Restaurant Review: Jean Philippe

I woke up this morning with one thing in my mind:  I'm fat.  Not only did I wake up extremely bloated from eating a whole package of Chinese pickled cabbage an hour before bedtime, but I had a dream about crepes.  LMAO!  Dreams are so odd.  Frankly I haven't had a single thought about crepes recently.  I don't know where the dream came from and what triggered it but what the hell, here goes a blog post about crepes!

There are three reasons why I love crepes:  simple, light and tasty.  They work like a slice of white bread that can be used to make french toast or a delicious sandwich.  To create a savory crepe, wrap it around some meat and veggies.  To create a dessert crepe, top it with some chocolate syrup, fruits or ice cream!  The good part is they are so simple to make.  The bad part is, there is no bad part!  Try it out with this recipe!

One of the best crepes I've had was from Jean Philippe Patisserie at the Bellagio Hotel in Vegas.  It wasn't an extensive menu so it didn't require much time to come up with my savory crepe and dessert crepe of choice.

We arrived at the Patisserie and was automatically hit with the lovely scent of crepe

While waiting in line, we enjoyed the view of stacked croissants (I picked up one the next morning!) ...

and the many other applications of phyllo dough

Ooh what's in this wonderfully boxed present?

My savory turkey crepe with a side salad!

Believe it or not we came here for breakfast but couldn't resist the sound of a dessert crepe with coconut ice cream!  It was topped with warm mango and paired with a memorable cup of hot coffee.  It was divine!

Pretty stirrer too!

It makes clear sense to me now why I would dream of crepes.  Time to visit a creperie in New York!

Uber Sour

Ever wonder why some children can have such a strong tolerance for sour candy?  Do they enjoy the sour or the instant sweet that comes after?  Or is it the combination of both?  Now, do you gradually build a tolerance for this taste the more you eat sour foods?  It's such a funny thing because as a kid I've always loved snacking on sour patch kids and sour straws/tapes.  These candies never fail in getting you to suck in your cheeks and tighten your lips, but we still find them to be so enjoyable to eat!  Sweet & sour is undoubtedly a perfect combo!

Likewise, savory and sour pairs together well also!  I picked up several packs of sour cabbage at the Chinese supermarket and have been using them to stir fry with flank steak.  I normally find restaurant dishes with several strips of sour cabbage either in noodles or a meat dish, but to avoid having to store the remaining unused cabbage, I decided to OD on it and dump in the entire package.  This left me wondering whether I have such a high tolerance for my uber sour dish because I've eaten sour as a child.  On the other hand, my boyfriend found the sour overpowering and gave me the rest of his uneaten cabbage.  Poor thing.  I still loved my dish!

Mondo Fashion

I finally had spare time set aside to sit down and enjoy the finale of Project Runway All Stars, one of my all-time favorite shows.  I am just so thrilled to see what Neiman Marcus has in store for Mondo's clothing line.  I've been rooting for Mondo ever since his first season.  He just works his magic and almost always presents something exceptionally unique on stage.  He's so good with patterns!  A pattern by itself can make a bold statement.  Who ever knew patterns can go on top of patterns and come out looking stunning?  Well, Mondo is certainly the master at that and I am so excited to be wearing his clothing.  So anxious!  I was disappointed when he lost his first season to someone whom I felt didn't even deserve to win ... but the only reason why he lost was because something WAY BETTER was waiting for him.  Congratulations Mondo!!

Here are a few of my favorite pieces by Mondo from Season 8 and All Stars:

Love the skirt but LOVE the polka dot sleeves more!

Love the effect of the V's

Chinese Breakfast for Dinner?

I made glutinous rice with dried shrimp, shiitake mushrooms, Chinese sausages and scallions for dinner!  This is a common dim sum dish, but I've decided to have it for dinner.  So if you're ever craving for "Law Mai Fon" go ahead and take a shot at this.  It was easy to make and very delish!  Recipe used can be found here.

Hermes Birkin Alternatives

Just like everybody else, I absolutely adore the Hermes Birkin tote.  Celebrities can own one in just about every color without denting their wallets, whereas people like us can only dream of carrying one.  Have no fear!  There are so many cheaper alternatives out there that are still classy and chic.

I opted for this Tribeca leather tote by Calvin Klein.  It retails for about $300 but I snatched it on eBay, brand new, for less than $100.  Definitely one of my best finds yet!

