Devocion, Manhattan NYC

I love going to cafes to do work, catch-up with old friends, journal, or sit around to kill time. I recently moved to New York, so I’ve been looking for a new go to weekend cafe for all the above events. Here’s Manhattan’s Devocion.

I arrived around 9:30 a.m. and was able to easily snag a seat. The cafe did start to get a bit more crowded as we got closer to noon but the noise level stayed moderate.

The only down is that there isn’t wifi on the weekends, but if you’re coming in to work on a paper, catch-up with friends, or want a good cup of coffee (it’s seriously so good!), this is a great go to cafe.

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London 2018 Travels

What a blessing to be able to travel and work for an organization that gives you enough days to go on vacation too.

I’ve always wanted to visit London, so when I finally had the privilege to do so, it felt like someone stamped me right into a movie. I’ve only seen the streets of London and its architecture on screen and in print, so it felt surreal to be here in person.

There’s still so much left for me to see, so I will be back, UK.

Maggie Jones's, London UK

We came across this quaint, cozy restaurant at Maggie Jones’s during our London Travels.

The Fish & Chips were the winner at this restaurant. The food was average but I’d come back here for the ambiance. It’s a great place for those intimate date nights to a casual classy dinner outing with friends or colleagues.

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Shoryu Ramen, London UK

I know, you’re probably wondering why in the world I’d eat Ramen while traveling abroad, but we were hungry and this spot looked cozy, so we decided to step into Shoryu Ramen and this place did not disappoint.

I did a bit more research on this restaurant after I got home and it looks like Shoryu Ramen has multiple chains in the UK and one spot in Japan. Their Executive Chef was born in Hakata, so he wanted to bring their Hakata Tonkotsu ramen to the UK. I highly recommend this ramen shop if you’re in the UK.

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Little Italy Pizza, NYC

We all have those night when we’re starving, craving something greasy, carb heavy, and hoping for a quick food delivery. I was debating whether I wanted to even write about this place because it was a disappointing meal, but felt like I had to write about it to remind myself how this meal went.

I’ll keep this short.

We got garlic bread and pepperoni/mushroom pizza. There was something off about their dough. It was fully cooked but felt thick and a little stale. Their garlic bread was disappointing too. I most likely will not order from this place again.

That’s all for Little Italy Pizza.

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Good Thanks, NYC

You know I love a good brunch spot. A friend and I stopped by Good Thanks NYC on a late Saturday morning.

The place got crowded pretty quickly and people were lining up to get a seat, so make sure you get there a little early if you’re planning to stop by this bright-cozy brunch spot.

They have “small” “medium” and “large” eat options on their menu. We ordered off their medium eats section, but I plan to come back to try their Banana Bread and House Made Granola from their small eats and the Good Morning bowl from their large eats.

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Atlantis Resort, Nassau Bahamas

I was going through old photos and cleaning up some folders, and came across these memories.

This was taken in 2014 during my college spring break trip with friends. We stayed at Atlantis, where we got to enjoy the waterpark, fall asleep by the beach, and just bask in the warm sun and escape from college.

This resort is all age appropriate and family friendly. They have a wide variety of hotel/price selection. We ended up staying at the cheapest hotel at the resort, where (not surprised) all the other college kids were staying at, so it did get a little loud at night with other people blasting music at times. Parents/adults/anyone trying to avoid college kids, either stay at a higher end hotel or avoid the college spring break period.

P.S. I don’t gamble, but for those who do, they have a Casino in the resort.

Someone, take me back to paradise.

City Perch Kitchen & Bar, MD

City Perch Kitchen & Bar in Pike & Rose, North Bethesda, MD, started becoming my go to brunch spot on Sunday.

The serving sizes are generous, they have Mimosas, Bellini, and Bloody Mary for those brunching and drinking fans. There’s easy parking and a restaurant with nice ambiance to catch-up with friends.

Yong Su San, Korean Cuisine in Korea

On our last day in Korea, we decided to let our bodies rest and sleep in a bit. We met up with my Aunt and Uncle at Yong Su San for some good traditional Korea food from the Koryo Dynasty. 

We ended up doing the lunch set menu so we could taste a little bit of everything, and I highly recommend that you do too if you ever make your way over here. 

The food was fresh, it was filling but didn't make you feel heavy at the end of the meal, and the ambiance of this restaurant was sophisticated but not to the point you felt like you had to dress up to eat here. I honestly don’t have any negative comments.

I highly recommend that you check this place out if you want good Korea traditional food. Even the staff were accustomed to people taking photos of their meal, so they were exceptionally patient and understanding.

Huge shoutout to my Aunt and Uncle for finding this spot and treating us to this delicious meal! 

Monalisa, Italian Restaurant - Itaewon, Seoul

While my friends and I were walking around Itaewon trying to find a place to eat, we randomly picked Monalisa.

