New Year's Regimens

I always have the goal to lose X amount of weight each year, but this year, I gave up on lofty goals. My goal as I approach 30 (eep!) is to be healthier. That means consciously eating healthier and taking better care of my body -- not just with exercise, but by having a stable skincare routine and taking my vitamins. These are pretty big feats for me, considering I am constantly traveling and spend a lot of time in my car. I always forget to take my vitamins, but I am making a conscious effort to do better.

A couple of years ago, when my hair suffered most from my stress, I began taking vitamins for my hair. I did a lot of research and consulted a hair specialist dermatologist who recommended none other than this Whole Foods Hair, Skin and Nails herbal vitamin. When I take it regularly, I get great compliments on my hair and skin. Biotin is also great for your hair, so I get obsessive and take that in addition to the Whole Foods vitamin. Calcium is extremely important for women and time and time again, I fail at keeping my calcium routine up, so I decided to get these Viactiv chews to get me started. I plan on getting Citracal petites next, because the Citracal was recommended by my doctor and because the Petites makes them easier to swallow. And finally, the One a Day, because as you can probably tell from my diet (which also needs work), I don't really get all my food groups in.

My ammo for being healthy

Other goals for a healthier me in 2010:

1. Sleep more -- really! I don't seem to ever get enough.
2. Eat better -- less fried foods, more raw veggies.
3. Live simply and stress less. Don't sweat the small stuff :)

What are your New Year's Resolutions?

The End of an Era

I wandered into the Borders on La Cienega today, planning to do some work before meeting up with a friend nearby. I haven't been in LA for quite some time (hence my absence), so it's been awhile since I've been around that area. Upon arrival, I realize that it's closing down! I remember coming here in between work and dinner to browse books and magazines. I remember being so engrossed in Can You Keep a Secret? that I found a copy while running an errand here, and sat down and read two chapters in the store. I recall having to run to this Borders to pick up a copy of a Def Leppard CD for work. Yes, for work.

As sad as I was, this also meant that everything in the store was on sale. And here, my finds:

Can you tell I'm really into Korea right now? ;)

While I was really excited to pick up Korean phrasebooks and a Korea guide book (for my *fingers crossed* trip to Korea one day), I really wanted a Pimsleur Korean language CD kit, a new copy of The World Is Flat, Dan Brown's new book (only available in Spanish -- that would've been a good language exercise), and a few memoirs and social science books that had already been swept off the shelves.

But my favorite find from all this is a collection of essays from famous women writers about another influential author, Judy Blume. One of my favorite young adult authors while growing up was Judy Blume. While being so controversial for her time for the topics in her books, the characters in her books helped me get through those awkward years. The issues were real. I remember writing a letter to her as a high school student, and years later, sending an email to her while taking a children's lit class, to thank her for her contributions. Reading Everything I Need to Know About Being a Girl I learned from Judy Blume is a bit bittersweet, as I remember how I felt when I read those books and how much life was easier back then, but it's nice to know that professional writers have also been touched by Blume's work.

So if you're in LA, stop by the Borders on La Cienega Blvd as they have their liquidation sale for 7 more days. Everything is at least 40% off!

The Most Important Meal of the Day

If there's one thing "very L.A." about me, it's that I love to go to brunch and I love breakfast foods. Not actually the idea of waking up to breakfast itself (because I am by no means a morning person), but foods that one would have for breakfast. I have different go-to places for the different moods I'm in. Fred 62, if the night before was VERY long and I wake up hungover, needing a greasy breakfast sandwich. Toast, if my desire for their food (and banana pudding) is overwhelming enough to endure the long lines and scene. BLD, if I want a really great cup of French press coffee to go with an exquisite breakfast.

But this isn't the type of brunch I'm referring to. This is the type of brunch my parents would actually join me for. One that has been a timeless tradition for my family, as well as many Asian families -- Dim Sum.

Dim Sum is essentially Chinese tapas, if you will. Small portions of steamed and fried foods, served in carts pushed around by ladies yelling out what they have to offer. Traditional dim sum foods include barbeque pork buns, har-gaow (a shrimp dumpling), Shu Mai (a shrimp or pork wonton skin dumpling), and steamed and stewed animal parts -- duck feet, chicken feet, tripe, spare ribs. Other goodies, such as sticky rice wrapped in taro leaves, steamed stuffed tofu skin, steamed and stir fried vegetables, are also offered.

