Well, it’s been a little over two weeks since my last post.  So what’s been going on so far?  Well, I’ve successfully moved to Chicago.  My furniture finally came and my apartment is pretty much set up.  I started my new job and I’ve been stuffing my face with food.

I’ve been trying hard to stay home to cook, but with so many restaurants around, it’s been quite a challenge.  There’s something to eat around almost every corner, and from my observations, Chicagoans know how to throw it down.  It’s a city that’s big on sports and food, can there be anything better than that?  Still, I’ve only scratched the surface and although it doesn’t have that NYC city vibe, it definitely has it’s very own and I’m glad to call Chicago my new home.

I posted the picture shown above on my Facebook Home Cooking Album and one of the comments I received was, “was that served to you? otherwise, that’s too much effort for food when i’ve just woken up…”.  It’s interesting, many people view breakfast as a fast and effortless meal.  Even I have been guilty of this.  Ever since I learned that I have to relocate to the Midwest in less than a month, it’s as if somebody hit the fast forward button.

When I woke up yesterday day morning, I told myself that I needed to slow things down a bit, and the first thing I did was to take the time and effort to cook myself a nice breakfast.  I’m glad I did it because it set the tone for the rest of the day.  I didn’t feel rushed for the first time in weeks, and I took my time to complete my errands.

Most of the time, I wish there were a couple of extra hours in the day.  With our busy schedules, jobs, and other obligations, time is limited, and unfortunately, we tend to make up that time by sacrificing time spent on preparing and enjoying food, especially during breakfast.  Take just one day out of the weekend to slow things down a bit.  Start with preparing a good breakfast and don’t just scarf if down.  Take a breath, relax, and enjoy it.  You’ll be glad you did.

In case you’re wondering what I cooked:  quinoa, egg whites w/ scallions, baked sweet potato fries, and a side of cantaloupe.

Today was my second day of the “Getting to Know Chicago” trip. With the apartment hunting behind me, I can finally focus on exploring the city and try out some eats while I’m at it. So far, I’m enjoying the vibe that the city is giving off, but the wind chill and the cold makes it really tough to breathe in a breath of fresh air. None-the-less, the idea of living in the heart of the city is very exciting.

I started the day a bit late. Windows Vista decided to install an automatic update around 3:00am even though the machine was in hibernation mode. The update failed and caused my laptop to go into a reboot loop. After spending most of the morning troubleshooting and recovering the system, I was ready to head out for breakfast.

I decided to try out the cafe at Fox and Obel Food Market. In the hierarchy of food markets, it stands one notch above other stores such as Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. It was located only a mile away from my hotel, so I decided to take a power walk and check out Michigan Ave on my way there. By the time I arrived at the market, my legs were burning and I was gasping for air. That’s what happens when you haven’t worked in months and stay home to play video games all day.

Once inside, I walked through the aisles and perused the items to get a sense of what the store was about. I wasn’t blown away by it, but it did remind me of a food market called Market Basket in Franklin Lakes, NJ. I’ve been to Market Basket many times in the past and this doppelganger in Chicago certainly has the same feel. I made my way to the cafe towards the back and ordered the Cobb Egg White Omelet.

The omelet took a little while to come out but it was really well cooked. With the grilled chicken, applewood smoked bacon, scallions, and avocado in the mix, it turned out to be a great power breakfast and helped restore some energy and gusto that I had lost during my brisk mile-long walk. The portion was generous, and the eggs were cooked very well. The egg whites were neither burnt nor runny, and the ingredients were well distributed.

I liked the place. The cafe has a nice atmosphere for getting some writing done or for casual conversations. I also like how this place is two blocks away from my new apartment.

The next stop was Chinatown.  I heard it was the second largest in the US and since I’m Chinese, I had to visit it.  I have to say, Chicago’s Chinatown is pretty clean, in fact it was too clean to be called Chinatown.  My lunch destination was Lao Shanghai.  It had received pretty decent online reviews and I looked at the menu online before I went.  The fancy and well put together menu gave me pretty high expectations of the place.  Sadly, the food and the restaurant didn’t meet any of them.

Upon entering, I saw an old Chinese couple just finishing up their meals.  In my mind I thought, “Ah, old Chinese people are eating here, this place must be good.”  The size of the restaurant was smaller than I had expected, and while the walls were elegantly decorated, I couldn’t say the same for the tables and the floor tiles.  Each table had a white piece of parchment paper covering the white tablecloth underneath and it reminded me of the Macaroni Grill.  I had the weird sensation of asking the waiter for crayons.  The floor tiles clashed with the rest of the decor.  It was something more suited for the bathroom.  Ok, on to the food.

