The National Gallery & Trafalgar Square | London, England

Trafalgar Square and I are old friends. Even though we've been before, it's always lovely to see. Despite being mere feet from The National Gallery, we never ventured inside. Why? No clue, it's something that I would be all about. It's also free, which is my favorite price. Thank goodness our dongsaeng (Korean little brother) Junnie wanted to go, because it's possible, I would've missed out again. Below are my thoughts on Trafalgar Square and The National Gallery. 

The National Gallery is wonderful and full of great paintings, but you know me, I love paintings. Most of the tourists crowded around the famous paintings, like Van Gogh's Sunflowers, which is beautiful, but there were so many other Impressionist paintings that were more impressive. I didn't even get a chance to really stop and admire Sunflowers, because there were so many people. They were just all clamoring around to get a photo and I ended up doing the same. It's kinda sad when it becomes just another photo op and not something that can be admired. It's okay though, I was able to spend time with some other lesser known paintings.

Also, did you know that in the UK they pronounce it Van GOFF and not Van GOH? Apparently, we're both wrong and it's vun KHOKH. Well the more you know, I guess. I'll be spending the rest of my life saying it properly! 

I will say that the one thing that I didn't like about Trafalgar Square was the amount of street performers. It did take away a bit of the charm of the area. Walking inside and looking at all the beautiful old paintings and then seeing Yoda or Batman levitating is a bit strange. The square was obviously packed full of people, but it was to be expected given that it was the holiday season, so I guess it was prime money making time. Either way, it wasn't my favorite. 

Big Ben and the London Eye | London, England

In 2006, Markus and I made our first international trip together. We just had our second wedding (another story for another time) and we were able to plan a honeymoon abroad. For as long as I could remember, I wanted to go to London and Markus being the amazing guy that he is, agreed. we spent a short six days there, but it was a life changing trip, it was the start of ten years of traveling and adventuring with my best friend. I didn't think we would be make it back to London, but we managed to visit two more times in ten years. I do have to admit that my love of London has diminished a bit over time. I still think it's a great city, but the charm fades with each visit. I think it has a lot to do with the other cities in the UK, but more on that below.

We didn't plan on going back this last winter, but our dearest and closest Korean little brother Junnie moved to England and we couldn't pass up the opportunity to see him. Despite leaving Korea over four years ago, we still keep in touch with Junnie and talk quite often. I'm glad that we fit in this short trip to London. Not only did we get to see a dear friend, but we also came full circle with our first international trip. 

When we first visited London, I didn't think anything could possibly be better, but then we went to Edinburgh and that all changed. I still think London is great, but there are so many other cities and towns in the U.K. that don't get as much exposure. I feel the same way about London as I do about New York City. It's a great place to visit, but I don't think I could ever live there. There's just too much going on and it's very fast paced. I do like a city feel, but I want it to feel a bit more accessible and not so busy. 

In order to make this visit feel different than past visits, we decided to do some things we didn't do in the past. Despite visiting two times before, we never walked along the Thames and never saw Big Ben and the London Eye at night. Thank goodness we were able to get that night view this time. It was absolutely stunning at night and there is definitely a different feel than during the day. Even though, we've seen Big Ben countless times, it's still nice to stop by. Even though we've been to London a couple times, there's always something new to see and is city that will continue to surprise you. 

Intro | Chicago Restaurant Week 2017

Chicago is one of the best food cities in the country and the hub of fine dining in the Midwest. There’s no shortage of fancy restaurants, and there is one for almost every cuisine: Mexican, Vietnamese, vegetarian, you name it and we’ve got it. One restaurant that is breaking the mold is Intro. The concept is pretty unique and ingenuitive. Chefs and mixologists collaborate with Executive Chef Stephen Gillanders to create an original menu while working a “residency.” They don’t really focus on one type of cuisine and the menu is constantly changing and evolving. So, it’s possible to never eat the same thing twice at Intro.

For this residency, Executive Chef Gillanders, Chef Aaron Martinez, and Chef CJ Jacobson take on Chinese and dim sum. These unique dishes are inspired by their travels around the world. I remember Chef Jacobson from Top Chef and was very excited to try his food. I even spotted him running around the dining room visiting with friends.

