A visitor here myself

For the last two weekends I have had the chance to see Chicago differently, as a visitor vicariously through friends who I showed around the city I now call home. A couple weeks ago was a friend's bachelorette party. Before the evening's shenanigans, we went took the Chicago Chocolate Tour on the Magnificent Mile. Each of the spots on the tour was new to me, and each was fabulous in its own way.

First on the tour was Teuscher Chocolates in the Bloomingdale Building on Michigan Avenue. This small Swiss company imports its chocolates from Switzerland weekly, and the quaint country decor mimics the headquarters in Zurich. There we had our first sample, their famous champagne truffle. It was everything you hope to have when someone tells you your two favorite things have combined into the perfect bite.

From there we took a quick stroll to More Cupcakes. It's a small boutique cupcake shop, with an artistic edible display nearly worthy of a spot at the Museum of Contemporary Art. We had mini versions of their famous chocolate chocolate chocolate cupcake. More is known for a Hostess-esque chocolate cupcake with a cream filling. They also have alcohol inspired flavors on special during Friday night happy hour. Anyone looking for a sugar high after work should give me a call and we can go check it out. Or, heck, anytime. They have a ton of flavors, and I'd be up for the challenge of trying them all.

Then we went to a tiny Belgian Bakery called Hendrickx on Walton street. It was so small I would have walked right past it if it wasn't for the tour. It had a bright orange door with a knob in the center. In the kitchen we tried some of their signature breads. The croissant was unbelievably fluffy, as it should be considering the 17 hours it takes to create. There was also chocolate bread, and an almond/white chocolate bread. They have "real" Beligan waffles, which is another reason for me to return. I love the small, homemade feel of this shop. Their "regular" bread is made with only four ingredients by hand. I can only imagine how tasty that will be when I pick up a loaf for grilled cheese or french toast.

Just down the way is Sarah's Pastries and Candies. For braving the cold, the owner of the tour company who met us there, sprung for hot chocolates to go along with the haystack-like tasty treat we got to sample. Everyone who makes haystacks should include pistachios. This small shop, in addition to having fabulous hot cocoa, also has the talent it takes to win Extreme Challenge on the Food Network. They won the dinosaur challenge that I was lucky enough to catch on repeat just the other day. The head and tail on this realistic dinosaur were motorized creating an awesome extreme element. You can check out a clip on their website, or if your lucky, Food Network will replay it again.

Last on the list was Argo Tea. I didn't realize that this tea shop started in Chicago. After working at a different tea shop, I knew how awesome chocolate could work with tea. Argo has a bunch of options for chocolate lovers on a diet, because the teas are usually low fat or fat free. Lucky for me, there is an Argo down the block from my house and I can start trying more of their teas. It's too bad that their chai, my favorite type of tea, is caffeine free. Maybe I can find something just as good with the same boost I get from my chai.

After this tour, the next weekend, I would be able to become tour guide for some of my favorite people who came to visit. That weekend I had five people sleeping in my studio apartment like a good ole' fashion sleep over. Only one of them got in town early enough Friday to see anything, and since the sleet was still in full force, we didn't get to "see" much. We went to check out the mini model of the city at the Chicago Architecture Foundation, the Tiffany at the Chicago Cultural Center and had cappuccinos at Chicago's best coffee place - Intellegentsia - before making our way back up to my neighborhood for Cesar's Mexican cuisine. After dinner, where I had my first raspberry margarita made with real berries, we stopped at Friar Tucks - a bar I have been meaning to check out since I moved to the neighborhood. It's a decent bar, especially if you're looking for a neighborhood place with fun themes like crazy hat night.

Saturday was more Chicago "must-sees." We had lunch at the Signature Room and the fog cleared just enough for Andrew to give the visitors a walking tour from 95 stories above the city. I love the Signature Room because for about the cost of the observation deck you can get the view and lunch, with a touch of class. Then we became art critics at the Art Institute's newly reopened modern wing. Of course there was more to it than the modern wing, including the Ferris Bueller moment at the Seurat and American Gothic. I bailed to go take care of pips during the gratuitous bean picture taking, but made it in time for the Tiffany ceiling in Marshall Fields and a drink just before last call at the Walnut Room. I am always amazed at how early places close downtown. It was last call at like 6:45. But we did get to pretend to be fancy with our wine and cheese course before moving on to dinner. Classic deep dish pizza at Lou Malnatti's. They were able to accommodate both the gluten free visitor and my vegetarianism. I think the awesomeness of deep dish was a little sullied by the kitchen mix up, but hopefully they got the feel for why Chicago pizza is the best. My favorite is still Giordano's, but they don't offer the gluten free crust, which is essentially a meat patty.

