First leg - City of Angels to England

Breakfast Before the Flight



My dad worked on this final LA meal for 3 days! This amazing dish of roasted pork shoulder, silken omelette and roasted new potatoes was staggering. It kept me full through the terrible United Airlines plane food. I'm posting the recipe for this dish. Nothing like having a hearty meal that'll stick to your ribs (and probably attach to your butt during the long flight). Mimosas and chocolate truffle coffee give you a nice wine/caffeine kick to jumpstart the trip.

Leaving L.A.



My hometown. I know L.A. better than any other city though I’ve been to dozens of major cities in 4 continents. After New York, London, Tokyo, and Paris, I think L.A. takes the cake for world influence. At least in the media, with recent events such as the death of Michael Jackson, L.A. dominates. Our city is the generic city that’s the scene of so many films, TV shows, and reality TV. When something is filmed in a “large city,”, it’s almost always going to be LA if it isn’t mentioned. New York seems to beg for attention, but for that AnyCityUSA, it’s L.A. But this city is so much more than that. It’s so much more Hollywood and Beverly Hills and Santa Monica and Hermosa Beach. There’s Huntington Park (yeah, bet you never heard of that) and Asuza and San Gabriel and Studio City and Glendale and East LA. There’s even the forlorn “Jersey”, or Orange County. I always show disdain for OC but it’s because that’s where I was born (Los Alamitos Medical Center, baby). If I hadn’t moved to Glendale, I would’ve ended up trying to get into the prestigious Whitney High School in Cerritos.

Exploring the World

In the past 5 years, I’ve made it a serious business of exploring every nook and cranny of this city, and there’s still so much more to go. However, for the next 50 days, I’ll be traveling. I’ve traveled much for my age. I’ve been fortunate to have a family that’s been willing and able to travel in all parts of the world. Since starting my full-time job after graduating college, I haven’t been able to travel as extensively (Japan has been my only mainstay, with short 1-week jaunts). This time around I visit 2 countries I’ve never been to, spend more than 3 weeks in Japan instead of just a handful of days, and return to the country of my ethnic heritage. I’m probably most nervous about Korea considering that I’m horrid at speaking the language. I also get nightmares about my last visit, which occurred during the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics. I remember coming down with a terrible stomach flu and being administered in the hospital for 4 days. My memory gets fuzzy because I was in so much pain (and awfully alone, my parents were home in LA).

I’m most excited about Indonesia, a visit that comes as a courtesy from friend and fellow blogger Fiona Chandra of Gourmet Pigs. I’ll be touring Jakarta, Surabaya, and Bali, along with the renown Javier Cabral of Teenage Glutster (now affectionately The Glutster). I can’t wait to try that roasted pig which Anthony Bourdain called the best he’d ever had. I can’t wait to bask in the endless beauty of Bali. I can’t wait to eat delicious eats at rock-bottom prices in the 4th largest country in the world (by population).

In between Indonesia and Korea, I'll be in Japan for three weeks. I hope I can get a lifetime's fill of ramen (ideally at Ichiran or the like).

Travel Gear

I’ve packed extremely light for a two-month trip. I have one backpack, the same backpack my mother bought for me just before I started my freshman year of college. I’ve taken this backpack everywhere. It’s this weathered Samsonite backpack with a laptop sleeve and the perfect pocket for my bright blue Sigg water bottle. Here’s what else I have:

- 5 cameras. 1 panasonic 3-CCD video camera (with 2 DV tapes, minimizing editing), 1 Holga toy camera, 1 Minolta Hi-Matic 35mm camera, 1 Nikon N65 35mm camera, 1 Nikon D50. 1 lens – 35mm Nikkor F2.0.

- 1 Asus Laptop loaded with movies, photos, and music.

- 1 iPod Touch, 1st generation.

- Bose triport headphones (courtesy of Cathy of gastronomyblog)

- 1 Sigg water bottle

- 6 Rolls of various 35m film, 4 rolls of 120 film

- 5 packs of gummy pairs (Shelly in England wanted them)

- 2 jeans, 1 khaki pants, 1 pair shorts, 6 boxers, 4 socks, 5 shirts, 1 blazer/sport coat, 1 casual jacket, 1 black Gap cardigan

- 1 DKNY watch, metal

- 1,500,000 Indonesian rupiah (about $200)

- Books: Bible (English Standard Version), Knowing God by J.I. Packer (a reread for me), The Soul of a Chef by Michael Ruhlman

- Time Magazine (Jay Leno and the Future of Television, The New Yorker (Aug 24th issue), The Daily Telegraph (dated Sept 8, 2009)

Trains in England



Take the Tube from Heathrow. It's an experience. The actual trains are tiny compared to ones in LA and New York. I think it's because the actual tunnels are so old (before 1900), that they had to conform to that size. It's a little stiffling in here, but they're still comfortable, if you can nab a seat.



