after weeks & weeks of waiting, judy & i finally made it out to the great urban race of LA! we schlepped over to pershing square park, and we were greeted by the sight of 480 teams, some of which were dressed up in some CRAZY outfits. it was awesome and it totally got us revved up for the big day! dressed in santa monica classic t-shirts, red headbands, and red wristbands, we were SO ready to go. : )
a little after noon, we picked up our packet of clues from one of the race volunteers, and we proceeded to plop down for our strategy session. we had 12 clues (1 of which we were allowed to skip), and we picked out which ones we needed to dial a friend for. thanks to dave and my little brother (and their google prowess), we were able to figure out a whole bunch of clues. for the rest, it was all GIRL POWER!!
even with judy's bum leg, we were still able to move pretty darn quickly. and the great thing about the race was that it really got you to check out random parts of LA that you wouldn't otherwise see. (granted, i'd actually seen a lot of it schlepping around w/jenn last year to watch david during the LA marathon!) plus it was awesome to see so many folks in the orange race shirts! it really seemed to make the city a little smaller.
it also made anyone who's usually in a car realize how tragic the public transportation system really is. and with the protest in hollywood, and the enusing traffic, it was even harder to get around than usual. thankfully, judy & i were more about having fun than killing ourselves to get to the finish line. so we definitely made a point of checking out the cool architecture & design of the subway stations, and the yummy smells wafting from the street carts.
from judy's point of view, the race definitely gave you new perspective on the sights & sounds of LA. there are things you'd simply never notice from the driver's or passenger's seat of a car. on the one hand, this can be great. like the cute shops and eateries on olvera street. on the other hand, this can be sobering. like the dirty, poop-covered paths in macarthur park. as always, i can't help thinking that LA simply isn't the city for me.
that being said, it was still a great race. judy & i weren't quite sure we'd make it to our last stops in time, but we got all of our clues completed by 4:56PM, and we got checked in at the finish line by 5:15PM. WOOHOO!! the announcer indicated that the first team completed the event w/in 3 hours and 9 minutes, so we didn't feel *too* bad. (especially since we'd been told that teams completed w/in 2 hours in prior years. i mean, seriously?!) that and the fact that there were teams who came back WAY after they'd shut down the check-in tables. i'm sorry, but even though i don't need to be first, i DEFINITELY don't want to be last!
we're thinking they should've extended things by another hour, but i swear we would've died from starvation if we'd had to wait any longer to eat. throughout the entire day, we met a ton of people who hadn't eaten in the morning. and we ourselves had (somehow) thought we'd be finished w/in 2.5 hours. OBVIOUSLY, we were delusional.
so to treat ourselves, we schlepped off to sizzler's after the race. and i got to have my lip-smacking ribs. mmm.... (who remembers that infamous taste of santa monica?!) a great way to end a great day. pics will soon be posted on FB! and for those who care, i'm seriously thinking of heading back to nyc for the one in august!!
http://www.greaturbanrace.com/
http://www.sizzler.com/
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
mmm... mmm... m cafe de chaya
seeing that the quarter was finally ending, dani & i decided to treat ourselves to some yummy goodness at m cafe de chaya in culver city! after a long work week AND a long workout, a healthy meal was much deserved. and we were SO ready to dive in by the time we arrived at this adorable macrobiotic eatery.
one of several chaya restaurants, m cafe is super cute and casual. the space is brightly lit, making it all the better to see all the amazing options in the display case. as soon as i walked in, i raced over to the dessert case. everything looked so perfect. and i knew i wanted that carrot cake as soon as i laid eyes on it. (FYI that i *love* carrot cake. and the fact that it's made from veggies makes me feel that much better about eating it!)
after deciding to save room in my tummy for dessert, i wandered over to the rest of the cases to check out all the fabulous salads, sushi rolls, and inari. (mmm.... inari....) after some consultation w/dani, i decided on the 3-salad combo, the hijiki inari, and the carrot cake.
for my combo, i chose the kale w/spicy peanut sauce, the scarlet quinoa, and the dandelion greens. the kale was super leafy and scrumptious. i don't recall the peanut sauce being very spicy, but it was fabulous how you could taste it in every nook and cranny of the kale. mmm.... the scarlet quinoa had such great color and consistency. and i absolutely love love love quinoa, so it wasn't even an option not to get it. quinoa is seriously the best grain ever. and i always get such a kick out of eating dandelion greens. i mean, how inventive is that?! the greens contrasted really well texturally w/the beans, creating a lovely and memorable mouth-feel.
the hijiki inari consisted of a tofu pouch stuffed with the most delicious brown rice and topped with dried seaweed. i LOVE inari, especially when the pouch and the rice are slightly sweet. this particular inari was really good b/c the hijiki was slightly salty, which made for a great salty-sweet contrast in each bite.
and let's not forget the carrot cake. unlike typical carrot cakes, this carrot cake was suuuuuuuuuuper light. this probably has to do w/the fact that m cafe doesn't use any refined sugar, eggs, or dairy. which is AMAZING. that being said, this cake walked that very fine line b/w not sweet at all and just sweet enough. which i wasn't sure i fully appreciated, except for the fact that i kept eating AND not feeling guilty. the cake itself was nothing like the dense (and often cold) cake that one finds at most restaurants. it was airy and light, and if that wasn't enough, the frosting was even airier and lighter! dani & i were completely stumped on the ingredients. this was definitely NOT your typical cream cheese frosting. if i could have this carrot cake every day, i would. i mean, you still feel good after it's in your tummy!
before i forget, let me say that i love the set-up of this place. dani & i sat at the big wooden picnic table in the center of the room, which was totally fabulous. but all around us, there were all these nice and shiny silver tables. and there were lots of tables set up outside too. it was a lovely cross b/w modern and organic, which was reflective of the fare as well. contemporary macrobiotic is how m cafe bills itself. and i have to say, it does a REALLY good job at it.
http://www.mcafedechaya.com/index.html
one of several chaya restaurants, m cafe is super cute and casual. the space is brightly lit, making it all the better to see all the amazing options in the display case. as soon as i walked in, i raced over to the dessert case. everything looked so perfect. and i knew i wanted that carrot cake as soon as i laid eyes on it. (FYI that i *love* carrot cake. and the fact that it's made from veggies makes me feel that much better about eating it!)
after deciding to save room in my tummy for dessert, i wandered over to the rest of the cases to check out all the fabulous salads, sushi rolls, and inari. (mmm.... inari....) after some consultation w/dani, i decided on the 3-salad combo, the hijiki inari, and the carrot cake.
for my combo, i chose the kale w/spicy peanut sauce, the scarlet quinoa, and the dandelion greens. the kale was super leafy and scrumptious. i don't recall the peanut sauce being very spicy, but it was fabulous how you could taste it in every nook and cranny of the kale. mmm.... the scarlet quinoa had such great color and consistency. and i absolutely love love love quinoa, so it wasn't even an option not to get it. quinoa is seriously the best grain ever. and i always get such a kick out of eating dandelion greens. i mean, how inventive is that?! the greens contrasted really well texturally w/the beans, creating a lovely and memorable mouth-feel.
the hijiki inari consisted of a tofu pouch stuffed with the most delicious brown rice and topped with dried seaweed. i LOVE inari, especially when the pouch and the rice are slightly sweet. this particular inari was really good b/c the hijiki was slightly salty, which made for a great salty-sweet contrast in each bite.
and let's not forget the carrot cake. unlike typical carrot cakes, this carrot cake was suuuuuuuuuuper light. this probably has to do w/the fact that m cafe doesn't use any refined sugar, eggs, or dairy. which is AMAZING. that being said, this cake walked that very fine line b/w not sweet at all and just sweet enough. which i wasn't sure i fully appreciated, except for the fact that i kept eating AND not feeling guilty. the cake itself was nothing like the dense (and often cold) cake that one finds at most restaurants. it was airy and light, and if that wasn't enough, the frosting was even airier and lighter! dani & i were completely stumped on the ingredients. this was definitely NOT your typical cream cheese frosting. if i could have this carrot cake every day, i would. i mean, you still feel good after it's in your tummy!
before i forget, let me say that i love the set-up of this place. dani & i sat at the big wooden picnic table in the center of the room, which was totally fabulous. but all around us, there were all these nice and shiny silver tables. and there were lots of tables set up outside too. it was a lovely cross b/w modern and organic, which was reflective of the fare as well. contemporary macrobiotic is how m cafe bills itself. and i have to say, it does a REALLY good job at it.
http://www.mcafedechaya.com/index.html
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Q1 adventures
forgive me, readers, for i have sinned. it's been 2 months since my last blog.
so i swear i've WANTED to keep this thing up-to-date, but it's always so heinously challenging for me to start writing. this is always my excuse though, so i'm going to stop now before i start repeating myself. (which is a total pet peeve, so please avoid doing it around me.)
let's see, let's see.... so i'm trying to think back on all the things i've done in the past 2 months worth mentioning. there's definitely been a bunch so forgive me for not having everything in chronological order.
1. i quite literally spazzed out in january about my purpose in life and my potential lack of financial stability. this happens once every year or two. i don't think i'm ever seriously worried. but the anxiety seems so real at the time. i swear i was losing serious appetite and sleep over it all. i even convinced myself that i might want to do consulting. i even made it to round 2 of mckinsey's APD recruiting! i even got slapped in the face by 3 back-to-back case interviews. thank you, caroline, for telling me that consulting requires serious BS capabilities. i'm glad i failed. i'm just too honest. thankfully, i got some serious frequent flyer miles and yummy restaurant meals out of it. and i made a friend -- who has serious chefs in her family. WOOHOO!
important links:
http://www.apd.mckinsey.com/ - definitely not for the faint of heart!
http://www.printerscafe.com/ - AMAZING sandwiches and sweets
2. i realized that i can't stop working out for 30-60 days in a row. during my spaz fest, i pretty much stopped working out during the months of january and february. and i felt like crap. i lost all cardio capacity and muscle tone. gross, i know. so now that i'm back on track, i've signed up for monthly 10K's in santa monica as well as the santa monica classic. i'm still committed to doing a half-marathon this year, though i have no idea how long it's going to take for me to get into good enough shape. plus i definitely don't want to run 13 miles in the summer. that being said, fall seems like the best bet. any suggestions? (nothing too hilly, please.)
important links:
http://www.active.com/ - great for fitness freaks!
http://smboardwalk.movfitness.com/ - lightest carbon footprint
http://www.santamonicaclassic.com/ - GREAT t-shirts!
3. while i was spazzing, i did manage to make it out to phoenix to check out amy and tom's new house (AND guest casita). i swear i was staying in a mansion -- i could hear my voice echo! i mean, there were different heating systems for different parts of the house! the visit was short (friday to sunday), but definitely sweet. we got to go work out at amy's AMAZING fitness facility -- i swear this place occupies an entire city block! it's like a fitness buffet -- all-you-can-eat AND THEN SOME. i was pretty much hyperventilating after the step class on saturday (which amy thought was way too easy) but i managed to get some serious time on the rock wall w/tom. it'd been ages since i'd gone climbing -- and i LOVED it. especially the auto belay mechanisms. it's totally freeing. amy & i went back for another workout on sunday, and then hiking, and then massages. (btw, is there a reason i can't live like this all the time?) and we even managed to fit in an amazing meal at mosaic on saturday night. the food was QUITE creative -- case in point: a dish entitled "what the FOIE*!?#" -- and DELICIOUS. my mixed grill plate of duck & elk was equally fabulous. and my lemon dessert was quite memorable too. (though i much preferred amy's caramel fondue -- mmm....) besides not sleeping well enough (i've decided i don't like beds that aren't mine), it was the perfect getaway weekend!
important links:
http://www.lifetimefitness.com/
http://www.phoenix.gov/parks/hikemain.html
http://www.massageenvy.com/
http://www.mosaic-restaurant.com/
4. considering that i owe $3700 in taxes (damn fellowship!), i'm glad i booked my boston trip back in december. so for my BFF's 30th birthday, his fiancee arranged a surprise trip to boston AND got his entire groom's party out to surprise him! (melissa, you're the best secret keeper EVER.) it was AMAZING. he was totally and completely SHOCKED. after a long and rainy drive up from new york, soon & michelle were lovely enough to pick me up from logan. we drove out to stay at michelle's parents' house in lexington, and we even got to see a bit of snow and a deer in her backyard! (oh, how i miss the east coast. *sigh*) the next day, we totally surprised derek at brunch at aquitaine. this place was SO cute, and even though i didn't have much of an appetite (due to a minor cold, a long flight [where everyone else also seemed to be sick], and not enough sleep), i thought the prix fixe brunch options were super yummy and affordable.
having saved our pennies that morning, we all splurged on derek's birthday dinner at EVOO that night. again, i wish i'd had more of an appetite b/c the "duck, duck, goose" dish sounded like the perfect dish for me. however, i went w/the striped bass fillet instead and i was definitely left wanting. the fish was cooked well, but the bitter chocolate tortilla didn't do anything for the dish. thankfully, my country pate was nice and smooth, and my star anise creme brulee was apparently the best one ordered. based on my hazy recollection, i believe the specials derek ordered (all meat dishes) were all pretty fabulous, as were the warm chocolate truffle cake and the chocolate-banana bread pudding that got passed around. every other person ordered scallops, which i simply find disgusting and gross. ughhh....
while the food was definitely a highlight (as was derek's look of shock), the BEST part of the trip was the trapeze lesson that steve organized for all of us! first of all, the lesson took place in this crazy indoor complex, which was a bizarre cross b/w a furniture store (yes, a furniture store) and a las vegas mall (complete w/the bellagio water show). secondly, one of the staffers who gave us our lesson was TOTALLY cute and adorable -- and really supportive too. (YAY, don!) the other two guys were OK, but how unprofessional is it to be eating an apple while clipping me in? i mean, come ON. at any rate, the experience was AWESOME. i love heights, especially when i'm strapped in. and i love flying through the air. this isn't to say it wasn't HARD. (i got some SERIOUS bruises.) but we were definitely all smiles at the end!!
i spent the rest of the weekend hanging out with my mutually sick friend glenn in his brookline apt. (we missed you, mel!) it was really the perfect ending to my boston trip b/c snow was falling when i woke up in the morning. and it KEPT snowing ALL day. (and for those who are wondering, snow really is best when being viewed from inside a warm and cozy apartment.) glenn & i trekked through the winter wonderland for a vietnamese lunch, but we took it easy the rest of the afternoon and shot down zombies on the wii. that was SO therapeutic. i left in my new pink reefs and felt snow on my toes. *sigh*
important links:
http://www.aquitaineboston.com/index.php
http://www.evoorestaurant.com/
http://boston.trapezeschool.com/
http://www.jordans.com/
http://pholemongrass.com/
http://www.wiisworld.com/wii-games/Shooting/
5. before i left boston, i signed myself up for a 5-class package of trapeze classes in santa monica. i know. i'm crazy. i really should've checked out the place before signing up, but i was just SO excited to do it again. i couldn't help myself. at any rate, i discovered that the set-up on the santa monica pier is WAY rickety compared to boston. i mean, i had to climb up a LADDER for pete's sake! talk about a sure-fire way to bruise your knees before you even start. on top of that, the main instructor guy was so NOT professional. he didn't even KNOW me yet and he made fun of my lululemon bag. i mean, seriously?! the other instructor guy was nice, but i felt like he was rushing me. i hadn't even gotten my knee-hang down before he was pushing me to get to the next trick. too bad i don't CARE about the next trick, buddy. i'm all about taking things one step at a time and i'm all about getting my form right. otherwise, i'm just going to hurt myself. speaking of which, i must've strained a muscle b/c i can't shrug w/o a mild ache in my left shoulder. thank god for naproxen. no flying for a few weeks. doctor's orders.
important links:
http://losangeles.trapezeschool.com/
6. to see if i could work out all my muscle soreness, i checked out the student massage place that dana recommended. even though the place was cheap ($35), i must say that it definitely wasn't the best massage i've ever gotten. i think there's something about me being small & petite that keeps masseurs and masseuses from giving me the seriously deep tissue massage that i need. it's like i keep saying "MORE PRESSURE" to no avail. the girl at massage envy (in phoenix) gave me some good pressure, but she failed to flip me around. the guy at this place (in LA) gave me the full body treatment, but he failed to exert enough pressure. how long is it going to take me to find something "just right"?? *sigh*
important links:
http://www.chac.edu/
7. ever since talking to brian about his past adventures in LA (and hopefully his future adventures in NY), i've been feeling inspired to wander around LA. (it's weird how one conversation can inspire you, isn't it?) that and the fact that it's the end of the quarter and all i have to do is putz around. (whatever. don't be hatin'!) two weeks ago, i wandered into the hammer museum and saw some interesting pieces by LA artists. i have to admit that i disliked half of the exhibition, but victoria reynolds and llyn foulkes had some fascinating works to show off. last week, i trekked out to bergamot station and checked out some really cool galleries. some of my favorites: james gray, lois lambert, mark moore, ruth bachofner. i didn't have time for a sit-down meal at the cafe, but if my lemon bar and mint iced tea were any indication of the food quality, i'll definitely be back soon! for my last bit of culture in recent times, i got a last-minute invitation from chiara to check out a zocalo talk on the authenticity of food at the skirball. it was a treat to be in the presence of some GREAT chefs, but FYI that jonathan gold is THE worst moderator ever. i mean, the man just kept TALKING. plus he kept smacking his lips!! at any rate, i managed to find out about the kogi truck and the power of twitter. totally worth the excursion! that and i got to hang out w/chiara. YAY!
