Red China: Well Worth The Trip

With this unpredictable weather, few things would make me consider going all the way to travel to Quezon City. Armed with my big bag of camera, notebook and paper, I was glad I had a big serving of what I really needed to go to Red China, my appetite.

Day one of diet was forgotten as soon as the soup was served. It had a unique, unforgettable taste. It was really not the usual Chinese soup that I have come to expect.  Before the scallop soup, worth mentioning is a tasty snack which was really the usual Chinese treat, just like the ones served in fastfood type of Chinese restaurants.

After getting some, we had a taste of what I know will be my reason to go back to Red China, aside from the other dishes.  The Bacon Wrapped shrimp.

Sumptuous. Not to be outdone, the Shrimp Paste Chicken Wings dish was very tasty.

We were told that Red China was a creation of foreign chefs. It was a combination of the well-known Chinese comfort food from other countries. It was a bit different from the usual Chinese dishes we normally have. But then again, that is what makes it all the more special. We were told that no two sauce were ever the same and it really shows.

Another interesting trivia that we learned was that Red China had smaller, more affordable servings of Super Bowl. All the staff were new, and were trained considering that the restaurant just opened a few days before. 

The Roast Pork Belly, Mala Roast Chicken all had distinct flavors that it was really good to alternate each with the fried rice. 

The Salted fish fried rice was served quite towards the end, and it was really good to the last bite. The Salted Egg shrimps were really different. I thought at the start it was cheese powder but I was told it was made of powdered egg yolk.  It really had a unique taste and because I couldn't quite get what the taste was, I had several servings. I appreciated the dish all the more when I took it home afterwards. 

Shrimp Paste Chicken Wings

Salted Egg Shrimps

Wow

We were also given a chance to try the noodles which was really super heavy but tasted really yummy.

Noodles

Diced Chicken with Salted Fish Fried Rice

I also liked the other soup which had  the sweetness of a soft apple of course because it had apple in it.

The whole meal was capped off with a dessert, egg tart. It was a perfect ending to a very nice meal. If only for this egg tart, this whole trip was really worth it!

All in all, I can say that everything in Red China was well worth the travel from the South to Quezon City. I have always been a Chinese food fan. Now I can say I truly am.

Happiness vs. "Luckyness"

I always see tons of people lining up in lotto. Before lotto, sweepstakes. I'm sure in the early times, even not being eaten by animals was some sort of luck :) Before I used to aspire to be lucky too. Long before people started calling me Jinks or Jinx as a shortcut to my nickname (as opposed to Jean Carmelle or even Jean Carmello as my old teacher called me) I thought I would create a blog that would contradict the sound of my name, and the opposite quality/characteristic which I long for. And so, Lucky Jinks was born.  Incidentally, Vilma Santos (who is a dead ringer for my singer mom or looks like her when she sings) also named her son Lucky and to which he is now the talented host that he is, is quite a good coincidence.

Yes, we all aspire to be lucky at some point in our lives. The luckiest thing that ever happened to me in terms of raffles was winning a cassette recorder at the onset of CD players. I also won a 30 minute free internet use in college. Back then, I could only email so 30 minutes was quite long. I was also lucky in terms of not getting along with former office bosses to find out what my true calling us. Most of all, I am a very lucky mom to a bright, love of my life.

That being said, I've had my share of not so lucky moments. Workwise, lovewise. I made certain decisions which mad me think that what I am today is a result of those. So I have no regrets.

But the thing is, I think that I do not aspire to be lucky anymore.  Maybe at some point, I would like to think that people who get to know me are the lucky ones hehehehe. That watching "The Lucky One" will not make me cringe with regret or jealousy. Or eating "Lucky Me" noodles will not be a staple because its bad for me. Maybe in some way, I do not wish to win the lotto anymore. I already have that with my life, with my circle of friends.

I think in some way, I am now HAPPY and that in itself is better than any form of LUCKY. Of course I still believe in my heart that my luck will always be in my own hands. That my life is now as lucky as it could get and I am truly happy.