Chicago Restaurant Week Part 2 - NAHA

Banana Millefeuille

By Lu

Turned out, I couldn't settle for one outing for Restaurant Week. I've been trying to get Mark, Helen, and Michael to go for another dinner on the last day of Restaurant Week which was yesterday (Sunday), but it just did not work out. I thought it would be fun to take Mark out for his birthday dinner in the city and get great food for less price. But, nooo....! Oh well, his lost!

Tina and I made plan lightly about going to the Blue Line to watch the Oscar on Sunday. When plan with Mark went bust; Tina reminded me about going to the Blue Line. I was like..oh yeah! I forgot about that. But then, after writing about Branch 27 the other day and looking at the menus of some of my favorite restaurants; I couldn't settle to go for the skillet Mac and Cheese at Blue Line. We could get it anytime I thought. So I asked her if she would go to Blackbird or Naha - both menus were excellent! She said sure as long as she could wear jeans.

Blackbird is not open on Sundays; however, Naha would be, just for Restaurant Week. We got lucky and got in at five PM. If I were ever happy to being flighty, it was yesterday. Glad I changed my mind from the original plan and sent Tina many emails trying to talk her out of going to Blue Line.

Naha is owned and operated by chef Carrie Nahabedian. Along with her cousin, Michael, they manage to make Naha a very successful Chicago restaurant for the last several years. My old co-worker, Jim Reynolds, used to work for her as her sous chef. Jim used to tell me how Carrie was a crazy talented cook from a very young age, being the first female saucier at the Four Seasons when she was really really young. Jim took Kerri (another friend and former co-worker), and myself there, and we had a feast. I was in awe since that day back in 2004. Funny, it took me this long to come back.

When we got there, the restaurant looked closed. I got a little worried for a little bit--I could swear I made reservation for Sunday at five o'clock. After waiting outside for about 10 minutes, a guy opened the door and he said.."Sorry folks, but we're closed for private party this evening." Tina and I were like.."what?!" Then he cracked a smile as he shook his head back and forth.."Just kidding!"

Whew! good one, guy! You got me worried there for a second. We were seated in a corner by the window. I loved our server. He looked like the guy that played Karate Monkey on the play "Planet Karate" which we both went to see Friday night at Donny Skybox in Second City Theater. Don't worry, Karate Monkey was played by a person and he did not look like a monkey. He was kind of cute actually, and he wrote that awesome play!

Tina and I actually enjoyed our experience with every Naha's staff that we encountered, from the hostesses to the server. The service was impeccably professional, yet not stuffy. The staff were all friendly and welcoming. Our server was knowledgeable of the food as he pronounced all the french words in the menu flawlessly. He also recommended a nice Cabernet that paired really well with Tina's entree.

We got served a bread plate with butter, which I devoured. I always have a soft spot for a nice bread and butter service; though, yes I know - carb is bad, bad, bad! Didn't care. I also ordered the NAHA Colada whose sales would go for a Chicago charity. I am not a big drinker - in fact, I'm not a drinker at all. I usually can't do pina colada even though I love the taste of it. Rum hates me. But this colada was made with vodka and it was quite delish.

Before I start to brag about the food - I just want to tell you the reason I am taking the time to write another post so soon. It is because our experience was simply WOW. Top shelf.

Shrimps and Grits

 We started the first course with "Laughing Bird shrimps from Belize, and 3 sisters garden white grits in natural shellfish broth garnished with chevril." In short, the best shrimp and grits I ever tasted. The shrimps were fluffy and yummy. I didn't taste that yucky aftertaste of frozen shrimps I usually get eating seafood in Chicago. The grits was creamy and the broth was rich rich rich. Tina almost chose another appetizer so that we could sample another thing; but, the other items in the menu were merely simple salad, a savory tarte tatin, and squash soup. They paled in comparison to the shrimps. I told her to forget it and get the shrimps. She was glad she did.

Then, second course: Tina chose the Wagyu Beef Brisket served with lentils and roasted vegetables in a beef jus. I contemplated between the white fish and the quail. The quail was more expensive, at $44 instead of $33. After a short contemplation, Tina talked me into getting the quail. She knew I loved quail and could not believe that I would choose the white fish due to price. But then I saw the white fish would be served with Brussell Sprout and that was a deal breaker for me. With that, I chowed down the wood grilled quail served with foie gras, wild rice, chesnuts, caramelized fennels, arugula, apricot and licorice in a port reduction with a big smile. Yummmmm!!!!


