3:26 chicago.food

i woke up early again, although no longer at 2am but 5am today, so i guess i will be completely adjusted by tomorrow. i love the brunch i had yesterday and since i am early, i didn't want to starve till 10am or so, so i search for a good breakfast place. i found this e.leaven with rather good comments but it turned out a little below my expectation, the place is not like m henry that i went yesterday and e.leaven is more like any other chain store.

a bowl of fresh fruit turns up in a plastic cup, the corn beef hash brown plate is alright but because i am comparing it against m henry and thus this becomes below expectation. may be i should just go back to m.henry tomorrow?

i walked pass joe's stone crab yesterday and determine to give it a go and i went there this afternoon for my lunch after the museum visit and some retail therapy. i think i been to this restaurant at their original store in miami few years ago...

joe's welcomed single diner like me, and in fact i am completely comfortable and the waitress is doing her best making sure i am at ease. well, dining alone is my skill after many years of business trip and room service is not my favorite, i have no problem in eating alone at all...

some posters of this establishment hanging on the wall

the bread served was also yummy, i almost finished all the bread

1 lb of alaska king crab leg, with the restaurant week offer, the price tag is unbelievable friendly and it is almost impossible to get this in europe. i think the last time I had this was in japan.

it's super duper delicious... but i wonder why they serve it with melted butter which i thought it was vinegar or some sour sauce but i was wrong

a small side dish cauliflower gelatin, not heavy at all...
with one glass of chardonay blanc to go with the crab, i walked out the door completely satisfied and full wondering if i still need my dinner tonight.

3:26 museum.contemporary.arts.chicago

It's forecast to be raining today, though at the time I set off, the weather is still dry. I went to Museum of Contemporary Arts. Funny enough I only started to visit museum after so many trip to this windy city, nonetheless it is never too late to nurture the other side of me.

the museum front entrance, a black room showing multiple short films of an painters, I spent a long time in the dark room observing every film.

At the museum shop, these bags are made of a special material that we encounter everyday, can you guess what they are made of?

MCA stair, the different facets of a functional staircase, yet the design is so spectacular especially when it is being composed this way...

some objects are made of the recycle of daily objects

A piece of black cloth turning into flowers pattern, reminds me of some of the items at ikea...

a log that turned with engrave of 'the impossible girl' - that's me!

almost every corner, every object in the museum is some form of art display, the museum called it 'hide and seek' experience, everything is there for you to discover...

Some simple yet elegant art creations with manipulation of light

The artist's studio inside-out, a floor length glass with portrait at the puck's restaurant. A few books at the lower ground encouraging visitors to draw, sketch, write down their inspiration about various day to day topic such as name, food you eat etc. So simple, but yet an interesting and effective ways to stimulate creativity of the visitors. I left my sketches in one of the book too. There are also a few books to browse and the one on the bottom left is a book about the illustration of sketches....

I walked out the museum fully inspired and determine to pursue the artistic side of me...

2:26 art.institvte.chicago

I visited the Art institvte of Chicago (yes, I have not mispelled the word institvte although in reality it is institute) which I think it deserved a dedicated blog entry by its own. I am not that arty but lately I am intringue to arts and my trips to musuem has not been that frequent until last year.

The interior of art institute Chicago

this place is huge and with the new modern wing installed and opens to public, I literally lost a few times as I navigate myself in this museum that makes up by connecting two buildings. I didn't go through everything as not every piece of object is appealing to me. I spent a lot of time in modern arts, European impressionist and a special exhibition on photography.

I like standing in front of the abstract art and trying to see if I can interpret what the painter trying to convey before reading the description, although some time I never even get any closer to the interpretation.

This room is trying to portray a mixed emotion of joy and violence, the wall paper is particularly interesting so as the packet of car oil at various corner to represent the violence and the wedding grown is there to represent joy.

I am delighted to see so many original art works of famous European painters here too, first and foremost the famous Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh

Pierre-Auguste Renoir, that caught me at first sight because we still use the coasters with his paintings at home

Claude Monet and various paintings of water lily inspired by his garden in Giverny

and many more

and more...
what a rich collection and absolute satisfaction of my artistic dose of this trip

2:26 spring.chicago

I woke up way too early, think at around 2am and couldn't sleep on further... I found a nice cafe which is a bit way out of the downtown but I am glad I made it there and the brunch was superb and yummy!!

it is hard to order especially when you know everything is delicious but one stomach just couldn't take in everything. I opt for a sweet blackberry bliss cakes and a small side kick of house potatoes for the savory taste. The cappuccino turns out to be super size, in fact even the bliss cake is super sized, way too big portion for me... Still this brunch is such a bliss to me...

now that I am FULL, I took a local bus back to the city and the bus stops at every station along Clark street, so I journeyed from 5707 North Clark Street to 1 North Clark Street... a long and boring journey but nonetheless I reached Grant Park and the temperature is more pleasant than early morning as the sun shines...

