To celebrate my 28th birthday, we held a little cocktail party at the Smith Sr. House.  It was black & white- and pink! themed... We took a trip to costco and got a bunch of alcohol, mixers, beer, snacks and we even took a trip downtown to get a pinata!  We also had a little self made photo booth going along with the color theme.  It was a lot of fun.  

Why is this going in the food blog?  Because I decided to make some sangria for the party.  I've made it before, but this time I tried another recipe and it turned out great! I think the trick was really soaking the fruit in the wine overnight before it was being served.  We also added a shot of brandy, which may have helped create the great taste too.  

Here are some pictures from the birthday bash... we had a pinata (cupcake), some beer pong (although the boys dominated this table), a few flip cup games going on, and a self made photo booth that was as ton of fun....just wish I had taken more pictures!!!

Well since Valentines day fell on a Monday this year, we figured we might as well celebrate during the weekend.  I planned a fun day out in Malibu for Sean and I-- oysters, ceviche and other seafood at Neptune's Net, and then a day of wine tasting over at Malibu Wines.  Sean had planned a nice dinner for us at Crustaceans- our favorite restaurant!  We usually go there every year for our anniversary on March 5th, but since we now have a new anniversary, November just seemed too long a wait, and Valentines day was the perfect excuse.   However, we had been spending so much money on all our Dine LA adventures that when we talked about it, we decided to postpone our Crustaceans date and test out Gladstone's since we'd be in Malibu all day anyway.  Our good friend Shelby also works there and we have been meaning to go visit her!  

Neptune's Net was packed!!!  There really weren't any seats available, so we ended up making our own little seats next to our car and bumming it.  Food was just as good though!  Then we headed over to Malibu Wines and OMG it was sooooo crowded.  I guess everyone had the same idea that we had?  Granted I've never been there before, but it was insanely crowded.  There were people spread out everywhere, on tables, on mats, with their picnic baskets (and some with some really good lookin finger foods, cheese, etc) enjoying the live music.  We went to the "bar" to do our sampling, except there were probably like 30 people crammed in the area, breathing down everyone's neck waiting for their turn.  Sean and I waited maybe 15 minutes and when we got nowhere, we decided to cut our losses and come back another time.  It was kind of a bummer since we were looking forward to it, but it was just too too crowded!

So then we headed over to Gladstones and holy heck it was packed there as well!  We had to wait in a line just to get to the hostess to tell them our name and reservation time!  When I got Shelby's attention she was like "sorry, it's so crazy right now, I wanted to text you not to even come in since it's so crowded but I haven't had one free second!"  Regardless though, our food came out pretty quickly and it was delicious.  Ever since that meal I have been continually craving lobster!

REAL VALENTINES DAY:

Seany sent these to my work!  Edible arrangements!  I have to say, very sweet on his part, he sure knows the way to my heart!  As for the actual fruit, some of them were good, but some were a little dry due to the chocolate I think... and it was very dark chocolate, I think I'd prefer milk?

VDAY Dinner:  We decided to give our roommate and his girlfriend some privacy, so while he served his spaghetti that he made for her, we went down the street to get some thai food.  We had already celebrated so we just wanted somewhere there wouldn't be a long line or a ridiculous surcharge for valentines day.  We ended up just googling Thai food in our area and ended up at a place called "Greenview Thai".  I'd give it a 7/10.  It was actually a lot nicer than I would have ever thought.  The inside was really nice and decorated nicely, and the food was not bad, but not great either.  I still prefer Siam or Thai Talay, but for somewhere close by on the westside, it's decent.  Not sure if we will go back or not, but it was at least enjoyable.[a

Sean had been sick all week and stomach was still a little uneasy, so he felt like having pho for dinner.  I've actually never had it in California, believe it or not... Sean suggested we go to a place in Culver City until a friend Janice, also a foodie, suggested Pho 99 Noodle and Grill.  Since it was literally just right down the road, we decided to check it out.  She said she usually doesn't eat it often on the west side, because there are so many places (on the east side?) that are really good, but if she had to recommend one, this would be the place.  I thought it was pretty good, but nothing compared to Pho Bistro in Hawaii.  Sean liked the broth, but thought the Culver City one was better.  I'll have to try that one next time.

