Goals

now that i've recently passed my latest celebration of my birth year, i feel that i should assess where i've come and where i want to go. thus far, it seems that i've followed the exact route that i should have...the stereotypical first-generation asian american path: do well in high school, get into a good college, travel a bit (explore the world), pursue and advanced degree, then find a job. that is the path that my parents have laid out in front of me, coddled and nurtured to succeed. but they can only take me so far...

at this point, it's really up to me. so yes, on paper, it looks like i've done a decent job with myself. grad degree, worked on an exceptional team to pass health care reform, and now am responsible for the health care portfolio of another senator. sadly, i've been working under the feeling that i've gotten very lucky...having fallen into my job with finance, which allure and aura helped land me my current job. i'm still waiting to feel like i've completely earned what i have.

but beyond these deep seated ramblings, i still have to set goals for myself. and i won't bore the blogsphere with the thoughts of job advancements or luck in love. i've set a few very achievable goals that i hope to have in my lifetime...and here they are:

1. i want to be able to live in a house where i can have my own pool table
2. i want to have an infinity pool overlooking a cliff
3. i want to be wealthy enough to be able to open up a restaurant without fear of it failing

so now that i've succeeded in most of my goals during the first quarter century of so of my life, let's see if i can't get the rest of those in the rest of my life.

Volt

like many many others, i only know of volt through owner/chef bryan voltaggio's top chef fame. without that, i'm sure i wouldn't have made the hour drive to this quiet little block of frederick that reminded me of old town alexandria...with the same historic ambiance with an authentic american feel to it. and heading out there on a sunday night towards the end of a heated redskins game made the city blocks seem nearly abandoned. as my friend and i wondered what a famed chef and top tier restaurant were doing hidden in this more pastoral town as opposed to a trendy urban enclave, i had to stop myself from overly critiquing and just enjoy the new american cuisine in this classic american setting.

but once you walk up the stairs of the landmark houck mansion and into the restaurant itself, you leave the historic feel of frederick and are whisked away into a modern, chic, and surprisingly brightly lit dining room. though we arrived early for our meal, we were seated promptly. which meant we had to forgo the pre-meal drink at what looked like a rather comfortable lounge/bar. sadly, we were not offered a table in the kitchen. instead, we sat in the main dining room which was bright, with shining linens and plush seating...all adorned in white, offsetting the black/gray suits that the hosts/servers were wearing.

once seated, our server was quick to offer us the house filtered still/sparkling water as well as the cocktail/wine list. from which my friend and i both ordered expertly made manhattans...smooth and smokey. having done our homework, we had already decided to go for the pre-fixe six course kitchen menu opposed to their a la carte menu (though it was a very tough decision...but i figured i'd go for it since it was my birthday).

as for the food, we were presented with a trio of canapes to wet our palettes. it included a beet flavored puff with a little dollop of creme fois gras, a cube of compressed watermelon flavored with prosciutto, and a lobster salad with fried leeks...what a great start to the meal. the tasting menu followed along with a plate of heirloom tomatoes topped with tomato dip n' dops, olive oil ice cream, and mozzarella spheres. not only was everything on the plate fresh, as if it was plucked directly from the soil, but the combination provided a refreshing tone to evening. we followed that with what i would say is the stand out dish of the evening...the goat cheese ravioli. one bite in and i was awed at its creaminess, its boldness in flavor, and its harmony of tastes. the sharp goat cheese was countered with a very sweet puree of butternut squash, providing a balance between sweet and savory. the spotted skate wing was the next course...sitting on top of a bed of pea puree, was nicely prepared but didn't inspire me to sing another aria to the chef. the red water pork belly with white beans and stewed mustard seeds was fork tender, melt in your mouth delicious (but if given the choice, i'd still take david chang's pork belly bun from momofuku). the last savory dish was a neatly butchered, rare veal loin. i wasn't disappointed, but again, it didn't even beat out the braised veal cheeks i had at tabaq here in dc. the dessert was a texture of chocolate...and unlike the rest of the world, i'm simply not huge on chocolate. and the ganache and caramel was just too rich for my tastes.

overall, the food was definitely worth the hour drive away from the culinary adventures of the district, the service was impeccable with a server clearing the plates and utensils after each dish, and the price for a six course pre-fixe was not outrageous. and i didn't leave hungry as you often do from tasting menus.

granted without his top chef fame i probably never would have ventured into frederick, but now that i've tasted what i watched on tv, i'm happy that i did.

Election Season

as the owner of a big D-card, all this talk about republicans sweeping into power this year and the ineptitude of the democratic party has gotten me down and frustrated. yes...i agree that the economic outlook and the democrats complete lack of a message are big reasons why we're in the pickle that we're in. but at the same time, i'm seeing hypocrisy in action when talking about tax cuts and deficits...i'm seeing a republican party oppose any and everything for the sake of winning and the cost of the country...and sadly, i am seeing an insane amount of lies and deceit driving a less than informed electorate. but what really pisses me off (and this is a bipartisan finger pointing) are the people who take advantage of the electorate to make money under the guise of "restoring america".

i can respect policy differences...i can respect their position that government is too large and that tax dollars should be returned to those who make them. but when they take that argument and suggest that it will spur the economy because those dollars will simply be put back into the private sector, i urge them to bring me historical evidence. we need only look at this past decade to prove that that plan didn't work. with some of the largest tax cuts we've seen resulting in the largest deficits we've seen. at what point does perseverance become downright crazy?

but what's even more despicable with their tax policy is their continual raving about the deficit and pounding democrats for overspending. if the republican stuck by their by-as-you-go guns on everything else the democrats have tried to do these past two years, then i expect them to do so with the tax cuts. to offset the trillion dollars this is going to cost us, i want to hear them say they're raise the retirement age for social security, or list the benefits they would cut out of medicare, or limit the exorbitant defense budget. but they won't say any of those things. so they'll pound us for spending money on the poor, the needy, and the middle-income while they rake in cash from the uber wealthy and the large corporations.

not to be a blind loyalist, i've got my beef with the democrats as well. i've said this before, and it holds even truer today. but one of the reasons why i am a democrat is because we are open to ideas and a rather welcoming tent...but at the same time, that leaves us vulnerable and divided on message. i understand that all politics is local and that members of congress are sent here to represent their constituents...and they can't influence the social good if they can't win at home. but for once, i wish the democrats would stand tall, face the dirt that's being thrown at them, and remove their veil of cowardice and punch back. be proud and say "yes, i voted for the health reform bill, climate change, and financial reform. i know you disagree. but here's why i did". but instead, they run and hide. and as they always do, they say "don't pick on me". show me that candidate and i'll vote for him/her any day.

but i don't see that candidate anywhere. and i do see millions of misinformed americans blindly following the tune of beck, palin, limbaugh. these working class americans who belief faith has been lost in this country, that the democrats have auctioned off the wealth...i want them to ask glen, sarah, and rush "how much money did you make scribbling on your blackboard this year? how much money did you make touring the country as the mama grizzly? how much money did you make spewing hate over the airwaves?" then see how much they'd give back to you in times of trouble.

so with that note...end of rant.