China--In pictures

1. Chicken with hot peppers (some mediocre restaurant in Zhou Zhuang)
2. Old bridge in Zhou Zhuang water town
3. Shaved ice volcano with red bean lava and pineapple! (SSAW hotel's restaurant in Hang Zhou--great 4 star hotel, pretty decent restaurant)
4. View of Hang Zhou from West Lake
5. Duck tongue (:P) and beans (Macau Street restaurant in Hang Zhou--somewhat modernized Chinese food, good stuff)
6. Chicken soup in a teapot and fruit salad (Macau Street, Hang Zhou)
7. Liang feng (I made this!)--weird jello noodle-like stuff mixed with garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, chili sauce, and cilantro
8. Sauteed veggies (I made this too! Notice the cute veggie hearts :)
9. I liked the packaging for the moist towelettes :)
10. Duck (SSAW hotel restaurant, Hang Zhou)
11. Beef with vegetables (SSAW hotel restaurant, Hang Zhou)
12. Do fu hua/Tofu soup from a street vendor -- I love this stuff
13. My gma likes meat.
14. Shrimp and veggies at my aunt's in Chang Zhou (the bright green stuff is bitter melon...my 15. dad and I are the only people in the world who love it :P)
16. After hiking up a mountain with my uncle--exhaustion extreme
17. Wonton, various veggies, and liang feng made by my aunt and me
18. Hang Zhou city

Coming home Sunday--still plenty of time for more cooking, eating, shopping, and exploring :)

DC--Tapas=small plates

I've heard lots of enthusiastic reviews of tapas bars but for some reason have never felt any desire to try one out myself. This weekend, a friend suggested we try La Tasca after seeing the Dark Knight in Chinatown, initiating a new, fantastic dining adventure!

I liked the feel of the interior as soon as I stepped inside--dim lighting, interesting decorations covering every inch of the walls, cozy booths with vibrant pillows. Our server explained what tapas were--small plates of signature Spanish dishes--and left us to decide which ones we wanted out of the large and varied menu (everything sounded amazing). There were some more expensive choices of meat and seafood ($10-20) but also plenty of good cheap selections ($5-10). We finally decided to try:

Patatas Panadera con Salmorejo--Fried slices of potato with a cold dip of tomato and garlic
Montada de Salmon y Queso Fresco--Toasted bread topped with smoked salmon and cream cheese
Patatas Bravas con Ali-Ali--The best known tapas - deep fried potatoes in a spicy sauce and garlic mayonnaise
Crema Catalana--Catalan custard cream with strawberries
(The sangria, in many varieties, looked really good too, and now I regret not trying it :P)

Everything we ordered was under $6 but still really tasty yet mild. We especially liked the salmon (super fresh) and dessert (creamy and sweet with a nice little crunch from the granulated sugar topping). For "small plates," the portions were still pretty big--the salmon tapas included 3 big bread rounds topped with plenty of fish--and definitely satisfying. The atmosphere was really cozy and relaxing too. And our whole meal was only $25 for both of us, tax and tip included--a great value! I definitely will try to go back next time I'm in the area :) In the meantime, I'm really eager to try the other tapas bars out there after this fantastic introduction to "small plates".

DC--Eat Greek at the Original Ambrosia

Ambrosia is the place in Rockville for good cheap Greek (and some Italian) eats--go for the lunch combos, dinner specials, and huge fresh gyros. They even serve a large breakfast menu, and carry out is a popular option. Big portions, fresh salads and sides, plenty of quality meat (esp. gyro [lamb]), very friendly service. I haven't had much Greek food and can't judge the authenticity of this place myself, but other reviewers claim it's one of the area's finest/best-value Greek restaurants.

Ambrosia has been around for years in its old Congressional Plaza location but recently moved to Montrose Crossing, right by my condo. A friend and I had $6 wrap combos for lunch earlier in the summer--includes a huge wrap with choice of meat (gyro was delicious), salad, choice of veggie side, and drink. Really great value for the yummy food--flavorful and hearty but not too heavy--and a fun, friendly environment with lots of Greek art (photos, paintings, murals) and music. Our server, who was actually Greek, was very attentive and helpful with offering suggestions.

Overall a very unique little place with great food and service :D