Mom sent me my gau and coconut strips and my licee (wonderful red envelope containing  $) for Chinese New Year.  It was such a nice surprise!  Also ordered some Chinese delivery from Chin Chin for the occassion, but it was really just so so...

Went to vegas for the weekend with Aunty Bet and Uncle Mike.  We also met up with all the baseball boys who go every year for the superbowl so it was a fun weekend.  Here are our food escapades in Vegas... first stop was Serendipity, which I have been dying to go to my last few trips to Vegas but never got to.  The last time I had been was in New York over 6 years ago!!!
It did not disappoint!  We had a coupon from Planet Hollywood- buy an entree and receive a free frozen hot chocolate.  It's the dessert they are famous for (serrendipity movie) and it's $10  so getting an entree was a no brainer.  Sean and I split a BBQ chicken pizza and it was super duper good!  I was impressed.  I think with a little less cheese (cuz i'm not a huge tons of cheese person on pizza) it would have been one of the best pizza's I've ever had).  And of course, the dessert was delicious!

We had just gone to koi for the very first time in LA, but when we checked in to Planet Hollywood and it was at our hotel in Vegas, we thought, it was good...why not?! Especially since Aunty Bet said she gets comped anything within the hotel, and asked where we'd like to eat for my birthday, we knew this had to be it!  We ordered our usual, but since there were 2 more of us, we were able to try 2 other rolls as well.  Aunty Bet and I also shared some hot tea and it was really good!  The food is about the same as the Koi in LA but the ambiance was definitely more clubby, with a vegas touch to it.  Our view was also pretty amazing-- I loved sitting with the glass viewing outside to the strip!

We also had breakfast at the cafe in the Planet Hollywood... hoooley moley I swear the menu was like 20 pages long.  Everything you could imagine was on there- from your traditional eggs, pancakes type breakfast, to mexican cuisine, chinese cuisine, japanese cuisine... whatever your heart desired pretty much!

I was debating between the loco moco and the corned beef hash...since sean got the latter, I opted for the loco moco.  It was OK, the hamburger patty was really thick and not my favorite, but overall not bad!  

Also made a trip downtown to gamble and had to stop by Lappert's for some ice cream in the Califonia hotel.  I had the Kona coffee and it totally hit the spot!

Planet Hollywood Superbowl Party!

Well, I'm not an avid football fan, in fact, I kinda resent football.  It's my least favorite sport by far...and I know that probably angers a lot of peeps, but sorry, it's the truth!

The plan was supposed to be like a few years ago, Sean and Uncle Mikey would go to the superbowl party and Aunty Bet and I would go to the spa!  However, when they said they were able to get us 4 tickets to the party, we figured we should probably go.  I actually paid attention the whole time and it wasn't so bad :-/  there was a lot of food and drinks to keep me occupied otherwise.  All you can eat and drink for free!  Too bad it was a Sunday!

Dine LA #2: NOBU

We did the family style option #2 and our first dish was amaaazing! I definitely want to get this one next time we come back.

White Fish Sashimi with Dry Miso:
Thinly sliced white fish sashimi drizzled with olive oil and yuzu juice, with dry miso powder, garlic chips, and chives

Dish 2: Tuna Tataki Cilantro Sauce

Dish 3: King Crab Tempura Amazu Ponzu

My FAVORITE one... it's probably my favorite thing at Nobu.  So yummy!

Black Cod Miso

Ok, so I saw a girl walk by and she looked a lot like my friend Grace from high school.  The next time she walked by she happened to look and it was her!!!  The last time I saw her was a few years ago at One Sunset when she was working there.  Apparently she is the manager at Nobu LA now, and she was so sweet to send us over 2 bowls of rice, this passion fruit sake (which was really, really good, and I don't even like sake, but I would love more of this!) and wagyu beef tacos which were also super tasty!

And then our last course that came with the Dine LA meal was dessert: Chocolate Bento Box, Froyo, or Banana Caramel Soy Tobanyaki.  I got the Chocolate Bento Box, which really wasn't anything special, and Sean got the Banana Caramel Soy Tobanyaki which was better than mine, but I probably wouldn't care if I had again!

Overall a great meal!

