Peking Gourmet Inn in Falls Church, VA: ★★★

Pitch black. Dirt two-lane road. Your headlights sweep across a sign that reads: Road Ends Ahead. Having yet to reach your destination, you forge ahead only to see a second warning. Refusing to accept reality, you eventually pass a third and final sign "End of the Road" while flying off the cliff into the canyon, Thelma and Louise style.

Though not quite as tragic, warning signs abound for those seeking authentic Chinese food at Peking Gourmet Inn.

Warning #1: The fact that Peking Gourmet Inn is the only Chinese restaurant I have ever been to that has a bar.
Denial response: Owners just trying to entertain the never ending flow of guests awaiting a table at the popular restaurant.

Warning #2: Aside from a large table celebrating a birthday, our table was the only other table of Chinese people.
Denial response: Falls Church, VA is no San Gabriel Valley (in Los Angeles).

Warning #3: The restaurant is said to be a favorite of the Bush family.
Denial response: Hey, everyone's gotta eat.

Those brave enough to continue down the road to Peking Gourmet Inn despite the warnings will be rewarded with a rather authentic Peking Duck dish for $38. With the restaurant serving roughly 500 ducks a day, the carvers have developed the masterful skill of shaving the skin off the duck without leaving an ounce of fat.

For customers new to the dish, the wait staff is more than happy to assemble a "taco" (pictured below) for you as an example. The duck itself was impeccable: warm, crispy skin with the right amount of flavoring. However, the bing (thin pancakes for wrapping) was overly moist, which as it lost heat, became slightly soggy. A plate of cucumbers can be added for an additional $3.

After the duck, the road took a wrong turn. The sauce for the fresh shitake mushrooms with Chinese baby greens (bok choy) was excessively sweet. Chilean sea bass Peking style, a recommendation from our waitress, was the culinary equivalent to a hot tranny mess; barely tasting like Chilean sea bass, it did not blend well with the sauce

In the end, Peking Gourmet Inn can only be classified as a one-hit wonder (or a marketing marvel). For the unfamiliar, the restaurant is the simple way to experience the Beijing tradition of duck without hopping on a plane. My recommendation is to just order the duck, and save the rest of your money for Panda Express, which offers the same inauthentic Chinese food for a third of the price.

Tips:
- Make a reservation. Do not attempt to visit on the weekends without one.
- Research beforehand so that you know what to order besides the Peking duck. You can only count on Chinese waitresses to recommend the most expensive item on the menu.

Peking Gourmet Inn
6029 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA
703.671.8088
www.pekinggourmet.com
★★★

additional pictures:

Peking Gourmet Inn

Half Smokes at Ben's Chili Bowl in Washington, DC: ★★★★★

If you've never tasted a half smoke, consider yourself lucky. Why? Because then you'll be satisfied with the normal, everyday hot dogs that people outside of Washington, DC are subjected to. Granted, there are some decent ones, but none like the quarter pound of half pork and smoked beef sausage topped with mustard, onions and the infamous spicy chili sauce over a steamed bun. If that sentence didn't make you drool, then congratulations, you are a robot.

The half smoke is meatier than a normal hot dog and tastier than a normal polish dog. The spicy kick juices things up to blend everything together perfectly.

$5.50 buys a half smoke with chili and a side of chips. Not the cheapest or healthiest option, but your taste buds will give you a standing ovation upon consumption.

Recognize the man below? That's right. The leader of the free world cleared his schedule for a visit, which can only mean it's gotta be pretty darn good. Granted the President lives only about a mile away.

Ben's Chili Bowl is located across the street from the U Street stop on the Metro Green Line. Within walking distance for tourists visiting the White House, or a quick bus/metro ride away. No excuses. Go visit now!

Tips:

- Do not, I repeat DO NOT, order anything but the half smokes. We saw a burger patty being microwaved. Not sure what's going on there.

- I have heard that if you develop a rapport with the servers (by tipping well), your new friend will let you skip the line on your next visit.

- Another way to bypass the line is to sit directly at the counter, provided there are open seats. The only downside is that you'll have to tip for service.

- The line moves pretty swiftly.

- Only medium-sized drinks priced at $2.20 are refillable.

Ben's Chili Bowl

1213 U Street NW, Washington, DC

202.667.0909
www.benschilibowl.com

★★★★★

additional pictures:

Ben's Chili Bowl

Let's Redefine "Romantic"

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, many people are scrambling for last-minute plans and gifts. Images fed through media have brainwashed us with capitalism's idea of "romance." With Yelp invading my inbox today with it's own version of romance in this week's newsletter (chocolate, dim lighting, patio seating, overlooking beach, zzz), I decided to go to the press with a couple of my offbeat ideas of expressing your appreciation for one another.

Traditional gift: Flower Arrangements/Bouquets
Price: $50+
What it says: I'm unoriginal, quite possibly broke after the money I spent, and want to represent our love with a gift that has a fixed life span
Replace with: A potted plant, flower or spice
Price: $2-10
Not only does it live longer than a week, it continually gives a return.
Suggestions:
-peace lily, known to clean indoor air of contaminants ("I care about you.")
-jalapeños ("I'm hot for your lovin'.")

Traditional dinner: Prix Fixe at the City's Hot Spot
Price: $100+
What it says: I may be trendy, but I'm definitely broke after dinner
Replace with: Karaoke night
Price: $40
Rent a private room at the local karaoke bar, order some finger foods and booze (for the inhibited), and serenade each other with songs that remind you of one another.
My suggestions:
-Divinyls, I Touch Myself
-'N Sync, God Must Have Spent A Little More Time On You
-Madonna, Like A Virgin

Obviously, no two couples are alike; what works for some may not work for others. What is certain is that thinking outside the box creates a much more memorable experience. Saving money, which is something we all can appreciate, is just an added bonus.

