vip in the city

Dinner at Ocean Jewels

M & LL were back in town after spending the holiday in Alexandria with the newlyweds, so the family gathered in Queens once again for a post-Christmas dinner with our visiting friends.

I never eat better in Chinese restaurants than when my parents or their Hong Kong compatriots take command of the ordering. I can’t even replicate the meals on my own if I try; half the time, those same dishes don’t seem to appear anywhere on the standard English menu to which I’m most often relegated.  This cold, wet evening we all met at Ocean Jewels Seafood Restaurant, located across 39th Avenue from the Flushing Mall. (One day I’ll have to devote an entire post to that kitsch and foodie paradise.)

The upscale Cantonese-style restaurant was previously known as Gum Tong Gung and before that, I think, East River… though it’s difficult to keep track among all the changes in downtown Flushing. I’ve seen it most often touted for its impeccably fresh seafood and beautiful assortment of dimsum, though the food is very good across the board; most peak meal times you’ll find Ocean Jewels jammed with a predominantly Chinese clientele, though of course, all are welcome.

Tonight, we shared the restaurant with a wedding party in progress. The sounds of karaoke filtered in from the adjacent banquet room, adding to the overall festive atmosphere. (At least I’m pretty sure it was karaoke. Either karaoke, or a not-particularly-talented wedding singer.)

On to the food! Dried Scallops with Yellow Chives Soup:

I noticed that Ocean Jewels has a lotus-leaf-wrapped version of the sticky rice/Dungeness crab dish that I love of late, but tonight, our crustacean of choice was the Lobster with Ginger and Scallions:

Sauteed Shrimps with Crystal Sauce:

And because it seemed cruel to delay further everyone else’s meal with my obsessive photo-taking, here’s the rest of the spread, which included Crispy Fried Chicken (with Pringles, which nowadays seem to be the go-to stand-in for shrimp chips), House Special T-bone Steak and House Special Baked Sable Fish (or as it appears on Nobu’s menu: Black Cod.)

Tags: Chinese food, Flushing, Ocean Jewels

Christmas 2007

Ah, the WPIX Yule Log: as a girl growing up in New York City (where the program ran for 23 consecutive years, beginning in 1967) I remember opening presents on Christmas morning, before the orange glow of this six and a half minute video loop of a log burning in a fireplace, as a soundtrack of holiday classics played in the background. For a few of those years, our family television actually sat alongside the real-life working fireplace, which in retrospect, seems very odd indeed.

Eventually, WPIX became the WB which became the CW, and the Yule Log fell by the wayside as one of those anachronisms of a hokier time. But it’s back by popular demand, and in 2003, the station even upgraded to a High Definition version.

This one’s all old school, though:

I’ll be back blogging after the holiday, offering a highlight reel of this past month, in my attempt to launch 2008 with some semblance of timeliness. Merry Christmas, everyone!

Tags: Christmas, WPIX, Yule Log

Christmas Eve

We made the last minute shopping rounds this afternoon, and I hummed Christmas carols all the way home from Casa Mono.

Tags: Christmas, holiday decorations, Radio City