You know those days when you just want to bury yourself under your covers because you feel like nothing is going your way and there is no way out?

Or days when you get so caught up in your thoughts and spiral into negativity?

Well, for those days I recommend 1000 Awesome Things by Neil Pasricha.

Neil went through some hardships and lost himself during this process and decided to start writing a blog about 1000 Awesome Things which then got published into a book named The Book of Awesome.



Be it wearing a fresh, clean shirt out of the dryer, walking bare feet on grass, or driving home with a fresh box of pizza on your lap - Neil includes it all. His book is a perfect pick-me-up for those gloomy days and reminds us that there is joy in the smallest of moments. We get so caught up in day-to-day life and sometimes forget to cherish what is really important.

To hear more about Neil's story and book check out his video on TED Talks here.

Grab a cup of tea or coffee and dig into his blog here. I guarantee you'll be smiling at yourself from time to time. It will remind you about the excitement, thrill, and delight we have in life which we sometimes take for granted.

Stay awesome and let me know your thoughts below! ;)

Mung Bean Salad

Although I love my green salad with olives, tomatoes and balsamic vinegar, leafy salads can sometimes get a tad bit boring. C'mon I know you'll agree.

I love whipping up this quick dish for days when I want a salad that's a little more exciting than the usual garden salad. It's crunchy, a little tangy and oh so fresh!

I have included my favorite, classic toppings in this recipe but feel free to add your own and improvise.



You will need:



1/2 cup of mung beans

1 onion chopped finely

1 medium tomatoes chopped finely

1 cucumber, peeled and chopped finely

Coriander

Lime

Red Chili Powder

Salt

*Note: Dry mung beans will double in quantity when sprouted

Method:

1) Place mung beans in a bowl of cold water and soak it at room temperature overnight

Many say soaking mung beans isn't necessary, but I prefer soaking it overnight as it helps to remove some indigestible sugars and makes cooking it a heck of a lot quicker.

2) Using a strainer, get rid of all the water

3) Boil soaked mung beans for 30 minutes or until soft

4) Drain and let it cool

5) Chop onion, tomatoes, and cucumber finely

6) In a large bowl, mix mung beans with the chopped vegetables

7) Season with salt, red chili powder and lime juice

9) Garnish with coriander

For an extra kick, add in some chopped green chilis.



Bon Appétit :)

Hong Kong II

DAY 3

I saved the best for last and asked R to take me for some traditional dim sum and a spot of shopping on my last day. We were on our way to Forever 21 in Jardine's Bazaar and look who we passed by. What a heartbreaker!





After some shopping, we went to Tim Ho Wan, the cheapest Michelin star restaurant in the world. Tim Ho Wan is a popular dim sum franchise with branches in Hong Kong and Singapore.

We went in at about 2pm and it was still bustling with diners. Tim Ho Wan doesn't take reservations, so be ready to collect a number ticket and wait.

Their menu was quite limited, but the food around me looked more than appetising so I was up for trying any of it. I had one request though - and that was to try their signature dish, the Baked Bun with BBQ Pork (HK$17). A twist to the usual char siu bao, this bun was baked with a crispy and sugar glazed top. The filling was traditional - tender pork covered in BBQ sauce with a hint of sweetness. It was definitely as good as I expected it to be!



Here are some of the other dishes we ordered:

Pan Fried Turnip Cakes (HK$14)



Steamed Mixed Vegetable Dumpling (HK$15)



Vermicelli Roll Stuffed with BBQ Pork (HK$18)



Steamed Rice with Chicken and Chinese Sausage (HK$18)



Tim Ho Wan is a great, authentic option for dim sum in Hong Kong. We paid just HK$82 for a Michelin star feast for two and left with happy bellies. If you're on the hunt for a budget dim sum meal, make sure to check out Tim Ho Wan.

Address: G/F, 2-8 Wharf Road, Seaview Building, North Point
北角和富道2-8號嘉洋大廈

Tel 2979 5608

Opening hours: 10am-9.30pm daily

Nearest MTR station: Island Line, Fortress Hill, Exit B

Hong Kong I

I am so excited about writing up this blog post. I know I have been away for a while and my only excuse is that I didn't have a laptop...and that I was in Hong Kong eating (and working) away. I was there for three days on a business trip and to see my friend from University, but of course I managed to squeeze in some foodie adventures.

