Chinese New Year at Forbidden City

I woke up this morning with a stomachache from an overdose of buttery biscuits from last night. Next time I’ll stick with a smaller portion of such a rich food. I guess I learned my lesson!

I headed to the apartment gym to get in a good run. I lifted weights until my arms were shaky, then decided to try a hill workout that Dave suggested. I set the treadmill speed at a medium pace and varied the incline:

2 min at 0.5 incline (3.5 speed)
4 min at 0.5 incline (6.5 speed)
4 min at 2.5 incline ”
2 min at 1.0 incline ”
4 min at 3.0 incline ”
2 min at 1.5 incline ”
4 min at 3.5 incline ”
2 min at 2.0 incline ”
4 min at 4.0 incline ”
1 min at 5.0 incline ” (This one was HARD!)
2 min at 1.5 incline ”
4 min at 3.5 incline ”
2 min at 1.0 incline ”
4 min at 3.0 incline ”
2 min at 0.5 incline ”
2 min at 0.5 incline ” (3.5 speed)

Total: 45 minutes

I will never poo-poo hills again. Whew!  I felt so much better after exercise.  It’s amazing what exercise does for the mind and body!

Breakfast was a delicious bowl of Fage, Barbara’s Squares, banana, chocolate chips, and AB, all on a bed of ground flax.

Banana hills:

Lunch was leftovers from this day on a huge pile of lettuce with a little goat cheese cheddar.

Isn’t it so satisfying to use up leftovers? 🙂

In between, I buckled down and finished this week’s Nutrition Care Plan and began my child obesity research paper. Chuggin’ along!

What I was really looking forward to today was the Chinese New Year specials at Forbidden City! This restaurant is so fantastic that I can’t sing its praises enough. Check out their special New Year’s dinner here. Exotic, no?

Dressed up for dinner:

I usually dress pretty conservatively (i.e. boring), so this outfit was a real stretch for me. What do you think, did it work?

We were in for a REAL treat for dinner tonight. Eric, the owner of Forbidden City, has been a friend of Peter’s family for years and years, and he treated us to a tasting menu of all the specials. Scroll down to drooool! (Descriptions are from their menu.)

Again, I apologize in advance for the dark pictures. I wish I could show off how awesome these dishes looked.

Hamachi Sashimi
With Muscatel Panna Cotta and crème of cilantro:

Longevity Purse
Pan-fried tofu sheet with gingko nuts, enoki mushrooms and bamboo shoot:

An off-menu tuna sashimi amuse-bouche:

Australia Green Slip Abalone
Steamed with ginger and hint of Shaoshing wine (never had abalone before!):

Look at that shell!

I kept it, of course 🙂

Short Rib Dumpling
Pomegranate, Shiraz and au jus:

Tarragon Crusted Monkfish
Sambal eggplant puree and “subgum” sticky rice:

Veal Cheek Chocó lade
Veal cheek medallion with curry glazed and potato mashed with chocolate flakes:

Yes, those are chocolate flakes on the mashed potatoes! A unique combination that was so delicious!

Buddha Pot
Tofu, shiitake mushrooms, vegetable and vermicelli served in a crispy taro pot:

Harmony Rice
Lump crab meat, sun-dried scallops, rock shrimp and jasmine rice with young ginger:

All enjoyed with a wonderfully light spring oolong:

But wait, there’s more!

Sesame ice cream (!):

With an aged, roasted tea as the perfect accompaniment:

Adorable pots!

Yup, I was pretty satisfied when I left. I can’t praise Forbidden City enough. If you’re ever in Connecticut, you MUST eat here.

Question of the day: What is your favorite restaurant for a fancy night out? I’m always looking for suggestions for when I travel!