Korean Traditional Restaurant - Shanghai, China

I’ve eaten here during every layover since 2005, and I never thought to write a review. 

The important thing is, I’ve eaten here on my way home every single time. Whether it’s en route to Dalian or back to my tiny Torrance apartment, Korean Traditional Restaurant has always borne witness to this transition. 

It’s a refreshing break from the weeks of Chinese food and is a welcome change from calorie-dense American. The Cold Noodles are refreshing and light in a sweet-finishing broth, and I love the al dente, part-gelatinous, part-ropy texture of starch-loaded buckwheat.

Stack the starches with a savory Kimchee Pancake. Theirs is mildly crispy on the outside and soft with a touch of brine beneath. It has a stealthy kick of spice as well.

The Bibimbap is another classic, and they do it right with a stone pot that keeps it hot long after the sizzling stops. The rice gets crispy and dry and it’s a delightful mix of the food groups.

It’s not important to me. If this restaurant ever closed I would just sit at whatever took its place or a seek something more appetizing within the airport limits. The international terminal in Shanghai/Pudong isn’t much to write home about, but its significance can’t be overlooked much longer. It’s served as a step between me and home for so many years, and I rarely have Korean food without thinking of this tradition. 

Dalian - Day 6: Xin Xin Huo Yang

Day 5 was spent at home, chowing and snacking on fresh seafood and the kind of home cooking that would make Michelin stars lose their shine.

Still, it's our last day in Dalian, and we have to venture for one last food adventure. 

Lamb Soup. Savor-packed broth with a side of seasoning; salt, pepper, and MSG that you add to suit your taste. The one with regular lamb is rich and meaty, but the one with lamb scraps has bits of everything.  You get a mix of every texture, a colorful range from iron liver, firm but gelatinous blood, and chewy bits of digestive tract. The meat is great, but offal isn't awful, and the scraps are far more interesting.

Bread/pancake on the side. Bland but absorbent, oil and grease. 

A light mix of cucumber and red onion in soy and vinegar provides a contrast to the heavier bread and soup. 

A pile of shredded potatoes is China's answer to wedge salads except they actually taste good.

My personal favorite is the stir-fried Lamb Cheek. Tender and fatty, sliced thin with a variation of veggies. Salty with soy, sweeter on the finish. 

The other lamb soup place is better, but we weren't near the right highway at the time. Still, I love this place. It's more of a sweet-simplicity, peasant-dish vibe, and it's different from the other one but it's just a different kind of delicious. 

Dalian - Day 4: Cong Hua Da Yuan

These are the outskirts of the city, close to where the roads turn rural. 

The scenery is one of contented peace, and we start with a walk where my family intends to retire. 

The lake is pretty and so is the bay, but this kind of walking and wind will work up an appetite.

This restaurant has been around for decades. Known for nonexistent portion control and a menu that covers all cooking from both sides of China, they crank out some solid classics like Dalian’s Ba Yu Dumplings. These are fishy and delicious but an acquired taste for those who prefer their dumplings with pork.

There’s plenty of pork filling in these pancakes. They make the inside juicy and sweet, and msg is magic. 

They even make soup dumplings, though their version is crude. The soup isn’t half bad, but the wrappers are thicker than bread.

The Green Beans are simple but they taste pretty great. 

They make a better soup outside the dumpling. This stew of rice noodles and pork belly is cold-day comfort.

Tripe in sesame sauce is a change of pace. This cold dish has a nice mix of texture and forward flavor.

The Conch with Cucumber is a mistake. Not enough conch, too much cucumber, not enough of anything to make this better than blah. 

A peasant dish, this Tofu Skin with green onion. I like it better with just a smear of black bean paste. The meat here carries the paste well though it’s a little bit salty.

Strips of fried pork because they don’t make sweet n’ sour. The dipping sauce is an unadorned seasoned salt, a surprisingly solid pairing.

The dish I always order, Sweet Potato with a hard sugar crust. They do an impressive job with the sugar strands - this many strands spin thinner than a spider is legit skill.

Good food in a part of the city I rarely see. A meal well enjoyed with so many people who matter, a meal well-eaten in a day well-spent.

Dalian - Day 3: Pang Ge - Dalian, Liaoning, China

Just as I'm starting missing Jinzhou barbecue, I find out that they brought it to Dalian. 

There’s a new branch of "Fat Brother" Barbecue right on Xiang Gong Jie, barely 100 feet from home. 

One tiny city block stands between me and my Lamb skewers, and I do love my fat-dripping tidbits strung up and seasoned. They’re grilled juicy with not even the tiniest trace of burn. Plenty of spice but not too hot.

