Blog Moving Announcement

Hi Friends,

I am moving my blog to a new place: www.linglingjourney.com!

I haven't updated my blog for a while - I didn't stop blogging even though my work continues to keep me very busy! The real reason is that I have been working on moving the blog to another site which has a totally different appearance (I think it is better, and I hope you think so too!). And I am still travelling, taking pictures so my blogging to-do list is piling up again! I am so so excited about it, since it is almost like changing to a new diary book for me. As a person who likes to continue improving, there is such a big room for me to update and change.

Again, I really appreciate all your reviews and visits, every time when I look the visitors' data, I feel very accomplished by how many visitors coming from different corners of the world! Hope you enjoy the new home of my blog!

{Buffalo} Harbor

I celebrated my birthday in at Acqua Catering & Restaurant which was very near Niagara river and enjoyed the magnificent water views. The sky, once covered by heavy snow now is truly clear. The water birds were all flying and singing. I couldn't be more grateful to the gorgeous view that the nature gave us.

{Buffalo} Acqua & Birthday Dinner

I had a very memorable birthday dinner at Acqua Catering & Restaurant. During the Buffalo restaurant week, many local restaurants offer solid $20 deal for multiple courses, so did Acqua. Having not known anything about the dishes there, I was attracted by the well-designed website & location first (yes it is very important for restaurants to have a great website to attract 1st time visitors!). As stated in their official website, "Enjoy our innovative menu created by Chef Edward Dolski offering specialties of the surf- a vast assortment of fresh seafood dishes. Enjoy one of our culinary creations while enjoying a spectacular view the harbor". And, it turned out the dishes surprised me too. The Asian Spiced Braised Short Ribs with Oriental Noodles is not authentic Asian food but totally conquered my stomach by the mouthwatering and very freshly seasoned broth. My roommate had a pan-seared Seabass which had a crispy skin and moisturized mouth-feel. 

Talking about my birthday, I got a lot of blessings from my families and friends, as always. And the past year was very special with many achievements - I graduated with my MBA, moved to a new city and started my 1st full-time job in my favorite industry. I visited many lovely places with my beloved ones, met so many amazing people during work & travels from all over the world, which enriched my simple everyday life. I started this blog and recorded so many great memories here. Moreover, I realized that family & friends are my most valuable asset. I learned, how to give more love & spend more time with people I care and love.

Banana Mocha Cake + Hello April

This banana mocha cake is INDULGENCE. Since this is my birthday week so I just want to enjoy. Today it is 60 degree and I can TRULY hear the birds singing. I miss spring, I miss the feeling that I can sit outside of a cafe under the sunshine. Can't wait to welcome the spring!

Recipe

Ingredients

3 bananas

1.5 cups light brown sugar

1.5 cups strong brewed coffee, cooled

1 cup oil

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

2.75 cups flour

2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup chocolate chips

Steps

Preheat oven to 350F. Mash the banana and mix in the brown sugar until blended. Add the coffee, oil, Vanilla, apple cider vinegar, cinnamon and salt. Fold in the flour and baking sod. Pour into an ungreased 9*13 pan and top with the chocolate chips. Bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 

Weekend Friend Night

Last Saturday night I spent a great night with a friend from Thailand. She brought me the best homemade spring roll (and she said it is very easy so I am going to learn how to make it). I cooked traditional Chinese corn noodle with vegetables (I was really flattered when she said it is delicious!). I am very grateful to the fact that I have so many friends from different countries and always bring me new knowledge about a country, people, cultures, and food, which makes my life colorful & exciting!

Carrot-Walnut Coffee Cake

Even though I am not sweet eater, but I cannot resist a bit of any kind of coffee cake (coffee sounds more attract than cake!). This carrot-walnut cake tastes perfect with honey. I was super happy about the pictures - the lighting is just right and warm. 

{China Highlight} A Set of China

Many of you know that China is the fastest growing economy entity in the world, but do you know "China" got its name from a small town called "Chang Nan" back to 18th century? At that time, a set of plates and dishes from Chang Nan were exported to Europe since people valued them a lot. Over the time, people called these plates "China" according to where it came from, and then more and more people called the country "China" since it was known for producing those previous and luxury plates. 

When I was in China in December, my father took me to a museum & restaurant house where many award-winning China plates and dinner dishes were exhibited, and I got to have the opportunity to eat with these very elegant tea cups, plates and bowls. Can you believe a set of these China dishes is even more expensive than one of my MBA classes? 

{New York} Brooklyn Bridge

The Brooklyn Bridge is a bridge in New York City and it is one of the oldest suspension bridges in USA. In the Spring & Summer time, many NYC citizens will come here for a long walk and you definitely feel the air you breath here is different. Dream big, and play hard. 

