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Celebrating MP's Birthday @ Aquitane Boston!

 

Birthday gathering @ Aquitane in Boston for Michael Pan's Birthday this past Fall :)

 

 

All the girls...now that I look back on this picture, I had no idea so many girls attended...aww, isn't Mike Pan so loved ;) LOL

Me--Gucci Brown Gold Horsebit Wrap Dress, Cartier Love Bracelets in Yellow Gold and White Gold

 

 

Met a new pal, Vivian :)

Me--Gucci Brown Gold Horsebit Wrap Dress, Tiffany & Co. 18K YG Diamonds Quatrefoil Key Pendant Necklace with Tiffany & Co. Platinum Diamond Fleur de Lis Key Pendant Necklace

 

 

French Onion Soup--yumm, love how its overflowing with cheese!!!

 

 

 

Peter also got a mini cheese course for his appetizer!

 

 

 

I think Peter ordered some Duck course, he loved it...I thought it looked too rare, plus, I find that I usually only like duck from Chinese or Thai restaurants haha

 

 

 

my Baked Salmon Entree--quite simple but good

 

 

 

Mike super happy with his birthday cake hehe

 

 

 

Group photo...yes, come to think of it, it basically was like an HBS AABA gathering haha

PZ--Kid Robot Dunny Gold Crown Tee, Hugo Boss Grey Denim Jeans

Me--Prada Ruffle Collar Car Coat, Rene Caovilla Sparkle Sequins Gold Silver Ballet Flats

 

 

Paris Creperie with Petah, Amy and TQ ;)

 

 

Peter and I had been craving crepes for awhile and the only place we had found in Boston was the crepe place at Natick Mall.  Quite a trek (and tolls) just for some crepes, so I did some digging around and came across "Paris Creperie" in Brookline on Harvard Street :)

 

 

Petah in Escapoo, on our way over to chomp on yummy crepes!!!

PZ--Surface to Air Navy Blue Sport Jacket, Kid Robot Black Munny Tee and Hugo Boss Grey Denim Jeans

 

 

Arrived @ Paris Creperie!  Boy is this place PACKED on a weekend!!!

 

 

 

 

Finally grabbed a table and seats with our HBS pals Amy and TQ :)

YAY for crepes, finally, time to eat!

PZ--Kid Robot Black Munny tee

 

Soooo the VERDICT?

Paris Creperie is DELICIOUS!  I wouldn't go so far to say the best crepes ever but pretty darn good!

I always get the "S'mores" which has nutella, marshmellows, whip cream and graham crackers...and then add Fresh Strawberries!

Peter usually gets a savory one and just about everything he has tried from their savory selection has been yummy!!!

 

 

Back on campus at HBS...

Me--Sass & Bide In the Shadows Top, Comfy Black Harem Pants from Stylehaus, Prada Runway Black Lace Up Platform Wedge Sneakers, Chloe Brown Tan Tweed Cropped Jacket, Hermes Mykonos Blue Lizard CDC Cuff Bracelet

 

 

Me--Sass & Bide In the Shadows Top, Comfy Black Harem Pants from Stylehaus, Chloe Brown Tan Tweed Cropped Jacket, Gurhan 22K Yellow Gold Spiral Diamond Ring

 

 

 Me--Comfy Black Harem Pants from Stylehaus, Prada Runway Black Lace Up Platform Wedge Sneakers

 

 

 

Me--Hermes Mykonos Blue Lizard CDC Cuff Bracelet, Cartier 18K YG Diamond Heart Ring, Gurhan 22K Yellow Gold Diamond Spiral Ring

 

 

 

PZ--Surface to Air Navy Blue Sport Jacket, Kid Robot Black Munny Tee and Hugo Boss Grey Denim Jeans, Salvatore Ferragamo White Sneakers with Bronze Metallic Design

 

 

Pho 2000 Dorchester

 

We kind of had a late introduction to Pho and Vietnamese Cuisine in general during our time here in Boston.  We had heard about Dorchester being the place for authentic homely Vietnamese cuisine, but for whatever reason, we did not venture there to check out the yummies until last Fall.

I read about Pho 2000 being one of the best in Boston and we went to test the claim out :)

 

 

 

Vietnamese Fried Spring Rolls with Pork and Veggies--delicious, came out piping out, nicely crisped but thin skin and loads of flavor in each bite with meat too, sometimes these can be kind of tasteless or the skin is more chewy/old tasting and you can't even tell that there is meat inside...not the case with these yummy ones :)

 

 

 

Some kind of Vietnamese pancake...quite tasty too...though I have to admit that anything with that sweet chili sauce is yummy haha

 

 

 

Vietnamese Garden Rolls--I always LOVE these, so refreshing and the peanut dipping sauce was amazing!

