Stop #6: Chicago, Illinois, USA (Part 1)

Chicago Deep Dish Pizza
Uno vs. Giordanos vs. Lou Malnati’s vs. Gino’s East. I ate at all four places during my few visits to Chicago and my vote is Lou Malnati’s. Theirs is not as greasy, the dough was easier to chew and the toppings were just the right amount. Me likey!


Hot Doug’s (CLOSED)
This place was featured in many TV shows and the famous dogs did live up to its fame. I don’t know why nowhere else outside of Chicago eats hotdogs like they do! Mmm... I miss these dogs...

This was Monday at lunch!!!


Most of the dogs are named after famous people, especially famous actresses. Enjoy while your name is up there, because you may be replaced!


Cool decor!


The Dog: Chicago-Style Hot Dog


The Elvis: Polish Sausage


The Keira Knightley: Fire Dog


For more information, visit http://www.hotdougs.com/.


Manny’s


Chicago is also famous for Italian Beef Sandwiches, besides pizza and hotdogs. The servers at Manny’s were very friendly and they were confident that they make the best Corned Beef in town. I didn’t have a chance to try other places, but I was very satisfied with theirs! Very juicy!



For more information, visit http://www.mannysdeli.com/.


Kitsch’n


Funky little neighborhood restaurant. I heard about the Green Eggs & Ham before and wanted to try it. I wasn’t sure how it was going to taste but I am glad I tried it. It was very tasty and had interesting texture!



For more information, visit http://www.kitschn.com/.


Tank Noodle Restaurant (Pho Xe Tang)
OMG, these Vietnamese noodle soup bowls were SO BIG. I think I could have put my face in it. The broth also tasted very fresh. It is located in the center of the Little Saigon and you can also get very good Banh Mi (Vietnamese sandwiches) at Ba Le Bakery across the street.





For more information, visit http://www.tanknoodle.com/.


Cafe Milk & Honey


Went for Saturday brunch. It was crowded but manageable. The food was really fresh and the serving size was very generous. The French toast was bigger than my face! Get the chicken sausage as a side. It’s pretty tasty!







For more information, visit http://www.milkandhoneycafe.com/.

Stop #5: Sydney, Australia

Oh where do I begin. Sydney is a beautiful city with so much wonderful food. I wish it was closer than a 20-hour flight!

Spice I Am


Wonderful little place for Thai food but the wait was quite long on a Friday night. The food was very spicy and you can smell it in the air, but at least they gave each table a huge bottle of water. The food was also full of flavors and every bite was a surprise. Good stuff.

Deep fried snapper fillet, wok tossed with red curry paste, green beans, chilli and kaffir lime leaf


Rich, aromatic curry of slow cooked beef with eschallot and potato


Traditional pad thai noodle with chicken breast fillet, tamarind, palm sugar, fish sauce, eschallot, bean sprouts, ground cashew nut, beancurd, egg, fresh garlic and chive


For more information, visit http://www.spiceiam.com/.


Mongers
I had never seen calamari so big, until I met the calamari at Mongers. Pictured was the Mongers Box with fish fillet, calamari and chips. Everything tasted so fresh and juicy!



For more information, visit http://mongers.com.au/bondi.html.


Mamak
During busy dinner time, there was always a long line out of the door. But the efficient staff kept the line moving pretty quickly. During my stay in Sydney, I went there twice. Yes, I liked the food that much.

From the front window, you can watch the chefs prepare all kinds of Roti (Indian bread).


This is Roti Tisu, a dessert. It is coated with sugar so it can stand tall. Crispy and yummy!


I am sorry but this is the best fried chicken I have ever had. And it is Malaysian, who knew?


This Mee Goreng (wok-tossed hokkien noodles with eggs, prawns, fish cake slices and fresh bean sprouts) is so good. Every bite is full of flavor. I’d say it is the best stir fried noodle I have ever had.


For more information, visit http://www.mamak.com.au/.


Chinatown
There were so many Asian food courts in Chinatown, so many. And all the food was authentic. So many places to eat at but so little time. Just had to show this pan fried noodle because it was pretty darn good for a food court.



Emperors Garden had very good bakery goods. Get there early. Everything is sold out by early evening!


Fish Market
If you like seafood, then this place is heaven. They sell fresh seafood and they also prepare the fresh seafood right there! Sushi, sashimi, lobster, soft-shell crab or fried whole fish. You name it, they have it.





For more information, visit http://www.sydneyfishmarket.com.au/.


Ichiban Boshi
Their bowl of noodle soup was money. The broth was so flavorful. Noodle was cooked just right so that it was still chewy.





For more information, visit http://www.ichibanboshi.com.au/.


Harry’s
It is an institution in Sydney, especially the Tiger Pie (chunky lean beef pie served with mashie peas, mash & gravy), but I wasn’t a huge fan. Guess I don’t have the Australian tongue, literally. Not a fan of vegemite either.



Hot dog was huge and tasty though.


For more information, visit http://www.harryscafedewheels.com.au/.

Stop #4: Montgomery County, Maryland, USA

Dolcezza Gelato
Gelato! This is so soft and melts in your mouth. It is not very sweet and the flavors are very creative and tasty! Their gelato is made fresh every morning with local milk, cream, eggs, cheese, herbs and fruit.