important links:
http://hammer.ucla.edu/
http://www.bergamotstation.com/
http://www.zocalopublicsquare.org/
http://www.skirball.org/
http://kogibbq.com/
http://twitter.com/
8. speaking of food, i know everyone's probably wondering where the heck i've been eating lately. so let me share some of the highlights....
dani & i splurged on AOC a while back, but despite the fact that she & jeannine are both big fans, i didn't fall head over heels for it. i must admit that the pork rillettes and the sweetbreads definitely left a positive impression. as did the warm ham hock salad and the kabocha squash gratin. the food was definitely creative and well-done, but i'm wondering whether i had the appetite to fully savor all the flavors. hmmm.... i suppose this means another trip!
de'sha & i went back to asia de cuba in west hollywood for some delish eats during restaurant week. after viv & i had our fabulous meal there last year, i had to go back. the duck spring rolls were still AMAZING, the braised short rib was to die for, the stir-fried green beans were DELISH, and the donut dessert was simply magical. no complaints whatsoever.
atalie & i checked out flame in westwood for some persian cuisine. i believe i ordered the tahchin, which was (surprisingly for me) a rice dish that came out with the loveliest yellow color (probably b/c of the saffron), a fabulously crusty exterior, and superb flavor throughout. i must admit that it was quite dense, so make sure you're hungry when you order it.
de'sha, keith, & i went for brunch at shanghai red's in marina del rey when he was in town a month ago. as i've been typing up this blog, i've realized how much appetite really impacts eating experience. b/c once again, i was exhasuted and i wasn't really in the mood for food this particular day, so i really didn't have the best impression of this place. i mean, the spread was pretty extensive, but i didn't feel like anything was particularly good. i did have some yummy menudo (gotta love tripe), but other than that, everything else was kind of mediocre. well, except for the company!
most recently, sejal & i caught up over yummy eats at father's office in santa monica. i must admit to NOT liking the set-up. i have zero patience (generally-speaking) for waiting, so i was a bit annoyed at the prospect of having to stand around w/food while waiting for a table to open up. thankfully, a really sweet couple was nice enough to give us their table after we'd only been waiting about 10 minutes! i ordered the french sea bass and the roasted brussel sprouts, and both dishes had great flavor. i couldn't believe they didn't have arnold palmers (talk about drinks-ism), but other than that, i was quite pleased w/my meal. on the other hand, sejal didn't think her burger was worth all the hype. the saving grace was the order of sweet potato fries, which i (again surprisingly) couldn't help popping into my mouth.
for those that are following closely, i'm headed out to m cafe de chaya in culver city tonight, trying cafe elysee on sunday, headed back to craft on monday, hopefully checking out bazaar on wednesday, and headed out to seattle for some yummy northwest eats for a few days. hopefully, there will be lots to report shortly!!
important links:
http://www.aocwinebar.com/
http://www.mondrianhotel.com/default.aspx#/explore/?id=asiadecuba
http://www.flamepersiancuisine.com/
http://www.shanghairedsrestaurant.com/
http://www.fathersoffice.com/
9. on the movie front, i've been enamored with kate winslet films. i thought "the reader" was amazing. she totally deserved all those awards. her desire to hide her illiteracy was so visceral. and ralph fiennes was so committed to her. oh to have a love so deep! in a completely different role, kate conveyed serious angst in "revolutionary road." you could totally feel the vise-like grip of her suburban life. and her spirit totally being dragged out of her body. the final scenes were so intense. and the slow drip of the blood. drip drip drip. (i know, i'm horrible.) i thought "the boy in the striped pajamas" was quite the cautionary tale. the plot was simplistic, but the message was loud and clear: evil bites you in the ass. the final scene was dramatic and sad, and you could feel her maternal pain. on a totally different note, "slumdog millionaire" was quite uplifting, with a really creative plot, a super catchy soundtrack, an endearing love story, and great cinematography. some have called it *the best movie ever* which i would seriously debate, but i thought it was well worth the money. (FYI that i still can't believe eri's bf fell asleep during the movie -- talk about knowing nothing about film. sorry, mike, but it's true.) as was the case with "rachel getting married" which showed off anne hathaway's acting chops. i still thought she looked too perfect to be a druggie, but the whole cast was pretty amazing overall. the fuzzy cinematography isn't something i usually like, but it really worked in this instance. and finally, in a completely genre, was "he's just not that into you," which i literally paid FIVE times to see. yes, FIVE times. some would consider that CRAZY. but i honestly love love love romantic comedies. and i managed to cry during each and every viewing of this cheesy chick flick. wait for this line: "you're my exception." goddammit, justin long, you're not even CUTE!!
10. before i forget, i must mention my upcoming weekend adventure -- the great urban race! i seriously had the hardest time finding someone who: 1) is adventurous, 2) i'd want to spend that much time with (3-4 hours), 3) could stand me for that much time (3-4 hours), and 4) was available. plus, i realized how my independence could totally be an impediment when trying to find someone for partner activities. grrr!!! at any rate, i was super suprised that i hadn't thought of judy before she posted on FB that she wanted to do it! so i'm thrilled to see what excitement awaits us this weekend. YAY!! let's see if i love it enough to do it in new york!!
important links:
http://greaturbanrace.com/
11. before i disappear again into the ether, i wanted to send a quick shout-out to ryan & jess for some delicious eats over the past few months! i've had some delicious homecooking c/o the roberts and i'm forever indebted. top chef and st. patty's day will never be the same w/o you two!! and yes, i promise that you'll get yummilicious chocolate souffles as thanks!!
so i swear i've WANTED to keep this thing up-to-date, but it's always so heinously challenging for me to start writing. this is always my excuse though, so i'm going to stop now before i start repeating myself. (which is a total pet peeve, so please avoid doing it around me.)
let's see, let's see.... so i'm trying to think back on all the things i've done in the past 2 months worth mentioning. there's definitely been a bunch so forgive me for not having everything in chronological order.
1. i quite literally spazzed out in january about my purpose in life and my potential lack of financial stability. this happens once every year or two. i don't think i'm ever seriously worried. but the anxiety seems so real at the time. i swear i was losing serious appetite and sleep over it all. i even convinced myself that i might want to do consulting. i even made it to round 2 of mckinsey's APD recruiting! i even got slapped in the face by 3 back-to-back case interviews. thank you, caroline, for telling me that consulting requires serious BS capabilities. i'm glad i failed. i'm just too honest. thankfully, i got some serious frequent flyer miles and yummy restaurant meals out of it. and i made a friend -- who has serious chefs in her family. WOOHOO!
important links:
http://www.apd.mckinsey.com/ - definitely not for the faint of heart!
http://www.printerscafe.com/ - AMAZING sandwiches and sweets
2. i realized that i can't stop working out for 30-60 days in a row. during my spaz fest, i pretty much stopped working out during the months of january and february. and i felt like crap. i lost all cardio capacity and muscle tone. gross, i know. so now that i'm back on track, i've signed up for monthly 10K's in santa monica as well as the santa monica classic. i'm still committed to doing a half-marathon this year, though i have no idea how long it's going to take for me to get into good enough shape. plus i definitely don't want to run 13 miles in the summer. that being said, fall seems like the best bet. any suggestions? (nothing too hilly, please.)
important links:
http://www.active.com/ - great for fitness freaks!
http://smboardwalk.movfitness.com/ - lightest carbon footprint
http://www.santamonicaclassic.com/ - GREAT t-shirts!
3. while i was spazzing, i did manage to make it out to phoenix to check out amy and tom's new house (AND guest casita). i swear i was staying in a mansion -- i could hear my voice echo! i mean, there were different heating systems for different parts of the house! the visit was short (friday to sunday), but definitely sweet. we got to go work out at amy's AMAZING fitness facility -- i swear this place occupies an entire city block! it's like a fitness buffet -- all-you-can-eat AND THEN SOME. i was pretty much hyperventilating after the step class on saturday (which amy thought was way too easy) but i managed to get some serious time on the rock wall w/tom. it'd been ages since i'd gone climbing -- and i LOVED it. especially the auto belay mechanisms. it's totally freeing. amy & i went back for another workout on sunday, and then hiking, and then massages. (btw, is there a reason i can't live like this all the time?) and we even managed to fit in an amazing meal at mosaic on saturday night. the food was QUITE creative -- case in point: a dish entitled "what the FOIE*!?#" -- and DELICIOUS. my mixed grill plate of duck & elk was equally fabulous. and my lemon dessert was quite memorable too. (though i much preferred amy's caramel fondue -- mmm....) besides not sleeping well enough (i've decided i don't like beds that aren't mine), it was the perfect getaway weekend!
important links:
http://www.lifetimefitness.com/
http://www.phoenix.gov/parks/hikemain.html
http://www.massageenvy.com/
http://www.mosaic-restaurant.com/
4. considering that i owe $3700 in taxes (damn fellowship!), i'm glad i booked my boston trip back in december. so for my BFF's 30th birthday, his fiancee arranged a surprise trip to boston AND got his entire groom's party out to surprise him! (melissa, you're the best secret keeper EVER.) it was AMAZING. he was totally and completely SHOCKED. after a long and rainy drive up from new york, soon & michelle were lovely enough to pick me up from logan. we drove out to stay at michelle's parents' house in lexington, and we even got to see a bit of snow and a deer in her backyard! (oh, how i miss the east coast. *sigh*) the next day, we totally surprised derek at brunch at aquitaine. this place was SO cute, and even though i didn't have much of an appetite (due to a minor cold, a long flight [where everyone else also seemed to be sick], and not enough sleep), i thought the prix fixe brunch options were super yummy and affordable.
having saved our pennies that morning, we all splurged on derek's birthday dinner at EVOO that night. again, i wish i'd had more of an appetite b/c the "duck, duck, goose" dish sounded like the perfect dish for me. however, i went w/the striped bass fillet instead and i was definitely left wanting. the fish was cooked well, but the bitter chocolate tortilla didn't do anything for the dish. thankfully, my country pate was nice and smooth, and my star anise creme brulee was apparently the best one ordered. based on my hazy recollection, i believe the specials derek ordered (all meat dishes) were all pretty fabulous, as were the warm chocolate truffle cake and the chocolate-banana bread pudding that got passed around. every other person ordered scallops, which i simply find disgusting and gross. ughhh....
while the food was definitely a highlight (as was derek's look of shock), the BEST part of the trip was the trapeze lesson that steve organized for all of us! first of all, the lesson took place in this crazy indoor complex, which was a bizarre cross b/w a furniture store (yes, a furniture store) and a las vegas mall (complete w/the bellagio water show). secondly, one of the staffers who gave us our lesson was TOTALLY cute and adorable -- and really supportive too. (YAY, don!) the other two guys were OK, but how unprofessional is it to be eating an apple while clipping me in? i mean, come ON. at any rate, the experience was AWESOME. i love heights, especially when i'm strapped in. and i love flying through the air. this isn't to say it wasn't HARD. (i got some SERIOUS bruises.) but we were definitely all smiles at the end!!
i spent the rest of the weekend hanging out with my mutually sick friend glenn in his brookline apt. (we missed you, mel!) it was really the perfect ending to my boston trip b/c snow was falling when i woke up in the morning. and it KEPT snowing ALL day. (and for those who are wondering, snow really is best when being viewed from inside a warm and cozy apartment.) glenn & i trekked through the winter wonderland for a vietnamese lunch, but we took it easy the rest of the afternoon and shot down zombies on the wii. that was SO therapeutic. i left in my new pink reefs and felt snow on my toes. *sigh*
important links:
http://www.aquitaineboston.com/index.php
http://www.evoorestaurant.com/
http://boston.trapezeschool.com/
http://www.jordans.com/
http://pholemongrass.com/
http://www.wiisworld.com/wii-games/Shooting/
5. before i left boston, i signed myself up for a 5-class package of trapeze classes in santa monica. i know. i'm crazy. i really should've checked out the place before signing up, but i was just SO excited to do it again. i couldn't help myself. at any rate, i discovered that the set-up on the santa monica pier is WAY rickety compared to boston. i mean, i had to climb up a LADDER for pete's sake! talk about a sure-fire way to bruise your knees before you even start. on top of that, the main instructor guy was so NOT professional. he didn't even KNOW me yet and he made fun of my lululemon bag. i mean, seriously?! the other instructor guy was nice, but i felt like he was rushing me. i hadn't even gotten my knee-hang down before he was pushing me to get to the next trick. too bad i don't CARE about the next trick, buddy. i'm all about taking things one step at a time and i'm all about getting my form right. otherwise, i'm just going to hurt myself. speaking of which, i must've strained a muscle b/c i can't shrug w/o a mild ache in my left shoulder. thank god for naproxen. no flying for a few weeks. doctor's orders.
important links:
http://losangeles.trapezeschool.com/
6. to see if i could work out all my muscle soreness, i checked out the student massage place that dana recommended. even though the place was cheap ($35), i must say that it definitely wasn't the best massage i've ever gotten. i think there's something about me being small & petite that keeps masseurs and masseuses from giving me the seriously deep tissue massage that i need. it's like i keep saying "MORE PRESSURE" to no avail. the girl at massage envy (in phoenix) gave me some good pressure, but she failed to flip me around. the guy at this place (in LA) gave me the full body treatment, but he failed to exert enough pressure. how long is it going to take me to find something "just right"?? *sigh*
important links:
http://www.chac.edu/
7. ever since talking to brian about his past adventures in LA (and hopefully his future adventures in NY), i've been feeling inspired to wander around LA. (it's weird how one conversation can inspire you, isn't it?) that and the fact that it's the end of the quarter and all i have to do is putz around. (whatever. don't be hatin'!) two weeks ago, i wandered into the hammer museum and saw some interesting pieces by LA artists. i have to admit that i disliked half of the exhibition, but victoria reynolds and llyn foulkes had some fascinating works to show off. last week, i trekked out to bergamot station and checked out some really cool galleries. some of my favorites: james gray, lois lambert, mark moore, ruth bachofner. i didn't have time for a sit-down meal at the cafe, but if my lemon bar and mint iced tea were any indication of the food quality, i'll definitely be back soon! for my last bit of culture in recent times, i got a last-minute invitation from chiara to check out a zocalo talk on the authenticity of food at the skirball. it was a treat to be in the presence of some GREAT chefs, but FYI that jonathan gold is THE worst moderator ever. i mean, the man just kept TALKING. plus he kept smacking his lips!! at any rate, i managed to find out about the kogi truck and the power of twitter. totally worth the excursion! that and i got to hang out w/chiara. YAY!
important links:
http://hammer.ucla.edu/
http://www.bergamotstation.com/
http://www.zocalopublicsquare.org/
http://www.skirball.org/
http://kogibbq.com/
http://twitter.com/
8. speaking of food, i know everyone's probably wondering where the heck i've been eating lately. so let me share some of the highlights....
dani & i splurged on AOC a while back, but despite the fact that she & jeannine are both big fans, i didn't fall head over heels for it. i must admit that the pork rillettes and the sweetbreads definitely left a positive impression. as did the warm ham hock salad and the kabocha squash gratin. the food was definitely creative and well-done, but i'm wondering whether i had the appetite to fully savor all the flavors. hmmm.... i suppose this means another trip!
de'sha & i went back to asia de cuba in west hollywood for some delish eats during restaurant week. after viv & i had our fabulous meal there last year, i had to go back. the duck spring rolls were still AMAZING, the braised short rib was to die for, the stir-fried green beans were DELISH, and the donut dessert was simply magical. no complaints whatsoever.
atalie & i checked out flame in westwood for some persian cuisine. i believe i ordered the tahchin, which was (surprisingly for me) a rice dish that came out with the loveliest yellow color (probably b/c of the saffron), a fabulously crusty exterior, and superb flavor throughout. i must admit that it was quite dense, so make sure you're hungry when you order it.