Los Angeles and its surrounding areas house a great number of Dim Sum restaurants, the best bustling with people pouring out from every corner of the restaurant, waiting for a table. Sea Harbour is slowly becoming one of my favorite places for Dim Sum. Located in Rosemead, it's not too far from the Alhambra-Monterey Park area, where we also find great Dim Sum and other Chinese foods. Before, we'd go to Empress Pavilion in Chinatown for a quick fix, but the quality has since dropped drastically. I'd rather make the trek for something I know will be good.

They do things differently here. The wait is still the same -- long and a bit painful when you're ravenous with hunger. But at Sea Harbour, you order your Dim Sum off a menu. There's still ladies walking around with trays of food that you can choose at will, but once seated, you're given a menu to write down your order (albeit all in Chinese), and a menu with photos and explanations in English and Chinese. I find this process to be much more efficient. Not only are you not trying to ask the ladies what they're offering (cuz they're usually yelling in Chinese), but you can also see what's in each dish. The service is faster, and unlike other places I've seen that offer this ordering method for Dim Sum, it's actually really good.

One of the best things they make here are these pork buns. The filling is a mixture of minced pork and vegetables, and the bread is so soft and glazed with honey. Sticky goodness that I can never get enough of.


Coming in at a close second are these salted egg cream buns that literally ooze goodness. It's neither too sweet or too salty and there is the perfect amount of egg in the bun. The outside is steamed soft, with a hint of sweetness.


A staple dish in Dim Sum restaurants is the Shu Mai. Usually filled with either Shrimp or Pork (or both!), Sea Harbour's version also offers a garnish of shrimp roe.


Another favorite of mine is offered on the dinner menu of this restaurant -- pigeon. Yes, I loathe them when they're alive, but when deep fried (and what isn't good deep fried??), they're delicious. Come in a large group and order a few of them and the heads, considered the most delicious part, are served on their own plate.

Sea Harbour Restaurant - 3939 Rosemead Blvd. in Rosemead (on the corner of Valley and Rosemead)

Time to hang up the spurs?

Two foods I love -- Mexican food and Indian food, converge on one glorious plate in a joint connected to the El Rey dubbed Cowboys and Indians. Sounds great, right? I've heard about this place for quite some time from former co-workers, since it's in the Miracle Mile area, blocks away from my old office. Tonight, I decided to give it a try for myself.

The menu -- and the concept -- looked interesting enough. You take the most well-known dishes from each country's cuisine and pair them together -- quesadillas filled with chicken tikka masala, basmati rice in a burrito filled with more masala items, fries. Indian street food, they call it. But perhaps it was the rowdy concert-going crowd that made this place lack its taste tonight. Or maybe it's the fact that it's fusion (and I'm not a big fan of fusion to begin with) that makes neither of the flavors I love in both Mexican and Indian cuisine pop in the foods I've tasted.

My friend got a chicken tikka masala naanwich (a sandwich made with Indian naan bread), with options of wheat, regular or garlic naan. I got some masala cheese fries for us to share, along with chicken tikka masala tacos. When asked what type of cheese was being put on the fries, I was told it was a monterey jack blend. I was hoping it'd be some interesting homemade Indian cheese they'd top with the tangy masala. While waiting for my food, I saw samosas and masalas being reheated in the microwave. Big turn off for me, but I guess I get it, as this place really defines "hole in the wall."

Chicken tikka masala taco, topped with some sour cream and tamarind sauce.

The naanwich was spicy, according to my friend, but I found my dishes to be quite bland for Indian food. I kept dipping the fries and my taco in the tamarind sauce from the makeshift sauce bar (located in the drink cooler). Oh, and did I mention there was one of those metal/plastic baggie ties in my fries, pretending to be a sliver of cheese? Right. Coming from a country where street food is literally consumed from hawker stands on the sidewalk, I picked it out and continued with my meal, but found it a bit off-putting.

Masala cheese fries, sans baggie tie

I'll give them the benefit of a doubt -- it was super busy because there was a concert tonight, and you make do with what you can for such a small place. But the prices were a bit astronomical for being street food. And to discover that the online menu has lower prices than the menu I ordered from today. $10 for their special -- chicken nuggets and fries. $10 for a quesadilla (when it says $7 on the online menu) and the same for a naanwich (when it says less AND with fries online). Is this because there was an event going on tonight? That's almost what I call airport/amusement park/movie theatre robbery.