{Brooklyn} Tea Lounge

I came to this cafe after the trip to Brooklyn Bridge (I thought the two places are pretty near each other but it turned out that I had to spent another 0.5 hour to walk here - a good workout before the treatment!). I tried hot chocolate and chai tea latte here, while which attracted me more is the comfy culture. It could be a super nice place to just chill on couches and sip the coffee. Moreover, the place even provides live music, events and comedy shows. Good coffee is for sure important, while isn’t it lovely that a place can give us a sense of the beauty of life? 

{Saigon} Something to Remember

There are many many things to be remembered from my 2nd Vietnam trip. The Top 5 are:
1. Fruit especially passion fruit and dragon fruit, you just can not see it easily in US;  
2. PHO (Vietnam noodle) 
3. Strong coffee with condensed milk & ice - Vietnam people cannot start their day without it!
4. Vietnam milktea - it is my favorite beverage because I cannot resist the milky and creamy mouthfeel - Yum! 
5. 3D postcard. 

{Shanghai} Jing An Restaurant

Jing An Restaurant is located in a 5-star hotel - Puli Hotel in Shanghai. Famous for it is quite and luxury environment, this place seems to have a secret charm. It is dark, spacious and very simply decorated. Although the food here is very western, the decorations here all have a South-eastern Asia flavor. Next time if I have the chance to visit the hotel again, I will definitely spent more time walking around, appreciating the elegant decorations, and enjoy a cup of coffee in its splendid lobby. 

{Shanghai} 大蔬无界

A splendid vegetarian restaurant in Shanghai, China. The name of this restaurant means “no boundaries of vegetarian food”. It is truly amazing to see how creative and how skillful the chefs are to be able to turn vegetables into not only "meat", but paintings and arts. 

Masterpiece!

{Rochester} Owl House Restaurant

Suddenly missing Rochester and those busy school days. Going out for a nice dinner was such a luxury thing for me back to then. The tofu salad is very creative!

Applebee's

As a healthy eater (trying to be), I seldom dined in fast food chains or even American quick service restaurants just because it is very hard for me find something both light & delicious at the same time, and I never liked any place putting “low calorie burger” or “low calorie french fries” as healthy choices to attract customers - how healthier can a burger or french fries be…? However, if I really need to choose, I always go to Applebee, especially they have a wide range of delicious salads and my beloved tomato soup. Sometimes if I want to have something heavy to satisfy my stomach, I will share a plate of pasta with my friends. Plus, as a marketer I like the fact that Applebee uses tablet to help you order, and you can play games with friends & families while you are waiting. 

{Seoul} Passion 5

 

Hi Friends,

I am sharing with you my experience at Passion 5, a super fashionable restaurant and modern restaurant in Seoul, Korea. The menu here is very western based - pasta, salad, spaghetti, burger, and lots of bakery items for you to enjoy. However, I was mostly amazed by the beautifully decorated beverages here - the lavendar latte, orange kiwi juice mix or chili juice with icecream, they are just delightful and stunning. 

I wish you all have a very great year with a lot of passion and achievements!

{Jersey City} Sawadee

I tried this Thai & Chinese fusion restaurant on Chinese New Eve, the decoration here has a power to calm me down, and the vegetable dumplings (in appetizer menu) is awesome! 

{Asia} Sparkling Sweets

Hi Friends!

As it is getting colder and colder and colder, I have decided to put all my warm memories in Asia in my blog for the next few days (or maybe next few weeks...). Today I am going to show you all the tasty desserts and cakes that I have tried while I was travelling. I have to say I am not a super fan for sweet things because they make me feel like eating more and more, so I am a very picky sweet eater. I admire those cakes or beverages that have beautiful presentations which will immediately light up my eyes, or those have innovative ideas that gave me an "A-ha" moment. I guess I am a little bit too reasonable, but you always want to make sure that you spend money in something worthwhile, especially things that will need you to exercise at gym for a while right?

I hope you enjoy the sweets as well, drink a lot of hot tea, eat some soup, and create many great memories to sweeten your life!

{Shanghai} Starbucks Desserts

Hi Friends!

Somehow the it is snowy again in Buffalo, whenever the weather is chilly it makes me just want to stay at home I have a temptation to write a post......OK, today I would like to show you some interesting desserts in Starbucks in Shanghai. You may think: who hasn't been to Starbucks?? Well, Just like KFC and McCafe, Starbucks also have totally different items catering to local people's preferences, and some of them are even seasonal. Believe it or not, the food I am showing you right now are all winter 2013 menu items, and Starbucks China is launching new things for the spring. 