de'sha, keith, & i went for brunch at shanghai red's in marina del rey when he was in town a month ago. as i've been typing up this blog, i've realized how much appetite really impacts eating experience. b/c once again, i was exhasuted and i wasn't really in the mood for food this particular day, so i really didn't have the best impression of this place. i mean, the spread was pretty extensive, but i didn't feel like anything was particularly good. i did have some yummy menudo (gotta love tripe), but other than that, everything else was kind of mediocre. well, except for the company!
most recently, sejal & i caught up over yummy eats at father's office in santa monica. i must admit to NOT liking the set-up. i have zero patience (generally-speaking) for waiting, so i was a bit annoyed at the prospect of having to stand around w/food while waiting for a table to open up. thankfully, a really sweet couple was nice enough to give us their table after we'd only been waiting about 10 minutes! i ordered the french sea bass and the roasted brussel sprouts, and both dishes had great flavor. i couldn't believe they didn't have arnold palmers (talk about drinks-ism), but other than that, i was quite pleased w/my meal. on the other hand, sejal didn't think her burger was worth all the hype. the saving grace was the order of sweet potato fries, which i (again surprisingly) couldn't help popping into my mouth.
for those that are following closely, i'm headed out to m cafe de chaya in culver city tonight, trying cafe elysee on sunday, headed back to craft on monday, hopefully checking out bazaar on wednesday, and headed out to seattle for some yummy northwest eats for a few days. hopefully, there will be lots to report shortly!!
important links:
http://www.aocwinebar.com/
http://www.mondrianhotel.com/default.aspx#/explore/?id=asiadecuba
http://www.flamepersiancuisine.com/
http://www.shanghairedsrestaurant.com/
http://www.fathersoffice.com/
9. on the movie front, i've been enamored with kate winslet films. i thought "the reader" was amazing. she totally deserved all those awards. her desire to hide her illiteracy was so visceral. and ralph fiennes was so committed to her. oh to have a love so deep! in a completely different role, kate conveyed serious angst in "revolutionary road." you could totally feel the vise-like grip of her suburban life. and her spirit totally being dragged out of her body. the final scenes were so intense. and the slow drip of the blood. drip drip drip. (i know, i'm horrible.) i thought "the boy in the striped pajamas" was quite the cautionary tale. the plot was simplistic, but the message was loud and clear: evil bites you in the ass. the final scene was dramatic and sad, and you could feel her maternal pain. on a totally different note, "slumdog millionaire" was quite uplifting, with a really creative plot, a super catchy soundtrack, an endearing love story, and great cinematography. some have called it *the best movie ever* which i would seriously debate, but i thought it was well worth the money. (FYI that i still can't believe eri's bf fell asleep during the movie -- talk about knowing nothing about film. sorry, mike, but it's true.) as was the case with "rachel getting married" which showed off anne hathaway's acting chops. i still thought she looked too perfect to be a druggie, but the whole cast was pretty amazing overall. the fuzzy cinematography isn't something i usually like, but it really worked in this instance. and finally, in a completely genre, was "he's just not that into you," which i literally paid FIVE times to see. yes, FIVE times. some would consider that CRAZY. but i honestly love love love romantic comedies. and i managed to cry during each and every viewing of this cheesy chick flick. wait for this line: "you're my exception." goddammit, justin long, you're not even CUTE!!
10. before i forget, i must mention my upcoming weekend adventure -- the great urban race! i seriously had the hardest time finding someone who: 1) is adventurous, 2) i'd want to spend that much time with (3-4 hours), 3) could stand me for that much time (3-4 hours), and 4) was available. plus, i realized how my independence could totally be an impediment when trying to find someone for partner activities. grrr!!! at any rate, i was super suprised that i hadn't thought of judy before she posted on FB that she wanted to do it! so i'm thrilled to see what excitement awaits us this weekend. YAY!! let's see if i love it enough to do it in new york!!
important links:
http://greaturbanrace.com/
11. before i disappear again into the ether, i wanted to send a quick shout-out to ryan & jess for some delicious eats over the past few months! i've had some delicious homecooking c/o the roberts and i'm forever indebted. top chef and st. patty's day will never be the same w/o you two!! and yes, i promise that you'll get yummilicious chocolate souffles as thanks!!
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
kicking off the year w/joe's & jin's
it's almost 1AM on the 6th day of january, and i'm happy to report that i'm almost fully updated w/this blog! so before i forget, i must comment on this weekend's yummy eats.
after much time spent scheduling, chiara & i were finally able to set up a catch-up date @ joe's (http://www.joesrestaurant.com/index.php) in venice. even though she'd already been before, she was amenable to going again. and i was thrilled to be dining at my first (i think) michelin starred restaurant in LA! plus i absolutely love abbot kinney, so it was great to spend some time down there over the weekend. FYI that joe's has one michelin star, and has already been well-received by the likes of chiara, ophella, monica & edmund -- all pretty discerning eaters i must say. ; )
the atmosphere was nice and friendly, and our server was exceptionally fun AND funny, reminding us both of marc levis (of murphy hall fame). the first plus of this meal was the lovely brioche and pound cake that came directly to the table. i pounced on my half quickly and the carbs disappeared before barely anyone knew they were gone. after that, i munched through my salad pretty quickly as well. it wasn't until i got to my entree -- an absolutely delicious piece of pork belly that came w/poached eggs on brioche, a bit of tomato jam (a.k.a. salsa), and a bit of guac -- that i had to completely slow down and savor each and every bite of food. the last time i had a piece of pork belly that good i was at musha on wilshire and i was told my meat had been cooking for hours. but OMG OMG OMG it was good here. not too salty, and just lean enough so that it wasn't toppling over on its fat layer. we ended the meal w/a creamy dark chocolate dessert that i kept inhaling since chiara wasn't diving at it fast enough. you snooze, you lose, right? awww....
before jetting back to westwood, we stopped by jin patisserie (http://www.jinpatisserie.com/) at my request in order to check out even more sweets. i swear i'd thought i'd skip joe's dessert in favor of jin's, but after thinking about it, i decided sweets at BOTH places would work out tell. to placate our tummies, we decided to grab some desserts to go -- me w/my big meringue filled w/cream, mango, and strawberry, and chiara w/her passion fruit delight. both of us texted later about the joys of stuffing our faces w/our purchases, so i knew it'd been key to stop by. mmm....
and i'm glad that this didn't take long b/c i'm totally about to pass out. needless to say, i'll do my best to get my thoughts out into the ether sooner rather than later this year!
after much time spent scheduling, chiara & i were finally able to set up a catch-up date @ joe's (http://www.joesrestaurant.com/index.php) in venice. even though she'd already been before, she was amenable to going again. and i was thrilled to be dining at my first (i think) michelin starred restaurant in LA! plus i absolutely love abbot kinney, so it was great to spend some time down there over the weekend. FYI that joe's has one michelin star, and has already been well-received by the likes of chiara, ophella, monica & edmund -- all pretty discerning eaters i must say. ; )
the atmosphere was nice and friendly, and our server was exceptionally fun AND funny, reminding us both of marc levis (of murphy hall fame). the first plus of this meal was the lovely brioche and pound cake that came directly to the table. i pounced on my half quickly and the carbs disappeared before barely anyone knew they were gone. after that, i munched through my salad pretty quickly as well. it wasn't until i got to my entree -- an absolutely delicious piece of pork belly that came w/poached eggs on brioche, a bit of tomato jam (a.k.a. salsa), and a bit of guac -- that i had to completely slow down and savor each and every bite of food. the last time i had a piece of pork belly that good i was at musha on wilshire and i was told my meat had been cooking for hours. but OMG OMG OMG it was good here. not too salty, and just lean enough so that it wasn't toppling over on its fat layer. we ended the meal w/a creamy dark chocolate dessert that i kept inhaling since chiara wasn't diving at it fast enough. you snooze, you lose, right? awww....
before jetting back to westwood, we stopped by jin patisserie (http://www.jinpatisserie.com/) at my request in order to check out even more sweets. i swear i'd thought i'd skip joe's dessert in favor of jin's, but after thinking about it, i decided sweets at BOTH places would work out tell. to placate our tummies, we decided to grab some desserts to go -- me w/my big meringue filled w/cream, mango, and strawberry, and chiara w/her passion fruit delight. both of us texted later about the joys of stuffing our faces w/our purchases, so i knew it'd been key to stop by. mmm....
and i'm glad that this didn't take long b/c i'm totally about to pass out. needless to say, i'll do my best to get my thoughts out into the ether sooner rather than later this year!
Sunday, January 4, 2009
update on hnn's m&m adventures - paris, LA, NY
so it seems like i'm always a billion years delayed getting anything up on this blog. but i blame the fact that i hate writing, or rather that i hate getting anxious about writing. (damn asian genes! damn math/science high school! damn pre-med!) HOWEVER, as i've heard that i've developed a readership (of sorts), AND as i've made a resolution to blog more regularly, this is my first attempt at catching up. it won't be pretty (as it's been MONTHS), but i'll do my best to capture my finest (and not so finest) moments of yummy eating & movie watching.
paris wanderings
so i spent my 30th birthday in paris. it was an independence trip to celebrate my free spirit and my sagitarrian sensibilities. yes, there are places where it's not safe, but where it is, i love travelling on my own. i can wake up whenever i want. i can do whatever i want. i can go wherever i want. and i can change my mind a bazillion times (haha, eri, haha) -- over and over and over. it's a beautiful thing.
i suppose it's too late to comment on every detail of this trip (though i could certainly go on ad nauseum to whoever would like to hear about it), but let's just say that i had the best time. i was a little out of it at first in my little room at les trois poussins (a cute little hotel on a side street in montmartre -- http://www.les3poussins.com/). then again, i was on a plane for hours and hours, so who wouldn't be a little off? (still, i'm forever grateful and thankful for direct flights.)
after a day and a half of getting somewhat un-jetlagged, i stopped wondering what the heck i was doing in paris and i started to really enjoy it. i walked around for hours and hours a day, and i saw all the sights that i'd never gotten to see on previous visits -- the louvre, the musee d'orsay, the musee rodin. i checked out some lesser known sights -- the catacombs, the chateau de vincennes, the musee dali. and i went back to some of my favorite places in the city -- sacre coeur, the jardin des tuileries, the jardin du luxembourg. i also checked out some new sights that have sprung up in recent years -- the ferris wheel at the place de la concorde and the holiday market down the champs elysee.
i could go on and on about the loveliness of all the sights, but the best part was being able to get to them on foot. roaming around paris, strolling along the seine, and walking all the way "home" to montmartre at the end of the day was absolute heaven for me. and doing it all in the light drizzle wasn't even too horrible. there's just something so romantic about rain in paris. even when you're all by yourself.
one of the best parts of paris is the ubiquity of crepes. i swear i had at least a crepe a day while i was there, and the best one BY FAR contained cheese and merguez sausage. it was absolutely SCRUMPTIOUS. and i'm so glad i couldn't finish it b/c i seriously could've died from the grease. but OMG was it delicious! i picked it up from this guy on the rue montmartre who kept trying to speak to me in french, and i swear i told him i thought it was hot outside when i was literally freezing to death waiting for this unforgettable crepe. thank god i survived the wait!
in addition to regular crepe eating, i allowed myself a pastry a day, and i sampled from cute little bakeries and pastry shops within a small radius of my hotel. and b/c i ate heavier at lunch, i usually just picked up small eats for dinner from the local eateries -- the cheese & meat shops, the rotisserie/butcher shops, the sushi place, and even the supermarket. i loved coming home at the end of the day and just walking around my little neighborhood. i somehow felt like i belonged there, like i'd be back soon.
last but not least, we must go into my amazing foodie experiences while i was abroad! and i must say that i had QUITE the gastronomic adventures. in my first foray into parisian fine dining, i decided to check out l'atelier du joel robuchon (http://www.joel-robuchon.com/). to be honest, i think i would've fared MUCH better at la table du joel robuchon b/c i'm simply not a fan of wraparound bar eating. even though guides say that bar eating works great for solo diners, i think it really depends on what kind of solo diner you are. i prefer a TABLE. to MYSELF. so i don't have to TALK -- at least not to anyone but the waitstaff. what i got at l'atelier was a seat by two americans (good grief) -- one who was quite lovely and the other who was quite, well, loud. needless to say, i ended up conversing w/them and it wasn't too painful. (i even got my dessert paid for! in honor of my birthday -- very sweet indeed.) but i would've preferred not feeling rushed to order and not feeling rushed to eat. in the end, i was entirely displeased with the pigeon, which came out unceremoniously wrapped in cabbage, and which tasted, well, gross. i can't even remember whether i finished it all, but it was neither pleasing to the eye nor the palate. on the flip side, the lamb was delicious. even though there was very little meat on each of the chops, what was on there was amazingly flavorful. (at 45 euros for 5 chops, it better have been good!) and the grapefruit dessert had really great acid. on top of everything, the service was excellent. all of the servers spoke just enough english to make the atmosphere pleasant and inviting. i'd love to go back -- were it not for the wraparound bar and the high chairs (where my feet couldn't touch the ground).
the next day, i decided to check out brasserie lipp (http://www.groupe-bertrand.com/lipp.php), a quintessential parisian brasserie. totally old school w/an older clientele to match. the most important thing to know about this place is that you can't be in any sort of the rush. the service is, shall we say, slow. and even though everyone was quite pleasant (including the maitre d', who looked like a cross b/w tim gunn & the shoe fetish guy on SATC), they're not looking to turn tables. here i decided to order quintessential parisian dishes -- the escargots, the duck confit, and the millefeuille. all were quite good, though nothing jawdropping.
of all the restaurants i visited while i was in paris, my ABSOLUTE favorite was spoon (food & wine) (http://www.spoon.tm.fr/public_fr/actualite/index.htm). this place is one of several spoon adventures around the world, all of which are situated in exotic locales -- paris, hong kong, mauritius, and saint tropez. and rightly so b/c the food is absolutely AMAZING. i don't remember the last time i had food THIS good. moreover, each dish was a spectacular piece of art. to the point where i simply wanted to cry when i had to sink my utensil into the dish and break it up. i wish i'd remembered that my blackberry has a camera (oh don't even say it) b/c i don't think i even came close to imprinting the beauty of those dishes in my memory. at the start of the meal, i received a lovely amuse bouche -- a mix of tofu, mushrooms, and spinach. i know it doesn't SOUND appetizing, but it was quite pretty in its tall shot glass and quite yummy in my mouth. my ceviche appetizer was gorgeous w/the sauce a perfect blend of oil & acid. my ribs entree was the tallest dish i've received to date. what gave it height was the super thin potato chips and the fluffy lettuce leaves. all went well w/the scrumptious meat. i ended the meal w/the mac 'along -- a citrus dessert that was nice & light. coffee came w/more cookies. and i realized how much i love getting unexpected things for free.
for my last restaurant meal, i had dinner at le potager du marais (http://www.restaurantsomh.com/p19.htm) -- a vegetarian spot in the marais. considering how meat-loving paris is in general, it can be tough to find good veggies NOT cooked in lard. (not that i have anything against lard of course.) thankfully, this place does a pretty good job. i had a great vegan zucchini soup to start, and i've decided that cream is so unnecessary in veggie soups. my eggplant was great with spinach, though the almond rice was really bland. however, the meal ended with a delicious pear tarte tatin. i have to admit that the crust tasted like semi-cooked dough, but the perfectly caramelized pears pretty much made up for that.
back to LA - 1
after i got back to LA in early december, i only had a few weeks before jetting to new york for the holidays. but during that time, i ran a 10K and enjoyed some lovely post-run eats w/dani. considering that i hadn't worked out since before thanksgiving, i totally surprised myself by completing the santa monica-venice christmas run in a record 1:01:28.4! that's less than a 10-minute mile, folks! (i was so excited that i ended up buying a picture of myself. which required scouring through a bazillion pics on the website. of course, this is what i get for wearing my number on the back instead of the front.) with this accomplishment, i'm now ready to attempt a halfsie. (see resolutions post.) WOOHOO!
as for our lovely post-run eats, dani & i made it over to axe (http://www.axerestaurant.com/) -- a chic spot in venice that i discovered w/the HEOC ladies way back in the day. the restaurant just opened before we got there, so we were thrilled. we decided on the ginormous 9-grain pancake, the basic rice bowl (which the waitress suggested), the apple smoked bacon, and the chicken apple sausage. the sides were completely throwaway (sadness), but the pancake was delicious and filling, and the rice bowl was quite scrumptious too. last time, the star sighting was rosario dawson. this time, hilary swank. uh huh. AW YEAH.
