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Photo of the Day: Kyle Thunderhead

Posted 31 May, 2009 at 10:44pm by Michael Chu
(Filed under: Photography) 5 comments

No, I'm not reviving the Photo of the Day series (yet), but this picture was too good not to post (make sure you read all the way to the bottom of the post to see the picture). I was driving home when the sun went behind this rain cloud and corpuscular rays burst out of not just the top but the sides of the storm cloud. I pulled over in the middle of town (the building on the right is the Texas Pie Company on Center Street in Kyle), rolled down my window and took the picture. To give you an idea of how small town Kyle feels - that traffic light is the only light in the downtown area. I've only found two more traffic lights in the Kyle area. (Kyle is growing very fast - one of the fastest growing towns in Texas - but for all that it's still pretty sparse with a lot of empty land around it.)
Kyle Thunderhead in Kyle
(This isn't the photo I wanted to show everyone - this is just the lead in… make sure you keep reading below.)
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Photo of the Day: Kyle Thunderhead

What I Ate: May 31, 2009 (Wendy's, Asia Cafe)

Posted 31 May, 2009 at 10:19pm by Michael Chu
(Filed under: Food, What I Ate) 1 comment

Lunch: Wendy's - Spicy Chicken Sandwich
Wendy’s - Spicy Chicken Sandwich

Dinner: Asia Cafe (8650 Spicewood Springs Rd, Austin, TX‎ - (512) 336-8888‎). After our latest experience at Din Ho, we were very happy that Asia Cafe really was good. In fact, they were close to being great. It's certainly quite authentic (even more so than most of the Chinese restaurants we've dined at in the Bay Area) and they know how to cook. A few of the vegetable ingredients - kong xin cai (water spinach) and asparagus - were a bit old (the stalks had become tough from not being harvested early enough for them to be tender), but the flavors were spot on and the execution of the dishes were clearly Chinese (specifically Sichuan-style).

Dong Po Pork Elbow ($11.50) - a bone-in pork shank slowly cooked in spices. The sauce was flavorful and not so salty that you can't mix it with the pork as you shred it (sometimes the sauce can be too salty and the meat isn't flavorful enough on it's own so it's a balance as to how much sauce to put on without being overwhelmed - here, you just shred the pork, mix with the flavorful sauce, and eat). The skin is the best part with much of the fat rendered so it has a wonderful aroma, flavor, and chewiness (almost like you are eating gelatin instead of fat). So good.
Asia Cafe - Dong Po Pork Elbow
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What I Ate: May 31, 2009 (Wendy's, Asia Cafe)

What I Ate: May 30, 2009 (Which Wich)

Posted 30 May, 2009 at 11:38pm by Michael Chu
(Filed under: Food, What I Ate) 5 comments

Lunch: We grabbed sandwiches at Which Wich. I had the Wicked (five meats and three cheeses). It was pretty good, but I'll probably stick with sandwiches with a little less going on in the future.
Which Wich - The Wicked

Dinner: I pan-fried a boneless ribeye steak.
Ribeye steak

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What I Ate: May 30, 2009 (Which Wich)

What I Ate: May 29, 2009 (Din Ho Chinese BBQ)

Posted 29 May, 2009 at 11:22pm by Michael Chu
(Filed under: Food, What I Ate) 2 comments

Lunch: Sloppy Joe
Sloppy Joe

Dinner: For Tina's Birthday, we (her parents and the two of us) went to Din Ho Chinese BBQ (8557 Research Blvd # 116, Austin, TX‎ - (512) 832-8788‎). Having eaten the BBQ there before and not liking it, we didn't order any BBQ but instead tried a different set of dishes (except for the kong xin cai or water spinach - we need to eat veggies after all).

Kong xin cai (sauteed water spinach) - no problems here.
Din Ho Chinese BBQ - Sauteed Water Spinach
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What I Ate: May 29, 2009 (Din Ho Chinese BBQ)

What I Ate: May 28, 2009 (Costco)

Posted 28 May, 2009 at 11:14pm by Michael Chu
(Filed under: Food, What I Ate) No comments

Lunch: HEB Pastrami, Butterball Mesquite Turkey Breast, and Boar's Head Imported Swiss Cheese on Rye
Pastrami, Turkey, and Swiss on Rye

Dinner: Costco - Polish Sausage and Combination Pizza
Costco - Polish Sausage
Costco - Combination Pizza

What I Ate: May 27, 2009

Posted 27 May, 2009 at 10:10pm by Michael Chu
(Filed under: Food, What I Ate) No comments

Lunch: Left over pasta.
Left over pasta

Dinner: Left over Thai food.
Left over Thai food

What I Ate: May 26, 2009

Posted 26 May, 2009 at 9:47pm by Michael Chu
(Filed under: Food, What I Ate) 2 comments

Lunch: I made Sloppy Joes. Didn't have any tomato paste (just realized that I don't have any canned tomato products - need to pick up some) so I had to use extra ketchup which left the sauce a little too acidic.
Sloppy Joe

Dinner: Pork and cilantro won tons at Tina's parent's home. They used a different won ton skin which was no good - it fell apart while being boiled and was gummy and doughy. The brand was Wing Hing (from Los Angeles) and the product was Wonton Wraps. Maybe they weren't designed to be boiled (they mention steaming and frying). Whatever, avoid these.
Wontons

What I Ate: May 25, 2009

Posted 25 May, 2009 at 10:40pm by Michael Chu
(Filed under: Food, What I Ate) No comments

Lunch: Roast beef, chicken breast, and bacon sandwich with a side salad. I also had a thick slice of Boar's Head Headcheese - good stuff.
Club sandwich

Dinner: Leftover chicken and mushrooms, parsnip root, mustard greens with sausage over rice.
Leftover chicken and mushrooms, parsnip root, mustard greens with sausage over rice

What I Ate: May 24, 2009 (Madam Mam's Fine Thai Cuisine)

Posted 24 May, 2009 at 9:02pm by Michael Chu
(Filed under: Food, What I Ate) 5 comments

Lunch: Madam Mam's Fine Thai Cuisine (4514 West Gate Blvd, Austin, TX‎ - (512) 899-8525‎). The building is really pink.
Madam Mam’s Thai Cuisine

Tod Mun Pla Grai - spicy fish cakes (ground fish mixed with Thai spices, magrood leaf and chopped green bean) served with sweet & sour cucumber sauce topped with ground peanut.
Madam Mam’s Thai Cuisine - Spicy fish balls

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What I Ate: May 24, 2009 (Madam Mam's Fine Thai Cuisine)

What I Ate: May 23, 2009 (T & N Cafe)

Posted 23 May, 2009 at 10:35pm by Michael Chu
(Filed under: Food, What I Ate) 6 comments

Lunch: Leftover pizza
Leftover pizza

Dinner: T & N Cafe (6705 W Highway 290, Austin, TX‎ - (512) 899-9233‎). We were on our way to Costco, got hungry and stopped here. We started with a fried egg roll each.
T & N Cafe - Fried Egg Roll

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What I Ate: May 23, 2009 (T & N Cafe)

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