7 Habits of Highly Healthy People

It's the time of the year where everyone's gung ho about self-improvement, and because we live in a superficial world, that generally means people are trying to lose some weight. Don't lie. You're not dropping poundage to benefit society by decreasing the pressure on our health care industry.

Speaking as someone who has had an ongoing war with this "weight" character, losing the Battle of 2008 with a BMI of 23.8, then winning the Battle of 2009 having slimmed down to a healthy 19.1, I am here to offer my words of wisdom.

Disclaimer: I do not have a science degree (bio, chem), nor I am not employed in the any field relating to nutrition.

First and foremost, one will never be able to lose the weight without recognizing that a lifestyle change is needed. People are tipping the scale because they have developed bad habits due to lack of time and energy, greed or sheer laziness; therefore, in order to re-tip the scale in the right direction, bad habits need to be minimized.

In its place, here are my suggestions for good habits (what has worked for me) in order of difficulty:

1. Eliminate sodas
If you need the extra kick of energy, try green tea. In addition to being tasty and versatile (iced or hot), some have argued that it has amazing health benefits, such as the potential to fight cancer and heart disease. Luckily my mother (who did major in nutrition science) brainwashed me at an early age to avoid sugary drinks, and I never developed a soda habit.

2. Drink more water
Sigmund Freud theorized that our oral stage of development occurs during the first 21 months of life, where an infant's pleasure centers are in the mouth. Anything that goes wrong during that stage can trigger a lifetime of oral fixation that can manifest itself as overeating. To satisfy said fixation in a healthier manner, consider drinking water, which is thirst-quenching, and who knows, just might be able to trick your stomach into thinking it's full. Whatever activity I'm engaged in (working, eating, exercising), I make sure to have a handy supply readily available.

3. Purge home/work of snacks
Fitting that this is point number 3, as there are 3 basic "C" enemies: candies, cookies and chips. High in sugar and grease, low in nutritional value. If you preemptively strike these enemies by eliminating their access to your body, then you're already halfway to winning the war. Instead, keep a variety of fruits and nuts to snack on when the urge comes.

4. Check scale daily
So many people I know are trying to lose weight and don't know their actual weight out of utter fear. Don't fear it! Embrace it. Use it as motivation. The positive stimulus that you'll receive from the decreasing number on your scale will condition you to keep up your efforts. Guarantee there will be days when the number increases, but don't panic. That's instant feedback to help you evaluate what you did that caused the weight gain, and come up with solutions to avoid it in the future.

5. Eat more fiber
My unqualified (see: disclaimer above) theory is that the faster you can dispel waste, the less unnecessary "crap" your body soaks in. To aid that process, add fiber to your daily diet. For those that absolutely refuse to eat naturally fibrous food such as celery, broccoli or grains, there's always the option to take fiber supplements. Personally, I eat a serving of oatmeal with brown sugar in the morning, and then follow with regular servings of fruits and vegetables throughout the day.

6. Stay active
I never could stay motivated to go to the gym or workout, so I had to brainstorm different ideas. I realized I spent roughly 2-4 days a week watching Laker games at home, so if I just spent part of that time doing physical activity (e.g., sit ups, push ups, jump rope, etc), I can better utilize my time, especially since most of the time, I'm jumping up and down screaming at the TV anyway. Couple that with occasional weekend social activities such as biking, badminton or hiking and I found myself a regimen that I enjoyed. Point being, everyone has different interests, so figure out something that works for you.

7. Keep dinner simple
It's end of the day, time to relax and enjoy, which for many means overindulging with dinner. Consciously control dinner portions and not only will it help with losing weight, it will keep you from feeling lethargic the rest of the night.

As an extra tip, if money is a motivator, Time.com recently highlighted a few websites that pay people to slim down without any financial obligation from you (article here). The websites make money from advertising and sponsorships from corporations looking to minimize their health care costs. You lose weight, companies save money and you make money: WIN WIN WIN. Safe to say, Michael Scott would approve.

Staying focused on a path of continued self-improvement is not easy, but a healthier you makes it easier to achieve your other goals. Of course, the compliments never hurt. Good luck!

Gaining Focus

Never one to subscribe to the idea of New Year's resolutions, I look at the following list as more of motivation to achieve certain goals in the upcoming year, a sort of "focus point," if you will:

1. China
I'd like to consider myself well-traveled in China, having been to more places than I can list. However, some of the visits occurred when I was too young to appreciate the significance. When I was about 13, my grandparents took me to their home village in Shan Dong, China, and while I do remember some of it, most of the experience has been lost. Therefore, while my grandparents are still healthy, I'd love to have them show me around where we are from and match the places to the stories that I hear over and again at the dinner table.

2. Italy
I used to be one of those people who feared being alone. Can't eat alone. Can't travel alone. Can't. 2009 changed that when I had to travel to Houston by myself to visit an ailing friend. I not only enjoyed the independence and freedom to go as I please, but the cliche "now or never" suddenly became crystal clear. Funds or scheduling always thwarted my attempts at planning a European vacation, so next year, with or without companions, I would love to "backpack" (as much as my spoiled city self can endure) through Italy, and hopefully hit up a couple other spots before my funds are depleted.

3. Yelp
Call me an amateur foodie. Never been to Urasawa or French Laundry, do not follow celebrity chefs, uninterested in wine, but still love to eat and finding new places to execute cash outflow. My yelp bookmarks (places to try) have hit an outrageous 128 restaurants across the US. I believe small and expensive does not equate to delicious and authentic, so most of the places are local joints that allow one to experience the culture without traveling. Need to decrease that number by eating (in moderation) at as many places as I can fit into the schedule.

So there you go. A few serious but somewhat whimsical goals that are readily attainable in the next year.