while i was back, i also went to see the reader and slumdog millionaire. i must operate on a totally different movie rating system than critics (with my site of choice being metacritic.com) b/c i loved the reader and found slumdog millionaire a bit overrated. i'll admit i'm a total kate winslet fan, and i've been dying to see revolutionary road as well. but i thought the reader was quite moving and i disagree w/critics who think the point was overly made. i mean, is there really just one point? and can you really overly make it? well, perhaps there is and perhaps you can, but the reader did not. for me, one of the main points was this: sometimes you make choices on impulse, sometimes you make them with thought, but ultimately you often make choices that no one can possibly understand but you.
as for slumdog millionaire, i wish that people hadn't hyped up the movie so much. i hate when people say 'that was the best movie ever!' i mean, are you kidding? how many movies have you SEEN? and do you know anything about movies? ok ok, i know i sound like a movie snob when i'm the one that pays to see HSM 3 (which was fabulous btw). but shut up already! i'm just SAYING that 'the best movie EVER' is just a bit MUCH. at any rate, i did think the movie came close to meeting the hype (unlike benjamin button -- scroll down below). i think i would've been a bigger fan had i even watched a single episode of who wants to be a millionaire, but i found the storyline quite engaging. flashbacks don't work for every movie, but the past-present switching worked really well in this film. the cinematography also had a lovely indie quality about it, including a memorable shot of latika looking up at jamal from below. the bollywood dance at the end clinched the movie perfectly. it totally made you want to get up and shake your groove thang.
i love new york
yes, it's my hometown. yes, i know it really well. and yes, i'm falling in love with it all over again. after being in LA for almost 6 years, i'm tired of southern california -- weather and all. i miss walking and i miss being in a city that's up all night -- even when i'm not.
after catching up w/my mom for a night, i moved out to jeff's apt in murray hill (thanks, jeff! hugs & kisses!). i must admit that i didn't even get to indulge in his amazing flat-screen TV b/c i literally came home every night after hours and hours of walking and promptly passed out. it was such luscious sleep. and i realized then and there that i'll only get a full 8 hours if i wear myself out earlier in the day. mmm....
on my first full day in the city, i kicked off the morning w/neena & matt in c-town for dim sum! we went to a small place down on mott street. i think it's evergreen or emerald something, but it's a place that jeff took me to back in the day. there seemed to be fewer carts, probably b/c we went on a weekday morning rather than a weekend morning. at any rate, the food was quite good, and we ordered plenty to fill us up -- spare ribs, beef balls, spring rolls, shumai, dumplings, sticky rice, roast pork buns, beef noodles, shrimp noodles, sesame balls, etc. i wish we'd had more room, but we could barely make it out of there as it was! after brunch, we drove up to rockefeller center and got a glimpse of the tree. it was more ginormous than i remembered it, and the crowds were more intense that i remembered them. thank goodness none of us needed to stick around for very long!
after that, i trekked downtown to meet up w/derek, who really wanted to see waltz w/bashir. granted, i'd never heard of it AND it was animation, but i so rarely get to indulge my BFF, so i thought i might as well. i show up and the first thing he tells me is that he's had stomach flu. GROSS. which means i spend our whole time together making sure he doesn't breathe on me -- huge germophobe that i am. so we go in and sit down. 10 minutes in, he nudges me and says "i'm bored." and i'm thinking "THANK GOD B/C I'M DYING HERE." a few minutes later, we get up and walk out. we've done this before (c/o spider -- the worst movie ever made) and i have NO qualms about doing it again. i swear i was already passing out w/in the first 5 minutes!
we decided to trek over to soho to explore 2 chocolate cafes he was looking to check out. we stopped by vosges, which i've been to, and which is way more shop than cafe. so we decided on the cacao bar at the mariebelle (http://www.mariebelle.com/s.nl/it.I/id.3/.f) instead. this place has a lovely shop in the front and a cute little cafe in the back. and derek & i both decided to indulge in some hot chocolate before dinner. derek went for the spicy, which he thought was good but not very spicy. and i went for the unsweetened, which had a nice bitterness to it. both were quite decadent, though we weren't sure whether they gave us our drinks American-style (w/water) or European-style (w/milk). (or is that vice versa?)
at this point, we were both starving for dinner, so we trekked up to nick & stef's (http://www.patinagroup.com/east/nickStef/), where i'd made a reservation several weeks ago. i was surprised that so many folks were already at dinner, especially since our reservation was for 6PM and there was already a pretty full house. (we found out from our waitress that there was a game at MSG. of course, neither of us had a clue who -- or what -- was playing!) since derek's tummy was still off, and i didn't want to gorge myself, we decided to split the porterhouse for 2 and tack on some brussel sprouts (for good measure -- and fiber). the food was AMAZING. the meat came out quickly, perfectly done (medium rare), and with several sauces for us to try. i gave derek about 2/3 of the meat (since i'm trying to watch my figure), and my 1/3 was the perfect amount. i found the bearnaise a bit too decadent, and the jus a bit too plain, but the peppercorn was a good flavor. i mean, honestly, the meat was so good that it didn't even need anything else, though the sauce did add a bit more interest. the brussel sprouts were also quite good. we decided to skip dessert since i was off to meet irene in k-town, but we were both really pleased w/the food AND the service. we even got our napkins folded whenever we stepped away! if anything, that should give this place FDE status. ha!
after dinner, i made my way to koryodong (http://wirednewyork.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-2872.html) -- a yummy dessert place in the middle of k-town. this is a great place to munch on sweets alone or w/friends. and i have to admit that i was here 2 nights in a row sitting at the exact same table. i guess there aren't that many dessert places in the city that are easily accessible to everyone. so i must send kudos to irene AND karen, who both trekked out to meet up w/me on consecutive nights! the first night, i went w/a ginger iced tea and a mango bomb. the tea was amazing, but i was disappointed that the bomb wasn't really your typical bomb. it was a mini-cake bomb and not an ice cream bomb. my rec: order something else. irene's creme brulee wasn't too shabby, but definitely not my favorite. the second night, i went w/a citrus iced tea (the same one that irene had gotten hot) and i thought that was delicious. (i must admit to loving acid these days.) for dessert, i chose the shaved ice w/the green tea ice cream. OMG. i ate the whole thing myself, i was super bloated, and yet i wanted another. this thing was SO good. in addition to the ice and the ice cream, there was also fresh fruit and red bean -- i was in heaven. must...go...back....
the next morning, i made my way uptown to meet up w/soon the elder. while waiting for the bus, i made the acquaintance of an older woman who works for UNICEF. at first, i was a little wary when she asked if i wanted to split a cab uptown if the bus didn't show up. i suppose i haven't lost my new york edge b/c i thought she might ditch me in the cab w/the fare. thankfully, the bus arrived and i got over my attitude. it was great hearing about the woman, her job, and her travels around the world -- all of this in a 15-minute timespan! she even gave me a l'occitane towelette and a big hug when we both got off the bus at 80th street. now isn't that a lovely way to start the weekend?
i picked up soon at his fancy schmancy digs and we trekked over to oren's (http://www.orensdailyroast.com/) for a bit of coffee before trekking through central park. my pumpkin latte was yummy, and i'm glad we got a bit of caffeine, b/c i really made soon work. we rambled along many dirt paths and covered a fair bit of the park going from east to west. we even made it over to belvedere castle, where i spotted wild turkeys! (they're on my camera phone -- i think i got a bit of their backsides.) after some huffing and puffing (dang we're old), we made it out of the park alive.
at this point, i was starving. and since we both needed to head downtown, soon suggested the jazz brunch at garage (http://www.garagerest.com/). now, i've been wanting to try this place FOREVER, so he pretty much read my mind. as we walked in, we were greeted by the hostess and the lovely sounds of live jazz. we got seated at a fabulous table on the balcony overlooking the 3-piece band and the entire restaurant. the decorations were beautiful, including an upside down christmas tree hanging over the bar! the jazz brunch is a great value, since $15.95 can buy you a full and hearty meal. i went w/OJ and the farmer's market omelet. despite not getting my egg whites, i was very pleased.
after a bit of jazz, we jetted down to soho -- soon in search of michelle's xmas present and me to catch up w/brig. soon has zero sense of time (sorry, soon!), so i had to cab it over to the movie theater where brig & i were going to watch benjamin button. of course, i was THRILLED to see brig, who's been stuck in the boonies of bloomington for months now. unfortunately, i was NOT thrilled to see benjamin button, which has been entirely overrated. not only was the storyline bland, but the chemistry b/w brad and cate was totally lacking, and the whole aging and reverse aging w/the make-up was just bizarre and un-authentic. while some of the scenes were quite beautiful, they couldn't quite make up for the movie's shortfalls. (i'm sorry, mike, but you know nothing about good movies. nothing AT ALL.)
seeing that i couldn't stick around for revolutionary road (BUMMER!), brig & i decided to trek around union square until her second movie. we made our way over to TJ's, which she doesn't have in bloomington, and we spent a good amount of time checking out all the cute guys that exist in new york, but not in bloomington OR LA. *sigh* oh, till we're back in the city again....
the next morning, i met up w/ivana & ashley for sunday brunch at david burke & donatella (http://www.dbdrestaurant.com/). well, at least that's what it was called until the end of 2008! (apparently, the partnership went splitsville in august, and the name change to david burke townhouse wasn't going to happen until the new year. shows how much i'm up on foodie news -- *sigh*) at any rate, the experience was DIVINE. at first, i was a little nervous, since i walked in (the last to show up) and the room was in a complete hush. (the last time i had to deal w/this was at town, and that was NOT a pleasant experience.) however, after a few more parties showed up, talking at normal volume wasn't a problem. in addition to lovely waitstaff, db&d had fabulous decor. it was all quite chic & festive, decked out in red & white. while some critics have grumbled that it's too feminine, i think they're idiots. i think the decor is totally cool & trendy, and i loved it.
as for the food, it was AMAZING. and seeing that is my NEW FAVORITE in the city, i'm devoting a whole paragraph to it. (that and the fact that we shared everything, so i must comment on ALL the food.) for my prix-fixe brunch (a great price for so much food), i chose the lobster-lemongrass bisque (w/yummy bits of apple), the asparagus casserole (w/perfect mini-cubes of potato), and the chocolate-gingerbread mousse. ivana went with the pretzel crusted crabcake (that came in a lovely rectangle), the reuben bendict (though she got the nova scotia benedict by mistake -- eek!), and the coconut layer cake. ashley chose the granola parfait w/the mango donuts (that sadly turned out to be singular rather than plural), a main dish that i can't remember, and the butterscotch panna cotta. out of everyone's dishes, i have to say that i loved my selections the best! the bisque was great, probably b/c it wasn't too lobster-ey. (FYI that i don't generally enjoy lobster or shrimp.) and even though i picked out most of the potatoes, the veggies in my main dish were delicious. the mousse was equally amazing and totally decadent. i thought ivana's crab cake was really yummy, and we both enjoyed the cream on her coconut cake, though we both found the cake itself on the dry side. we also enjoyed splitting ashley's single mango donut, though we missed the mango filling that was supposedly in the middle but was nowhere to be found. ashley's panna cotta was nice and creamy as well. along with our chosen items, we also got a lovely soup as our amuse bouche and delicious rosemary popovers. this was definitely my BEST meal in new york this time around.
after rolling out of the restaurant on a full belly, i trekked uptown to meet up w/nicole for another outing in the park. we both love walking, so the park was the perfect adventure. especially when we got lost and couldn't figure out what direction we were going in! i didn't mind too much, though nicole seemed somewhat concerned. thankfully, our combined powers of bad direction led us to the boathouse cafe (http://www.thecentralparkboathouse.com/sections/home.htm) for some yummy snacking. as i was still on a fully belly, i decided to hydrate instead, though i did snag a few bites of nicole's oatmeal raisin cookie. the atmosphere was really nice, though we had to sit outside since the place was so packed. the view is quite lovely, and nicole vowed to go back for a full meal sometime soon.
seeing as how it was getting dark (and both of us were directionally challenged), we decided to trek over to the guggenheim (http://www.guggenheim.org/) to check out the exhibits. the museum was closing surprisingly early (for me at least), so we managed to get discount tickets. (thanks, nicole!) while the photo exhibit left a lot to be desired, the design & space of the museum is really enough to fascinate me. the spiral walkway and the immense height are absolutely amazing. while nicole found the random phrases printed on the walls to be quite depressing, i suppose i was too enraptured by the interior design to be pulled downward. i even found the drowned body of pinocchio in the pool of the lobby to be quite amusing. (is that so wrong? ok, maybe it is.)
after lots of uptown time, i made my way downtown to meet evelyn for a stroll over to the seaport. she was w/o kikyo this time, so it was a good opportunity to catch up on the latest dish. it's always good to see her b/c she always has so much to say! i wish i could be so fluid w/my words. then again, she IS a writer. : ) so given that i'd asked for a street vendor hot dog, evelyn didn't force me to eat at nathan's, but instead purchased me a seaport dog outside pier 17. (i love you, evelyn!) then we wandered over to her favorite cafe nearby for some veggies, some coffee, and some dessert. she chose the berry tart and i went for the lemon tart. and they were just what we needed to sweeten up the night.
rather than seeing yet another film that might disappoint me, i decided to see something i knew i'd love -- let the right one in. it was playing at the angelika (to which i haven't been in YEARS), and i was in the mood to be alone that night w/a vampire love story. b/c this was probably my favorite movie of the year, i'd suggest that everyone see it rather than asking me what it's about. all i can say is that the storyline, the dialogue, and the cinematography were all equally amazing. and more than that, it won a major award at the tribeca film festival. i'm just sorry i missed it the first time and had to wait until it played at UCLA!
before i left for the airport, i was actually able to see mikisha at josie's (http://www.josiesnyc.com/) a block from jeff's apt, and debra at tisserie (http://www.tisserie.com/) at union square. it was all a bit of a whirlwind, but a great way to end the trip. i even got a chance to walk through the union square market really quick before booking it to penn station! oh, how i miss it already....
back to LA - 2
a few days after i got back, i met up w/john tam who was visiting from out of town. i'd been wanting to check out rock sugar (http://www.rocksugarpanasiankitchen.com/) for the longest time, so i made a reservation for 2 and we caught up over some yummy pan asian cuisine. i'd mentioned this place to the foodie gang way back when, but i got politely shot down by jenny who thought it might be overdone. to be honest, it was totally over the top in terms of decor, but yet everything totally worked. it's like tao having a giant buddha. i mean, is it necesary? no. then again, is it awesome? uhhh... YES. and i was totally impressed by the high ceilings and the heated patio. john commented on all the lights, which he was sure looked amazing at night.
in addition to great decor, we were met w/a great menu & a great server. considering that i don't drink alcohol, i was excited that there was finally a dedicated list of non-alcoholic options. w/some help from the server, i decided on the yuzu lemon crush, which was a wonderful blend of acidic sweetness. john went w/a thai iced tea, and we decided to dive into the menu. thank goodness for sharing b/c there were so many yummy things to try. we decided on the green mango & papaya salad and the calamari to start. i didn't really understand the salad selection, but john said that was his favorite, so i thought i'd oblige. both were good, but nothing too memorable. for the main dishes, we went w/the pork vindaloo that came w/the festive rice, and the singapore omelette. i thought the omelette was good, but the pork vindaloo was FABULOUS. it tasted so incredibly good -- great flavor, just the right amount of chew, oh so succulent. it was nice to have the rice to balance it out, though i'm dying now to try the ginger fried rice w/chinese sausage. (who's interested??) for dessert, i wanted the warm ginger cake and john chose the thai basil ice cream. both were quite scrumptious, but i really want to try the vietnamese coffee ice cream now. augh! how can i be hungry at 1 in the morning? oh how easily i get myself in a tizzy!
i celebrated new year's eve w/dr. griffin, judy, and judy's friend at beacon (http://www.beacon-la.com/index.php) in culver city. i thought i'd give this place another shot after dining there w/the foodie gang a while back, but i was once again underwhelmed. after being told that changing the size of my reservation wouldn't be a big deal, we ended up being seated at a 2-person table! i mean, seriously? i know it was partly my fault, but don't lie to me. i'm not stupid, y'know? at any rate, three of us ended up ordering salads, b/c they were out of kim's fish. i mean, how are you out of stuff on new year's eve? don't you prepare ahead of time? it was all very tiring after a while. thankfully, the night ended w/desserts. the chocolate dessert was totally melt in your mouth. unfortunately, the green tea cake was noticeably dry. bleh. no more. no more! it's time for a fresh start.
paris wanderings
so i spent my 30th birthday in paris. it was an independence trip to celebrate my free spirit and my sagitarrian sensibilities. yes, there are places where it's not safe, but where it is, i love travelling on my own. i can wake up whenever i want. i can do whatever i want. i can go wherever i want. and i can change my mind a bazillion times (haha, eri, haha) -- over and over and over. it's a beautiful thing.
