CHOMP!

Samar

2012-02-12T00:39:00.001-06:00

Review coming soon...

LA!! Larry's

2012-02-02T10:08:00.000-06:00

For our last day in LA, I found out that it was actually the first day of their restaurant week (dineLA). Tons of restaurants offer lunch and dinner prix fixe deals for a range of prices. We HAD to take advantage of this!! We wanted to go somewhere by the beach so I came across Larry's in Venice Beach.

Larry's
24 Windward Avenue
Venice, CA 90291
(310) 399-2700
http://larrysvenice.com/
Price: $$

It's literally a few steps to the beach. :) Most of the seating is open/outdoor/patio. Luckily it was a nice sunny day so it wasn't as cold as it had been for the previous days. We were immediately seated since I made reservations. The dining area was very bright from the sun, which was nice. It's a very casual, chill place.

Our waiter came to give us some water and take additional drink orders. He was nice but a little high strung or something? He also informed us that the entire table had to participate in the dineLA menu or none at all. A restaurant policy apparently... Looking at their regular menu vs the prix fixe, the 3 course deal was by far the better deal! Larry's dineLA lunch promotion was $16 per person for 3 courses.

1st Course:
Wild Arugula & Apple Salad (coppa, parmesan, aged balsamic vinaigrette, toasted almonds).

I ordered this. It was a giant bowl of salad! Wow... I loved the bitterness of the arugula and the sweet/tart from the apple and nuttiness from the almonds was a great addition. It was also dressed perfectly. The waiter says the chef actually likes to underdress the salad which was perfect for me. I hate it when they drown salads in dressing.

Goose and Hazelnut Terrine (huckleberry compote, toast).

This was really interesting. It was almost like a solid pate? The goose flavor was quite light which was good and I particularly liked the crunchy hazelnuts in the terrine. The huckleberry compote complimented it nicely.

Butternut Squash Soup (bacon, creme fraiche).

The flavor was very light...almost too light. It was fine, but I wish it was a bit thicker. It was a little watered down.

2nd Course:
6oz. Lamb or Dry Aged Beef Burger (brioche bun, french fries, house made pickles).

All 3 of my friends ordered this. It was the best bang for the buck. 2 of them ordered lamb and 1 got the beef. I always love brioche. My friend with the beef said it was ok. I tasted the beef patty and it was a little bland. My other friends seemed to enjoy their lamb.

One of the burgers was a little undercooked though. Slightly more pink than my friend wanted. The presentation was nice. The best part of the dish were the fries tho. They were amazing especially with this chili mayo dip of some sort!!

Mushroom Pasta (burrata cheese, fried parsley).

I got the pasta. I'm really glad I ordered this. It was a smaller portion which was good for lunch. The flavors were simple and clean. I could taste every element in that dish. The pasta seems to be homemade. The texture was great. There were lots of mushrooms and the burrata cheese just added a hint of creaminess. I totally enjoyed it!

3rd Course:
Sticky Toffee Pudding (salted caramel, vanilla ice cream).

This was pretty good. It's kind of a spice cake. The ice cream on top paired really well with it. I wish the scoop was bigger though. Also, the caramel wasn't cooked enough because it still had sugar crystals in it. But you know what? We all actually liked it cuz it added a slightly crunchy texture. hehe.

Ice Cream Sundae (marachino cherry whipped cream, assorted candy).

The presentation was so cute! It was like a little build your own ice cream station! :)

It was a good meal. We were super full after! It seems like a cool place to hang out on a lazy afternoon too. However, it seems like the chef is a bit uptight. We were told that we couldn't substitute anything because the chef doesn't want to waste time and the waiter didn't want to get in trouble. One of my friends doesn't eat onions or cheese but couldn't get it omitted on his burger. The waiter asked if he could just scrape it off because he didn't even want to ask the chef if that was a possibility. I thought that was kind of ridiculous!!! Poor waiter...we were pretty easy going, but not all customers are that way. I can see other people get angry with that type of policies.

Anyways, it was still a great finale to our trip. Afterwards, we walked around Venice beach to enjoy the sunny weather.