Even though I was mentally prepared for the food to be Korean-influenced, what I ended up tasting was something I was not prepared for. 

Okay, so this is what I really wanted to talk about: two pizza dishes. I already mentally prepared myself that Korean pizza (or just Italian food in general) would be sweet, but this pizza was something I was not ready for.

They added the cheese and meat on this pastry-like-bread making the food taste 10 times sweeter. I kept eating it because I couldn't tell whether I liked it or not. The verdict? I did not like it and I thought it was really odd!

First time for everything though, right? 

Day 3 & 4: Shopping Day at Meyongdong

I actually don't have a lot of photo for day 3 since we spent most of the day shopping at a Lotte Department store and at Meyongdong (you have to check out Stylenanda's interior (link here) when you visit).

We had lunch a Lotte's food court since they have a grand selection and before that, we walked around Namdemun market. 

At night, we decided to venture out to Sinchon to grab drinks with my friends, but because I didn't bring my camera out with me, we just used our phones to capture film for my vlog

On day 4, we decided to hangout in Gangnam. If you're looking for a fun photo-opp spot and good Korean make-up, check out Jung Saem Mool's store. 

 

Day 2: Nami Island & Petite France

Hello, Day 2! We went to Namiseom IslandPetite France, and lunch at this random dak-galbi (닭갈비) place for lunch.

To get to Namiseom from Seoul, you'll have to reserve an ITX tickets and get off at Gapyeong station, then take a cab or bus to the ferry station, and then finally make your way over to Namiseom.  

To get to Petite France, once you head back to the mainland from Namiseom, you can either take a bus or taxi. There isn't much to do there, but if you're a huge kdrama fan and you want cute photos, then it might be worth stopping by.

P.S. I highly recommend that you rent out a bike when you're at Namiseom. I promise you won't regret it and it'll make the trip 10 times better. 

Day 1 in Korea: Gyeongbokgung Palace (경복궁)

I still can't believe this trip happened.

One of the friends who I went on this trip with and I have been singing about going to Korea ever since we met back in 2012. We jokingly talked about going to Korea in 2018 with my guy friend when he came to visit DC back in late 2017, so when we actually booked our flights and met up in Korea, it all felt surreal.

This whole trip still feels like it was a dream. 

I didn't take photos at every single location since I've blogged about it before/jet lag was really real on day 1, but here's how our first day played out: 

We started the day at Gyeongbokgung Palace and rented out a hanbok. They have shops at almost every corner in this area, so you shouldn't have any issues finding it. Admission to the palace was free since we were dressed up! 

We then walked over to Samcheong-dong (link here and here) which was about a 20 - 30 minute walk and ate at my favorite Sujaebi restaurant (link here). Although I wanted my friends to try out this amazing red bean soup (link here) next door to the Sujaebi restaurant, we were desperate for caffeine, so we decided to run to a cafe instead. 

We then walked around Bukchon village, made our way to insadong afterwards, and then crawled into bed and called it a night fairly early.

Amoos - Persian Restaurant in VA

A friend and I were in Virginia in the late afternoon and our original plan was to eat dinner back in DC, but because we were running behind schedule and our stomachs were getting hangry, we decided to change our plans and check out Amoos, a Persian fusion restaurant, in Virginia instead. 

The portion sizes are huge here! I was able to take almost half of my dish back home to eat for lunch the next day. The service was great, the staff were incredibly friendly, the ambiance of the restaurant wasn't too intimate but quiet and calm enough to comfortably talk with your party.

Would I come back? Absolutely.  

Antonio's, Tagaytay PH

I can't believe the last time I was here was back in 2016. Oh how time flies quickly! Alright, Antonio's, let's start our course: 

As always, Antonio's will not disappoint! Here's the link to my other Antonio's post I kept referencing in this post. 

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Hello, Korea 2k18!

Hello! I can't believe it's been over a month since I last posted. It's been a crazy past few months. I went from traveling to Korea, Philippines, back to DC, to having friends visit, and now packing up to get ready for a new move since my apartment lease is up. 

Safe to say, 2018 has been anything but dull and slow. Stay tuned for more food photos and blog posts from my trip back to the motherland. Until then, here's a quick preview of my travels with two good friends. 

Duke's Grocery Part 2, DC

Okay, so I know I've already posted about Duke's Grocery before (pt.1 here), but because I was craving their burgers since the last time I came here, I had to stop by again and do a second review to see if I still loved this place as much as I did the first time around. 

Overall, I'd still put this place at the top of my list for good burgers and mac and cheese in D.C., but only if I'm craving a non-traditional sweet burger. I still liked the sweet kick to the burger, but it's a taste I’d have to be in the mood for. I definitely left the restaurant feeling like I ate too much, but hey, it was a good meal and would still recommend this place to friends (with a slight caveat).