Their menu is long and overwhelming. Comprehensive to say the least - you can put anything on a stick or grills. Pork Intestine with hot peppers is a fun one if you’re not squeamish. The peppers are hot peppers and they really help cut the fat. 

The Chicken Cartilage is all kinds of crunchy, 

But the Squid is just okay. I have yet to be impressed by this one.

Eat your vegetables! Straw Mushrooms do well with fish balls In a vat of chili oil.

Salad, a necessary staple of tomato and onion tossed in vinegar. You need it to break up the barbecue.

The String Beans are flavorful, and the sweet bread is a lighter starch. I’m sure the butter and condensed milk add no calories. 

My favorite is still the Smelt which is rolling in roe.

Their giant Bone Marrow is probably the thing ever. That’s a full-sized spoon and this is a freaking femur! 

I’d be lying if I said they were could replace the flavors and seasonings of the little shops in Jinzhou, but they are undoubtedly close enough. The salts and spices just don’t reach as deep here, but I could still eat this stuff every other day.

Arcane - Central, Hong Kong

I don’t go nuts over movie stars, and models don’t make me blush. David Beckham could walk by and I wouldn’t bat an eye, but I almost passed out when I saw David Chang.

I couldn’t watch more than a single episode of Final Table on Netflix or I’d get palpitations, and few chefs made my heart pound like Shane Osborn.

It is hard to eat Langostines when you can’t really breathe. The sweet tails speed across my palate as Osborn flies across the kitchen, starting this and sauteing that. The leek scramble is smooth and acidic like an artichoke, and the burnt broccoli adds a little edge.

Our theme is fish today...because we ordered all the fish. The Sardine starter speaks to a simple style and clean aesthetic. Frying preserves the juices, and the flattened-and-splayed presentation maximizes the crisp. It makes the sardine more butter than fish in finish.

He sees me staring and locks eyes with me for a brief moment, thinking I have something to say, something relevant to contribute. I look away within seconds because I don’t know what to say. 

The John Dory keeps me speechless; it's a decadent dish of meaty, buttery fish frosted with pale cream and dots of caviar.

I’m still staring and he knows it, until the Sea Bass steals my gaze. It’s effectively undercooked, maintaining a plush and springy in texture with lots of juice inside. It reminds me of the half-cooked filets I had at Alain Ducasse. Keeping the sea bass light highlights the radishes and parsnips, which are surprisingly one of the best executions in this meal.

I'll have my Chestnut Mousse and eat it. It’s silky-sweet; elegance over decadence with ripe cherries and a burnt sugar crust to add some crunch.

We conclude with the world's best creamsicle, a Yuzu and Lemon Posset of magical citrus with highlights of orange blood.

Caneles for the door. So fluffy and fresh they rebound when you take a bite. I haven't had a real one in ten years.

Elegant presentation, sleek lines, linear flavors that are minimalist and maximized, harmonious and clean. Shane Osborn's style It gives every element its own chance to shine, and I love the meticulous attention placed on every single individual item. The demographic is older, more suitable for those who like what they like and want it done in the best way possible, in a way that is unforgettable. 

I will never forget this fantastic chef, but I hope he forgets me soon...the under-dressed woman who dumped caviar all over the table.

Hong Kong - Day 7 - Man Mo Temple - Sheung Wan

Before I went to Hong Kong, I heard a lot of things about it. Most things were positive, describing it as "cool", "fun", "delicious". Some things I heard were a lot less positive, the SMH comments, “It’s just another city” or “It’s a very small city so there's not much to do.” 

I can't help by wonder if the haters went to a different city or if they just didn't bother to explore. Hong Kong may not be a sprawling metropolis, and it may not be home to the Forbidden City, but it’s big enough and bad-ass enough to ahve a little something for everyone. There’s so much diversity, and it's not just any city, it's every city. 

One unique aspect of Hong Kong is its open juxtaposition of cosmopolitan-modern and old-China tradition. Western ideals have gone uncensored for centuries, and it's a port of information exchange. And between the sleek skyscrapers and trendy eateries, there are glimpses of tradition and belief systems like Man Mo Temple.. 

It’s small on the outside, stunning within. 

Dedicated to the literature and martial gods, its popularity with those seeking to better themselves amongst a backdrop of cut-throat competition explains why it's so well maintained.

I love the altars, the statues, all the hanging lights.

It’s smoky from all the incense, but the cloud creates something almost like sensory deprivation, and it insulates as much as it isolates, allowing you to stay more present. 

I love this temple. In a city that's always moving, it's a place to stand still and appreciate it all.