Wagyu Beef Brisket



Quail with Foie Gras

It was Tina's first time to taste foie gras. She said it was phenomenal! Well, duh! I remember a long time ago Philippe introduced me to the idea of foie gras and I had no idea what it was. Though I know it is mean to fatten up a goose to get their liver to enlarge; I just can not say that foie gras is not one of the greatest gifts that mankind ever received. I am so sorry little goosy.

I ate my plate clean. So did Tina. She kept giving me warning if I wanted to eat some of hers to get it then as if not, it would be gone!

Lastly, there's a lot to say about desserts. They were superb beyond superb, especially for a tasting menu during restaurant week for a discounted price! Tina got the fresh Greek Yogurt Panna Cotta served with Door County cherries and pecan streusel. I chose the Banana Millefeuille, served with caramelized bananas, salted caramel cream, and vanilla mouseline. When I saw the word "Millefeuille" of course, I couldn't pass it up. I know how hard it is to make one, and I just had to see how their millefeuille would be. It didn't disappoint in the least. It was puffy and softly crunchy. Further, the combination of the salted caramel creme and the vanilla pudding were great. I really don't have any bad thing to say about it.

Greek Yogurt Panna Cotta

The panna cotta was flawless as well - creamy, a little tart, and was put into a great parfait with cherries and the pecan streusel, in lieu of the granola I usually would have with my Greek Yogurt. It was elevated Greek Yogurt experience and I would never know it could be elevated that high. With the check, they brought us 4 petit-fours of chocolate ganache and ginger jelly. It was very nice of them, and unexpected!

I told Tina we would come back next year to Naha. She was like.."next year? Can we come back sooner?" Somebody liked it! She also told me that she was glad she gave in to my change of plan. In short - we closed Restaurant Week with happy faces and tummy. Till next year!

Chinese New Year! Gong Xi Fat Chay!

By Lu

Hong Bao Red Envelope and Tangerine for luck

February 3rd was the first day of Chinese New Year (CNY) and we welcomed the year of the Golden Rabbit! Yeah! I am a rabbit myself so I am looking forward to a great new year filled with happiness, health and prosperity. I am also wishing all of you a very fantastic year whether you celebrate this holiday or not.
Chinese year is based on the lunar calendar and CNY usually falls a month or two after the regular Gregorian calendar's new year. It is widely celebrated in Asia and it is also one of the biggest holidays that people look forward to celebrating.
I remember when I was young I was always looking forward to CNY because it would mean I would get tons of money. One of the traditions is the married people would have to give a little red envelope filled with money (hong bao or ang paw) to the kids, non married ones, and the elders for good luck. The good luck goes both ways - for the givers and the receivers. They usually say the money has to be crisp and new, and it needs to be at least 2 bills/layers so that the luck comes in layers.
Back then in Indonesia, the biggest Muslim country in the world, CNY wasn't celebrated. I always had to skip school saying that I was sick so I could celebrate it. I had to...there were a lot of money at stake here! But I was sure they all knew that I wasn't sick. Such ordeal we had to go through to just celebrate a holiday. However, since the reformation back in 1997, CNY has become an official holiday there.
Back then, all I cared about were the food and the money. Now, it's a little different. Call me superstitious, but I am not into taking risk of having bad luck when people telling me that I have to do a couple of simple things to ensure good luck. Back then, my parents never really told me too much of the traditions or customs on how to welcome a new year and ensuring a great year ahead. Now, after being exposed to various different Asian cultures through my friends from all over Asia, I learned new things to contend with.

My mom told me we have to wear something new and it is better if it's red. Then I learned from Sandrine last year that the most important red new things are underwear. Make sure to get new red underwear. Then, you can't sweep floor because you don't want to sweep away good luck. You can't wash your hair on the first day of CNY as you don't want to wash away good luck. Helen then told me that eating a whole fish on CNY will ensure prosperity. The list continues...

I tried hard to follow some of these customs that I was told to do or not do. Hey, I can never have enough good luck. I will do what it takes as long as bad luck would leave me alone. So, listen to this... the biggest blizzard in Chicago history hit on the eve of CNY. I had been very busy lately and didn't have a chance to go shopping at all. Then, I realized that I wouldn't have time to get new stuff unless I would go on that day. My office closed early due to the weather and so I thought I would stop at the closest store on the way home. There I was going home fighting traffic before the 2 ft of snow would pile up.