There ended the "real" Chicago tour, the rest of the night was spent with college-style games and blow up mattresses taking over my studio apartment. I can't wait for more people to visit. Consider this an open invitation!

The Midwest tour continues: Ohio

What do you think of when you hear Indiana? That is the question my friend Jake and I tried to answer during the long drive through the flat, open state on our way to Ohio two weeks ago. I was making the trek to visit my friends Jon and Marisa who moved to Columbus nearly a year ago, and Jake was visiting his sister. I'm glad to have had a driving partner this time. I've made this drive solo once before, and it is longer than long. When I think of Indiana I really just think of farms. Farms and wind turbines. Jake thought of rest stops. I'm sure there is more to it and I'm just not privy to the details. If you are, please share. After about 8 hours of driving, we made it to Columbus where Jake and I parted ways for the weekend.

The first order of business was Pipsy proofing so the three of us could go grab some food. Pipsy did surprisingly well confined to their kitchen area with gate. She only pushed through once, and didn't do any damage.

Marisa found a great restaurant that had awesome veggie options. Though I can usually find something on most menus, I love being able to choose from more than three entrees. Betty's is in downtown Columbus, which as a city really reminds me of a city that combines both Milwaukee and Madison. That is to say I feel really comfortable there. Betty's is pin up themed neighborhood bar/restaurant that has an awesome collection of vintage "risque" photos posted on its walls. The drink menu was packed with specialty drinks as well as wine and local brews. After perusing the menu, I was reminded that I like White Russians (a drink I never think of ordering unless I see it on a menu. Here it was dubbed the Betty White Russian, and it was a tall.). For dinner I had the pumpkin chili that was just spicy enough and a warm mushroom salad. There were three types of mushrooms sauteed and served atop romaine lettuce topped with goat cheese. Pumpkin chili should really be on more menus, as should goat cheese items. Then, it was dessert time at Jeni's ice cream across the way. I was actually too stuffed to even take more than one bite of my scoops and saved them til the next day. Jeni's has adult ice cream flavors, some infused with booze, some with the bite of spicy curry and others with goat cheese (see, they took my more goat cheese idea before I even had it). I chose the Bangkok Peanut and Whiskey & Pecans. The Bangkok Peanut had a nice kick to it and the Whiskey & Pecans tasted just enough like whiskey for me to really enjoy it without making that face I do when liquor burns as I sip. You can get Jeni's online. If I wasn't such a procrastinator, I probably would have ordered some for Christmas, maybe I'll bring some to New Years.

Saturday I had the crazy idea of working out so Marisa and I went to their complex's gym. I miss having a workout facility in my building, and still need to get to Bally's to combat the winter weight that is sure to creep up on me. After the elliptical and treadmill it was time for brunch. I'm spacing on the name of the place now. I want to say Skillet, or something like that. The food was good, but we had to wait a while which is neither Marisa nor my strong suit when we're hungry. But, when the food came we ate, drank (OJ and coffee) and were merry. Brunch fueled us for a visit out to their new house. Well, really a pile of dirt next to a hole right now, but by spring it will be a house. I can't wait for the housewarming party! Jon and Marisa always make me feel at home. Their guest bedroom is nicer than most hotels, the bed is super comfy and their place has a playmate for Pipsy, their Westie named Tucker.

Saturday night we went to a brew and view type place for dinner, drinks, and a movie. We saw New Year's Eve. I have a weakness for chick flicks, and this was just what I needed to get my fix for a few months. If you've seen Love Actually or Valentine's Day, you've probably got the idea of this movie. But, it's sweet, fun and lighthearted. I always say that if I want to see something scary or dangerous or action-y, I'll turn on the news. Reality is scary enough, I like to escape with stories of friendship, love and happiness. Also, the idea of a brew and view is genius. We went from drinks and movies to drinks and arcade games at Dave and Busters. We played Skee Ball and tried to beat each other at basketball. Skee ball is still my favorite, even after Marisa and I tried Dance, Dance Revolution. Dance, Dance is a great way to make yourself feel uncoordinated and out of shape. Maybe I just need more practice, or to play before cocktails.

