New Garden Chinese Restaurant

First off, I wanted to wish everybody a happy new year! I hope it was a fun and safe one and may you continue to be blessed throughout the year. So, 2016 is here and there's much more to be discovered and devoured and I found a great place to eat at.
The phrase " Blink and you may miss out on something" definitely rings true for New Garden Chinese Restaurant. Placed on a corner near the beginning of downtown Phoenix, sits a hole in the wall establishment that I have passed by many times and until now, never once decided to check it out. By the suggestion of my brother,who has actually eaten here before, I knew from what he has told me about the portions especially, that I wasn't going to be disappointed.
Now, the exterior of this building may lack in presentation, and the inside may be quite simple and quaint,but what they lack in appeal, their food,the portions and their friendly service definitely will make you overlook those details.  I was especially impressed with their quick service and reasonable prices,and with that being said,I ordered the sweet and sour chicken with steamed rice ( $7.95 and more than enough for 2 or 3 people to share). To my surprise, I was also offered a free bowl of egg drop soup with won ton chips. Once my plate arrived,I thought they had made a mistake,that there was no way that massive plate of crispy batter and fried chicken pieces accompanied by a bowl of steamed rice, was all mine. Now, I'm not one to ever complain about getting a big portion of food at all,I was just surprised to say the least.
The sweet and sour chicken was battered Cantonese style ,crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with the sweet and sour sauce on the side,just the right amount of tangy and sweet. I definitely got my money's worth and my belly was happy for sure. I ended up taking home the leftovers to devour later on. If this is an indication of good things to come,then I'll definitely be back  again and I'll make sure I have company with me.
The fortune in my fortune Cookie reads" Every exit is an entrance to new experiences" ,well stay tuned to see what 2016 may hold for me then.
And so my ongoing quest to find some amazing places to eat at will continue onward in this new year and I via to leave no plate untouched haha. Aloha!!!
Love, peace and feast(m0de)

Bacon,pineapples and chicken kabobs

This is such a simple and quick recipe that won't take up so much of your time.
  
      Bacon,pineapple and chicken kabobs:
1 pack disposable wooden skewers
1 pack of bacon
1 can of pineapple chunks
1lb of boneless chicken
Cut Green bell peppers

To kill some time,I lightly browned the chicken,season with a little of salt,pepper and garlic powder. In another pan, I fried the bacon to a nice crisp. My method of cooking my kabobs,I used a George Foreman grill,although a hibachi or any type of grill will just work as great.
To assemble,just switch between chicken pieces, bacon,pineapples and bell peppers and cook for roughly around 10 minutes or so,where it looks slightly charred .  The last thing I did was lightly glazed with orange sauce and sprinkled with seasame seeds ( optional)
 
  Orange glaze:
1 cup orange juice
2 taps vinegar
1 cup sugar
Garlic powder
Cornstarch
Mix well and serve

Later Tater foodtruck

I'm so excited that Christmas is almost here haha it's that time of the year where my inner kid comes out more. I've been posting as of late (mostly on Instagram) the Christmas atmosphere here in Arizona. To me Christmas is so much more than just gifts,it's about family and friends and the joy of being in each others company. It's also the celebration of the birth of Jesus and a reminder we should count our blessings daily.
   Today, even though it was 49°, I headed out to Mesa to check out their festivities.
Wow! The entire downtown and arts area was decked out in colorful lights and decorations and they brought out all the stops from Christmas classic songs playing to a ice skating rink. The 2 highlights of my night was visiting the Mormon temple of Mesa and a trip to pioneers park to eat at Jack Frost's food truck forest.  The Mesa temple of LDS,did a beautiful job decorating their garden and surrounding areas in a colorful display of assorted lights and decorations. Its a must see when in mesa for the holidays. Across the street at pioneers park, a variety of food trucks were parked and ready to serve you in their known specialties. One particular truck I came across and definitely fitting due to the chilly weather, was the later taters food truck. Their take on the baked potatoes,was unique and different and I was up for the challenge haha.
( I do apologize that I didn't catch any of your names but nonetheless thanks for the hospitality)
I chose the carne asada tater, a loaded baked potato piled with steak,cheese,sour cream and green onions and a side of salsa. From the first creamy and hot bite of this amazing creation ,it definitely warmed me up. The carne asada was seasoned to perfection and every topping complemented each other well without over powering one another in flavor or taste. The combination of it all made this dish an experience I'm looking forward to replicating on another trip to this great food trip. You made a fan out of me that's for sure. You'll see me again,I promise.
In the meantime, I hope everybody's holidays is a good one and  safe one and until the next time my belly leads me to explore another place to chow down at, I'm sending my love,peace and feast(m0de) blessings to all..ALOHA!