 

 

 

Our Pho, I think we ordered the 1st one on the Pho list at Pho 2000, basically a combination with everything from flank steak to tendon and tripe MMMMMM so good and perfect on cold Boston nights!

 

During my research about Pho 2000, I also saw the "Seven Course Beef" being brought up repeatedly.  Upon further reading, I found out that it's a traditional Vietnamese dish(es) consisting of 7 courses involving beef and special sauces and side dishes...we figured, why not? 

 

This pot came out with some light dipping sauce for the beef, and you're meant to cook the thinly rare slices of Beef in there for a minute or so and then eat it with the other condiments they laid out...well, unfortunately, just about all of us could not handle this sauce.

The best way I could describe it was like eating Apple Vinegar mixed with something quite strong in scent...it was like the moment we sniffed it (or when I did anyways), I was totally turned off by it.

So sad to say, but we basically did not really touch the Seven Course Beef dishes AT ALL =X

 

Thinly Sliced Rare Beef with Raw Onions--Peter ate some of the beef on its own boiled in the hot pot water, but I felt like the beef was also flavored with some weird sauce already and just couldn't even bring myself to eat one bite =X

 

 

One of the Seven Courses involved Beef with Butter in a Hot Sauce Pan like the one above, but yah, after the scent of that "apple vinegar-y" sauce placed at the table, I pretty much lost my appetite.

 

 

 

But we still had an awesome time eating everything else and trekking out to Pho 2000 with Tiffany, Petah, Debbie and Lukas :)

PZ--Kid Robot Hot Pink Dunny Tee

 

I think this may have been the last dish of the Seven Course Beef, some sort of congee, it was good but I think we were all quite happily stuffed from the first half of yumminess at Pho 2000...

 

 

 

Tiffany, Lukas, Debbie and Me :)

Me--Juicy Couture Grey Fur Reversible Hoodie Jacket (and yes, I brought home a snack drink, it was so yummy)

 

 

 

Grill 23 with HBS buddies :)

 

I don't often get cravings for Steak but we figured it had been awhile since our last "meaty" dinner and had heard good things about Grill 23 in Boston.

Oh and THE ITEM to order there is the Kobe Cap Steak :)

 

 

Carl, Manolya, Mike (had no idea until we saw the pic how far apart we were LOL), Me and Petah :)

 

 

 

Bone-In Ribeye with Kobe Cap Steak--to be honest, we liked the Kobe Cap Steak but were not "blown away" by it like we had anticipated (given the reviews about it online and from some friends)...it was yummy, but I think we left thinking the Ribeye was still the clear winner (for us anyways) haha...

 

 

 

Sides of: Mac 'n Cheese, Truffle Tots (definite winner!!!), Creamed Spinach and Hash Browns

 

 

 

Mike & Me enjoying our meal hehe...and yes, that is a Shirley Temple that I ordered haha

Me--Balmain Silver and Black Sequins Long Sleeve Tunic Top

 

 

 

PZ--7 Diamonds Navy Blazer (one of the first things I got Petah when we first met hehe...I remembered him loving it while we were on a trip in Las Vegas and later I secretly ordered it and got it for him :)

 

 

Me--Prada Black Car Coat (such a classic staple piece with added touches on the sleeve and collar), Proenza Schouler Lace Up Grey Suede Booties (super comfy actually and easy to walk in thanks to the platform!)

 

 

Me--Balmain Silver and Black Sequins Long Sleeve Tunic Top, Roberto Coin Cento Diamond Studs, Tiffany & Co. Platinum Diamond Mini Hoop earrings, Gurhan 22K YG Spiral Ring and Vendoro 18K WG Diamond Wave Ring

 

 

 

Upclose shot of the Balmain Silver and Black Sequins Long Sleeve Tunic Top, I guess it's more like Silver Sequins and Black mesh detailing...so nice and actually super lightweight for a sequins piece!!

 

 

Petah's 7 Diamond Navy Blazer Jacket on the chair :)

 

 

 

PZ--Cartier Santos 100 XL Black Leather Watch, Happy Socks (from Gilt heehee) and Citizens of Humanity Dark Denim Jeans

 

 

 

Hot Pot Buffet Boston Chinatown

 

In the dead of Boston winter...you can't beat Hot Pot Buffet in Chinatown!

