Tag: food

Categories
Europe Food + Drinks Solo Travel

WHAT TO EAT AND DRINK IN ISTANBUL

The short answer? Everything.

The downside to taking a last-minute weekend trip once I’d already splurged on a huge twelve-day trip in the same month, was that unfortunately I couldn’t afford to eat everything. Nor did I have the time. And since my hotel offered free breakfast and afternoon snacks, I didn’t wander far from the Sultanahmet area during dinner time. While there were no McDonald’s or TGIFridays, I was told that area is nothing more than a tourist trap with overpriced and under-flavored food.

All I can say is that if that’s true, then my taste buds must be seriously jacked because I developed a borderline addiction to every single thing I put into my mouth.

Sultanahmet was full of pushy hosts standing in front of every restaurant, fighting for the attention to lure in every passerby. It’s actually incredibly annoying. It took me about 30 minutes, but I finally decided on a restaurant called Masal because the guy at the door didn’t seem like a truck-stop rapist or a desperate prom date. Reverse psychology I suppose.

Thus began my extraordinary culinary tour of Istanbul. And while I’m not exactly a foodie, I do have over 28 years of experience in eating so that gives me some sort of credibility, right?

Here are seven budget-friendly foods or drinks that are definitely worth trying in Istanbul.

Lahmacun

Lahmacun

LAHMACUN

The first dish I tried was lahmacun, a simple pizza-like flatbread that I could’ve sworn I’d remembered Anthony Bourdain refer to as mandatory drunk food. Even though I wasn’t drunk, I knew my Taco Bell loving tummy (having been trained by years of eating—and enjoying—borderline offensive food) would love it.

The large piece of dough is topped with minced meat (beef and lamb), minced vegetables, and herbs, and then baked. It was delivered to my table with a side of lemons and a plate of vegetables including cabbage, pickles, tomatoes, onions, lettuce, and parsley. I think you’re supposed to pile on the salad, squeeze on the lemon juice, roll it up and eat it, but I chose to do it in smaller pieces because 1) it would’ve been huge, and 2) I hate the whole “now that I’ve rolled it I can’t set it down” thing. Either way, that stuff was fantastic and not nearly as filling as I thought it’d be. I could’ve easily eaten two more. And it was nowhere near as greasy or degrading as drunk food in the US.

But whatever you do, DO NOT skimp on the lemon juice. It’s key.

Turkish Bagel and tea

SIMIT (TURKISH BAGELS)

Alright, alright. I’ve lived in New York for nearly eight years, so I’ve been pretty spoiled by the very definition of a bagel. I was skeptical when my new hotel friends invited me for Turkish bagels and tea. A simit is essentially a sesame seed hybrid between a bagel and a pretzel that’s crispy and crusty on the outside, but fluffy on the inside. Splice it open and layer it with some tomatoes and cheese, and serve with a side of hot tea with a view of the Blue Mosque, and you’ve got yourself the perfect afternoon snack.

Dinner doner kebab

İSKENDER KEBAP & BALLOON BREAD

One night I decided to treat myself to a nice meal (and a lot of red wine), so I popped into Sura Kebab House and ordered my very first İskender kebap. Holy satisfying dinner. I never knew meat and yogurt could go together so well.

They served me a gigantic loaf of this balloon bread, which was easily the size of a brown paper shopping bag, along with a small dish of what I’m pretty sure was salted butter and a soft cheese—maybe goat cheese? I don’t know if I was supposed to mix the two together and spread on the bread, but I did and the results were absolutely phenomenal. Groups of tourists glanced at me while I devoured the bread and gulped down my Pinot Noir. Then the kebab came out, drenched in a tomato-based sauce and served next to a bed of yogurt.

As the weird girl who won’t hesitate to dine solo, I made friends with the entire waitstaff that night and got free shots of Raki when I was finished. Though it is the national drink of Turkey, Raki was nothing special in my opinion and very similar to ouzo or sambuca. Barf, pass.

unnamed-3

TURKISH TEA

Okay this isn’t really fair because I LOVE TEA. Black, green, herbal, chai, morning, noon, and night, you name it. All kinds of tea, doesn’t matter, I will drink every last sip. So when the waiter handed me this perfect, and better yet free glass of apple tea, I didn’t think it was possible to have a better meal ending . That is, until I walked down the street and picked up some…

unnamed-4

BAKLAVA

One cannot go to Turkey without indulging on the delicious sweets that have become so popular here in the Western world. While they say baklava’s origins aren’t particularly well documented, some suggest that the modern day form was created right inside Topkapi Palace in Istanbul.

Wherever the hell it’s from, baklava is abundant in Istanbul. I stopped by several shops and easily consumed 1500 calories in sweet, sticky deliciousness before returning to my hotel every single night.

Kofte

TARIHI SULTANAHMET KÖFTECISI

Okay so this is the name of a restaurant, but they only serve a couple of things on the menu—the main item being köfte, or Turkish meatballs. The place itself is definitely a no-frills restaurant, but their meatballs are supposedly some of the best in the area. One of my new friends I’d partied with in Taksim took me here for lunch, claiming it to be a favorite amongst the locals. Unfortunately after our super late night out, I was still a wee bit too hungover to handle much solid food. The meat was definitely delicious and juicy, but I could only eat about three and a half before retreating back to my hotel room to crawl under the sheets and swear off drinking (again).