Until next time LA!! I'll be back soon!! :)

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

LA!! Onyx Lounge

2012-02-01T15:00:00.000-06:00

I found a place on yelp that was only 3 blocks from The Edison. Reviews seemed pretty positive so we decided to walk there and check it out.

Onyx Lounge
118 West 5th St.
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 891-1144
http://onyxloungela.com/
Price: $$

This was a great find! It was a pretty small restaurant/bar and it was packed when we got there so we had to just stand around and wait for a table. The hostess was really nice and said she would let us know whenever a table opens up.

We headed for the bar in the mean time. The bartender greeted us immediately. Wow! You don't usually get that type of service from bartenders...especially when they are that busy. It was a refreshing surprise.

I got a cocktail to share with a friend. Spring St. Smash (Bourbon, blackberry, basil, lemon, sambuca) $11~

This was their signature cocktail. I thought it was so cute in the jar. And it was a pretty large drink! It was yummy too! Similar to the blackberry mojito I had at the Library Bar (not AS good) but still quite fantastic. The sambuca really added another layer of flavor to it. Plus it's so pretty! :)

Trojan (watermelon, gin, allagash white, chili) $11~

Allagash White is actually a beer. I didn't really like this drink...kinda tasted soapy to me.. haha.

We waited quite a while. Seemed like a really happening place so only new people came in but none of the existing customers wanted to leave! haha. The hostess was nice enough to come by and check on us every once in a while. She told us that one table seemed like they were going to leave (but they ended up sticking around until super late...) Eh. BUT...while standing around, I noticed some guy walk in and he looked quite familiar. I asked my friend if he recognizes him. It took us a while to pinpoint where we'd seen him before and finally we did. It was the actor, Lee Thompson Young, who was Cyborg in Smallville, and also had roles in other TV shows such as Friday Night Lights and Flash Forward!! Our first real celebrity sighting!! haha. We approached him and he was super nice. And we got our photos!! Woot! That definitely made the night even better!

Finally we got a table! And we ordered a few snacks for everyone.

Spicy Garlic Fries (herb buttermilk dressing) $6~

OMG! Amazing! Fantastic! These fries were like crack! So freaking addictive. They were fried perfectly, seasoned perfectly with just a dust of chili powder on top to add some spiciness. I can eat these forever!!!

Warm Ricotta Mixed Berry Pancakes $9~

Very delicate, pillowy pancakes. Not your typical dessert but it was very good.

Chocolate Bread Pudding $11~

This dessert was a bit pricey, but it was fantastic! Sorry for the blurry picture. :( The bread pudding was rich in chocolate flavor and the texture was almost like a thick mousse. Super moist and decadent. I wanted to lick it off the plate!

This was a really cool, chill place. I'm so glad we gave it a chance! The decor is nice, the food and drinks were good and the service was really great. Also, they had a live DJ there but the music level wasn't too loud. We were still able to carry on a conversation with our friends. I can see myself chilling there more often if I lived in LA. I wouldn't mind going back to try more of the menu items either!!

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

LA!! The Edison

2012-02-01T14:50:00.000-06:00

After dinner we went to check out a highly recommended lounge/bar. We got there pretty early (9:30PM) so we didn't have to stand in line too long.

The Edison
108 West 2nd St. #101
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 613-0000
http://www.edisondowntown.com/
Price: $$

This is a really cool place. The decor is 1920's-ish with a lot of cool lights which fits the name. Definitely one of the cooler bars I've ever been to. There was some special performances by The Bling Divas that night so we had to pay a $10 cover. After you pay, you walk downstairs to the bar area. There were already a ton of people there.

We walked around a bit first, taking in all the decor and tried to find a table. Most of the tables were taken and everything else had a 'reserved' sign on it... Booooo. I heard that normally they don't do that. Bleh.

Anyways, so we make our way back to the bar, which was surrounded and super packed since most people didn't have tables to sit at. The bartenders were definitely working overtime. It took a while to finally flag one down and make our orders.

Their cocktails are pretty expensive. And I had higher expectations from reading pretty positive online reviews.