If there wasn't a huge scrambling crowd, if no baggie tie were in my fries, if they offered a bigger selection of drinks (like maybe non-bottled water gratis) would I try it again? Perhaps....

Cowboys & Turbans - 5515 Wilshire Blvd., next to the El Rey

The Holidays = more stationery!!

One thing I love about the holidays, and post-holiday is buying holiday cards and thinking of fun and creative things to send to friends who I haven't seen in a long time. E-mail is great, but who doesn't love a hand-written note in the mail, even if it's only a few short, sweet lines. And if you know me, you know I am obsessed with stationery. ;)

Last year, I raided the Paper Source in Santana Row (San Jose, CA) and stocked up on great holiday cards for this year. I'm so excited to go through my stash and pick out which one best fits each friend/ family member on my card list. This is great because since they're not boxed, I 1) won't have leftovers for the next year (so I can buy more cards!) and 2) I won't have to try to remember which card I sent to who. Even an organization system can confuse me once I haven't looked at those cards for almost a year.

Paper Source is one of the few chain stationery stores I truly love. They have a massive selection of loose papers for wrapping, including beautiful Japanese papers and mulberry paper. They also have a great collection of do-it-yourself items, from place cards to invitations and thank you cards. It allows you to be creative, even when you don't really have the skills. What I really like about Paper Source, though, is their own collection of cards that are letterpressed. To me, the feel of letterpress stationery = quality and simplicity without being too frilly. I'd take a simple letterpress card with three words on it over a Hallmark card any day.

Best of all, the staff at every Paper Source store I've been to is superbly friendly and helpful (I've been to three - San Jose, Berkeley and Beverly Hills. Yes, I'm obsessed.)

ANYWAY, I went to Paper Source recently, searching for these Kolo paper albums, only to realize that they are being discontinued (sad face!)

Vineyard Original Paper Album

I was planning on making one of these scrapbooks in lieu of a birthday card -- I like to make them from time to time (when I've compiled enough photos and my creative bug actually kicks in). Sad to see that they are being discontinued -- I was hoping for a more masculine color, but the pink ones are on sale on the Kolo site if anyone's interested. In the meantime, does anyone know where I can get a scrapbook of this size (and not too many pages) that I could make as a birthday card? :)

Stay Tuned....

Just organizing my life a little....I will be back shortly, with more regular posts :)

Last long weekend of the summer...

Labor Day marks the quintessential end of summer, and the beginning of fall. No more wearing white (not that I did much of that to begin with...). This summer has been anything but breezy, but I must say, I've had some great food adventures that I can't wait to share. Spent this weekend in the Bay area, a great place to be when LA is a scorching 100+ degrees, depending where in the area you are.

Finally going to try the Alibi Room this week with a new friend (thank you, Elliot for the tip! :)

And if you are in LA this weekend, check out the Contemporary Korean art exhibit tomorrow at LACMA. It's the last free holiday Monday, so don't miss it! :)

So Bad It's Good

MALO is muy bueno...

No really. It's so good it's bad, it's so bad it's good. I was introduced to Malo by co-workers who were Silverlake habitants. I love the mix of quality, fresh ingredients, a giant tequila and drink list (that's actually more pages than the actual food menu), and the vibe that makes the place. Actually, that's the feel of Silverlake in general. The street vibe of art and culture is more reminiscent of parts of San Francisco than LA, and maybe that's why I dig it.

Most recently, the restaurant has added 2 excellent specials: Monday taco night and brunch on the weekends. Why is Monday taco night so exciting? Because one of my favorite dishes here is the ground beef and pickle taco. Yes, you read correctly. It's a crunchy deep fried taco, filled with ground beef, cheddar cheese, and pickles. The antithesis of Taco Bell - a hamburger in your taco.

And whoever thought chewy chips could be so delicious and addictive? Pair them with fiery habanero and creme dip sacue and you're set. And make sure you cool it down with their famous organic margarita. Or if you want to kick up the heat, order a shrimp diablo for your entree. It's more than a kick of heat - it's diabolically spicy!

Another reason I look forward to Malo is for its side dishes. My favorite, the Mexican corn on the cob is sprinkled with cheese and pico de gallo and creme for an excellent blend of sweetness of the corn, saltiness from the cheese and a mild tap of heat.