The first dish I ordered was the xiao long bao, or Shanghai soup dumplings.  Since the place is called Lao Shanghai, I figured it would be fairly decent.  The dumplings came out in a bamboo steamer and boy, was I ready to dig in.  As I lifted the lid, I noticed the dumplings were a bit undersized.  Is the shrinkage from the cold weather?  As I took the first one out of the steamer, I noticed that the wrapper was a bit on the thick side.  Taking a bite, I thought to myself, “where’s the hot, steamy, mouth-blistering broth?”

Look closely at the picture above.  Do you see any broth?  Just barely.  All in all, I was extremely disappointed with the dumplings and I would compare them to store  bought brands.  There’s a restaurant by where I live in New Jersey and it’s far better than what was served at Lao Shanghai.  Damn, Chicago – 0, New Jersey – 1

The next dish that came was the Braised Pork Belly in Preserved Bean Curd Sauce.

I was expecting something like the picture shown in the menu, but instead out came this gelatinous mass that was a little too heavy on the red food coloring.  After brushing off the thick red sauce, the pork belly that was revealed underneath was actually quite tasty.  After downing all that pork and pork fat, I realized that I didn’t really taste any of the bean curd that it was braised in.  I don’t think I’ve had that much pork fat in a while.  I felt like a pork slut afterwards.

Next was the seasonal Tong Cai greens stir-fried with garlic.  This dish was fresh, the flavor was just right and didn’t have the overpowering taste in garlic.  All in all, a job well done.

The forth dish I ordered was the Beef Short Ribs in Chef’s Special Sauce.  Odd, I didn’t find anything special about it.  The short ribs were dry, a bit chewy, and way too salty.

I thought the food at the restaurant to be average.  Maybe I went into the restaurant with high expectations and high hopes.  There’s nothing that really distinguishes this place from all the other Chinese restaurants I have eaten at.  Even though the place is called Lao Shanghai, a good number of dishes are not Shanghainese, but in fact remind me more of Cantonese cooking.  On a lighter note, the price point will do little damage to your wallet.  Each lunch portion I ordered hovered around the $4.50 mark and the portions are more than enough for the average person.  If you’re looking for an authentic Shanghainese Restaurant, this place isn’t it.

The day ended with a bit of sunshine.  I took a pretty lengthy subway ride and walk to Sunshine Cafe in Andersonville.  It’s a small restaurant and it specializes in home-style Japanese cuisine.  There’s no sushi to be found here, and that’s quite alright with me.  The menu might seem run-of-the-mill, but don’t let that fool you.  The Japanese Chef has perfected the craft of Japanese home-style cooking.  The food is simple, yet wholesome and delicious.

I’m a sucker for handmade dumplings, so I had to order the pan-fried gzoyas.  The spicy dipping sauce that came with it really made the dish harmonious.

Next up were the potato croquettes.  Perfectly shaped and fried, there’s no better way to eat a potato.  They paired nicely with the tonkatsu sauce.  I would come back to the cafe just for these babies.

Finally, the tonkatsu made it’s way to the table.  Perfectly breaded and not greasy, this was a real treat.  In fact, I savored it.  By the end, I was too full to move, even breathing was difficult.

The food was served by a little old Asian lady in an apron.  She reminded me of my grandmother, except my grandmother just sits on the couch and watches Chinese dramas all day long.  Sunshine Cafe has been around for 15 years.  The owner used to have a sushi restaurant in the area, but she got tired of it and decided to do home-style cooking instead.

I know there are many great restaurants in Chicago such as Alinea and other gastro pubs.  But it’s not fun to go to those places alone.  Those dining experiences are best shared with friends.  Time to make new friends!

