Eating Out

Now, introducing the "Eating Out" page! Here you'll be able to find all of my adventures of finding good food other than from my own home :).


I always thoroughly investigate restaurants before I eat them, I don't know why, but I feel it's necessary! If you like to do the same, then that's what this is for. Don't take me too seriously though, I wouldn't consider myself to be the best food critic since I am far too easily pleased!


Added bonus: there's a nice little button on the left side to direct you to all of this goodness. Yipeeee!
Orange County

Napa Rose {Anaheim, CA}

The Ramos House Cafe {San Juan Capistrano, CA}

Citrus City Grille {Orange, CA}

Ikea {Costa Mesa, CA}

Sprinkles {Newport Beach, CA}

Mochilato {Irvine, CA}

Anepalco's Cafe {Orange, CA}

Empanada's Place {Costa Mesa, CA}

Kaju Tofu House {Garden Grove, CA}

Fukada {Irvine, CA}

Bo 7 Mon/ 7 Courses of Beef {Garden Grove, CA}

Lola Gaspar {Santa Ana, CA}

Disneyland {Anaheim, CA}

Joe's Italian Ice {Anaheim, CA}

Thai Nakorn {Garden Grove, CA}
Slater's 50/50 {Anaheim, CA}

Gorguyeo Korean BBQ {Garden Grove, CA}

Ruth's Chris Steak House {Irvine, CA}

Cream Pan {Tustin, CA}

The Lime Truck {Irvine, CA}
In & Out {Orange, CA}
Milk + Honey {Costa Mesa, CA}
Bruxie {Orange, CA}
Boiling Crab {Garden Grove, CA}
Cafe Casse Croute {Anaheim, CA}
Tranquil Tea Lounge {Fullerton, CA}
Chapter One: The Modern Local {Santa Ana, CA}
Layer Cake Bakery {Irvine, CA}
Jagerhaus {Anaheim, CA}

Los Angeles County

Paulette {Los Angeles, CA}

Milk {Los Angeles, CA}

Porto's Bakery & Cafe {Glendale, CA}

Pampas Churrascaria {Los Angeles, CA}

Wat Thai New Years Festival {Los Angeles, CA}

The Oinkster {Eagle Rock, CA}

The Donut Man {Glendora, CA}

Phillipe's {Los Angeles, CA}

Gaja {Torrance, CA}

Europane {Pasadena, CA}

Best Fish Tacos in Ensenada {Los Angeles, CA}

The Spice Station {Los Angeles, CA}

Little Dom's {Los Angeles, CA}

Intelligentsia {Los Angeles, CA}

4100 Bar {Los Angeles, CA}
Class 302 {Rowland Heights, CA}
Boiling Point {Hacienda Heights, CA}
Daikokuya {Los Angeles, CA}
Bottega Louie {Los Angeles, CA}
King's Hawaiian Restaurant & Bakery {Torrance, CA}
Louise's Trattoria {Los Angeles, CA}
Simple Things {Los Angeles, CA}
Proof Bakery {Los Angeles, CA}
The Kitchen {Los Angeles, CA}

Other

Mad Greek Cafe {Baker, CA}

Serendipity 3 {Las Vegas, NV}
Erick Schatt's Bakery {Bishop, CA}

Bay Area

Taylor's Automatic Refresher {San Francisco, CA}

Bi-Rite Creamery {San Francisco, CA}

Bob's Donuts {San Francisco, CA}

Katana-Ya {San Francisco, CA}

Mama's {San Francisco, CA}

Osha {San Francisco, CA}

Zazie {San Francisco, CA}

Ike's Place {San Francisco, CA}

Kan Zaman {San Francisco, CA}

New York


Clinton Street Baking Company {New York, NY}
Shake Shack {New York, NY}
Ippudo {New York, NY}
Russ & Daughters {New York, NY}
La Bella Ferrara {New York, NY}
Tasty Hand-Pulled Noodles {New York, NY}
Chinatown Ice Cream Factory {New York, NY}
Kee's Chocolates {New York, NY}
The Doughnut Plant {New York, NY}
Sullivan St. Bakery {New York, NY}
Wafels & Dinges {New York, NY}
Sigmund Pretzels {New York, NY}
Num Pang {New York, NY}
Stand4 {New York, NY}
People's Pops {New York, NY}
Perilla {New York, NY}
Momofuku Milk Bar {New York, NY}
Levain Bakery {New York, NY}
63rd & 5th Halal Cart {New York, NY}
Caracas Arepas Bar {New York, NY}
Grimaldi's {Brooklyn, NY}

Oahu, HI


Waiola Shave Ice {Honolulu, HI}
Mana Bu's {Honolulu, HI}
Diamond Head Market & Grill {Honolulu, HI}
Leonard's Bakery {Honolulu, HI}
Giovanni's Aloha Shrimp Truck {North Shore, HI}
Tamura's Fine Wine & Liquors {Honolulu, HI}
Yama's Fish Market {Honolulu, HI}

Thai Style Corn Fritters with Sweet Chili Sauce

I had some unbelievable sweet and tender corn on hand, and though it was simply perfect as it was, I wanted to try something fun and new with it, and this certainly was both of those things!