My love: ground beef and pickle tacos from Malo

Malo Restaurant - 4326 W. Sunset Blvd. in Silverlake

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND!

Happy Fourth of July Weekend!

Hope everyone is enjoying the fun and festivities of the holiday :) I've escaped Los Angeles for the weekend to the Bay Area - update on that next week. In the meantime, I am so excited about the opening of Mozza 2 Go!!! Good-bye, Dominoes. Hello, yummy deliciousness :)

I can't wait to go sample it myself, but you can read about it in today's Daily Candy Los Angeles.

Have a great weekend!! :)

LA Food Tour Weekend

Every weekend I'm in LA can be a food tour weekend, but this weekend seemed to be pivotal. I was catching up with so many friends, who lived in different parts of town, craving a variety of things.

Friday night, the girls from grad school and I hung out in downtown Culver City. This little area by the Sony studios has become one of the little corners that I look forward to stopping by. One of my favorite lunch spots there is a southern fried chicken joint called Honey's Kettle, where the chicken and biscuits are to die for. But Friday night, we headed to Ford's Filling station for some good wine, cheese plates, and delicious dishes. The restaurant is so named for its executive chef and owner, Benjamin Ford, son of none other than Harrison Ford. I love this place not because it was owned by Indy's son, but because Ben Ford used to be the chef at one of my favorite breakfast spots, The Farm of Beverly Hills. And because his polenta cakes at his restaurant are my absolute favorite. I have cravings for them. And that's exactly what I dove into on Friday night. ;)

Saturday, I was meeting a girlfriend for brunch, and wanted her to try one of my favorite quaint cafes in Los Angeles. La Provence is one of those places where you can't help but feel happy when you walk in. This euphoria may be a result of the smell of the delicious baked goods (home of my favorite French macarons) or the aroma of the great coffee they serve. Or it may be because the cafe itself just bursts with happiness. The chandeliers and decorations exhibit a European air that takes me away everytime I go there. I often stop for an iced mocha on my way to work (and sneak in a lavender macaron), but I love going to brunch there as well. You may be sitting in the middle of a Beverly Hills strip mall, but one sip of your latte and one bite of the French bread with real homemade raspberry jam, and you're sitting on the sidewalks of Paris.

Lovely macarons at La Provence. Orange, lavender and rose flavoured :)

For dinner on Saturday night, I met another girlfriend to catch up over one of our favorite authentic charcoal Korean bbq joints in Koreatown. We were very lucky to get a table right away, because usually the line at Soot Bull Jeep is completely out the door. I was yearning for my favorite marinated squid there, as well as their beef tongue (don't knock it til you try it!). If you are a fan of grilled calimari, you will be in heaven once you taste this squid. Something about grilling your meat/seafood over charcoal makes it doubly as delicious. Coupled with their dipping sauce, the scallion and lettuce salad, and the array of kimchi, its actually a pretty healthy meal. The down side? Coming out of the restaurant smelling like you've emerged from an LA wildfire. But it was worth it :)

Marinated squid and beef tongue at Soot Bull Jeep

The culmination of my LA food tour weekend could not have ended at a better place. One of the reasons I am still happy to be an Angeleno if for the opportunity to drop by Pizzeria Mozza. It's not your typical pizza joint, as you may think. Nor can you really "drop in" (reservations are accepted one calendar month in advance only - nothing before that, and you can try for later than that, but you may have a 5pm or 9pm dinner). However, the times I cherish being an Angeleno are the times I know I have a reservation to Mozza upcoming OR a friend calls me up to join their long-planned reservation, where there is an extra spot at the table.

I can go on forever about my undying love for this place. How the cured meats are as good as I've had in Italy (because Mario Batali gets his meats from his dad's Seattle shop, and because his dad learned how to cure meats in Italy), how the buzzing atmosphere reminds me so much of Italian hospitality, how the pizza is good from the first til last bite, and how the servers remember what my favorite pizza is. But why elaborate? Go try it!!My favorite dishes at Pizzeria Mozza, from Antipasti to Dolci:

Appetizers and salads:

-Fried squash blossoms with ricotta

-Nancy's chopped salad - Named after Nancy Silverton, the best chopped salad you will ever have, hands down. The freshest meats, the most quality vegetables. Absolutely delicious.

-Mozza caprese - melts.in.your.mouth!!!