The Mistress (vodka, hibiscus liqueur, fresh-squeezed lemon juice, shaken lightly and topped with Prosecco) $14~

This was disgusting. The bartender said this was probably the sweetest cocktail on the menu but it was NOT sweet at all! I had to give it back and ask him to make it sweeter. And all he did was douse it with syrup. Great... now it's just lemon juice mixed with artificial syrup. BLECH!! Totally not worth the money. For this price I should just go back to The Library Bar!!!

The decor was definitely something cool to experience but we weren't really feeling it. Too many people and not enough places to stand. And its not really a place where people dance either. Kind of boring! So we finished our drinks and decided to venture elsewhere...

This place was hyped up too much. It's cool to see the decor. But I would definitely not pay for cover or the price for their drinks... :(

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

LA!! Honda-Ya Izakaya

2012-02-01T14:42:00.000-06:00

For our last dinner in LA, I chose this Japanese Yakitori place (grilled skewers and such). It had really good reviews online and the menu was pretty extensive. I found out later that my bf had actually been there before during one of his business trips. He said it was fantastic. Yay! :)

Honda-Ya Izakaya
333 South Alameda St.
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 625-1184
http://izakayahondaya.com/
Price: $-$$

This place is located in a shopping mall. Unfortunately I never found out what the mall was called. But it's on the 2nd floor.

They take reservations, thank goodness, because there were people on a wait list when we got there. And when we left, the line of people got longer! On weekends they also have a 2 hour max for dining since they are so busy... Walking in, the decor was very Japanese. It was pretty cool! But no one greeted us at all. A bunch of waiters and waitresses walked by us but none stopped to greet us or even acknowledge us.. :( Uh oh, not a good sign!

Finally the hostess showed up and took us to our table. Our waiter came to greet us and take our drink orders. Luckily he was really cool and even joked around with us. We were given some Japanese Cucumbers as a complimentary starter. It was really good!!

The menu was so extensive it was really hard to figure out what to order! Everything sounded so good!!

In no particular order we ordered the following... Everyone got to try a little bit of everything. :)

Kobe Beef Tataki (seared Kobe beef) $9.50~

Amazing! This was one of my favorite dishes of the night. The beef quality was superb. The meat was just lightly seared on the outside. It was super tender and full of flavor. YUM!!

Salmon Collar $7.95~

This was my other favorite of the night. The salmon was cooked perfectly. And the cheek meat of the fish is always the most tender. Delicious!

Yakitori (price per skewer):
- Special Chicken Heart $2.50~

The waiter explained the difference between regular chicken heart vs the special heart. They cut the heart in half. The bottom is the regular heart and is more lean but looks "nicer". The special heart is the upper part which has the arteries and such which might not look as appealing to some people, but is more fatty and tender than the regular heart. I'm glad we opted for the fattier part. It was pretty tasty. Cooked really well...if overcooked it gets a bit chewy. Out of all the skewers, this was one of my favorites.

- Scallop $3.95~ Quite tender and had good flavor. I like it!
- Squid Legs $2.50~ Cooked well, not extra chewy. Tasty!
- Zucchini with Bacon $2~ I didn't get to try this since we only got 1 skewer. But refer to the previous item's comment and I'm sure this was delicious as well.

- Asparagus with Bacon $2.25~ Anything wrapped in bacon is awesome. Nuff said.

- Beef Tongue $2.25~ I love beef tongue and was looking forward to this the most. But it was a bit chewy and not the best I've had. :(
- Pork Belly $2~ Can't go wrong with pork belly. It was like thick cut bacon. Drool!!

- Duck $3.50~ A little expensive for the amount of meat we got. But the duck flavor was very prominent which I liked and very tender.

Takoyaki (octopus pancake ball) $4.50~

One of my friends ordered this. I'm not a fan of takoyaki. It's usually too heavy and never has enough octopus inside. This was no different. Also the sauce on top was pretty sweet. Eh...

