Chinese New Year!!!!

New Years is one of my favorite times of the year. The asian food markets in town always have the best treats and pastries for New Years and my family celebrates like crazy. 

Dad always starts off by doing his food offering/prayer deals which are just comforting. It sounds a little odd but coming home from school to a makeshift table right as you open the front door is fun. There's always special cakes and a whole boiled chicken (head and all.. when I say whole, I mean whole) sitting next to incense that fills the whole house. 

Dragon dances and lucky money in red envelops are like Christmas for us asian kids. (Only I get Christmas too thanks to mom so it's like Christmas part two). 

This year, was actually the first time I saw actual cakes at the store though, so my mom and I got pretty excited. So, here is us Asians adapting to American life, making cakes! 

Even when we do cake's it different though! All the fruit says enough for me. I can already see the inside being a light vanilla angel cake kind of deal with fruit in between the layers and the frosting being a light whipped cream. Some things are easy to conclude. And I love it. 

CUBA - 304 O'Reilly Take Two!

Take two was much more adventurous and a little more exciting. 20 of us loud americans in a tiny little restaurant's second floor. Cuba is never ready for us all. They did a pretty great job though. 

I started off my sharing a ceviche with one of my friends that was fantastic! It was super tart but the seafood was incredible, I would eat a huge plate of that and be happy. 

Then as a main dish I tried a curried rabbit. This is the first rabbit I've ever eaten and it was also really really really good. I would eat rabbit again just based off of this.  

Of course it came with a side of rice and those classic Cuban plantains (we could seriously not get enough of it). Seriously, 304 knows how to make food and it was the best way to end the trip in Cuba. 

CUBA - Streetzza!

What is a streetzza you ask? A street pizza. That's right, we got street pizzas in Cuba. And honestly, I wish I had tried one sooner because it was great! 

This cost the equivalent of $1 here in America and it was steaming hot and delicious. One of our favorite streets to walk down (Obispo) had little places all over serving pizza like this. I hadn't planned on eating fast food to go in Cuba but turns out, they know what's up. 

This pizza was cheap and super great. I wish I had more of them, they were worth way more than $1! 

CUBA - 304 O'Reilly

That foodie boy that was on the trip with me had a couple of restaurants he would not stop talking about that he HAD to go to. 304 O'Reilly was one of them. Near the end of our trip we decided we would go there as a group for dinner. But plans tend to be tricky so before this group dinner a few of my friends and I decide we would go, just the four of us, for lunch. This place was great.

304 has such a great atmosphere and of course they play pretty new American music which was kind of cool for Cuba. That day for lunch I ordered a pasta with shrimp because I was on a seafood roll and since it's so fresh in Cuba I figured I'd take advantage of it while I could. 

This dish wasn't anything crazy or super special but it was still pretty good and just being there was really fun. It actually felt pretty modern and a little American which was nice. Visit number one to 304 O'Reilly - Check. 

CUBA - La Cueva

One of our class adventures was a cool little cave tour including Havana Club Rum, mini boat ride, and another Cuban lunch.

AKA chicken and rice with plantains. It honestly did not get old, at all. This place was SUPER cute and SUPER touristy because cave rides and cuba food. Yes. There were even cute chickens and puppies walking around just hanging out. I know some people aren't fans but I'm all about the super cute stray animals walking around. It makes my heart sad but they're adorable. 

Anyways, this place was a little different with their desserts. We got these tiny little pieces of pomegranate jelly that are so concentrated that little slice is all you need! Kind of reminds me of some candy I've had in America before.. Not a crowd favorite but I was a fan!