Writes of Passage

The following list is from National Geographic. This year (8.25), marks the 100th anniversary of  the creation of National Park Service. 12 most popular parks according to NG too. 国家公园

1. Cape Royal and Angels Window in Grand Canyon
2. Half Dome in Yosemite
3. Mount McKinley in Denali
4. Grand Teton and the Central Peaks
5. Mount Rainier
6. Cumberland Gap National Historical Park
7. Chimney Rock National Historic Site
8. Devils Tower National Monument
9. Island in the Sky in Canyonlands
10. Bering Land Bridge National Preserve

BCD Tofu House
220-05 Northern Blvd,
Bayside, NY 11361
(718) 224-8889

Won’t return: loud music and even louder clinking of utensils (metal) and dishes. Why do they have to throw them, instead put them down gently? And apparently the owner or manager don’t consider it rude and annoying. It’s totally beyond me. Yelp

Oh the kimchi. Too sweet and as if hasn’t been fully fermented. The tofu pot is one dimension: there isn’t any depth to it other than spicy.

I’ve tried Barefoot which cost $4.99 a couple of years ago. They’re decent, just as two buck chuck @ Trader Joe’s; and they sell it $6.99 a glass (most restaurants don’t put the name of their house wine down). This isn’t a criticism of any sort but a marvel at the fat margin they’ve.

This location used to be another Korean restaurant or the same I couldn’t remember. The bright spot is the fried fish – the side dish.

The 778 acres park has so much to offer and is immensely enjoyable.

the Lake

Bethesda Fountain with lotus. I spot two fake monks who are begging for money, one of them asked me why am I taking video, in Mandarin.

The wedding, the horse carriages, the dumplings, the love boat …

The dogs

After the park we head over to the Met.

After the Park, we went to the Met. The huge wine vessel, a gift from JP Morgan. The bugs on the bottles are so vivid.

From the Imperial Theater: Chinese Opera Costumes of the 18th and 19th Centuries is on display. So is Manus x Machina Fashion in an Age of Technology, and the Roof Garden‘s Cornelia Parker‘s barn PsychoBarn.

This Screen with birthday celebration for General Guo Ziyi is from late Qing period, by Lu Guisheng (active 1821-50); carved red and black lacquer. The inscription in the upper right indicates that the screen was made in honor of a certain General Zhen, most likely upon an important birthday, such as his sixtieth. More here

Fine details, although they look rough. L: Torso of a Bodhisattva of transcendent wisdom; R: Head of Manjushri, the Bodhisattva. Both are from Java Indoesia, abt 9th century.

This seems to be one piece: to the right side is calligraphy and the pavilion of Prince Teng during Yuan dynasty (1271-1368), but to the left, is 题跋 /preface by Zhang Daqian (1899-1983) in 1940, ??? The little sampan to the left is beautiful.

The Chinese courtyard

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-91) was born in Salzburg and died in Vienna.

⇐ At Lincoln Center. With Joshua Bell playing Mozart violin concert No 4 and after the intermission, Beethoven’s 8th, which I went for. There’s a pre concert @ 6pm.  However, we preferred the wine bar instead after the Met and the Park.

People sit on Lincoln Ristorante, enjoying the gorgeous day.

We haven’t been there for a few years and now they put concert going on stage – it’s great that they’re selling out. It’s a wonderful program:

• Mendelssohn overture to a midsummer night
  

189 Amsterdam Ave., New York
(212) 799-9463

This Upper West Side wine bar is one of my favorites. Cozy benches and cushions but bit over priced. It’s humming on a week day. We got there after Mets, getting crowded from 6pm and on. It’s convenient to Lincoln Center and the food is fine:

1. Mini caviar trio: smoked trout roe, wasabi tobiko on blini creme fraiche and chives
2. Combo meats n cheeses
3. Arugula walnut and grape salad

We’ve three red: I love the Syrah, very yummy:

1. Chateau la Bastide “Vieilles Vignes’ 2013 Syrah
2. Domaine de la Damase 2014 Grenache
3. “Original Malbec” Anne de Joyeuse 2014

Yelp

The Met has a few eateries, from public cafe to private dining room. The the Roof Garden has great views and different exhibit from time to time – currently is Cornelia Parker‘s barn PsychoBarn.

We’ve tea at Balcony Lounge, which is a very restful, and far better a choice than the rooftop Garden. It’s at the 2nd floor, adjacent to the Great Hall Balcony. The Leipziger Bier, Gose from Germany is very refreshing: lemony.

The Met is showing From the Imperial Theater: Chinese Opera Costumes of the 18th and 19th Centuries @ The Met Fifth Avenue, Gallery 220, Florence and Herbert Irving Galleries for Chinese Decorative Arts.

Fm the Met: The Metropolitan Museum of Art

21 Ninth Avenue
New York, NY 10014
(212) 392-5978

This Meatpacking District in West Village is pretty good. Food I’d give it 4.5, decor 3 and service 3.5. Bathroom is clean, bit too dark tho. The waiting staff could wash their uniform more often.

I’m most impressed by their mussels: not a single sand. The last time I had clean mussels was at an Italian restaurant on Bleecker Street in 1990s. The Branzino is very yummy, the Crispy Shrimp is bit too sweet but the texture is super.

Yelp

They’re everywhere … at the Hing Line Park & elsewhere.

As soon as I walk up to the park from Gansevoort Street, I see this new addition at the park: warning not to give money to fake monks.

• 2018, Central Park
• 2017, High Line
• 2016, he got a couple @ High Line