Korean BBQ

On Thursday June 13 I went with some colleagues of mine to eat Korean BBQ food in Chicago (4200 N Lincoln Ave). This was my first time eating this kind of food and I left the place feeling full and happy. All of the staff and most of the patrons spoke Korean. In addition, the interior design of the restaurant itself is very much in line with Korean architecture (so I am told). So, the entire ambiance completely steals you away to another place and culture.

We probably waited about 45 minutes for a table. This place is VERY popular.

Here you can see the stoneware hot plate and ingredients. We ordered a large serving of fresh beef that we then cooked on the hot plate. We then mixed the cooked beef with various fresh ingredients.

The beef you see here was the most tender and succulent beef I have ever tasted. It cooked so quickly on the hot plate. I loved mixing it with the garlic and the kimchi.

I tried my hand at cooking the beef but the server eventually came back, stole the tongs, and cooked it herself :)

Here are my beautiful friends Jeehee and Catalina. Jeehee is from South Korea and was the person who organized the dinner. She is a BBQ expert!

Here is my supervisor and friend, Steven. That man can put a lot of food away! I tried to keep up with him the entire evening.

Sunday Walk

Even though it feels like it's March outside, Mica and I decided to take a Sunday stroll. The cloudy skies made all the spring colors pop!

Too bad we don't live here. This building offers a beautiful view east onto Lake Michigan.

We love swings! 

A taste of Hyde Park for you. It includes lots of trees and beautiful architecture.

East side of our apartment building (Univ. of Chicago graduate student housing).

President Obama's House is one block down this way and on the left. It's hard to get close to it due to the beefy security.

 One of two elevators in our building.  This one has had an out-of-order sign on since Christmas.  Nice.

Memorial Day

This past Monday we had dinner with our neighbors, the Toblers (only other LDS couple in our building).  We ate our version of Chipotle's burrito bowls.  We let the meat sit in the oven too long (we had no where else to put it!).  But other than that it was delicious. The dinner included carnitas, cilantro-lime rice, tomatillo salsa, corn salsa, guacamole, and pico de gallo.

And let the packing begin! We have just three weeks left before we leave for NC.
This is our living/family/guest/office/recreation room. Won't take long to pack it up.

Here I am using my psychic abilities to pack our stuff.

If you're not doing anything on Friday morning June 21st, then come help us load up the moving truck!

Architecture Boat Tour

Our Weekend Chicago Adventures continue! On Saturday we went on a terrific boat tour of Chicago.

Unlike Friday, Saturday was a very chilly day to be outside!  But we're glad we braved the weather. The tour was 90 minutes long, covered lots of information on Chicago architecture, and included a great tour guide. He is a volunteer and a member of the local architecture club.

We learned a lot about the city's history and saw some impressive structures that included Gothic, Art Deco, Modern, and Post Modern styles.

The tour was packed.  Unfortunately we were unable to sit by each other  :(

Our terrific tour guide. He talked non-stop for 90 minutes and that was a good thing. 

There's Mica! We barely got to the boat on time (we were actually running for about a mile) so we couldn't sit next to each other.

Behold, the Trump Tower (third tallest building in USA)!

Notice all the different styles of architecture. Here you can see Art Deco stye: lavish ornamentation, bold geometric shapes 

Obvious Gothic style with the spires and intricate designs

Shiny gold thingy top (I wasn't paying attention at this point)

Look, a fire boat! (By now my ADD has kicked in a little)

One of two buildings by an architect who believed that buildings should reflect nature (no hard edges or angles). The first several floors are for parking. Looks like a giant honeycomb to me.

Definite post modern design with glass, steel, and bold continues lines.

"A tale of two buildings" our tour guide would often say.

The architect for this building wanted to mimic the curve and color of the Chicago river. This has been voted the most liked building of the city.

Another shot of the green building. You can see the Sears Tower in the back.

Famous Chicago newspaper, one of two remaining papers in the city.

The river house complex is riddled with triangles and was designed by an architect known as the "triangle man" (which makes me think of a song).

Spongebob?

This is where I work two days a week. The Civic Opera Building houses both the Lyric Opera Company and multiple business suite offices. Definite Art Deco style.

This building was designed right near the end of the modern period. The architect included a curve to help it stand out from the usual blocky modern buildings.

Another organic apartment complex with an added marine harbor.

I really like this dark building with 3-D texture popping out from the facade. It reminds me of the game Plinko from the Price is Right. I just want to climb to the top and drop a huge coin down through the blocks.

Beautiful Citibank building in the rear.

This mammoth-sized building, the Chicago Merchandise Mart, has 4 million square feet, was built in 1930, had its own zip code until 2008, and is considered a leader in energy and environmental design.

Not sure what this is but you can see Art Deco and Gothic styles next to each other.

Another "tale of two buildings". Both apartment complexes that were finished within a few years of each other. The one on the left has ground level parking that is surrounded by brick walls. The one on the right instead surrounded the ground level parking with town homes. Smart idea!

I love this building. It's a round-edged triangle shape that is right on the riverfront.

 The last 10 minutes of the tour we went downstairs to warm up.  Besides the typical Chicago weather, we had a wonderful experience!