Kevin from Closet Cooking always has the most adventurous and creative recipes I've ever seen for almost every season and every ingredient imaginable. He dabbles in cuisines from all over the world but makes it simple for the home cook to recreate it at home, which I love. Anyways, these Thai style corn fritters were delightful. They didn't have too much filler, so the sweet corn was still highlighted and I especially loved the crispy outer bits. These are super fresh tasting and have quite a bit of kick from the sweet chili sauce as well!

Thai Style Corn Fritters with Sweet Chili Sauce

Yields: 2 - 4 servings

Original recipe here and here.

For the corn fritters:

2 cups corn

1/4 cup cornmeal

1/4 cup flour

1 egg

1 tbsn. green curry paste (or red curry paste)

1 green onion, chopped

1 handful cilantro, chopped

1 birds eye chili, thinly sliced

1 tbsn. fish sauce

1 tbsn. lime juice

2 tbsn. oil

For the sweet chili sauce:

2 red chilies

2 birds eye chilies

2 cloves garlic

3/4 cup water

1/4 cup rice wine or white vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tbsn. salt

1 tbsn. cornstarch

2 tbsn. water

To make the corn fritters, mix the corn, corn meal, flour, egg, curry paste, green onion, cilantro, chili, fish sauce and lime juice in a bowl. Heat the oil in a pan, when hot, spoon the corn mixture into the pan to form patties and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 2 - 4 minutes per side. To make the sauce, puree or finely chop the chilies and garlic in a food processor or by hand. Bring the water, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pureed chilies and garlic to a boil and simmer for about 3 - 5 minutes, or until the chilies and garlic are tender. Mix the cornstarch and 2 tbsn. of water together until smooth. Mix into the garlic-chili mixture and heat until the sauce thickens, about one minute. Let cool slightly and enjoy with the corn fritters!

Resort 2011

A wee bit late but here are my ultimate favorites, and I mean ultimate, because I had to cut down my list quite a bit - everything was so impossibly gorgeous, which made it hard to choose!

I looove the way Yigal worked with black, my favorite non-color! I'd wear everything here, heck I'd wear it twice.

Rag & Bone always has a way of being crazy cool. The perfect wardrobe for the modern girl.

Gosh Proenza, could you have done Resort 2011 any better? Mixes of soft knitted sweaters and glittery fabrics keeps things fresh and luxurious.

Ahh just looking at all of Nina's things makes my heart flutter! Everything is so soft and feminine.

I've never been more impressed by Marc before; everything in this collection became an instant favorite and was done so well.

Jenni was super structured this season with nice, clean lines. I love it because it's straight laced yet just feminine enough.

I love this collection by Erin! It's everything + more I'd want to wear. Simple, classic items in impossibly lush fabrics; gosh I love silk and satin.

What I loved most about D squared was the color scheme, if this color palette doesn't scream Resort, I don't know what does!

Ah, Mr. Wang. You never fail to deliver a perfect collection, no matter the season or whatever. Of course, I love the neutral tones, as always.

Oscar - always impossibly womanly and chic. There's no denying that.

Ube Mochi Cake

Purple yams, ube, whatever you may call them, are delicious. Lately, my house has been inhaling these beautiful little sweet potatoes. Purple yams are best in their natural state, simply steamed and eaten quite simply. But of course, being me, I had to fiddle with perfection.

Did you know that purple yams are extremely healthy too? They are full of vitamin C, antioxidants, fiber, potassium, and fat free! Well doesn't really matter much after you put it into this cake haha! But when eating them alone, remember all of these benefits!

This is actually a new mochi cake recipe that I am using. My friend, Kim, modified her original recipe and gave me this delicious new one. I simply just added some purple yam puree to it and called it a day. OH and I also made another red bean version, pictured below. To be honest, as beautiful as it might be, I was disappointed in this cake. It really had no discernible purple yam taste, which made me sad. But, despite this, it was still delicious as a mochi cake - so, do not expect ube flavor from this cake - just sayin'!

Mmm close up of delicious chewy cake!

The red bean version, before baking:

The ube/ purple yam version, before baking:

Ube/ Purple Yam Mochi Cake

Yields: 10 - 15 servings

Original recipe from my friend, Kim.