Sunday, my last day in town, we indulged our terrible television addiction by watching awful shows like Teen Mom and Scouted before going to brunch. I don't mind not having cable at home, but it really is fun to be able to watch ridiculous shows that come on when flipping through channels on a lazy Sunday. This Sunday brunch was at a bar with an awesome buffet. They had a Bloody Mary bar too, which I always want to enjoy, but I just can't get into Bloody Marys. Tomato juice is just not my thing. So, after eating delicious food yet again, it was time for me and Pips to say goodbye and make our way through good ol' Indiana.

Thanksgiving travels

Up until this year, my holiday travels were limited to Midwestern drives. But this Thanksgiving, I was invited to spend the weekend with Andrew and his family in Seattle (the city his brother and sister-in-law are lucky to call home). Though I was a little sad to miss the twins first Thanksgiving, and time with my family, I couldn't say no to the offer. Our flight left the evening before Turkey Day, and I was pleasantly surprised at the less-than-chaotic lines at O'hare. I got through security in less than a half hour, and managed to escape any grumpiness. I more than love to travel, but flying and me usually have our issues. But, no matter how awful the flight made me feel, I was happy to be able to share Thanksgiving with such a great family in one of my favorite cities.

Thanksgiving Day couldn't have been more ideal. I was able to go for a nice jog around Seattle University before dinner. The hills can be deceiving, and the rain a little chilling, but it was a good workout that helped me feel less guilty about the excessive amount of calories I was about to eat. The meal was delicious, and I was excited to have contributed Green Bean Casserole (a dish I really should incorporate into my weekly rotation, rather than a dish just for holiday buffets). There was no need for Tofurkey, the non-meat side dishes and pumpkin pie were more than enough, and the traditional flavors made me feel right at home. Our hosts did a fabulous job! We ended the night with Hot Toddies and a game with a forgettable name that incorporates charades, acting and clues.

There was no camping outside for black Friday deals, or early morning line standing. I've only been involved with the craziness of Black Friday once, years ago for a Nintendo Wii. I almost lost all hope in humanity. Never again. Black Friday for us involved a brewery tour, winery trip, a chocolate shop, and dinner at a dog-friendly pub. Red Hook Brewery was more like a funny lecture interspersed with tastings, and that was okay with me. I kind of wished I could have tasted the original Red Hook of the 80s that supposedly had a slight banana flavor, but all the samples were pretty tasty. If I remember correctly, my favorite was the Copper Hook, and the Pilsner wasn't that bad either. At one point our tour guide said one of the brews was like "a fairy-tale in your mouth," which I thought was worth repeating. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I liked hearing it. Though we didn't tour Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery nor Theo's chocolate shop, we did get to meander around their gift shops. Both worth the trip, I'm regretting not buying any Theo chocolates so much that I'll be checking online when I finish this post to see if they ship nationwide. At Theo they had a drinking chocolate that reminded me of this amazing chocolate shop that lasted for just a few months in Wauwatosa. It was creamy and rich and everything hot chocolate should be. Down the street from the chocolate shop is this adorable dog-friendly pub. Emmet, our hosts' adorable mini-pincher/chihuahua, was able to sit with for dinner. I wish more places were dog friendly, I would love to be able to go out to dinner with Pips.

The next day was skiing. Real mountain skiing. We drove the winding roads to Crystal Mountain. It had been 10 years since I'd skied, and that was on Wilmot "Mountain" in southern Wisconsin. The bunny hill at Crystal Mountain seemed larger than the entire run at Wilmot. After a few passes on the bunny hill we decided to take on the next run. The trail was called Tinkerbell, but it was scarier than the name implied. On the lift, my stomach began to churn and curdle half way up. It was a green run, the easiest after the bunny hill. But, to get there we had to go down a slightly blue section. That was my downfall. I had a little mishap off a few feet from the lift, but that was nothing compared to what happened on this blue-ish slope. I had the most epic fall. I was going too fast, couldn't make myself turn to slow down and ended up face down. When I lifted my head, through the cracks in my snow covered glasses, the tree stump was too close for comfort. One of my skis was buried deep in the snow and the guys had to dig to help me find it. I got up slowly, my quad burning, and got my boots back in the skis. I was extremely nervous to go down again, but made it the rest of the way with only one more (far less epic) tumble. The guys were ready to go again, but I opted for practice on the bunny hill. And after the bunny hill we took the gondola to the top of the mountain, about 2,500 vertical feet from the base. Some crazy people, Andrew and his brother, skied down, while others, like me, had their hot chocolate at the summit restaurant and took the gondola back down. At the top of the gondola, there is an unbelievable view of Mt. Rainier and the range. Being among this amazing natural landscape makes me realize how incredibly small we all are, and how lucky I am to have had the opportunity to be a part of the life of this mountain that has been accumulating stories for hundreds of thousands of years. My bruises and sore muscles were worth every moment.