I mean, just to be clear, it IS an all-you-can-eat Chinese Hot Pot Buffet, which technically means

1) The place is run by Chinese (of course) haha

2) They know you are going to try to get as much as you can for your money's worth (all-you-can-eat ie: it is one flat right whether you eat till you're content or stuff yourself 10 times over to feel good that you ate up all the "priciest" Seafood and Meats and made sure your $17.99 USD was very very well-spent) LOL

3) Service is non-existent

4) The place is probably not passable for health department laws come to think of it, I can only imagine the mess inside the kitchen seeing how disorganized everyone is in the "dining room" areas...and no, it is not due to shortage of staff.  I always love it when you're stretching your arm to the sky for some waitstaff's attention and there's 3 or 4 of them randomly just hanging out, talking, "chilling" and totally not noticing/not caring that you're waving incessantly at them!

5) And there is no order to the chaos as in more than likely, when you ask them for re-orders of certain dishes, sometimes you get them in 5 minutes and sometimes they never come out and you have to track someone else down for it again...OR we've also theorized that they bring out all the veggies and small plate re-orders fast but make you wait a nice long time for the meats and seafood haha

Anyhoooo...it suffices and as long as you are okay with the fact of a huge steamed up room (not very good ventilation), craziness bustling around you, and well, even if the kitchen's dirty--thank goodness everythings being boiled in hot soup for a few minutes, right?

Yap, it's a really good thing Chinese people were not in charge of sashimi haha...

 

 

 

 

Shrimp, Fish Balls, Enoki Mushrooms, Tofu and Fish Cake

 

 

Various red and white meats like different styles of Beef and Pork and Chicken :)

 

 

 

 

 

Crab legs (a Chinese favorite at buffets--check it out next time you're in Las Vegas--who are all the people in front of the crab leg platter???? Hmmm...LOL, it's quite cute and *sigh* funny I guess?), Mushrooms, Pumpkin (very good in shabu shabu and hot pots!!)...

 

Yes, you can try different types of broths!!

 

 

 

Philbert and friends getting busy to work "cooking" :)

 

 

 

Dave, Rika and Philbert hanging out :)

 

 

 

Adrian, Me, Maggie, Danny, Philbert, Rika, Dave and Helen :)

 

And yes, we all left super full...and me feeling super "hot" =X

 

 

 

B&G Oyster

 

I had heard good things about B&G Oysters from several friends and Peter (whom had gone without me once before *grump grump* jkk LOL)...so I finally got to check it out with Petah and our buddy Maggie :)

 

 

 

I know it was a weekday lunch, but was surprised how empty it was when we arrived!!

Loved the open kitchen and decor though!

 

 

 

Me & Maggie at our table waiting for food to come :)

Me--Burberry Khaki Green Novacheck Jacket and Emilio Pucci Vintage Rainboots (love this print!!!)

 

 

So cute how the Iced Tea came with labeled "stirrers!" 

Kind of reminds me of the cute umbrellas they put in all the fruity drinks in Hong Kong!

 

Our Oyster Platter...

 

 

 

And the list of Oysters we ordered...

 

 

 

Petah, Me and Maggie :)

PZ--Burberry Red Polo Shirt

Me--Nation LTD Classic V Neck Peach Coral color tee, Chopard 18K White Gold Multi Heart Necklace

 

Lobster Roll--though I think we preferred the one at Neptune Oyster over this one...just the flavoring, though this one gets points for being so massive (if you're super hungry and want to eat a lot haha)

 

 

 

New England Clam Chowder--this was DELISH!  With lots of fresh and yummy clams too!

 

 

 

Raspberry Tart--don't the raspberries just look so juicy and red!??

 

Overall, I would say B&G Oysters was good, not great, and with the other choices in Boston, I'd go to Neptune Oysters first...next place I'd like to try though is Island Creek.  I've also heard lots of good reviews on that place!

 

Hei La Moon Dim Sum

 

Went to Hei La Moon (in Chinatown Boston) for dim sum the next day, Sunday, after the USC/Notre Dame football game.  It was really just "penciled" in as all my friends know that if USC loses (I mean, they never lose *ahem ahem* haha) Cory is not to be disturbed and will not come out for a few days =X

 

 

 

Mike, Jeanne, Charles, Ianz and Petah!