Pizzas:

-The "meat lover's" - a combination of Mozza's delicious meats, including their homemade fennel sausage

-Speck, bufala mozzarella, olive tapanade & oregano - I am guilty of ordering this pizza way too often. It's light, and nothing like a traditional pizza, but everything like the ones I've had in Rome.

-White anchovy, tomato & hot chiles - Americans' least favorite pizza topping, but so delicious with hot chiles. Gives a sweet and spicy light flavour.

Desserts:

-Butterscotch budino - a combination of light, but rich butterscotch pudding, the bottom of the cup is lined with sea salt crystals to give a burst of salty flavour. Served with rosemary cookies that blend so well with the richness of the butterscotch. In the words of a dear friend, I would lick the cup if I could.

-Olive Oil gelato - Who would ever think olive oil would make a great dessert? But it does! The richness of the oil leaves a subtle flavour in gelato form, with crystals of sea salt that blend so well with the rich texture of the gelato. I've put in requests on their comment cards to bring the flavour back when it wasn't on the menu.

To me, Pizzeria Mozza demonstrates that gourmet food doesn't have to always be an arm and a leg. The place is still reasonably priced (hence my all-too-often visits), the ingredients taste of quality, and the atmosphere is great.

The famous Nancy's chopped salad at Pizzeria Mozza

To taste for yourself:

Ford's Filling Station - 9531 Culver Blvd. in Culver City

La Provence Cafe - 8950 W. Olympic Blvd. in Beverly Hills

Soot Bull Jeep - 3136 W. 8th St. in Koreatown

Pizzeria Mozza - 641 N. Highland Ave. in Hollywood

HAPPY EATING! :)

A sad week in Hollywood

This week, Hollywood and the world faced the loss of one of its best talent and two major contributors -- all three of which shaped the entertainment world in the last century.

R.I.P. Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson. Thank you for being a key figure in late night TV and for the ultimate original talent search, Ed; for being an iconic sex symbol, Farrah; and for changing the face of and defining pop music forever, Michael.

Comfort Food - Take One

What is your favorite comfort food?

I'm a big noodle person (aside from Pho, sorry folks), and one of my favorites is ramen, the staple Japanese noodle soup. And I'm not talking about that dehydrated Nissin pack that you pick up in the supermarket. After visiting so many great ramen places in the San Francisco Bay area (more on that later), I've re-discovered my obsession for ramen. The perfect bowl of ramen welcomes you with the fragrant, hot broth that has the perfect combination of flavors. The noodles, my favorite, are so unique, depending on where you go and what type of ramen you order. It should also include the most tender, melt in your mouth chasu pork, and for ultimate authenticity, the most perfectly timed tamago (egg) that you've ever had. It is neither soft-boiled nor hard boiled, but perfectly...yolky :)

One of my favorite places in L.A. isn't in Little Tokyo or Torrance, but it's in the food court of the Mitsuwa Marketplace, on the corner of Venice Blvd. and Centinela Ave. in the Venice/Santa Monica area.

Small miso ramen with side of rice with leek

While Santouka lacks in my favorite egg, the chasu is definitely tender, the broth is extremely flavorful and the noodles are perfectly textured. Slurping this makes me happy. :)

Resurrection of a Blog

I'M BAAAACK!!!

It's been an insanely long time since I've last updated my blog, so I've decided to resurrect it, and revamp it. It will be a process that will be a constant work-in-progress for awhile, but I'm excited to be writing about the things I love most again. Some highlights of posts for the weeks to come:

Pizzeria Mozza (finally! And the new take-out location next door! )

My trip to Italy (breathtaking, specatular!)

The View from Above (up North, in the Bay Area, that is)

Coffee obsession and the best places in L.A.

KyoChon! My new Korean fast food obsession

KoGi? Come again? The newest craze - tweeting to catch the Korean BBQ taco

See you soon!

Fabulous in L.A.

What do fab single gals do in Los Angeles? I've been into SATC-mode again and I can see what fab single gals in New York can do on their free time, but what was there for me? I thought this to myself as I drove around aimlessly today. After having lunch with some friends I hadn't seen forever at one of my favorite Hainam Chicken places, Savoy in Alhambra (that's for another day...), I ended up driving around, wondering what to do with myself.

I wanted to find a fab coffee shop with free Wi-fi to sit around and write and work on things, but I couldn't think of anywhere but Panera in Studio City, and after having eaten, it wasn't really the right option. I ended up driving through Pasadena, bypassing Old Town, only because of the parking situation, and stopping at 3 of my different favorite boutique shops, which I know I've discussed here before.