So I decided to stop at Target as it was the easiest stop. I grabbed a bra, panties, and a red sweater and ran to the cashier. I looked around for a female cashier, and picked a lane with no one behind me and I was praying that no man would be behind me. I just got embarrassed buying red underwear at Target. But, grrr...bad luck haven't left me yet. A guy came behind me on the line. Then he said to me as he was looking at my purchase... "Valentine's day, huh?" with a grin. I turned to him slowly and gave him a look. "No comment." I said and ran out.

My mom's CNY dishes

Other than hoping and trying to ensure a great year, my favorite part of CNY is the delicious food. On the eve of CNY, both of my sisters, myself, and my parents were skyping for close to 3 hours. We had to greet our parents with "Gong Xi Fat Chay" (wishing you a prosperous new year). It was also a way for us to show them our respect. Usually if it's in person, we have to clasp both hands together, and shake it as we bow to them. But we just chatted and enjoyed the CNY being far away, but yet together. Thank you skype for making the world smaller. My mom was cooking up a storm as she had to bring dishes to my grandma's house for the CNY party. She was making 4 different things: a Pork Belly dish called Babi Hong, Deep fried pork tenderloin, Lumpia Udang or shrimp filling wrapped with bean curd paper, and Kue Lapis Legit or Indonesian Layered Cake.

The pork belly is a must have. Basically it is a thick cut bacon that has been pan friend and braised, cooked with dried Chinese vegetables, garlic, Shitake mushroom, and dried shrimp. The Layered cake will need its own posting as it is a decadent cake and famous cake; however, they eat it on CNY to ensure the multiple layers of luck and prosperity.

Auntie Karen and Sandrine

I was jealous looking at the picture that my mom sent us on the food she made. Yet, I was lucky enough to be invited to Sandrine and Scott's house for a CNY dinner and celebrated with good friends. Sandrine's mom, Karen, happened to be here from Malaysia. She cooked up a storm. It was a whole table filled with delicious dishes from Pak Cham Khe (Hainanese Chicken), Hainanese Chicken Rice, Kung Pao shrimp, Haka Pork (which I think similar to my mom's pork belly dish), steamed fish, etc. She really outdid herself. It was tons of food!

CNY spread at Scott and Sandrine's

She also made various different cookies. My favorites are the Pineapple Tart which is similar to Indonesian Nastar, and the Peanut cookies. The Pineapple tart is pretty much a cookie cup filled with homemade pineapple jam. The peanut cookies are similar to Indonesian's teng teng kacang. They are made by roasting peanuts slowly, then grind them along with sesame seeds and oil. Then you form them into balls. OMG, they were delicious!

CNY is celebrated for 15 days (well, 16 days including the CNY eve), and during these 15 days, I know my days would be filled with food and more food. Helen, Michael, and their daughter, Isabella, have celebrated CNY with me last saturday with great Chinese food at Mapo restaurant. Helen insisted of having fish for prosperity. Next Saturday, I was lucky enough to be invited to another CNY dinner in Chinatown by Sabrina and CK.

Hot Pot Spread

Then the next day is time for Sandrine and Scott's annual CNY Hot Pot party. Their hot pot party is so awesome, filled with various ingredients and several hot pots boiling with tasty broth, and you can plunge ingredients to the broth yourself, and make your own meal. They will serve various meats, vegetables, fish cake, eggs, seafood, noodle, tofu, you name it!

Tossing Yee Shang

They also always serve YeeShang or TeoChew raw fish salad, which is a typical CNY dish. It is a layered salad - radish, carrots, beets, peanuts, shrimp chips, raw slices of salmon, sesame seeds, jellyfish, candied winter melon, cucumbler and plum and rice vinegar dressing. The object is for people who celebrate to toss the salad altogether as screaming happy new year for prosperity (again), as well as to make a wish. The higher you can toss it, the more likely your wish will come true. It is just so festive!

Lastly, you will go home or close the night bringing home or eating a Mandarin orange or tangerine. It is a symbol of gold, again for prosperity.

I surely do hope the year of Golden Rabbit would bring much joy, luck, health, and prosperity to all. I did all I could to ensure my own good luck and I feel blessed that the only bad luck so far was a guy caught me buying red underwear at Target. We can only hope that our efforts weren't for nothing and please hear me wishing you loud and clear "GONG XI FAT CHAY!"