Chijimi (Korean style pancake) $4.50~

One girl ordered this thinking it would be like pajeon (normal Korean pancake) but it was definitely not! haha. It was pretty interesting though. Flavors were good. I liked the fish flakes on top. And it's cool because they move on top because of the heat. It's like the food is still alive! :)

Spicy Tuna Crispy (spicy tuna on top of crispy rice) $6~

One friend ordered this but it was also different than expected. We all thought it would be like spicy tuna roll thats fried or something... But it's actual Asian crispy rice with spicy tuna on top. Interesting and very good! Each order only comes with 2 pieces though. A little pricey!

Men-Mochi (spicy cod roe and cheese baked on mochi/rice cake) $6~

I've never had anything like this before. The combination of mochi baked with cheese is definitely new to me. It was a bit too salty...too much cheese I think. It also needed more of the roe. The mochi was very tough to cut through. It was interesting... but I probably won't recommend it.

Potato Cheese Gratin (baked creamy mashed potato with cheese) $7.50~

I had hoped this would be like a sweet potato cheese gratin I had in Korea (which was awesomely fantastic) but it wasn't really. It was still good but I think also too much cheese in ratio to the potato.

Salmon Chazuke (rice soup with grilled salmon flake) $4.95~

My friend said this is a good hangover dish. It's very light yet comforting. I can see that it would make a hangover feel better. haha.

Dang... sooo much food! Most of the dishes were really good but I was definitely craving something fresh afterwords. A lot of meats and cheese and heaviness. I don't think I can eat like this all the time.

I was full but then I found out they had Black Sesame Ice Cream $1.95~

OMG! I must have!! I LOVE black sesame. It was really yummy!!! :)

Strawberry Mochi Ice Cream $3~

Mochi ice creams are always tasty. It's basically the ones you can buy at the Asian supermarket. hehe.

It was a fun and interesting meal. It's a cool place to go with a big group of people since you want to share and sample everything. We don't have anything like this in Dallas... We definitely need some Izakayas in Dallas. I think it would do really well! I would recommend making a reservation if you decided to go so you don't have to wait in line!

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

LA!! Beard Papa's

2012-01-31T16:11:00.000-06:00

Beard Papa's
333 S. Alameda St. #106
Los Angeles, CA 90029
(213) 620-0710
http://www.muginohointl.com/
Price: $

Awesome cream puffs that I've had in Asia. I'm so jealous that LA has one and Dallas doesn't. :(

Chocolate Cream Puff $1.95~

Strawberry Cream Puff $1.95~

The puffs are super light and the creams are not too sweet. It's a great dessert if you don't want something too heavy.

NOM!!

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

LA!! Huge Tree Pastry

2012-01-31T10:33:00.000-06:00

Saturday morning we headed towards Monterey Park to drop off one of my friends at his relatives' house. I had come across a Taiwanese breakfast place online and their menu looked really good.

Huge Tree Pastry
423 N. Atlantic Blvd. Ste 106
Monterey Park, CA 91754
(626) 458-8689
Price: $

I'm always up for some good Taiwanese food, we definitely don't have enough of that in Dallas. I was pretty psyched to go check this place out. They serve some pretty traditional breakfast dishes that I grew up with in Taiwan.

It's a pretty small place. They had some premade items displayed in cases and on tables. There was a line when we walked in. A lot of people ordering to go, and the dining area was full. We had a lot of time to look over the menu so we were ready to order when we got to the register.

Sweet Soy Bean Milk (cold; small) $1.30~ Tasty! Not too sweet. It was great with all the savory dishes.

Green Onion Pancake with Egg $3.95~

My friends have never had green onion pancake with egg before. Man, have they been missing out! It was delicious. Especially with some chili sauce on it!

Baked Wheat Cake with Beef and Pickled Mustard $3.25~ I grew up eating this stuff! My friends also really enjoyed it.

Salted Rice Ball with Pickled Mustard and Egg (with black rice) $3.50~

This is one of my favorite items. I've never had it with black rice before. It was a nice change. I loved the texture of the black rice. The egg and the pickled vegetables in there just made it even better. It's a taste of home. I miss it so! I just wished it was bigger! haha.