I absolutely love the diverse dining scene Hong Kong has to offer. From traditional Dim Sum restaurants to British pubs, Hong Kong is a melting pot of cuisines.

Unfortunately, I didn't get to explore as much as I wanted to, but here is the first half of my trip. Read the second half here.

DAY 1

My first day was a long stretch. I woke up at 4am and my eyes slowly started to shut at about noon so I desperately needed some coffee. I came across Pacific Coffee Company and got a tall Mochaccino (HK$33). It was probably the best cup of Mochaccino I had all year. I get jittery with too much coffee, so this had just the right amount of coffee and chocolate for me.    

 

                    

Pacific is a franchise so there were several around Hong Kong. They'v also expanded out to Macau, China, Singapore, Malaysia and Cyprus.

Pacific - maybe come out to Taiwan next?

Pacific's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pacificcoffee?fref=ts

For dinner that day, I got some Ho Fun from a street stall and wasn't too satisfied with it sadly.



I passed an ice-cream stall on my way there called Lab Made.



After a disappointing box of noodles, I thought a bowl of liquid nitrogen ice-cream would do the trick so of course I walked out and got myself one!



Branded as Asia's first liquid nitrogen laboratory, it's no surprise there was a queue at 10.30pm on a weekday. Lab Made had four options to choose from and they frequently switch up the flavors. My choices were Tai Chi Tofu Pudding, Crunchy Sea Salt Gelato with Caramel Sauce, HK Custard Bun, and Crème Brulee.



I went with my fave - Crème Brulee.



If you're a science whiz, you'll know how liquid nitrogen ice-cream works. Me on the other hand...well I was just reminiscing about BIll Nye again. The ice-cream was definitely creamier than usual and the sugar shell topped it off perfectly. 

Lab Made's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LabMadeHK?fref=ts

DAY 2

I was in a rush to get to the convention center on the second day and the first place that came to mind for breakfast was the Charlie Brown Cafe. Charlie Brown comics defined my childhood Sunday afternoons. I loved comics as a kid and this place just took me back some years. It's a cute cafe covered in Charlie Brown toys, posters and paintings.









Their breakfast menu was primarily Western and the food was tasty. I went for Hot Cakes with Oranges and some hot tea  (HK$32). M went for an Omlette with toast and a glass of OJ (HK$34).





The cafe had breakfast and lunch options. It was s a great little place with good food and service. I definitely recommend it for all you Charlie Brown fans out there.

Charlie Brown's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/CHARLIE-BROWN-CAFE-Official-Page/180895148592

After hours of walking around at a toy exhibition, a glass of Mojito and a girly catchup on a rooftop bar was music to my ears. I was so excited to meet up with R and catch up since I last saw her in London over the summer. I dropped my bags at hers, had dinner and quickly headed out to Sugar.



Sitting at the top of East Hotel, Sugar was a chilled out rooftop bar and offered a stunning view of the harbor. Sneaky tip: don't miss out on the view from the bathroom, you won't be disappointed. Oh and, if you are out on the terrace do ask for a fuzzy blanket if you get chilly.

[caption id="attachment_567" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo credits: Sugar-HongKong.com[/caption]

R and I both went for a Mojito (HK$50) and got a bowl of complimentary peanuts to nibble on while we chatted away.



Sugar is a great casual hangout spot. With some nibbles, decently priced cocktails and a great view, you are guaranteed to have a great time.

Sugar's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/sugar.hongkong

QuizUp

If you haven't already heard, QuizUp is the next big app that's been taking over Apple's App Store.

If you are a quiz whiz like me and love trivia games, this app is for you!

You can build your own profile and compete with users around the world on different trivia subjects such as: Geography, Science, Sports, TV, etc. With 3.5 million registered users, QuizUp is quickly gaining popularity.

Make sure to download it now (you can thank me later)!

N.B. - QuizUp is currently only available on Apple devices

Dazzling Cafe

I have been wanting to go to Dazzling Cafe since it opened back in 2010. Originally a clothing and jewelry boutique, the owner of Dazzling decided to expand and start a cafe specializing in the infamous honey toast. There are now 7 Dazzling Cafes across Taiwan (in Taipei, Hsinchu, Taichung, and Tainan).



Each branch has a different color scheme and overall feel. There's Dazzling Cafe Pink, Mint, Blueberry, Sunshine, Bubble, Sky and Deluxe.  We went to Dazzling Cafe Sunshine which was located in ShinKong Mitsukoshi in Xinyi (close to Taipei 101). With yellow tinted lights, wall frames and menus the cafe clearly resonated sunshine.

