London – Yoojin Cho

I Can Dream Big, Right?

Busy, busy, busy week. Busy. Swamped. Too much to do. Too little time.

Alright, I’m done complaining. Just like college, days leading up to Thanksgiving bring you lots of stress and forces you into a panic mode, so I’m going to keep this post short and sweet. And frankly, quite appropriate for my mood.

Five places I would love to travel to RIGHT. NOW.

1. London, UK

I know, I know… I lived there for five months last year, and I had the most amazing time of my life. I, however, have fallen in love with that city and would do anything to go back, explore Brick Lane and go to my favorite Chinese restaurant, Hing Loon. Not to mention, an afternoon tea at the Muffin Man, a stroll around Hyde Park, a shopping trip to Harrods, a hearty meal of fish & chips and a pint at a pub, a lovely Thai dinner at Churchill Arms… My list goes on.

2. Hong Kong or Shanghai or both

Fact: I was born in Seoul, South Korea. Fact: I haven’t been back since I was 10. Fact: I’ve never been to China. Especially when the Chinese economy seems to be a rising powerhouse, I feel the need to go see what the hype is all about. One day… I’ll make it over there.

3. Lisbon, Portugal

I still regret not devoting a weekend to visit Portugal during my study abroad semester. I made it to Sicily, but not Lisbon. What was I thinking?

4. Cairo, Egypt

Arab Spring occurred and spread from Cairo. Sure, Tahrir Square seems to be the site of yet another uprising, but like China, I feel this country is a must-see. Things are changing, and it’s starting here with young people. I want to witness what it’s all about.

5. Seattle, Washington

The only U.S. city on this list… an ugly ducking? I like to consider myself fairly well-traveled, but unfortunately, I’ve never been to the Pacific Northwest. Northern most point on the other coast I logged in my travel book? San Francisco. Sooner or later, I just have to see first-hand why my friends from Seattle are so obsessed with their city.

Welcome to 221b Baker Street

Does this address sound familiar to you? “221b Baker Street”

How about this name? “Dr. Watson”

No? Then… “SHERLOCK HOLMES”

Yes! We all know the famous detective, Sherlock Holmes, and the fabulous tales of solving crimes and kicking criminals’ a**. We have seen the movie with Robert Downey, Jr., and we know the books written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Subsequently, we now make the connection, Sherlock Holmes lived in London. On Baker Street. Right by the Baker Street tube. Indeed, extremely close to Madame Tussaud’s wax museum.

Oh. There he is! Obviously, I HAD to visit this museum. To me, it was already pretty awesome walking around Central London pointing out all the places I remember from the movie. I thereby wanted to see the actual house where Holmes lived.

221b Baker Street, a surprisingly small, narrow building, stands next to a Beatles store and Subway (…Eat Fresh!)

When Jack and I arrived at the museum, many people were already lined up to go inside. Because of its size, they only let about 10 people in at a time. Kind of annoying, but preserving the building and NOT letting it collapse may have been a good priority.

And voila! We finally entered the building. A bit amusing, but none other than Dr. Watson himself greeted us.

“Welcome! Welcome to the modest little place that I share with Sherlock!”

How cute is he?

After a little chat and a little photo sesh with Dr. Watson, we made our way through the tiny apartment. The study room… Sherlock’s room with all his handy dandy detective gear…

A letter Sherlock wrote to Watson also on display…

Then upstairs, suddenly the exhibit turned into a wax museum. They had recreated scenes from each Sherlock Holmes book.

Engaged in a serious staring contest… But those wax figures did look extremely real. When I first walked in and saw the “people” hanging from the roof, I almost let out a small scream.

Though 6 pounds for entry, I thought this visit to the museum was definitely worthwhile. Though not a place I would see multiple times, I had a great time walking up and down the narrow stairs and looking at all the furniture, artifacts and memorabilia dedicated to this “fictional” character.

http://www.sherlock-holmes.co.uk/

La Liaison – the French/Portuguese Man's Latte

We don’t know for sure where he came from. We actually don’t even know his name. But we know for sure he makes darn good latte and croissant.

While we are on the subject of small, quaint, friendly cafes – see the previous post, The Muffin Man – it’s definitely worth taking a few minutes to reflect on my delicious morning routine almost every day before class in London.