Welcome Chicken +donuts

The south and many parts throughout North America have embraced the wonderful combination of golden fried chicken and waffles. Today, I met it's  delicious relative: Welcome Chicken + donuts!!
At Welcome Chicken + Donuts the name of game is exactly as it sounds: Bone-in fried chicken and artisan donuts and if you're a fan of either or just love good food, you'll want to get over there ASAP. Their variation of chicken,is simply known as KFC ( Korean Fried Chicken), with your choice of having it sauced,on the side or as is, either choice is all delicious.
  On the sauce front you have your choice of three Asian-inspired sauces: Korean  chili, Vietnamese + Fresh Herbs, or Japanese BBQ. I enjoyed all three but if i had to pick a favorite it might be the Vietnamese, a salty, slightly tangy, but not overly seasoned sauce that let's the flavor of the moist chicken really stand out. The Korean chili has only a slight bit of heat and the Japanese BBQ stands out for its heavy tomato notes. All are worth a try and make a great pairing with Welcome's light, crunchy batter.  When ordering the combo, you have a choice of 3 different sides: ginger scallion cucumber salad, Thai yum slaw, and corn miso butter stir fry. I went with the corn miso butter,which was creamy and buttery good.
On the donut side, which comes with the combo, there's a nice selection to choose from and definitely their donuts game and skills have raised the bar pretty high by average donut standards. With creations such as lemon poppyseed, butterscotch cheddar popcorn and maple bacon ( a delicious and deadly combo haha..not for the weak at heart), I advise you to be adventurous and step out from your comfort zone and try one or a dozen ASAP! Me being a risk taker,I went with the maple bacon, sweet and loaded with crispy bacon "sprinkles". For my first time experience ,I enjoyed every bit of my time here. The staff was helpful and added to the fact that they sell some amazing chicken and donuts,I don't need another reason to return here again,hopefully sooner than later.
I have been told about some other places so stay tuned to see what I have discovered.. Love, peace and feast(m0de) as always
  

Happy Eats @ the festival of the arts

Dab smack in downtown Tempe, Arizona (one of my favorite places to explore here in Arizona) amid college students from ASU, is Mills avenue,  blocks after blocks of  many places to indulge into your current cravings,it's also a host to many festivals and events throughout the year.
The event held here yesterday was the festival of the arts; vendors selling handcrafted jewelry, trinkets as well as paintings,clothes and all in time for christmas which is right around the corner. After looking around it was time to check out the lunch trucks and food vendors ..
I don't know why but The Grilled Cheese truck drew me in the most. Maybe it's the simplistic aspect of it; I mean it's grilled cheese,a major comfort food and an all american staple.   They sure kicked it up notch! I ordered the cheesy mac and ribs and the name alone,I knew I was in for a surprise!
Gooey and cheesy layered with Mac and cheese and shredded BBQ pork meat topped with caramelized onions. Everything was done perfectly. The meat was tender, and the sauce was sweet and tangy. I think the caramelized onions worked well it and they didn't hold out one bit on the cheese factor!
I hope they come back into town again so I can try their other selections.
Oh for dessert,since it was national cookie day,I went with deep fried oreos!!!!
Yes, I realize it's not healthy but it's ok to go crazy once in a while. 6 cookies battered and deep fried and covered with powdered sugar. Delicious and definitely for the sweet tooth at heart.
Until the next adventure...love,peace and feast(m0de)

Foodcity

Yes, you didn't read that wrong at all. Some of the better places to eat at doesn't need much fanfare at all and the food speaks for itself.  Some of these rare gems may actually surprise you. I can recall as a kid back in Hawaii, snacking on Poke( marinated raw fish), or Chinese roast pork or even Filipino lumpia( Filipino spring rolls),while my parents went shopping for groceries. Well, not much has changed for me now as an adult. Now,sure you can get things like popcorn chicken at Walmart or how it's typical to find some kind of fast food or chain store around but I'm talking about good food not fast food here.
Next to my house is food city supermarket and my favorite part (obviously haha) is the taqueria.  Behind a glass case is trays of a variety of fresh made Mexican food ranging from carne asada (beef ),carnitas( pork), arroz (rice) to beef stew and everything in between. They also sell tacos, tortas ( sandwich of a sort) and plate lunches that are not only cheap but they give a healthy heap of  portions.  I ordered a plate of Chile rojo ( marnited beef slow cooked in red chile ) with a side of rice. Tender cuts of meat that melts in your mouth mmmmm.
On my next visit,I went with a carnitas torta: a heap of savory pork with pico di gallo and oaxaca cheese with just a little bit of mayo and man it hit the spot.
Seriously if you are in the mood for cheap but tasty Mexican food check out the nearest food city near you( not every location is the same) and get your fix on.

Be thankFULL

I'm writing out this blog as we speak at the Sky Harbor International Airport. My mom just went through the security gate check and I'm just lingering around for just a few to sit and think and pray and reflect on everything good I have going on in my life. Now don't get me wrong,my life is far from perfect but it's all about perception and what one would deem worthy.
It's a mixture of the small things with the major things that collectively bring value to my life. I have my family,my kids and my closest friends that keep me grounded. My health is actually pretty good and all my basic needs are covered; shelter,clean clothes,a job and food in my belly. I have no complaints at all.
To be able to wake each unpromised morning and witness a sunrise or watch a sun set at the end of my evening; to witness miracles and creations occur daily that was created by god such as the changes in seasons or the coolness of rain, its these little things that complete the circle. In this lifetime, we got only 2 choices: be alive and survive or actually live life...the choice is solely yours.

Love, peace and feast (m0de)!