I also washed my meal down with an Ayran, which is a cold yogurt drink mixed with salt, and a national non-alcoholic drink in Turkey. Everyone in the place was sucking these down, and again the whole meat + yogurt thing is genius.

Salep

Salep

SALEP

The evenings were still chilly, so I bought a cup of sahlep to keep warm, thinking it’d be like a spicy hot chocolate. Not exactly. Salep is a flour made from some kind of orchid, but it’s commonly used in a hot wintertime drink. This drink in particular was made with milk, honey, orchid bud, vanilla, cream, cinnamon, and spices. It had a much thicker consistency than hot chocolate, almost like a glue that was so thick the piles of cinnamon clumped together on top because it was too thick to permeate. Regardless, I drank the entire cup before it got cold, and once I got past the weird texture I loved every second of it.

Turkish food has quickly moved to the top of my favorite cuisines. Istanbul is the kind of place where you will not go hungry. I only [accidentally] ended up eating chicken orzo at one super touristy place. The rest of the time I was sampling bits and pieces of Turkish and Ottoman cuisine whenever and wherever possible. But I still barely scratched the surface in trying all of the foods on my must-eat list. Next winter when flights are back down below $500RT I’ll almost certainly head back over there and explore the lesser touristy neighborhoods for a few dinners. Totally worth it.

Have you ever been to Turkey? What’s your favorite Turkish food?

Categories
Asia Europe Solo Travel

MY FIRST TASTE OF TURKEY

The first couple days after returning from vacation are always a struggle—even more so when you know you’ll be jetting off to another exotic location the following week. From jet lag and slowly coaxing yourself out of vacation mode, to gauging your answer to the infamous “how was your trip” questions. Of course it’s a courtesy to ask people how their vacation went, but not everyone really cares. And even then, what part do you tell them about while keeping it brief enough for the water cooler? The food? The sights? The people? The culture? I could talk about my travels all day, but instead I’ve tried to keep it brief amongst coworkers. For the rest who are curious, I’ll share it here.

There will be more detailed posts to follow, but I just need to put it out there: Istanbul is a stunningly beautiful, almost magical city that’s really different from most places I’ve visited. In a very good way. Even though I stayed in ultra touristy Sultanahmet. It seemed like the perfect introduction to a Muslim country since they don’t seem to be very dismissive of Westerners. I don’t have any religious upbringing whatsoever so I’m fascinated by learning all about different faiths. I mean I certainly have my own beliefs, but I’ve actually managed to avoid sharing those with anyone pretty much ever. Well except for one of my exes, but that’s partially why he’s an ex.

Anyway, the city is MASSIVE. I had no idea how big it even was until I went up to Galata Tower and looked out over the city. Then I took a cruise up the Bosphorus to see it was even bigger. For fuck’s sake it spans two continents, of course it’s huge. From above it kind of reminded me of San Francisco times about 100, but with a way different culture and a lot more mosques.

Kebap. Lamb. Lahmacun. Borek. Meze. Baklava. The food was so delicious I’ve actually doubled in size upon returning to the States. Seriously though I’ve never eaten so well on a solo vacation. Usually I’m pretty frugal with what I eat, picking up yogurt and granola bars to get me through most of the day, then eating whatever random cheap dinner I come across in the evening. I usually save a ton of money doing that, but this time I just couldn’t stop myself from over-indulging every time I turned a corner. I never ate the same thing twice (except for baklava, but come on, baklava). The hotel had free buffet breakfast with a perfect rooftop view so I sampled everything they had to offer every morning. I stopped at dessert shops and street carts even when I wasn’t hungry. I splurged on dinner and I went back to the hotel full and happy (with more baklava in hand) every night.

Like most of my trips I went to Turkey alone, but I was rarely by myself this time around. In general the people in Istanbul were almost alarmingly friendly and hospitable. It threw me off a bit because I was always trying to figure out whether they were genuinely nice or if they just wanted to lure me into their family’s shop to buy something (or kill me in a back alley, you know, the standard worries). Waiters gave me free drinks and bar recommendations. Strangers on the street asked me to dinner. Others simply asked where I was from and started a conversation about the US or gave me directions. Yes, the tourist spots were loaded with hagglers and conniving salesmen, but rather than walking through the city ignoring everyone like I do in New York, I actually conversed with nearly everyone who spoke to me. Hell I even approached people myself and made a few friends. In fact I think this was the most “unplugged” solo trip I’ve ever taken, meaning I didn’t walk down the streets listening to my headphones so that strangers wouldn’t talk to me. I made small talk. I listened to everything. I met locals and I hung out with them. I went to Taksim at midnight, which some US news sources have recently portrayed as the “dangerous” part of the city. It wasn’t very dangerous at all. Probably because on this particular night at least, the protests had been replaced by a bunch of drunk kids partying. And a Shake Shack.


The call to prayer is a really beautiful thing to hear. One guy told me that Istanbul has over 2,000 mosques, so to hear these calls come over the loudspeakers and echo throughout the city during the day was absolutely surreal. My first day there I woke up sometime in the 4am hour to hear the first one of the day which completely blew my mind because it was still dark out. Another local later told me that the morning call to prayer has an additional line in it to say something about how God is more important than sleep. I’m guessing that prayer is for the truly faithful Muslims. And right in the middle of the day, seeing men shutting tourists out of their shops in the Grand Bazaar to pray was a sight to see. I mean I’m used to America where capitalism usually trumps religion, so to see people with such a devout religious culture is truly mesmerizing.

