Our trip to Korea: more than just a bad case of jet-lag!

When I last wrote, it was about our plans for a family trip with my mother-in-law to Seoul, South Korea, and now just a few weeks later, we’re back! We left Minneapolis very early on June 7 and arrived in Seoul the afternoon of June 8, then returned home the night of June 17. Entirely too short a visit considering we had to cross 10 time zones!

The vacation was great, we explored the city of Seoul, both the modern and historic aspects.

{View of the city from within the Buddhist Bongeunsa Temple in Seoul}

We also had some nice, quiet family time – the kids always like being with their grandma and splashing around in a hotel pool. That said, the first few days were tough…the jet-lag had most of the family, yours truly excluded, upside down the first three days. The important difference for me was that first night: I slept 8pm-4am, whereas our youngest woke everyone else up around 1am (they slept lots on the 19 hour plane ride, and weren’t able to fall back asleep, whereas I just rolled over and went back to dreamland).

It worked out alright, while they rested I explored our hotel complex, the Lotte. Attached was the Lotte department store, a towering complex with a dizzying amount of high-end boutiques and more mainstream Korean designer wear. But, the most interesting thing about the department store complexes in Korea is the huge food market in the lower level. It’s a foodie haven, a remarkable experience of the senses, the sights, sounds, and smells hit you as soon we you walk in, so this doesn’t even do it justice:

After an early morning, we got together with my mother-in-law for breakfast at a nice restaurant, La Seine, in our hotel complex. It was a fancy buffet with everything from dim sum to noodles and omelets to smoked salmon and pastries. We were in heaven, especially the girls who loved going from station to station choosing different dishes.

{Part of the amazing spread at our breakfast buffet}

{The made-to-order noodle bar, our youngest loved the udon}

There was more to the trip than food and jet-lag (though let’s be honest, there was A LOT of food!), but we’ll save that for tomorrow. After all, our oldest was up at 4a.m. today, so I’d better get my sleep while I can.

Planning a family vacation to Korea

{Seoul at night, view of Lotte Hotel}

This summer we will celebrate my mother-in-law’s 70th birthday. For her gift, she asked our family to travel with her to Seoul, South Korea. She grew up and lived there until her early 20′s, when she came to the U.S. as a newlywed with her husband who was starting his medical residency here. My MIL has long wanted to take us to Korea, because even though his parents are both first generation immigrants, my husband has never been to visit their homeland. His mom goes back almost yearly, but he never had much desire. Then there’s me, an adopted Korean-American, who came to the States at just four months old. I’ve never been back because, despite my parents’ encouragement, I never had much interest either (I know, what was wrong with us?!).

When we finally had interest as adults, we were inconvenienced by the fact we had little babies to contend with on the 20-hour flight. So, fast forward seven years, it is finally time. I’m still dreading the day-long flights and jarring time-zone leap, but I know it will be worth it. We are so excited about what we will see and do, and to meet some of my husband’s extended family that he has never even met himself. Then, of course, there’s the food. My MIL is an excellent cook and she’s introduced our family to lots of great Korean dishes (we love to make mandoo at home). I’m certain the local cuisine will be a big highlight of the trip.

But, I’m also eager to see the big city of Seoul and the culture of the country. I’m told it’s very modern, less industrial than it was even 15 years ago, and somewhat Westernized too, but there are still so many interesting differences in the way people do things and some amazing historical sites to visit too. Another great thing about this trip is I’m just along for the ride. Usually, I’m the family vacation planner – not that I mind, I enjoy doing it – but this time my MIL has done the heavy lifting because she is most familiar with the area and where to stay, visit, etc. So, she’s got us set up at Lotte Hotel in Songpa-Gu Seoul (which I think is near Gangnam — subject of the infamous YouTube dance video) and is next to Lotte World, a Korean amusement park for the kids. Then, we’ll move on to the Somerset Palace in Susong-dong, Jongno-gu, so we can see the sights around that part of Korea.

So stay tuned! Later this summer I’ll be sure to share some fun pictures and stories from our international adventure.

Graduation 2013 memories

I love this graduation video segment, an annual tradition on NBC Nightly News.  It is such a special time of year for so many families as kids graduate high school and college, so inspired and eager to go out and become what they are meant to be!