Pan Fried Dumpling (8 pieces) $5.75~

I'm not really a fan of pot stickers but my friend requested it. This wasn't that great. There wasn't enough of a crisp crust on it. The dough was too thick. Meh.

Red Bean Bun $1~

I got this at the end to go. They heated up for me too. It was a big disappointment. :( Wayyy too much dough, not enough filling. The dough was hard and chewy and the red bean flavor wasn't really right either. Booo..

Sticky Rice with Mushroom and Pork $4.99~

We also got this to go. The rice consistency isn't quite what it's supposed to be but it was decent. It needed to be warmed up though. We ate it at room temp since we were on the road and I think that wasn't the best way...

So some good and some not so great. It was still a great trip down memory lane. There was one waitress that was super friendly. And for the most part, the people there were nice. My friends enjoyed it a lot too. I would go back again if I was ever in the area. I just know what to order and what to avoid now. :P

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

LA!! The Library Bar @ The Roosevelt Hotel

2012-01-30T17:17:00.000-06:00

My friend's friend recommended that we check out the Library Bar at the Roosevelt Hotel. It's supposed to have really cool mixology and good drinks.

The hotel was kinda old styled, pretty cool looking. The Library Bar was a small little room on the side of the lobby. It's a pretty cool place.

Library Bar @ Roosevelt Hotel
7000 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90028
(323) 466-7000
http://www.thompsonhotels.com/hotels/la/hollywood-roosevelt/drink/library-bar
Price: $$

When you walk in, you see fresh herbs and fruits lined up on the bar. Just from that you can tell that they use quality ingredients.

From the reviews I've read, I was prepared that their drinks are very expensive. They also don't have any menus. You basically tell one of the 2 amazing bartenders kind of what you like and they mix up something for you. They use farmer's market ingredients, so everything is seasonal and changes frequently.

This usually makes me nervous because I'm very picky about drinks. There's a lot that I don't like. So I told him I like sweet drinks and maybe something with basil? He recommended a Blackberry Basil Mojito $16~

Wow... pricey! But the drink was awesome! I told him it wasn't sweet enough for me and he was totally willing to make it better. They are really masters at their craft and want to give the customers the best drink possible. He told me if I needed anything else to just let him know. He just added a splash more of agave nector and it was perfect. I drank that like it was juice! haha. YUM!

Yellow Bell (bell pepper, rosemary) $16~

This was recommended in online reviews so one of my friends ordered it. It also comes with a fire show! The bartender took two glasses, light some alcohol on fire, and started pouring the fire between the glasses. Sooo cool! At the end he poured the firey alcohol into the martini glass with the rest of the drink. And it lit the rosemary on fire. You can smell the fragrant rosemary. Smelled fantastic. After a while, you blow out the fire and stir the rosemary in the drink to infuse it all. This cocktail was sweet, savory, spicy and full of herbs...and strong! It was fantastic.

The Vampire (raspberries, clementine, jalapeno) $16~

My other friend ordered this. It sounded so interesting. You can definitely taste the spiciness. But it wasn't sweet enough for me. Also very strong.

This was a great recommendation. The place is a cool place to hang out. The drinks were fantastic and I can totally understand the prices. Most cocktails everywhere else are at least $12-14 already and it's no where as good as the Library Bar. The bartenders definitely take care in their craft so be willing to wait a few minutes for them to make your drink. It's also quite entertaining to watch them make it I think. Definitely a special place to check out. :)

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

LA!! Fuku Burger

2012-01-29T17:50:00.000-06:00

For dinner we checked out Fuku Burger. It's a new place...only been open for a few months. I had actually bought a deal for this place on bloomspot. So we had $50 to spend at a discounted rate! Woot!

Fuku Burger
1634 Cahuenga Blvd.
Hollywood, CA 90028
(323) 464-3858
http://www.fukuburger.com/
Price: $

Walking in, the decor kinda punches you in the face. Lots of black and red...very bold color choices. A little too much red after we sat down for a bit and soaked it all in. The oversaturated redness was a bit much... But overall the decorations were pretty funky and trendy.