Sorting through my 1000+ photos is already leaving me with a serious case of wanderlust. How many days until I go back?

Luckily flights during the off-season are actually pretty cheap (under $500 RT!) to Istanbul, so the likelihood of me going back is actually pretty good. Except next time I’m stopping off in Cappadocia and Pamukkale. Who’s with me?

Categories
Europe Food + Drinks Living Abroad

Lazy Sunday at the Camden Market

This past weekend finally brought blue skies and well above freezing temperatures to London, so I spent Sunday roaming around Camden Market with my friend Julie whom I met a few years ago in New York. She’s originally from France but currently living in Geneva, and luckily for me visiting London with her equally awesome friend for a few days.

Pub shot
My selfies are out of focus about 70% of the time

 

Camden Market has been on my list of places to see since I’ve arrived, though I wasn’t exactly sure why since I’m not usually one to gravitate towards overcrowded shopping areas. But alas I went, and I was pleasantly surprised that it was far more entertaining than I’d expected.

The thing about Camden Market is that it’s so incredibly massive—it’s made up of six main sections, and then some—everyone’s bound to have a different experience. So let me give you a small sampling of what I encountered while strolling through for a few hours.

Music shop

 

When we first started walking through the scattering of souvenir shops, shoe stores, and KFC’s, I wasn’t impressed. The overcrowded streets reminded me of East Harlem during a summer street fair, minus the sweaty heat. Then we went into the green Camden Market tent which was completely packed with countless, nearly identical clothing shops. Each booth owner tried to get our money—the women by pushing the latest fashions and “just for you” discount prices in our faces, and the guys by flirtatiously combatting our “we’re just looking” lines with “…looking for a boyfriend?”

Screen shot 2013-03-03 at 9.35.52 PM

Gothic clothes and KFC
Gothic clothes and fried chicken

 

I was hooked as soon as we made our way towards the food in Camden Lock. The surprisingly harmonious scents of Indian, Thai, Chinese, and Mexican spices lured me in, and had I not been concerned about certain digestive repercussions I would’ve sampled something from each stand. But alas I found myself drooling over the sizzling fajitas that the two semi-Mexican looking men were serving up. I ordered carne asada tacos, which were… well, interesting. The corn tacos were stuffed with a mixture of what looked like canned chili, peas, corn, tomatoes, cheese, avocado salsa, and sour cream, on top of a bed of iceberg lettuce and deglo orange rice. Pretending for a moment that it wasn’t Mexican food, I suppose it wasn’t all that bad. In fact I’ll even bet that it would’ve been incredible after about ten beers. But I’ll never go back.

"Mexican food" at Camden Market
“Mexican food” at Camden Market

 

In my search for bottled water I was drawn to some no-name stand where I heard Tool’s Ænima album blasting. The dread-locked, tattooed, gauged ear guy running the stand (hello 18-year old Kim’s dream guy) was putting so much passion into making his coffee to the beat of Eulogy that I felt compelled to order a caffe mocha. And thankfully so. It was warm, thick, foamy, and overall a delicious companion for the chilly afternoon, even though it was gone in about six sips.

Caffe Mocha Art

 

We finally made our way into the Stables Market and down to the pinnacle of my Sunday market adventure, Cyberdog. This place was like a rave, complete with pumping music, dancing girls in short shorts, wildly outrageous but equally incredible futuristic outfits, and I wouldn’t be surprised if there were even some drugs scattered about. They carried all sorts of wacky unique gag gifts and party clothes, from guitar baking spatulas, to galactic dresses you’ve probably only seen on the Jetsons, to OhMiBod iPod-powered vibrators that sync up with your music to get you off to a beat. (Or to help you beat off? Get it??!) Yep.

Best store ever, forreal
Awesome. F’ing. Store.

Best store ever

Saturn
Awesome Saturn light!
Galactic Dresses
If they weren’t so expensive, I’d seriously consider rocking these galactic dresses.

 

After Cyberdog the rest of the shops just didn’t seem to compare, so what else could we do except stop for a cupcake? It was almost closing time and most of the flavors had been picked over at Mimi’s Cupcakes, but I managed to grab a winter fruit mini cupcake for just £1. The cake was much thicker than what I’m used to in the states, probably about the same consistency of cornbread, but it made this bite-sized treat perfectly fulfilling. The tart, fruity icing was like a thick buttercream, but it played a refreshing trick on my mind to make me think I was eating something lighter and more healthy.

Winter fruit cupcake at Mimi's Cupcakes
Winter fruit cupcake at Mimi’s Cupcakes

 

I think my favorite thing about Camden Market was the grunginess of it all. I feel more at home when I’m around people in hoodies with tattoos and piercings as opposed to those in collared shirts, sweaters, and perfectly pressed slacks like the other areas I’ve been to. And it wasn’t too in-your-face with people forcing us to buy stuff (except for the food market, but they were forcing us to taste their free samples so who can really complain?). Plus there truly seemed to be at least one shop for everyone there—even those of us who hate shopping. Definitely a good market worth getting lost in for a few hours, but you have to take the time to go deep inside to find where the shops really start to get good.

 

Categories
Europe Food + Drinks

Top Notch BBQ in Bristol: Meat & Bread

This is what heaven tastes like

Fresh off the heels of a 48 hour gluttonfest in Bristol, I’m absolutely knackered (yes I’m incorporating British words into my vocabulary now). I don’t know if I did more eating or drinking, but I do recall a “UK vs US” contest in which we each drank for our country until the last man blacked out. Problem is when everyone is blacking out it’s hard to declare a “winner” for several reasons. I was told that I smuggled my last glass of whiskey from the bar, took a few sips while walking down the street, gave it a look of disgust and exclaimed “I’m done with this” as I threw it to shatter on the pavement. Real classy.

