I've never had tap water as shitty as I have in Orlando - and I live in China and travel throughout Southeast and East Asia often.

My opinion about the Din Tai Fengs in the US is that they're not as good because the metal steamer baskets impart a small taste that the bamboo ones in Asia do not.

Oh yes - I remember walking by them. Are they still must dos if one is from California and also spent 5 years in Texas?

Neither she, nor I knew the breed (wait, does fruit have breeds?). The smell was so mild as to not really have one, and that whole "creamy, buttery cheese" flavor and texture was there - it was delicious, but I don't think I'll be revisiting it unless my aunt is buying more pieces.

Street food is almost dead in Shanghai. Sure there's still tiny cong you bing stalls and occasional night vendors of noodles outside the Unis and clubs/bars and a few chuanr vendors on Friday and Saturday, but for good or bad, it's like 20% of what it used to be. There used to be 3 jian bing vendors on my walk to the…

I only went to Portillos and Lou Malnalti's (not recommended prior to a marathon)

I love Taiwanese sausage and oyster omelettes.

In touch with the ground?

Restaurants? She just bought it at some expensive supermarket or department store (I'm guessing Central World or Siam Paragon) - and not a whole durian, because, really, who can eat that much. One big fruit splits into more manageable "pod" sizes - she had a couple of pods, each about the size of like a computer mouse…

Where are you running that you encounter it streetside? Most places selling stinky tofu have been cleaned up by the chengguan - heck my local jian bing cart has been gone for the last year, and I really miss her the most.

My aunt, who, like me, doesn't like durian, gave me some the last time I was in Bangkok. It was delicious - but she warned - the specific durian she let me try is SUPER expensive (like hundreds of US dollars for a full sized one) and only ripe for eating 6 weeks out of the year. She said that outside of this specific…

Yeah, I really wanted to go on my one trip to Chicago (also 2013) - but they said it had been closed for a couple of years when we wandered around the hotel.

Here's the Portland donut secret - go to Blue Star. Way better and no line. Not as interesting for Instagram though.

That was the case 10 years ago in Shanghai. Bangkok on the other hand, has always been decent for western food for as long as I've been going.

I will go to bat for Zachery's in the Bay Area (Berkeley and Oakland)

I'm sure there are! Famous places often aren't the best representatives of the genre - however, within walking distance of River North google didn't seem to yield a lot of options.

It's one of my goals in life to go to the Weiner's Circle (ever since I saw it on Dave Attell's Insomniac in the mid 2000s) - but my one trip to Chicago was for the marathon and I spent my time close to the hotel, eating, stretching and resting. It's actually not that easy to get to.

Good combo of "great food" and "not easy to get to great food without a local with a car" that you got there.

What part of SEA are you in?

Devil and the White City - Leo bought the rights in 2010.