Maybe because I’m in that space now,  almost in the middle – equidistant from when I graduated from college to when my own kids will graduate…  The video montage brings back my graduation memories (see yours truly at right, graduating from Northwestern University 16 years ago!) while previewing parental milestones that seem distant, but will be here before I know it.

How is it possible to be nostalgic for the past while feeling nostalgia about something that hasn’t even happened yet?! These are the thoughts stirring in my mind as I watch the video and think about my girls; one graduating pre-K and the other headed into second grade next fall.

“That it will never come again is what makes life so sweet.” - Emily Dickinson

Heavenly food mash-up: Parka Restaurant

The teams from three of my favorite local spots; Victory 44 (gastropub reimagined), Rustica Bakery (astoundingly good bakery in the French and Italian traditions), and Dogwood Coffee (my favorite latte in the Cities), put their heads together and made Parka Restaurant in the off-the-beaten path Longfellow neighborhood in Minneapolis.

This place opened in January this year to rave reviews. I had been waiting patiently to find the time and reason to get up there, and finally, for Mother’s Day earlier this month, I found both. So our family and my mom and dad headed there for dinner together. They even have a great kids menu which my daughters enjoyed (buttered noodles and the mini pizza).

What about us grown-ups? We had some amazing food. Many dishes had little twists on traditional Minnesotan “comfort foods” like ham and pickle tots, more like little croquettes delicate and light, not at all heavy like some fried foods. Or the fried cheese curds, rivaled the ones from the Mouse Trap at the Minnesota State Fair – and that is saying something! But, with the foodie adds of pickled apple and a tart apple butter and chives, set off the salty, melty cheese perfectly.

I had the poached salmon, served mussels and shiitake, with a briny and delicate mussel broth poured over it, with a fragrant green garlic and cilantro garnish. It was light and exactly the right dish to have after the fried food starters. I definitely recommend the dish to anyone else who goes, it was perfectly in balance and there wasn’t a thing I’d change.

{clockwise from upper left: fried chicken with carrots & peas, cool artwork above our table, poached salmon with broth, blueberry pretzel dessert, and cheese curds}

My second favorite dish was dessert, the blueberry pretzel…not a pretzel at all, but an interesting combination of roasted blueberries with tangy chevre, sweet vanilla cream, and salty/sweet pretzel brittle.

In short, I definitely need to find more reasons to visit Parka. The menu is compact but every dish the six of us tried was a hit, at once familiar and novel, and every bite a delight!

Work it out

Lots of stuff to work out these days. For one, my beaten down, flabby body! I’m not a super active person, wish I were, but it’s one of those things that seems to fall to the bottom of the list. I do make time for tennis drills weekly, which I love. I picked up the sport just a year and a half ago, but quickly got addicted to the sport and love the challenge. However, since playing just once a week doesn’t exactly keep me in tip-top physical condition, I guess I was just an injury waiting to happen. So, back in April I was playing tennis and herniated a disc in my back. Yikes!  That sounds like an old people problem. And it sure as heck felt like one. I was totally laid up for a couple of days, had to go on a steroid treatment, and do physical therapy. That also meant five weeks off from tennis. Argh!

Top that off with the end of our fiscal year at work (crazy rush to get projects wrapped and plans for the new fiscal launched), and the end of the school year for my kiddos (programs, recitals, graduations, etc.) and you’ve got one physically and mentally drained person.

No tennis. Limited physical activity. Lots of late nights working. Lots of binge eating junk food. Scheduling stress. Calgon! Take me away!!

That feeling’s been building up, so last week…this happened:

{Retail therapy done right, new shoes from Nordstrom & J. Crew}

And this:

{Blueprint & Suja juices, part of a juice cleanse, now available at Whole Foods}

The good news? I’m back on the courts, for one. Even better? Here comes the extra-long weekend, and our family summer vacation isn’t far off either. Woo hoo!

Mother’s Day Memories

I was looking back at my post from Mother’s Day last year, boy, do things change. That weekend it was in the 70′s and gorgeous, so we went out on the boat. This year, we only recently saw the end of the snow. That’s right, snow in to May! We Minnesotans must be crazy to stay.