We were greeted quickly when we arrived but after that it took a while for the waitress to come check on us. I asked her about their happy hour specials which supposedly ends at 7pm and she informs us that it's over. My friend looks at his watch and said..."it's 6:50..." She just replied, "well we just ended it a little earlier since it's Friday." Uhhhh... what does that have to do with anything?!? That ticked me off a little...

Anyways, we finally ordered.
#2 Tamago "Egg Burger" (Fuku-patty topped with fried egg, fuikake, crispy onions, Teriyaki sauce and wasabi mayo) $9~

None of the burgers really came with lettuce and tomato (other than the "Fuku" burger). I liked the egg in there but it was missing some freshness.

#4 Kinoko "Mushroom Burger" (Fuku-patty topped with grilled Shitake mushrooms, pickled red ginger, Teriyaki sauce and wasabi mayo) $9~

The mushrooms were fantastic, but again, missing that freshness from the lack of vegetables. My friend also said he felt like it was missing something.

#5 Karai "Spicy Buger" (Fuku-patty topped with pickled cucumbers, avocado cream and habanero kabayaki) $8~ 1-10 spicy. I chose #8.

I really like spicy but I opted for #8 spicy just in case. The habanero sauce definitely had a kick to it but I think I could do the level 10. I asked for lettuce and tomato with my burger. Sooo glad I did that.

#6 Chicken Katsu "Crispy Chicken" (panko crusted chicken breast topped with shredded cabbage, katsu sauce and crack sauce) $7~

This was really good. The chicken was fried well and the sauces paired really well with it.

Overall the burgers were all good, but not great. And they were a little small. All Fuku burgers are made with premium, sustainable, all-natural, free range Angus beef.

Garlic Fries (French fries seasoned with garlic salt and Togarashi) $3~

These were fantastic! They were fried perfectly and I loved the seasoning on it.

Jazz Fries (Garlic fries topped off with brown gravy and crack sauce) $4~

This was even better! I normally don't like gravy on fries but their gravy was amazing. Soooo addicting. I couldn't stop eating them. I even took the regular garlic fries and dipped them into the gravy. The only thing is that they put too much gravy on top. Half of the bowl of fries were soaked in the gravy. A bit too salty and mushy. But I can still eat it forever! haha.

The food was pretty good. The service is a bit lacking. But the manager came around and checked on all the tables so I thought that was nice. For the price, they really need to make the burgers a little bigger. And put some fresh veggies in there to liven up the burgers. It's a cool place to have a drink and chill but I would just snack on the fries and have dinner somewhere else. haha.

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

LA!! MILK

2012-01-27T14:45:00.000-06:00

After lunch we HAD to go to Milk. Plus it was so close by! I've never actually been to Milk, but I've had their ice cream sandwiches at Umami Burger. And they are fabulous!

Milk
7290 Beverly Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 939-6455
http://www.themilkshop.com/
Price: $

It's a small place. First of all, I love their logo. It's so cute! Walking in, you automatically see their displays of yummy desserts. From ice cream bars to brownies to cupcakes to cakes, the display is so tempting!!

I recommended the ice cream sandwiches to my friends. Milk makes theirs with macarons instead of normal cookies. The texture with the ice cream is so different and amazing. I prefer ice cream sandwiches with the macarons actually. Plus it's easier and cleaner to eat!

Grasshopper Ice Cream Sandwich $4.50~ Just as delicious as I remembered!

Rocky Road Ice Cream Sandwich $4.50~ Tried it for the first time. YUM! There are lots of marshmallows in there too!

Red Velvet Ice Cream Bar $4.50~ This was just ok. Not enough red velvet flavor in my opinion.

1 Scoop (Coffee Toffee ice cream with waffle cone) $3.50~ I chose to just get a scoop of one of their ice creams. The coffee toffee was great with tons of toffee bits in there. The waffle cone was nice and crunchy.

YUMM-AY!!!! This is a place I have to visit every time I'm in LA. If the drive is too far, I can just get the ice cream sandwiches at Umami! hehe.

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

LA!! U-Sushi

2012-01-27T14:35:00.000-06:00

The next day for lunch, I wanted to check out a new sushi place. I had gotten an email about the opening of a new sushi concept a few months ago. They are really new and the concept sounded cool.

