On this last day of August and Black Business Month, I want to shout out The Sip, a black, female-owned bimonthly wine box subscription service.
Each box contains 2-3 top champagne or sparkling wines, a tasting guide, a custom gift, and credit towards full-size bottles.
Here is the box I received.
My box had a rosé theme
I loved my box. The tasting bottles were a decent size, and I shared all of them with my husband. We made a date night out of it! All the bottles I tasted were excellent, and the guides provided were super helpful. Check The Sip out and if you are looking for $10 off, use my referral link here.
Earlier this month, I was invited to a birthday party at the Marcia Favrot Gazebo Restoration, located behind the Garrison Institute. It is a chill spot with views of the Hudson and has an off-the-beaten-path vibe.
The gazebo is in the back of the Garrison Institute.Pretty big space but you would have to bring all chairs and anything you would need.An amazing view
If you are in the area, looking for a relaxing spot, check it out.
Last month, Andrew and I celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary at Sushi on Me. It’s a small place in Jackson Heights, Queens, with a cool speakeasy vibe. We enjoyed a 15-course omakase dinner with unlimited sake 😁.
When you arrive, they have you sit down at a table while they finish setting up, and then they move you over to the sushi bar. The bar only fits nine people, and they have four dine-in time slots (5 pm, 6:30 pm, 8 pm, and 9:30 pm).
We didn’t capture it all, but here are some pics of the food.
Overall, we had a fantastic experience. The staff and chefs were incredible, and all the sushi was fresh. The main highlight for me was watching them make the sushi right in front of me. Check it out if you can!!!
Like most holiday weekends, this past weekend just came and went. It was a low-key one, but I prefer low-key these days.
Friday, I got the best type of delivery. Crawfish!
10lbs of crawfish, to be exact, and they were still kicking.I made them nice and spicy for Andrew and me.I made them plain for Mom and Dad.In terms of entertainment, I finally watched Turning Red. It had its cringy moments for sure, but it was super cute.Saturday, I picked a bunch of goodies up. “A Place at the Table” was a curated box of desserts made by home bakers and professional chefs to honor Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Everything was delicious.On Memorial Day, Andrew and I enjoyed a local street fair.I had an overpriced lobster roll, but I had to have it.I found a vendor who made fruity drinks… with some alcohol and gave a free refill 🙌.Bad Habits was giving away free sushi samples. Overall, pretty awesome weekend. Looking forward to what this summer will bring.
As I mentioned in my last post, I was brainstorming ways to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. I came across an Instagram post about “A Place at the Table.” Which is a curated box filled with treats from experienced home bakers and professional chefs honoring their Asian heritage. Of course, I had to support it!
As an additional bonus, a portion of the sales is donated to Heart of Dinner, a nonprofit combating food insecurity and isolation within NYC’s elderly Asian American community.
Check out the beautiful packaging.
🤩
Check out the desserts.
Of course my favorite was the Filipino focused one, which was a Mango, Coconut and Sago piece (I may or may not be biased 😉).
😋
Here are the home bakers and chefs who participated (from top to bottom and left to right): Ying Ting Hu, Guadalupe Lucero, Andrew Cheng, Kimberly Camara, Ruth Li, Shirley Yu, Christine Yen, Joy Chu, Ayaka Ando, and Kelly Miao.
Pic via FromKora Instagram
Glad I was able to participate in and support this initiative. The box was a bit pricey ($75, $82 with tax), but it was well worth it! I would love to see more collaborations like this in the future.
Two weeks ago, I attended my first ‘Eat Something New in Queens’ meet-up at Hug Esan, a Thai restaurant in Elmhurst.
I had such a great time. It was a date night/food adventure/reunion kind of night. An old friend from high school, small world, planned the event, and Andrew and I got to venture out, try new things, and meet new people.
Everything was amazing! Here is what we ate.
Pork Spring RollsBamboo Larb Salad- *the spiciest dishCrispy Pork BellyTom Zabb- spicy and sour soup with spare ribs and various mushrooms *my favoriteEsan Pork SausageChive DumplingsMoo Num Tok- sliced pork salad with rice powderLarb Pla- fried fish with herbs in a sweet and spicy sauce *the most exciting dishSom Tum Thai- papaya saladCoconut Ice CreamThai Coconut Pudding
In March, I took part in the ‘Eat Something New in Queens’ Challenge. The purpose was to step out of your comfort zone, try new restaurants and food, and support local restaurants around Queens. Although I took a little staycation during the challenge, I still tried to participate. All the food I tried was excellent!
Here are the restaurants I tried.
Nneji is a West African spot in Astoria. It’s more a pickup type of place but has fantastic food. Don’t feel shy and ask the owner for recommendations on what to eat.
Harissa Chicken with Jollof RiceSpicy Goat Stew with Okra and Tomato – was definitely spicy!
Coco Malaysian Cuisine in Elmhurst.
Golden Fried ChickenCoco House Special Fried RiceChow Kueh Teow NoodlesFried Squid with Fresh Mango
I’m half Filipino, so Filipino food is life, but I did find a new dish I had never had before at Kabayan Authentic Filipino Cuisine in Woodside.
Binagoongan Rice (Fried rice with shrimp paste, mango, and scallions)
My family stayed at the TWA Hotel in JFK, in Jamaica, during the challenge (more on the hotel in another post), but we still tried some great food.
Yardie Bistro was in the food court area of the hotel.
Brown Stew ChickenJerk ChickenBeef Patty
Splurged a little at the Paris Cafe by Jean-Georges. It was well worth it!
Crispy Salmon SushiBurrata and CranberryCream of Tomato SoupBlack Truffle Pizza with Egg
I had a blast trying all the food. The challenge has an awesome Facebook group page that offers food ideas and recommendations year round. If you love food and live in Queens, or don’t mind traveling to the borough, join the group!
It’s only fitting that on Earth Day, I would give a shout-out to my go-to park, Cunningham Park.
I have been going to Cunningham since I was a kid. Now my husband and I bring our daughter here all the time. The park has a great playground, space for sports, a path for running/walking, exercise equipment, and even a dog park.
The park also apparently has some walking/biking trails that I never knew about! I haven’t had a chance to explore those yet, but when I do, I’ll share my thoughts.
Here are some shots of little Maxine over the last few weeks.
Easter was a two-day adventure this year. My family and I dyed and decorated some eggs, had two yummy feasts, creative Easter basket ideas, and egg hunts.
Dying and decorating the eggs was a family affair! My mom was in charge of the dye, but we all pitched in decorating the eggs with stickers.
Dying some eggsFinished product
Saturday night we had our big feast.
Leg of lambLamb, potatoes, mixed vegetables, and sweet potatoes
I got my daughter a Slumberkins Unicorn basket, and I got my husband and me a little planter that Maxine could also enjoy. She could watch the veggies grow before her eyes. She is still small, but I think she’ll still enjoy it.
Lastly, and my favorite, the egg hunts. I did two, one indoors at my Mom and Dad’s place on Saturday and another outside at my in-laws. Maxine had a blast!
A bit chilly today, but Andrew and I made a trip to Flushing Meadows Park in Queens to enjoy the Cherry Blossoms. There are many Cherry Blossoms in my neighborhood in Astoria, but there is something about seeing them grouped together that is quite magical. Also, it filled my heart to see Maxine enjoying the park. Here are some of my favorite shots.
The Casual Explorer 