The weather’s not the only thing changing. Thinking about my girls a lot today…man! Have they changed over the years, and it seems this school year flew by even faster than the last. Sometimes it feels like only months, not years, since they looked like this:
Top: Evie had just turned one & Lauren was about three-and-a-half years old, bottom left is Evie’s newborn pic & bottom right is Lauren’s

And now just look at them, such big kids, but still very close sisters:
{Lauren reading to Evie’s pre-K class}

The girls always make me the nicest Mother’s Day cards and gifts, this year was no exception. I was showered with sweet notes, crafts, pictures, and plants.

{Lauren’s gifts, she worked so hard on the God’s eyes}

{Evie’s gifts, I love that photo bookmark!}

And they wanted their dad to take them to Target on a secret mission to buy me something. So…dear husby said they were dead set on jewelry, there was no talking them out of it. And gummy fish! Hilarious. Even if the jewelry is maybe not my taste, the fact they each chose it meant so much, I wore it all day – and they were so pleased with themselves. And I’m pretty pleased with myself, because the kids are turning out alright, we haven’t completely screwed up (yet!). Of course, I was taught by the best, my mom, who we were lucky enough to celebrate with over dinner today. It was only after having my girls that I could even begin to fathom everything she sacrificed, powered-through, and planned for in order to raise us well. And she did it all with grace and a lot less yelling than what I’m managing so far… thank goodness she’s nearby to help coach me through it all!

On that note, happy mother’s day to all you mom-types out there! Whether you’ve already sent your babies out of the nest, or you’re still in the thick of things like we are, I hope you paused today to feel a little pleased about the hard, but good and important work, you do every day.

Finally made it to World Street Kitchen

The food truck phenomenon made its way to the Twin Cities several years ago, and one of the first to charge forward to feed the hungry masses was Chef Sameh Wadi of Saffron Restaurant and Lounge, with his food truck World Street Kitchen.

Working out in the ‘burbs, I’d only ever eaten at the WSK truck once. To be honest, I wasn’t in love with the dish I tried – the Korean “BBQ” Beef Short Ribs Yum Yum Rice Bowl. Too similar for my tastes to a traditional Korean Bi Bim Bap without delivering on the awesome load of veggies and Korean spicy gochujang sauce. Instead, the rice bowl was doused in the WSK “secret sauce”, for which I didn’t care much.  Maybe this is why I hadn’t rushed out to the WSK restaurant that opened in Uptown last fall. But, hearing so many good things about the place, curiosity got the better of me. Besides, there are so many other dishes to try!

{the Korean Yum Yum Rice bowl, left me cold, but hubs loved it!}

The restaurant has a great vibe: casual, fresh, and vibrant. We got there early, just around 6pm, to eat before going to a movie. Lucky we did, because we walked right up to the counter to order and beat the long line that formed just after.

This time around I ordered the Red Curry Chicken Bangkok Burrito. It’s a tortilla filled with fried rice, chicken curry, basil and cilantro. It was awesome, and huge! The seasoning was just right, the rice had a subtle sweetness to it balanced by the fresh herbs. The side pickle plate we ordered was perfect with it, and it left me wishing they made jars to take home. Dear husby ordered the Korean Yum Yum bowl despite my opinions, because he doesn’t like Bi Bim Bap as much as me, and was curious about their sauce (he loves to “drown his food”). Well, it just goes to show, to each his own, because he loved it!

Sadly, I left no room for dessert. WSK is known to have some amazing soft serve ice cream and a chocolate chip marshmallow sea salt cookie to rival all other cookies. Since we all know I have a huge sweet tooth, I’d best head back soon and save room…I’ll be bringing the kiddos next time, I know they’d love it!

Dreams come true at Luxury Garage Sale

On our mother-daughter Chicago trip we wanted to find some new places to shop beyond the usual Michigan Avenue fare. My sister researched online and found this, from Racked: The 38 Essential Shopping Experiences in Chicago, Winter 2013.  The store that caught her eye was Luxury Garage Sale in the Old Town neighborhood. The boutique opened just last year, and sounded like a blend between a designer outlet store and a high-end consignment store.  We knew we had to make a stop.