It's basically like a Chipotle for sushi. You get to customize your own sushi and the prices are quite affordable! We MUST check it out.

U-Sushi
168 South Beverly Dr.
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
(310) 777-7655
http://u-sushi.com/
Price: $

Walking up to the place, the sign was very big and bright. Very pleasing to the eye. The general manager was actually outside the front door passing out menus. We told him that we came specifically to try this place. He was super nice and totally cool. A good start!

Walking in, the place is pretty small, but the decor and colors made it feel very bright and open. I really liked the feel of the place. All the people behind the counters were super friendly. We felt so welcomed to be there.

After numerous picture taking, haha, we got in line to order our sushi. First you pick if you want seaweed or soy paper. Then you choose white or brown rice. After that you select the fish you want inside.

You can choose 1 or 2 kinds of fish or just leave it vegetarian. Then you can choose up to 3 veggies inside, plus garnishes and sauce. They have multiple people working on different stations and just passing it along.

Finally the last guy rolls up the sushi and puts it into this neat sushi cutting machine. You can also choose to add some side dishes like tempura or fried chicken, etc.

The whole process moves very quickly. They've really streamlined the process.

I got a One Fish Roll (Salmon, brown rice, seaweed, asparagus, avocado, kalware sprouts, sesame seeds, tobiko, spicy mayo) $7.50~

The roll was massive!! Which was awesome. For the size and quality, the price was great in my opinion. The fish and veggies were super fresh and it was delicious overall! I'm loving this place!

Two of my friends ordered the Two Fish Roll (yellowtail, salmon, brown rice, seaweed, avocado, cucumber, kalware sprouts, tobiko, spicy mayo) $9.50~

They had slightly different ingredients but you get the idea.. They loved it as well. Their rolls were even bigger cuz they had 2 different types of fish.

Another friend got the One Fish Roll (spicy tuna, white rice, soy paper, carrots, avocado, tamago, peanut sauce) $7.50~ He doesn't like seaweed so he went with soy paper. I thought the spicy tuna was a bit too light. It needed more kick in the spice! The peanut sauce was an interesting change though!

Kara Age Chicken (japanese-style fried chicken) $2.50~ The chicken was super moist. It was sooo yum! The flavor was all their and it was fried well. Not greasy at all. Love!

Sweet Potato Korokke (3 pieces) $1.50~ This was interesting. There were bits of onions inside the potato cakes. The flavor was a bit weird? It didn't have the normal sweetness you find in sweet potatoes. I think if they reduced the size and had more of a crunchy exterior, it would be much better...

I loved this place. From the amazing service to fresh ingredients, I really wish we had one of these in Dallas. This was also one of my favorite meals of the entire trip. I would recommend everyone who loves sushi to check this place out! Tell them CHOMP! sent ya!! hehe.

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

LA!! Chego

2012-01-27T14:22:00.000-06:00

For dinner the first night, I wanted to go check out Chego. It's owned by the same people that run the Kogi food trucks. Which are my favorite food trucks so far!! The menu at Chego sounded sooo interesting and delicious!

Chego
3300 Overland Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90034
(310) 287-0337
http://eatchego.com/
Price: $

This is a tiny place and it was packed when we arrived!! The line was out the door!! There are only like 3 long community tables inside and a few small tables outside the restaurant. You order at the counter and find your own space to sit.

We weren't super hungry so we were ok with the wait. The line moved fairly fast. A lot of people ended up taking things to go and the people dining were pretty fast about moving things along.

We got a few things to share.
3PM Meatballs (Korean-fried, shaved green onions, sesame, blueberry habanero salsa, polenta patty) $4~

I've had their blueberry habanero salsa before on the quesadillas at the Kogi truck. It was pretty amazing. So this sounded interesting as well. You get 3 meatballs on top of polenta. It was slightly sweet and tart and had huge flavors. The meatballs were really juicy. I didn't care for the polenta being completely soaked in the sauce though.

