seattle – Page 4 – Have you eaten?

Fake Smile?: Nah, Just a Happy Dance

February 11, 2015February 11, 2015by have you eaten?1 Comment

I admit that I can be an ass sometimes. I just can’t pretend to be happy for him or her when I don’t mean it (except, at business occasions, I can pretend no problem. I am getting paid for that after all).

“Oh, you look fabulous!”

“I am happy for you!”

“How exciting!”

“It’s wonderful to see you!”

“Your baby is so cute! (babies scare the crap out of me. And they look like monkeys most of the time except for Mira) Too many exclamation points, really. When I have to say these things that I don’t mean, I get tense and have to think really carefully before saying it. Most of the time, those words come out fake-ish. However, when I genuinely mean it, my words do not come out right away. My body starts doing some weird moves and I start stomping around with my ear-to-ear smile. Or when situations don’t allow for me to do this weird stuff, I usually do that in my head.

I don’t react too well when I sense that people are trying to fish for compliments. I do the opposite, I just don’t react as those people want me to. I could look quite cold. So, I got curious as to how many people I am doing my weird happy dance for gladly this morning. Except for my family, I have 10. I am happy to know that I can do my dance for these 10 people.

I can be an ass sometimes, but at least I am a happy-ass when doing my dance for them.

food, restaurant

Buddies: Anthony Bourdain and I

February 9, 2015by have you eaten?1 Comment

I feel like Anthony Bourdain and I know each other. At personal level. After watching his shows millions of times, when he says, “this is delicious,” I can actually tell if he means it or not. I actually understand how happy he is when he is slurping his noodle bowl at this tiny street vender in Saigon. I do because I love slurping noodles and I can taste them when I watch his show. He and I should start traveling all over the world together to eat, eat and eat, especially Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia…beautiful Southeast Asia.

Ba Bar. http://babarseattle.com/ This is a Vietnamese restaurant with a French influenced bakery shop. This place is not your regular joint so you can’t have 6-dollar pho here. But they use happy cows and do not use any MSG. Store design and interior are very well thought out. It almost looks like the club or bar where hipsters go to inside. Wait staffs are actually pretty hip as well. Don’t get fooled by it however. They serve fragrant, satisfying and deeply comforting pho so you don’t want to leave any drop in your bowl after eating it. They are legit. Again, this bowl costs you 4 more dollars than regular pho, but you will not regret paying the 4 dollars extra.

I am day dreaming about Anthony Bourdain coming to Seattle and me taking him to Ba Bar to slurp Pho Bo Tai Nam together. I am certain that I can get his genuine “oh, this is delicious!” out of him.

coffee

Meet Riley: Starbucks Flat White Expert

February 7, 2015February 7, 2015by have you eaten?3 Comments

Archie is a beer snob. He also is a coffee snob. Other than those 2 departments, he is not snob. Before we became friends, I was already a coffee snob. Starbucks coffee, really? It’s a chain just like McDonald, right? That was our attitude before I actually started working for this company. I have to admit espresso drinks are not my favorite. Well, usually.

I have been working here a little over a year and I haven’t gotten tired of coming in to the smell of coffee yet. It makes me happy every friggin’ morning. Like I wrote before, coffee fixes everything.

Flat White; creamy micro-form steamed milk poured over two ristretto shots of espresso (Casi Cielo beans). Ristretto shot is a smaller, more concentrated serving of espresso. This drink has more intense espresso flavor. Yes, if you are a Starbucks hater, I highly recommend to give it a try. I hear it a lot, that Starbucks espresso drinks are too milky and they only taste milk. I hear this all the time from Archie.

Riley is shy, lovely, cute and an experienced barista at Starbucks store on the 8^th floor. When she called my name when my flat white was ready, she was smiling ear to ear and said, “Mimi, look! I made a heart (latte art for flat white is usually a white dot) for you. Happy early Valentines’ day” I was actually able to hear excitement and pride in her voice. It was nice, such an amazing moment to share with Riley on Friday morning about 6:30am, on the 8^th floor of Starbucks office building. So, I snapped this photo right at the counter. She got so excited when I told her that I was going to write about her in my blog soon.

