Cafe Minerva date

    Homemade granola with yogurt

    Buttermilk pancake

    Omelet with bacon

    Table shot

    Cafe Minerva
    Today's weather was just gorgeous in NYC and we decided to head down to West Village for a
    yummy brunch at Cafe Minerva, one of my hubby's favorite spots. Thankfully, it wasn't as
    crowded as we expected and we're seated right away. One of our favorite dish on the menu is their
    Buttermilk Pancakes... It's soft, fluffy, but chewy at the same time... I can have 2 plates of these
    pancakes in one seating... just delicious. We also ordered one savory dish, omelet with bacon. It
    was better than I had expected, just simple and well seasoned. Homemade granola with yogurt had
    good crunch and it was great addition to our sweet and savory dishes. Definitely a great spot to
    start our day, walking around, and just enjoying the weather.

Damien Hirst for Alexander McQueen

    Limited Edition Alexander McQueen Skull Scarves by Damien Hirst
    For the 10th anniversary of the McQueen Skull Scarf, they collaborated with Damien Hirst
    showcasing 30 unique designs adapted from his Entomology series. We decided to frame this piece
    for our living room... This looks way more impressive framed on the wall then it did when I tried
    it on. Loving the new look in our living room.

Momofuku Má Pêche

    Habanero Fried Chicken

    Braised Short Rib Dimsum

    Butter Poached Lobster Fried Rice

    Soft Serve - Cereal Milk with crunch

    Momofuku Má Pêche
    Taking a little detour from travel to food... As we're expecting a little one to add to our family
    (due any day now), my husband and I decided to plan as many dates as we can. First place on our
    list, Momofuku Ma Peche in midtown. They recently changed their style of dining to dim sum like
    experience, but definitely not what you would expect from a typical dim sum spots in Chinatown.
    This is way more high-end and very momofuku style dim sum. They have a la carte menu to order
    from, but also have carts that goes around the dining room offering from raw bar, pork buns to
    desserts. Although the price is way higher than what you would pay at a Chinatown dim sum spots,
    but Momofuku food is always consistent and I would return for more Habanero fried chicken and
    their Lobster fried rice... mmm....
   

Norway Part 1

    Early AM Ferry ride to Tau from Stavanger

    After about 20 minute bus ride from the ferry station, we begin the 2.5 hike up (not bad at first)

   

    There are some easy paths along the way

                            But most of the hike was uphill... non-stop

                            Almost there... I think...

 

                            Finally, about 2.5 hrs later, we've reached the Pulpit Rock (2000ft)!

  
    Norway Part 1 - Pulpit Rock
    One of our main reasons to go to Norway was to hike up to the Pulpit Rock. We've been seeing
    numerous photos on facebook, travel sites etc. and we were mesmerized by it ever since. I have to
    admit, we're not completely fit for constant uphill hike of 2.5 hours, but it was WAY worth the trip.
    There's a very small window of time in a year that you can do this hike (June-August), and that's
    also depending on the weather as well. We stayed in Stavanger for 2 nights, and I have to say we
    were lucky with the weather. Tourists who arrived the day after us was faced with torrential rain
    and I don't think they were able to go up to the Pulpit Rock. Pictures don't do it's justice, you just
    have to go and experience it yourself. More on Norway to come~!

Monkey Town 3

    EyeBeam - Monkey Town 3 Pop up Restaurant

    Postcard that shows what this is all about

    Floating cube with 4 video screens

    Each panel showed 4 seasons in Central Park and I liked winter the best

    Inside the cube

  
    Monkey Town 3 - Pop Up Restaurant
    This pop up restaurant with video art was only in NY for 2 months this Summer and luckily we
    were able to go on the last week before it closed. It was an interesting dining experience, being
    inside of a Cube created by 4 giant video screens playing curated video art for over 2 hours while
    you eat. The experience was so cool that I almost forgot about what we ate, but it was a Mexican
    cuisine paired with unlimited wine service.  Apparently Monkey Town 3 will travel across the
    country for 2 months at a time and also have plans to go abroad. Some videos were questionable,
    but it was definitely one of the most unique dining experiences that I had.

Kajitsu

    Menu: Hana - Eight course Dinner

    Chilled Eggplant with Polka Dot Cucumber

   

    Wakame Soup with House Made Seseme Tofu

    Mushroom Casserole

    Simmered Tomato

    Assortment of Seasonable Vegetables

    King Oyster Mushroom-Sushi and House Made Soba with Jyunsai

    Minazuki - Rice Cake with Azuki bean and Black Sugar Syrup

    Matcha with Japanese Candies

    Kajitsu
    When Kajitsu moved up to midtown east, we decided to go for a spontaneous dinner one night. We
    were able to make a quick reservation for the same night on a random weekday. Kajitsu serves
    Shojin Cuisine which is a type of vegetarian cuisine in Japan that originates from Zen Buddhism.
    They did have a few a la carte options, but we decided to go with an eight course meal, Hana, for
    the ultimate Kajitsu experience. Every dish that we were presented with was beautiful and almost
    too pretty to eat. In terms of taste, we were blown away on some dishes, but were underwhelmed
    with the others. I would go again to try different menu, but not anytime soon.

The Graham & Co.

 

                       The Graham & Co.
                       A few weeks ago, we went up to the Catskills looking for some relaxation. We
                       got exactly what we expected at The Graham & Co. A quaint town, the lack of
                       cellphone reception (wifi available) and the Esopus River nearby added to our
                       experience. The friendly owner explained to us that this place was designed by his
                       daughter who is a graphic designer. I really loved the black and white theme with
                       wooden accents throughout the whole place. Some of the rooms are too small if you're
                       planning to stay for more than a weekend, but the converted garage bar, outdoor pool
                       and their free bikes to rent definitely makes up for the small space. When we go
                       back, we will probably reserve a larger room for a longer stay. Definitely a great place 
                       for the ultimate relaxation away from the city.

Lucin Kantun

    Fish Pate

    Dalmatian Ham

    Squid Ink Risotto

    Bacon Wrapped Scallops

    Stuffed Squid

    Cozy Interior of Lucin Kantun

    Baked Octopus

    Duck Breast with Apple Cream

    Fabulous chef behind the counter

    Lucin Kantun
    A small, cozy Croatian tapas style restaurant in the heart of Dubrovnik Old Town was by far our
    favorite restaurant from this trip. Since it was tapas style, we were able to order lots of small plates
    to share and more! Everything was delicious from the fish pate to the Duck Breast with Apple
    Cream. We felt like we were invited to someone's apartment and having a home cooked meal
    because of the coziness of the space and the small open kitchen being so close to the
    tables. We enjoyed our meal so much that we decided to come back for our last meal before we left
    Dubrovnik. My mouth still waters when I think about their Squid Ink Risotto and their Baked
    Octopus. If anyone is visiting Dubrovnik, do not miss Lucin Kantun!
   

Final stop in Croatia: Dubrovnik

    Old town center of Dubrovnik

                             Walking around the old town wall

    The view from the wall

  

                            Loving the streets of Dubrovnik

    Latte and Jazz post dinner

    Rector's Palace

    Church of St. Blaise

    The night view of Stradun, main street of old town

    Dubrovnik
    Dubrovnik was one of those places where I never wanted to leave... beautiful architecture,
    warm weather, friendly people and delicious food! The old town is definitely filled with lots of
    tourists during the day and it can get very crowded, but after most tourists leave the town, the
    whole town comes live at night with brightly lit streets, musical performance and outdoor cafes
    where locals and tourist can relax listening to jazz musicians... This place has a soft spot in my
    heart and hopefully we can stay even longer next time we visit!