Finding Intro proved to be a bit difficult at first, because it’s nestled inside the Belden-Stratford Luxury Apartments and shares it’s space with Naoki Sushi. The Belden-Stratford’s lobby has a bit of an old world feel and is the complete opposite of Intro’s modern and contemporary vibe. It’s cozy and the music selection is on point, with a lot of Bowie and New Order. Even though it’s an upscale joint, it never feels pretentious. Our server was personable, attentive and very knowledgeable. Let’s be honest though, the real star of Intro is the food, which infuses traditional Chinese dishes with modern and interesting flavors. There are lots of tasty items on the menu, but the stand-out dishes are the duck fried rice and the caramel-lacquered short rib. If there is one thing that is a must-order, it would be the black truffle-egg drop soup. Trust me, you’ll thank me later.

If you happen to find yourself in Lincoln Park and have a hankering for Chinese food, give Intro a shot while you can. Who know’s when the menu will change, but either way, it will be a win for sure.

Vegetable Dim Sum: grilled cabbage with numbing spice, bok choy with chicken sausage, and Szechuan tofu and crispy kale

Though the grilled cabbage was a simple dish, the grilled cabbage was very tasty and had an unexpected complexity of flavor. The bok choy with chicken sausage was nice and savory with multiple textures of crispiness from the bok choy, softness from sausage and crunchiness from the cashews. Most people don't enjoy tofu, but it's one of my favorite things when it's done right and here, it was done right. I loved the spiciness of the sauce and the freshness from the crispy kale. 

Hot Dim Sum: bbq mushroom bao with sesame mayo, crispy shrimp lollipops, and pearl meatballs with chicken

Bao is one of my favorite kinds of snacks and I was very excited to taste Intro's version. I enjoyed the bbq mushroom and I'm a sucker for sesame anything. The crispy shrimp lollipops were so crunchy and light on the brininess of the shrimp. The sauce was amazing and the perfect accompaniment. I could've eaten those all night. My least favorite course of the night were the pearl meatballs. I love dumplings almost as much as bao and these were disappointing. I know they weren't a tradional dumpling, but the rice coating was weird and the chicken filling was flavorless. 

Off Menu: black truffle-egg drop soup with ginger and scallion and the Beijing duck fried rice

Duck can be oily and overdone, but this fried rice was absolutely perfect. The rice had little bits of meat in it and was topped with a savory duck egg to mix. The best part was the crispy bits of skin that added a nice texture and flavor to the whole dish. The black truffle-egg drop soup was a revelation and my favorite dish of the night. There was no imitation truffle or truffle oil in this dish. This was the real deal and man was it delicious. The soup was rich and complex, and the truffle blended so well with the egg, ginger and scallion. It's an unforgettable dish that you’ll want to have again and again.

Large: curry noodles with lemongrass and ginger and caramel-lacquered short rib

The curry noodles was a great noodle/soup course, the texture of the noodles was perfectly al dente and the lemongrass really came through without overpowering the dish. Overall I enjoyed it and it reminded me a bit of Singaporean laksa. The caramel flavoring on the short rib was really creative and something unexpected. Also, I've never had such tender beef before; it literally melted in my mouth. 

Dessert: Hong Kong-style tart brulee

The custard was reminiscent of an egg tart that you could find at a traditional Chinese bakery. It was silky with just the right amount of sweetness. The crust was flaky and the hard caramel was a great compliment to the custard. It was the perfect end to an incredible meal.

Crewe Hall | Cheshire, England

While Markus and I were in Stokey Town, we were completely spoiled by our friend's parents. On Christmas Eve they took us to see a Christmas Pantomime, which is a wonderful British Christmas tradition. It's a bit hard to describe and can only be fully understood by experiencing it. I thought that was the epitome of our British Christmas experience, but of course they had more in store. On Boxing Day, our friends and their parents kept saying that we had somewhere to be at 1:30pm. I spent the whole morning trying to guess where they were taking us, but I never guessed it would be afternoon tea at Crewe Hall. I was honestly so surprised and really touched. I wanted to go to afternoon tea, but I didn't think it would be at such a classy and beautiful place. I felt like I as stepping into an Agatha Christie novel. I was seriously waiting for someone to walk in and tell me there had been a murder in the parlour. 

