Going to the Met Opera tomorrow. I feel classy just thinking about it!

Going to the NY Met Opera for the first time to see Don Giovanni by composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

I was just reading the synopsis and going through the picture gallery and found these:

 Don Giovanni looks like Jack Nicholson here.

Don Giovanni played by Gerard Finley

Gasp!  There's an Asian dude singing Italian Opera! Go Shenyang!

Masetto played by ShenYang

Now I'm more excited! haha

xx

Ernest Alexander messenger bag purchase not by me!

Walker Navy Wax Messenger bag

When Dave picks something fashionable for himself and on his own that I actually love, I am supportive and a little proud for some reason!  

You may not have heard of the brand before and neither have I. I only learned about it not long ago through ofakind.com where the designer launched a 30 of a kind man purse and I showed it to Dave since he has been actively looking to buy a messenger bag for work. He wasn't crazy about the bag (neither was I)  but he became interested in learning more about the designer (he can recite his whole life which he did 10 minutes ago!) , the brand, started reading his blog which is interesting and after browsing multiple brands of messenger bags across the world wide web he finally picked something from Ernest Alexander and to my delight of course! I LOVE local up-and-coming designers and Ernest Alexander is one of those small companies that is probably slowly becoming more and more popular but still dedicates time to making each and every one of their piece with fine craftsmanship. I guess it is sort of reminiscent of my beloved m0851 leather bags from Montreal when back in the old days before the brand spread internationally,  I actually felt special owning a piece because they were so scarce and not worn by everyone...

This bag and brand is entirely made in New York with durable high quality material. The bag was on sale but still not cheap at all. Hopefully it will last a lifetime as Dave is not the type to keep buying things every season and will probably cherish this piece for a very long time which is in the company's goal according to their 'about us' section.

"Our feeling is a garment should be built to last a lifetime. We craft each of our pieces from the finest materials and pay specific attention to the small details, from our signature wax cottons, to contrasting linings, double stitching, zipper pulls and extra pocketing. We remain deeply committed to ethical manufacturing practices and produce all of our line here in the USA." -Ernest Alexander team

 I hope it looks as good as it does online though!

From the same website which constitutes mostly of men gear, I saw this one piece I like which seems like it can be for women...

Bright orange for Spring!...but I was just browsing the designer's blog with no intention of buying!

Pretty simple but great isn't it?

Oh wait, looks like its unisex...




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Super flexy skinny jeans...The Avedon from CoH

I bought the Citizien of Humanity- Avedon Slick Skinny Leg jeans in Charcoal on Hautelook and I need to make sure that my legs and thighs stay in shape because these hug your every curve like crazy. They are very stretchy and almost like jeggings and so they are very comfy. I cannot wait to pair these with booties, oversized sweater, blazers and basically with everything..I can throw my Uniqlo jeggings out now as they have stretch way out.

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A day in Greenpoint, BK

Since the L train into Manhattan is not running this weekend, we decided to explore North of Williamsburg which is Greenpoint and we discovered quite a bit of shops and restaurants in this old Polish neighborhoods.

Snapshots:

Diptyque sale in NYC- I'm there!

"It's a sign! I must get it!"
That's what I tell myself each time when there's a sale on something I've wanted for some time but contemplate about.

I always wanted to try candles from Diptyque but never got myself to paying $60 for ONE candle and hinting Dave to get me ONE candle as a gift for Xmas or Valentine's Day did not work. Diptyque candles are suppose to burn longer (up to 60 hours for the larger sizes) and scent diffuses uniformly as it burns. No excuse for the apartment to smell bad anymore not that it did! Update:**I just learned to my surprise from Diptyque's website that their candles are vegetable/paraffin wax mix-based. Paraffin is something I have been avoiding as I prefer the natural waxes and didn't mind paying a premium for it. I really didn't think their candle would use paraffin wax (probably explains the longer burn time and not some magical French candle recipe) or maybe it's a higher ratio of vegetable wax over paraffin? Candles from the dollar store are paraffin based candles too...just saying. Paraffin is a no-no apparently but not deadly toxic however, I burn candles by my face bedside sometimes so it's a health concern for me to be breathing that stuff in...hmm

I love candles, I buy them all the time and could buy more if Dave wasn't reminding me that I should finish what we have now before buying more. I really don't mind having "extra" candles lying around as I like to alternate between them from time to time. And if there's a blackout one day, I would be able to pay myself in the back. Anyway, we are down to 2 candles now so 'tis time to buy! I usually spend around a hefty $25-$35 per candle which usually burns for longer hours, soy or wax based, contain natural essential oils, have lead-free wick and all that good stuff that usually comes with a higher price. But never have I splurged on a $60 from Diptyque or Jo Malone and similar high-end brands of candles. So when there's a Diptyque sale where candles are rumored to be discounted as much as 50% off, I will go and stock up for sure! I hope the scents I like are there which are..je ne sais quoi since I've never tried them before. I only know that I like the 'Baies' one and I thought 'Feu de Bois' would be nice but maybe just for the Holidays as it makes me reminisce the days I had a fire place..and the smell..ahh..

I was surprised to hear about the sale? I wonder...are these old inventory they are trying to get rid of? Candles do go bad after some time right? Will the candles not be at their premium scent?

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nykeiko eats: Long weekend foodism-Bistro Petit in Williamsburg

On Saturday, we stayed home and made some dumplings and noodles for a special guest who has been dyinggg to try my delicious cooking. Ok, maybe she just wanted to see our apartment for the first time but since it's my blog, I can write whatever I want. I was too busy cooking and forgot to take pictures...it looks just like any delicious dumplings and zha jiang mian dried noodles :) Modesty please....