CLOVER -- on Silverlake, was having a 50% off sale on some items, but also had some new items arrive. I love their selection of Tulle sweaters and jackets, along with the cute baby clothes and home accessories. I love buying baby clothes -- not because I pine for having a little one of my own, but because the accessories are so darn adorable AND they're so much cheaper than adult's clothes.

PICKETT FENCES -- Larchmont Blvd. is one of my favorite places to walk around in. Friends tell me I will love San Francisco for this reason, and I don't disagree with them. Not only are there boutique shops all down Larchmont, there's also a nice selection of restaurants there as well. Pickett Fences is my favorite boutique shop, a few stores down from one of my favorite beauty supply shops, Larchmont Beauty Supply. I mean first of all, what a cute name is Pickett Fences?? And they have Orla Kiely, a great selection of shoes, jeans, bags, and comfy tees from Splendid, James Perse and such.

PULP/IL LITERATURE -- sadly, they are now one. Their clearance sale for IL Literature is going on this weekend, but I'm sure most of their merchandise has been gone by now. I tried to stop by to snag something in the final days of the sale, but it was from 12-4, and not 12-5 like I had originally thought it was. Poop.

So that was most of my day. I realized after I had driven halfway to the valley that I should've stopped by LACMA to check out the Chicano art exhibit featuring Cheech Marin's (yes, Cheech) vast collection of Chicano art. I had gone to the San Jose Museum of Art last week, and although very tiny compared to LACMA or the MoMas, it was still nice. I love museum stores (much much more than I love the museum itself) and I love the architecture of museums, especially the new BCAM building at LACMA. Too bad it wasn't just a walk away....

Crudo Bar

If there's one thing that makes a diet difficult for me, it's carbs. Breadbar is definitely one of those guilty pleasure places that I'm in love with for the endless varieties of bread. Their standard menu has a lot of tasty treats, but from now until May 15th, they are offering a Crudo Bar menu with Chef Noriyuki Sugie at the Century City location. It's a tapas-izakaya style bar with both a raw bar and a cooked menu. I haven't tried anything in the raw bar yet, but will probably make my back before next week, since my boyfriend is in love with the black cod slider, which are these mini black cod burgers, served individually on a mini cutting board, with an amazing wasabi tartar sauce and mini pickles on the side. We also tried the striped bass karage, which wasn't too exciting to me aside from the yummy tofu dip that tasted like creamy mayonnaise. Visit the site and take a look at the menu or stop by for your own taste.

**I'm going to Pizzeria Mozza tonight for the second time in less than a week. Yum! More on this great new place later!

Moving.....

Pretty soon, I'll get to pass this on my way to work everyday...

After three years for working at my company, our office is moving further east, to Miracle Mile. To me, it's a whole different territory. While I'm happy for the move and the change, it means another 20 mins on Wilshire Blvd. in the mornings, and that after-work romps to Sawtelle for dinner may prove to be more of a challenge, since it will be further.

I'm trying to look on the bright side of things, and the many many things to look forward to on that side of Wilshire Blvd. I'll be closer to Pulp for one, so it'll be easier to make an after-work stop. The LACMA will be much closer and I'll get a chance to visit more often and pass by that beautiful art of collected streetlamps on my way home...it's sort of refreshing.

Red Mango will now be down the street and I'm soooo excited upon realizing this today! Red Mango is actually the original yogurt shop for which Pinkberry's yogurt shop was based on -- Pinkberry had beat them to the punch here in the states, but I must admit, I am

in love with Red Mango. They have a bigger variety in cereals and toppings, and the green tea tastes more like green tea. I will go back to Pinkberry every so often because there's more locations for one, and also because I've grown a liking to that coffee flavor (when it's mixed with the original).

Another great find that I'm very excited about is Andre's. I grew up with this restaurant, and I love their Veal Parmigiana, their baked chicken with mushroom sauce, and their caesear salad. It's not fancy or pretty or like any Italian cuisine. It's actually a cafeteria style restaurant that's been serving the community for years and years -- since I was a kid! A lot of senior citizens and blue collar workers dine there for their great prices, but they also have great simple food. Their daily specials are great, and you can have an entree, the salad, a slice of garlic bread, and a drink for about $10. It's cash only, though, so be well armed. It really is a find, since it's in the plaza on the corner of 3rd and Fairfax Ave. (where the Whole Foods and KMart are....long before the Whole Foods existed) deep inside the makeshift food court.