Thanks to my hosts and Andrew's family for making this a fabulous trip. Until next time, Emerald City...

Oh the places you'll go

During the month of October I challenged myself to go to a new place every day. It forced me to take a different path, to open my eyes to different sights and take in more of the world around me. Below is the list of places I visited for the first time during the month. To be honest, there were a couple days that I missed (8 days in total), but I did make it to 30 new places in 30 days by doubling up a few days. My top 10 are bold.

Evanston Public Library
Twosided Gift Shop
Threadless on Broadway
Akira
Bobtail Icecream Shoppe
Aaron's
Hamburger Heaven
Dekalb Oasis
Clinton Hy-vee
Jake & Cyndi's
The Breakfast House
The Brucemore
Night Out Shuttle Bus Bars
Columbia
Forever Yogurt
MCA Lecture Hall
University of Chicago
Andersonville Galleria
Swedish History Museum
Andersonville Antique shop
Chicago Costume Store
Garfield Conservatory
Resurection Catholic Church
Jorie & Juleen's
Manhattan/Monee gas station
Gates Dress Shop
Illusions Dress Shop
Lanterman Park
Grissom's Apple Orchard
The Brew and Grow Shop

A long trip home

The flight to from Shanghai to Chicago should take about 11 hours. If you get to go non-stop. If you take the route less traveled, like I did, it takes about 72 hours. I was lucky enough to fly use a friend's buddy pass (a highly discounted ticket from a friend that worked at the airline that basically means you're flying standby) to get to Shanghai, it was no problem. I even got a seat with no one next to me, free wine and tv shows to take my mind off the time. The way home wasn't as easy. I got to the airport early Saturday morning. But, even if I got there at 2 in the morning I wouldn't have made it on the plane. You see, there was a typhon headed towards Shanghai. And, the airport preemptively canceled all of Sunday's flights. This meant that customers who paid full price were on the same list, way ahead of me. It was chaos at the counter, and when I finally talked to someone they suggested I would be stranded in Shanghai for a week if I didn't get out that day. There was no way I could be in China for another week.

I ran around the airport, trying and trying to find an open seat to Narita, Japan. If I could get there, the chances for getting to the US on a buddy pass were much greater. This airline only flies once a day from Shanghai to the US mainland, but from Narita they have a handful of flights. I bought a ticket to Narita (let's just say buying same-day tickets aren't cheap). I get in after dark, and decided to spend the night in the airport. I'd never done that before. I was herded with other travelers to a part of the airport they designated for overnighters. It was nothing like sleepover camp. They took my passport info and left me to stretch out across a couple seats cuddling my luggage. Morning took forever, it was as if the sun was hoping for a lazy Sunday. I started talking with reservations bright and early (and they were shockingly nice to me). I tried three flights that went back to the US, but others were ahead of me and I didn't make it on a flight until 8 p.m. And that was to Hawaii. I wish I had a photo of how relieved my face looked when I made it to my seat and they offered me champagne. Business class is awesome! Here is where you say, "Oh, poor thing. You had to go to Hawaii. And had to fly business class" But, the bad part of getting to Hawaii is that no one ever gets out of Hawaii on a buddy pass considering how many people are going there in the summer. So, when we landed I booked a flight to Seattle, took my swimsuit from my luggage, checked my bag and took the bus to the beach.

From the Honolulu airport you can take the city bus (unless you have luggage) to Waikiki beach for $2.50. I had the entire day on the beach. It was my saving grace. For two days I had been confined in airports or airplanes breathing stale recycled air. I have no idea how anyone leaves this island. The air and water are intoxicating.

I saw myself having a life there, it looked a lot like like Mila Kunis' life in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall." I stumbled upon a hula dance recital, had a Hawaiian shaved ice, napped in the sun and swam in the clear blue water.