Hainanese Chicken

Pineapple Tarts

Peanut Sesame Cookies

Special thanks to Kinzie Chye for the pictures: CNY dinner table, hong bao, and beauty shots of the food items!! You're a talented photographer!

Thanks to Sandrine Eifert for the hotpot party pictures! Can't wait till Sunday!

Nepal’s Favorite Snack: Momo

By Crivenica

Momo Platter from Belle Momo

I’ve never heard about Momo until David made his first visit to Nepal prior to our move here two years ago. One night, he called me from Kathmandu and said, “Honey, I just tried these little Nepali steamed dumplings today. You’re going to love them!”

We love dumplings. When we lived in Jakarta, we would drive to the other side of the city to get Hakau/Har gau (shrimp dumplings) or to my parents’ area to get some Kwotie (potstickers) or we would just drive to the nearest mall to eat at Din Tai Fung, a Taiwanese franchise specializing in Xiaolongbao (steamed dumplings). I even once made David stop in the East Village in NY to try the dumplings at the Dumpling Man. So you can imagine how excited I was to try these Nepali dumplings they call ‘Momo’.

I was actually quite surprised when I heard about Momo. They are basically meat or vegetable dumplings wrapped in thin dough which then are steamed. Steamed dumplings seem Chinese to me. Though Tibet and China are just at the northern border of Nepal, I thought the food in Nepal would be more related to Indian cuisine than Chinese cuisine. That shows how much I didn't know about South Asian cuisine!

Though the concept of Momo is borrowed from China and Tibet, these Nepali dumplings are not quite like those Chinese dumplings I love. From the physical sense, they look similar, but the taste of Momo has been adjusted to the Nepali tongue. The fillings, which are comprised of a selection of meat or vegetable, onions, shallots and garlic, are seasoned with salt, pepper, coriander and cumin. The dipping sauces are mostly tomato or chili based, so they taste different, but they are so good!

Traditional Steamed Momo

They are so good that the regular Kathmandunites can chow down at least 20 Momos in one sitting as a snack or as a full meal, while I draw the line at eating 12 pieces by myself. But I get huge cravings for these savory dumplings that every couple of weeks I just have to get me some. And when my friends visit me from abroad, I always make a point to take them to try some Momos.

There are several types of Momo. The most common type found is the steamed Momos that are usually round in shape. However, people have experimented with this type of Momo and created new dishes with them like steamed dumplings in a sweet sour sauce or broth. There is also deep fried Momo which is really the same kind of Momo fried to a crisp. My personal favorite is the Tibetan pan fried Momo that’s also known as Khotey, which is similar to Kwotie in appearance. They are mini-submarine shaped, steamed, then pan fried to get a crispy browning on the skin.

Any of these types of Momo usually come with a choice of chicken, pork, buff (buffalo meat) or vegetable filling. However, there are places that play around with the fillings by offering garlic and cheese filling, paneer and peanut filling, mushroom filling and even sweet filling like chocolate. I’ve never tried the sweet filling ones, so I can’t testify to how good they are, but I’ve read that this type is popular among the foreigners.

Tibetan Pan Fried Momo (Khotey)

However, if you ever visit Nepal, I would definitely recommend trying the traditional Momo or the Tibetan style Khotey. Momo can be easily found in road side stalls, trendy cafes and even in some higher end restaurants. And there are some restaurants that specialize in momo like the Bakery Cafe and Belle Momo, which I would recommend to tourists. These places are clean and have a huge selection of Momo. Bakery Cafe is scattered all over town so they’re easy to find, while Belle Momo, which I prefer, has three locations: two on Durbar Marg and one that just opened on my side of town in Patan. Can’t you tell I’m ecstatic? I actually just dragged David there for lunch today.

So, even though there are other Nepali dishes that I could write about, obviously I feel as strongly about Momo as the locals here that I think it deserves its own posting. I will definitely miss those little dumplings when we move away someday. I better get going and learn to make them!

Expressions of Love

By Crivenica

Most of the world knows that tomorrow is Valentine’s day. Many women and girls hope they will get a card that says “Be my Valentine” or other words of love, a bouquet of beautiful flowers, a box of candies or even perhaps a pretty piece of jewelry from the object of their affections.

The last time I was giddy about Valentine’s day was when I was in high school. I got a huge red expensive (at least from an Indonesian high school student’s point of view in 1995, it was expensive!) Hallmark Valentine’s day card from the boy I liked. However, I haven’t really thought much about the day since then.

