Nomad's, a Family Tradition

John and I were first introduced to Nomad's in 2003, when we were living in Hong Kong waiting for Clara Anne to be born. It's a unique restaurant, sort of a Mongolian BBQ sort of style. There's a bar of fresh ingredients--all sorts of veggies and meat--and you can go by and pile your bowl full of whatever you'd like. At the end is an array of sauces which you can use by themselves or mix to make your own special concoction. It's really yummy, and never the same twice! There's also a pizza option--take the prepared pizza crust and top it with your favorites, then they'll add cheese and bake it for you. Nomad's is a buffet and is MUCH cheaper at lunchtime, so when we were waiting on Clara Anne's arrival we would go for these long lunches--sit and eat, talk, and eat some more. A meal at Nomad's meant I didn't have to make supper! Delicious!

What's my favorite mix, you might ask? I start with fettucini noodles and add snow peas, tomatoes, baby corn, and spinach. My favorite meat is bacon, sometimes I add chicken too. Then to the sauce: I usually make their "Mongolian" style which involves tom yam sauce (not sure what's in that), a teriyaki sauce, some coconut milk, a bit of sesame oil and hot chili oil. Add in some minced dried herbs, fresh minced garlic and ginger, and a wedge of lemon as well as a whole egg on the tray. They stir fry it all together and it is wonderful!!! This is my "usual" but there's always new things to try, too. So yummy!

Fast forward to the present time. We love to stop at Nomad's whenever we travel through Hong Kong--if we're only there for a day, Nomad's is our choice of restaurant. On our recent trip to Hong Kong, we went to Nomad's on the first full day of our vacation. Chloe fell asleep in the stroller on the walk from the MTR to the restaurant, and actually slept through the first half of the meal. Clara Anne enjoyed her pizza, and John and I found the food as tasty as ever.

The whole family, August 2009.

Not only did John and I come to Nomad's when we were expecting Clara Anne, we celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary at Nomad's just after Clara Anne was born. This picture was taken on December 28, 2004, with tiny Clara Anne only three days old!

When my mom and dad came to HK to visit us and sweet little new Clara Anne, we also enjoyed introducing Nomad's to them. This visit was memorable for several reasons. First, it was the time (the only time) that John almost dropped Clara Anne as he was unbuckling the Baby Bjorn carrier. Thankfully his quick reflexes caught her before she fell very far! As well, after our delicious meal, John was "dancing" with Clara Anne on the table and making us all laugh. I even have a picture of that! Look:

Clara's about three weeks old here!

Dancing is fun! (maybe--look at the expression on her face!)

The next Nomad's picture I have is going forward several years. It's January 2008 and Clara Anne is three and Chloe is a year and a half, and I'm (very clearly) expecting Christin. Fun times!

Love that Chloe smile!

And here we are at the present again. Chloe in her sleepiness...

Christin and I having a sweet moment...she loved the noodles, but only from Daddy's bowl because Mommy made hers too spicy!

And the family picture, which if you can believe it, is the only family picture we got in our entire week in Hong Kong. And what a picture it is! Christin is ready for her nap and clutching her bunny while sucking her thumb, Chloe is crying because she didn't want to take a picture, and Clara Anne was coloring and for some odd reason, stuck her marker in her mouth just at the time of the picture. Such is life! We're sitting at the same table where we did all those years ago with my parents and the "Dancing Baby."

I love to have family traditions. It was really special to share with Clara Anne on this trip about some of our Hong Kong traditions. Nomad's, you may never close! We'll see you next time!