A day in Dumbo

July 11, 2016 by Patricia Chang in Family, Fashion, Food

Fun Fact: Hank and I had our first date in Dumbo Brooklyn - we went to the art fair in 2010!

Over the long weekend earlier this month I spent a fun-filled family day in Dumbo Brooklyn with my husband, son and sister. We left the house without eating breakfast so I quickly yelped brunch spots, and came across AlMar. The Egg in a Cloud dish sparked my interest, but being a family friendly restaurant solidified our decision. The restaurant has high ceilings and the food was as tasty as it looks. It was an ideal brunch! Next time I'd love to try Atrium.

After lunch we wanted Chase to run around so we headed to the nearest playground which was at Pier 5. He loved the sandbox shaped like a boat. Dumbo is a residential neighborhood so here is an extensive list of playgrounds in the area~

Then to relax, we picked up some snacks at Peas & Pickles for a picnic at Brooklyn Bridge Park. The views are beautiful right by the river and the iconic bridges. We strolled to Jane's Carousel and Chase (finally) fell asleep in his stroller (he was too excited and stayed up way past his usual naptime).

We figured it's a good time to grab an early dinner with Chase napping, and it's not often we come to Brooklyn so we headed for their famous pizza! We figured the lines wouldn't be too bad considering it's a holiday weekend and everyone was out of town, but both Juliana's and Grimaldi's lines were still too long. So we headed closer to the water where we can always rely on Luke's Lobster. We ate outside and I love that you feel a bit like you're on vacation.

When Chase woke up, we needed to find a bathroom so we got some treats from One Girl Cookies. We got a sample of flavors though Chase ate most of them. It was right by the park so we picnicked again to change his diaper. It didn't feel right to leave without checking out the shops so we went to a bookstore we saw across the street from the cookie store called Powerhouse and then Shibu, a Japanese furniture store. Sadly, both were going out of business.. and almost everything was on sale. I got a blank textbook from Powerhouse to use as a sketchbook which I'm excited to fill with designs and ideas.

We grabbed one last strawberry smoothie for the subway ride back home. It's unfortunate that none of the subway stops in Brooklyn have elevators! I suggested walking over the Brooklyn Bridge but by the end of the day we were all pretty pooped!

Outfits wise - I wasn't planning on blogging the day when we left, so it's simply weekend casual in a white top, denim shorts, and my most comfortable sneakers.

P.S. We stumbled upon this amazing flower garden! It is located by River Cafe between Luke's Lobster. Nothing is more soothing to me than the sound of trickling water and there is a lovely little stream by the entrance to the garden. It's a sweet spot from the urban environment when the flowers are in full bloom!

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Photography by Deborah Chang and myself

Oasis in the City: 20 Ways to stay cool this summer

Central Park

July 01, 2016 by Patricia Chang in Family, Fashion, Food

Summer has officially arrived~ It can get very hot and humid here in the city and everyone migrates to the park to laze under some shade. I personally get drained very quickly by the sun so I will grab a sun hat (with a wide brim), shades and layers of SPF before leaving the house. Here are more tricks to help beat the heat!

Wear loose fitting clothes
Wear lighter colors that reflect light, darker colors hold in heat
Wear cotton or linen
Tie your hair so heat doesn't get trapped around your neck
Avoid metallic jewelry
Keep your feet cool - wear breathable shoes
Iced beverage - don't wait to be thirsty to drink, drink every 15 mins
Put an iced bottle to your ankles, wrists, or behind the knees
Chrysanthemum tea lowers body temperature
Avoid caffeine and alcohol which dehydrate you
Avoid soda - your body will find it more difficult to store water
Eat frequent smaller meals instead of a big meal
Enjoy frozen snacks
Eat spicy foods: increases blood circulation and makes you sweat (which will feel cool as it dries)
Avoid meat - increases metabolic heat production (oops, I ate a hot dog)
Stay in the shade - feels 15 degrees cooler
Breathe deep, learn yoga's cooling breathing technique
Splash cool water on yourself - you can also bring a spray bottle
Use a cooling aloe vera aftersun product
Plan ahead: 10am~4pm is the hottest time of day

Stay cool everyone!!

