Seriously the best organized, detail-oriented festival I've ever attended...my mind has been blown. #1 fan of the event planners/organizers! Teach me please! Anyway, here's a short video highlighting the beautiful venue and production! There will be more footage in my July diary. Enjoy these amazing features through my eyes! :)
Since I didn't do any traveling last April due to Coachella, I've decided to write this month's foodie post on Seattle! Seems like it's been a popular travel spot and lucky for me, my dearest brother goes to college near there! So lots of opportunities to visit over the next few years...so to be updated I guess? Haha..here's a few recommendations from my visit back when he first started college! Enjoy! :)
This place typically has a pretty long line, so I'd go at off hours or theres a secondary location here (although it might not be as good).
Lobster rolls and chowder sampler!
This place is just around the corner from Pike place! I'm a huge fan of ginger beer, so this was perfect to sip on while we strolled around. Oh, and it's non-alcoholic...
I'm a HUGE fan of sweets, so this place was a must for me. I love handmade ice cream and this place does it oh-so-well!!
If you love sushi, this is the place to be. It's supposed to be a sister store of Jiro's in Japan. I was skeptical, but was pleasantly surprised! The fish is very fresh and everything is prepared well. Must get sashimi!!
Their portions are quite small, but decent for sharing. We ordered a few small plates and fried ice cream for dessert! :)
So fresh and delicious!
This place is a bit hard to find, but trust the map and walk to the location. It's located inside a cafe, but once you're near it, you can't miss it! We came here for brunch and it was definitely the super hip. Hilarious decorations/menu, I loved it! Made the restaurant more unique and definitely brought character. The food is your standard breakfast menu, but with a little twist!
VERY unique menu..:P
This gave me a good laugh! :D
Food aside, I'd recommend checking out the #basic things like Space Needle, the Public Market with the disgusting gum wall, and I really enjoyed just walking around downtown...while it spontaneously rains without warning...umbrellaless...because apparently people frown on you for having an umbrella there..
One year ago, my friends and I traveled to Miami for UMF. We were lucky enough to get an Airbnb right across the street from the venue and conveniently downtown. We got to walk around a lot and tryout the local restaurants! Some were found through Yelp and some were just kind've stumbled upon. These will probably ideal recommendations for the people going this year as these are all somewhat close to the venue. Peruvian food is definitely the way to go in Miami, especially if you're a meat lover! Check out our foodie adventure! :)
One of the most authentic Ceviche I've ever had! Definitely a hidden gem!
We came here on our first night for our first group dinner. There's a bar on the first floor to wait and chill before you get seated. The food definitely hit the spot, the ambiance is very hipster and a great place for all the meat lovers!!
A meat sampler platter! Super good!
If you're craving for some asian food, this place got you covered. It came off very asian fusion to me, but had pretty good presentation!
If you're looking for a nice bar/lounge to hangout for awhile, this is the spot! It's a bit out of downtown, but has quite a large selection of beers and wine. Check out some of their food items!
This was a random place we selected for dinner. We thought it was quite interesting how they had thai and sushi in one...so we just stuck to Thai food. It was decent, but nothing spectacular.
And that concludes our foodie adventures in Miami!! Stay safe and have fun to everyone going this weekend!! :)
Continuing my reflection of last year's trips...here's another foodie journey on my NYC trip last February! It was definitely one of my favorite trips and had some of the best food. Shout out to our wonderful friend, Tanner for hosting us and making Yvonne and I feel super comfortable at home...even when it's just playing Mexican Train on a rainy day! :) Enjoy!
This was a quick stop for us while we were walking around. I actually really enjoyed this hole-in-the-wall! I got the short rib sandwich and Yvonne got the chicken. We both really enjoyed it!
What a simple, yet sweet idea! (excuse that squished blueberry ;P)
We also got to explore a ton of bars, started with Death & Co! :)
I loved this Matcha!
Very chill and intimate spot!
This was one of my favorite places! The dishes were all so unique and flavorful, would definitely recommend coming here if you're near Little Italy!
Hands down one of my favorite steak places!! It's comparable to Alexander's, but still better in my opinion (Excuse the poor quality in photos...super dark inside).
Rooftop bar with an amazing view of H&M ;)
Best Earl Gray Cocktail I've ever had!
Delicious soba noodles in hot dipping broth! Super good, but quite heavy on the stomach. Probably what New Yorkers need to stay warm!
I'm a huge fan of salty/sweet things, so this was amazing to me! I got the pretzel because they ran out of cereal, but still good!
We were shopping near Chelsea and needed a snack before our late dinner reservation. This was the perfect filler meal! We shared a chicken and waffles.
We were lucky to get a reservation very last minute, so definitely make one if you know you're coming here! I've heard so many people rave about this, so I had to try it for myself. We got a dinner for two between three people and it was perfect! They barely season it, but I must admit, the meat is divine!! Definitely check this place out if you're in NY!!
