Shisha and Dancing on Baga Beach

Safil's Beach Shack on Baga Beach was one of my favorite places to hang out in Goa.  We took a late nap and woke up around 9:30 PM before heading out on Halloween. There were some people dressed up and others with just a basic light up prop.  Our AirBnb hostess told us that the expats up north in Arpora go nuts and get fully dressed up because most of them are western.  We were invited to a party but opted to stay in Baga beach since the taxi ride was another 20 minutes away and we didn't bring any costumes.

Baga beach is a quick 10 minute walk from our hotel down Tito's lane where there is a plethora of shops, restaurants and bars.  It reminds me of Pub Street in Siem Reap, Bar street in Faliraki but not as raucous as Bangla Road in Patong.

Weddings, infinity pool and spa retreat at Alila Diwa

After a 37 hour door to door journey, we were relieved to enter the grounds of Alila Diwa Goa.  Sure, our taxi got scanned for bombs and we had to walk through metal detectors but once we were in, we were ushered to seats in the open air lobby where refreshing towels and juice was brought to us.  We were told the hotel was booked to occupancy for the weekend so I wasn't too thrilled to hear that off the bat.

The hotel grounds are exceptionally beautiful. Some people have different definitions of beauty but I loved the infinity pool against the paddy fields.  Workers were constantly cleaning leaves and brush form the pool and the grounds to keep it immaculate.

Delicious fresh seafood at Martin's Corner in Goa

Martin's Corner Goan seafood Cuisine

During out stay in southern Goa, we were conveniently located near Martin's Corner, an award winning local legend that serves some of the best Goan cuisine and seafood in the area.  Our hotel Alila Diwa Goa was a short 12 minute walk away.  Although it was quick, it was a bit scary as there is limited street lights and stray dogs and cows. Bring a head lamp!

Once we arrived, we were happy to see that the restaurant was full of life.  The parking lot across the street was full and the restaurant was almost at capacity by 7 PM.

Beachfront lunch at Zeebop Utorda Beach

We had a relaxing beachfront lunch at Zeebop by the Sea on Utorda Beach in southern Goa.  We almost attempted to walk the 35 min duration along the beach but I am glad we opted for an Air conditioned taxi.  It was 2 PM and the sun was blazing hot.

Since the restaurant is right on the beach, the taxi had to drop us off at the end of the road where we walked down a small walkway.

Fish 'Ka Bar and Restaurant in Betalbatim Goa

Spicy Goan Crab

We went to Fish 'ka for dinner because we didn't want to pay hotel prices for a meal and the restaurant was literally a stone's throw away form our resort.  We arrived around 6 PM and thought we made a big mistake because we were the only ones at the restaurant.  We got a few round of drinks and ordered some Indo Chinese apps.

Breakfast and Birthday on Etihad Business Class

I ain't gonna lie, I am getting used to the star/celebrity treatment on business class. Unless we are using miles to upgrade, I refuse to pay for it. It's still TOO much money.  Being a Business/First Class passenger is like being the prettiest girl in the room. The cabin crew is eager to please to the point where it may be cumbersome.

For the leg of our flight from Abu Dhabi to Mumbai, we arrived to the gate 20 minutes before take off and boarded the plane.  The plane was on the smaller side and was an A321 so there was no first class and just a mediocre business class.  The seats aren't that nice.  I was a bit more alive than our JFK flight despite it being 2:30 in the Morning local time.

Lounge Hopping from JFK to Abu Dhabi to Mumbai

For the Mo's birthday this year, we are off to India! It will be a very short trip (10 days). I wished we could stay longer but I don't have any vacation time left!! Sometimes I think my company should get on the train along with other companies like Groupon, Netflix, etc that offers their employees unlimited vacation days, Hey I ain't complainin', just wishful thinking.

To get to the beach resort of Goa, India, we'd have to take 4 flights with a "door to door" time frame of about 37 hours.  Hopefully, it will all be worth it when we get there!