The afternoon tea was nothing short of spectacular and everything was so delicious. You might think it's hard to screw up sandwiches, cakes and scones, but it's possible. The last time we were in England, we went to a place that wasn't that great and it's haunted me ever since. After tea, Markus and I roamed around the beautiful estate.

Crewe Hall is an old Jacobean mansion that dates as far back as 1170 and this particular structure was finished in 1636. Currently, there are 117 rooms and all the rooms you would expect in an old estate such as this. We had access to the Reception Hall, Grand Library, Hall of Pillars, Chapel, Grand Staircase, East Hall, Dining Room, Carved Parlour, and Drawing Room. Apparently, Charles Dickens paternal grandparents were servants at Crewe Hall during the 18th century. In the past, many famous dignitaries and people have stayed there and it's also a popular wedding venue. Our friends told us that it is always sought after for weddings since it's the perfect twist of past and present. I loved everything about Crewe Hall and wished I could've seen it in it's heyday. I always love visiting places that are rich in history and have stories to tell. 

The Alchemist, Yard & Coop and More | Manchester, England

In the whirlwind 10 hours that we had in Manchester, we stopped at so many places. In part one, I covered the morning and here's the afternoon! One of the places that I knew we had to visit, was The Alchemist. We went in 2012 and it left such a strong impression on me. Before then, I never had a craft cocktail or been to a fancy bar. The mixologists at this bar were really knowledgable and never knew that cocktails could be so complex and delicious. This time around, I didn't care where else we went, just as long as I was able to have one drink at The Alchemist. That's all I wanted to do to be honest. 

There are two locations in Manchester and we decided to go to the same location in Spinningfields. It was great to see nothing had changed and the interior was still really impressive. I remember walking in the first time and loving the industrial and leather look. It's the perfect decor for this kind of bar. For our drinks, we ordered a Virgin Mojito with lime, apple and mint (£4.20); a Mango Shake with white chocolate cream foam, orange, apple, lemon, mango and passionfruit (£4.20);  a Drug Rummer with Mount Gay black barrel rum, winter sugars, citrus and toasted sage (£8.95); and a Smokey Number 2 with Ron Zacapa 23yr rum, winter sugars, apple and smoke (£12.95). All of the drinks were delicious and really creative, even the non-alcoholic drinks had a lot of depth and flavors. Still to this day, The Alchemist is one of my top five bars in the world. One day, I'll write that blog post! 

After The Alchemist, we walked around a bit, but quickly realized we were hungry and jet lag was starting to kick in for Markus and I. The drive back to Stokey Town was going an hour and half with holiday traffic, so we looked for a place to eat. We happened to be in a "hipstery" area of Manchester, so of course there was a fried chicken joint, the Yard & Coop. Our friends, James and Ari, don't eat fried chicken that often and definitely not American style. I know it was our first day in another country, but there's no way I'm going to say no to fried chicken, plus it was for our friends! 

Yard & Coop actually wasn't that bad, but a little light on the portions. I was afraid of over ordering and in the end, I don't think we ordered enough. The vibe of the place is definitely similar to a lot of popular places in Chicago. It's bright with amazing typography and tons of options, mostly fried. They were running a £5 lunch special, so we ordered the Thai Thighter Burger with a buttermilk fried chicken thigh in a brioche bun, slaw, peppers, lettuce, tomato and a homemade Seoul sauce. To share, we got the Monkey Balls which were buttermilk fried chicken breast, served with a cayenne pepper, lime and honey sauce as well as Bourbon BBQ sauce. I also checked into Yelp while I was there and was given a complimentary order of Amaizeballs, sweet corn balls with fresh chili and coriander. All the food was good, but it wasn't amazing. Overall, I think it was a good experience for our friends and that's all that matters.