As a couple, David and I never join in the Valentine’s day hoopla. It’s not because we don’t believe in showing our love for each other. We just don’t believe that we need a special day to do that. Love is constant, so we try to express it every day either in words, actions, or gestures.

David is always good in keeping the romance alive in our marriage. Better than I am, really. When we still lived in Jakarta, he sporadically surprised me by sending flowers to my office even when there was no special occasion. And my co-workers had always been surprised when no flowers arrived for me on the “day of love”.

Though receiving flowers from him always makes me smile, there are other subtle things that David does that make me feel loved. It’s every time he stopped everything that he was doing and just watched me with this soft look in his eyes, or when I received a random text from him telling me how lucky he was to have me as his wife, or when he always makes sure to tell me that he loves me before he takes off on an airplane every time he has to travel without me. These small gestures are more important to me than a once-a-year grandeur. And I know he feels the same way.

Many women complained that their husbands or significant others are not romantic and would not do anything special for them. But I think we sometimes forget that romance doesn’t necessarily involve flowers, candle lit dinners, or rose petals strewn on your bed. I’m sure if we look closely, we all will see the subtle gestures that our partners do that spell out their love for us (sometimes without even realizing it).

For example, the other day I chatted on Whatsapp with my cousin, Alex, who was waiting for his flight back to Singapore after a short visit home. I found out that he was carrying chicken noodle and pempek (Indonesian fish cakes) back with him. He told me even though it was inconvenient to carry all that food, he did it for his wife, who couldn’t come home with him. Sure that doesn’t seem romantic, but nonetheless that is love.

I asked some of my friends about their stories on love and with their permissions, I’d like to share them with you. And after reading these stories, I hope that you would also share your story. I would love to hear them. After all, even if I don’t celebrate Valentine’s day, I still love a good romance.

Anti
My husband and I are expecting our first child. Our baby daughter is due in a couple of days and as a first time mother, I have been anxious and worried about the health of our baby. I didn’t think I could be calm until she arrived safely and healthy. However, Anton, my husband, said to me, “let us just pray for the best, but whatever happens, she is a gift and a responsibility that God has bestowed upon us.” His words brought calm to my heart and tears to my eyes. I think the way he calmed me down was beautiful.

Reza
I’m not a romantic guy, but I love my wife because she is my best friend and that she is different from other girls. And I know her so well that I can tell when she’s getting an asthma attack just from the subtle difference in her breathing before she even knows it.

Indri
For me & my husband, a token of love doesn't need to be grand. For us, tiny sweet things can be grand! I love the way my husband calling me by the door when he gets home and gives me the biggest hug and a little smooch as he whispers in my ear, "It's so nice to come home to you." Or when I'm busy on my computer and he'd come by to land a small kiss on my forehead. And the sweetest thing is when he suddenly sings the Turkish stadium chant out loud, but replaces every word with "I love you honey. I love you honey."

As for him, he never asks me to do anything. He praises what I cook, how I manage the house, etc. But I know he likes it best when I sit by him while he's playing his favorite game on PS3. Another thing that I know he loves most is when I never fail to serve him a cup of Chamomile tea and dessert an hour after dinner. His eyes would spark so bright, his face would turn so joyful and after he took the tea and dessert from my hands, he would land tons of kisses on my face.

Shilla
I was seeing this guy before I came home to Indonesia. We both knew that even if we cared for each other, after I moved away, we would go our separate ways. And we started to see less of each other. Last new year’s eve, I expected that he would have plans with his friends and I was going to use the night for a self-reflection for once. However, he came knocking on my door, surprising me. When I asked him why he came, he gave me a hug as he simply answered, “Because I want to be with you.” It was one of our loveliest nights together.

Nia
When my kitten got really sick at one o’clock in the morning, he came all the way from the other side of town to my house and drove all around Jakarta with me looking for an open veterinarian office. We finally found one in the north side of the city. We had to leave my kitten at the vet’s, but because I live so far from the vet’s and I had to work the next day, he then took charge of checking on my kitten everyday until we could take him home. He did it all for me. By the way, he’s a dog person.

Playing Tourists in Kathmandu

By Crivenica

The bad part about living far away from home is that you get homesick from time to time. I definitely was homesick the other day because it was Chinese New Year and my big family got together for some wonderful homemade chinese food and tons of family fun. And there were other times when I saw pictures of my close friends in Facebook having fun and I felt like I was missing out on some precious moments.

