Chicago eats - Volare

I am a devoted fan of Italian cuisine, especially pasta and tiramisu. Sometimes, I could eat pasta a whole week if I am in the mood. That's why it was no surprise I decided to visit Volare when I was in Chicago. The restaurant is recommended on Trip Advisor as a worthy try. And it's located around Magnificient Miles where you could find it a difficult task to choose a good place to eat.

On Google Map, you could see Volare is situated on a street crossing with Magnificient Miles. Well, if you see from above. In reality, you have to walk down 1 level to get to Grant St. The atmosphere here is a big difference from the busy and touristy street above. And if I didn't know about or tried to find the restaurant, I didn't think I would go in there at all. I was definitely glad I did though.


Here is the unassuming but great Italian restaurant






Homey but charming interior


The street as seen from our table. I wanted to take photo of falling snow, but my camera is not good enough, or was that my bad skill?

Delicious food obviously aside, what I remember about Volare is its great service. The staff who waited on our table was charming and not pushy. A fun memory was that he asked Tracy and I if we could finish what we had ordered. I mean, that was the first time some waiter asked me that question. It was always the opposite, aka "would you like anything else?". And being too hungry at the time, Tracy and I said of course. Well, we realized why the staff had asked afterward. But we were still happy to stuff ourselves as the food was super duper delicious. I really want to eat their pasta again. When will I have the chance to go back to Chicago?


Yummy bread for appetizer (one of the best bread appetizer I have ever tasted)


The plate looked ugly but it was the food that counted


Compulsory Italian dessert - Tiramisu


Of course, a must-have photo, aka me and the food

Nail polish of the week: Chanel Illusion d'or

One of my favourite past times is having manicure and pedicure. I have my nails done every two weeks. I know it sounds luxurious outside Vietnam but I think I could forgo some other indulgences for this.

Of course, together with manicure and pedicure, my love for nail polishes has heightened. People might say it is a waste of money to buy your own if you go to the shop and have your nails done there. But think about it, sometimes you really love a particular colour, but your shop does not carry it or just finishes it. What should a girl do? Stock my own nail polishes, certainly! And once you start doing that, it is easy to get out of hand. The next thing I know, I have quite a collection. Well, as long as I feel happy, I guess I could justify for anything. Hahhaha... very lame but who cares? If I can't even make myself happy, who can?

A few brands of nail polishes that I love are OPI, Orly and Essie. And thanks to online retailers, I managed to buy them at a very low price, which I buy quite a lot every time I decided to order. But Chanel is different, and unless you want to buy from eBay with a ridiculously marked-up price, I have to buy the colors I love once they are just released (which are usually from limited collections). Yes, SGD35 for a bottle of color varnish is a bit too high, but whenever I think about Chanel Jade last year, I have a motivation to take out my card.

So... for this summer, I have bought this Chanel Illusion d'or:It is a sparkling gold color and very sheer. And I love it. I can wear it alone or mix it with another color, based on my mood. And yes, this is for my hands. I have a weird obsession, darker colors for my toe nails; sheer or nude colors for my finger nails. And if you are wondering whether I am wearing it, the answer is a big YES.

Chicago eats - Soup Box

If you ask me what my favourite food in winter is, I can tell you straight away. That is soup, especially soup with tomato as 1 of its ingredients. Just imagine, you walk on the street, wearing layers of clothes but still feeling super chilled. Even if you are not hungry, I bet you would love to have something hot to warm your hands and stomach. I can't take coffee, tea is also out of question in the afternoon. Hot chocolate is too sweet in the States and come on, how many cups of hot chocolate could you take in a day? So soup is my first choice when it comes to something to warm me up.

Tracy and I stumbled into this restaurant somewhere around Magnificent Miles in Chicago. We were hungry but did not want to eat something too full as I had planned a good lunch some place else. We needed some energy to get there though. So this was our answer. Soup Box where you could choose whatever soup you like at a reasonable price, without paying tips. (well, I'm from Asia where you dun need to give tips as it's included in your bill)

Anyway, it was a good place to take a rest and warm yourself before embarking on a serious shopping endeavor in Chicago.


Outside Soup Box


Plenty of soup choices to choose from


Inside the restaurant

Chicago eats - Wishbone restaurant

After our visit to Harpo Studio (well, more likely we were walking around the area and taking photos non-stop), we decided to have lunch at the restaurant nearby, Wishbone. This is where Oprah has her lunch sometimes, at least that was what I heard. Anyway, frequented by Oraph or not, the restaurant was a good choice. Yummy food and great service are what account for a good meal.