I didn't want to leave, but about two hours before my flight left, I packed up, dried off with my souvenir towel and caught the bus back to the airport. I got on the plane longing to return to the beach.

Seattle welcomed me with the Pacific Northwest charm that is forever calling me. But, I didn't have time to leave the airport. I tried and tried for a buddy pass seat, but failed and failed. And after a near melt down I bought a ticket for later that afternoon to Chicago. I got home at about 8 p.m. (which would have been Tuesday morning in China). I'm not sure I've ever been happier to land in ORD.

China - the last few days

China was one of the most tiring "vacations" I've ever taken, and so after 10 days I couldn't keep my eyes open long enough at night to write about the days happenings. So now, almost two months later I am going to try to recount the last few days we spent on the other side of the world. The day after the Great Wall adventure we went to an art museum and then to the art district. The main exhibit was technology as art, and had some pretty fun interactive pieces. An image searching program that brought up faces similar to yours (or just random images from the looks of it) after taking a scan was in the first gallery. Anna had a couple matches, but no matter how hard I tried I always got the "no match found" message. I gave up, and let the kids have a turn.

We moved on to my favorite exhibit: Nemo Observatorium. The plaque did a good job explaining the purpose of this transparent space with flying Styrofoam balls whirling about an armchair in the center.

"White particles are blown around in a big transparent cylinder. Visitors can take a seat on the armchair in the middle of the whirlpool or observe from the outside. In the eye of the storm, it is calm and safe. In this spectacular meditation machine one can follow the patterns, focus on the layers of 3D pixels or listen to its waterfall sound. One could call it a training device, challenging the visitor to find peace in a fast changing environment."

Relaxing in the "eye of the storm"

It was good, nerdy fun. As was the greenhouse exhibit upstairs next to a piece that created a windmill of sorts out of water bottles and LED lights. The sculptor used bottles filled with sand to focus attention on the fading availability of clean water. On the other side of the gallery was a quirky tent filled with growing garden vegetables (tomatoes mostly if I'm remembering correctly) that invited guests to dance inside with the plants. So, we did. Briefly.

We had Pizza Hut for lunch, which I should have known was a bad idea since even in the states I usually get sick from eating there. But, just like it didn't stop me from going to the buffet on weekends (especially for the dessert pizza) in college, it didn't stop us in Beijing. After our stomachs were sufficiently coated in grease, we made our way to the art district. I didn't get to go with Anna and Lei Ti to the art district in Shanghai, so I was excited about this trip. It actually reminded me of the third ward in Milwaukee, an industrial area taken over and reinvented by artists and gallery owners. The taxi ride there got me a little car sick, and combined with the Pizza Hut, my stomach never really recovered. But, other than my stomach hating me for the evening, it was a good time. It was refreshingly less crowded than we were getting used to, and there was a ton to see.

"Floating" Bikes

Love is a work of art. Aren't they cute?

"Wall art"

That night I went to sleep hoping my stomach would stop loathing me, and luckily when I woke up the next day I felt nearly 100 percent better. It was time to go back to Shanghai, High Speed Rail style. We made it back that evening to the same hotel we left a few days prior to go to Beijing, but Lei Ti wasn't feeling too well. Anna and I left him to his Chinese peaches and bed and we went to the French Concession where we had had the amazing fried bananas. This time we stumbled upon a Mexican place, after buying fabulously large, colorful lens-free glasses. It's amazing how walking away can get a vendor to really bring down his prices. For Mexican in China, it was a really great place, and the margaritas were 2 for 1 (something we didn't know until we got the bill, which was probably for the best). This was the most expensive meal we had eaten in China, and with a margarita my total couldn't have been more than $13 USD. I really could get used tot he restaurant pricing here.

Our last day in Shanghai was low key. We slept late, went souvenir shopping and watched our last night of Chinese dating shows. We were getting excited for our return trips home, though it was a bit bittersweet considering I wouldn't get to see Anna again for months.

We woke up packed and ready to go, but the weather would have something else in store for me. It would be another 72 hours before I made it home, after rerouting and airport overnights. More on that crazy weekend soon.