My coffee snobbish attitude is slowly diminishing due to this kind of moment. Also Archie had one the other day and he even said, “hmm, it is not bad at all.” That is huge. Just one short flat white might make your day and you might have a really nice surprise.

If Riley can make you one, even better.

personal view

Spring Came Early This Year: Daffodils and Kathy

February 6, 2015by have you eaten?2 Comments

Spring has come this morning.

Working in a corporate environment is challenging. You enjoy working with intelligent, knowledgeable, dedicated, passionate and friendly co-workers and you become friends with some of them. It is a challenging time for all of us at work. I am about to lose someone who is very close to me and who is nothing but helpful, always willing to assist me and always there as a good friend. I won’t be able to work with him any more in the same group. We get a cup of coffee together every morning, joke around a lot like brother and sisters. I have been quite confused, sad and emotional since I found out about the news.

Kathy came by this morning with a hint of spring. She was holding a bouquet of daffodils (so delightful and charming!) and said to me that I looked quite down for a last few days so she bought something to cheer me up. What a thoughtful person she is. If the world was full of these people, I guarantee it would be a better place.

Like Dalai Lama said, “The planet does not need more successful people. The planet desperately need s more peacemakers, healers, restorers, storytellers and lovers of all kinds” Kathy, you are truly one of them.

I decided today is the 1st day of spring this year because of the daffodils I received this morning. It has been raining 3 days straight in Seattle now but who cares. Let’s celebrate the arrival of spring together.

Happy Spring!

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life, Personal

Merry-Go-Round Life: Sending Aloha from Seattle

February 5, 2015by have you eaten?Leave a Comment

Sometimes it happens. Your gut is telling you to do something right now. That was me in April 2010. I moved back from Atlanta, GA in November, 2009 with all these boxes and mental baggage. All of a sudden, 5 months later, I felt an urge to reach out to her.

So I did. The first 2 times, she wasn’t able to answer (later I found out she was vacationing in Honolulu, HI), but she called me back. I asked if she could meet up with me for brunch and she was up for it. We had brunch on Saturday morning at Broadway Grill in Capitol Hill, Seattle. I remember I felt so relieved as soon as she gave me a BIG hug. I nearly cried from the feeling of release. The funny thing is that we worked together for a while and got along great, but we were not that close until that day.

Since then, we were lunch/brunch/movie buddies. She is one of 3 people on the earth who does not make me feel uncomfortable and insecure about speaking English in front of them (my native language is Japanese). I lost a significant person in my life in Atlanta and it had been destroying me. I was able to be honest with her about what I was going though. She listened, commented, encouraged and listened. I have a few close friends in Seattle but she was the first and probably only person I wanted to tell what the hell was going on with my life back then.

A couple of years later when I decided to move on and made a big decision about my life, what she said to me was, “I am so happy for you because now you can ride a merry-go-around.” My life had been insane like riding a roller coaster until then, now I can live a calm and quiet life with occasional exciting adventures without drama (well, most of the time) that I had longed for.

My dear friend. You made a courageous decision to move forward to find your own “Merry-Go-Round Life” filled with happiness, fun, glee and joy but without obligations and dramas (except for Korean & Taiwanese dramas!). Whatever you choose to do, I promise I will always be your biggest supporter and be here for you. Thank you for being such a great friend and never giving up on me. I am forever grateful.

Now you go get it, girl.

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food, restaurant

Musician, Author or Rocky?: No, she is Emily Crawford Dann

January 30, 2015by have you eaten?Leave a Comment

Have you ever been disappointed in a second album of a particular musician who released a phenomenal 1^st record? I have many times. How about writers? His/her 1^st book was so damn good and you can’t stand the second book? Or the movie “Rocky,” which I don’t think I need to explain.

