Anticipated-Homesick Food Craving

Since I'm going to be away from home for an extended period of time, I have recently developed cravings for all sorts of food that I wouldn't normally give a second thought. Here is a rundown of some of my food cravings in anticipation of the upcoming trip:

• bun with pineapple crust and coconut filling: combining two standard buns from chinese bakeries into one, this is a satisifying treat for breakfast or tea time. Instead of eating a bun with pineapple crust and a coctail bun (bun with coconut filling), I get to enjoy both but with only half the calories! Isn't that a terrific idea?
• brewed coffee with milk tea: this is another standard offering from chinese fastfood restaurants. I honestly don't know the proportion but the drink tasted like equal parts coffee and tea. Again, I satisfied two cravings at the same time. Wow!
• custard tart with lard puff pastry crust: usually people is either a fan of lard puff pastry or a fan of cookie dough crust when it comes to custard tart. There's really no middle ground. I'm a lard puff pastry girl myself and I have to order a dish of mini custard tart whenever I go for dimsum.
• baked bun filled with barbeque pork: I love the shiny syrup glaze as much as the bright red filling of barbeque pork.
• california rolls from J-Town: I love the buttery avocado and "bursty" tobiko. I was originally going to have a sushi dinner but I did not bother to drive downtown to my favourite sushi restaurant. Oh well.
• miso marinated filet bento from Taro's Fish: I used to have bento lunch every Saturday from Taro's. I love the variety of side dishes in a bento and I haven't seen a croquette (koroke) that I can't refuse yet.
• azuki dessert soup with mochi: I like the soft and glutinous mochi even more than the dessert soup. Sadly, the answer to my craving was a ready-to-eat microwavable bowl. Oh, how I miss the wonderful versions I had in Kyoto and Osaka!
• smoked salmon: always a treat
• ramen & gyoza at Ajisen Ramen: I fell in love with ramen ever since my first trip to Japan in 2001. Toronto, unfortunately, is a ramen-wasteland. Of the few choices that we have, I usually frequent Yokozuna. Ajisen Ramen has recently opened a branch in Steeles & Warden by Chinese owners. The soup is of the Kyushu pork bone variety but it's still not concentrate enough for my taste. I wished the noodles are more curly so they can pick up more soup. The gyozas had a nicely thin wrapper crisped by panfrying. It's actually quite tasty. I will probably come back to Ajisen next time I want ramen.
• Banh mi: I love the crusty baguette with soft centre. The filling of cured meat, sauce, and pickled carrots is absolutely heavenly.
• Grilled lamb chops from Linda: this is one of my favourite dish from my boss' namesake restaurant. The lamb was medium-rare with lovely pink centre and I simply adore the sauce.

I don't even realize that I'm so fond of southeast asian food until I will have to do without. Most of these food are what I grow up with and they are linked deeply to past memories. Even though I usually don't see myself as having a particularly chinese palate for food, it is at times like these that I truly appreciate growing up in a multicultural environment.