Backpedaling to Friday, after just a two hour bus ride from London we got into Bristol and immediately went out to a Mediterranean spot called Biblos which some of the guys swore was an absolute must-have. I ordered a falafel wrap with halloumi cheese, some spattering of sauces, and all of the toppings.

Not the easiest thing to eat.

This place had a super hipster vibe with benches and tables inviting you to cozy up next to those around you. So the three of us squeezed onto a bench opposite of a particularly filthy hipster that could have easily been mistaken for a homeless man. He was eating with a group of people who looked like they’d dressed themselves in the dark, complete with marker-drawn mustaches on the ladies. As I fumbled to keep my elbows in at my sides and out of my friends’ faces, I awkwardly shoved my face with each bite of dripping falafel like a dainty T-Rex. While it looked insanely appetizing, it was lacking a bit of flavor—which I’m noticing to hold true throughout most of England. I’m sure it has something to do with the amount of salt I’m used to in my fat American diet, but still. Not a terrible bite to eat, but I certainly wouldn’t go out of my way again.

The next day while watching rugby at The Three Tuns my friends kept talking about some epic BBQ food. I took their hype with a grain of salt considering their less than superior recommendation from the night before, so I nearly passed it up to go hunt down a burrito. Thankfully my laziness persuaded me to order a pulled pork and coleslaw sandwich.

Food Menu

Oh. My. God.

To say this was one of the best things I’ve ever put in my mouth would be an understatement. The sauce, the tender shreds of pork, the sauce, the perfectly toasted bun, the sauce, the fresh cole slaw, and the SAUCE. Generally I’m not even a fan of BBQ sauce but I’m assuming that’s because I’ve never had it done properly. This was homemade with a breakfast stout, and yes I would gladly pour this on my cereal every morning. I don’t know if it’s because I’ve been craving flavor ever since I left the states or because it really was meat perfection, this was by far the first delicious bite of food that I’ve had in the UK. Paired with a dark stout, it was just fan-fucking-tastic.

Meat & Bread

The brilliant meat master who has everyone drooling over his meat is Ben Warran, owner of Meat & Bread. I’m told they smoke and cure their meats and make their own sauces and pickles to serve the lucky Bristolians who come across the food cart at lunchtime (or obsessively stalk their Twitter feed to find out where they’ll be next). But as of this Thursday, February 28th, they’ll be taking up a more permanent residence at The Three Tuns on St George’s Road, serving lunch and dinner Tues-Sat each week. Guess who’s planning another trip to Bristol in a few of weeks?

I’m telling you, if you like meat you need to get some Meat & Bread. And if you don’t like meat, well then we have much bigger problems to deal with and you should probably start solving those with a fat, juicy, meaty sandwich from Meat & Bread.

Categories
Mexico

My Five Birthday Wishes in Cabo

I love my birthday. Despite 18 years of K-BFA education and 12 years of working, I’ve never actually gone to school or work on August 10th. And I’ve spent 10 out of my last 12 birthdays traveling. This year, I chose a more relaxing beach getaway with some friends, but I still had five wishes for my big day. The first was that I didn’t have to get behind the wheel, and the second was that I eat lots of guacamole. Sherri made sure that happened by making an early morning run to Costco.

My first time eating mass quantities from Costco and it’s in Mexico. WTF.

Yes we were in Mexico, and yes, she bought—gasp—PACKAGED guacamole. Two of them. But she also bought about 496 miniature chocolate brownies, a liter of Nutella, flan the size of a large deep dish pizza, and two bags of pretzels and chips that were taller than Belinda when stacked on top of one another. So all was forgiven. Plus, I can’t say that I wasn’t eager to shove layers of chocolate, flan, and Nutella in my mouth for breakfast once the guacamole was gone. Oh yeah, it happened. Over and over again.

Costco-sized flan with a chocolate cake underneath.

I had a slight hangover from the night before at Baha Junkie where I forgot that I was turning 27 not 21. It was ladies night and alcohol was free. Yes, FREE. The most dangerous word in my vocabulary. The vodka started flowing like it was spring break and I was convinced I was just drinking watered down juice. That is until I was dancing on the bar, spinning the wheel of embarrassment in an attempt to get free shots. Of course I landed on “booty stamp” which sobered me up instantly. I was only hours away from my 27th birthday and I was acting like a college girl. I realized nobody was paying attention to me, I wasn’t the life of the party, I was just a mild embarrassment. So I kept whatever dignity I had left and hopped down off the bar, after getting my booty stamp of course.

Well it SEEMED like a good idea at the time.

Of course I forgot that entire portion of the evening until laying on the beach the next day and seeing this gem on my backside.

The bartender could tell I was a little weirded out so he stayed away from my booty.

My third wish was to spend the day relaxing on an uncrowded beach, so after breakfast we drove about 35 minutes to get some sun and get rid of our headaches at Palmilla Beach. I’d forgotten to rinse my camera from the saltwater the day before and my camera started acting up so I was only able to get a few pictures. Happy birthday to me, right?

I tried to tackle this pelican. Failed miserably.