King’s Cross – a wonderful train station, as good as portrayed in the Harry Potter films. I always loved the idea of going on a train through the English countryside because of those movies. The most picturesque and beautiful shots were of that Hogwarts train. The train tracks are only about a foot apart, so when a train whizzes by with speeds of at least 60MPH, it’s deathly close to your head if you’re sitting near the window. I get off at Cambridge to switch to the train to Newmarket.



Riding a single-car train from Cambridge to Ipswich (well, on en route to Newmarket). It’s a quaint train with old ladies and students heading off into the heartland of England. The engine of the train must be diesel or something, because it sounds like a large truck. The train from King’s Cross to Cambridge was brisk and smooth, rolling over low-flung hills and the verdant English countryside. The train from Cambridge to Newmarket reminds me of the industrial England seen in music videos. Rusty cars and ragged trees line the tracks. This is a strictly a local’s train, though the loud speaking Germans ladies next to me seem to be headed into nowhere.



My good friend Shelly, a friend from college, moved out here with her husband, who’s in the US Air Force. They live in a quaint town called Newmarket known for the horsetrack. The houses are all brick and the streets are lined with cobblestones. The main drag of the town is filled with various discount stores and English banks like Barclay’s. There’s a lovely bakery called Gregg’s where we get long sugary doughnuts filled with sweet cream and topped with thin strawberry slices. We get coffee at Costa Coffee, a swanky interior with splendid coffee drinks.

The pace is slow here. Today we had good weather: sunny, not too warm, perfect blue skies. Apparently it’s only like this for a few weeks out of the year. Shelly was happy because she finally got her new car delivered today, a metallic black Honda Civic. It’s a left-hand drive they bought at the US Air Force base, so they can take it back to the States when Spencer’s tour is done here. I wish they got a right-hand drive, it’d be so much cooler driving one of those around in L.A.

The one thing that roils me is the spiders, which hang on every nook and cranny of the exterior of the house. They’re furry and colored like tigers. They wince and wiggle with the proximity of humans. Shelly orders me to use their broomstick to tear down their webs and crush their gangly bodies. I feel braver somehow.

Lunch was from this local Indian place, where we had chicken tikka (the masala dish is the national dish of England, though we got the grilled version), lemon rice, mango chutney, and cold creamy yogurt. Mushroom bhagee (which she affectionately pronounces “bah jee”, which means “pants” in Korean..we get a chuckle) is a dish of sautéed mushrooms, savory and saucy when mixed in with the rice. It’s my first taste of British Indian food.



At night we grab a six-pack of Stella Artois and an apple cider called Magner’s, which is tart and rich like the fermented apple juice it is. Despite the spiders and the slow pace, I don’t mind staying here and escaping from the bustle of London. Don’t worry though, I’ll be there tomorrow. The few things I have in mind: Tate Modern, late lunch at the Ledbury (1-Michelin star, possibly 2 this year), Piccadilly Circus, last minute showing of Les Miserables. We’ll see how budget and time pan out. Oh, and a visit to Cambridge (town and university) tomorrow morning.



Dad's Recipe for Roasted Pork Shoulder - Breakfast of Travelers
Serves 6

Step 1 Marination:

1. 3lbs of Organic Pork Shoulder/Pork Butt
2. 1 Large Onion
3. 1 small piece of Ginger
4. 5dry leaves of Bay Leaf
5. I-1/2 quart Apple Juice
6. 4 tea spoons of sea salt
7. 1 tea spoons rosemary
8. 5 large spoons of honey
9. 5 teas spoons of pepper corns

To marinate, slice the onions and and put all ingredients above and marinate for 24 hours.

Step 2 Roasting:

1. Drain and take the marinated pork shoulder and wrap air tight in aluminum foil.
2. Roast at 325 degrees for 2-1/2 to 3 hours. Do not open the oven to see how it is cooking.

Step 3 Final Preparation:

1. Slice one Large Onion
2. 1 can of chopped Roma tomatoes
3. 1 large yellow bell pepper
4. 1 tea spoon of oregano
5. 1 tea spoon of paprika
6. 10 pieces of peeled of garlic
7. Salt and black pepper to taste
8. Roasted pork shoulder

Put all ingredients except for roasted pork and tomatoes and salte it in the large sauce pan (three minutes)
Now add roasted pork and tomatoes, reduce heat and cover. Cook for about an hour until pork falls apart

Step 4 Final Plating and Breakfast omelet:

1. Prepare your favorite omelet
2. Prepare your favorite home potatoes
3. Put home potatoes on the plate
4. Put a layer roasted and prepared pork on top of potatoes
5. Put omelet on the very top.
6. Smother with sauce from the sauce pan
7. Serve with blackberries,strawberries and blueberries on the side. Champagne and orange juice and enjoy.

You won't need another meal for the rest of the day!