And yes, we ordered tons and tons, so much so that we were all super full and ready to "roll out" afterwards :)

 

 

Some of the dim sum selection at our table: Steamed Black Bean Pork Spareribs, Chicken Feet, Lotus Leaf Sticky Rice, "Gai Lan" Chinese Veggies with Oyster Sauce and Char Siu Bao (steamed buns with bbq pork meat)

 

 

 

Oh and after the meal, everyone was so stuffed, they all figured no one would want dessert...well, they thought wrong! LOL

Every one kind of unbelievably watched as I proceeded to order THREE desserts haha...Tapioca Pudding with Watermelon, Steamed Hot Tofu with Ginger Syrup and Grass Jelly with Sweetened Condense Milk...YUM YUM

Okay, I have to say I took like 1 bite out of each one and had to take the rest home hehe

New Jumbo Seafood Dinner with HBS Pals :)

 

Always a Chinese favorite of ours in Boston: New Jumbo Seafood :)

Check it out if you're in Boston, their seafood IS super delicious, especially the shrimp and lobster!!

 

 

 

Jelly Fish appetizer :)

 

 

 

Maggie, Dave and Mike ready to eat!

 

 

 

Pork Hock Thinly Sliced appetizer--with pineapples and sweet & sour sauce

 

 

 

Sauteed Baby Bok Choy with Garlic--a MUST HAVE at every meal!!

 

 

 

Sauteed Peapod Stems--Peter and I did not discover this until the past year, we kept seeing other people order them and finally decided to try them out.  I love them, though if I had to choose between these and Baby Bok Choy, I think I'd have to still choose Baby Bok Choy...it's very close though!

 

 

 

House Special Hot Pot--I always have a soft spot for hot pots at Chinese restaurants since my Dad and I used to always order them...it's a great way to get a good mix of seafood, meats, tofu and veggies, all in one delicious saucy pot!

 

 

 

Jenny, Carl and Maggie--thanks Maggie for dishing out the rice :)

BTW, Jenny has on a super cool lace top and necklace!

 

 

I *think* this may have been a Soft Shell Crab special--they do really good "fried" squid and such at New Jumbo Seafood--it's always seasoned very well as you can see from these pics :)

 

 

 

Coconut Crispy Chicken--I am not sure why "coconut" is part of the name but it's basically the "House Special Chinese Roast/Fried Chicken" at New Jumbo Seafood--maybe they brush the skin with some coconut sauce?  Either way, it's delicious!!!

 

 

 

Honey Walnut Shrimp--it's funny but this is one of the few dishes both my Chinese and non-Chinese friends LOVE every time!

 

 

 

Peking Pork Chops--Peter's favorite dish at New Jumbo Seafood, we ALWAYS have to get this haha

 

 

 

Fried Stuffed Tofu with special soy sauce dip :)

 

 

 

Stir Fried Lobster with Ginger & Scallion--I actually am liking lobster more and more these days...though my favorite is still the ones we had in Hong Kong with the Yee Mein and Cheesy Sauce...so sad cos most Chinese restaurants in the U.S. have no idea what I'm talking about when I ask about this :(

 

 

 

I think this is one of the many times Peter and I got so preoccupied with eating that we forgot completely about taking pics of what we were wearing and all haha...*oops*!! 

Craigie on Main Brunch & Out and About HBS

 

Ever since I went to Craigie on Main with my friend Mijin for brunch last Fall, I had been wanting to bring Petah with me.  I knew he would love the Corned Beef Hash there as he loves Corned Beef Hash and this one had some of the most tender and tasty meats!

 

So off we went to brunch at Craigie on Main with our pals Amy and TQ :)

 

P.S.--We did not leave disappointed nor hungry at all...in fact, we were STUFFED!

 

 

 

House Made Donut with caramel syrup...delish!  Better than Dunkin' Donuts---jk haha, of course it would be!  One of the saddest things though is that there are NO Krispy Kremes in Boston or possibly the State of Massachusetts...damn Dunkin'!!! LOL

 

 

 

poached pear, organic yogurt, Concord grape coulis 

 

 

 

The "healthy" option...coriander and cashew granola, milk or organic yogurt :)

 

 

 

 

Scallops with Grits...*nom nom* ;)

 

 

 

The "not as healthy" option...Local Grass-Fed Beef Burger--Shelburne Farm cheddar, mace ketchup, house-made bun, crispy potato fries

 

 

 

 

The "favorite" at Craigie on Main's brunch menu!!!  

Grass-Fed & House-Brined Corned Beef Cheek & Smoked Beef Tongue Hash--slow-poached farm-fresh egg, crispy onion rings

 

 

 

TQ, Amy, Petah & Me!  Love the "open" kitchen too, it can be somewhat mesmerizing to watch the Chefs hard at work and in such rhythm...it is almost second nature for them to be in such a bustling environment.

 

 

Oh wait, we're not done yet!!