Palmilla Beach was a much smaller, less crowded beach than Medano Beach. The swimming area was protected from the harsh waves by a string of rocks crawling with black crabs. There was a concrete walkway leading to a handful of thatched umbrellas (free of charge might I add) set up along the beach. It looked like there was only one other group of tourists, and just a few locals picnicking, fishing, and gulping down fresh mango juice from the woman who pushed her tin cart through 100 degree heat. The sun was stealing what little water was left in my dehydrated, hungover body, and the saltwater was sure to zap up the rest. Our liters of ice water warmed up quickly, and we only made it a few hours before heading back to the pool at the apartment.

The waves that threatened the cove.
Starting to look tan! Or burnt…

My fourth birthday wish was an authentic Mexican dinner, so the girls and I decided upon Villa Serena just a street away from the house. Sadly I’m more of a beef and beans kind of girl, and this place was primarily seafood. But we all ordered and shared, and overall I’d say it was an average Mexican meal. Not really anything to write about, but that could just be because I was really craving some beef.

Their guacamole basically tasted like mashed avocado
Chile Relleno, beans and rice. Pretty good, but missing the beef.

Lastly, my fifth wish (I really sound like a greedy bitch, don’t I?) was that we start off a night of drinking at Cabo Wabo. Ever since I’d heard that the man (Sammy Hagar/Van Halen) my dad used to play on repeat after every Ozzy Osbourne album during my entire youth had his own bar in Cabo, I added it to my “semi-embarrassing places I must see” list.

Inside Cabo Wabo. Kind of felt like Florida or something.

I was stuffed from dinner and still exhausted from the night before. I just wanted to go home and get into stretchy pants and call it a night. But it was only 8pm. Determined not to feel old, I marched straight up to the bar and ordered a Long Island Iced Tea to get the night started.

Playing catchup with my Long Island Iced Tea

Usually Long Islands get me very drunk very fast, but this one, nothing. That’s what happens when I drink after eating, it’s impossible to get drunk for like, four hours. And what kind of world would this be if I celebrated my birthday sober? So I went back up to the bar and told the bartender I need his strongest drink and I need it fast. He mixed up some fruity concoction that was a tad bit on the sweet side for my liking, but I shut up and drank it. Still sober. Then it was time to ignore my hatred of tequila, because trying a shot of Cabo Wabo at Cabo Wabo was also on my list.

Yep, still don’t like tequila. But don’t let my face fool you, Cabo Wabo is actually pretty smooth.

Cabo Wabo was definitely a hangout for the slightly older crowd. We were among some of the youngest people there, and sadly we were seated watching our elders with rocking perms dance all around us. The memorabilia covering the walls was pretty awesome though, and after a few more drinks we finally got the nerve to bust out some dance moves of our own. I was just praying for Slash to walk out on stage and show these guys up.

Our average-joe cover band for the evening.

I ended up maintaining a responsible, age appropriate buzz before heading home around 1am. The top was off the Wrangler and once we got away from the city lights I was mesmerized by the blanket of stars in the sky. I stood up on the seat, flailing out the top of the Wrangler while yelling some gibberish at the universe about my birthday (don’t worry, we were on the 5mph side streets and Sherri was the 100% sober driver). When we got to the house I made myself one last birthday cocktail and laid on the edge of the second-story balcony, staring at the stars. Belinda and Sherri went to sleep and I vowed to stay on that balcony until I saw a shooting star. I was a couple of days early for the Perseid Meteor Shower, but just as I was about to pass out give up, a bright golden star shot across the sky. And just like that, another very happy birthday went down in the books.

 

Categories
Asia Food + Drinks

My Bout of Extremely Explosive Thai Tummy

My stomach is a mysterious pit of reactionary behavior. It has no problem handling lethal amounts of Taco Bell. But it also has its sensitive side, leaving me ill for days after eating a bowl of [un]Lucky Charms that were recalled because of the green food dye. True story.

Before going to Thailand the only Thai food I’d ever had was a few bites of some rice and veggie dish years ago in Florida. So I played it safe when I got there, slowly indulging to avoid the sudden onset of Thai Tummy. I started with mostly Western breakfasts and lunches with foods I was already used to.

This plate just screams “I’m a 12 year old picky American who’s totally missing out on awesome food”
Sushi should be safe, right?

Then I finally graduated to proper, but light, Thai lunches including my personal favorite Tom Yum Soup (though I still avoided most of the shellfish).

Appetizers: Tom Yum Soup, some Thai fried egg omelette, and spring rolls

Then I had my first intimate encounter with a real Thai dish. Two days before leaving Phuket it was (still) down pouring and my snorkeling trip to the Phi Phi Islands had to be rescheduled for the next day. So I decided to treat myself to a fancy, slightly expensive dinner and try something I’d been drooling over since I arrived: Thai green curry with coconut milk and beef.

I’ve never had curry before, and despite my love of Mexican food I’m not really a fan of things that are too spicy. This dish was basically too spicy for my mouth to handle. But I was determined not to look like a wimpy tourist so I ate most of the meal like a champ. Then I cooled my burning tongue with two scoops of coconut and chocolate ice cream before taking a leisurely stroll back to the hotel to relax in the jacuzzi.

It all looked so good going in
It all looked so good going in
Even mixed with rice, still spicy as hell
I should’ve just stuck to this deliciously cold ice cream for dinner

I called it an early night in preparation for the last full day of my trip—boating, snorkeling, shopping, and going to a Muay Thai fight. It was the perfect rainy evening really. That was, until I shot awake at 3am feeling like I had been stabbed in the stomach by a ninja of the night.