Fox and Obel
401 E Illinois St
(between New St & Park Dr)
Chicago, IL 60611

Lao Shanghai
2163 S China Pl
Ste 1F
(between Princeton Ave & Wells St)
Chicago, IL 60616

Sunshine Cafe
5449 N Clark St
(between Catalpa Ave & Rascher Ave)
Chicago, IL 60640

I remember two of last night’s dreams very vividly.  The first one was sort of scary where I was being dragged on my back by a large yellow jacket (a large wasp, not an actual jacket).  I managed to grab it with my right hand and slammed it on the ground, I then killed it with a spoon.  Yes, a spoon.  The second dream was rather tasty, and I was disappointed to wake up in the middle of it.  I was eating lots of bulgogi and xiao long bao (soup dumplings).  I was reading an article on Shanghai the day before, hence the dreams about xiao long bao, but what about the bulgogi?  Maybe I’m just really craving it.  Don’t you just hate it when you wake up in the middle of a great dream?  I tried to fall back asleep to continue the dream, but that didn’t work.

This bit of news has been making its round around the Internet for a few weeks now, but it you haven’t heard, the Food and Drug Administration is classifying the cholesterol-lowering cereal as a drug.

In a letter to General Mills from the FDA, a passage states:

“Based on claims made on your product’s label, we have determined that your Cheerios Toasted Whole Grain Oat Cereal is promoted for conditions that cause it to be a drug,”

Since the marketing of the cereal focuses on the claim of lowering of cholesterol by 4 percent in 6 weeks, that classifies it as a drug, and not a food item.  With that being said, that means Cheerios is a “new” drug, and since it isn’t approved as a drug, it’s not “recognized as safe and effective for use in preventing or treating hypercholesterolemia or coronary heart disease.”  The claim on the box has been around for two years, and it has taken the FDA that long to realize this?  Either they work very slow, or that they’re looking for something to do, it’s not like they’re really doing much in food safety.  If General Mills does not retract the claim, the FDA is threatening to take Cheerios off of supermarket and wholesaler shelves.  I can see a long legal battle coming down the line.

While it does seem logical why the FDA is pursuing the matter so aggressively, there might be another reason behind this.  While it’s rather simple minded, I think there might be some validity to it.

Marketing Cheerios with the stated claim of lowering cholesterol might take away sales of cholesterol-lowering drugs.  Even though it’s a bit of a stretch, think about the impact on the pharmaceutical companies that manufacture and sell the drugs.  Pharmaceutical companies are in business to make money, and like other businesses, it’s about the bottom line.  Since Cheerios has been clinically proven to lower cholesterol, that would mean it’s an alternative to taking cholesterol-lowering drugs.  Sales of Cheerios goes up, sales of cholesterol-lowering drugs go down or remain stable.

Will we be seeing Cheerios being sold in the over-the-counter drug aisles?  Let’s hope not.

~ Kin

While a scientific study was conducted to confirm the findings, it’s pretty much common sense.  The underlying principle of getting good service is simple, reciprocity.  If the customer treated me well, and with respect, I had no problem returning the favor.  As a matter of fact, I went beyond my call of duty to make sure the customer  had a great dining experience.  My favorite customers weren’t the ones who tipped the most, but were the ones who treated me well.

So when do waiting staff cross the fine line from providing good service to providing crap service? Well, that depends on the customer’s behavior  That’s right, the customer has as much to do with service as the server.  Dr. Vicky Browning of Otago University says, “customers have a huge role to play in deviant behavior interaction is not just a one-way process.”  Remember, the customer isn’t always right.

Browning’s research found that frontline hospitality staff tend to mirror the behaviour of demanding or aggressive customers. Their retaliatory behaviour ranged from minor incidents, such as being rude or argumentative, to more serious behaviour where employees became verbally or physically abusive. Sabotage, such as spitting in a customer’s food, or collaborating with other staff to carry out some revenge, did occur but was not common.

Let me make more sense of this.  Let’s take customer complaints for example.  I expect customers to complain about the food once in a while, after all, you can’t please everybody.  But there’s a right way in complaining, and there’s a wrong way in complaining.

A complaint I received  more than once was that the broth in the noodle soup wasn’t hot enough.  To me, that’s not a problem at all, I’ll take it back, and I’ll either give it a zap in the microwave, or add more hot broth into the bowl.  But does it mean I’ll do it right away?  Well, it depends on how you complained to me.

Here’s the wrong way to complain:

“Sir, this soup is cold, how do you expect me to eat this, take it back and make it more hot…please!”

