New York - Joe's Shanghai

Just came back from NY this Sunday. I took mom there for the Lion King show. Mag and Rosy met up with us for lunch at Joe's Shanghai (at 9 Pell st. in Chinatown). Maybe they put poppy seeds in the soup dumplings but seriously ever since I had it the first time two years ago, I kept craving for it to the point that I have to go to NYC every so often just to have it!!

This time we order three steamers (two crab and one pork) each containing 8 soup dumplings about the size of a baby's hand. Accompanying the dumplings are small dishes of vinegar with shredded ginger. The trick of eating it is to pick it up from the steamer using the tong VERY delicately so the soup inside doesn't spill and place it onto a Chinese soup spoon. Trust me spilling it will spoil all the fun of eating the "SOUP" dumpling because of course by then it would just be a dumpling. Then you will have to somehow pour the vinegar onto the top of the dumpling so it would soak into the tiny little opening atop the dumpling. Then from the side of the spoon you would bite a little into the dumpling and suckle the soup out of it. (Oh this is not good...I want to have it right now again!!!) The vinegar and ginger will add to the flavor and remove any greasy feeling therefore you won't get sick of eating 8 dumplings all at once.

I don't have any photos of these mouthwatering dumplings since there was no way I could wait... I would highly recommend Joe's Shanghai. They have chain restaurants in Flushing, NY Chinatown and near Time Square. You do have to wait in line and share a table with strangers since there are not enough seats most of the time. But who cares in front of good food!

Lombard St.

Rosy felt lazy and went back to take a nap before going to Sausalito. I decided to take the camera and walk to Lombard St. Taking photos while walking uphill towards Lombard was an ultimately enjoyable experience. Although it was late summer, flowers were still blooming. I love the colors and each house being so different.

Happy Time

San Fran was such a blast I could hardly drag my feet back to D.C. It was as lovely as ever. This time the weather was simply gorgeous. During the day, it was in the mid 80s. At night it was comfortably breezy with a light jacket except for the first night when Rosy and I were trying to find a bar from Little Italy all the way back to Fisherman's Wharf. This was also the first time I ever had digital memory of San Fran. Photos were just downloaded to the computer and will have to upload later.

All eleven of us showed up in high spirit... nine went to the same college, eight from the same class, Mag and I shared the same dorm room for four years... We adopted Yilin and Ying (the spouses that showed) into our family. Gosh it was just like going back to college. I haven't seen some of them for ten years! Nobody changed at least it felt like it. It was incredible how we picked it up from where we left it just like that! I haven't laughed so loud for ages. By the end of the trip, I practically lost my voice.

So San Francisco after the third visits, still remains my most favorite city in the US. This time I loved it even more. I will be back for sure.