shrek informs me is rare even for an open air restaurant. The seating itself is comfty and cozy and the fire pits get going once the sun sets. 

It really quiets down around 9 pm, too, which is rare because on Santana Row things usually just get going around this time.

The price of admission? Shrek and I ordered two drinks, a mango mojito for me and a scotch of some sort for Shrek from their full bar = $19. 

Washington Hospitality 101

I've been receiving quite a few requests of late for recommendations regarding places to go and what to do when visiting the Pacific Northwest - specifically, the San Juan Islands. If you happen to take my suggestion and hop on Allegiant Airlines from Oakland CA to Bellingham WA for a little weekend excursion, these are some of my favorite haunts and where you can probably find me when I'm visiting "home" -- or what was my home for 16 years. Hard to believe I've been living in the Bay Area now for 7 years! In no particular order (though I tried to group them by locale)...

*Deception Pass: I usually park on the Fidalgo Island side and take visitors for a stroll across the bridge before hiking down to the beach pictured on the Whidbey Island side. Even with all the traffic rushing by as you walk over the bridge, I swear this is some of the freshest air you will ever breathe. For more info like directions, visit here.

*Mount Erie: For me, Mount Erie offers some of the most spectacular views of the area where I grew up. You can drive, run (it's a really good hill workout!), hike, or rock climb your way to the top depending on your motivation or lack thereof. I think it's open something like dawn to dusk. Mount Erie is located at 1399 Erie Mountain Dr, Anacortes, WA 98221. Get directions

*Washington Park: Albeit tempting to simply walk, run, or drive Loop Road which meanders through the park creating a 2-mile loop, make sure to trek off-road. The little hikes and beaches are worth exploring! For more info like park hours and directions, visit here.

*Washington State Ferry From Anacortes to Friday Harbor: I used to take these to "Away" basketball tournaments hosted by middle schools on the various islands. I have fond memories of playing "Sardines" and many heads of hair being braided on these voyages. Today, take 3 hours out of your day to catch the 11 am express ferry (no stops!) to ride one hour out to Friday Harbor, grab a beer, and return back to Anacortes on the same boat. Parking's $10, the tickets are $13 pp if you're walking on (cars and bikes are a bit more) and the view's stunning as you cruise through the islands. Sit outside in the front for the full salt-water-wind-in-your-face effect. Click here for the ferry schedule.

*LaConner Brewery: Outside of my mom's kitchen, this is one of my favorite places to eat whenever I visit. Shrek and I ate here just last week and lunched on crab cakes, clam chowder, Mediterranean Plate and Neopolitan pizza. Next time I'm going to skip the crab cakes as they use too many bread crumbs and not enough crab for my taste. I also wasn't a fan of the sauce it came with. It is reminiscent of the dipping sauces served with fried spring rolls at the Thai restaurants I frequent down here in the Bay Area. Other than that, the food is fresh, hearty and soo soo good! Visit their website here for photos, menus, hours, and location. 

*Skagit Valley Tulip Festival: If you happen to visit in April (although I would recommend visiting in late July - early September due to the weather), you MUST check out the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival! Click here for more info.

*Sakuma Bros Market: For the freshest strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, tayberries, and veggies, you must visit pay a visit to Sakuma Brothers Market near the Cook Road Exit off I-5. Bonus, I worked as a cashier and also made strawberry shortcake treats one summer! Visit their website here for berries, produce, contact info, hours, and location.

*Taylor Shellfish: From Sakuma Brother's Market, make your way West on Cook Road before turning right onto Chuckanut Drive. Eventually you will make your way to Taylor Shellfish on Chuckanut Mountain. Did you catch Mike Rowe doing a Dirty Job at Taylor's?! At Taylor Shellfish, they harvest and sell their own clams, oysters, crabs, and mussels. They also ship their shellfish overnight. Visit their website here for details, hours, and directions.

*Larrabee State Park: Continue Northwest up Chuckanut Drive (make sure to take advantage of the vistas along the way!) to Larrabee State Park. It'll be on your left. Whether you love scrambling along rocks to find starfish or just perching serenely atop a boulder to look out over the water, you will fall in love with the natural beauty of this place. If you cross Chuckanut Drive they've also got some hiking trails up to Fragrance Lake, etc. Intrigued? Visit here for more info on Larrabee State Park.

*Fairhaven: Chuckanut Drive pretty much drops you off in Fairhaven, a little boutique neighborhood of Bellingham. I was first acquainted with this area as a toddler when my parents would drive me all the way here (a good 45 minute drive from my home) to get my hair cut. Later, I would frequent Fairhaven Runners for shoes and other great gear. Now, I enjoy the art of window shopping. Afavorite is Mud in Your Eye (pottery). No website but they're at 911 Harris Street. An oddity, but I always stock up on their homemade chapsticks each visit. I also recommend indulging in Sirena Gelato after brunching at Skylark's Hidden Cafe. Skylark's whips up a superb lox and cream cheese omelette! Don't forget to order a mimosa. Finally, if you're in the mood for standup comedy, the Fairhaven Pub and Martini Bar has live standup comedy most Sundays. 

*The Chrysallis Inn & Spa: Should've maybe started with this one, but this is my pick for where to stay, especially if you are flying into Bellingham. The Inn and most rooms overlook Bellingham Bay and hotel itself is situated at a popular trailhead which runs along the water. You can also walk to Fairhaven from here. One of my favorite features is the soaking tub with shoji screens that open the bathroom into the bedroom. (Err, probably not the best place to stay if you get "stage fight" but definitely a romantic and cozy place to relax and get away.) Visit the hotel website here.

*Anthony's Restaurant at Squalicum Harbor: My pick for dinner is Anthony's. Though it is a chain of 19 restaurants originating in Kirkland, WA (am not especially fond of recommending chains to dine at when going away someplace) they know how to do waterfront dining and seafood! Their views of the harbor coupled with their dee-lish seafood makes for a memorable meal. Visit their restaurant website here.

Form Bellingham, Vancouver, BC, lies 1 hour north. Continue onto Whistler (another 2 hours) from there. (Next time I'm in Whistler I really really want to do this!) Seattle, Washington lies about 1 and a half hours south of Bellingham, but I'll save those for another time!