Healthy Irish Yogurt Bread

Hi Friends,

Can't believe a week has gone again! I have been extremely busy during the week participating project meetings for the new year, and it was a lot of fun! Now it is time to relax and bake. I have been searching for many recipes which are healthier and lighter, and I believe girls are all the same - we always want something to treat ourselves but don't make ourselves guilty and regretful. I found this super easy yet very light recipe and I cannot wait to try it even though I am already super tired after back-to-back meetings today. I promise you it tastes like a traditional cake which consists of butter + sugar + whole bunch of flours, BUT if you see the recipe you won't be concerned to have more bites!

By the way, I got this super cute and stunning Starbucks candy mug from my co-worker as a Christmas gift, absolutely love it! 2013 has been an amazing year and I got a lot of love, help and encouragement from a lot of beloved ones. I am sure 2014 will be even amazing too!

{Shanghai} Teddy Bear Restaurant

Hi Friends,

Happy Weekend! 

Since it is such a sunny day (can't believe today is 50 degree while only 2 days ago it is 0 degree??), let' s go back to the sunny Shanghai and experience this CUTIEST ever Teddy Bear Restaurant.

This lovely restaurant is located in Shanghai Tianzi Fang (I will write another post about it), a place where cute cafes, souvenir shops, small galleries and old traditional Shanghai houses are all together. On the first floor, it is almost like a teddy bear doll museum and you will see many bear dolls with different sizes and different styles (I love the biggest one and thinking about buying one once I have a big big house). The second floor is the dining area where you can choose to sit inside or enjoy some sunshine in the balcony. Needless to say, even in the dining place there are teddy bears every where (hug hug hug). 

{Vietnam} Cuc Gach Quan

Today let's go back to Vietnam to enjoy some Southeastern Asia food in the sun shining Ho Chi Minh city. 

For me, Vietnamese  food (or South-eastern Asian food) is ranking the 3^rd of my food loving list (Chinese – sometimes Indian & sometimes Intalian – Vietnamese). Three years ago I visited Vietnam for the first time, and I was amazed by how people can use fresh (really fresh and raw leaves that I don't even know how to eat) ingredients to create beautiful and flavorful cuisine. So before this trip, I bought a book to learn more about the origin and characteristics of SE Asian food (I felt that I should have known about it before I came to USA, as someone coming from Asia).

{Shanghai} Muses Cafe

Hi Friends,

I know it is freezing in eastern US now (now it is -2 degree in Buffalo with blowing snow...), so I decided to recall a nice experience at Muses Cafe while I was in Shanghai which gave me a warm memory. 

Most of my restaurant trials in Shanghai were Chinese cuisine while for a chit chat with an old friend from business school, I chose this Muses Cafe randomly, it turned out to be a great choice. The quite and cozy atmosphere was just perfect for heartfelt conversation, plus their garden smoothie, delicate Tiramisu and creamy spaghetti all fulfilled my stomach. The surprise? A cup of simple of earl grey tea with very strong tea flavor since I have been so disappointed by the sweet milk tea powder, and I will never be tired of the scent of milk tea filling a cafe, if it is that good. So if you ever have a chance to go to Shanghai, search for it, and have a quite reading time there will be great.

{Shanghai} Stunning Night

Shanghai is my second favorite city in China - the first one is no doubt my hometown Fuzhou, where I spent 18 years, for me, the beauty of Shanghai is not only the amazing skylines, but how traditional scenes and modern flavor meets. The river, the pretty girls, the skyscrapers, and the quite old streets, everything here has a special flavor coming along with its history and story. 

Talking about fashion, many people will say Paris, Milan, Hong Kong and New York, and I will say please don't forget Shanghai, a new fashion city, and more importantly these years a lot of Chinese designers are showing their own attitude by incorporating Chinese traditional elements into the details, which we call FUSION. Many luxury groups has been targeting Shanghai as their new flagship place in China - Prada, LV, Gucci, Miu Miu...you name it, or in Asia. Now it was 10:00PM, and for many young people, they just leave their office, and the night life just started...

Simple Joy - Chocolate Chip Cookie

Hi Friends!

I hope you all had a very joyful Christmas and New Year vacation! what's your festive surprise and sheer exciting moment? I know it has been a long time (again) that I haven't updated my blog, which was because I had a great time in December travelling back to Asia. My trip schedule was pretty tight: Vietnam - Korea - Shanghai, China and my hometown Fuzhou, China. This past holiday season for me is not about gifts or good foods (I mean they are still important), but the time I was able to spend with my parents. Since my college time, every year I can only spend 2-3 weeks at home either because of internships or school projects, and the time became even less after I came to America. So I really value my time to talk and eat with my parents & grandparents. 

I truly wanted to share what I have found interesting during my trips, and I visited many, many, many...fine cuisine places which delights my entire December, however, for some unknown reason I couldn't visit my blog in China (just like I couldn't even use Facebook in China), so I have to change my photo sharing place to Instagram. 

So, keep in touch via Instagram as well, you can follow me by finding "linglingchenjourney".