Ricotta Noquis: better than tamales! small ricotta and maseca dumplings lightly browned and served with tomatillo  and chipotle salsas.

I thought these were pretty good.  They sure did melt in your mouth and the sauce was yummy too.

Lamb Kafta Meaballs: over warm Syrian cheese wrapped in grape leaf and drizzled with date and carob molasses; served with za'atar spiced flatbread.

The meatballs had a lot of flavor to them! Even a little spice, which Sean's dad who had a sore throat could really feel.  They tasted really good on the "cracker" which was served with them.  The waiter recommended that whatever we had left, to wrap up in the grape leaf and eat that way. 

Shrimp Stuffed Shiitake Mushrooms: tempura fried shiitake mushrooms filled with delicate shrimp mousse with ponzu dipping sauce.

I may be a bit biased because I pretty much like anything with ponzu sauce, and I love mushrooms to death, but I really liked this dish.  It could have used a little more flavor, but overall it was yummy and I'd get it again.

Kaya Toast: A uniquely STREET experience toasted bread spread thick with coconut jam; served with a soft fried egg drizzled in dark soy and white pepper.

Ummm oK, so this kinda reminds me of the "hanpen cheese" at furaibo, just because who would think something like this could be SO GOOD?!  It was absolutely amazing.  Marilyn had raved about it before coming, but no explanation can ever do this justice.  The strange combination of perfectly toasted toast, coconut, egg yolk and soy was astounding.  I want more!!! By far my absolute favorite thing on the menu.

Mussels: Curried mussels in a coconut curried broth with spanish chorizo

I think this was my 2nd favorite dish after the kaya toast.  It was really yummy and the curry was delish!  We asked for more bread to eat it with, but it would have also been good with rice, or made into a whole dish itself. 

Sauteed brussel sprouts: with apples, hazlenuts and goat cheese.

Sean's dad raved about the corn dish, but apparently they change their menu seasonally, so it wasn't available.  The waiter suggested the brussel sprouts so that is what we tried.  I actually really liked it because it tasted a lot like steamed cabbage.  I could have done without the goat cheese though.  No one else was a huge fan, but I still liked it!

Tatsutage Fried Chicken: marinated with soy, mirin, and sake crispy fried in rice batter and topped with spicy kewpie mayonnaise sauce.

Not sure if I was just stuffed at this point or what, but I didn't think the chicken was that good.  Everyone else said it was good even though they were stuffed, but I found it a little boring!

Egyptian Basbousa Cake: with lime curd, whipped cream and

It seems I forgot to blog about my very first experience at Koi.  I have been wanting to experience Koi for a long time now, but had never gotten the chance.  What better time than Dine LA?  It was the final one on our list, since Sean got  his email with the AMEX offer (enjoy 3 restaurants during dine LA and get a $20 reward on your AMEX statement).  Everything was good... I think I enjoyed the miso cod the most and then both the desserts were simply delicious!  Everything else we had was good too... baked crab rolls in soy paper are one of my favorite foods ever, so this one was still really good, but Katsuya's is still #1 on our list.  

So ever since the wedding was winding down, I got really bad about updating my blog.  SO sorry!  But now I'm back and I have a ton to report on! :) Here are a few things from the past 2 months or so... I will give really brief descriptions with some picture of course and then hopefully I will be better about updating more frequently now that I have so much extra time on my hands!

mmm...spam musubi's... we taught ryan how to make spam musubi's and bought him a musubi maker to keep.  We gave him his first one on the way to Mammoth either last year or the year before...and since then he's been hooked! 

Sean made breakfast :) eggs and his potatoes with sour cream!

Dinner at Mitsuwa Market... Ramen and ikura for me!  The ramen is pretty good (I think it's called Santouka)

Checked out "A-Frame" in Culver City with Aya, Shaun and a few of their friends.  It had just opened up and the chef is the same one from Kogi Taco's at the Alibi Room- he was even there that night!
I think my favorite thing was the sweet potato... the dessert was good too- tasted kinda like a churro!

Bridesmaids luncheon back in November at Thai Talay. Everyone ordered a dish and we shared... it was yummy and a fun day with the girls.

The cupcakes that I made for Margo and Moose (Mustafa's) engagement tailgate party!

pho bistro in hawaii... the oxtail soup with pho on the side is perfection!  They take a long time to get the food out, but it's worth the wait.