Emily Crawford Dann is not a musician or author who produces a disappointing 2^nd creation or Rocky. She is a law school graduate, bright, very sincere, calm, fun, knowledgeable, thoughtful and beautiful. This is a story about her and her restaurant, The Corson Building. http://www.thecorsonbuilding.com/

One night in February 2012, somewhere around 9:30pm, he and I were driving through Georgetown on Corson Avenue in Seattle after checking out a couple of venues that we considered having a party with a small group of close friends and family. We were looking for something quaint, classy, vintagie and yet fun. We were not quite excited about both places and were tired, and so headed home. We stopped at red light. I looked out to the window and I saw this quaint, classy and vintagie place tucked away on Corson Ave, and I let him know. As soon as he saw that place, he flipped a U-turn and got out of the car. We hesitantly opened the gate and looked inside the building. We could see someone in the back of the building so we approached the back door and poked our heads in. It was a gorgeous, organized and stunning kitchen. Pots and pans hanged from the ceiling. Utensils and kitchen tools were on one side and plates on the other. And unmatched silverwares! I fell in love with that kitchen with just a glance. Then this soft-spoken, elegant looking women, with a gorgeous smile and apron said, “Do you want to take a look inside? Come on in”. As soon as I heard her voice and encountered her graceful manner, I decided this place was it. It must have been the same for him because I remember him saying, “We don’t need to look further.”

Last night, we went to a “Seafood Chowder” dinner at this place. I repeat, she is not a musician, author who produces disappointing 2^nd creation or Rocky. We’ve been to her restaurant countless times and she and her creations never disappoint.

When we had a dinner party in October 2012, the only request I had for Emily was no carrots (because I do not like carrot so much). I had so much trust in her and I didn’t request anything else because I wanted to have HER food, not our modified version. Of course, she delivered beautifully.

Emily is Seattle’s treasure. She loves ingredients and has a strong emotional connection to food and those who enjoy food. In fact, every time I taste what she makes, my heart starts aching. She uses a mix of many kinds of spices but it never loses its original flavor of ingredients. Her food makes you want to use all of your feelings, emotions and senses.

If you ever have a chance to visit Seattle, this is the place that should be first on your list.

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food

Korean or Hawaiian: it’s BOTH

January 29, 2015February 6, 2015by have you eaten?Leave a Comment

What came to my mind was “divine.” I mean, conjoining of Korean best invention, kimchi and rice whoever invented (I am forever thankful).

I barely take a lunch break. I usually power through the day without breaking. Today, one of my great friends at work, Kathy, made me go outside to take 1 hour break with her. What a splendid day. Sunny and air crisp but not too cold. We do have 2 or 3 food trucks for lunch hour every day, we are lucky that way. When we were outside, I saw a long line for this particular truck, “Marination.” They also have such a jubilant menu, such as Kimchi quesadilla, Kalua Pork or SPAM sliders, Hawaiian Mac Salad, SPAM musubi and so forth. Just a mixture of…well, many regions.

http://www.marinationmobile.com/

(you can see beautiful city of Seattle in back ground)

I was hesitant to be in that line but Kathy said “no, we don’t have to be in line because I made our order using Marination app.” This food truck is so popular and the “order-ahead” app was in such high demand. Now Marination has a restaurant by Puget Sound, called Alki Beach in my neighborhood, West Seattle.

I had Kimchi fried rice for lunch, which I have to say it was an excellent choice.

Now I have my Thursday go-to place . Thank you Kathy for pulling me out of my chair AND ordering my food so I eat on time.

Also, thank you, Marination, you guys rock.

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cooking, food

What is Hama Hama?: PNW Treasure

January 28, 2015by have you eaten?Leave a Comment

2-year residency in Atlanta, Georgia was quite tough for me. It was challenging to find fresh and organic produce (maybe I was not looking hard enough?) and seafood! Oh seafood…you have no idea how much I missed the fish market in Seattle when I was in ATL. They are available there of course, but there is no denying that northern ocean water produces finer seafood, especially shellfish.

This small vendor at the farmers market that I mentioned a couple times before in my blog offers seasonal shellfish. This past Saturday, they had 2 kinds of clams (one of them is called Happy Clam!) and a variety of oysters. The name of the vendor is “Hama Hama Oysters and they grow Hama Hama oysters at their farm. Isn’t that such a fun sound, Hama Hama? I just want to repeat saying that.

http://hamahamaoysters.com/

I purchased one jar packed with 7 x medium size Hama Hama from granddaughter of the founder of this oyster farm in Lilliwaup, Washington near Olympic National Forrest. It was shucked and packed that morning and I was there 9:30 in the morning, which tells me the oysters are incredibly fresh. I didn’t want to add too many condiments because I wanted to taste the intense sea water and umami-packed sweet flavors spreading through my mouth (I was already salivating when purchasing them).

