30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, NY 10112
This bar is on the 65th floor as the Rainbow Room, with the 10′ high ceiling on north, west and south sides. The drinks are fine, nothing is really special. You go there more for the view. On a quiet night with the clear sky, it’s very nice.
Victorian Home Garden Restaurant 上海老洋房 (lao yangfang)
No 27 ShaoXing Road, 绍兴路 27号 (one way street, from 陕西南路 South Shaanxi Lu );
Phone: 21.6433.1010; 6433.3506
I discovered this Laoyangfang as I was exiting the Old China Hand Reading Room next door, also using the 27 ShaoXing Road. This garden house was built by the prominent Shanghai gangster Du Yuensheng 杜月笙 for his fourth wife, an opera singer. Du was famous for his mild manner and passion for opera, among few other notable characters.
When Yishi called to make a reservation, she was told it’s fully booked. I liked it so Pump and I went there at 5:30. The manager said,
“Oh, I only one table, it might be too small, why don’t you take a look?”
It’s a corner table, looking out to the deck and gold fish, with four settings. Guess it’s ok for three, no?
上海本帮菜 .. means causal meal, but now many people enjoy it to a point, it became a cuisine. I don’t like Shanghai cooking for it’s too oily and sweet. But I thoroughly enjoyed my dinner there, small portion and good presentation, and yes, they’re delicious.
秦强 Qin Qiang is my grade school classmate. Although I can’t claim that I’ve seen him in diapers but close. Second day in Beijing, my grade school mates decided to to treat me a home made dumplings. The class monitor 班长 even brought many cookies that dating back to our times, as the luxury, nostalgia aside, they still taste fine. Yan orchestrated the whole thing, from making the fillings, to the dough. Qin is very good at making the wrappers: very fast. In comparison, I looked bit kiddish. So I stayed away.
瀚若居茶院 is in the Old Summer Palace 圆明园, YuanMingYuan, where years ago was burned and looted by the Brits and the Frenchies. That’s the history. Qin leases the place, paying 180,000 RMB annually. I don’t think he and his partners are aiming at make money with the place, rather a place to cultivate friends. We feasted in the courtyard.
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In case some one can’t access the FB ..
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Yutou restaurant has few branches. The one we went was in Zhongguancun, in a basement. Pretty neat, a big plate of fish head, delicious. It comes with a basket of prata, 薄饼 thin pancake. Soak them in the fish head sauce, yummmmy goood. More pix on FB
fish
with prata
王府半岛酒店 (原王府饭店) on Jinbao 金宝街, couple of blocks east of WangFuJing St. in Beijing. Relaxing and enjoyable.
More pix in gallery
This little restaurant was on 小经厂胡同, off 鼓楼东大街 the Gulou Dong DaJie, East of Gulou Blvd in Drum Tower. Two blocks away from the northern end of Nan Luogu Xiang 南锣鼓巷 – South Luogo Alley.
It’s in a courtyard house, both in door and out door dining. They offer no menu. Dinners are half and half (non Chinese). Delicious. Small portion.
More pix on FB and in the gallery.
A quick lunch at a local restaurant by Taoranting 陶然亭 before Yishi heads back to her business trip. It’s delicious, cost 576 RMB.
It would take me approximate 30 minutes on a 20 miles journey, costing $7.50 on the LIRR, on a weekend (off peak) from my home to New York. The ride was relatively comfortable, somewhat on time.
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I didn’t take this direct route. Instead I went to Flushing because I wanted to treat my family. So I stopped by Flushing in the morning for some authentic food. There were so many freshly out of the oven stuffs, steaming hot. I ended up with bought 3 boxes. When I got to the bus stop in the city, they were still warm. The luggage handler asked me what those warm stuff are.
“Food .. feel free to try some .. ”
9th Avenue at 33th Street
For $17.50 (the 50 for booking fee .. funny ..), I rode in comfort from New York to Washington DC, about 238 miles. The bus left sharply on time, at 10:30, arriving at DC, after two brief stops in Maryland’s White Marsh, little over 4 hours.
The bus crowd was at the luggage opening, one handler was inside and pushing out our luggage one by one. Everyone, male and female of all colors was standing there watching, except a black girl who’s helping the put the luggage on the ground to make room for the handler to empty the load. Few moments later, the handler, a big man shouted,
“Come on, can you guys do it??” [instead the girl].
The boys seemed suddenly waken, and lent helping hands.
The bus loading area was quickly emptied but my food was not among them. It’s long gone.
I was really upset ..
I called the customer hot line, got nowhere.
K St. NW and N Capitol St. NW
On Monday, I took the same bus back home only because Uncle Jim had already purchased a ticket the day before.
We got there at 11:21am. A chubby lady with short hair cut was on duty.
She informed us loudly, it’s $25 but the bus is full.
“I have 50 passengers to pick up at Maryland.”
So we have to wait for the 12:30 bus.
“Oh, you guys lost my food on Saturday ..”
She cut me off.
“I lost your food? Sweetheart, you’ve got to talk to the customer service..”
She then denied Uncle Jim’s ticket as the number was wrong.
“See this? You’ve got to give me this long number.” Then added that Uncle Jim needed to re-buy his ticket.
Guess neither of us was good enough for her.
Then a lone passenger came, announcing that he’s waiting for the 12:30 bus.
She said something I decided to not to listen.
“Ok, you go ahead.” She gestured the lone passenger to board the 11:30 bus.
“Hey, that’s not fair. Didn’t you say there isn’t room?” I was only half serious. Because, after all, we were two passengers and he’s one.
“Didn’t you hear me telling you to get on?” She enlarged her eyes .. ..
“Ok .. thanks .. no need to get mad .. ”
After we sat down and bus began to move, did I realize she didn’t charge me for the ride.
After endured my adventure-recap, Pumpkin said,
“Mom, you did say they can eat your food ..”
” .. yes .. but I was only kidding .. who’d eat other people’s food?”
“Mom, people sometimes can’t tell if you’re joking or not .. ”
Isn’t it a miracle that neither of us is in a mental institution?
14 Street, Union Square, St. Marks Pl
Led Zeppole on 14th Street (between 1st and 2nd Avenue) in the East Village has the best cream puff .. a little bakery .. Led Zeppelin would come for a treat?
The Blind Pig for brunch
The Irving Plaza – Since the late 1970s the club, at Irving Place and 15th Street, has been one of Manhattan
Is Hong Kong still a shopper’s paradise?
Coach handbags is everywhere, next to boldest names, like Tiffany and LV .. I spot this little thing after lunch at the famed duck restaurant 镛记酒家 – 鏞記 Yung Kee.
initial: the place fo true style seekers looking for something different
It’s different .. but the name plate is missing an r
Duck is one of my favored food .. so it’s fitting to dine here .. The duckie is good .. Yung Kee in Oakland, CA, in 2021
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