Lester's Roadside BBQ in Burlington

I'm not a huge fan of Smokey Bones in Lowell and RedBones in Davis Square is quite the hike (not to mention the limited parking). In between those two, there's Lester's Roadside BBQ in Burlington, MA.  I love the charm this place offers. Just like what a real BBQ joint should be, it's non pretentious.  I work down the street so my coworkers and I visit for lunch every once in a while.  

Their ribs and chicken combo plates are a bit on the pricey side but there is always a coupon online.  You can even share the plate with someone else.

Sunday Brunch at Tavern in the Square - Burlington

I'll keep this short and let you see the pics for themselves.  I've been meaning to try the Sunday brunch at Tavern in the Square for quite some time now but it seems like such a pain the ass to drive 18 minutes from Lowell on a Sunday.

After a long weekend of drinking, we decided to bite the bullet and do it.  I did not regret it at all.  We arrived around 10:45 AM and the parking lot was already full.  Brunch starts at 10:00 Am and gets busy pretty quickly, I would recommend making reservations.

The menu items change on a weekly basis but some of the stations remain constant.

1981 Ramen Bar

This has got to be the best new addition to Downtown Lowell's dining scene.  

Tonkotsu Ramen

We had planned on checking out Oktoberfest at JFK plaza but once we walked by the event, it looked pretty sad.  There's wasn't any live music, there were no heated tents and there was no crowd. I didn't want to pay $5.00 to get in, buy cold food and drink beer with the wind blowing on my face.  Instead, we headed to Cobblestones and got a round of drinks and some apps.

Lunch Buffet at Seoul Kitchen

On our last visit to Seoul Kitchen in Westford, I saw a sign for the lunch buffet offered on weekdays. The website advertised the buffet to include a "drink, soup, sushi, Korean BBQ, a variety of Asian dishes, desserts and more!" for only $14.99.

I was bummed because Westford is no where near where I work and I would never be able to try it! Columbus Day came around and we had the day off work and were furniture shopping off 495 and thought to stop by for lunch.  After-all, it was Monday so the buffet would be hope! *Crossing our fingers*

We arrived right before 2:00 PM, the last sitting for the lunch buffet.  The variety looked plenty but the food quantity was lacking a bit. The employee quickly said to me "We are adding more food soon" once she saw me snapping pics of the buffet tables.

Hot Pot and more at the Purple Bamboo in Billerica

I've been driving by Purple Bamboo, a new restaurant in Billerica on my commute for a few weeks now. The restaurant recently opened up in August in an awkward location on 3A near McDonalds/Stelios.

I finally got a chance to visit for a birthday celebration with 6 other girls on a Fall Sunday evening. The restaurant has a main dining area with a bar as well as a separate dining room featuring tables with built in burners for hot pot.  Hot Pot or "Shabu Shabu"  or "Sukiyai" isn't a new concept but the popularity is growing.  Boston's Chinatown alone features many eateries with the nabemono style of eating with restaurants like all you can eat Hot Pot Buffet, Shabu Zen and The Q.  The "cook your own" meal features a variety of meats, seafood and veggies that you can choose to cook and simmer on your own tabletop served alongside with other noodles and condiments.

Purple Bamboo Hot Pot Buffet and other entrees

The Foundry in Davis Square

The Foundry French Picnic Plate $21.00

It was a Sunday afternoon and the Pat's weren't playing so when Jill texted us to join in on some day-drinking at a bar in Davis Square, I was quick to agree.  I think I was super happy when I was able to score an on-street parking right in the smack of Davis Square.  Sure, there was some parallel parking involved and a tiny bit of anxiety but I was literally a stone throw's away from the bar.

We were seated in  high top booth in the corner of the front windows where we could people watch. We watch a band come marching down in their polka dot gear playing a variety of instruments.  ( I looked it up later and it was the "School of Honk" where they parade the streets of Davis Square every Sunday between 3-5 PM, playing "loud lively music for fun and inspiration."