Brrrrr...back in NYC!

I survived my first semester of law school (with only mild bruising it seems) and am back in the frosty weather of the east coast. Fingers crossed that the sleep deprivation and hours spent at Starbucks studying these past three weeks will bear positive results--- hopefully in the form of reasonable grades that will land me some sort of summer internship. I ended the semester with a bang by celebrating Jeff and Bonnie's bday at Chocolate. It was a fictional characters theme with lots of fun, laughter, yummy treats, and libations. I've posted some pics below from our fancy dress soiree and promise to update with my latest epicurean discoveries later on this month when I've settled back into Boston and will inevitably be bored haha.



Group Photo at the party venue, Chocolate in Lan Kwai Fong


Sailormoon and Alice in Wonderland (aka, Justine, my partner in crime in HK!)


Sailormoon, Edward Cullen, and one bootiful Pirate!

One down, four to go...

Well, not really one down but halfway done with my first take home exam =) I think the last time I had a take home, I was 18 and it was for my Medieval History class, which is in many ways, reflective of my current exam where my first task is to examine the historical origins of the English common law. Looks like I can't escape feudal lords, land disputes, and knights in shining armor!

In the midst of the studying frenzy, I haven't had much time for culinary adventures. However, I did sneak away last night (after receiving my exam at 8 p.m.!) for some sushi at Naozen, by my apartment in Central. I was pleasantly surprised by the delicately prepared sushi dinner which had a good variety of top grade fish including oh-toro, uni, and sweet shrimp. Their udon with beef was also excellent but a bit pricey at $150 a bowl.



Sushi Dinner (Regular and Deluxe shown) ranged from $220-320HKD


So what is it that I eat on a regular basis then? To be honest with you, there is absolutely no place that I regularly dine at. With my recent sinus infection and studying schedule, I haven't been able to have manyy proper meals. Sometimes it's just a quick bowl of noodles at the Fairwood at the graduate law centre or a snack run at 711, which has a surprisingly good variety of healthy foods.



Mixed green salad for the equivalent of $2USD, fresh juice and wontons next to my friend's Gucci blazer and my Miu Miu clutch. Talk about cheap and chic!!!

All right, back to the exam....can't wait for these two weeks to be over so that I can reclaim my social calendar and see my family and friends back in NYC and Boston!

xoxo

Almost Exam Time---Yikes!

It's just about crunch time...one more week of lecture before final exams...yikes! Having spent the last 3.5 years working, I'm feeling a bit nervous about the alacrity of my grey cells in the academic arena. Hopefully my years of powerpoint production and "best practices" research didn't completely erode my ability to critically analyze hypothetical situations and recite cases at the drop of a hat. Fingers crossed I do okay---otherwise I won't be landing a good summer internship!

Even with the rigorous studying and reading this past week, I did find time to do what I do best---EAT!



Who says there aren't any good bagels in Hong Kong? My tasty roasted turkey bagel sandwich and hot coffee combo at Harvest, on Lyndhurst Terrace, Central. p.s. They have free wi-fi here so it's a great study spot! The coffee is also cheap here at only $20 HKD for a large mug.


Squid stuffed with minced pork and corn at Golden Bull, Ocean Terminal, Tsim Sha Tsui. This dish looked a lot cooler than it tasted so I'd stick with the rare beef pho and stir fry dishes here.


Amazing homemade ramen and miso broth served with a side of fried chicken (with tangy dipping mayo and lemon). Best ramen I've possibly ever had...Sapporo near IFC in Central.

Three Months Later....

It's official...I've been in Hong Kong for over three months!  I thought I should use my recent move from NYC to Hong Kong as an excuse to bring back my dormant blogging skills, long buried with the decline of xanga about four years ago (if you're Asian, you know what I'm talking about!). Needless to say, it has been a rough albeit rewarding experience shifting gears from being a busy consultant in the Big Apple to a lowly law student.  I had a hard time adjusting to the no-income thing at first but I'm doing my best to reel in my materialistic urges and am spending more time cooking in the kitchen!

Some highlights so far:

- Living steps away from Tsui Wah in Central.  Nothing beats a Portuguese bun with condensed milk and butter or noodles with fish balls and pig knuckle at 4 a.m.

- Living steps away from LKF and Soho: I feel like I moved to the meatpacking and soho of Hong Kong

-  Amazing seafood, 24/7.  I'm lucky to have had so many visitors so far so there have been some great trips to Lei Yue Mun

- Open air markets and CitySuper: I'm a total dork but I must admit, I love being able to buy my gai lan, cilantro, and tomatoes for $1 USD a pound!  On the other side of the spectrum is the proximity of my favorite supermarket, CitySuper. It is waaaay better than Whole Foods!

-Trips to Thailand (can you believe my flight was less than $200USD?!)  I LOVE the night markets in Bangkok, where you can find great clothes, knick nacks and food for super super cheap!  See pics below =)

-Going to the beach every weekend until mid October.  I've maintained a decent tan till now, which is crazy!

- New Friends: I was lonely for about all of 2 weeks after my mom left.  I've been so fortunate to have made great friends in my juris doctorate programme and also fellow expats living in my neighborhood.  

Well, enough about me!  Here are some pics of my culinary adventures in Hong Kong and more!

Iris's Birthday at Sahara in Soho: I <3 my jd gfs

The most amazing fish ball noodles at JJ market, BKK

Enjoying one of the last days of sunshine at Stanley, HK

Salty duck egg coated prawns and soup dumplings!

Alyssa and Me at Times Sq. back in August 

Roasted suckling pig anyone?