This was probably the most fancy Lox bagel I've ever had. It was definitely good, but I wouldn't say it's worth the price (maybe worth the presentation).
This is Tiffany's favorite cookie spot! And being a cookie fanatic, we had to trust her and go! Literally just two words, MUST TRY!
Our last dinner in NY with some new, now old friend(s)! A cute tapas-styled place with portions big enough to share!
So glad we got to make a stop here before heading home! Definitely my favorite egg tart place now!! They have various flavors like egg white, matcha, papaya, etc..
A cute brunch spot, but nothing really spectacular. I did enjoy the blueberry pancakes though!
And that's a wrap! I know what you're thinking...did we just eat this whole trip? Well...probably majority of the trip haha, but we definitely did some exploring as well! Definitely recommend checking out the 911 Memorial, Central Park, and highly recommend checking out a musical or play! We watched Wicked and it was wicked good!! :)
2016 was definitely a travel-filled year for me. I had the privilege of traveling almost on a monthly basis. I've put a pause on traveling for the time being as I've decided to focus on reflection this year, but made it a personal project to blog about the trip I took in the same month back in 2016. One year ago today, I took a trip to New Orleans...or NOLA. It was nothing short of amazing! Everyone was so friendly there, definitely felt the southern hospitality. The highlight of the trip was definitely all the amazing food we had! Since a lot of my friends seem to have Nola on their itinerary this year, I've decided to put together a food post! Caution: don't read this hungry!! :)
This was the first place we tried since it had lots of reviews and high ratings! We went around 9pm and it looked like there was a line, but we waited merely 5 minutes before we got seated. We tried a variety of dishes and the one thing that stood out to me was their Chargrilled oysters, must get!!!
Chargrilled oysters! After getting this at pretty much every restaurant we go to, I still think ACME does this best!
Peche would definitely be my favorite pick! Every dish was delicious and we even wanted to come back for a second time before we left. Their oysters were so fresh compared to all the other restaurants and the quality of every dish was evidently there. I love tapas-styled restaurants and this place has generous sharing portions!
Fresh oysters with amazing sauces! :)
If you're feeling adventurous or like trying exotic food, this would be an ideal spot for you. The menu items range from Alligator bites to Rabbit dumplings. Nola is known for their alligator meat and this place definitely nailed it!
Fried Alligator with chili garlic mayonnaise!
This was a fun little place near the French Quarters. They make various hot dogs out of alligator meat!
An inevitable stop as it is one of the most famous "touristy" cafes in Nola. Beignets on beignets!!
We really missed asian food, so we ventured over to this asian fusion restaurant a little outside the city. The pho and rice plates were surprisingly decent, but our favorite was the unique clam entree topped with doughnut sticks!
The ambience here is amazing, especially during Sunset! :)
Brussel sprouts were so delicious!!
Pigs ear! :)
We came here for brunch during one of the Mardi Gras parades and was skeptical at first due to the emptiness, but left pleasantly fulfilled! This place is a bit pricier, which may explain the lack of people. However, everyone was satisfied with their dish and the service was spectacular! Perfect brunch spot!
We didn't plan to come here, but was just in the area and got hungry. This place has a lot of southern food like gumbo and jambalaya. Everything was alright to me, but the bread pudding was to die for!!
Free appetizer if you check in on yelp! :)
Bread pudding!! <3
This was another highly rated place on Yelp that we wanted to try. I recommend making a reservation before going. We decided to wing it on our last day there and waited around 1-2 hours. The place is quite fancy (they have a dress code) and obviously pricey (although they do have 25 cent martinis! Limit 2/person). I definitely liked the experience and the ambience, but thought the food was quite salty and average. The inside is huge and absolutely gorgeous, the staff is also very tentative. I'd only recommend coming here for the experience.
Besides the food, I really enjoyed the Ghost Adventures tour at night! We also got to go on a swamp tour, but I wouldn't recommend it unless you really want to see swamps and baby alligators. It's an hour around the swamps and gets really chilly, so definitely bring an extra jacket if you do go! Enjoy this last picture from the swamp tour! I hope this post will provide some sort of guidance for you foodies out there! P.S. I only had my handy old iPhone with me on this trip, hence the poor quality photos, but hope my purpose carries through anyway! :)
I really enjoy living in central time. It felt like I was ahead of the world in a way..or at least my world. This week has been a huge rollercoaster ride for me. Between working remotely and volunteering for Hillary's campaign, I also had to figure out housing as I'm about to sign my first lease in my adulthood! But as I reflect on this past week, it was worth every single minute!
Let me just start by saying that EVERYONE, literally everyone I met here has been fantastic! When you talk to people here, you really get to understand their heart. People keep it real here and they don't have time to BS you. I've really been trying to figure out how they do that. How do they keep it so real, but remain kind as the same time? It's honestly a character I aspire to have. I can see myself loving it here and settling down in a place like this. I value the quality of the people and town more than what's "wealthier" or "ranked higher in the nation". People here are genuinely happy and you really can't say that about Bay Area.