 

You may also go with this tote by Michael Kors, which retails for about $300 as well.  The only thing that turns me off about this tote is the imitation lock on it.  It really serves no purpose other than adding some extra weight to an already heavy bag, or a to-be heavy bag.  If I had to choose, I'd go with the jelly one, which I find much cuter.  It's so vibrant and makes a perfect summer bag!

Cole Haan may be a wee bit pricier, but they've got a handful of nice totes also! They're definitely worth the money because their products are made of fine quality.

Now if you're really broke and want to have some fun, you may opt for this canvas tote by Thursday Friday.  They come in Balenciaga too!  LOL.  I might actually grab myself one just to satisfy my desire to own one.  With a squint of the eyes, nobody would be able to tell!

Birthday with a Foodie Girlfriend!

It was my boyfriend's birthday a few days ago, a good excuse to eat!! The fatty foodie girlfriend that I am ensured that his birthday was loaded with food! Because his bday fell on a weekday and we were both exhausted from work, we decided to celebrate on the weekend. Ofcourse, with the fat mindset that I have, I'm not going to let the night of his actual bday pass without some cake and take-out! Living Social coincidentally had a deal @ Haagen Dazs a couple of days before his bday: $15 for $30 ice cream cake! I had no clue that I can custom order a cake =( so I grabbed one that was readily made. Fortunately it was still good, with chocolate, strawberry and vanilla flavors, topped with frozen strawberries and Oreos. They also gave me a $5 gift card so I'm gonna order myself a coffee & chocolate cake next time! Woohoo

Came in a nice big box!

Looks like it's missing an Oreo ... or was it stolen? >=)

As for the take-out, I grabbed some grilled chicken over rice at Paris Sandwich, one of my favorite food spots in Chinatown!  They make the best chicken over the best short grain rice!  Oh, can't forget their green tea waffles ... delish!  They raised the price from a buck to $1.25, but still worth it!

They sure give a lot of chicken!

And as for the weekend celebration, we celebrated at Bayridge Sushi in Brooklyn.  Yes, yes, I know ... it was another coupon from Living Social.  I'm frugal, what can I say?  Anywho, we use to go to their old location once in a while for their all-you-can eat sushi.  We never made time for it ever since they moved to their new spot, so it was kind of nice eating at this roomier, romantic and hipper restaurant.  The fresh sashimi I ordered left me speechless because it was so buttery and melts-in-your-mouth!  My boyfriend ordered an udon noodle soup, which came in a bowl that I am on the lookout for!  I need to own that bowl!

Where can I get this bowl?

Eel avocado roll with oyster tempura roll

My entree: Sashimi with brown rice

Yeah so that was an extended birthday celebration with lots of food.  That's for being with a fatty foodie girlfriend!

Chef Paul

I know it's been a week since Top Chef Season 9 finale aired, but damn am I happy for Paul! I would be lying if I said that it has nothing to do with him being Asian, but I do have to say, he's got some major culinary talent! His dishes were so innovative and the Asian themed dishes for the finale had me salivating, especially the coconut ice cream!  So yay to Paul! Have to admit though that I've had the hots for Chris Crary all along ... hahaha. He's just so "pretty" like Grayson would say!

Baby Blue Obsession!!

OH EM GEE! I've always been hugely obsessed with light shades of blue (baby blue, pastel blue, sky blue, whatever you want to call it!). The feeling baby blue gives me is indescribable. It's almost as powerful as sitting by the water, under a clear blue sky. So serene and calming. When faced with a purchase of an item that comes in multiple colors, I almost always go with baby blue, if available. The only reason why I don't is the fact that I own way too many baby blue items!  For some variety, I am forced to go with something else =(.

For this reason, I absolutely love Martha Stewart's kitchen collection. Those of you who have taken a stroll through Macy's cellar know exactly what I am talking about! She has food processors, blenders, baking mats, cutting boards, colanders, mixing bowls, etc in light shades of blue!  The color is so pleasing to the eye!  Just imagine being able to cook and bake with them!

The main reason why I am dedicating this post to Martha Stewart is because she just premiered her Office Collection at Staples!  OH EM GEE!  I am so excited to make my first purchase of her baby blue office item.  This is troubling because my dream room (office or bed room, which?) will contain baby blue painted walls ... what the hell am I gonna do with all these same colored items?

Just adorable...

I am overly hooked.  Help!