That is why I was so happy when friends from home came to visit us. Separately, two of my girl friends, Anti and Shilla, came to visit me in 2009 and each time I got to play tourist in Kathmandu with them. We had a lot of fun, but most importantly I had the chance to share my life here in Kathmandu with them. Both visits were definitely treasured moments.

We met through work about six years ago and because we share the same value, work ethics, and view of life, we became really good friends. Working together for 14-16 hours a day, seven days a week for over a month and bunking with each other in Banda Aceh also helped the bonding process.

Anti came on a short four-day visit after a conference in India, but we covered most of the must-see spots in Kathmandu and still had plenty of time to sit around in outdoor cafes chatting while sipping masala tea. It was in March, so the weather was pretty nice with friendly comfortable temperature, though the Himalayas were not always visible during this time.

Shilla combined her visit with a travel through Delhi, Jaipur and Agra before she spent a week in Kathmandu. We visited many of the same places which I took Anti to earlier in the year, ate a lot of food, and did some extra cool stuff.

Here are some of our favorites:

The Garden of Dreams

Garden of Dreams

Located at the beginning of Thamel, a busy tourist trap area clogged with stores, budget hotels, cafes, mediocre restaurants and bars, the Garden of Dreams is a haven amidst Kathmandu’s car horns, traffic and eye sores. I’m sure when the garden was designed and built privately by Field Marshal Kaiser Sumsher Rana in 1920, it was a much quieter area. I’m just glad that it has been refurbished and opened to the public with a small entrance fee because this is definitely one of my favorite spots in town.

I took both Anti and Shilla here and they both loved it because we don’t have anything like this in Jakarta. It’s just great being able to take a break from the hustle bustle of life in a beautifully landscaped garden where you can sit on a park bench or lounge on the grass and have a philosophical discussion about the future with your girl friend. I spent some wonderful hours doing just that with both Anti and Shilla here.

Check out their website to learn more about the history of the garden.

Durbar Squares

Patan Durbar Square

A long time ago, Kathmandu valley used to be three little kingdoms (from one larger kingdom divided into three to be ruled by the three sons of the former king). These kingdoms were Kathmandu or Bhasantapur, Patan and Bhaktapur. Even today, the division of the valley is still based on these ancient kingdoms except that there is no more kingdom. However, the history is still very much alive in the very well-preserved durbar square of each of this kingdom.

Durbar means palace and durbar square is basically the courtyard where the old palace of the kingdom is located. Each durbar square was the center of government, economy, religion and everyday life. They may not be the center of political events anymore, but they are still very much a big part of today’s economy, religion and everyday activities. And this makes durbar squares great to visit because you get the ancient palaces, temples and markets in one place.

Patan durbar square is my favorite because I find the architectural legacy there is the most beautiful and it is less crowded compared to the other two. Besides, I know the small streets of the old town of Patan pretty well that I gave my girl friends walking tours like a pro! Walking through the old town is a wonderful way to see how the locals live and be absorbed by the local culture.

Just be aware of people offering you guided tours if you visit durbar squares. Shilla and I were approached by two young Nepali guys who dressed like some Bollywood stars, we weren’t sure whether they were really offering guided tours or they were being flirty.

Temples

Anti & I at Swayambunath Stupa

Most tourists and religious pilgrims come to Kathmandu to visit the temples. Nepal, being the birthplace of the Buddha Himself (he was born in Lumbini), has several important Buddhist stupas actually, even though it is mainly a Hindu country. The main stupa in Kathmandu is the Swayambunath, also casually known as the Monkey temple due to the troops of monkeys guarding the area. It is located high on a hill, so it is a trip to climb up the stairs to get to the stupa, but the view from the top is worth the climb. I drove my guests to the top. It might not be the same experience of climbing the gazillion steps, but I got them up there faster with less sweating.

Shilla and I also had the chance to visit the other important Buddhist stupa in the area called Bouddha and had a lot of fun taking great pictures there. We also visited a very important Hindu temple called the Phaspupatinath temple. We couldn’t go into the temple itself, but we had the chance to observe the activities and saw the cremation area along the river. By the way, this is where men in Nepal gather every year on Shivratri festival to smoke pot as an offering to Lord Shiva.