I had Avocado Honey Orange and Apple Cider. I liked Avocado better.


For more information, visit http://www.dolcezzagelato.com/.


Hunan Palace

Taiwanese breakfast, oh my dream food! Finally found a decent place that has it all.

Soup Filled Dumplings

Taiwanese Hamburger


Long Baked Bun (covered in toasted sesame seeds) and Fried Cruller


Sweet Tofu. This is done right with peanuts. You cannot find this in NYC area!


Bread Corner
Taiwanese bakery spotted!!! This is a major discovery! They make Cheese Pastry Cake, Pineapple Cake and tons of Taiwanese buns. Everything is baked fresh in the morning and throughout the day. I drool when I think about it. Every time I go, I come out with at least four bags of goods. Amazing!

Stop #3: Falls Church, Virginia, USA

Peking Gourmet Inn
This place is very popular. And I think all the politicians have been there, tons of pictures on the wall. But you cannot keep the fame if you do not have substance. This is the best Peking Duck I have ever tasted. It is way better than the one in New York City Chinatown. The meat is so soft. YUM! And the service at this place is superb.



Wonder what Peking Duck is? It’s a roast duck. They bring it out from the kitchen and cut it up at your table. First is the crispy skin.


This place actually scraps off all the fat! Then they carve the meat.


Peking Duck plated!


This is how you eat it, or at least how I eat it. Take a wrap and put sauce on it. Then put the meat, skin, cucumber and scallion on it. Wrap and eat!


This is the best Young Chow Fried Rice EVER. It is soooooo tasty. It is full of ingredients too, unlike the ones you get from a Chinese takeout.


For more information, visit http://www.pekinggourmet.com/.


Eden Center
Didn’t know there was a huge population of Vietnamese in Falls Church. And the Eden Center is a mall of restaurants. When I got there, I didn’t even know where to start! Walked through all the bakeries and restaurants and finally sat down at Huong Viet. The food was very fresh and authentic. It was a great find in the area!

For more information, visit http://www.edencenter.com/.

Stop #2: Baltimore, Maryland, USA (Part 1)

Samos
I have had G&M Crabcakes and Chaps Pit Beef Sandwich, but they do not wow me like a good old gyro from Samos. Oh My Goodness, it is GOOD. The meat and everything else is all good but the bread, oh the bread!!! It is so soft, yet it does not break and wraps the gyro together. Whatever their secret ingredient is, Samos makes the best pita bread that I and many others have ever tasted!



For more information, visit http://www.samosrestaurant.com/.

Stop #1: Washington DC, USA (Part 1)

Teaism
Perfect Sunday brunch spot! Smoked Chicken & Apple Sausage, Ginger Scones, and French Toast were all very tasty. Of course I also got a pot of tea!







For more information, visit http://www.teaism.com/.


Fish Market
DC has a fish market. Say what? It is located under Highway 395, a hidden gem. It is a fun family hangout place. I don't think I need to tell you how yummy that crabcake is.








Chop’t
There seems to be more healthy food choices in the DC metro area. I tried out Chop’t as a quick dinner before going to the Wizards game. You can pick your own ingredients and make it into a salad or a wrap. They also have an existing menu that you can choose from. I got the Rocky Mountain Cobb Salad (grilled chicken, craisins, walnuts and crumbled blue cheese chop’t with romaine lettuce). The staff gathers your ingredients in a bowl and then dump everything on a board. Yes, they chop it, for real. After the hard work of chopping, the salad is now put back in a bowl to toss with their special dressing. I found this concept very interesting. Many places offer “chopped salad,” but nothing like this. It is chopped in front of your eyes! Sorry I don't have pictures of this place. Next time I go, I will be more prepared.

For more information, visit http://www.choptsalad.com/.


Ben’s Chili Bowl
You can’t go to DC without eating at Ben’s. You just can’t! For “people in the know,” you order the half smoke and you will not regret it!







For more information, visit http://www.benschilibowl.com/.


Hello Cupcake (CLOSED)


Yes, it had me at HELLO. I have tried Georgetown Cupcake and Alexandria Cupcake, but my heart belongs to Hello Cupcake. Maybe it’s the cheerful decoration (BTW, it won the Interior Design Award at the 19th annual Inform Awards), but the sweetness of the cupcake is just right with a cup of coffee. I had Tiramisu and it was really good!





For more information, visit http://www.hellocupcakeonline.com/.


Rogue States (CLOSED)
A picture is worth a thousand words. So there.



For more information, visit http://www.aburgergrillingcompany.com/.


G Street Food
I went before the lunch crowd and the bread was still baking. It was a shame because I was not able to sample the sandwiches, which were 80% of the menu. But I would think the sandwiches are good, or at least fresh, since they bake the bread in house. Anyhow, so I ordered the Japanese curry over rice. It tasted like something you can make at home but I think that is exactly the point. Not everyday you get to bring lunch from home. So, something homemade for lunch, what is better than that? G Street Food actually serves street snacks from around the world for breakfast and lunch. What a brilliant and fun idea! I have to go back next time to try some other dishes.

For more information, visit http://www.gstreetfood.com/.