Archive for September, 2006
Monday, September 18th, 2006
Yesterday, we went to Niagara Falls. As we were walking by the Skylon tower, we saw a sign that said "360 Degree Revolving Dining Room on top of Skylon Tower".
We were intrigued by the "revolving" part and decided to try it out.
Of course, to get up to the tower, you are first asked to pay the ticket that let you ride an elevator (known as the yellow beetle pod).
Once inside the dining room, we waited for about 15 minutes or so. The wait time wasn't bad since we had no reservations. There were two couples in front of us and it looked like everyone else walking in had reservations.
The "revolving" element translated into having a seat in the outer rotating circle of the floor. The restaurant seating floor plan wasn't the greatest. In the very outer circle (next to the window), they have a set of small tables for couples, then next to that, another set of small tables for couples. On the inner circle, they have bigger tables that can accomandate 4 to 6 people. Unfortunately, we were placed in the middle, so to our left, we had a table close to the window, to our right was the aisle then a bigger table. Being stuck in the narrow center wasn't very comfortable.
Imagine a big disc that rotates very slowly (an hour per 360 degrees maybe?). Put this big disc around the top of the tower, there you have the revolving dining room.
They have a few meal sets you can select: All American style. I wouldn't mind if they add in some Asian dishes. 
A copy of the "Specials" Menu can be found at http://www.skylon.com/revolve/early.html
My final take on this "revolving dining experience"? Pretty neat to check out, I wouldn't recommend it if you get dizzy easily because you will be eating while spinning in circles! (very slowly though) And make a reservation and ask for the table next to the window for the best scenary.
Good luck and let me know what you think!
BaoZi's Final Rating: 3 out 5
Posted in Restaurant Reviews | No Comments »
Thursday, September 14th, 2006
Nutritious congree. Great for breakfast. 
Posted in Soup and Congee | No Comments »
Thursday, September 14th, 2006
You can not claim that you know Chinese food without having tried these classic Steamed Buns!
The ones shown here came straight from a Chinese bakery inside the Asian supermarket. Many Asian grocery store chains have a small section reserved for food. These ones are two for a dollar! A great deal, don't you think? 
My mom knows how to make them from scratch. Personally, I think the ones she makes taste better. The ones made in the stores always taste funny…some of them are okay though, maybe it's some sort of special ingredient put in when they're made in large batches.
Try them!
Posted in Bread, Cookies and Cakes, Asian Pastry | No Comments »
Thursday, September 14th, 2006
*warning!* *warning!*These desserts are not the healthiest choices, but they're so delicious~
I like the fried sesame balls. (get the red bean ones…some bakeries also make them with coconut fillings, but I don't like those as much)
The Chinese Fried Donut (also known as Fried Dough) is good for breakfast. In China, many people have it along with soup for breakfast. The fried dough is my mom's favorite, strangely…I've never really liked it that much. 
If you like donuts and fried food in general, these desserts will taste heavenly for ya!
Posted in Bread, Cookies and Cakes, Asian Desserts and Sweets, Asian Pastry | 1 Comment »
Thursday, September 14th, 2006
I like tofu and love bean curd! This is one delicious dish, one of my favs.
Posted in Vegetable Dishes | No Comments »
Thursday, September 14th, 2006
Delicious shitake mushroom and chicken makes a perfect hearty dish~
My favorite part of this dish is the texture of the mushroom. Remember, you have to get Shitake mushrooms and not just any type of mushrooms. Shitake is one of the more expensive mushrooms and is usually only available in dried form in American Supermarkets. You will need to soak the dried mushrooms in water before cooking.
I would recommend eating this dish with white rice and only make them in small portions. The portion advice is important! I usually can eat the entire plate if served because the mushrooms are so soft and easy to chew. Of course, then I get this horrible stomache and feel bad for the rest of the night. ( I know…I need to learn self control when it comes to food.)
Posted in Vegetable Dishes, Meat Dishes | No Comments »
Wednesday, September 13th, 2006
My favorite dish of all times! 
Updated:
The cooking process is rather easy. What you have to do is skin a couple potatos, cut them into thin slices. Soak slices in water to get ride of some of the acidity. Then oil your frying pan, pour in the potato slices, add in some salt and vinegar. When the potatos turn soft but still a little bit crispy/crunchy, your perfect dish will be ready! *lots of starch and carbs, but its soooo worth it!*
Learn how to make it, when you can make it to perfection, let me know, we will be best buddies for life! 
Posted in Vegetable Dishes | No Comments »
Wednesday, September 13th, 2006
Big fan of squid? Don't miss this dish!
Posted in Seafood Dishes, Vegetable Dishes | No Comments »
Wednesday, September 13th, 2006
This is a classic Asian breakfast dish, I need to find out what the grain is called in this congee.
Super nutritious…excellent breakfast meals along with the pickled garlic eggplant as a side.
The congee is easy to prepare, the garlic eggplant, however, needs to be pickled for at least a week before it's ready to eat.
Chef Jiang will be here to provide more details.
Posted in Vegetable Dishes, Soup and Congee, Breakfast Sets | No Comments »
Tuesday, September 12th, 2006
There are few asians living in America who have not heard/tasted the wonderful Japanese snack named Pocky sticks!
The most classic pocky sticks are stick-shaped biscuits coated with a layer of chocolate….then came additional flavors such as strawberry, coconut, sesame, melon, green tea, etc, etc.
My favorites are the black sesame ones.
*hugs* Pocky *hugs*
P.S. They're too expensive for poor fresh-out-of college people like moi. Each box average about $2 to $3.
Posted in Snacks | No Comments »