i suppose it's too late to comment on every detail of this trip (though i could certainly go on ad nauseum to whoever would like to hear about it), but let's just say that i had the best time. i was a little out of it at first in my little room at les trois poussins (a cute little hotel on a side street in montmartre -- http://www.les3poussins.com/). then again, i was on a plane for hours and hours, so who wouldn't be a little off? (still, i'm forever grateful and thankful for direct flights.)
after a day and a half of getting somewhat un-jetlagged, i stopped wondering what the heck i was doing in paris and i started to really enjoy it. i walked around for hours and hours a day, and i saw all the sights that i'd never gotten to see on previous visits -- the louvre, the musee d'orsay, the musee rodin. i checked out some lesser known sights -- the catacombs, the chateau de vincennes, the musee dali. and i went back to some of my favorite places in the city -- sacre coeur, the jardin des tuileries, the jardin du luxembourg. i also checked out some new sights that have sprung up in recent years -- the ferris wheel at the place de la concorde and the holiday market down the champs elysee.
i could go on and on about the loveliness of all the sights, but the best part was being able to get to them on foot. roaming around paris, strolling along the seine, and walking all the way "home" to montmartre at the end of the day was absolute heaven for me. and doing it all in the light drizzle wasn't even too horrible. there's just something so romantic about rain in paris. even when you're all by yourself.
one of the best parts of paris is the ubiquity of crepes. i swear i had at least a crepe a day while i was there, and the best one BY FAR contained cheese and merguez sausage. it was absolutely SCRUMPTIOUS. and i'm so glad i couldn't finish it b/c i seriously could've died from the grease. but OMG was it delicious! i picked it up from this guy on the rue montmartre who kept trying to speak to me in french, and i swear i told him i thought it was hot outside when i was literally freezing to death waiting for this unforgettable crepe. thank god i survived the wait!
in addition to regular crepe eating, i allowed myself a pastry a day, and i sampled from cute little bakeries and pastry shops within a small radius of my hotel. and b/c i ate heavier at lunch, i usually just picked up small eats for dinner from the local eateries -- the cheese & meat shops, the rotisserie/butcher shops, the sushi place, and even the supermarket. i loved coming home at the end of the day and just walking around my little neighborhood. i somehow felt like i belonged there, like i'd be back soon.
last but not least, we must go into my amazing foodie experiences while i was abroad! and i must say that i had QUITE the gastronomic adventures. in my first foray into parisian fine dining, i decided to check out l'atelier du joel robuchon (http://www.joel-robuchon.com/). to be honest, i think i would've fared MUCH better at la table du joel robuchon b/c i'm simply not a fan of wraparound bar eating. even though guides say that bar eating works great for solo diners, i think it really depends on what kind of solo diner you are. i prefer a TABLE. to MYSELF. so i don't have to TALK -- at least not to anyone but the waitstaff. what i got at l'atelier was a seat by two americans (good grief) -- one who was quite lovely and the other who was quite, well, loud. needless to say, i ended up conversing w/them and it wasn't too painful. (i even got my dessert paid for! in honor of my birthday -- very sweet indeed.) but i would've preferred not feeling rushed to order and not feeling rushed to eat. in the end, i was entirely displeased with the pigeon, which came out unceremoniously wrapped in cabbage, and which tasted, well, gross. i can't even remember whether i finished it all, but it was neither pleasing to the eye nor the palate. on the flip side, the lamb was delicious. even though there was very little meat on each of the chops, what was on there was amazingly flavorful. (at 45 euros for 5 chops, it better have been good!) and the grapefruit dessert had really great acid. on top of everything, the service was excellent. all of the servers spoke just enough english to make the atmosphere pleasant and inviting. i'd love to go back -- were it not for the wraparound bar and the high chairs (where my feet couldn't touch the ground).
the next day, i decided to check out brasserie lipp (http://www.groupe-bertrand.com/lipp.php), a quintessential parisian brasserie. totally old school w/an older clientele to match. the most important thing to know about this place is that you can't be in any sort of the rush. the service is, shall we say, slow. and even though everyone was quite pleasant (including the maitre d', who looked like a cross b/w tim gunn & the shoe fetish guy on SATC), they're not looking to turn tables. here i decided to order quintessential parisian dishes -- the escargots, the duck confit, and the millefeuille. all were quite good, though nothing jawdropping.
of all the restaurants i visited while i was in paris, my ABSOLUTE favorite was spoon (food & wine) (http://www.spoon.tm.fr/public_fr/actualite/index.htm). this place is one of several spoon adventures around the world, all of which are situated in exotic locales -- paris, hong kong, mauritius, and saint tropez. and rightly so b/c the food is absolutely AMAZING. i don't remember the last time i had food THIS good. moreover, each dish was a spectacular piece of art. to the point where i simply wanted to cry when i had to sink my utensil into the dish and break it up. i wish i'd remembered that my blackberry has a camera (oh don't even say it) b/c i don't think i even came close to imprinting the beauty of those dishes in my memory. at the start of the meal, i received a lovely amuse bouche -- a mix of tofu, mushrooms, and spinach. i know it doesn't SOUND appetizing, but it was quite pretty in its tall shot glass and quite yummy in my mouth. my ceviche appetizer was gorgeous w/the sauce a perfect blend of oil & acid. my ribs entree was the tallest dish i've received to date. what gave it height was the super thin potato chips and the fluffy lettuce leaves. all went well w/the scrumptious meat. i ended the meal w/the mac 'along -- a citrus dessert that was nice & light. coffee came w/more cookies. and i realized how much i love getting unexpected things for free.
for my last restaurant meal, i had dinner at le potager du marais (http://www.restaurantsomh.com/p19.htm) -- a vegetarian spot in the marais. considering how meat-loving paris is in general, it can be tough to find good veggies NOT cooked in lard. (not that i have anything against lard of course.) thankfully, this place does a pretty good job. i had a great vegan zucchini soup to start, and i've decided that cream is so unnecessary in veggie soups. my eggplant was great with spinach, though the almond rice was really bland. however, the meal ended with a delicious pear tarte tatin. i have to admit that the crust tasted like semi-cooked dough, but the perfectly caramelized pears pretty much made up for that.
back to LA - 1
after i got back to LA in early december, i only had a few weeks before jetting to new york for the holidays. but during that time, i ran a 10K and enjoyed some lovely post-run eats w/dani. considering that i hadn't worked out since before thanksgiving, i totally surprised myself by completing the santa monica-venice christmas run in a record 1:01:28.4! that's less than a 10-minute mile, folks! (i was so excited that i ended up buying a picture of myself. which required scouring through a bazillion pics on the website. of course, this is what i get for wearing my number on the back instead of the front.) with this accomplishment, i'm now ready to attempt a halfsie. (see resolutions post.) WOOHOO!
as for our lovely post-run eats, dani & i made it over to axe (http://www.axerestaurant.com/) -- a chic spot in venice that i discovered w/the HEOC ladies way back in the day. the restaurant just opened before we got there, so we were thrilled. we decided on the ginormous 9-grain pancake, the basic rice bowl (which the waitress suggested), the apple smoked bacon, and the chicken apple sausage. the sides were completely throwaway (sadness), but the pancake was delicious and filling, and the rice bowl was quite scrumptious too. last time, the star sighting was rosario dawson. this time, hilary swank. uh huh. AW YEAH.
while i was back, i also went to see the reader and slumdog millionaire. i must operate on a totally different movie rating system than critics (with my site of choice being metacritic.com) b/c i loved the reader and found slumdog millionaire a bit overrated. i'll admit i'm a total kate winslet fan, and i've been dying to see revolutionary road as well. but i thought the reader was quite moving and i disagree w/critics who think the point was overly made. i mean, is there really just one point? and can you really overly make it? well, perhaps there is and perhaps you can, but the reader did not. for me, one of the main points was this: sometimes you make choices on impulse, sometimes you make them with thought, but ultimately you often make choices that no one can possibly understand but you.
as for slumdog millionaire, i wish that people hadn't hyped up the movie so much. i hate when people say 'that was the best movie ever!' i mean, are you kidding? how many movies have you SEEN? and do you know anything about movies? ok ok, i know i sound like a movie snob when i'm the one that pays to see HSM 3 (which was fabulous btw). but shut up already! i'm just SAYING that 'the best movie EVER' is just a bit MUCH. at any rate, i did think the movie came close to meeting the hype (unlike benjamin button -- scroll down below). i think i would've been a bigger fan had i even watched a single episode of who wants to be a millionaire, but i found the storyline quite engaging. flashbacks don't work for every movie, but the past-present switching worked really well in this film. the cinematography also had a lovely indie quality about it, including a memorable shot of latika looking up at jamal from below. the bollywood dance at the end clinched the movie perfectly. it totally made you want to get up and shake your groove thang.
i love new york
yes, it's my hometown. yes, i know it really well. and yes, i'm falling in love with it all over again. after being in LA for almost 6 years, i'm tired of southern california -- weather and all. i miss walking and i miss being in a city that's up all night -- even when i'm not.
after catching up w/my mom for a night, i moved out to jeff's apt in murray hill (thanks, jeff! hugs & kisses!). i must admit that i didn't even get to indulge in his amazing flat-screen TV b/c i literally came home every night after hours and hours of walking and promptly passed out. it was such luscious sleep. and i realized then and there that i'll only get a full 8 hours if i wear myself out earlier in the day. mmm....
on my first full day in the city, i kicked off the morning w/neena & matt in c-town for dim sum! we went to a small place down on mott street. i think it's evergreen or emerald something, but it's a place that jeff took me to back in the day. there seemed to be fewer carts, probably b/c we went on a weekday morning rather than a weekend morning. at any rate, the food was quite good, and we ordered plenty to fill us up -- spare ribs, beef balls, spring rolls, shumai, dumplings, sticky rice, roast pork buns, beef noodles, shrimp noodles, sesame balls, etc. i wish we'd had more room, but we could barely make it out of there as it was! after brunch, we drove up to rockefeller center and got a glimpse of the tree. it was more ginormous than i remembered it, and the crowds were more intense that i remembered them. thank goodness none of us needed to stick around for very long!
after that, i trekked downtown to meet up w/derek, who really wanted to see waltz w/bashir. granted, i'd never heard of it AND it was animation, but i so rarely get to indulge my BFF, so i thought i might as well. i show up and the first thing he tells me is that he's had stomach flu. GROSS. which means i spend our whole time together making sure he doesn't breathe on me -- huge germophobe that i am. so we go in and sit down. 10 minutes in, he nudges me and says "i'm bored." and i'm thinking "THANK GOD B/C I'M DYING HERE." a few minutes later, we get up and walk out. we've done this before (c/o spider -- the worst movie ever made) and i have NO qualms about doing it again. i swear i was already passing out w/in the first 5 minutes!
we decided to trek over to soho to explore 2 chocolate cafes he was looking to check out. we stopped by vosges, which i've been to, and which is way more shop than cafe. so we decided on the cacao bar at the mariebelle (http://www.mariebelle.com/s.nl/it.I/id.3/.f) instead. this place has a lovely shop in the front and a cute little cafe in the back. and derek & i both decided to indulge in some hot chocolate before dinner. derek went for the spicy, which he thought was good but not very spicy. and i went for the unsweetened, which had a nice bitterness to it. both were quite decadent, though we weren't sure whether they gave us our drinks American-style (w/water) or European-style (w/milk). (or is that vice versa?)
at this point, we were both starving for dinner, so we trekked up to nick & stef's (http://www.patinagroup.com/east/nickStef/), where i'd made a reservation several weeks ago. i was surprised that so many folks were already at dinner, especially since our reservation was for 6PM and there was already a pretty full house. (we found out from our waitress that there was a game at MSG. of course, neither of us had a clue who -- or what -- was playing!) since derek's tummy was still off, and i didn't want to gorge myself, we decided to split the porterhouse for 2 and tack on some brussel sprouts (for good measure -- and fiber). the food was AMAZING. the meat came out quickly, perfectly done (medium rare), and with several sauces for us to try. i gave derek about 2/3 of the meat (since i'm trying to watch my figure), and my 1/3 was the perfect amount. i found the bearnaise a bit too decadent, and the jus a bit too plain, but the peppercorn was a good flavor. i mean, honestly, the meat was so good that it didn't even need anything else, though the sauce did add a bit more interest. the brussel sprouts were also quite good. we decided to skip dessert since i was off to meet irene in k-town, but we were both really pleased w/the food AND the service. we even got our napkins folded whenever we stepped away! if anything, that should give this place FDE status. ha!
after dinner, i made my way to koryodong (http://wirednewyork.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-2872.html) -- a yummy dessert place in the middle of k-town. this is a great place to munch on sweets alone or w/friends. and i have to admit that i was here 2 nights in a row sitting at the exact same table. i guess there aren't that many dessert places in the city that are easily accessible to everyone. so i must send kudos to irene AND karen, who both trekked out to meet up w/me on consecutive nights! the first night, i went w/a ginger iced tea and a mango bomb. the tea was amazing, but i was disappointed that the bomb wasn't really your typical bomb. it was a mini-cake bomb and not an ice cream bomb. my rec: order something else. irene's creme brulee wasn't too shabby, but definitely not my favorite. the second night, i went w/a citrus iced tea (the same one that irene had gotten hot) and i thought that was delicious. (i must admit to loving acid these days.) for dessert, i chose the shaved ice w/the green tea ice cream. OMG. i ate the whole thing myself, i was super bloated, and yet i wanted another. this thing was SO good. in addition to the ice and the ice cream, there was also fresh fruit and red bean -- i was in heaven. must...go...back....
the next morning, i made my way uptown to meet up w/soon the elder. while waiting for the bus, i made the acquaintance of an older woman who works for UNICEF. at first, i was a little wary when she asked if i wanted to split a cab uptown if the bus didn't show up. i suppose i haven't lost my new york edge b/c i thought she might ditch me in the cab w/the fare. thankfully, the bus arrived and i got over my attitude. it was great hearing about the woman, her job, and her travels around the world -- all of this in a 15-minute timespan! she even gave me a l'occitane towelette and a big hug when we both got off the bus at 80th street. now isn't that a lovely way to start the weekend?
i picked up soon at his fancy schmancy digs and we trekked over to oren's (http://www.orensdailyroast.com/) for a bit of coffee before trekking through central park. my pumpkin latte was yummy, and i'm glad we got a bit of caffeine, b/c i really made soon work. we rambled along many dirt paths and covered a fair bit of the park going from east to west. we even made it over to belvedere castle, where i spotted wild turkeys! (they're on my camera phone -- i think i got a bit of their backsides.) after some huffing and puffing (dang we're old), we made it out of the park alive.
at this point, i was starving. and since we both needed to head downtown, soon suggested the jazz brunch at garage (http://www.garagerest.com/). now, i've been wanting to try this place FOREVER, so he pretty much read my mind. as we walked in, we were greeted by the hostess and the lovely sounds of live jazz. we got seated at a fabulous table on the balcony overlooking the 3-piece band and the entire restaurant. the decorations were beautiful, including an upside down christmas tree hanging over the bar! the jazz brunch is a great value, since $15.95 can buy you a full and hearty meal. i went w/OJ and the farmer's market omelet. despite not getting my egg whites, i was very pleased.
after a bit of jazz, we jetted down to soho -- soon in search of michelle's xmas present and me to catch up w/brig. soon has zero sense of time (sorry, soon!), so i had to cab it over to the movie theater where brig & i were going to watch benjamin button. of course, i was THRILLED to see brig, who's been stuck in the boonies of bloomington for months now. unfortunately, i was NOT thrilled to see benjamin button, which has been entirely overrated. not only was the storyline bland, but the chemistry b/w brad and cate was totally lacking, and the whole aging and reverse aging w/the make-up was just bizarre and un-authentic. while some of the scenes were quite beautiful, they couldn't quite make up for the movie's shortfalls. (i'm sorry, mike, but you know nothing about good movies. nothing AT ALL.)
seeing that i couldn't stick around for revolutionary road (BUMMER!), brig & i decided to trek around union square until her second movie. we made our way over to TJ's, which she doesn't have in bloomington, and we spent a good amount of time checking out all the cute guys that exist in new york, but not in bloomington OR LA. *sigh* oh, till we're back in the city again....
the next morning, i met up w/ivana & ashley for sunday brunch at david burke & donatella (http://www.dbdrestaurant.com/). well, at least that's what it was called until the end of 2008! (apparently, the partnership went splitsville in august, and the name change to david burke townhouse wasn't going to happen until the new year. shows how much i'm up on foodie news -- *sigh*) at any rate, the experience was DIVINE. at first, i was a little nervous, since i walked in (the last to show up) and the room was in a complete hush. (the last time i had to deal w/this was at town, and that was NOT a pleasant experience.) however, after a few more parties showed up, talking at normal volume wasn't a problem. in addition to lovely waitstaff, db&d had fabulous decor. it was all quite chic & festive, decked out in red & white. while some critics have grumbled that it's too feminine, i think they're idiots. i think the decor is totally cool & trendy, and i loved it.
