Good Eats: Mokbar

I was able to finally make a much anticipated visit to Mokbar several weeks back. Mokbar is a ramen joint nestled in the hubbub of Chelsea Market and owned by Chef Esther Choi. I met Esther many years ago when we both served as counselors at a summer camp.  More recently, I got back in touch with her through mutual friends. And since finding out that she was going to open up a restaurant, I have been following her endeavors on Instagram and Facebook. 

I am inspired by her vision, her drive, her creativity and her faith.  

Her desire to bring Korean flavors, tastes and food to the world is inspirational. 

And to be honest, I was so inspired after my visit to Chelsea Market, I decided to go forth with launching this website. 

You can read more about Esther and Mokbar (featured here, here, here, here)

entrance wall to Mokbar: love the decor!

refreshing iced teas (non-alcoholic): citrusy and fruity, slightly sweet. just perfect on that hot day. 

Mokbar now serves alcoholic beverages, for those of you that would prefer a slightly stronger drink! 

the HO-CAKE! 

The ho-cake was divine: crispy bun with a pork belly filling. But what was the icing on the cake: the sauce! It was savory and slightly sweet at the same time. (I am salivating as I write this.) 

the KIMCHI ramen

I loved the kimchi ramen. It tasted like kimchi jjigae and the ramen was perfectly cooked, al dente, just the way I like my noodles! 

DISCO fries

Esther was so sweet and gave us the disco fries to try, on the house. I love disco fries, in general but it was a new and interesting twist to have it topped with kimchi! We Koreans often joke around about how if we could we would carry around kimchi to eat with everything. The gooey cheese and savory, thick gravy with the refreshing, crunchiness of the kimchi. Genius. I could go for some right now. 

Proud to feature Mokbar as my first in this Good Eats series. Now, go enjoy some delicious food at Mokbar!!! 

Summer Nail Polish Picks

As a counselor, I've heard all too many times the importance of self-care. Though there are many ways of caring for self (exercise, spending time with friends and family to just name a few), one way I do that may be a bit unique is doing my nails. Yes, mani's and pedi's are my weapon of choice to fight against occupational hazards. 

You may ask how doing one's nails may be considered self-care. But oddly enough, I find it quite therapeutic. 

I actually worked at a nail salon in my college days. I would help out here and there and over the years, I have not only gotten good practice at beautifying nails but I've accumulated a hefty nail polish collection. A few guys friends (including a fellow blogger Broken Rhythms) once humorously and genius-ly (yes, in my mind that's a word) compared girls choosing nail polish colors to guys playing drafting players for fantasy football (Nail Polish Draft! Fantasy Nail Polish!) 

So here are my summer draft picks! 

L to R: OPI "Big Apple Red", Essie "Geranium", Essie "Lights", Essie "DJ Play That Song", Sally Hansen "Pacific Blue", OPI "You're Such a Budapest", OPI "Alpine Snow" 

Favorite Youtubers

I confessed my obsession with YouTube in a previous post. Truthfully, I never thought I would become one those people that would constantly watch YouTube videos. But I've been pleasantly surprised with how inspired I am through watching others put themselves out there into the social media "world". So I thought I would share my Top 5 YouTube Channels (not in any particular order). Enjoy! 

1. {ItsJudysLife} Judy, aka ItsJudyTime, started this channel with her husband, Benji. It's their daily vlog channel and I am obsessed. I often start off my day watching their vlog and it's a guaranteed smile. They simply document their life with a one-year-old daughter, Juliana and twin girls, Keira and Miya through vlogs. Though it must be hectic with three kids, their vlogs exude their love for life and I'm also inspired to find beauty and joy in even the small things. I love their "Coffee Mondays", Judy's love for her family, Benji's culinary adventures, Juliana's dancing, the twins' smiles. 

2. {essiebutton} - Estee is a UK-based beauty blogger and Youtuber. And if I could be friends with Estee, I would.  She's hilarious. And she has the best recommendations for makeup and skincare. I also love her vlog channel: I love seeing her adventures with boyfriend Aslan (coolest name ever!) and their greyhound Reggie! Her love for Canada and Tim Hortons makes me want to fly to Canada just to try some maple donuts. And can I just say, we share a love for Oprah and tea. 

3. {ViviannaDoesMakeup}- Gotta love those Brits. Being the self-professed anglophile I am, I love watching her channel because I (nostalgically) relive my days studying abroad in London. (She and her friend LilyPebbles also do a corner on DailyMixTV where they explore different areas of London.)  I love her tutorials, her hauls, her product reviews, her style, her vlogs. She's so chic and sweet. 

4. {clothesencounters}- Jenn Im, of clothesencounters seems like such a genuinely cool chick.  I love that she can pull of some pretty rad outfits and her quirky, unique style has challenged me to get out of my (fashion) comfort zone. Might I add that I can't help but love that she's a fellow Korean-American!  She has some sick editing skills and I especially love watching her travel adventures and her styling videos. 

5. {MamaNatural}- Genevieve is Mama Natural! To be honest, I've never been much for "natural living" but she's definitely inspired me to be more conscious of what I buy, what I use, what I consume. I loved watching her pregnancy updates and now I love her "In Real Life" corner especially because she speaks openly about her faith.  She seems to embody what it means to be a good steward of what God has given, whether that be her husband, children, her finances, her resources. Her channel makes me want to be a better wife and a mom (someday). 

Who are some of your favorite Youtubers? 

Summer To-Do

I am a lover of lists, agendas, post-it's. (Hence the start of my bullet journal. I'm slightly obsessed with it.) I make lists for everything under the sun: my to-do's at work each day list, grocery lists, packing lists, must-read books list, must-watch movies list. 

I've found that when I write a list, I am more likely to get it done. And in turn, I feel more productive and a sense of accomplishment. (This happened with my New Years resolutions and my bucket list. I've ticked a few things off my bucket list this year! Including starting this blog!)

So naturally, as I approach summer break, I have been compiling a list of things I would like to accomplish/do/enjoy over the summer. 

notepad: gifted by bff when i got my current job! similar here

Friday Favorites

The end of the school year is quickly approaching. And though I am so READY to embrace the summer sun, sleep in, and bask in the luxury of free time, any end is bittersweet. I'm met with some regrets. I find myself thinking about what more I could have done, what I could have done differently, what I could have done better. But the other day, I was brainstorming what my final lesson would be to my student leaders and as I watched videos of Maya Angelou, I was inspired. To "just do right" and to live out what I teach. It's a lofty calling but boy do I feel honored and privileged to be considered in the same camp as her. 

Happy Friday, everyone! 

inspired by Dr. Perricone's book I purchased a few weeks ago. apparently cantaloupe is really good for your skin. And it's just so tasty. 

frozen mangoes. a nighttime snack. 

a favorite moment from this week. facetiming with my niece in her queen elsa dress singing me "Let it go". i of course sang along. 

a few random favorites. my current favorite candy, watch and bracelet. 

last weekend i ran in a 5k race. oh, 5k, i underestimated you.
replenishing my tired body with an apple and cooling off after finishing!