I strolled from Grant Park and slowing walking north towards the Loop to check out the public arts of Chicago and of course indulging myself in the skyline...

Me with Chicago public arts at Grand and Millennium park. Today is such a wonderful spring day that I enjoyed outdoor so much, I am so blessed....

I am too tired now to post further, so I will leave you with this and I need my bed after an extra long day...

Good night and Happy Sunday to you!

1:26 chicago.skyline

flight from amsterdam to chicago is fine, only a few passengers in the business class and thus we all got personal and attentive attention from the flight attendants.

food wise, we were served with french cuisine prepared by a South African chef... the presentation of the food is not too photogenic but the taste of all the dishes are up to expectation. i like the starter (salmon and fish mousse) is presented like a piece of patisserie, the roulade braised lamb taste great though lacking on presentation. the passion fruit with pumpkin seeds dessert is delicious too.

it is definitely spring in chicago, at least today though the wind is very chilly... i didn't do much today, neither did I rested. in fact i spent remaining afternoon at john hancock observatory, enjoying the city skyline in the daylight, at the sunset and the stunning night view. here are some photos taken from the top...

a contrast of day and sunset view, north direction

a contrast of day and sunset view, skyscrapers of the downtown chicago

me at john hancock tower

waiting and watching the sun goes down

and then the city light up, the view is stunning from 95th floor

finally enjoyed the nigth view, when it gets dark and the city lights up...

i am very tired already but try to sleep at least at 10pm in order to fight the jetlag, so goodnight.

traffic

snow.traffic jam

rain.traffic jam

sun shine.traffic jam

rush hour.traffic jam

non rush hour.traffic jam

I love this country, the traffic jam is a almost 24 hour phenomena.

This happened this afternoon on my journey home from work, I started my journey before 4pm and thought it would be a smooth traffic,but I was absolutely wrong, the line is almost stand still for an hour and a half...

It is a relief I don't have to face this further, at least not the next 26 days or so....

hello.march

finally there is a glimpse of sunlight today, perhaps spring finally shows her face? with my ears (yes, both ears, take turn) infection recovering I am feeling more fit today, perhaps it is due to the sunlight and a rather comfortable +7C out there.

still struggling with my packing, not sure if i should pack for winter or pack for spring... but things will come around eventually, just need a bit of discipline to get it done and a few other errands at work completed before i fly out this friday...

i am into a bit of lomo lately, love the off white and hue saturated colors of lomo and here are some creations of mine...

a luik/leige waffle with vanilla ice-cream, cream and signature sour caramel sauce, a tangy delight from havana den haag

this is the original photo of the above minus the lomo effect... (tell me which one is more enchanting?)

a swiss roll top with fresh strawberry, YAY for strawberry equals to spring to me!!!

a lomo effect on a closed-up rose

a lomo effect of roses with field of depth

a lomo effect on a photo taken last summer at the duns of wassenaar

february.foodie

it's the end of february 2010, time really flies isn't it? time to clean up my photos again and here are some food that we have eaten but never get around to post them...

one saturday afternoon, we had smoked chicken chick pea wasabi salad, a bit of fusion thoroughfare but worked out well, along we the salad, we also ate these rosemary carrot cheese scones...

another shoot of the salad but in lomo feel...

then i went as crazy as i could be in making my hometown local dish called 'kuih chap' and it took me by surprise that it is not difficult to cook at all, and the taste is at par as those from the local food stalls....

lot's of spices as you can see but the cooking is rather simple, all that is important is to let it sit for one night to get the full flavors.

this is how 'kuih chap' being served, all the meat and other ingredients (called 'chap' that actually means 'mixed') are cut and arrange in a plate with a little bit of soup, and you get another bowl of soup with just the rice flakes called 'kuih'...

another local home style green that i haven't eat for ages is actually lady fingers or okra fried with dried anchovies. as long as you get passed the stickiness and the hairiness of the okra, it is delicious.....

so much for february, and march is the month that i will not be cooking myself but surely i will enjoy lots of good foodies in usa....