Well, in my mind, I was thinking, “what an ass.”  Of course, I politely said,  “I’ll go take care of it right away.” But did I take car of it right away?  You bet your ass I didn’t.  I placed the noodle soup on the side and went on working on other tasks until I felt it was time to take care of the complaint (usually a good 5 minutes go by).  When I returned the soup, I just placed it on the table and said, “here you go,” and walked away  For the rest of the night, my attentiveness to the customer was pretty much non-existent.  You might say that it’s not right to treat the customer that way.  Well, in my mind, I didn’t want to serve a customer with an attitude.

Here’s the right way to complain:

“Excuse me sir, I know you’re busy, but the soup seems to be on the cold side, would you please take care of this for me?”

The complaint is sincere, calm,  and it shows that the customer acknowledges I’m a bit busy.   Which means the customer knows that it might take some time to take care of the problem.  Well, since the customer was so nice, I went out of my way to take care of the issue right away.  When I returned, I apologized for the cold soup and I asked the customer if there was anything else I could take care of.

As a customer, know this:  Don’t mess with the people who handle your food!  Don’t give attitude, understand the situation, and have a bit of patience.  Whatever the reason for poor service (waiter, cooks, management), a restaurant employee is just a person, so don’t treat him or her like you are high and mighty.  And don’t forget, a difficult customer isn’t easily forgotten.

~ Kin

The title of the this post does sound rather strange.  You see, back in the 80s, barely a tween, I went to the allergist and took an allergy test.  I had a positive reaction to peanut butter, and since that day, I did my best to avoid peanut butter and other products that contained it.

There were times when I unknowingly ingested the product, as in, eating a cracker and not knowing it contained peanut butter, but there was no allergic reaction after consumption.  No hives, no closing of the throat, nothing.  Still, I didn’t want to leave it to chance and I eventually avoided it all together.  I made sure to read product labels, and asked if a certain food contained peanut butter if it was offered to me.

Fifteen years later, that was all about to change.  I was tired of reading ingredient labels and missing out on the nutritional benefits of peanut butter.  It was time to take another allergy test.   I heard that allergies come and go, so I wanted to see if I was still allergic to peanut butter.  Last year, I took an allergy test that included 40 common food allergens.

Peanut butter wasn’t listed as one of the allergens I was testing for, but peanuts were on the list, so I figured that it was close enough.  After going through a set of prick tests, the area of my arm with the peanut allergen didn’t show any reaction, not even a hint of redness or a small bump.  Could this be true?  Did my allergy to peanut butter go away?  Were the results of my first allergy test full of false positives?  I will never know.

I took the allergy test in October, and four months would pass until I walked down the peanut butter and jelly aisle of the supermarket.  I picked up the first jar and looked at the ingredients label.  No, I wasn’t looking for peanut-free peanut butter.  I was looking for high fructose corn syrup.  If it was listed, I would continue to look for a brand of peanut butter that didn’t contain it.

At last, I found a jar of all-natural peanut butter, made out of 100% peanuts, no sugar, no salt, or any other type of ingredients.

Peanut butter my friend, we have a lot of catching up to do.

At the McDonald’s drive-through in Tesco, Puchong, Malaysia, I ordered the McChicken and Double CheeseBurger McValue Meals. At the pick up window, I was surprised by the total of my order. The total came to RM 12.50, which is equivalent to $3.57 USD at the current conversion rate of $1 USD to RM 3.5. For $3.57, I was able to enjoy 2 medium drinks, 2 medium fries, 1 McChicken Sandwich and 1 Double Cheese Burger. *Burp*

Cheers to globalization and the power of higher currency, I’m Lovin’ It!

~ Boon, via Malaysia

So how is human consumption of beef directly related to the destruction of the Amazonian rainforest?  Well, more beef means more cattle to raise, and that means, more land required for raising.  A report by Greenpeace Brazil shows that 80% of Amazon deforestation is due to the destruction of trees for establishing cattle pastures.  What’s more, large amounts of greenhouse gases are emitted from the deforestation.  I didn’t know bovine was so tough on the environment.

Even though I only eat beef on rare occasions, I still love it.  I cut back on beef consumption a couple of years ago because it’s not exactly health-food.  Since I’m fond of creatures great and small, it’s upsetting to see indigenous creatures of the rainforest become extinct or driven out of their homes due to the world’s affinity for beef.  It’s ashamed that the preservation of the rainforest has been pushed aside in favor of big business.  Cows bring money, exotic creatures that can’t be eaten, don’t.

Do your part in saving the rainforest by alt least eating local beef.  Save the animals!  Save the rainforest!

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~ Kin