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Castle Dreaming

May 23, 2016 by Patricia Chang in Fashion, Food, Travel

During the middle of our Spain trip, we got to sneak away to a romantic Languedoc France. We took the train and as we got closer to Languedoc, the scenery become more tranquil and stunningly serene. The high speed train was so smooth and we whizzed by horses, vineyards and a large lake. It's funny - I think the freshest baguette sandwich I ever had was at a train station during a transfer in France. I had no idea Hank planned a Michelin star lunch so I accidentally spoiled my appetite a bit with 2 of those sandwiches (no regrets). We stayed in a fortified town called Carcassone in the south of France. We stayed at Hotel de la Cite which is the most charming hotel straight out of a medieval fairytale. You step outside the hotel and the basilica is right there. Because the bulk of the people there were tourists, the town felt a bit like Disney World's Epcot except everything is actually authentic. Nonetheless, we admired the church and headed out to edge where we got hit by the wind and soaked in the views. There was something so fresh and exciting about being here with my husband, I was excited to see him in his element during this leg of the trip and spontaneously go out to explore with my "adventure buddy". He was especially excited for our wine tasting tour that took us out to a couple local vineyards and another picturesque town, Minerve. I wish we had taken our time to explore it since it is known as one of the most beautiful towns in France and some of the views reminded me of the Grand Canyon. Because we were with a group and it was unfortunately a bit rushed. During our tour it was my first time trying organic and live wines (In case you are wondering, I am not pregnant yet so it was safe to try the live bottle - which I liked and learned I like "tannin"). Ugh, without a doubt the best part of France was the price of their wine. It's ludicrous how expensive a glass is here in NY compared to their 2.5 euro. A side note: Feeling a bit adventurous I ordered "black pudding" and apple salad - turns out it means "blood sausage"! Being Korean we have something similar so it wasn't bad, but it was definitely not what I anticipated. I think my husband knew what I was ordering and gave me no warning, haha.

Packing wise - cute outfits are fun, but hey I'm on vacation and nothing feels better than stealing my husband's cozy cardigan come the moment to put an outfit on. I noticed I wore the buttons unaligned when I was uploading these photos - a sure sign of a relaxing time~. It's always a good idea to pack a set of comfortable clothes for back up because at the end of the day, you want to feel good and enjoy yourself! Lastly, you're in luck~ I found the embroidered blouse I'm wearing at a market from our last trip to Korea- I typed in "bohemian top" to find something similar since I figured some of you might ask about it- and I found the exact one! (Korean markets often sell wholesale to brands). It happens to fall under both "cute outfit" and "comfortable outfit" so it's a winner! Well, that's the last of our week and a half in Europe - next stop, Paris!

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Postcards from Barcelona, Part 3

May 19, 2016 by Patricia Chang in Fashion, Food, Travel

Oh man, how do you put into words the work of Gaudi. It's no secret that he is a huge part of what makes Barcelona a special place. Sagrada Familia (angels chiming *ahhhhhh*) is TRULY a gem. My jaw dropped to see the stained glass in this enormous space is ombre! The sun light piercing through was just magical and breath taking to say the least. I was lucky to have come back 16 years later and it caught me off guard to see new parts of the building I did not remember from 2000 (a 10th grade Spanish class trip). Turns out it was only half built back then. I remember climbing the spiral stairs up a tower, terrified that there's no guard rail, holding onto the wall as I courageously made it to the top. Now they have an elevator! It's pretty cool to see people still working on it both from the outside and inside (by the museum) on a structure started over a hundred years ago. Can't wait to come back with Chase when he's old enough to appreciate it and perhaps it will finally be complete by then! Each of Gaudi's creations are pretty spectacular, Park Guell is a sunny day in tangible form and FYI Palau Guell is free on the first Sunday of each month. If you like visiting historic and architectural spaces, the MUHBA was more interesting than I honestly expected it to be - you can walk around Roman ruins discovered under street level with all sorts of shops and homes in a rather small vicinity.

Tamara from Theglamandglitter was in Barcelona just before me and recommended Chok, a chocolate and donut specialty shop. Don't expect a sit down cafe, just a couple seats for a quick bite and the most fabulous concoctions! I am so glad she recommended this spot because we went back anytime we were near one. The cronuts are beautifully garnished, we got a white chocolate one with edible flowers and a an amazing tarty crunchy topping. Contrary to how they look, they're not too sweet so you can manage to eat an entire donut. It's really hard to choose a flavor - their combos are really sophisticated and interesting! I also got a package of dark chocolate covered potato chips for the road which is perfect for a salty tooth like me.

I absolutely have loved this Self Portrait dress for ages! The powder blue was perfect for Park Guell but a lot of shoes were dressing the dress too up. I wanted to wear it casually and the weather was non committal, so I paired it with boots. Try wearing your favorite dresses this spring whenever or wherever you want by accessorizing appropriately!