Ice Cream Puffles at Snowbots, MD

So, the first time I came here, I thought this place was pretty good, but it didn't leave me with a strong, "Oh my goodness, this place is amazing, I have to go back" reaction. I just remembered it as a fun place to go with a small group of friends for a photogenic ice cream. 

Coming back a second time, I realized why the flavors didn't stick out. It's because the waffle tasted like something I could make at home myself and top it off with store bought ice cream. If you're hoping to get the authentic HK egg waffles here, you will be disappointed.

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Cherry Blossom Season, D.C.

It's that time of the year again: allergy season - just kidding, cherry blossom season.

It’s the time of the year when everyone tries to catch the cherry blossoms at peak bloom, myself included. I come back every year and (usually) end up taking the similar photo shots, but despite the repetition, this is one view I'll never get sick of. It always reminds me how beautiful DC is and a great excuse to go on a mini photoshoot with friends.

Happy spring (even if it's below 40F right now as I'm writing this post)! 

Indian food at Bombay Bistro, MD

I feel like I always end up ordering the same dish whenever I come to an Indian restaurant, and maybe it's because I usually end up at an Indian restaurant with the same friend, but nonetheless, here's my trip to Bombay Bistro in Rockville Maryland. 

This place is a bit hard to get to from the city without a car. There is onsite parking, but because the restaurant is about mid-sized, I recommend trying to make a reservation or getting their early. My friend and I were able to miss the rush hour, but once it hit 7 p.m., people were waiting to get seated. 

Niwano Hana, Japanese Food MD

I've been exploring the Maryland food scene a bit more lately, so I decided to stop by Niwano Hana in Maryland. Okay, let's start. 

Overall, this wasn't my favorite restaurant. Their udon was too salty, I took a bite out of my friend's salmon roll and it wasn’t fresh. I'll have to do a bit more searching for affordable Japanese restaurants in the Maryland area.

This was my first and will be my last visit.

Plants at the Little Leaf, DC

I recently came across this cute shop, Little Leaf, around 14th Street, DC. I loved the vibe of the whole shop and although the space was pretty small, I felt like I could stay there for a while. 

They, of course, had different plants you could take home, books about plants, small home decor, cards, and more. If you're ever around 14th Street and you're looking to buy new plants, you should definitely stop by this place. 

The store owners were warm and extremely knowledgable, so they'll be able to help you out if you have any questions about plants and will encourage you to browse and take photos.

Manny & Olga's Pizza, DC

If you're ever craving pizza, especially if it's extremely late at night, Manny & Olga's just might be your go to spot here in DC. They have a few locations throughout the city.

It’s not the best pizza in town, but it's great for those late night munchies, or for a quick cheap late afternoon bite when you need something on the go too. 

Living life at your own pace

Over the last few years, I’ve encountered and met a lot of different people. People who are in different stages of their life than I am, people who are actively trying to switch their career paths, and people who are passionate about what they’re doing.

Everyone has their own story to tell, everyone is at a different stage in life, you too are at a different stage than I am.

I grew up hearing, “there’s always going to be someone better, smarter, and better looking than you.” Great motivation, huh?

If there’s someone who’s always better than I am, then what’s the point in trying? If there’s always going to be a stronger candidate with a stronger resume when applying for jobs, school, etc., then what’s the point?

You shouldn't live life comparing yourself to others. 

Instead of wishing you had their life and letting this drag you down, channel this energy to look straight ahead to run after your goals and dreams. Work hard and try to find work you're passionate about.

Don't know what you're passionate about?

Go put yourself out there, join different organizations, talk to people, and start to weave out what you like and don't. Figure out how you can mature so you'll be a better version of you tomorrow than you were today. Never lose that motivation and continue to challenge yourself. Success will eventually follow in its own time.

Everyone is at a different stage in their life 

Just because your peers are more successful than you are, this doesn’t mean you aren’t doing well for yourself. Just because they have a higher degree than you, this doesn't mean you should go back to school and try to get yours so you can be on par with them. Just because your peers are starting up their own company, this doesn't mean you have to do so as well.

You're moving at your own pace, and if you're truly giving your 100% and you’re doing work you believe in, then I believe that you’re headed towards the right direction, your direction.

You can't live life constantly comparing yourself to others, so instead, start thinking about the type of life you want to live and set-up a game plan on how you're going to get there. 

Oh, and don't be too hard on yourself if you move 2 steps forward and 5 steps back. When you fall, it’s okay to sit and rest for a bit, but when you’re ready, pick yourself back up and start climbing that mountain once again because once you get to the top, that view is going to be worth it. Never let go of that motivation of yours and please, never let laziness takeover your life.

You only have one life to live, so go make the most out of it.