as for the food, it was AMAZING. and seeing that is my NEW FAVORITE in the city, i'm devoting a whole paragraph to it. (that and the fact that we shared everything, so i must comment on ALL the food.) for my prix-fixe brunch (a great price for so much food), i chose the lobster-lemongrass bisque (w/yummy bits of apple), the asparagus casserole (w/perfect mini-cubes of potato), and the chocolate-gingerbread mousse. ivana went with the pretzel crusted crabcake (that came in a lovely rectangle), the reuben bendict (though she got the nova scotia benedict by mistake -- eek!), and the coconut layer cake. ashley chose the granola parfait w/the mango donuts (that sadly turned out to be singular rather than plural), a main dish that i can't remember, and the butterscotch panna cotta. out of everyone's dishes, i have to say that i loved my selections the best! the bisque was great, probably b/c it wasn't too lobster-ey. (FYI that i don't generally enjoy lobster or shrimp.) and even though i picked out most of the potatoes, the veggies in my main dish were delicious. the mousse was equally amazing and totally decadent. i thought ivana's crab cake was really yummy, and we both enjoyed the cream on her coconut cake, though we both found the cake itself on the dry side. we also enjoyed splitting ashley's single mango donut, though we missed the mango filling that was supposedly in the middle but was nowhere to be found. ashley's panna cotta was nice and creamy as well. along with our chosen items, we also got a lovely soup as our amuse bouche and delicious rosemary popovers. this was definitely my BEST meal in new york this time around.
after rolling out of the restaurant on a full belly, i trekked uptown to meet up w/nicole for another outing in the park. we both love walking, so the park was the perfect adventure. especially when we got lost and couldn't figure out what direction we were going in! i didn't mind too much, though nicole seemed somewhat concerned. thankfully, our combined powers of bad direction led us to the boathouse cafe (http://www.thecentralparkboathouse.com/sections/home.htm) for some yummy snacking. as i was still on a fully belly, i decided to hydrate instead, though i did snag a few bites of nicole's oatmeal raisin cookie. the atmosphere was really nice, though we had to sit outside since the place was so packed. the view is quite lovely, and nicole vowed to go back for a full meal sometime soon.
seeing as how it was getting dark (and both of us were directionally challenged), we decided to trek over to the guggenheim (http://www.guggenheim.org/) to check out the exhibits. the museum was closing surprisingly early (for me at least), so we managed to get discount tickets. (thanks, nicole!) while the photo exhibit left a lot to be desired, the design & space of the museum is really enough to fascinate me. the spiral walkway and the immense height are absolutely amazing. while nicole found the random phrases printed on the walls to be quite depressing, i suppose i was too enraptured by the interior design to be pulled downward. i even found the drowned body of pinocchio in the pool of the lobby to be quite amusing. (is that so wrong? ok, maybe it is.)
after lots of uptown time, i made my way downtown to meet evelyn for a stroll over to the seaport. she was w/o kikyo this time, so it was a good opportunity to catch up on the latest dish. it's always good to see her b/c she always has so much to say! i wish i could be so fluid w/my words. then again, she IS a writer. : ) so given that i'd asked for a street vendor hot dog, evelyn didn't force me to eat at nathan's, but instead purchased me a seaport dog outside pier 17. (i love you, evelyn!) then we wandered over to her favorite cafe nearby for some veggies, some coffee, and some dessert. she chose the berry tart and i went for the lemon tart. and they were just what we needed to sweeten up the night.
rather than seeing yet another film that might disappoint me, i decided to see something i knew i'd love -- let the right one in. it was playing at the angelika (to which i haven't been in YEARS), and i was in the mood to be alone that night w/a vampire love story. b/c this was probably my favorite movie of the year, i'd suggest that everyone see it rather than asking me what it's about. all i can say is that the storyline, the dialogue, and the cinematography were all equally amazing. and more than that, it won a major award at the tribeca film festival. i'm just sorry i missed it the first time and had to wait until it played at UCLA!
before i left for the airport, i was actually able to see mikisha at josie's (http://www.josiesnyc.com/) a block from jeff's apt, and debra at tisserie (http://www.tisserie.com/) at union square. it was all a bit of a whirlwind, but a great way to end the trip. i even got a chance to walk through the union square market really quick before booking it to penn station! oh, how i miss it already....
back to LA - 2
a few days after i got back, i met up w/john tam who was visiting from out of town. i'd been wanting to check out rock sugar (http://www.rocksugarpanasiankitchen.com/) for the longest time, so i made a reservation for 2 and we caught up over some yummy pan asian cuisine. i'd mentioned this place to the foodie gang way back when, but i got politely shot down by jenny who thought it might be overdone. to be honest, it was totally over the top in terms of decor, but yet everything totally worked. it's like tao having a giant buddha. i mean, is it necesary? no. then again, is it awesome? uhhh... YES. and i was totally impressed by the high ceilings and the heated patio. john commented on all the lights, which he was sure looked amazing at night.
in addition to great decor, we were met w/a great menu & a great server. considering that i don't drink alcohol, i was excited that there was finally a dedicated list of non-alcoholic options. w/some help from the server, i decided on the yuzu lemon crush, which was a wonderful blend of acidic sweetness. john went w/a thai iced tea, and we decided to dive into the menu. thank goodness for sharing b/c there were so many yummy things to try. we decided on the green mango & papaya salad and the calamari to start. i didn't really understand the salad selection, but john said that was his favorite, so i thought i'd oblige. both were good, but nothing too memorable. for the main dishes, we went w/the pork vindaloo that came w/the festive rice, and the singapore omelette. i thought the omelette was good, but the pork vindaloo was FABULOUS. it tasted so incredibly good -- great flavor, just the right amount of chew, oh so succulent. it was nice to have the rice to balance it out, though i'm dying now to try the ginger fried rice w/chinese sausage. (who's interested??) for dessert, i wanted the warm ginger cake and john chose the thai basil ice cream. both were quite scrumptious, but i really want to try the vietnamese coffee ice cream now. augh! how can i be hungry at 1 in the morning? oh how easily i get myself in a tizzy!
i celebrated new year's eve w/dr. griffin, judy, and judy's friend at beacon (http://www.beacon-la.com/index.php) in culver city. i thought i'd give this place another shot after dining there w/the foodie gang a while back, but i was once again underwhelmed. after being told that changing the size of my reservation wouldn't be a big deal, we ended up being seated at a 2-person table! i mean, seriously? i know it was partly my fault, but don't lie to me. i'm not stupid, y'know? at any rate, three of us ended up ordering salads, b/c they were out of kim's fish. i mean, how are you out of stuff on new year's eve? don't you prepare ahead of time? it was all very tiring after a while. thankfully, the night ended w/desserts. the chocolate dessert was totally melt in your mouth. unfortunately, the green tea cake was noticeably dry. bleh. no more. no more! it's time for a fresh start.
new year's resolutions
so here we are in 2009 and i've put together a set of resolutions that i've vowed to try and stick to. i'm hoping that putting them in print will make them come true. (let's keep our fingers crossed!)
FYI that nicole recently asked me how i even had time to get my resolutions on paper. and i must say that this helps answer the question: what do you DO when you're eating out by yourself? i mean, not every restaurant has interesting diners or views to stare at. and chatting on my mobile phone (the whole time, if at all) is just plain rude! so in the spirit of the holidays and the new year, i decided to jot down a few resoluations for the year. check it out and let me know if you'd like to join in the fun....
1. do a half-marathon (i already made it through several 10K's, so it's time to raise the bar.)
2. visit south america (it's time to hit another continent!)
3. cook twice a week (i need to use my kitchen aid mixer. i mean, seriously, it's been 3 years.)
4. eat salad 4 times a week (i've paid for a CSA box to be picked up on 1/7 -- YAY!)
5. work out 3 times a week (20-30 minutes of cardio a day & regular strength training)
6. read 1 (non-academic) book a month (i'm halfway through a million books -- they must be finished! no wonder i stick to short stories -- *sigh*)
7. check out 1 FDE a month (i need my regular fix!)
8. bus to more places (enough of my mass transit complaints -- must stop WHINING.)
9. blog once a week (this is for all my awesome readers out there!)
10. eat in moderation (more tasting & less gorging makes for a happier me.)
i fully expect to make these resolutions happen. so kudos to everyone who helps me succeed! : )
YAY for an AMAZING year to come!! : )
FYI that nicole recently asked me how i even had time to get my resolutions on paper. and i must say that this helps answer the question: what do you DO when you're eating out by yourself? i mean, not every restaurant has interesting diners or views to stare at. and chatting on my mobile phone (the whole time, if at all) is just plain rude! so in the spirit of the holidays and the new year, i decided to jot down a few resoluations for the year. check it out and let me know if you'd like to join in the fun....
1. do a half-marathon (i already made it through several 10K's, so it's time to raise the bar.)
2. visit south america (it's time to hit another continent!)
3. cook twice a week (i need to use my kitchen aid mixer. i mean, seriously, it's been 3 years.)
4. eat salad 4 times a week (i've paid for a CSA box to be picked up on 1/7 -- YAY!)
5. work out 3 times a week (20-30 minutes of cardio a day & regular strength training)
6. read 1 (non-academic) book a month (i'm halfway through a million books -- they must be finished! no wonder i stick to short stories -- *sigh*)
7. check out 1 FDE a month (i need my regular fix!)
8. bus to more places (enough of my mass transit complaints -- must stop WHINING.)
9. blog once a week (this is for all my awesome readers out there!)
10. eat in moderation (more tasting & less gorging makes for a happier me.)
i fully expect to make these resolutions happen. so kudos to everyone who helps me succeed! : )
YAY for an AMAZING year to come!! : )
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
lots and lots of birthday eats - mmm... mmm... good!
so it's been an absolutely AMAZING two weeks of birthday eats -- all thanks to some great friends who've taken me out for my 30th birthday. (i seriously love you guys!!)
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first off, kelly and i decided to fine dine at jiraffe -- one of my FAVORITE restaurants in santa monica. the dining room has these amazingly high ceilings and the chandeliers always emit this perfectly warm glow. it's one of those rooms that makes you feel loved. and what better way to feel loved than to have the chef meeting and greeting the whole night! it was quite fabulous, especially since i've spotted him on food network before. though at some point i did wonder whether he was in the dining room more than the kitchen!
for this meal, we weren't just celebrating my birthday, but also kel's great big job offer! now, i know i'm not her mom or anything, but i'm totally SO proud of her. what an amazing feat to score a job with deutsche, especially during this completely wrecked economy. i'm THRILLED. and i suppose i owe tremendous thanks to kel's deutsche signing bonus for my lovely meal. three cheers for deutsche!
while kel went for the bistro menu (jiraffe's prix-fixe concept), i decided to pick all 3 appetizer specials. the combination of dishes gave us a fabulous spread of all different flavors. kel's lobster bisque was QUITE amazing (especially considering that i'm not the biggest fan of lobster). the bisque was creamy, but not uber heavy, and there were large chunks of lobster and other yummy things in it. i went w/the vegan squash soup and i was delighted w/the little bits of crunchy garnish on top. (i'm totally in love with vegetable puree soups -- there's something so hearty and healthy about them.)
for the main entree, kel went w/the short rib (which was moist and delicious), and i went w/the asparagus salad and the rabbit medallions. while the asparagus salad wasn't anything to write home about, the rabbit was good. however, the medallions were quite miniature and not really medallion-ey, and the dish was uber salty. (ok, so maybe we need to redefine the word "good" here.) the waitress attributed the saltiness to the olives, which surprised me since i hadn't even realized they were in there! (btw, i'm generally anti-olive.) i suppose some rice or bread probably would've done the trick, but salty is as salty does. (i have no idea why that phrase came to mind, but heck, it's my blog, so i'm gonna leave it.)
we ended off this yummy meal w/kel's banana cream pie and my lemon meyer souffle. i'm not the biggest fan of bananas in general, and especially not in desserts, so i only took a few bites of the pie. but recently, i've been really getting into lemon desserts! there's something about the kick and bite of the citrus that seems to delight my palate. that being said, the souffle was really yummy, w/the sweetness of the blackberry providing the perfect contrast to the acidity of the lemon. it was all quite heavenly. ("quite" being my word of the blog.)
jiraffe
http://www.jirafferestaurant.com/index.html
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on a lovely day off from school (hugs to all the veteran spirits out there!), i decided to trek out to the grove a little early. and i'm so glad i did b/c the place is ALREADY decked out in christmas lights! the ginormous inflated gingerbread house and the super tall christmas tree are both up. and the place is brimming w/holiday cheer. i suppose this is what southern california christmases are like, though there's no substitution for rockefeller center and central park during the holidays. *sigh* *double sigh*
after i did a bit of window shopping (and survived a walk through anthropologie w/o spending any money -- a miracle in and of itself), i trekked over to AOC to meet dani for my birthday dinner! now dani has absolutely been raving about this place for AGES, so i'm really glad i finally got to experience it for myself! she was already waiting, which was perfect, since we were both quite famished and ready to dive into the menus. YUM!
since this was my first time to AOC, i had no idea what to expect. i'd been to celadon down the street, which i LOVED. (and i must to being extremely depressed now that i just googled it to find out that it's CLOSED. *sniff*) in contrast to celadon's dramatic decor, AOC was much warmer, and similar to jiraffe, exhibited a nice warm glow. dani mentioned how she loved it for being so unpretentious and laidback. and i totally agree. even the waitress was totally relaxed and super helpful. (unlike comme ca, where the servers were pretentious assholes who did absolutely ZERO work -- is this what bitterness sounds like? YES.)
as AOC is a restaurant of shared plates, we ordered about 4-5 dishes, as suggested by the waitress. per dani, we absolutely HAD to order the stuffed dates wrapped in prosciutto. i swear i don't see it anywhere on the online menu now that i'm checking for correct names, but i suppose it could've been on the printed menu. at any rate, they were PHENOMENAL. the perfect combination of salty and sweet in a perfect bite.
in addition to the dates, we ordered the chicken liver crostini w/pancetta and the warm ham hock salad w/sweet potato and dandelion -- since pratically everything's yummier w/pork, right? both were quite good, but i must admit to loving the sweetbreads the most. the dish came w/sunchokes and truffle butter, and you could most DEFINITELY smell the truffles. the sweetbreads were perfectly cooked and quite irresistable. mmm.... i can still taste them.... i'm almost positive we ordered one more thing, but... oh wait! yes yes, we ordered the kabocha squash gratin w/poblanos & queso fresco. a perfect marriage of mushy squash w/crunchy gratin, and sweetness w/saltiness.
we ended the meal w/a nice pear & huckleberry crisp. it wasn't particularly memorable, but ending w/fruit generally makes me feel a little bit better after lavish meals. :)
AOC
http://www.aocwinebar.com/
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to finish off the week's FDE's, the foodie gang (jenny, justin, dorothy, & i) splurged on a meal at catch. now i admit that this was a choice based on random reviews & DMP's suggestion, but i was thoroughly surprised when we looked around and realized that we were the youngest party in the ENTIRE restaurant. it was as if the whole room had turned 40 or 50+ and we'd stopped aging! (granted, 3 of us were asian, so of course, that upped the ante just a bit.) at any rate, the food experience was still quite good, though the overall ambiance was a little bit *too* reserved for my tastes. hey, at least we were close to the water, right?
to start, we picked out a couple of appetizers. now, with this group, it's always hard to know when folks want to share or not. however, i always go in thinking, the goal is to share, but i'm definitely picking out what *i* want to eat. that being said, jenny picked out the albacore crudo, while dorothy decided on 2 orders of scallops for the table along w/the butternut squash tortelli, and i picked out the bresaola so we'd have something green. i suppose i could've done w/o the scallops seeing as how i'm not the biggest fan of them. (however, the group seemed to like that dish most, so what do i know?) while the tortelli was quite good, the bresaola was a bit of a throwaway (though i did appreciate having some greens on my plate). the albacore had a nice bite and chew (though of course i've decided recently that raw fish isn't really my thing).
for the mains, three of us got fish: justin (the tai snapper), dorothy (the monkfish), and me (the branzino). jenny (who'd just come out of a major bout of food poisoning - poor thing!) went w/the gulf prawns that came w/bucatini pasta and wild broccoli. out of the mains, i liked mine best! : ) i'm a HUGE fan of branzino, and even though i couldn't describe it until it got to my mouth, i realized that i love it b/c the texture is just like trout (which is my absolute all-time favorite fish!!!)! there's just something about a fish that flakes apart on your plate. (i swear i can't wait to go fishing!)