It's been a bit nostalgic and wistful packing up the office, but I'm excited (and a bit stressed) about our move. I can't wait to see my new office on Monday! :)

Dallas Edition

As mentioned, I spent a few days last month in Dallas, so I thought I'd share some of my favorite finds from the city:

EAT

Of course, when it comes to food, when you think of Texas, you often think of barbeque. I won't object to that -- I love barbeque. My first time in Dallas, a few year's back, I was introduced to Sonny Bryan's and just HAD to go back. The portions are huge, the barbeque sauce is great, and the price can't be beat, as Rachel Ray has attested. Make sure you don't miss it if you're in the Dallas-Forth Worth area. (check the site link for locations near your visit).



In my working/roaming in the city, I also discovered another great place, across from the Sonny Bryan's on Lovers Lane (yes, that's really the name of the street...). Rise no.1 was a great find in the complex across the way, where I was really there for the Inwood Theatre (but got hungry amidst the working). It's a cozy little restaurant that looks seemingly quiet on the outside, but has a fun and lively interior decor -- a winter garden library-like setting with wall-to-wall bookshelves, ornate flowers, and a chef's station that is the focus of the restaurant. You can watch your souffle being made at the chef's station! What caught my eye aside from the food was a beautiful chandelier made entirely of blue wine bottles, and the . I tried to capture it in a photo, but it was just too blurry :( I had the Rise house salad, which was awesome -- a sweet, light dressing over field greens, and tried the smoked salmon souffle. They have both sweet and savory souffles, as well as flavors of the day. If you love French cuisine and love souffles, you should not miss this place!

ROAM

In my attempts to get acquainted with the city via shuttle, I stumbled upon Mockingbird Station, where the first American Apparel of the city is housed, along with the Angelika theatre complex (which is really why I was there). The shopping center is hard to compare to any of the shopping complexes here -- perhaps The Grove? It's a quaint area with lots of boutique shops, a few restaurants, a stationery shop that I fell in love with, but also had a giant West Elm, giant Urban Outfitters, as well as the aforementioned American Apparel. Definitely a nice place to make a stop if you are on that side of the town.

Giant West Elm in Mockingbird Station

SHOP

Northpark Center is definitely the place. It's what South Coast Plaza only aspires to be. I had heard great things about the mall (Mega mall? Things are bigger in Texas, after all). Not only does the mall house your typical mall stores and a theatre (which again, was my primary purpose for the visit), but it also has a number of high end brands, including Tod's, Ferragamo and Gucci, and high-end department stores including the best Barney's I've ever been to, a Nordstrom, and of course a Neiman Marcus (this dept store was after all, born in Texas). The center houses both fancy and chain restaurants, from TGI Friday's to McCormick's and Schmick's. What marveled me the most was how beautifully decorated the entire place was. There was a mini sculpture garden with gorgeous flowers in the middle of the mall. I wanted to walk around the mall for the entire day, but work called :(

Sculpture and garden in the Northpark Center, in front of Tod's

There were so many other wonderful places that I only got to visit briefly. I definitely want to do a Dallas-Austin-Houstin trip, maybe in the summer.

I'm baaaack.....

Big apologies for the long hiatus. Life has been quite busy, with work, more work, and some vacation. :) I finally got to visit Japan (unlimited Japanese food...divine!), went to two other cities for work during my hiatus, and discovered a whole bunch of wonderful shopping and eating and places to hang out along the way that I'm SOOO excited to share :)

Cross-town Rivalry

Apologies for the delay in posts! What with the Thanksgiving holiday and all, it's been hectic.

This weekend is the biggest game of the Los Angeles college football year (next to the Rose Bowl). It's the annual USC-UCLA game, and the only football game of the year that I really pay attention to. Why? I went to both UCLA (for undergraduate) and USC (for grad school).