When we walked into the store, it was a small, intimate, little jewel box. The interior design and merchandising looked straight off the floor of a shop like DVF or Christian Louboutin. A glamorous, feminine wallpaper, gleaming mirrors, and fixtures all added to the elegance of the beautiful clothing and accessories. But most of all, the warm and welcoming staff made a big impression. One of the sales managers, Lauren, approached us immediately and was very helpful, but also let us browse at a leisurely pace.

We learned from Lauren that about one-third of their stuff was overstock from other stores and designers so was never worn and still had tags. The rest was consignment, but some of that may never have been worn, or was worn minimally – and you could tell. The clothes were absolutely impeccable. We couldn’t believe the pristine condition of the clothes, bags, and accessories. The owner of the store said they really try to reserve the most special and best quality pieces for the physical shop, and put anything less (though still good condition) on their website and ebay page to sell there.

I started out at a rack of dozens of beautiful blazers (I have a total weakness for blazers and jackets, owning no fewer than 15, I’m pretty sure). A bunch of them were brand new with tags still on them!

An hour later, we’d tried on Dior dresses, Stella McCartney gowns, Lanvin jackets, and vintage furs and jewelry. I was in heaven! Luxury Garage Sale had rock bottom prices on top-end designer goods. They also told me they give their consignors a top-of-the-market 65% cut of the sale price of their items. Makes me think I should have a closer look at what I could purge from my closet!

After much deliberation, and almost caving in and buying a gorgeous black Dior cocktail dress that I definitely didn’t need, I settled on two pieces. The first is a super sharp, modern cut black lapel-less blazer from Stella McCartney, new with tags for just $450. If you think that is expensive (I know it still is) just consider the original price of $1795. No, I didn’t forget a decimal. And no, I would never actually pay anything close to that for a blazer. BUT, the chance to snap one up at that price – did I mention it fit like a glove? Mom and sis agreed, I had to get it. I am sure it will be a staple in my work wardrobe for years to come.

The second piece was a fun silk chiffon tank from Parker, outfitted in delicate graphite and pewter tone bugle beads, sequins, etc. Perfect with jeans or black pants for a night out, alone or with a jacket draped over it.

And though I liked tons of other things, I reminded myself we were just getting started and the Stella jacket was already a splurge. I showed some discipline in the face of tons of temptation! (Did I mention the Miu Miu bag for under $700?) It’s a good thing I did, because then we walked a few doors down to Handle With Care and I tried on another blazer, this one silk, and in a shocking hot pink, by Parker.

I’ve been stalking the LGS website since returning home, because you never know what new items will come in, and now that I’ve discovered this gem there is no way I’ll wait ’til I return to Chicago to shop it again!

Lots of gab & grub in Chicago

Last weekend my mom, sister, and I embarked on our first trip together in years. Between our busy schedules, my sister and me having babies alternating years, and our own separate travel schedules, we let the planning fall to the wayside. But this year, I starting plotting in February and made it happen! We planned to relax and spend time together, eat at some new places, and shop. I’ll save the shopping notes for another day, because there is plenty to write about on the food first!

We arrived just in time to settle into the Hotel Palomar before dinner. The location (just off Michigan Avenue near the Nordstrom), rooms, and service were great, especially for the price (I do love those Kimpton hotels)! After freshening up we headed out to dinner at the much acclaimed balena. The setting was a cavernous, almost industrial loft with 30-foot ceilings and beautiful sphere lights hanging from wooden rafters. The restaurant is known for its inspired Italian.

We started with a super yummy burrata – a fresh mozzarella cheese with a luscious, slightly runny inside, to scoop up with our little toast points. And a flavorful cured ham plate, somewhat like speck and prosciutto.

{Burrata and cured hams, yum!}

For my main I had the char, which was a tiny whole fish, thankfully de-boned and open. For sides we had baked polenta and the charred raddichio. The first courses were perfection, if not truly “inspired”, as both have become somewhat common at rustic Italian spots. My entree was delicious, but on the small side which I think the server would’ve mentioned (along with the fact that it would be served whole, also not made clear on the menu). The only real miss was the radicchio, it wasn’t charred enough or seasoned enough to lose the bitter crunch, so none of us liked it too much. Overall, a good meal, but I think I would’ve been more impressed by it had I not read all the hype, because I think I’ve been spoiled by eating at too many other excellent restaurants in that town to be impressed by balena.