Nagarkot

Shilla & I at Nagarkot

I wish I had taken Anti up to Nagarkot, but the idea didn’t occur to me then. Fortunately, I was able to get a car to take Shilla there. Nagarkot is about 32 km east of Kathmandu on one of the hills surrounding the valley. People usually stay overnight up here and wake up before dawn to see the sun rises among the Himalayas. We didn’t do that.

Shilla and I went up there early enough, but we were there simply to enjoy the great clear view of the Himalayas. The viewing spot was nothing to write about, but it does its purpose. This is one of the best places to view the Himalayas if you don’t have a lot of time traveling the country. And this morning trip with Shilla is one trip I wouldn’t forget easily due to the amazing view and the very embarrassing and very private thing that we had to share. I will spare you the details.

Mountains Flight

The peak of Mount Everest taken on our mountain flight.

Taking a mountains flight is another great but a more expensive way to enjoy the majestic Himalayas. It costs about USD 120-150 for a half hour flight along the mountains, but I think it’s worth to do it at least once. Shilla and I shelled out the money to do it and I think neither one of us regretted it.

Well, I had a blast taking my friends around the K-town, but there are more to my friends’ visits than the places we went to. The private moments and conversations we had are something I will cherish forever. I hope we will have more experiences like this in the future. However, I must say that Anti’s visit was well timed because after her visit, she met her husband, got married and they are now expecting the birth of their baby girl any day now. While Shilla, after her India-Kathmandu trip, left Indonesia for Melbourne to pursue her masters degree and has just recently returned home.

I will always get homesick for my family and friends, but I’m not worried about not having quality time with them because I think we will always make time for each other. As a matter of fact, Shilla and I are already planning to visit another good friend of ours, Indri, who lives in Tokyo with her husband. So, I’m crossing my fingers that everything will go as planned and maybe, I’ll be writing about our Japan trip in the summer.

Note:
This year is the official Nepal Tourism Year. So friends, maybe it's time to plan a trip here and visit all these places I wrote about. I still have a lot of info to share on places to shop and great food to eat. Wait for those posts in the near future.

My Favorite Watering Holes: Kafe Excelso & Argo Tea

Cappucino at Kafe Excelso

By Lu
You will probably think I will talk about a bar or two, but no. I love this quotation from my friend, Tina.. "I'm Asian, and I have no tolerance!" Well, she developed her tolerance to alcohol, but I didn't. Thus why I am taking over the quote.
I wish I could drink as much as other people; but, after one drink or two, I'm done. So, that is why I focus all my interest to other addicting drinks... Tea and Coffee.

I could totally say that I helped make Starbucks the coffee giant it is today. I spent lots of my good earned income over there, every morning and sometime other parts of the day too. When the barista knew your name, that's because you're an investor. I used to be addicted to Starbucks and I wouldn't go anywhere else. I was a loyal Starbucks drinker for years.

Yet, like everything else, it came to an end. I found a new love. Boy, that is the extent of my cheating life and I'm two timing Starbucks now. If that makes me a coffee ho, then I am. At least everywhere else, I could say I'm as loyal as a Saint Bernard.

I stumbled over this great coffee place when I was back home in Jakarta. I knew of this place forever, but I was so infatuated with Starbucks, I never gave it a chance. Yeah, sorry... unless you are going to make it to Indonesia someday, you can only read about it. But, you never know what is in the book. You may yet make it there, and please do try them!

Ri and I just arrived in Jakarta in the morning of November 13 last year. We were tired, but needed to stay up until decent time to sleep so we wouldn't experience too crazy of a jet-lag. We also had to deal with 12 hours of time difference. My dad all of a sudden insisted that we would go have dinner at Sushi Tei in Senayan City Mall. Annette was all confused of dad wanting to go to a mall, a crazy busy one on top it. She was suspicious right of the bat. But we went, and had a great dinner. But all of a sudden my dad disappeared after answering a phone call. He then texted us saying to meet him downstairs.

When we finally got to the ground floor of the mall, my mom got a text, and she was acting weird too. We were ready to go home and crash, but she begged us to come with her to another restaurant. So, we followed her and turned out they had a big group of friends having dinner there. So, Ri and I were half alive, and we shook hands and went through the whole introduction to my mom and dad's friends. These people were in a tour group with my parents on a trip to China, and they just became really close. Being empty-nesters, I'm glad they found friends to hang out and do stuff with. But turned out, the parents just wanted them to meet us children, and they thought we wouldn't want to do so because we were so tired. Not really sure about my dad's whole reasoning. But the whole Sushi Tei was a diversion so that they could still hang out with their friends! :D
They wanted us to eat again with them and we were like "no......thank you." We were about to burst after going crazy on the cheap fresh sushi not even an hour ago. So, my parents stayed there, and we sisters looked for coffee to stay awake. Annette took us to Kafe Excelso.