However, I have no knowledge of football whatsoever. I've attempted many times to no avail. I will keep mum on who I am rooting for, since I will get stones thrown at me either way. :)

My experiences at both UCLA and USC have been special ones in different ways. I've spent more time in UCLA, so naturally, I know the Westwood neighborhood more, and hope to talk about its many haunts later. My time at USC was mainly during its night hours as a grad student, and I didn't really get to experience the USC school life (unless you count visits to the University Village -- the area has changed so much since I've left school). My UCLA v. USC will be based on...what else? Food :)

Here are my picks for this head-to-head:

Team Bruin:

Lamonica's New York Pizza
1066 Gayley Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90024
(310) 208-8671

I started going to Lamonica's even before I went to UCLA, before the Whole Foods on Gayley sprouted up there. Where else would you find such authentic NY pizza in Los Angeles, and for such a great price? I still crave their white pizza (spinach with ricotta cheese), their large, thin slices. The restaurant itself reminds you of a NY subway station, or at least it does to me.

Team Trojan:

Dino's Burgers
2575 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90006
213-380-3554

Dino's is not exactly located in the vicinty of USC, but in its adjacent neighborhood. How grateful am I that my love still lives close enough to this so that I can stop by whenever I have a craving :). Surprisingly, I've had Dino's since I went to UCLA, thanks to a friend that lived down there. Also surprising is the fact that of my years of going to Dino's Burgers, I've never actually ordered a burger. Their most popular dish there is the chicken platter. For $5, you get delicious grilled chicken, smothered with a paprika, seasoning salt, vinegary sauce. The chicken is served over fries, with a brush of this lovely sauce that spills into the fries, making me crave the sour tarty-spicy chicken.

So no matter if you're a Bruin at heart, or love your Trojans, just remember -- food never takes sides and can be loved by a Bruin or a Trojan :)

IzakaYa!

TGIF! Apologies for not posting for over a week -- it's been quite busy! In between all my madness, I realized the other day that this past weekend, from Saturday to Monday, I've had Japanese food for just about every meal. It was a very Japanese weekend, since I also finally saw the Murakami exhibit. :) It was amazing! I think I will go back before it leaves town.

During my week of Japanese food, I actually went to the same restaurant twice in one week, although two different locations. Musha is by far one of my favorite Japanese places to eat, because of the variety of foods they have to offer. They have two locations, one in Torrance, and the other in Santa Monica. It is the now very popular Izakaya food, which is basically Japanese tapas -- bar food, if you will. The plates are smaller, so you get to sample lots of dishes. I've seen a few of these Izakaya restuarants popping up around town, and I'm sort of afraid to try them. Can they be as good as Musha? Their original location, is after all, in the real Little Tokyo -- Torrance is the headquarters of many of the Japanese automotive companies, along with many Japanese markets and restaurants. The Japanese version of Alhambra and Monterey Park, you can say. :)


So, as a run down, 10 reasons why I love Musha so much:


10. Kirin draft - by the pitcher!

9. The decor and the atmosphere of the restaurant, both the one in Torrance and the one in Santa Monica, are how I imagine a busy Japanese bar should be -- filled with good food and great lively conversations. The specials are on a hand-written style menu, and the bathrooms are decorated with writings on the wall. I remember the first time I went to Musha was New Year's, and there was a guest book in the bathroom of the Torrance, for visitors to sign. The walls of the private tatami rooms in the Santa Monica branch are lined with mulberry paper, which fascinated me.

8. The combination of Japanese favorites with much loved Italian and French dishes, Japanese style, which is a favorite in Japan.

7. MFC (Musha Fried Chicken) -- Musha's version of the Japanese appetizer/snack favorite. The perfect crunchiness that goes great topped with a squeeze of lemon.


6. The mini grills to grill filet steak and beef tongue (not gross, merely an acquired taste ;)

5. Cheese Risotto that comes in a block of cheese. Creamy. Delicious. Amazing.

4. Umeshu Soda! I discovered this Japanese treat on my last visit to the Santa Monica branch when a friend who was in town for the American Film Market. It's actually plum wine, mixed with club soda. I'm not really a fan of the plum wine, but this was delicious. Served in a tall glass with a big green plum at the bottom.

3. Lobster Rolls -- Lobster sushi, wrapped in soy paper. The most succulent lobster ever, paired with asparagus and avocado. Triple yum.

2. Grilled Saba (Mackerel) -- Absolutely delicious. Grilled at your table with a blow torch - ingenious!

1. Maple Creme Brulee -- The top is grilled with a blow torch for a crunchy, sugary top shell. Delish!

Musha Santa Monica
424 Wilshire Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 576-6330


Musha Torrance
1725 Carson St., Suite B,
Torrance,CA 92780
(310) 787-7344