The feels! The feels I have for this Japanese restaurant that serves the best fried pork chop in the land! This was a happy accidental discovery by myself and JP while we were walking around GuanYing Xiao. We entered Sunshine Mall and discovered that the fourth floor was the default food floor, since that's where different restaurants, from Japanese, Thai and even an American-style pizza place kept shop. This place is extra memorable, because this is where I used chopsticks on rice FOR THE FIRST TIME! It boggled my mind, in the past, to see people picking up rice with the finger dexterity of acrobats-- I knew that I could never do it. And I didn't for years, until one day when I was so hungry and the pork chop looked so good that I knew I would have to learn how to pick at rice with chopsticks if  I didn't want to starve. The servers, who are young, very friendly Chinese kids, always look happy to see us, so it's no surprise why I look forward to weekend lunches in this place.

travel, travel, travel, travel, travel, travel, travel, travel, travel, travel, travel, travel, travel, travel,
Sometimes I look back at moments like this and realize how these milestones came out of random walks and unplanned trips that led us to discoveries that we would revisit over and over again, and there is nothing but gratitude for moments like these. Chongqing is a city of hotpots so finding these gastronomic havens is something that I will always be thankful for. 

So JP and I decided to visit university town Da Xue Cheng which is where the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute is located. Although the area is still part of CQ, I felt like I travelled to another city because unlike other metro trips, we passed by sparsely-inhabited areas and new construction zones after leaving the denser part of the city. The trip also took us about an hour. 

Upon arriving, I immediately sensed the young, fresh energy distinct to university towns. Lots of kids on bikes taking photos, congregating in coffee shops, as well as families on picnics. Ofo, a bike rental company that rents out its bikes using a nifty app, just opened in the area, so you can see everyone, young and old, trying out the trademark yellow bikes.

We spent the entire afternoon walking around, and got to see the institute famous graffiti wall, went inside art galleries and walked through the commercial area populated by dress shops, flower shops, cafes and restaurants.

The place reminded me a little bit of Dumaguete and Silliman. Young energy, students with fresh faces and the vibe of a thousand bright futures that are just getting started made me miss home all of a sudden, not to mention the fact that the area is criss-crossed by walking lanes flanked left and right by different types of trees. if you're observant enough, you might spot the sculpted  form of a woman in red,  blue or yellow peeking through the trees. They're not spooky, but  they add to the artsy vibe. Camera-toting groups are also a common sight. 

I definitely, definitely love this place, and this is already a favored weekend spot if and when we find the time again. Friends also recommended a few restaurants in the area that we should try, so that's another reason to go back.

A few shots of one of my favorite areas in Da Xue Cheng. 

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PS: If you want to see Da Xue Cheng on film, watch the movie A Woman in the Shadow, a 2016 psychological thriller set in university which features it's most popular spots. Watched it last night only to realize it was the same place we visited a few weeks ago! 

JP had a school thing in Shanghai so we decided to make a short holiday out of it and I tagged along. It was my first time in Shanghai and I was looking forward to spending an entire day exploring the Former French Concession. The Shanghai Former French Concession is also known as the Paris of the Orient because it was a French settlement from 1849 to 1943, so naturally you get tree-lined trees, coffee shops, bookstores, boutiques and all that comes with a place that's been occupied by the French for several decades. Even though the area has undergone a lot of changes (it was turned over to the Chinese government in the early 1940s!), it still has this distinct European, Old World charm to it. There's also a higher expat-local ratio here than in CQ, which is refreshing because that means more people can converse in English and getting around and ordering food isn't quite as challenging.

“Do we really want to travel in hermetically sealed popemobiles through the rural provinces of France, Mexico and the Far East, eating only in Hard Rock Cafes and McDonalds? Or do we want to eat without fear, tearing into the local stew, the humble taqueria's mystery meat, the sincerely offered gift of a lightly grilled fish head? I know what I want. I want it all. I want to try everything once.” 

― Anthony Bourdain, 

Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly

So there's this really small  noodle shop just around the corner from where we live in Chongqing and it serves the best spicy beef noodle soup! The meat is soft, the noodles firm and it is the right amount of spicy. This place is where I really learned how to eat noodles with chopsticks. For the longest time, I have shied away from learning how to use chopsticks because I thought I can live with dishes that do not require eating with them, but that was all before I tasted their noodles.

The place is fairly small, with just about six or seven tables and there's only one person behind the counter. She takes your order and prepares it in the kitchen. But the service is fast and the noodles are always done right when she serves them. Gaaah, my mouth is watering just thinking about them! This shop is one example of local eats that make this place really interesting to be in. There's a McDonalds, a few Western style bakeshops and even a Seven Eleven nearby, but after some time, you get bored with fastfood (and it makes you sick!) and you want to try out what the locals are having. For those who want a tamer version of Chongqing's hot and spicy fare, a visit to this small noodle shop is a must. 

“The stars are brilliant at this time of night 

and I wander these streets like a ritual I don’t dare to break 

for darling, the times are quite glorious.

Charlotte Eriksson

I love  tree-lined streets. And cafes on tree-lined streets. They remind me so much of the French Concession in Shanghai with its streets lined with London Plane trees and roadside shops and cafes. So I'm always happy when we find a place that has trees and cafes and cozy sitting areas outside.

Green Grain bakery, in one of the pretty neighborhoods in Ranjiaba serves great coffee and sea salt croissants. The al-fresco area, with its big wooden tables is just the perfect place to people-watch in the shade. After a hearty lunch at the Xiao Bin Lou a few doors down, this was the perfect place to have coffee and wind the afternoon down.