La Liaison, located right next to the Gloucester tube, is really a hole-in-the-wall patisserie with coffee, hot breakfast, to-go sandwiches and a variety of pastry.

Unfortunately, I never snapped a picture of the place, so that’s the best I could do with some help of everyone’s trustworthy friend, Google Images. Regardless I suppose the picture does portray the vibe of La Liaison quite well.

It’s small. There are maybe two tables inside the cafe. But people are always stopping by, reading newspapers outside or chatting up their friends in front of the shop.

I first stopped by for an emergency dose of caffeine when I realized I could no longer stay awake in one of my classes. Ever since, picking up a small latte and a croissant became a ritual. More importantly, however, I only paid about 3 pounds for both the coffee AND the pastry. Considering the exchange rates and the high cost of living in the UK, what a feat!

I thought the coffee from La Liaison was always high quality. Though served in rather small portions, with foamy milk, what a perfect way to wake up and start the day.

Along with the coffee, I would always get the chocolate (or sometimes plain) croissant, too. The mysterious French/Portuguese man told me he made them fresh every morning, and yes, I totally believe him.

On top of that, the English Breakfast. If I remember correctly, it was only 3 or 4 pounds. For those not familiar with English Breakfast, the dish consists of eggs – sunny side up, sausages, bread, ham and beans in tomato sauce.

Wait, beans in tomato sauce?

Right. We never really encounter those in America. Next time you’re at a grocery store, stop by the tiny little British section most likely in the far back corner of the store and pick up a can. It’s absolutely delicious.

In fact, I concluded my journey in London with English Breakfast and a latte from La Liaison. I couldn’t think of any other way to leave the city I fell in love with so quickly.

Besides all those delicious goodies, the best part was probably the friendly French/Portuguese man who always greeted me with “Oh, hello beautiful!” with a slight French accent. Let it be a cheesy cliche, but I loved it!

Also, note that is how I came to call him the mysterious French man.

The “Portuguese” part followed soon after though, when I saw him cheering for a Portuguese football (soccer) team.

Confused? Me too.

My Love for Afternoon Tea

Do you knowwwwww the MUFFIN MAN? The muffin man? The muffin mannnnn?

Don’t worry, I’m not going crazy despite the high heat and humidity that have invaded Boston this month.

I’m simply asking, if you have ever experienced the magic of an afternoon tea at a little cafe called The Muffin Man.

Yes, it is a tea shop in South Kensington – in the middle of a residential area, quite tucked away in a corner. We stumbled upon this only because Jack saw it on his way back from High St. Kensington and remembered the name (I mean, why not?).

I’m extremely glad we decided to be adventurous and tried out the place out of blue because now, I can’t say enough great things about it.

The Muffin Man serves wonderful devonshire cream with freshly baked scones and delicious herb tea. But it also boasts a full flavorful menu – sandwiches, pasta, lasagna and even English breakfast.

Seriously, my mouth is watering as I’m recalling how affordable and delightful the afternoon tea was.

This tea cost us (Jack & me) a grand total of £10. Yes, for both of us. The tea at Harrods cost us close to £50. Ouch.

Obviously Harrods served a bit more fancy plate of finger foods, including smoked salmon sandwiches, cucumber sandwiches and fruit tarts, but honestly, Muffin Man’s scones are superb, compared to those of Harrods.

Also, the setting. While Harrods gives off the stereotypical rich, classy, elegant vibe, the Muffin Man welcomes everyone – casual clothes, a bit dressed up in summer dresses, stopping by for cupcakes or sitting down for a cute date.

If I’m ever back in London, I am definitely going back to the Muffin Man – for breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner. Not kidding.

It’s always the small, family-run, friendly restaurants that completely get me. They seem to know how to make perfect dishes and let you enjoy the food in comfortable, loving, welcoming setting, which, without fail, leads to a huge smile and the perfect level of fullness.

Oh, and one more thing. After a semester in London, I am totally addicted to tea. Thought my coffee addiction was bad? Well, now I grab a box of PG Tips or strawberry tea when I go buy a can of coffee beans with extra espresso. Oh well.