it's always so fascinating how fish have such different consistencies and textures. justin's snapper, for example, was more flaky than i preferred. it reminded me of the cod and haddock that's used for fish and chips, and which i don't like very much at all. on the other hand, dorothy's monkfish tasted exactly as she said it would -- like lobster and shrimp. and as most of you know, i'm not the biggest fan of lobster or shrimp (or scallops) or any seafood that has a high chew factor. i mean, anything i have to gnaw at (unless it's steak) is simply not worth the effort. one exception, however, would be jenny's bucatini pasta, which was quite al dente, and which i surprisingly enjoyed chewing, despite my lack of interest in pasta generally. (dang! i guess i AM picky.)
to close out the evening, we ordered several desserts, for which jenny asked the waitress to bring candles. we went w/the dessert special (the walnut meringue -- which the waitress suggested and which we'd seen delivered to a nearby table), the chocolate souffle (a staple), and the fried brioche (a personal pick). while the souffle and brioche (glorified donut holes, which were actually way better at craft) were good, the highlight was definitely the meringue. layers of airy walnut meringue alternating w/layers of luscious walnut cream (at least i *think* they were all walnut!) -- the combination was fabulous. the souffle also came w/some espresso meringue, which was quite scrumptious, and which makes it seems like meringue may be a house specialty!
all in all, this was a lovely meal, though i'm not sure if it was worth being surrounded by 40somethings all night. am i being a princess? umm, YES.
catch
http://www.catchsantamonica.com/
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in addition to the aforementioned FDE's, i also got to catch up (finally!!!) w/marina at literati cafe, where i got to feast on an absolutely DIVINE lemon cake. (emphasis on lemon!) i swear this place has THE yummiest food and desserts on the west side. and all of it is super fresh! mmm....
literati cafe
http://www.literaticafe.com/
and after months and months of waiting, we finally got doug to guelaguetza! while i was (unfortunately -- and yes i should've known better) stuffed on an iso sushi roll, i managed to pick through a cheap veggie tamale. AND (drumroll, please) i even managed to choke down some grasshoppers stuffed into an overly cheesy, super greasy empanada. YES, you read correctly, GRASSHOPPERS. we were all so excited at first, but after the order took forever, our enthusiasm slowly dwindled. de'sha & giselle could barely get more than a few bites down (especially after seeing grasshopper bodies peeking out of the empanadas), and doug didn't even make the attempt. but i pushed forward. at least until i realized how stuffed i was. after that, it was all downhill.
guelaguetza
http://losangeles.citysearch.com/profile/11312859/
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first off, kelly and i decided to fine dine at jiraffe -- one of my FAVORITE restaurants in santa monica. the dining room has these amazingly high ceilings and the chandeliers always emit this perfectly warm glow. it's one of those rooms that makes you feel loved. and what better way to feel loved than to have the chef meeting and greeting the whole night! it was quite fabulous, especially since i've spotted him on food network before. though at some point i did wonder whether he was in the dining room more than the kitchen!
for this meal, we weren't just celebrating my birthday, but also kel's great big job offer! now, i know i'm not her mom or anything, but i'm totally SO proud of her. what an amazing feat to score a job with deutsche, especially during this completely wrecked economy. i'm THRILLED. and i suppose i owe tremendous thanks to kel's deutsche signing bonus for my lovely meal. three cheers for deutsche!
while kel went for the bistro menu (jiraffe's prix-fixe concept), i decided to pick all 3 appetizer specials. the combination of dishes gave us a fabulous spread of all different flavors. kel's lobster bisque was QUITE amazing (especially considering that i'm not the biggest fan of lobster). the bisque was creamy, but not uber heavy, and there were large chunks of lobster and other yummy things in it. i went w/the vegan squash soup and i was delighted w/the little bits of crunchy garnish on top. (i'm totally in love with vegetable puree soups -- there's something so hearty and healthy about them.)
for the main entree, kel went w/the short rib (which was moist and delicious), and i went w/the asparagus salad and the rabbit medallions. while the asparagus salad wasn't anything to write home about, the rabbit was good. however, the medallions were quite miniature and not really medallion-ey, and the dish was uber salty. (ok, so maybe we need to redefine the word "good" here.) the waitress attributed the saltiness to the olives, which surprised me since i hadn't even realized they were in there! (btw, i'm generally anti-olive.) i suppose some rice or bread probably would've done the trick, but salty is as salty does. (i have no idea why that phrase came to mind, but heck, it's my blog, so i'm gonna leave it.)
we ended off this yummy meal w/kel's banana cream pie and my lemon meyer souffle. i'm not the biggest fan of bananas in general, and especially not in desserts, so i only took a few bites of the pie. but recently, i've been really getting into lemon desserts! there's something about the kick and bite of the citrus that seems to delight my palate. that being said, the souffle was really yummy, w/the sweetness of the blackberry providing the perfect contrast to the acidity of the lemon. it was all quite heavenly. ("quite" being my word of the blog.)
jiraffe
http://www.jirafferestaurant.com/index.html
**********
on a lovely day off from school (hugs to all the veteran spirits out there!), i decided to trek out to the grove a little early. and i'm so glad i did b/c the place is ALREADY decked out in christmas lights! the ginormous inflated gingerbread house and the super tall christmas tree are both up. and the place is brimming w/holiday cheer. i suppose this is what southern california christmases are like, though there's no substitution for rockefeller center and central park during the holidays. *sigh* *double sigh*
after i did a bit of window shopping (and survived a walk through anthropologie w/o spending any money -- a miracle in and of itself), i trekked over to AOC to meet dani for my birthday dinner! now dani has absolutely been raving about this place for AGES, so i'm really glad i finally got to experience it for myself! she was already waiting, which was perfect, since we were both quite famished and ready to dive into the menus. YUM!
since this was my first time to AOC, i had no idea what to expect. i'd been to celadon down the street, which i LOVED. (and i must to being extremely depressed now that i just googled it to find out that it's CLOSED. *sniff*) in contrast to celadon's dramatic decor, AOC was much warmer, and similar to jiraffe, exhibited a nice warm glow. dani mentioned how she loved it for being so unpretentious and laidback. and i totally agree. even the waitress was totally relaxed and super helpful. (unlike comme ca, where the servers were pretentious assholes who did absolutely ZERO work -- is this what bitterness sounds like? YES.)
as AOC is a restaurant of shared plates, we ordered about 4-5 dishes, as suggested by the waitress. per dani, we absolutely HAD to order the stuffed dates wrapped in prosciutto. i swear i don't see it anywhere on the online menu now that i'm checking for correct names, but i suppose it could've been on the printed menu. at any rate, they were PHENOMENAL. the perfect combination of salty and sweet in a perfect bite.
in addition to the dates, we ordered the chicken liver crostini w/pancetta and the warm ham hock salad w/sweet potato and dandelion -- since pratically everything's yummier w/pork, right? both were quite good, but i must admit to loving the sweetbreads the most. the dish came w/sunchokes and truffle butter, and you could most DEFINITELY smell the truffles. the sweetbreads were perfectly cooked and quite irresistable. mmm.... i can still taste them.... i'm almost positive we ordered one more thing, but... oh wait! yes yes, we ordered the kabocha squash gratin w/poblanos & queso fresco. a perfect marriage of mushy squash w/crunchy gratin, and sweetness w/saltiness.
we ended the meal w/a nice pear & huckleberry crisp. it wasn't particularly memorable, but ending w/fruit generally makes me feel a little bit better after lavish meals. :)
AOC
http://www.aocwinebar.com/
**********
to finish off the week's FDE's, the foodie gang (jenny, justin, dorothy, & i) splurged on a meal at catch. now i admit that this was a choice based on random reviews & DMP's suggestion, but i was thoroughly surprised when we looked around and realized that we were the youngest party in the ENTIRE restaurant. it was as if the whole room had turned 40 or 50+ and we'd stopped aging! (granted, 3 of us were asian, so of course, that upped the ante just a bit.) at any rate, the food experience was still quite good, though the overall ambiance was a little bit *too* reserved for my tastes. hey, at least we were close to the water, right?
to start, we picked out a couple of appetizers. now, with this group, it's always hard to know when folks want to share or not. however, i always go in thinking, the goal is to share, but i'm definitely picking out what *i* want to eat. that being said, jenny picked out the albacore crudo, while dorothy decided on 2 orders of scallops for the table along w/the butternut squash tortelli, and i picked out the bresaola so we'd have something green. i suppose i could've done w/o the scallops seeing as how i'm not the biggest fan of them. (however, the group seemed to like that dish most, so what do i know?) while the tortelli was quite good, the bresaola was a bit of a throwaway (though i did appreciate having some greens on my plate). the albacore had a nice bite and chew (though of course i've decided recently that raw fish isn't really my thing).
for the mains, three of us got fish: justin (the tai snapper), dorothy (the monkfish), and me (the branzino). jenny (who'd just come out of a major bout of food poisoning - poor thing!) went w/the gulf prawns that came w/bucatini pasta and wild broccoli. out of the mains, i liked mine best! : ) i'm a HUGE fan of branzino, and even though i couldn't describe it until it got to my mouth, i realized that i love it b/c the texture is just like trout (which is my absolute all-time favorite fish!!!)! there's just something about a fish that flakes apart on your plate. (i swear i can't wait to go fishing!)
it's always so fascinating how fish have such different consistencies and textures. justin's snapper, for example, was more flaky than i preferred. it reminded me of the cod and haddock that's used for fish and chips, and which i don't like very much at all. on the other hand, dorothy's monkfish tasted exactly as she said it would -- like lobster and shrimp. and as most of you know, i'm not the biggest fan of lobster or shrimp (or scallops) or any seafood that has a high chew factor. i mean, anything i have to gnaw at (unless it's steak) is simply not worth the effort. one exception, however, would be jenny's bucatini pasta, which was quite al dente, and which i surprisingly enjoyed chewing, despite my lack of interest in pasta generally. (dang! i guess i AM picky.)
to close out the evening, we ordered several desserts, for which jenny asked the waitress to bring candles. we went w/the dessert special (the walnut meringue -- which the waitress suggested and which we'd seen delivered to a nearby table), the chocolate souffle (a staple), and the fried brioche (a personal pick). while the souffle and brioche (glorified donut holes, which were actually way better at craft) were good, the highlight was definitely the meringue. layers of airy walnut meringue alternating w/layers of luscious walnut cream (at least i *think* they were all walnut!) -- the combination was fabulous. the souffle also came w/some espresso meringue, which was quite scrumptious, and which makes it seems like meringue may be a house specialty!
all in all, this was a lovely meal, though i'm not sure if it was worth being surrounded by 40somethings all night. am i being a princess? umm, YES.
catch
http://www.catchsantamonica.com/
**********
in addition to the aforementioned FDE's, i also got to catch up (finally!!!) w/marina at literati cafe, where i got to feast on an absolutely DIVINE lemon cake. (emphasis on lemon!) i swear this place has THE yummiest food and desserts on the west side. and all of it is super fresh! mmm....
literati cafe
http://www.literaticafe.com/
and after months and months of waiting, we finally got doug to guelaguetza! while i was (unfortunately -- and yes i should've known better) stuffed on an iso sushi roll, i managed to pick through a cheap veggie tamale. AND (drumroll, please) i even managed to choke down some grasshoppers stuffed into an overly cheesy, super greasy empanada. YES, you read correctly, GRASSHOPPERS. we were all so excited at first, but after the order took forever, our enthusiasm slowly dwindled. de'sha & giselle could barely get more than a few bites down (especially after seeing grasshopper bodies peeking out of the empanadas), and doug didn't even make the attempt. but i pushed forward. at least until i realized how stuffed i was. after that, it was all downhill.
guelaguetza
http://losangeles.citysearch.com/profile/11312859/
Saturday, November 8, 2008
thinking for the sake of thinking
so i hosted a little post-modern thanksgiving shindig tonight in honor of my upcoming 30th birthday. and it was so lovely to see so many friendly faces in my little apt. (ok, it's not that little, but 'my little apt' sounds better than 'my ginormous pad.') of course, it would've been nicer to see even more people, but i suppose i would've felt claustrophobic that much sooner.
at any rate, i was excited to have a reason to cook up a storm. this included the following yummy eats (commence salivating!): pecan/sage/cornbread stuffing, honey glazed carrots, brown sugar/cayenne/lime sweet potatoes, cheese/spinach/stuffing stuffed mushrooms (yeah, try saying THAT five times fast!), and cheese/spinach/artichoke dip. of course, these aren't the given names for these dishes, but i thought i'd give you a sense of the ingredients.
the stuffing was crispy on top and moist in the middle, w/a bit of a crunch from the pecans and a great herbiness (is that a word?) from the sage. the cornbread alone made the dish i think -- go marie callender's mix! the carrots were nice and sweet, despite my accidental overdosing of kosher salt. the sweet potatoes -- the most yummilicious after kick from the cayenne. (love it.) to be honest, i was *quite* impressed w/how my stuffed mushrooms turned out. cleaning off the mushrooms and cutting up the stems was a serious pain, but i think the end result was totally worth it. last but not least, the dip. a total last-minute addition, but the flavor was great, and i think (almost) any spinach/cheese combo is killer. (yeah, saag paneer -- wooh!)
the rest of the dinner party brought fabulous additions, w/highlights including: a zucchini casserole, apples & yams, nutty rice, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, and cranberry white chocolate chip cookies. i missed out on getting some serious turkey chili (which would've been *very* post-modern), so that'll have to wait for the next party. (folks, you know who you are!) w/wine, water, soda, iced tea, and beer flowing, i was in pretty good spirits all night. : )
after the post-party clean-up, i decided to book it to the last showing of HSM 3. and even though folks may rag on me for liking cheesy HS films, i can't help but really enjoy the sentiments offered by these kinds of movies. this notion that love can overcome all things, and that if you want something enough, you'll get it. i mean, in this day and age of cynicism, you really have to have these notions thrust at you constantly to really be able to believe.
after the movie, i decided to take a long walk to and from campus. i really do love walking across wilson plaza and up janss steps, especially when there aren't too many people around. as i looked up at the sky and stared at the stars, i swear, for just a split second, i felt like i was back in hanover again. i guess i'm still surprised i can see stars out here. though they do seem so much brighter in new hampshire.
i decided to lie down alongside the reflecting pool at the top of the steps and stare up at the sky for a while. i thought, by some miracle, i'd get some answer from the stars. from the centuries of people who've lived and breathed and thought about what they wanted to get out of their lives. but...nothing. i got nothing. and i guess i teared up a little, knowing that they wouldn't tell me -- or maybe couldn't tell me.
i know i'm waxing philosophical (and cheesy) at this point. perhaps it's b/c i'm turning 30 and it's such a turning point. or it's *supposed to be* such a turning point? oh, how those lines b/w expectation and reality are starting to blur. i'm still not sure what life is supposed to be/mean, but i guess all we can do is truck on, hoping that those all-important answers come to us by some chance or miracle -- or both.
at any rate, i was excited to have a reason to cook up a storm. this included the following yummy eats (commence salivating!): pecan/sage/cornbread stuffing, honey glazed carrots, brown sugar/cayenne/lime sweet potatoes, cheese/spinach/stuffing stuffed mushrooms (yeah, try saying THAT five times fast!), and cheese/spinach/artichoke dip. of course, these aren't the given names for these dishes, but i thought i'd give you a sense of the ingredients.
the stuffing was crispy on top and moist in the middle, w/a bit of a crunch from the pecans and a great herbiness (is that a word?) from the sage. the cornbread alone made the dish i think -- go marie callender's mix! the carrots were nice and sweet, despite my accidental overdosing of kosher salt. the sweet potatoes -- the most yummilicious after kick from the cayenne. (love it.) to be honest, i was *quite* impressed w/how my stuffed mushrooms turned out. cleaning off the mushrooms and cutting up the stems was a serious pain, but i think the end result was totally worth it. last but not least, the dip. a total last-minute addition, but the flavor was great, and i think (almost) any spinach/cheese combo is killer. (yeah, saag paneer -- wooh!)
the rest of the dinner party brought fabulous additions, w/highlights including: a zucchini casserole, apples & yams, nutty rice, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, and cranberry white chocolate chip cookies. i missed out on getting some serious turkey chili (which would've been *very* post-modern), so that'll have to wait for the next party. (folks, you know who you are!) w/wine, water, soda, iced tea, and beer flowing, i was in pretty good spirits all night. : )
after the post-party clean-up, i decided to book it to the last showing of HSM 3. and even though folks may rag on me for liking cheesy HS films, i can't help but really enjoy the sentiments offered by these kinds of movies. this notion that love can overcome all things, and that if you want something enough, you'll get it. i mean, in this day and age of cynicism, you really have to have these notions thrust at you constantly to really be able to believe.