The community here is great. Everyone knows each other in town and helps each other out. You can literally drive around with a local and they can tell you everything about each house, shop, or person! I love it! Check out our amazing time in Iowa below! :)
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First time trying out vlogging!! Thankful for a great travel fam. You can follow our travel pictures on IG with #ratchetroundtheworld
Definitely turned up in part 2 and had major struggles. I don't know how Koreans do it! They typically come out and start partying around 12am and even at 6am, the streets are filled with people. Apparently, everyone goes home around 8-9am...and then goes into work at noon? What a different culture! I definitely appreciate the norm (or what appears to be normal for us) here. Out of all the countries I've visited in Asia, Korea takes the crown for the most consistently ratchet lifestyle. Anyway, hope these videos take you back in time to experience Seoul with us!! :)
Before coming to Austin, we had already planned to spend one of our mornings waiting in line for Franklin BBQ. So after a night of partying on 6th Street, we forced ourselves up at 7am and zombied over to wait in line. The wait was actually not too bad for most of us since we just took a nice, long 4h nap there lol. We got lucky because we were probably the last large group to get lawn chairs that were provided by the owners. Everyone there was very prepared to wait. People were poppin' champagne, brought chairs of their own, and infused with their own entertainment. I'd say we got pretty lucky with our timing and place in line. Around 9-10am, the owner came out to take orders and commented that he really appreciated the "relaxation over here". Can you imagine a group of girls in lawn chairs, all passed out in sunglasses? Yes, that was us! Anyway, finally lined up around 11am and got our food around 12:30pm or so! Was it worth it? Yes, but never again...
This was enough to feed 7 people!!
Super cool graffiti walls everywhere! I especially liked this saying. #truth
After our long nap in line, we felt refreshed and ready to explore! We decided to be basic and get some spray paint for the graffiti park (HOPE Outdoor Gallery). It was super cool, except it started pouring right when we got there. You can't tell in pictures, but it was HUGE struggles! Regardless, we had a lot of fun!!
After running around in mud, we decided to grab a snack and then head to Rainey Street for the remainder of our Sunday! Off to Churro Co!
So delicious! The warm churro was perfect with the cold ice cream! :)
Welcome to Rainey Street!! This sign was especially cool for us to see since all of us are from UC Davis!! Woo!
First stop on Rainey Street: Banger's! They had amazing beer selections! We decided to just eat dinner here and shared a few appetizers. I thought the Bulgogi Sausage was very unique! If you like asian fusion, you'll definitely enjoy this dish! Mac n cheese was bomb (and super cute presentation too - super important)!!
2nd stop: Bungalow! I don't think we did anything here other than camera whore with the "i hate you so much" wall lol.
Went next door where we found these yummy wings! Tommy Want Wingy is a popular food truck located inside a bar and I honestly don't know how they get that shape, but it was so good! Loved the spicy one!!
We thought it was cool how Austin had In n out and Shake Shack, but we couldn't leave without trying Whataburger! Our Fasten driver (yes, there's no Uber or Lyft in Austin) was so kind! And even paused the ride while he took us through the drive-thru! I thought it tasted like Burger King, but apparently the fries is where it's at! Even though it was average, it's a nice place to grab food after a night out (it is 24h)!
Our last day in Austin! We checked out of our hotel and sped off to finish everything on our check-list! And of course, starting our day with brunch! We chose to come to South Congress Cafe on a Monday to avoid lines!
First of all, I just want to say...YUM!! They had one of the best "free breads" I've ever had! It was warm, but crispy..and that spread!! mmm!
Crab Cake and quiche eggs Benedict! I wasn't really used to their quiche styled egg, but still delicious!
With only a few hours left, we decided to head to Rudy's BBQ since one of my friends highly recommended it. And after trying it, I'd have to say...I really don't understand why Franklin is so much better. If anything, most of us agreed that Rudy's may be better if anything (and no wait!). I guess it's just personal preference!
We were so full from brunch that we got this for the 6 of us to share and it was perfect! Their creamed corn was the best I've ever had!!
After arriving at the airport, we found out our flight got delayed for a few hours (bummer)...but we got to explore some more local joints at the airport! We got to try Amy's Ice Creams and Salt Lick (yes, i know...aren't we sick of BBQ yet? Yes, very!! But we had to try it before we leave).
Salt Lick is definitely one of the sauciest BBQ places!
I got Strawberry, but their Mexican Vanilla was super unique!
Overall, we had an amazing time! Besides the constant rain, we still had a blast! We made the most out of each situation and I couldn't have asked for a better group of girls to go travel with. So much love for you guys! Peace out, Austin!! I'll definitely be back again!!!! If you want to experience our trip in 3D, check out the video in Part 1! :)