Straight up Hama Hama Oysters without lot of seasonings

1) Rinse gently

2) Place them in cast iron pot

3) Drizzle olive oil and add a bit of sea salt and splash or dry white wine

4) Put the lid on and cook about 5 min (no need to touch, just let your pot do its job)

5) Add little bit of fresh lemon

6) Yay!

Accompaniment was lightly steamed leek with butter and salt.

Is your mouth watering yet?

Hama Hama. This is your magic word of winter (or all year around). Hama Hama, Hama Hama….

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cooking, food

Chopping Therapy: Prep for Gyoza

January 27, 2015January 27, 2015by have you eaten?2 Comments

It really helps me when I have a bad day or I am upset about something. Chopping vegetables is one of my meditation methods.

When I was a young child, helping my mother and grandma in the kitchen was mandatory. My mom started to let me use “old person’s kitchen knife” when I was 4. I always wanted to sound like them. They make this passionate, happy and fun sound of their knives hitting wooden cutting board with 100 miles per hour speed.

When I have a rough day at work, I tend to choose a dish requires a lot of chopping. Gyoza (dumpling) is one of them. I have a fond memory of helping my mom to prepare and wrap gyoza. You chop Chinese chives, garlic, ginger, napa cabbage and onion. You chop them all as finely as you possibly can. How fun does it sound? I feel like I am getting high, just thinking about it. I guess I am a creature who is easy to be pleased.

This is my amusement and is also delicious. You have umami from soy sauce, pork and veggies and sweetness from pork and other ingredients.

1. Mix REALLY well ground pork (or mix of ground pork and ground beef), chopped Chinese chives, garlic, ginger, napa cabbage, onion, soy sauce, salt (lots), pepper, potato starch (needs to be potato starch, not corn starch), sesame oil. Use your hand. It gets messy, but no utensils or tools, just your hand.

2. Wrap 1 with very thin gyoza wrappers (you can buy them at Asian grocery stores).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2_p_ny4eTE

3. Place them in oiled and heated skillet.

3a. Cook over high heat for 1 minute or so

3b. Reduce heat to medium and add little bit of water (not too much) and put the lid over skillet. Leave it for 2-3 min

3d. Remove the lid and increase heat to medium high and add oil.

4. Enjoy

Only thing I would like to mention is that it is SUPER important not to move around gyozas in the skillet. Just leave them as they are until they are done. Oh, that smell while cooking! This Japanese soul food’s glorious aroma takes me right back to where I grew up. My mom teaching me how to wrap dumplings and my small hands trying to mimic what she does.

Now, pull out your well-sharpened knife and start chopping. You will know exactly what I am talking about as soon as you finish chopping first clove of garlic.

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personal view, quote

$12,690 vs. $0

January 26, 2015January 26, 2015by have you eaten?2 Comments

Luxury. What does that mean to me, I wondered when I saw this quote Sunday morning.

“Luxury to me is not about buying expensive things; It’s about living in a way where you appreciate things”

We have been lucky to have a warm winter in Seattle this year. It was sunny and spring like yesterday.

When I took my slightly overweight Chihuahua, Ginger to do her business early in the morning, I noticed it was such a gratifying morning. Air was clean and slightly wet from last night’s rain and ocean nearby. I inhaled big this air as if I was filling my whole body with freshness of winter morning. Then all of a sudden, I heard something humming. I thought it was a bee at first but it sounded a little louder than a bee.

I realized that was a humming bird hovering and humming away right in front of me for good 5 seconds. I was not moving and probably I was not breathing because I didn’t want this pretty bird to go away. She (the bird looked like she) was holding one bright pink petal of winter camellia, which is one of my favorite flower. It felt like she was trying to tell me to take a moment once in a while and just BE.

This is exactly what luxury is all about to me. The beautiful humming bird brought such a quiet yet strong message yesterday. By the way, above quote is by Oscar De La Renta, high-end couture fashion designer. The most expensive dress of his you can buy online is $12,690. However, like he said, you can find your own luxury, whatever that may be, when you choose, you don’t even have to pay a penny.