House-Made Profiteroles--canela ice cream, rum-Valrhona chocolate sauce

These were a huge hit despite the messy/dirty fingers we all had at the end of the meal haha

 

 

Apple Tartin with green tea ice cream :)

YAY for fruity desserts, I find it so hard to get yummy fruity dessert options at many restaurants here...it's usually, as in 95% of the time, always a Chocolate of some sort :(

 

After that delicious brunch, Peter and I were ready to pass out in bed...but...before that, we decided to roam around the HBS campus and let Bow Wow run around!

 

 

Me--Chanel Grey Blue Tweed Jacket, Calypso St. Barths Ivory Lace Top, AG Black Twill Skinny Pants, Christian Louboutin Miss Boxe Black Leather Wood Platform shoes and Christian Dior Limited Edition Black leather Ruffle New Lock Bag

 

 

Me--Chanel Grey Blue Tweed Jacket, Calypso St. Barths Ivory Lace Top, AG Black Twill Skinny Pants, and Christian Dior Limited Edition Black leather Ruffle New Lock Bag

 

 

 

Me--Chanel Grey Blue Tweed Jacket, Calypso St. Barths Ivory Lace Top, Cartier Love Bracelets in Yellow Gold and White Gold, Tiffany & Co. Platinum Diamond tennis bracelet

 

 

PZ--Surface to Air Navy Blue Cotton Jacket, Burberry Polo Shirt in Red, Citizens of Humanit Jeans, Salvatore Ferragamo White Sneakers with Brown Patent Velcro Straps

 

 

"Wait Peter!  Stop running off without me!!" LOL

PZ--Surface to Air Navy Blue Cotton Jacket, Burberry Polo Shirt in Red, Citizens of Humanit Jeans, Salvatore Ferragamo White Sneakers with Brown Patent Velcro Straps

 

 

 

Loved this shot with the "greenery" on both sides and a stretch of walkway down the middle...as if Peter is about to disappear into the horizon...

 

 

 

 

On the grassy lawn on campus, Bow Wow was really enjoying himself outside (which usually consists of him sniffing and marking as much as he can, and also running around at full speed like a little crazy doggy that he is :)

Me--Calypso St. Barths Ivory Lace top and AG Black Twill Skinny pants

 

 

Hi there Bow Wow!

Isn't he just such a crazy little speedster? hehe

 

 

Calypso St. Barths Ivory Lace Top

 

 

 

Christian Louboutin Miss Boxe Black Leather with Wood Platform wedges...love love these, one of the first pairs of Louboutins I got back in L.A. from Barneys NY :)

 

 

 

Cornerstone Ranch Horseback Riding w/ HBS Pals :)

 

Peter organized an outing for horseback riding at Cornerstone Ranch in Princeton, MA...somewhere very far east of Boston.  I was initially hesitant, as I am a natural "scaredy cat" and worry about things like falling off the horse or running into a tree branch while riding somehow.  Yes, it may be ridiculous, but if it were to happen to any one person, that one person is usually me =X

 

 

Here I am getting prepped for the ride, I think the lady at Cornerstone Ranch could smell my fears from a mile away, but thankfully, as a result, gave me the most well-behaved and calm horsey...

Me--USC Black Hoodie Sweatshirt, Genetic Denim Black Skinny Jeans, Francois Pinton Jacky 2 Black sunnies

 

 

Peter on his horsey, ready for the ride!

PZ--Nation LTD Blue tee, Neil Barrett for Paladium Taupe Suede Boots

 

 

I made it onto my horse! YAY!

Me--USC Black Hoodie Sweatshirt, Genetic Denim Black Skinny jeans, Chanel Black Rainboots with White Camelia motif

 

 

Tiffany on her horse, now, Tiffany is a seasoned pro at horseback riding.  She narrowly escaped a bad accident when her horse got all crazy and tried to throw her off, but Tiffany sensed it and was able to jump off in time before getting smushed and fallen on by her horse!

 

 

 

Lucas and Tiffany...

 

 

 

Deema and Bassel showing us how cool they are and how it's done in Dubai LOL, so cute!!

 

 

 

Yes, that's a goat roaming around...I guess the farm animals know not to get in the way of the horses.  I could only envision Bow Wow being there and going all crazy and scaring off the horse and then getting kicked or stomped on...so sad to imagine, but yah, good thing we didn't bring Bow Wow!

 

 

 

Me--USC Black Hoodie Sweatshirt, Cartier Love Bracelets in WG and YG, Francois Pinton Jacky 2 Black sunnies

 

 

 

Deema, looking gorgeous with her horsey :)

 

 

 

PZ--Nation LTD Blue tee, Citizens of Humanity Jeans, Neil Barrett for Paladium Taupe Suede boots, Gucci khaki brown leather sunnies