Month: May 2011

print on print

my mom and i started our morning at the met to catch the phenomenal “alexander mcqueen: savage beauty”. it certainly didn’t disappoint! unfortunately photography was not allowed in the exhibit but we ended up buying the $45 book (which also means a heavy thing to carry back to SF – it’s temporarily out of stock on amazon.com).

by afternoon, we headed back down to soho to re-visit one of my favorite boutiques, tibi. in fact, i was pretty much dressed in tibi from head to toe today 🙂 see the fun pictures that my mom took below.

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What I wore today:

Why I love it:

  • print on print
  • oversized vest
  • silky soft pants

isabel and soho

hello from New York! sorry i’ve been MIA. soon after my incredible 2-week trip to china with the hubby, i quit my old job only to start my new one a few days later. now, i find myself in the big apple for work. how lucky am i? 🙂 even better is that my mom decided to fly out here and meet me so we could spend the memorial weekend together in this  amazing city.

here are some snapshots that my mom took today. most of you know my infatuation with Isabel Marant. and of course, i visit her store whenever i can. unfortunately i wasn’t wearing any Isabel Marant today 😦

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What I wore today:

Why I love it:

  • ruffles and lace
  • my PS1 bag
  • my pink woven bracelet

what helen ate in shanghai

today’s post is dedicated to some of the favorite things that i ate in shanghai. and you thought what i ate in beijing was mouth watering…

shanghainese cuisine is known to be a tad sweeter and more delicate than other chinese food. it’s actually one of my favorite types of food!

the first dish that comes to my mind is the stir-fried shrimps. this dish is all about the choice of shrimp. the locals always prefer the river shrimps (smaller in size and more expensive than fresh water shrimp) because they have a very pleasant smell. the shrimps are marinated in egg white, chicken essence and sesame oil. When done, the shrimps turn semi-transparent in a light pink colour, with a tenderly firm texture. the stir-fried river shrimps are sweet, juicy and super delicious. and it’s common to  add some black vinegar for an extra kick of flavor!

the other dish (and a favorite of my hubby’s) that comes to my mind is the quintessential shanghainese soup dumplings. we ordered a crate almost everywhere we ate in shanghai. our tour guide taught us a special technique to eat them so that the soup doesn’t spill out  and that you don’t burn your tongue — make a small hole in the dumpling and sip out the soup. the hole also allows some hot steam to air out.

enjoy the food pics!

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What I ate in shanghai:

  • stir-fried river shrimp
  • Shanghaninese soup dumplings (or xiao long baos)
  • smoked fish in sweet sauce
  • ma lan tao cold appetizer (my favorite!)
  • braised pork belly
  • chicken soup
  • stir-fried eel with noodles
  • cold duck in sweet soybean sauce

Why I love it:

  • slightly sweet taste in all Shanghainese dishes
  • assorted cold appetizers from the wild vegetables to the smoked fish to the duck
  • river seafood such as the shrimp, crab and fish dishes

green with ivy

i really enjoyed browsing the creative boutiques along julu, changle and xinle roads throughout the french concession in shanghai. i also purchased a floral dress inspired by the louis vuitton resort 2011 collection at one of these boutiques. pics of this dress to come in a future post 🙂

and if you get hungry and need a snack, you simply stop by a food vendor on the corner of the street and order something yummy!

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What I wore today:

Why I love it:

  • prints and patterns
  • stars, stripes and florals
  • utility meets girly