The real find was the brunch the following day at Rick Bayless’ XOCO. The quaint little spot is little sister to Frontera Grill and Topolobampo, both outstanding landmark restaurants in Chicago. XOCO is a quick-serve small corner shop specializing in Mexican street food like empanadas, churros, and tortas. For brunch we had freshly made churros, decadently rich Aztec hot chocolate, and a mean huevos rancheros.

{Seriously, looking at this huevos rancheros makes my mouth water!!}

Everything tasted amazing. Like my sister, I think this spot’s now on my must-do brunch list for Chicago. A short list that also includes Balsan in the Waldorf (had brunch there on my last visit), Deleece on Southport, and The Bongo Room, especially for those who have a morning sweet tooth.

For dinner on night two, we went to Michelin-starred Boka in Lincoln Park.

{Foie gras to start, of course! The anise and rhubarb were great pairings.}

We all three actually wanted the same entree — rarely happens, but when it’s halibut, well, who could blame us — especially with all the eating we’d been doing, I think the “lighter” option sounded appealing. It was excellent, seasoned and cooked perfectly, accompanied by these amazing little bundles of asparagus wrapped in a crispy skin of some kind. A fitting spring meal, despite the barely spring temps both in Chicago and back home in Minneapolis.

But the Pavlova for dessert might have been my favorite! A fitting choice since my sister is the one who first introduced me to the Australian specialty years ago when I visited while she was living in Sydney. This Pavlova was deconstructed, with three little meringues amidst a rhubarb and St. Germain consomme, elderflower yogurt, and gelee pearls. The whole thing was such a balance of sweet, tart, crunchy and creamy – not to mention light and refreshing. The perfect end to a great meal. Definitely comparable in my mind to other Michelin 1-star restaurants like Blackbird and moto.

If you can even believe it, we were still able to eat the next morning. So off we went for our final meal in Chicago: brunch at Perennial Virant in Lincoln Park. Though my food wasn’t that photogenic, it was, more importantly – hearty and tasty! I had a great spicy bloody mary, followed by a homemade fresh pistachio with lemon curd doughnut, and then biscuits and gravy. I am a sucker for biscuits and gravy, and though I’ve suffered a lot of bad ones (that I ordered in hopes of the fluffy, creamy, savory delight) I’m happy to say these were not one of those. They were exactly as they should be. And our trip was exactly as I’d hoped too — a great time to connect and have long talks (over lots, and lots, of food).

Mixing business with pleasure in New York

Food-wise that is! As I mentioned earlier, I had a quick business trip to New York this week to meet with a few people, including these guys, can you guess tell where it was?

But before that, I had a delicious dinner with my team, at this well-reviewed spot near where we were staying:

The Dutch, which I’d heard was a good place for foodie groups, was a hit. It had a great neighborhood vibe and an interesting enough, but not polarizing, menu. The hits were the lobster cocktail and razor clams for appetizers (but be forewarned, the portions are small, so better order 2!), and the super flavorful spinach side dish. For mains, I had the duck with polenta, currants, and foie gras, and it could not have been richer or more delicious. The duck was cooked perfectly!

And then, of course, I made time before the morning meeting to stop by a neighborhood patisserie, Dominique Ansel. It opened in 2012 by the chef of the same name, who recently received a James Beard nomination …(also formerly the Executive Pasty Chef of Daniel, under Daniel Boulud). The place has a great vibe and was hopping both mornings that we stopped in for our goodies and lattes. The DKA (short for Dominique’s Kouign Amann – or “butter cake”) was a little puff of heaven. It was so tender and flaky, with just the right amount of carmelized, crunchy crust surrounding the moist and butter-soaked inner pastry dough.

{Decisions, decisions…butter cake day one and the Nutella milk bread next}

These treats were some consolation when I realized there would be no time to stop by the Christian Louboutin store that we had passed the night before on the way home from dinner. Ah, well, can’t win ‘em all.