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. …

I recently read an article about customers being treated poorly by their waiting staff.  After a study by New Zealand’s Otago University’s management department on the country’s hospitality industry, it turns out that if customers are difficult or demanding, hospitality staff will return the favor.  Well, having worked in a restaurant for many years, and after interacting with customers of all sorts, I can attest to the University’s findings.
While a scientific study was conducted to confirm the findings, it’s pretty much common sense.  The underlying principle of getting good …

Upon hearing about bulgogi hot dogs from a friend some months ago, I was skeptical of a modern mish-mash between East and West.  I am familiar with the concept of fusion, but this just sounded ridiculous.
In one corner, a Western classic that’s as American as baseball.  In the other corner, a traditional Korean dish that is passed down from generation to generation.  How did the idea of intertwining the two items come about?  Was it from a stroke of genius, or a thought from half-baked randomness?
New York Hot Dog and …

My New Year’s resolution is to track my finances better and to stick to a budget. I’ve been saying that for the past 4 years, but this time around, I’ll be using Mint to help to stay the course. So it looks like my most frequented merchant for the past month has been Whole Foods. No surprise there.
~ Kin

This picture cracks me up.
I’m off tomorrow, so I spent some time tonight experimenting with a couple of ideas.  I tried to make a dessert with a custard filling. After a couple hours of trying, the end result looked nothing like what I had in mind. I also tried to make a rather simple noodle dish. It came out alright, but the flavor of one of the ingredients was too overpowering.  It was a night of failures, but I’ll try again tomorrow.
~ Kin