Deep-fried Dough in Chicago: The Doughnut Vault

July 17, 2018.Reading time 4 minutes.

Indulging in fresh doughnuts at the Doughnut Vault, located in the River North neighborhood in the Windy City. Chicago has always been on my list of cities to explore in the U.S. So far, in every city I’ve visited, it has, without fail, rained or snowed during my trip. Chicago was no exception! On a […]

Dumpling Heaven: Din Tai Fung in Taiwan

July 17, 2018.Reading time 5 minutes.

Living out my foodie dreams with juicy XLB dumplings in Taipei at DTF! In March 2017, after quitting my job in corporate America, my family and I planned a three week country-hopping vacation. On the list: Taiwan, Japan and, lastly, my home country Vietnam. This was my first trip ever to the Asian continent and […]

Sidewalk Dining at È Tutto Qua – A little Italy in San Francisco, CA

July 13, 2018.Reading time 5 minutes.

In October 2015, my siblings planned a trip up to San Francisco, CA to support my sister who was competing in the Nike Half Marathon. The night before the race, we needed to find a place to carb her up and E’Tutto Qua seemed like the perfect place. Our only concern was the wait, so […]

Caravelle – My Last Brunch in Barcelona

July 12, 2018.Reading time 2 minutes.

After a wonderful trip with my sister to Barcelona, we absolutely had to get one last amazing meal before leaving. Caravelle was the lucky winner… but we ended up being the winners. We were seated within 10 minutes and it was prime brunch time. I noticed the crowd was a mix of tourists and locals, […]

Mama Lu’s Dumpling House – a Gem in the 626 Foodie Scene

June 28, 2018.Reading time 4 minutes.

Chinese Family-Style Eats in 626: Delicious, Cheap and Local at Mama Lu’s My parents are finally jumping on the Foodie wagon! One of the first gems they found was the original location for Mama Lu’s in Monterey Park, CA, and boy, was I glad I came to visit this weekend! We came in for dinner […]

Earth Day 2018: at the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve

May 28, 2018.Reading time 2 minutes.

For Earth Day this year, I decided to celebrate and get in touch with my local environment. I came by the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve to check out their Earth Day Event last weekend to learn more about the environmental ecology and to enjoy some educational festivities hosted by the Conservancy! Needless to say, the […]

2.3k feet of Pure Glute Gains – Tahquitz Peak

May 28, 2018.Reading time 4 minutes.

If you’re looking for a great hike within a couple hours drive of Los Angeles, definitely consider heading to Idyllwild! I decided to get away for a weekend and decided to tackle Tahquitz Peak along the Devil’s Slide Trail. According to AllTrails, this hike is considered Moderate. However, I’d say it’s moderate bordering strenuous. I […]

OC Foodie Events: Taste of Anaheim 2018 Review

May 28, 2018.Reading time 2 minutes.

What does Anaheim have to offer? Up until the Taste of Anaheim, I didn’t think much outside of Disneyland, but I was delighted by this tasting extravaganza! The event was hosted by the GardenWalk, a rarely busy shopping plaza which makes it perfect for Yelp and other local events. The event was located right in […]