after the movie, i decided to take a long walk to and from campus. i really do love walking across wilson plaza and up janss steps, especially when there aren't too many people around. as i looked up at the sky and stared at the stars, i swear, for just a split second, i felt like i was back in hanover again. i guess i'm still surprised i can see stars out here. though they do seem so much brighter in new hampshire.
i decided to lie down alongside the reflecting pool at the top of the steps and stare up at the sky for a while. i thought, by some miracle, i'd get some answer from the stars. from the centuries of people who've lived and breathed and thought about what they wanted to get out of their lives. but...nothing. i got nothing. and i guess i teared up a little, knowing that they wouldn't tell me -- or maybe couldn't tell me.
i know i'm waxing philosophical (and cheesy) at this point. perhaps it's b/c i'm turning 30 and it's such a turning point. or it's *supposed to be* such a turning point? oh, how those lines b/w expectation and reality are starting to blur. i'm still not sure what life is supposed to be/mean, but i guess all we can do is truck on, hoping that those all-important answers come to us by some chance or miracle -- or both.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
ima hottie
i love spontaneity. what with my schedule being so jammed, i love when fun things just drop into my lap! case in point: ima (pronounced ee-ma) goodness.
in the midst of my ho-hum afternoon, i got a voicemail from fellow blogger, miss t (we shall allow her to remain nameless in case i make reference to any of her comments) about a pre-opening party at fulfilled pastries, a new pastry shop opening up in the heart of beverly hills.
not only is this location amazing for its proximity to pinkberry (which is RIGHT next door), but also for its ginormous chandelier hanging in a room covered in mirrors. it's as if you walked into the foyer of the von trapp family! it was quite lovely w/the light bouncing all over the place. there was also a tall shelf, lined w/mirrors and filled w/japanese toys -- an interesting contrast to the generally western feel of the place.
upon entry, we were directed towards the owner, susumu tsuchihashi, a personal friend of miss t. he was friendly, jovial, and seemed as excited to see us as we were to partake in all of the ima goodness.
before i go on, i'd like to define ima (or imagawa-yaki, which is the pastry's full name) as a pancake-like pastry which is filled with sweet or savory fillings.
miss t mentioned that it was a bit of a highbrow thing in japan, which may quite possibly be true, considering that eri had no idea what it was when i showed her the flyer. however, susumu mentioned that ima shops were all over tokyo. and another random guest commented on how the imas here were better than the ones in j-town (which must mean they're not a new concept, right?).
at any rate, imas are fairly dense pastries, so having just 1 or 2 is plenty. but of course, seeing as how we were at the pre-opening, we had to try as many as we could get into our tummies. this effort was bolstered by the fact that fulfilled has a dynamic array of sweet and savory options, of which i tried all but a few.
the first one that caught my eye was the nutty buddha. what could be better than chocolate, toffee, and crunchy peanut butter? i swear i don't know how i could ever have grown up on smooth peanut butter. *sigh* but this combo was quite decadent and i loved tasting all the crunchy pieces inside my warm ima.
the next one that got my attention was the honey yakuza. the combo of goat cheese, mission fig, honey, walnut, and cracked black pepper sounded fascinating, especially the black pepper. i love almost anything w/fig, so this was quite the experience. miss t thought we could've gotten more goat cheese, which i had to agree with. and i daresay that the black pepper better was a bit of a throwaway. but overall, i was quite pleased.
i didn't get a chance to try the sweet geisha (w/the azuki bean), but i wasn't too excited about the harajuku monkey (probably b/c i'm not a big fan of banana), and i thought the karaoke kitty (w/the strawberries and cream cheese) was a bit of a mess. perhaps a bit of cooling time would've made it easier to eat, but the filling was actually denser than the pastry, which made it a bit problematic to hold up. (it was like a jelly donut w/too much jelly.)
on the savory side, i'm bummed that i didn't get to try the spicy samurai (w/the chicken apple sausage) b/c i swear i'd spied it first. i thought the sumo italiano was pretty good w/the prosciutto, but i was too stuffed from NVG happy hour to try the green ninja (that and i don't like sundried tomatoes). all in all, savory pastries aren't my favorite, so i think i'll have to stick w/the sweet ones.
last but not least, we also got to sample lil misa's tea, a specialty drink w/a thin layer of azuki beans on the bottom, green tea, and a little bit of white cream/foam/something on top. susumu advised us to mix up the layers before drinking so that we could get the full flavor effect. it was quite refreshing, though i think the green tea taste could've come through a bit more.
all in all, this is definitely a place to look out for. i'm still not sure i'd take imas over cupcakes, but they're certainly novelties worthy of any LA tourist.
fulfilled pastries
http://www.fulfilledpastries.com/home.htm
p.s. "ima hottie" was on a t-shirt that one of the staff was wearing. now tell me this, who wouldn't want a t-shirt that says IMA HOTTIE?!
in the midst of my ho-hum afternoon, i got a voicemail from fellow blogger, miss t (we shall allow her to remain nameless in case i make reference to any of her comments) about a pre-opening party at fulfilled pastries, a new pastry shop opening up in the heart of beverly hills.
not only is this location amazing for its proximity to pinkberry (which is RIGHT next door), but also for its ginormous chandelier hanging in a room covered in mirrors. it's as if you walked into the foyer of the von trapp family! it was quite lovely w/the light bouncing all over the place. there was also a tall shelf, lined w/mirrors and filled w/japanese toys -- an interesting contrast to the generally western feel of the place.
upon entry, we were directed towards the owner, susumu tsuchihashi, a personal friend of miss t. he was friendly, jovial, and seemed as excited to see us as we were to partake in all of the ima goodness.
before i go on, i'd like to define ima (or imagawa-yaki, which is the pastry's full name) as a pancake-like pastry which is filled with sweet or savory fillings.
miss t mentioned that it was a bit of a highbrow thing in japan, which may quite possibly be true, considering that eri had no idea what it was when i showed her the flyer. however, susumu mentioned that ima shops were all over tokyo. and another random guest commented on how the imas here were better than the ones in j-town (which must mean they're not a new concept, right?).
at any rate, imas are fairly dense pastries, so having just 1 or 2 is plenty. but of course, seeing as how we were at the pre-opening, we had to try as many as we could get into our tummies. this effort was bolstered by the fact that fulfilled has a dynamic array of sweet and savory options, of which i tried all but a few.
the first one that caught my eye was the nutty buddha. what could be better than chocolate, toffee, and crunchy peanut butter? i swear i don't know how i could ever have grown up on smooth peanut butter. *sigh* but this combo was quite decadent and i loved tasting all the crunchy pieces inside my warm ima.
the next one that got my attention was the honey yakuza. the combo of goat cheese, mission fig, honey, walnut, and cracked black pepper sounded fascinating, especially the black pepper. i love almost anything w/fig, so this was quite the experience. miss t thought we could've gotten more goat cheese, which i had to agree with. and i daresay that the black pepper better was a bit of a throwaway. but overall, i was quite pleased.
i didn't get a chance to try the sweet geisha (w/the azuki bean), but i wasn't too excited about the harajuku monkey (probably b/c i'm not a big fan of banana), and i thought the karaoke kitty (w/the strawberries and cream cheese) was a bit of a mess. perhaps a bit of cooling time would've made it easier to eat, but the filling was actually denser than the pastry, which made it a bit problematic to hold up. (it was like a jelly donut w/too much jelly.)
on the savory side, i'm bummed that i didn't get to try the spicy samurai (w/the chicken apple sausage) b/c i swear i'd spied it first. i thought the sumo italiano was pretty good w/the prosciutto, but i was too stuffed from NVG happy hour to try the green ninja (that and i don't like sundried tomatoes). all in all, savory pastries aren't my favorite, so i think i'll have to stick w/the sweet ones.
last but not least, we also got to sample lil misa's tea, a specialty drink w/a thin layer of azuki beans on the bottom, green tea, and a little bit of white cream/foam/something on top. susumu advised us to mix up the layers before drinking so that we could get the full flavor effect. it was quite refreshing, though i think the green tea taste could've come through a bit more.
all in all, this is definitely a place to look out for. i'm still not sure i'd take imas over cupcakes, but they're certainly novelties worthy of any LA tourist.
fulfilled pastries
http://www.fulfilledpastries.com/home.htm
p.s. "ima hottie" was on a t-shirt that one of the staff was wearing. now tell me this, who wouldn't want a t-shirt that says IMA HOTTIE?!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
asia de cuba
in honor of our 30th birthdays, viv & i decided to celebrate at asia de cuba in west hollywood.
to be honest, west hollywood isn't really my scene. even though i've loved the majority of my foodie experiences out there, i often wonder whether it's worth it dealing with the attitude that pervades that side of town. nevertheless, the show (and the blog) must go on, so i suppose i'll just have to sacrifice for my readership!
when we arrived in the area, we had a hard time figuring out which building was the mondrian hotel. after circling the hotel a few times, we rolled up to the valet in viv's snazzy BMW and were escorted out by two nice gentleman in white.
as soon as we walked into the mondrian, we stepped into wonderland. we went to the left and we ran into all the wannabeseens lounging about with all the other wannabeseens. (i felt a little like wretching, but i stopped myself.) we decided to turn around and check out the other side.
when we went to the right, we saw the restaurant before us. and i have to say that i was utterly impressed with the view -- a sea of white with a view of LA at the far end. i was also impressed with the fact that there were two quite normal women serving as the hostesses for the evening. when viv asked for a table w/a view, the hostess seating us was quick to offer us a table right by the window. and when i complimented the decor, the hostess showing us to our table was quite gracious and thanked me genuinely for my comment.
as soon as we were seated, i took a mental note of the view. needless to say, i've never been very impressed with the LA landscape. i mean, there's just not much to it, y'know? however, w/all its twinkling lights, even LA looked good from that window.
the evening started off great, considering that our server was tall, dark, and handsome, and quite amiable as well. he was quick w/our drinks (non-alcoholic as they were) and w/our menus, even offering several suggestions that we chose to partake of.
i'll be honest and say that i wasn't too intrigued by the options when i'd looked them up online earlier. however, since viv had suggested this place several times, i thought it was high time i gave it a try. thankfully, i was as impressed by the food as by our waiter!
to start, we chose the asian spiced pork spare ribs. these were utterly delicious, especially with a bit of sesame seed to garnish the dish. i dare say that this, coupled with the dessert, were the highlights of the meal. i would've been pleased to have a couple more ribs for the road.
for the entrees, viv chose a nice flaky fish (i want to say butterfish) while i went for the tofu (since i wasn't looking to eat heavy). we also went w/the plaintain fried rice w/avocado salad (which most people, including our waiter, refer to as the "avocado fried rice"). while the plating presentation was en pointe for everything we ordered, i must admit that i wasn't as thrilled by the entrees. the fish was OK but it seemed a little *too* flaky. (and i tend to be more of a sea bass sort of girl.) the tofu was quite good, especially when dipped in the sauce. the rice was good too, but it was pretty much just avocado plopped over a bowl of fried rice. don't get me wrong -- it was delicious. but it wasn't anything so spectactular. i just didn't get the hype.
which was totally unlike the DESSERT we ordered. now, granted, i don't remember the exact name of the amazing piece of decadence we plunged our forks into, but what i do remember is that it came out as two HUGE pieces of super moist cake w/luscious layers of cream, coconut, and caramel. after all the aforementioned eating, i could barely get more than a few bites down. and seeing as how i'd never survive having it at home, i gave viv my half of the leftovers (i mean, SOMEONE should enjoy this, right?).
i felt pretty good after the meal, but viv must've had way more than me (or she's working w/a smaller stomach), b/c she was stuffed -- and promptly fell asleep during our AFI fest film!
overall, i thought the food was quite excellent. viv, however, said she wouldn't be back. not b/c of the food, but b/c of the progressively increasing level of noise and the progressively decreasing level of service throughout the night. it was quite unfortunate, but we could barely hear ourselves think after a while, what with the folks at the adjacent table talking as if the whole world needed to hear what they had to say. the worst thing was that, at some point, our tall, dark, and handsome waiter disappeared (probably on break or to the front of the room), and we were left with a random dude who never checked on us (particularly when we were dying for dessert) and required excessive waving before he came over to our table.
viv & i talked about this at dinner. when we go out to eat, we don't go out just for the food. we go out for everything else that comes with the food. and when service is sub-par, we notice. and when we notice, that's not good.
my best advice: make an early dinner reservation. otherwise, you run the risk of getting lost in the wannabeseen crowds.
asia de cuba
http://www.chinagrillmgt.com/adecLA/main.cfm?pp=0
to be honest, west hollywood isn't really my scene. even though i've loved the majority of my foodie experiences out there, i often wonder whether it's worth it dealing with the attitude that pervades that side of town. nevertheless, the show (and the blog) must go on, so i suppose i'll just have to sacrifice for my readership!
when we arrived in the area, we had a hard time figuring out which building was the mondrian hotel. after circling the hotel a few times, we rolled up to the valet in viv's snazzy BMW and were escorted out by two nice gentleman in white.
as soon as we walked into the mondrian, we stepped into wonderland. we went to the left and we ran into all the wannabeseens lounging about with all the other wannabeseens. (i felt a little like wretching, but i stopped myself.) we decided to turn around and check out the other side.
when we went to the right, we saw the restaurant before us. and i have to say that i was utterly impressed with the view -- a sea of white with a view of LA at the far end. i was also impressed with the fact that there were two quite normal women serving as the hostesses for the evening. when viv asked for a table w/a view, the hostess seating us was quick to offer us a table right by the window. and when i complimented the decor, the hostess showing us to our table was quite gracious and thanked me genuinely for my comment.
as soon as we were seated, i took a mental note of the view. needless to say, i've never been very impressed with the LA landscape. i mean, there's just not much to it, y'know? however, w/all its twinkling lights, even LA looked good from that window.
the evening started off great, considering that our server was tall, dark, and handsome, and quite amiable as well. he was quick w/our drinks (non-alcoholic as they were) and w/our menus, even offering several suggestions that we chose to partake of.
i'll be honest and say that i wasn't too intrigued by the options when i'd looked them up online earlier. however, since viv had suggested this place several times, i thought it was high time i gave it a try. thankfully, i was as impressed by the food as by our waiter!
to start, we chose the asian spiced pork spare ribs. these were utterly delicious, especially with a bit of sesame seed to garnish the dish. i dare say that this, coupled with the dessert, were the highlights of the meal. i would've been pleased to have a couple more ribs for the road.
for the entrees, viv chose a nice flaky fish (i want to say butterfish) while i went for the tofu (since i wasn't looking to eat heavy). we also went w/the plaintain fried rice w/avocado salad (which most people, including our waiter, refer to as the "avocado fried rice"). while the plating presentation was en pointe for everything we ordered, i must admit that i wasn't as thrilled by the entrees. the fish was OK but it seemed a little *too* flaky. (and i tend to be more of a sea bass sort of girl.) the tofu was quite good, especially when dipped in the sauce. the rice was good too, but it was pretty much just avocado plopped over a bowl of fried rice. don't get me wrong -- it was delicious. but it wasn't anything so spectactular. i just didn't get the hype.
which was totally unlike the DESSERT we ordered. now, granted, i don't remember the exact name of the amazing piece of decadence we plunged our forks into, but what i do remember is that it came out as two HUGE pieces of super moist cake w/luscious layers of cream, coconut, and caramel. after all the aforementioned eating, i could barely get more than a few bites down. and seeing as how i'd never survive having it at home, i gave viv my half of the leftovers (i mean, SOMEONE should enjoy this, right?).
i felt pretty good after the meal, but viv must've had way more than me (or she's working w/a smaller stomach), b/c she was stuffed -- and promptly fell asleep during our AFI fest film!
overall, i thought the food was quite excellent. viv, however, said she wouldn't be back. not b/c of the food, but b/c of the progressively increasing level of noise and the progressively decreasing level of service throughout the night. it was quite unfortunate, but we could barely hear ourselves think after a while, what with the folks at the adjacent table talking as if the whole world needed to hear what they had to say. the worst thing was that, at some point, our tall, dark, and handsome waiter disappeared (probably on break or to the front of the room), and we were left with a random dude who never checked on us (particularly when we were dying for dessert) and required excessive waving before he came over to our table.
viv & i talked about this at dinner. when we go out to eat, we don't go out just for the food. we go out for everything else that comes with the food. and when service is sub-par, we notice. and when we notice, that's not good.
my best advice: make an early dinner reservation. otherwise, you run the risk of getting lost in the wannabeseen crowds.
asia de cuba
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