The pain pierced my stomach to the beat of the pouring rain on the glass sliding doors. Then it hit me—I need to be on the toilet and I need to be on it now. Actually, I should’ve been in the bathroom like 10 seconds ago. And WHY ON EARTH were my shorts still on? I ran faster than I’ve ever ran in my life and luckily made it just in time. I hoped that was it. One bout of violent illness was enough to get whatever that was out of my system, right? So I made my way back towards the bed but siiiiike—the urge struck again before my second butt cheek even touched the mattress.

The second time I made it back to bed was a bit more successful and I tried my best to fall asleep in a pool of sweat. But sleep was impossible. Literally, every five minutes I’d get the immediate urge to projectile-empty the entire contents of my stomach out of whichever end provided a closer escape route. I was crying, confused, and absolutely disgusting. Suddenly the idea of taking a strong sleeping pill and sleeping naked in the tub seemed like the most reasonable solution.

Now, I’m a lady, I’m not supposed to talk about disgusting things like bowel movements—especially ones as abnormal as this—but holy shit. Literally. I finally understand the whole “I’m not sure what end it was going to come out of” saying, because several times I found myself looking to see if I could successfully move my rather thick American thighs far enough apart to vomit between them while on the toilet. WHY WAS THERE NOT A TRASH CAN IN THIS BATHROOM?

This went on for hours before I was finally able to get back to sleep. I woke up ill, had to cancel my snorkeling trip, and suddenly I was furious with Thailand. The front desk lady offered to bring me juice, but instead I asked if she could bring any sort of bread-like substance similar to toast. Does that even exist in Thailand? She sent a runner out and he came to my room with a croissant from Starbucks. But it smelled like Thailand. It didn’t taste like it, but it had that spicy curry smell that lingers in the thick humid air and as sick as I was, I just couldn’t really get past it. I just laid there sipping Sprite and water, hoping I could pull my shit together long enough to run out for some Imodium. I had come equipped with Pepto Bismol chewables but every time I put one of those in my mouth it induced pink vomit straight out of my nose. All I could think was “I have to get some water in me before I end up dehydrated and in the hospital” followed by “Oh fuck, I have to get on an airplane for a 30 hour flight tomorrow, how long does this shit last?”

Ordinarily I’d like to think I’m a pretty strong person, but let me tell you this: I am a needy, whiny, pathetic piece of vulnerable shit when I’m sick. I just want to lay in bed and throw myself a pity party, and I only want my mom to be within a 10 foot radius of me. And I will moan and whine in a “poor me” voice day and night. But my mom was 10,000 miles away, and 11 hours behind me in time. So I Skyped her. And finally after a half day curled up in the fetal position crying on video chat to Dr Mom, I was able to run downstairs to the pharmacy for some Imodium. It was a risky move I did with clenched butt cheeks, but you gotta do what you gotta do when you’re traveling alone.

I’d spent my entire full last day in bed, laughing (on the inside) at the mockery I was making of this gorgeous hotel room. It was a picture-perfect honeymoon suite: multi-room, glass enclosed shower and jacuzzi, huge bed, and a cozy balcony looking out at the Andaman Sea. And here I was, a lone girl soaked in sweat with various liquids and noises coming from multiple orifices. No wonder I’m single…

The pristine bathroom at its height of glory
At least I had a nice view to sob to
The immaculately clean tub I considered passing out in
Oh, did I mention that the sun came out for the first time while I was stuck in bed all day?
Seriously, could I have picked a nicer bathroom to get violently ill in?

I may have missed a day and a half of sunny island hopping and a Muay Thai fight, but the silver lining: I lost 7 pounds! And no, I still can’t even smell curry without wanting to vomit.Luckily the upset stomach had subsided (thanks to tons of medicine) before my flight, and I was able to get through all 30+ hours with only mild cramping and paranoia of grossing out an entire plane full of passengers.

Categories
Caribbean Food + Drinks

Getting High for Birthday Dinner in the BVI

I am by no means a food connoisseur. Hell, one of my favorite foods is the Cheesy Gordita Crunch from Taco Bell. But I do have nearly 27 years of experience in eating. That’s gotta give me some credibility, right?

Living in New York for nearly six years has given me a slight tendency to judge and compare food and dining experiences based on the best meals I’ve had in the city. But from my accumulation of previous feeding time adventures in the Caribbean, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect when asking around for a nice restaurant to go to for birthday dinner. I’ve seen everything from folding chairs and paper plates, to fish covered with melted cheese. Several tourists and locals recommended the Bananakeet Cafe on top of Windy Hill, so we figured what the hell, why not? The name didn’t sound like much more than a simple grab-and-go spot for fruit and coffee, but we were told the view alone was worth it. With the tagline “The Higher You Get… The Better The View,” you can’t help but wonder what’s so great about this view. I can assure you, it did not disappoint my eyes or my tongue for my first dinner as a 26 year old.

Bananakeet Cafe, “The Higher You Get, The Better The View”

Described as “Caribbean fusion with a view,” the open-patio restaurant is situated alongside The Heritage Inn, with a tempting little pool between the two. The covered area near the bar opens up to a full seating area on the deck looking over the entire bay. And the infamous sunset. It could only be described as every cliche you would ever use to describe a perfect sunset, painting the sky with colors and dramatic clouds. The photos just couldn’t do it justice, but I kept snapping anyway. If you go to Banakeet Cafe, definitely plan on being there a bit before the sun goes down!