Mama's home made french toast made from "hawaiian" sweet bread... and portuguese sausage on the side!  Sooo ono!

At Tamura's... hello kitty wine!!!

Yummy's Korean BBQ- my fave.  Meat Jun (which is beef with cooked egg around it), 2 scoops rice, the most delicious potatoes, noodles and cabbage for sides.  Skipped the kim chee that day.

Marci brought us cupcakes from cake couture! yummmm

Gyukaku on a Monday night (all day happy hour) with the hubby...

So every Christmas, mom makes her famous party mix and we give it to all our family and family friends.  Since it was my first Christmas away from home, I decided to keep the tradition alive on my end and make some myself.  I ended up making 4 tubs because I think I may have eaten an entire one myself!

We went to check out Red O with the Smith Sr.'s... it's a mexican restaurant, but Sean says it's very "foo foo" Mexican... as someone who's not a huge Mexican foodie, I have to say I think I like the foo foo kine...

I think my favorites were the tamale and the ceviche.

We went to Rutt's one night for a home foods fixin and Rutt's is so perfect for that.  Everything is pretty cheap and pretty good!  Sean got the Loco Moco and the gravy was really good... I got the stew, which I pretty much always get.  It's huge but it's perfect for leftovers the next day... and then we were feeling ambitious so we got a fried noodles to share too!

SUSHI STOP
There is a new place on Sawtelle called Sushi Stop and everything on the menu is $2.75.  Everything!  We decided to give it a try and gave it a two thumbs up.  The only thing we didn't like was the spicy tuna on crispy rice.  It was boring.  But everything else was good.  There is even a chicken curry udon that is small, but a deal for $2.75.  And the oyster shooter with quail egg is AH-MAZING.  It was so good I had two...
And we went back 3 days later :)

Laura and I had a date to Dough boys.  Her birthday was in November and I hadn't had a chance to celebrate with her because of all the craziness of the wedding so wanted to take her out to lunch.  We decided on Dough boys, where neither of us had been.  I've been here a few times for the infamous best ever red velvet, but never had any of the food... I couldn't decide and got a pizza, which was good, and I was impressed-- I would go back again and try a salad- they were huge and looked really good! And yes, we split a red velvet for dessert!

Kabuki- one of our stomping grounds always.  I can't believe we never had it before, but we got the dynamite roll and it was so good!  Spicy Tuna Crunch is always my favorite, but now I think there is a new contender!!!

Decided to make a good meal for Sean  since he had to work on Martin Luther King day and I had it off... Hamachi kama (yellowtail collar), Dynamite and oyster shooters!

DINE LA
Stop #1... Lawry's!
Sean was soooo excited when he saw that Lawry's was on Dine LA.  I've never been to Lawry's and while I like prime rib, I'm not a huge fanatic, but I do have to say... this is on a whole different level!  It was sooo good- with the au jus and the horseradish.  I mixed the creamy one with the spicier one and it was really good.  Our DineLA menu started off with a salad, then we had prime rib and a lobster tail and ended with a dessert.  We ordered one sundae and one strawberry shortcake, but our waitress was so nice and said we would probably want to have one each and brought us another one :)  It was a great meal, but we sure did have a kanak attack after!
...we also ordered some creamed corn, which was just SO SO if you ask me.

I was proud of my gold and silver sprinkled cupcakes for New Years.  Brought them over to Beck's party and finally got to use my new Martha Stewart cupcake carrier that I registered for and Kea bought for as our wedding present :)

I had on my list to try out Gonpachi in Japan, per my best friend from home, Alanna, when she was giving me recommendations.  Unfortunately, we were trying to do so many things, we never made it there.  I had heard the one in Beverly Hills wasn't as good as the one in Japan, but when we got an email from Travelzoo offering a $70 certificate for $35, we figured we might as well try it.  The food and sushi were good-- not great, but not bad...but the dessert (tempura ice cream) was to die for!!!!  Sean even said it was the best dessert he's ever had in his life!!!  I also enjoyed the ambiance... it felt authentic and like I could be in Japan!
And although it has nothing to do with food, we visited the tallest Xmas tree in the US at the Grove afterwards...