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All About Food

All About Food

Food is medicine: My 6 weeks of no alcohol and 30 days of vegetarianism

April 2, 2018
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Another 30-day challenge: DONE. Two challenges to be exact: being alcohol-free (for 6 weeks!) and eating a Lacto-ovo vegetarian diet (for a month). For those new to my 30-day challenges, I’ve decided to experiment with my food choices to see how it impacts my overall wellbeing. And I’ve been writing to share my experiences with you in hopes that these stories might inspire you to rethink what you’re putting into your body. Last time, I did my challenges simultaneously: no caffeine and no sugar. This time around, I decided to cut out alcohol first for two weeks before embarking on the vegetarianism challenge. That way I could see if one of the changes had a bigger, more-positive impact on my overall well-being versus the other. My assumption was that both of these changes would be good for me and that I’d feel better from both changes. I learned this wasn’t the case for me. Continue Reading…

All About Food

Food is medicine: My 30 days of no caffeine and no sugar

March 12, 2018
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“You are what you eat.” Food has a greater impact on your overall well-being than you might believe. I once heard Kevin Plan, CEO and founder of Under Armour say, “It’s absurd that you know more about your car than you know about your body”. That really struck a chord with me. If you think about it, it’s so true. You know what type of gas, the mileage, you know when you need to get the oil changed and a tune up. So why don’t we know all this about our bodies? Why don’t we take better care of ourselves by putting only the best kind of fuel into our bodies? After all, our bodies are like finely tuned vehicles. If you give it good fuel, it will take you places.  Continue Reading…

All About Food, Destinations: Europe

Four London Gems Fit for a Foodie

May 15, 2017
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Restaurants, food markets, and bars galore, London is indeed a true foodie paradise. In fact, the abundance of tasty treats also means that there is no shortage of “London top places to eat lists”. The question now is, where do you start? In lieu of listing out the top 100, 50 or even the top 20, I’ll make things simple for you: I’ll offer you my FOUR gems! Continue Reading…

All About Food, Destinations: North America

A Perfect Day in Sonoma: An Itinerary Fit for Even the Largest of Groups

April 24, 2017
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The weather is getting warmer and what better way to celebrate than with a trip up to wine country in California? You’ve Googled “best itinerary for wine country”, looked up reviews of different vineyards, asked friends for tips and recommendations and now have a list of dozens upon dozens of fantastic wineries in Napa and Sonoma to visit. Well that doesn’t help very much because you still have to figure out timing, distance between vineyards, where along the route you can have lunch, and which vineyards can take a larger group. Plus price might play a factor. Well fear not! Here is an itinerary created for a perfect day in Sonoma (especially if you’re planning a day for a larger group). Continue Reading…

All About Food, Destinations: North America

Mr. Holmes Bakehouse: The Cruffin Chronicles–Does it live up to the hype?

April 3, 2017
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Located on a nondescript block of Tenderloin in San Francisco, Mr. Holmes Bakehouse has become known as the home of the famous cruffin. What is a cruffin you ask? Imagine if a croissant and muffin had a baby. That’s a cruffin! This crispy pastry is dusted with sugar and filled with the daily flavor of pastry cream; anything ranging from Pineapple Cherry Rum or Tropical Fruit to S’mores or Snickerdoodle. Check @mrholmesbakehouse to find the weekly flavor updates.

Since it’s opening in November 2014, Mr. Holmes Bakeshop has induced cruffin enthusiasts from across the city to form lines around the block at the crack of dawn each morning in anticipation of acquiring a cruffin from the limited daily supply. As much as I’ve wanted to try this infamous cruffin, the long lines deterred me on multiple occasions. However, I finally made up my mind that the cruffin would be mine! Continue Reading…

All About Food, Destinations: Europe

Your Guide to the Best Food and Drink of Hamburg

March 14, 2017
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Most visits to Germany include Berlin or Munich in the itinerary while Hamburg is often overlooked. Hamburg, tucked away in northern Germany, is the country’s second largest city boasting a tremendous amount of history, beautiful architecture, water activities galore, and of course my favorite: delicious food and tasty beverages! So what’s the best of the best in Hamburg? Continue Reading…

All About Food, Destinations: Asia

Top Breakfast Brunch Spots in Tokyo

June 22, 2015
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Tokyo is well-known as a destination to find amazingly fresh sushi and tasty bowls of ramen. But what if you’re just plain tired of sushi and ramen and craving a western breakfast? What if you just want some eggs and pancakes? Given the strong gastronomic culture in Tokyo with the numerous Michelin-rated restaurants, it should come as no surprise that there are a number of mouth-watering western breakfast establishments in Tokyo. In fact, a quickly growing brunch craze has taken over many of Tokyo’s neighborhoods. Lines snake through back alleys and wind around the block at all hours of the day as hungry patrons await their turn to sink their teeth into a light fluffy pancake. Continue Reading…

All About Food, Destinations: North America

Breakfast at Mama’s on Washington Square – Is It Overhyped?

March 24, 2014
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The short answer to that question: Yes, it is overhyped. Not that the food isn’t good. But is the food amazing enough for me to wait hours like people often have to do to eat there? Definitely not. I also don’t agree that Mama’s is “the best breakfast in town” as quoted in a Time article on the San Francisco: 10 Things to Do. Mama’s has been serving up breakfast in the San Francisco North Beach area for over fifty years and is without a doubt a historical tourist landmark of sorts. But in my opinion, I think there are better brunch spots in San Francisco. In case you’re wondering, “Where in San Francisco could breakfast be better than Mama’s?!”: Check out my prior blog post on the Best Brunch Spots in San Francisco.

I digress. So what can you expect at Mama’s? Here’s a synopsis of my experience. 

Continue Reading…

All About Food

Foodie Trends: The Toast Craze

March 3, 2014
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$3-4 for a piece of toast?!! Seriously? …Yup! If you haven’t heard, which you probably haven’t unless you live in San Francisco, “Artisanal” Toast is becoming one of the latest foodie trends. Though I never jumped on the Cronut bandwagon (<GASP>! Shocker I know!!), this Toast craze definitely caught my eye. I first came upon the concept of “special” toast when 7×7 released their infamous “Big Eat” list for 2014. I scrolled through the list searching for something of interest when lo, and behold, #3: Cinnamon toast at Trouble Coffee called out to me with this picture:
Continue Reading…
All About Food, Destinations: North America

Best Brunch Spots in San Francisco

January 10, 2014
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Mmm brunch. What’s not to love about it? It’s the single meal that you can eat just about anything and get away with it. No longer does brunch just entail eggs, waffles, and pancakes. Now you can get brunch burritos, brunch sandwiches, and even brunch-style pizza! In a city like San Francisco, “brunching” is it’s own culture, requiring one to wake up early on a weekend, strategically select a brunch location, then patiently wait amongst the crowds in anticipation for the deliciousness that will soon satiate the hunger pangs and make the long lines worthwhile–though these lines are not always worth the wait. So which spots offer up a waiting-worthy brunch? Here are three of my all-time favorites!
Continue Reading…

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