Sunset from Bananakeet Cafe
The view changes every minute, it’s hard not to snap a million pics in one sitting

Plus another great part about being there during sunset, you get a free sunset shot. But let’s just pretend they were free birthday shots because everyone in the world was obviously pumped about my birthday.

The evolution of Corona ads
Happy birthday dinner to me!

I was surprised to see a menu full of things that I couldn’t wait to put in my mouth. So I went with pumpkin soup, coconut fried shrimp, and sushi. Delicious, quality food, and an equally stellar presentation. Stephanie had the vegetarian pasta which she also said was incredible.

Pumpkin soup
Coconut fried shrimp
Sushi with what tasted like a peanut-based sesame soy sauce
Vegetarian Pasta

The food was delicious and fresh, and the service was great. Our waiter was friendly and kept offering to take pictures of us, and totally understood when I jumped up in the middle of ordering and told him to hold on while I snapped “the perfect sunset photo.” He even gave me a free birthday dessert! It certainly wasn’t a budget meal, but entirely worth every dollar.

And besides, it was my birthday so it was Stephanie’s treat! Thanks Stephanie!

Categories
Food + Drinks New York

The Stanton Social: Tapas, NYC Style

If you’re looking for a unique dining experience in New York City, you’ll want to head down to the Lower East Side. The Stanton Social is a tapas-style restaurant serving up food that is intended to be shared amongst a group—hence the word “social.”  With a full raw bar and 40 additional items to choose from, you’ll probably have a hard time narrowing your selections down to just a few. I’m not usually one to share food, but ordering 13 different dishes certainly made me feel more generous.

The Stanton Social is a fantastic (though slightly expensive) way to try new foods of several different ethnicities. It’s hidden on the South side of Stanton (we walked past it twice), but the reward is well worth the search. The decor is very sleek for the Lower East Side—a bit of 1940s swank with intimate leather booths tucked along the walls, and a row of tables down the middle on the first floor. The far wall glows with a gigantic display boasting over 2,000 bottles of wine.

After being seated we started off with a complimentary Pumpkin Puree and Ricotta Crostini, which was a surprisingly tasty blend of two of my favorite flavors—pumpkin and cheese—served on a crispy round of bread. Being the frugal gal that I am, the idea of a “free” dish was so exciting I scarfed it down without taking a photo. For the other foods you’ll have to excuse the blurry photos. I was going to a concert after dinner so the only camera I had on me was my iPhone. Plus, it’s one thing to photograph your own food before eating, but telling three others to “hold on” while trying to get the perfect shot doesn’t always go over so well.

Shortly after placing our orders the plates began to come one by one. The continuous flow kept the meal moving, giving us little time to wonder what was coming next. We always had 1-3 dishes in front of us, but they were replaced just as quickly as we finished to keep the flow going.

Maryland Jumbo Lump Crabcake “Corn Dogs” $13

I’m not a huge fan of seafood, but these were probably the best of the seafood dishes that we ordered. The crab cake was 10x better than those I’ve had at the Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco.

French Onion Soup Dumplings $12

If you’re a fan of the Food Network you’ve probably seen these on “The Best Thing I Ever Ate.” These bite-sized dumplings are served in an escargot dish, melted with a layer of Gruyère cheese, and skewered with croutons. These weren’t as brothy as I thought they would be, but the flavors were all there. Plus I’m a sucker for anything with Gruyère on it.

Potato & Goat Cheese Pierogies w/ caramelized onions & truffle crème fraîche $9

This soft blend of creamy flavor worked perfectly together with just a dab of the dipping sauce (and I’m usually a scooper, not a dipper).

 

Barbecue Duck Confit & Black Bean Empanadas w/ smoked tomato & blood orange jam $10

I was a little nervous about the blood orange jam as a sauce, but the flavors mixed incredibly well, and really moistened the black bean filling to a more enjoyable taste and texture.

Sweet & Sour Chicken & Cashew Spring Rolls $9

I didn’t care for the spring rolls, probably because I don’t have the taste buds for anything sweet & sour. Everyone else enjoyed them, so they must’ve been good.

Warm Piquillo Pepper ‘Bruschetta’ stuffed with roasted garlic-goat cheese $7

These. Were. Amazing. The red pepper was somehow prepared into a strangely smooth, soft, and flexible texture that felt weird to touch but tasted great. The flavors in the garlic goat cheese stuffing paired perfectly with the pepper and the crispy bread.

Sliders: ‘Kobe Philly’ w/ truffle & goat cheese fondue $9; Kobe Beef Burger $7; Rhode Island Style Lobster Roll $9

I ordered the Kobe Philly and enjoyed a different take on the Philadelphia Cheesesteak. I’ve only had one Philly Cheesesteak in my life so I don’t have much to compare it to, but the quality of this miniature sandwich FAR surpassed the one I had in a Midtown deli. That truffle and melted goat cheese concoction should be used on every dish that I order from now on. Everywhere.

Social Mac & Cheese with chorizo & oven dried tomato $12

I licked the dish clean with this macaroni and cheese. It was a perfect mixture of gooey cheese and crunchy, toasted bread crumbs. The little bits of tomatoes added a new, juicy taste to this gourmet macaroni and cheese.

Creekstone Farms Natural Hanger Steak w/ tomato chorizo sauce, truffle salt, & crispy tater tots $21

Ohhh the hanger steak. Had I not been so full, I would’ve wanted this to be an 8 ouncer. Both the red and the green sauces rocked my world.