On Sunday, a dear friend of Dave's treated all of his closest buddies in NY and by default, their loversss (me!), to a wonderful meal in a very very cozy French bistro (10 seaters!) in Williamsburg on 3rd street and Driggs. We were 6 people and practically took up the entire place but we also ordered almost everything on the menu including all of the evening's appetizer specials so it's fair game. The price is very attractive as well as their high quality ingredients.

This gem opened 3 months ago and is run by chef Sung Park who has served under many chefs including a well-known one, Jean Georges Vongerichten. His bio can be found on the website and spare me some copy pasting action.

Here are most things we ordered that night. There's actually one entree dish missing which was the Kim Chi bouillabaise.

Note: Go early or reservations are super highly recommended!!


The appetizers:

Special glazed and torched foie gras.

Al dente Truffle Mac N Cheese. I prefer a softer pasta and wasn't sure if I tasted much of the truffle..

The Chefs handmade pasta. This was a super flavorful Asian fusion dish.

Evening's special smoked mackerel appetizer. This was very nice.

BYOB!
Tuan's White and Rouge to pair with every dish..

String beans...I really liked the garlic..

A successful looking chef. Greasy messy hai

Now, the entrees:

Lamb Shank. The meat fell right off the bone.

Side order of Brussel sprouts

Organic grass fed beef

Wild mushroom Risotto with Truffle oil.

Angus beef burger

Order of pomme frites with housemade ketchup

And finally, dessert time:

House-made French doughnut: Lime, cinnamon and original flavor

Molten chocolate cake-super rich

And voila! Everything was eaten to the last morsel ...

Salivating much?
Not recommended for large parties (well, larger than 6) or risk being split or have no seats.

Alcoholics in W'burg:

There was some pre-dinner drinking including a Bourbon Whiskey bar called Post Office. Post-dinner drinking was at Dram where mixologists make some drinks based on your choices. My "something gin and something refreshing" was delish. I didnt enjoy it as much as I would like since I was already super sleepy from wine drinking during dinner time.


xx

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nykeiko eats: Zenkichi- a hidden Japanese brasserie in the heart of Williamsburg!

I spent the long weekend mostly in Williamsburg. It is no longer a surprise to many people now that on weekends, there is no need to visit Manhattan unless you have to.  Long weekend started on Friday evening, where Dave and I ate at a Japanese brasserie/tapas restaurant in Williamsburg called Zenkichi. This was a restaurant we were always curious to try when we walk by it. It's hidden behind a tall and large wooden fence wall and a inconspicuous door with no obvious sign of a restaurant. Dave got his paws on a Gilt $25 for $50 worth at Zenkichi so we were excited to go try it.

The food menu. Sake was in another binder 3-4 pages long.

Seaweed Sunomono- A vegetable & seaweed in bonito-vinegar broth

My fav was this Tako Wasabi dish (cured Octupus) which is meant to be paired with their house sake. We had another jellyfish dish (Kurage) but the picture didn't come out too nicely.

My fav was this Tako Wasabi dish (cured Octopus)

Sweet duck salad was wonderful. (Simmered duck, soft egg, baby greens, sweet duck dressing)

Grilled Saikyo- Black Cod and Kyoto miso marinade

Lamb Chop Tataki: Rock salt & coarse black pepper: ginger onion soy sauce

Grilled Miso Oysters: Meaty oysters grilled on the shell with red-miso sauce. Salty & sweet: meant to be enjoyed with sake

The venue was super intimate and romantic..if it weren't for those loud drunken Korean girls, it would have been a nice night.We sat in our own little booth enclosed with a bamboo drape and a ringer we can buzz when we needed our waiter. See pics here on their website .

It's too bad we were not interested in sampling the vast sake menu they had that night so we stayed sober. We were there for the food and we ordered to our heart's desire although one dish that we were looking forward to was no longer being served which was the seafood gratin (oyster, uni sea urchin, shrimp, Japanese mushrooms:oven-grilled in béchamel sauce).

For dessert, we went to a Bodega and picked up a Three twins Madagascar vanilla ice cream to take home and eat. A perfect way to end the evening.

I would definitely recommend this place if you are a sake connoisseur and can sample their sake alongside the food since most dishes were a bit too salty and would taste delicious with all types of alcohol.


xx

Snapshots from Sachika NYFW Style 360 fashion show F/W '12

The Sachika Fall Winter 2012 Fashion Show was fun, eclectic and models with attitude strutted the runway. The texture of the clothes were so rich and made every model look so good.
The show started with a intro video and quickly escalated to the models strutting down the runway. Everyone was excited!

The show is about to start!

Photographers setting up

Free cupcakes..

Pretty good view of the runway..

Pose!

Stole these pics from this site where you can find more from the show.

Miss USA- Photo by Patrick Neree

Miss Universe

inner of third cycle of America's Next Top Model:Eva Marcille the Diva..she was fierce!

Sachika Twins

Photo by Patrick Neree

A fashion show is not complete without goodie bags!

Red carpet press

To Tam, Alyssa (Miss USA), Danielle (Miss Teen USA), and Leila (Miss Universe) and To-Nya.

Spending Valentine's Day in fashion!

What's inside the goodie bag..full size eye cream and hand cream, mascara, lots of condoms, a scarf, VIP Emu card, cookies and chips, lots of flyers (not shown), drinks..