1 box of Mochiko flour

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1 can coconut milk

1 3/4 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups ube puree OR 1 can of sweetened, prepared red beans

- To make: boil the ube until cooked through (a knife easily goes in and out), cool, then puree in a blender until smooth

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Mix the first 6 ingredients together until well combined. Lastly, fold in the ube puree until thoroughly combined. Pour into a large rectangular pan, cover with foil, and bake for 1 hour (usually takes a little bit longer).

The red bean version:

Tailored Tuesdays

For a breezy summer afternoon.

1. Sass & Bide 'The art beat cotton tank'

2. Victoria Beckham Denim 'Mid-rise skinny jeans with leather insert'

3. La Cerise Sur le Chapeau 'Trendy rabbit fedora'

4. Proenza Schouler 'PS1 large leather bag'

5. Newbark 'Seville canvas flats'

6. Roberto Cavalli 'Serpent ring'

Crispy Rice Pizza

Have you guys ever read Momofuku for 2? I looooove this blog. I've been fascinated by the likes of David Chang and his Momofuku chain of restaurants ever since it crossed my path. Momofuku for 2 is like my little ticket into Momofuku heaven and besides that, Steph, the author, makes her own utterly delicious looking Asian-inspired concoctions that make me weak at the knees!

Anyways, this is a winner. Pure & simple. Everything listed in the ingredients list is delicious on their own, and even more so when combined into this spectacular and easy to make dish! The only hard part of this dish would be making the pulled pork, but I simply used pre-made pulled pork, which made it even easier! Of course, I suggest making your own if you want to really knock your socks off but I had some on hand :)

Some people don't like crispy rice but I LOVE it, it's a bit crunchy, a bit chewy, a lot delicious. You get the fulfilling bite from the pulled pork, the tanginess from the kimchi and the velvety richness from the egg yolk. Let's all say it together: mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

Like a little piece of heaven!

Crispy Rice Pizza

Yields: 2 servings

Original recipe here.

1 to 1 1/2 cups of cooked short grain rice*

1/2 cup pulled pork

1/4 cup kimchi, roughly chopped

2 eggs

oil

Pour enough oil to lightly coat the bottom of a small cast iron skillet** and heat it up over medium heat. When the oil is hot add the rice and pat it down so that it forms a round rice cake. Turn the heat down to medium-low and let the rice crisp up to form a crust. Be patient, this may take a while. After about 15 minutes, use a small spatula to lift up the rice cake to see if it has a golden brown crust. If it does, turn it over and crisp up the other side. If it doesn't five it a few more minutes before flipping. Once flipped, go ahead and fry up a sunny side up egg in another pan. While the egg is cooking, top the rice cake with some of the pulled pork and kimchi. When the egg is cooked, pop it on top of the rice cake and add a couple more pieces of pork and kimchi. Repeat this process to make another pizza. Enjoy hot!

*Short grain rice is essential for this dish because other rice varieties won't stick together to form a cake

** If you don't have a small cast iron skillet, feel free to make it in a regular pan

Dig in!

Latticed Peach Pie

I was studying at the dining room table in our family living room, when my dad emerges from our backyard clutching onto a basket with a smile on his face. He called me to the door and when I looked inside, I smiled too! He had a big basket of small, pretty, little fuzzy peaches. Our garden has been sprouting all kinds of goodness lately, from Chinese apples to plums to mint and basil! It's such a joy for our family to enjoy things that we have grown from our garden.

Well to grow something is one thing. But to grow something that is delicious, is a whole other thing. These peaches, homely and small they might be, were perfect. Just a bit soft to the touch but still firm, bright and yellow on the inside and sweet like nobody's business. My dad, who loves pie, begged me to make a pie with them. So I did, and here it is!

I used my favorite pie crust, one that is unctuous and incredibly flaky. I sort of created my own recipe, drawing inspiration from many sources. I wanted to make sure I didn't spice it too much, so that the peach flavor would shine and I also wanted to make sure it wasn't overly gooey or runny, which is why I decided to pre-cook the peaches slightly in a pan before baking them in the pie. This pie, simply put, was perfect, just like the peaches. I really felt I did them right, which they deserve, quite frankly!

Not the perfect lattice top, but I like how rustic it is.

Latticed Peach Pie

Yields: 1 9-inch pie, about 8 servings

Pastry for a double-crust pie, my favorite

2 1/2 lbs. peaches, about 5 large peaches

2/3 cup brown sugar

4 tbsn. flour

1/8 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

1 tbsn. butter

To prepare the crust, sprinkle a clean surface with some flour. Roll out one disk, large enough to fit a 9-inch pie tin. Fit to the tin and leave one inch hanging over the side, removing the excess. Refrigerate until ready to use, and save other disk for the top.

