Hanging with Rudy

One word: Generous

While I was out in Cali, I had a chance to hang out with Rudy and his family. I’ve only known Rudy for a short amount of time, and I’m just astonished by how generous he is. It’s really rare to meet people that constantly give more than they take.

And when it comes to food, both he and his wife are off-the-charts generous.

Food Galore

The second thing you realize about Rudy is that he’s serious about food. It’s also just as rare to meet someone with similar tastes in food, and pretty much have a 100% hit ratio for good suggestions. I know a lot of people into food, but Rudy and his wife Laney are true afficionados. They are what you consider genuine “foodies”.

Yes folks, that’s a lychee bubble tea drink. Definitely interesting. Later that evening, we went out to one of their favorite Chinese restaurants.

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The food was spot on, starting with a roasted crispy pork belly. The pork was juicy, but not too fatty. The flavor was rich, without being too salty. Most importantly, the skin was crispy, consistent and delicious.

It was an onslaught of delicious food across the board. What was most impressive was that the dishes weren’t exotic, in terms of ingredients. The dishes were executed at a high level, and unquestionably won in spades when it came to cantonese cuisine.

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And just when I thought it was over, Rudy had to order these fried crispy bread sticks wrapped in noodle. The sauces delicious—at this point, I was pretty damn full, but I had to give everything a try.

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And for the grand finale, they ordered a mango pudding dessert. I had to say, it was tasty. I mean, I tapped out about 2 dishes ago, so I was at my limit. The food hurt so good. I literally had shortness of breath and the sweats at this point. Nonetheless, every bite was worth it.

On a side note

It’s also pretty refreshing to talk to someone who’s passionate about building products and stay in the sauce. I expect to see great things coming from Rudy soon. Cheers buddy! Thanks for such a memorable experience.

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Mom Making Eggrolls

There’s two things I absolutely love—my mom, and her egg rolls. Here are some photos of her in the process of making them.

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I’m pretty sure I could eat them every day.



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And the crazy thing is that they keep getting better.



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It just boggles my mind. Anyone else hungry now?

Toki Classic Ramen at Toki Underground

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Recommended to me by two friends… Toki Underground is supposed to be an exceptional place for a bowl of Ramen.

The bowl of ramen was decent, but nothing exceptional. Being asian, I have eaten my share of noodles, so I had very high expectations for this experience. For starters, the broth and braised mea… way too salty. In addition to the salt, the broth had a thick epidermis of fat hovering at the top. You can see it in the photo.

I could go on about the noodles being slightly overcooked and the egg underdone, but I’d sound like a food snob. Overall, it was decent and filling. For the price of $12 per bowl, it seemed a little high, especially when you add the metro and uber cab… not to mention the hour wait.