Banh Xeo - Vietnamese Pancakes

Vietnamese style pancakes yesterday for dinner. Ban Xeo mix and stir-fry scallions, pork, shrimp, mung beans, and bean sprouts.

Fried Shrimp Wontons in Hot & Sour Sauce

Yes, I made these, and no you may not have the recipe. It's my mom's special recipe. But you're welcome to come over for a tasting.

Crumbs Cupcakes from NYC

Finally, I get to try Crumbs Cupcakes from NY! The famous, famous crumbs. It's very moist and fluffy, and I'd have to say it's excellent, but the frosting is a little to sweet for my taste. But then again aren't all American cupcakes too sweet?

The Bellagio Fountains

This is the view from my hotel room inside the Bellagio. Over and over again. Every night, every 30 minutes the fountain blasts out a spectacular display of water. Over and over again I'd watch in awe, never getting tired of it. Afterall, this is a must-stop for everyone visiting Vegas right? Why not enjoy it from the comfort of my room. Although, I must confess I did run out into the street to experience it too. You just can't beat the full-effect of seeing it in front of your eyes too.

The Bellagio Buffet - Las Vegas

Oh Bellagio, how I miss you. I would have to say this is one of the greatest buffets of all time in Las Vegas. The food was clean and the selection was out of this world. Ok, so they didn't have hot crab legs, but the other items made up for it. This wasn't my first time at the Bellagio Buffet either. It was my second time and I came back for a third time as well.

Surprsingly my favorite item was the shrimp pizza, and I NEVER eat shrimp pizza, but this was GOOODDDD.

The Wynn Buffet - Las Vegas

I don't get what all the fuss is about. I'm a buffet-lover and this one was just OK for me. Yes, they do have cold king crab legs, and yes the food was clean, but other than that I much preferred the lunch and dinner served over at the Bellagio Buffet. Overall, I thought it was overly-priced for the selection they had. If you love cold king crab legs, then this is a must-stop for you.

Jean Philippe Bakery in Las Vegas

Sinfully delicious. This was my first time, and I wished I would've discovered this earlier on my previous trips to Vegas. Oh please, please open a location on the east coast!
Crepes are expensive at around $9, but worth every dime. The flavors are fresh and intense. I had the exotic crepe, which had mango, pineapples, and cocount. To die for! I also went back again for the raspberry souffle, which I thought didn't measure up to the exotic one, but that's just me.

They just opened another location in the Aria hotel, and it's less crowded than the one in the Bellagio. I highly recommend making this stop when you're in Vegas. One of the best bakeries I've been to in my life. Oh yes, and they also have the world's largest chocolate fountain inside. Worth the stop as well, even if you aren't planning to get any sweets.

Jean Philippe Crepes

This is by far the best crepe I've had in my life. It was a mango, pineapple, and coconut crepe from Jean Philippe in Las Vegas. They have several locations in Vegas, but this one inside the Bellagio was the only one I saw that had crepe. I could be wrong though.

Please, please open a location near me soon Jean Philippe!

The World's Largest Chocolate Fountain

I was eating inside the Bellagio Bakery in Las Vegas, when low and behold I was drawn to a chocolate fondue display. When I looked closer, it actually turned out to be the world's largest chocolate fountain. Sitting below my hotel room was a Guinness World record item and I didn't even know it.

Kimchi Fried Rice by Steamy Kitchen

I cannot give you the recipe for this dish, because I got it from Steamy Kitchen's new cook book. I encourage you to buy the book and try out some of her recipes. This Kimchi fried rice was a hit and very easy to make. I think I liked the egg part the best. Here are some photos of me prepping the dish.

Look at the beautiful colors from the toppings

Buffet Style Chinese Doughnuts

One of the simplest dessert recipes that the kids will enjoy. I love Chinese doughnuts when I go to the buffet. They taste best at a warm temperature and even better when just taken out of the fryer. I actually googled this recipe and got it off the recipezaar.com site. To my amazement it was just too easy I don't know why it took me so long to attempt it.

1 can Pillsbury Biscuit refrigerated mix
Sugar

1. Open the can and roll the dough into medium-sized balls
2. Deep fry each dough until crispy brown
3. Drain on a paper towl and roll them into sugar

Water Spinach - Rau Muong

Water Spinach is locally grown in Southeast Asia. Commonly referred to as the "poor people's food" because it is grown in such abundance. It can also be thought of as comfort food to many. I love water spinach b/c it is quick and easy, and tastes best stir-fried as a side dish with rice or poultry. I find it is expensive here in the US and is hard find.

Korean Pancakes w/ Shrimp - Pajeon

I had a Korean Pancake obsession over the long holiday and made Korean Pancakes. I can't really give out the recipe because I cheated and used the pre-made Korean Pancake mix. Hey, it tastes just as good, so why not. It was mmmmm, so good.

I mixed it with shrimp, chives, and peppers. The key is to fry it sizzling hot, so that it's a little burnt on the edges.

Spicy Hoisin Chicken Wings

Package of chicken wings
1/2 cup Hoisin Sauce
5 T Soy Sauce
2 T Garlic Powder
1 T Sesame Oil
1 T Rice Vinegar
3/4 cup Korean Pepper Powder (Adjust according to spicy factor)

1. Mix all ingredients together depending on your tasting and how spicy you like your wings. On average, I'd say 1/2 cup of Korean Pepper Powder is fine.
   
2. I use a lot of the heavy ingredients, since I like my food flavorful. You might want to double-up on the ingredients if you like it very flavorful.
   
3. Marinate overnight or at least 3 hours before baking
   
4. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
5. Spray a light layering of cooking spray on to the baking tray
6. Stack wings side-by-side on baking tray
   
7. Bake at 390 degrees for about 40 minutes, depending on your oven temperature
8. Make sure to turn the wings once in the middle of the cooking time
   

Korean Style Dinner

Alright, I can't take credit for making this, but whenever I want an authentic Korean dinner, my friend alwayssss comes to the rescue. If I wasn't there myself I'd think that this is a restaurant.

Tofu Soup w/ Chives and Shrimp - Canh Dau Hu

Red Velvet Chocolate Cake Balls

My aunt made these for a party at my house last week. They are too DIE for. They remind me of my favorite dessert, petit fours. Red velvet cake dipped in chocolate.

More Stained Glass Jello

I made some more stained glass jello this week for Father's Day.

I Love Barcelona Spain

Fresh Paella anyone?? Oh my favorite meal of the entire trip. It was worth the $80 Euros.

Real Sangria! That thing was gigantic.

The most succulent seafood I've had in a long time.

These were flowers they sold on the streets. So cute!

La Sagrada Familia. A church that's been under construction for a long time.

Thai Shrimp in a Blanket - Tom Cuon Cha Gio