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Post cards from Barcelona, Part 1

May 13, 2016 by Patricia Chang in Fashion, Food, Travel

Mini Croissant, Hot Dog by Patricia Chang

Hotel El Palace, Jacket by Patricia Chang

El Nacional, black squid ink paella tapas

On our first day we did a tour of Palau de la Música Catalana soon after we landed. We went during the day to see the light flood in through the incredible stained glass ceiling in the most beautiful theater you'll ever step foot in! Though not by Gaudi, it was a taste of the unique architecture we would see in Barcelona. I was especially happy to see mosaics and colorful tiles all throughout the city.

The food was just as vibrant as the surroundings. Mercat de la Boqueria is a must - there are many repeating stands, one of them being fresh juices displayed on ice with pretty and enticing colors. I tried as many flavors as I could, one of my favorites being 'Mint Coconut' - yum!! A restaurant you must try is Tapas 24 - sadly we never made it to lunch or dinner. So on one of our last days we tried to go early to beat the crowds and ended up trying their breakfast menu. It was one of the most memorable meals I've ever had! The fried calamari baguette - please order this and thank me later.

Packing wise, the weather is pretty much spot on to New York so I brought layers for early May. We had a range of chilly to very warm days during the first week. One piece I packed and loved were these denim shorts from Shopbop. They are meant to be casual so they are baggy and super soft, making them the most comfortable denim in the world. I always like playing with looking a bit dressed up, but having that element of bringing it back to casual and easy.

This was Part 1 so stay tuned for more recommendations!

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Drop the Mic Ice Cream

Drop the Mic Ice Cream Factory

March 22, 2016 by Patricia Chang in Fashion, Food

Chickalicious has been one of my favorite restaurants for many, many years. I learned recently, that it is called "Drop The MIC Ice Cream Factory" on Mondays through Wednesdays from 3pm to 11pm, where they serve 7 flavors of ice cream. Last week, Chef Mieko was kind enough to let me try them all to share with you!

I kid you not, the Black Truffle is hands down the most flavor packed truffle ice cream I've ever had. If you love truffle, this flavor is a taste of heaven! I can't wait to go back to have it again! I catch myself thinking about it from time to time, wishing I had ordered one more while I was there.

I randomly tasted the Pink Grapefruit Sorbet first and I recommend starting with a sorbets as a nice way to whet your palate with a fresh flavor. Another memorable one for me was the soothing Purple Potato ice cream. Many of my friends said they loved the Roasted Banana the most. Let me know which ones you try in the comments below! I'd love to know your thoughts, as well as where you went while you were in the neighborhood. My friend Sun, founder of Sjouel, was my date and we went to eat at Momofuku Noodle Bar afterwards just around the corner (I love everything on their menu, but there's not a visit I don't order the Pickle Jar as a side!).

I'm wearing a lace top by Alexis which I love so much that I own it in 2 colors. I was in a neutrals mood this day. I intended to wear pastels, but there's something zen and fresh when I think about this space, it affected my outfit otherwise. When I met Chef Mieko it solidified that it is indeed a peaceful place. There are no distractions so all your senses are focused on the flavors dancing in your mouth.

FLAVORS:

Black truffle ice cream, semifredo, cognac soaked cake

Purple potato ice cream, sour cream semifredo, bourbon soaked cake

Pink grapefruit sorbet, brown sugar semifredo, grand marnier soaked cake

Roasted banana ice cream, cacao nib semifredo, almond cake

Coffee milk sorbet, semifredo, sambuca soaked cake

Granny smith sorbet, white chocolate semifredo, calvados soaked cake

Sweet potato ice cream, semifredo, orange cake

Photography by Sun Chung
Recommended by ChubbyChineseGirlEats

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Mint Cotton Candy

Vivi Bubble Tea

February 21, 2016 by Patricia Chang in Family, Fashion, Food, Vlog

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Wearing: Club Monaco Jacket (similar), Sunglasses (similar), J Crew Tshirt, Wrap Shirt (Similar), Hudson Jeans, Adidas Sneakers, Chanel Bag (similar)

Chase is wearing: Oeuf Hug Me Sweater, Nico Nico Rowe Pants (simiar), Robeez Shoes

I wore a casual "lower east side" look because the atmosphere on this side of town is young and spunky. I'm not in this area often so it's always fun to discover new spots, even if they have been around for a while. Vivi Bubble Tea's float is sprinkled with pop rocks, which is a nice touch. I definitely recommend the popcorn chicken - we ordered seconds in a different flavor. We all know what happens to Chase and fried chicken; he had so much fun this day that he took a second nap!

Photography by s o k o p h o t o s and Connie Kim

Watch Behind the Scenes Footage!