To prepare the filling, combine the peaches, sugar, flour, salt, and spices in a large pan. Heat over medium heat until the peaches release their juices. Remove the peaches from the pan, using a slotted spoon, leaving the juice mixture. Continue to cook for about 5 minutes to allow the liquid to thicken, then add the peach pieces back and continue to cook for another 5 minutes or so. Pour the mixture into the prepared pie tin. With the remaining disk of dough, roll out large enough to fit the pie tin. Cut into 9 even strips and lattice across the top of the pie, 5 going widthwise and 4 going lengthwise. Bake at 425 F for 10 minutes, then lower the heat to 350 F and bake for 20 - 30 minutes until the crust is lightly browned and the filling is bubbly.

Add some lightly sweetened cream, and you're all set!

All hail the perfect peach pie!

Spicy Chai Latte

Have you read Sprouted Kitchen lately? If not, you should do so, immediately, if not sooner!!

Sprouted Kitchen is one of my favorite blogs and is the love child of Sara & Hugh. Sara is the foodie and Hugh is photog, and basically, they make the perfect pair. The food is simple and fresh, as is the photography. It's such a place of inspiration for me!

A cup of chai & yesterday's paper: perfection.

Anyways, on to this spicy chai latte. I could wax on and off about the joys of this concoction. It's heart-warming and has a bit of kick that you feel in the back of your throat, which is immediately calmed by the bit of sweetness and creaminess from the milk.
I've searched far and wide for a good chai recipe, and this is it. I will look no further. It's pretty simple too. Once you round up all the various spices, it just takes about 10 minutes to chai nirvana. If you're feeling a bit luxurious, top it with a bit of lightly sweetened whipped cream, if not, it's perfect as it is!

Tons of ginger make for a perfectly spicy chai latte!

A collection of luxurious spices (top left to bottom right): star anise, cardamom, black peppercorns, cinnamon stick.

Spicy Chai Latte

Yields: 4 servings

Original recipe here.

4 bags of black tea (darjeeling, english breakfast, etc.)

1 cup milk

2 in. piece of ginger, cut into pieces

1 tsp. cloves

1 tsp. cardamom seeds

1 tsp. black peppercorns

3 cinnamon sticks

1 tsp. ground nutmeg

star anise (optional)

brown sugar or honey, to taste

In a small plastic bag, combine the peppercorns, cardamom and cloves. Use a mallet or heavy skillet to crush the spices into coarse pieces. In a saucepan on medium heat, combine the milk, crushed spices, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and star anise (if using). Allow the milk to come to a gentle boil, then cover and turn off the heat. Allow everything to steep for about 15 minutes. While the spicy milk steeps, bring water to a boil. Combine the 4 tea bags with 2 cups of boiling water. Allow the tea to steep for 4 minutes then discard the tea bags. Add the tea to the spicy, warm milk. Use a fine mesh strainer or coffee filter to remove the spices. Add brown sugar or honey to taste, stir and enjoy warm!

I just got this new mug, and I'm quite enamored with it!

Tailored Tuesdays

I am sooooo obsessed with those earrings!

And the shoes too, they would match anything.

1. Duffy 'Layered cashmere cardigan'

2. Alldressedup 'Gathered silk top'

3. Victoria Beckham Denim 'Waxed mid-rise skinny jeans'

4. Bottega Veneta 'Snakeskin slouch bag'

5. Tom Binns 'Silver plated swarovski crystal earrings'

6. Jimmy Choo 'Private patent leather sandals'

all images can be found at net-a-porter.com

Mixtape

So far, I'm loving the new Sufjan Stevens releases! I've been anxiously waiting for him to release new songs since I don't even remember when. I guess he's no longer going the one CD per state route, although I secretly wish he still was. My new favorite though has to go to Hoodie Allen, I love how they incorporate sampling into their songs.

And I adore these remixes of William Fitzsimmons. Sometimes his songs can be a little slow paced for me, so these are the perfect version - or I think, anyways.

Since I can't host files anymore, I provided links to how you can grab your hands on these songs though the Hype Machine - one of my favorite websites ever!! Sorry for the inconvenience.

Crystal Castles

[Vanished]

Sufjan Stevens

[Enchanting Ghost]

[I Walked]

Calvin Harris

[You Used to Hold Me]

Yeasayer

[ONE]

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

[Janglin - RAC mix]

Hoodie Allen

[Words of Wisdom ft Two Door Cinema Club]

[You are Not a Robot ft. Marina & the Diamonds]

Bassnectar

[Magical World ft. Nelly Furtado]

William Fitzsimmons

[So This is Goodbye - Pink Ganter Remix]

[I Don't Feel It Anymore - George Raquet Remix]

Wale

[New Soul ft. Yael Naim]

- - -

I also, loove this song [Sara Bareilles - King of Anything]. This music video is super fun. I especially love when she "plays" her piano of forks and the polaroid-ish format.