On Tuesdays (#Tiusdays!), I share what I’ve been up to, my latest discoveries and recommendations, that help keep me sane in these times xx
What I’ve been…
DOING
-I started a new Instagram account, Filipino Miami, to showcase and share Filipino flavors and culture in Miami throughout South Florida. While the population of Filipinos in Miami (not Florida– Miami, specifically!) is quite small, I was happy to find a number of Filipino home-based bakers selling everything from pan de sal to ube macarons. Give us a follow (@filipinomiami on IG) and spread the word to anyone in the area!
-My partner and I sailed to Little Palm Island in the Lower Florida Keys, which just reopened earlier this year, after having been shut down by Hurricane Irma in 2017. The private island truly is a magical getaway– with the bungalows, thoughtfully personalized with guests’ names, now furnished in British West Indies aesthetics. It was an opportunity to detach from social media and everything other than the present. (Cell phones are prohibited in public spaces, and there is only one television in the entire island). The resort’s new executive chef Danny Ganem (formerly from The Betsy Hotel Miami Beach) is doing *incredible things.* Definitely worth the trip just to eat his food! Here’s the full blog post about my experience.
–Sailing. Speaking of detachment from anything other than the present– traveling through the Atlantic Ocean completely powered by just the wind is an exercise in literally, learning to ride the waves and go with the flow. Not always the easiest, as with a lot of things in life, but necessary.
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EATING
–Danny Ganem’s tasting menu at Little Palm Island in Florida Keys. YUM.
-From now until November 15, 2020, Estrella Damm has an ongoing Culinary Journey where about 50 restaurants in Miami-Dade and Broward are offering select dishes perfectly paired with the beer from Barcelona. I went to the family-owned vegan/vegetarian restaurant, Diya Sunset Harbour, (which just opened earlier this year), where for $22, you get their Aloo Bravas, Vegetable Samosa and an Estrella Damm beer. For the full list of restaurants and their menu offerings, visit www.estrelladammjourney.com.
DRINKING
-Every week, Miami-based wine delivery Vinya has a #SipwithaSomm IG Live session, where resident sommelier Allegra Angelo chats with fellow sommeliers and wine producers about their featured wine for the week. Last week, it was a lovely Pecorino by Chiara Ciavolich from Abruzzo Italy, which she paired with a Pide Box (wood-fired Turkish flatbread topped with sesame brown butter and sea salt; hummus tahini; roasted carrot salad) from chef Aaron Brooks (of the Four Seasons Hotel Miami) who is currently doing his The Pide Place pop-up at Stanzione 87.
-Also, Notorius Pink Grenache Rosé is currently on a Buy 1, Get 1 at Publix Supermarkets for $17.99! It’s a great value-for-money rosé that’s an even bigger steal atm! *I asked the cashier and he said that Publix promos usually start on Thursdays and run for a week, so… go!
LISTENING TO
-I subscribe to a number of podcasts and rotate among them during my walks. One that inspired me recently was This Way Up’s (by Rebecca Rowntree) interview with Lindsay Jang, co-founder of Yardbird, Ronin and Roti Tori, in Hong Kong. I loved learning about Lindsay’s journey, growing up in a small town in Alberta, Canada, moving to New York and working at Nobu– which she strongly credits to having taught her everything she needed to know about the restaurant business– and eventually, Hong Kong.
READING
-The #1 New York Times Bestseller “The Vanishing Half” by Brit Bennett is hands down, one of the BEST books I’ve read in 2020. In short, and not to give anything away, it’s basically a novel about twin sisters from a small, southern black community in the US, ultimately choose to live in two different worlds: one black and one white. The writing, the storyline, the issues… it’s a page-turner and will move you for sure. HBO bid seven figures to turn this book into a series (with the author as executive producer)– and I cannot wait for that!
WATCHING
-I started getting into K-Dramas this year when the pandemic broke out– thanks to “Crash Landing on You” which changed my life! But not the mushy ones– those aren’t my thing. My most recent favorite is “Was it Love?” on Netflix. (It’s called “Did We Love?” in Korea, I believe.) It’s about a single mother who suddenly has four men from her past appear in her life. It’s hilarious and feel-good, and in my opinion, the breakout star of the show is, Ha-nee (played by 16-year-old Um Chae Young).
-Like everyone, I also saw “Emily in Paris,” and the “Black Pink: Light Up The Sky” documentary (great insight into how rigorous the training is to be a K-pop star– plus, they can’t drink, smoke nor have tatoos!) on Netflix.
Anything else?
-Since the pandemic hit, I’ve had to stop going to the gym. Online workouts have been a lifesaver, and one that I’ve especially been loving lately is Los Angeles-based fitness instructor and influencer Lindsey Harrod’s IGTVs. She used to do IG Lives but has recently switched to Zoom. She is SO good and offers a variety from heavy weights to HIIT to Slow Sculpt to Upper Body to Full Body to Bands.
That’s it for now! This is my 1st Tiusday and would love to know what you think! Drop me at line at cheryl@cheryltiu.com and feel free to subscribe (BELOW) to have these sent to your inbox! xx