Butter poached Lobster Pizzetta w/ caramelized shallots, smoked bacon & truffle mascarpone $18

Again, not a huge fan of seafood, so the lobster pizzetta was probably my least favorite. I tried one piece but the medley of flavors was almost too much for me.

Red Velvet Twinkie w/ cream cheese & crème fraîche filling, $4 each

The red velvet twinkies were satisfying and moist, but nowhere comparable to some of the best red velvet cakes in New York City.

Apple Pie Sundae w/ caramel-cinnamon ice cream, pie crust nuggets, caramel apples & whipped cream $10

Do NOT buy this dessert unless you definitely intend on sharing. It’s huge! I thought it would have been better with vanilla ice cream (but then again I don’t like caramel), but otherwise it was an interesting change to apple pie à la mode.

Chai Crème Brulée with spiced ‘misfortune’ cookies $9

This was phenomenal. The “misfortunes” inside of the cookies were slightly depressing, but one bite of the perfectly cooked custard certainly made my night.

If you’re planning to visit The Stanton Social, I definitely recommend making a reservation. Arrive hungry and preferably with someone else’s credit card. Depending on how many people in your party, most of these things are literally priced per bite. My guess is you’ll be so overwhelmed with choices you’ll start spending ferociously like we did. For four people they say 7-8 dishes are usually enough. But 13 selections and $215 worth of food later, we all left happy.

The Stanton Social
99 Stanton Street between Orchard & Ludlow
Lower East Side, NY 10002
Brunch 1130a-3p
Dinner Sun-Weds 5p-2a; Thurs-Sun 5p-3a

Categories
All You Can Jet Food + Drinks

Day 19: Last Day in The Bay

I spent the majority of Saturday packing for Jamaica, and resting up. I did manage to make it out of the house for a quick bite to eat with Terazia, an extended family member I haven’t seen since she was like 7 years old. Now she’s 18 and going to college in San Francisco. Crazy how fast kids grow up!

We went to a cheap Taqueria, that I’ve actually eaten at before. It’s not the best Mexican food, but it’s cheap and quick. I ordered the nachos this time instead of a 90 pound burrito. They were great at first, until they got all soggy and it looked like baby diarrhea.

I packed and made the trek to the BART around 7p for my 1030p flight. It’s a damn good thing I looked at the flight information again at 6p, because I thought my flight was at 1130p. Next stop, Montego Bay, Jamaica!

Categories
All You Can Jet

Day 18: Strolling and Eating Through North Beach

Friday was quite possibly the perfect day pretending to be a San Francisco local. Not to mention the weather was warm- a rarity in the bay area. After enjoying my usual oatmeal and tea, I went for a walk around the North Beach neighborhood. I spotted an awesome name for a cafe. If you don’t get it then sorry, but maybe you should expand your musical horizons.

Another sign for the cool people out there. I hope this street is named after Chris Osgood!

I ended up down on The Embarcadero, which is probably my favorite word ever. It was about 800 degrees outside, so I stopped in The Plant Cafe for an extremely overpriced, disgusting lemonade. The drink was so tart and sour, it was hardly refreshing. I think it was close to $4 or $5 for about 10oz of what tasted like pure lemon juice. But I’m not one to waste food or drinks, so I sat on the pier sipping on it, people and boat watching near the Bay Bridge.

The heat was really kicking my ass since I was already nearly dehydrated, and the lemonade was soaking up what little water was in my body, so I made my way back to the apartment for some free, and satisfying water.

I found myself at the base of the Transamerica Pyramid, so I snapped this photo looking up.

Then a quick stroll through Chinatown for some souvenir shopping,

and I found myself standing outside of Goodby Silverstein & Partners again. If I were ever randomly offered a job there, I think this is the only agency in the world that I would pack up my things without hesitation and leave New York for. Maybe some day.

I got back to the apartment and soloed on a bottle of pre-dinner red wine from Trader Joe’s. I’ve got an obsession of trying cheap, local wines whenever I travel. This one was decent. Nothing great but definitely satisfactory for the $5 I paid. It was perfect though; watching the sun set on San Francisco as the fog rolled into the bay, enjoying a relaxing beverage while waiting for my friends to arrive for dinner.

Back in the spring, two friends of mine, Jim and Karen, left New York to move to San Mateo. As soon as I knew I was visiting San Francisco, they were two of the first people I asked to meet up. They drove into the city, and we went out to an Italian restaurant called Colosseo. It was absolutely incredible. Service was a bit slow, but the food more than made up for it. At first we were all disappointed by the size of the portions, but then we reminded ourselves that we’re just fat Americans who need to learn portion control. We all left stuffed, after licking our plates completely clean. I ordered the ravioli al formaggio, which was a cheese ravioli in a cheese sauce. The flavor of the different cheeses in the sauce melted together perfectly, and was even better when I dipped bread into it.

Then we went for some tea to help us digest the amazing meal we had just consumed. I ordered a raspberry herbal tea, which had a horrible aftertaste similar to vomit. We managed to snap this semi decent photo of the three of us at the coffee shop, thanks to Jim’s long arms. Well, at least longer than mine.

The digestive tea didn’t really help, so we took a little hike up a hill to look 0ut at the city before calling it a night. Overall, it was the perfect day in San Francisco, and a great evening with friends. I can’t wait to visit again!