For most of my life I’ve been a picky eater sticking to mostly to Chinese food related items. There have been times on vacation when I was a little kid where my parents have driven around looking for a Chinese restaurant. Fortunately, over the years I’ve become more open to new foods or foods I did not like, though little by little. It’s only in the past three or four years that I’ve started to really try new foods and food I previously didn’t like. The cause was mostly curiosity and peer pressure. I had started exploring the city and my sense of wonder at these new foods I found helped me overcome my stubborn, “yeah I don’t like it.” That was also the case working at Serious Eats pushed me to try new foods. But in addition to that I didn’t want to seem like I didn’t like or was close minded to food.

But still like everyone there are foods I generally don’t like. It’s not at the level where I hate these foods but just a general dislike. There are exceptions and derivatives, so it’s not like I dislike with a broad brush.

Seafood
This is fish and shellfish. I actually dislike shellfish more. In general it’s the taste that gets me. Then it’s the texture. I’d also say its the tiny bones and shells. I wonder though maybe that’s a symptom of me being lazy. There are fish I do like: salmon and flounder. I really like the baked version of salmon steak and the salmon fat parts. Flounder I like it both steamed and deep fried (so that you can eat some of the bones) Chinese style. Another fish I really like is Chilean Sea Bass. It’s melt in your mouth goodness but  I refrain from eating it because I don’t want mercury poisoning or contribute to it’s extinction.

Cheese
Again it’s the taste that I don’t like.  I know there’s cheese in a lot of things. Which is why I prefer a Sicilian or square slice to the regular NYC style. It’s also why I usually get a hamburger and not a cheeseburger. But the thing is, is that I like mozzarella sticks and I really really like cheesecakes. I also really like cream cheese and spam(?) spread for crackers.

Cherries
Reminds me too much of cough medicine.

Broccoli Rabe and Bittermelon
I don’t like the bitter taste.

Durian and Truffles
The smell.

Yogurt
Its the smell and consistency.

That’s pretty much most of the bigger dislikes. Again I’m still open to them depending on the way it’s prepared. But for the most part I’ll do without.

I know it’s been nearly two months ago since my last update. Once you stop regularly updating it’s a really slippery slope to falling way behind. I’m setting myself on a schedule. Mondays and Thursday! There!

So I did check out Inoteca Di Palo. But before that I went to Rainbow Cafe (where they have sticky rice stuffed chicken wings) with my friend Joey.

I decided get something more breakfast-y and get a the breakfast meat (Spam) and eggs on rice. There’s also lettuce underneath there. It wasn’t too bad but then again it’s hard to get this wrong. We also got an order of the chicken wings and I was stuffed. Those wings are really filling. Next time I’ll have to try something I haven’t had there before. I’m thinking the curry fishballs.

Afterwards we went into the Inoteca. It’s a really nice and small shop. I didn’t get any wine though. I know even less about Italian wines and I can’t afford any.

Then wandering around a bit we dropped by Papabubble, one of my favorite candy stores, to watch them make some candy and get some sweets.

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In Chinatown you’re always bound to find something you haven’t noticed or strange nearly every time. Take this coffee shop on Baxter between Canal and Hester streets.

From the looks of it it’s been around for a while but of all the years I’ve been going to Chinatown it’s only this March I came across it. But in somewhat imaginative wonder I was expecting something more than what I found inside. They don’t sell much besides random bags of chips and candy, sponge cake pastries, coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. Nearly everything is only 65 cents from what I remember. How are they still in business???

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I went back to Pho Bang on Mott Street after a long time. I usually get the pork chop on rice but decided to get a bowl of pho since I haven’t had it in a while.  I don’t remember which one this was exactly but it was good!

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Part 2 coming soon!

Yeah sorry again for the lack of updates. 8( But hey here’s looking forward to 2009! I’ll hopefully have something new “soon.”

Anyway here’s a list of somethings I want to try, eat, drink, etc.:

• Try Filipino cuisine – I seem to be missing out.
• Try Soju – I keep seeing it on Korean shows so I’m pretty interested in how it tastes.
• Try more Sake – Similar to Soju in that I’ve seen it on Japanese shows but I want to try the different kinds.
• Eat more burgers – I want to expand my burger palate.
• Eat more Korean – I feel like there’s more that I haven’t eaten.
• Continue to eat healthily – More fruits and vegetables and less fat and sweets. A balanced diet.
• Try to cook and bake – I should learn.
• Eat less alone – Because it’s lonely and not as fun.

That’s it for now. I might come back to add some more.

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