Kafe Excelso

I remember drinking coffee there with Philippe way back when but I didn't remember it being this good. But back then I probably didn't know any better in appreciating a good cup of Joe. But, I am a different person now as I know how a great coffee should taste like. I had a cappucino and it was just terrific. It blew Starbucks away. I was awake, and I was happy. It was just great tasting, great smelling, and super strong! Since that night, every chance I got to drink coffee in the two weeks period I was there, I looked for Kafe Excelso. We even got lost one day at Grand Indonesia Mall looking around in circle for the place, as we passed Starbucks, Coffee Beans & Tea Leaves, and Oh La La Cafe. Nope, I really really wanted my Excelso.

When we were done with coffee, we went back to get the rents, and guess what? My dad threw the car key to Ri and said we could go ahead and go home. They would hang out there awhile yet. Can you believe it? We got ditched at the mall by our parents!!!! That's just wrong!! Our jaws were on the floor! They haven't seen us in a year!

But one good thing that came out of it was that I rediscovered Kafe Excelso. Annette told me Werner, her husband, always buys some bags to bring back to Norway. They offer several different kinds of coffee and mostly are Indonesian coffees. The best ones are Kopi Luwak, Torajans, and Mandailing. Kopi Luwak is the most expensive coffee in the world. The beans were eaten by a small animal called chivet, and then they pooped it out. Sounds gross, right? But I guess the enzyme in their stomach helped flavoring the coffee. They probably had to disinfect the beans with peroxide before processing it hahaha, but it is most priced nonetheless. I like the Torajans. I brought some home for my friends, and they all seemed to agree with me about how good it is.

Latte and a Club Sandwich

Kafe Excelso also serves small food items such as sandwiches and desserts. It is a great place to chill if you need a little shot of caffeine to revive you from the 3 o'clock crash at the mall. I've been praying that someone will open a franchise in the US. Oh, they also gave you a complimentary short bread cookie with the coffee. I always bought extra cookies each time I was there :D. Yummy.

Another great discovery that I encountered last year as I landed from St. Louis at the O'Hare American Airlines terminal was Argo Tea. I saw that from a far and I was instantly intrigued. You know me and my tea. I just couldn't pass it. After being delayed in St. Louis for hours, I just wanted some good iced tea to quench my thirst. Looking through the huge tea menu, I decided on an iced tea I've never had before. I did have quite a hard time deciding; plus, I was a little out of my element in the lingo for ordering. Definitely can't use tall, grande, venti here.

Peach Tea Sparkle at Argo Tea

My pick was called "Tea Sparkle" and I chose Peach flavor. Basically it was an iced tea, mixed with sparkling water, with peach syrup...but yummy!! Soooo refreshing! I was taking big gulp of it and I was in heaven.

Too bad, Argo Tea does not have any location in Chicago suburbs yet; but, they have several locations in the city. They are also represented in St. Louis and New York. If you ever encounter one, do go in and try. It is such a great change to the regular coffee places.

The place is nice and modern and you can definitely chill with your computer - working or just killing time. They offers snack items that are high end and geared towards health conscious people. Mh, maybe not... I did see some awesome looking chocolate croissants. They also sells loose leaf teas of all kinds - from black tea to red tea. They didn't have my silver needle; however. But I saw an African Red Tea that I need to try one of these days.

Variety of Tea Leaves at Argo Tea

I'm a loser as every chance I get, I keep getting my peach tea sparkle. I should try the other kinds. Sandrine said the Mint Mojitea was really good. You should see their menu and it is filled with many creative and innovative Tea items. From the hot to the cold; from the creamy to the fizz. Maybe I do need to branch out a bit and practice what I preach of trying new things.

So glad however to find these two places that are like the underdogs compared to the giants of the coffee world. I tend to root for the underdog as they usually always surprise you in a good way. They make extra efforts in order to compete with the giants, and at times, it does pays off. I'd say we need to give everything a chance, and we will be surprised of what we may find. I know that I, myself, need to do that more often. I am glad that I tried these two places as I found something really wonderful.