Inside Wishbone restaurant



Soup for appetizer (yes, I love soup)


Some fried fish dish. The mashed potato was heavenly.


A compulsory picture with the restaurant

Chicago eats - Harry Cary's

Another great find in Chicago is Harry Cary's. This restaurant is very near to Amalfi Hotel, where we stayed during our trip. We dined in the restaurant once and took out twice. Their food was delicious, especially the soup (I couldn't remember the name though), the service was impeccable and the atmosphere was warm and welcome. A definite place to visit when you are in Chicago.


I had taken this picture in front of my hotel. So it's very very near to the hotel.




The interior of Harry Cary's


Start with some bread and butter. Yummy!


The delicious soup, a must-try


Salad. And yes, we love our vegetables!




Some other food which I couldn't remember the name. But they were great as well.

Chicago eats - Joe's Seafood

When planning for Chicago and NY trips, I read a lot from Tripadvisor forums about where to go and of course where to eat. I even made a detailed plan on what time I would eat, which restaurants for lunch and dinner and how to get there. Yep, I'm list maker and proud of it.

For the first day in Chicago, I decided to try Joe's seafood, from some recommendations in Chicago forum of Tripadvisor. And it was a very good choice as the food was excellent, the service was impeccable and the atmosphere was just intimate enough (well, even though we are both girls, we need our privacy, you know?)




Interior of the restaurant


Give me some breads and butter, I can eat them all day. I'm a bread lover.


Stone crab claws. Of course I have to order crabs, as they are the restaurant's specialty. And I prefer crabs to prawns/lobsters as crabs taste much better, hohohoh...


Some dish that I couldn't remember the name. But it was quite cheesy. Not bad but not my cup of tea.


Mashed potatoes to give ourselves some needed carbo




And lastly, some compulsory poses

Chicago River, Dec 09

Even though it was cold but we didn't really care. Photo-taking and posing were the priority here. That is why you could see Tracy and I held on to each other when taking photos together. Sharing the warmth and love, you know?




On Dearborn St Bridge


Free hugging, anyone?

Last day in Chicago, Dec 09

A very demure photo of myself in front of Harry Cary's, a very good restaurant, marked my last day for this trip. And this was also very near to the hotel I stayed, Amalfi Hotel.

Experience Vietnam in Hamilton, Canada 2009

What is better than eating a bowl of pho bo (yes, pho again) and going grocery in a Vietnamese supermarket?

In a cold Christmas' Eve noon, Giang took me, her brother and cousin to "the best pho restaurant in Canada" (her direct quote). Well, as long as the pho is good, I dun care if that's true or not. And the experience was great, eating a hot bowl of noodle soup in a cold day, plus a big cup of avocado milkshake. Nothing could beat that.


"Pho Dau bo" restaurant in Hamilton


Inside the restaurant


Pho tai, my fav type of pho


A yummy glass of avocado milkshake


After the lunch, we headed to a Vietnamese super market to do some grocery shopping for our Christmas' Eve dinner. And I was glad that I had gone there. I found many things that seem to be extinct in Vietnam. Again, ironic, right? Overseas Vietnamese communities preserve our culture better than those in-country. Or am I too into the past?


Unassuming treasure haunt


Quail eggs


"Banh in", a traditional Vietnamese rice cake


I dun even know where to find this in Vietnam and Singapore. Even if I could find it, I dunno if it's safe to eat. This is best to cook with porridge ("chao long") or "banh canh".


Another pho restaurant, next to the supermarket


And a "banh my" shop

Hamilton in winter, Canada Dec 2009

Hamilton is where my best friend is staying and I spent more than a week to visit her there. It is not the type of the city I have been living in, i.e. Saigon and Singapore. And I am a city girl through and through. That's why it was interesting for me to stay here in December. But not unfamiliar as I had spent sometime before in Sunnyvale and both places kinda have the same atmosphere.

Anyway, Hamilton looks old and weary (partly because I visited it in winter). I guess the best part of staying there for my friend is that it has a Vietnamese community there, which of course means the availability of pho bo, Vietnamese supermarkets and other Vietnamese related stuff. That asides, I think I won't be able to live there. Guess I'm so used to the convenience and noisiness of the big cities I have been staying.


Hamilton viewed from my friend's apartment








Somewhere around my friend's apartment