Beijing - Day 10

Day 10 (Tuesday) - Beijing

The Great Wall was an amazing feat showing the strength of China throughout centuries, and for a traveler in the 21st century it offers beautiful mountain views even in the foggy morning. But, after seeing the treacherous mountains it was built on, I would have thought the mountains themselves would have served as a strong enough barrier against the Mongols. I've been told it was more of a symbol of power, which makes sense. You'd have to have a lot of power to persuade your people to build the wall. Thousands of people died during it's construction. As you may have guessed, the great wall is packed with visitors. We went to the the second most popular entry point at Jinyong park and there were people everywhere making it nearly impossible to navigate the steep steps. I pressed on among the crowds to Beacon Tower 9.

Before the climb.

So many people!

Anna, Lei Ti and I made it to 8, but on the way up Anna remembered she was afraid of heights so they made their way back down and I pressed on. Right when I thought I made it to another tower, it was just a platform leading to more stairs. I climbed on. By this point my clothes were soaked through, my face was dripping and I could tell my legs would be burning the next day. The wall is a great place to remind you of your fitness level, for better or worse. I, for example, need a little work. The view from the beacon tower I made it to was beautiful, and would have been peaceful, maybe even spiritual, had I been able to climb alone instead of with herds of other people. I took in the view, took a few deep breaths of the fresh mountain air and carried on back down the stairs stopping periodically to look out among the landscape of green peaks and valleys.

Mountains

It was almost scarier on the way down considering one shove could have taken down so many people, and people are known to do their share of shoving here. I thought of buying a t-shirt to change into, but the only ones they really had were cheesy "I climbed the wall" shirts. According to Mao, if you come to China and don't climb the wall, you are not a man. Only true men make the climb. I would have bought a shirt that said "Mao thinks I'm a man," but had no luck.

These locks are attached to the wall. They are put there to ensure a couple's love will last.

To get to the great wall we took a tour van from the hotel. It wasn't the cheapest, but it was the easiest, even though we were shuttled to three factories on the way to the wall, Ming Tombs, and Olympic bird's nest. And it also included lunch, which wasn't bad. Veggies with a good sauce, rice and hot Jasmine tea. The first factory was jade, expensive jade. We saw a carved jade boat worth something outrageous like $57,000 USD, and learned the difference between real and fake jade during the elaborate sales pitch. I hate being followed around by salespeople, and so when after looking at some chotchkies I was swarmed by saleswomen I shut down and decided that even if I had the money I would save it to buy gifts elsewhere. The Ming Tombs aren't far from the wall, there are 13 Ming Emperors burried on the grounds. We only saw the tablet of one, and his three concubines. It was marked with a turtle symbolizing long life, and is supposed to bring luck if you rub it, and good health if you rub it's butt. I did both, but my cold was still hanging around, so I'm not sure it worked. The next factory was silk. Anna and Lei Ti went rogue right away from boredom. I listened for a little longer, until she tried to sell us quilts and then went back downstairs. We had to stay there 20 minutes, I'm pretty sure they get kick backs for bringing foreigners there to spend money. Again, we bought nothing. And then there was the tea house. I was happy to have some hot tea samples and even the pu er was drinkable. The pu er I remember from my days at the tea shop wasn't close to tolerable. The oolong is always my favorite, but Dr. Tea was too expensive. I almost wish I would have picked up a pee pee boy though, which is a ceramic or terracotta baby that when you put in water hot enough for tea it, pees. It was pretty funny. Next was pearls in a shop that seemed to be under the Olympic grounds, it was a weird location for a jewelry shop. They also had pearl anti-aging cream that Anna and I jumped on, considering our pushing 30 status. I woke up the next morning with an allergic reaction to it. Luckily I didn't spend any money on the two for one bargain cream. The last stop was the bird's nest. A cool building, sure, but I think it would have been cooler in color. It seems odd how much China is still banking on the 2008 Olympics. We took pictures in front of the nest like giants. It was a lot of fun and the pictures are pretty hilarious.

Anna winning the 400 meter dash!

And from there the van drove us back to the hotel. Lei Ti picked an awesome dumpling place for dinner. They had like 50 different choices, including vegetarian. And the cook was cool. When a woman told him she thought he needed to cook the dumplings different, he said he didn't think so, and told her to leave, that he didn't need her money. I'm sure it sounded better in the original Chinese, some probably got lost in Lei Ti's translation, but that is pretty cool to feel so confident in your cooking that you don't take anyone's gruff. These restaurants have been some of the best Chinese experiences so far, and having Lei Ti translate is like being a fly on the wall, which is fun.