 











My friends and I had already decided that we wanted honey toast, but there were so many tempting options to choose from! Being the indecisive girls that we are, after a good 5 minutes of um-ing and ah-ing we went for the Hazelnut Chocolate Honey Toast (NT$290). It was honestly a plate of heaven. With a mix of warm honey toast, hazelnut sauce and cold vanilla ice cream, it was the perfect combination. I can't believe I hadn't tried it sooner!





Let me just warn you, as small as it looks on the photo, it is actually big enough for four people. Although, small confession - we were three and managed to demolish it (don't judge us).

Along with the the Honey Toast we got a drink each. E and K got a pot of warm Strawberry Tea with Milk (NT$160) and I went for the Hazelnut Cocoa (NT$160).





The Strawberry tea pot was big enough to share between two people, whereas the cocoa drinks were suitable for one. The hazelnut cocoa tasted just as good as it looks. The best way I could describe it would be - melting Nutella and Ferrero Rocher in a mug. The hazelnut wasn't too overpowering and you could also taste the chocolate. My only complaint would be that they could have made the consistency a bit creamier and thicker.

If you're more of a savory person, then Dazzling has plenty of main dishes. If you haven't already checked out Dazzling Cafe, make sure to find your closest branch.

I definitely see what all the hype was about now!



Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/dazzling.cafe?fref=ts

Address: 2F, No. 11, Sōngshòu Road, Xìnyì District, Taipei

Phone: 2723-0767

Opening times: Sun - Thurs 11am - 11pm
Fri - Sat 12pm - 11pm

Nearest MRT station: Taipei City Hall

Street Food Finds

Taipei, like many other East Asian cities is known for its night market scene and street food. You will find many alley ways and nooks and crannies filled with food stalls and tea spots (perfect for a foodie like me!) This week I came across two spots which I wanted to share, both of which I highly recommend.

GIMBAP

I was in Ximen Ding doing some secret santa shopping last week when my friends and I found a Korean specialist food stall. They mainly served Gimbap (or kimbap). Gimbap is a popular Korean dish made with steamed white rice (bap), range of fillings (veggies or meat) and seaweed (gim).













Gimbap is traditionally served in bite size pieces but this stall served it as a roll. We went for the Vegetarian Burdock Rice roll (NT$40). It was filled with burdock (obvs), sweetcorn and lots of crunchy lettuce.

We were all headed home for dinner after shopping so decided to share one and regretted it shortly after having our first bite! It was a perfect on-the-go light, evening snack. A much healthier alternative to the usual cong you bing we go for.  I will most definitely be heading back for some more. If you're around Ximen Ding then make sure to check it out. The stall is a 5 minute walk from Ximen station (exit 6), towards Coldstone.

Address: Zhongua Rd. Sec 1 No.144-1, Taipei, Taiwan

Phone (hotline): 2314-9808

Closest MRT: Ximen Exit 6

CHOCOLATE & CUSTARD IMAGAWAYAKI

I have been an imagawayaki fan for as long as I can remember. It is a popular Japanese dessert that is quite popular  in Taiwan. In Chinese it is known as Chelun Bing, Car Tire Pastry (車輪餅) or Hongdou Bing, Red  Bean Pastry (紅豆餅).

Numerous stalls sell Chelun Bing and they come with various fillings including: red bean, custard, sesame, peanuts, chocolate etc. My all time fave has been custard but I never tried one with a combination of fillings. Now, I know I said we had dinner to eat after the Gimbap, but just look at this little piece of scrummyness. This particular stall was selling custard and chocolate flavored Chelun Bing (NT$15).









The vendor made some fresh ones for us by adding some batter, melting two chunks of Hershey's kisses milk chocolate and adding a dollop of custard.





It was cooked to perfection - a fresh, crisp layer of batter with warm melted milk chocolate and custard oozing out of the center. It was much needed after an afternoon of stressful shopping in the rain.



Also, can I just mention how trusting the vendor was? He lay his coin box out and we paid and took change on our own - what a rarity these days!



Address: FuHua Road (opp Zhishan station exit 1), Taipei Taiwan

Closest MRT: Zhishan (Exit 1)

Let me know what your street food faves are below. until next time! :)