One Chubby Pork Belly (kochujang-lacquered kurobuta, with fried egg, pickled watermelon radishes, water spinach, cilantro, cotija, peanuts, over rice) $8~

Who can say no to pork belly!?! This dish looked amazing and tasted even better!! OMG! I can eat this everyday! I loved all the different flavors and textures. Lots of veggies, tart from the pickled radishes, a hint of spice from the kochujang, the crunch from the peanuts. YUM! And the pork belly was fatty and tasty. I loved loved loved it! No complaints whatsoever!

Tiny's Prime Rib Rice Plate (chili-rubbed, with fried egg, water spinach, creamed horseradish, roasted garlic serrano paste, fried shallots, over rice) $9~

This was also really good. The prime rib was cooked perfectly and had so much flavor. I liked how they put a lot of veggies in their dishes. Tons of bold flavors as well. The only thing I didn't like was the horseradish. I'm not a huge fan and I think they put too much. But one of my friends loved horseradish so he liked the sauce a lot.

Tres Leches Cake (devil's food cake soaked in cayenne-cinnamon-infused leches, tapioca milk pudding, spiced peanut brittle) $4~

Even their desserts sounded interesting. I like anything spicy...even desserts. And I love the whole sweet and savory combination. This wasn't really a tres leches in my opinion but it was delicious. The best part was the milk pudding part of the cake. It was almost like a really soft bread pudding/mousse. The brittle added a nice crunch on top of the super moist cake.

Sriracha Candy Bar (chocolate crisped rice bottom, caramel, Sriracha ganache, spiced candied peanuts, dark chocolate) $4~

This was the dessert I wanted to try last time at the truck but they didn't have it. When we unwrapped the foil, we were like "that's it?" haha. It was $4 and didn't look appealing at all... But...it was pretty tasty! It was basically like a crunch candy bar. I liked the candied peanuts layered inside.

I couldn't taste the sriracha though. I ended up squirting some actual srirach and dipping the candy bar in there. And it was REALLY good! The sriracha basically added the salt and heat to contrast the sweet chocolate.

I think this was one of my favorite meals of the entire trip. This is one of those places that makes me wish I lived in LA. I'm STILL dreaming about that pork belly bowl. Droooool.....

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

LA!! Coolhaus

2012-01-27T13:57:00.000-06:00

Back in LA again! Just for fun...and of course FOOD! There's so many great places to eat in LA and it usually never disappoints!

I'm traveling with 3 of my closest friends this time and I wanted to take them to some places I really liked in the past.

One of the first stops was Coolhaus for some yummy ice cream sandwiches. :) They actually just opened their first store front. I went to their truck the first time I had it. The store had more ice cream options than the truck. Plus we got to sit inside to eat it all.

Coolhaus
8588 Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232
(310) 424-5559
http://www.eatcoolhaus.com/
Price: $

One Story Ice Cream Sandwich (one scoop of Earl Grey ice cream with two cookies: Flapjack and Red Velvet) $5~

One of my friends and I decided to share one. I asked for them to actually put the ice cream in a cup so it's easier to eat. The guy ended up giving us TWO scoops of ice cream!! OMG... so much food! The Earl Grey ice cream was fantastic. Not overly sweet and kinda has a floral undertone. It paired well with the cookies which were quite sweet. The flapjack cookie was really good. You can totally taste the maple syrup just like on a pancake. The cup was a really good idea because there's no clean way to eat one of these sandwiches! haha.

One Story Ice Cream Sandwich (one scoop of Chocolate Cointreau ice cream with two cookies: oatmeal raisin) $5~

The chocolate cointreau was really good. You can definitely taste the orange from the liqueur and the chocolate was rich and creamy. The ice cream sandwiches come with an edible rice paper. I personally do not like it... but it would get stuck to the cookies so it was hard and messy to peel off.

One Story Ice Cream Sandwich (one scoop of Candied Bacon ice cream with two cookies: Flapjack and S'mores) $5~

I tried the candied bacon ice cream before and loved it. It's still just as good. You definitely taste and feel the chunks of bacon inside the ice cream. YUM!!

Good first stop for our weekend trip! Coolhaus makes some great ice cream and a lot of exotic flavors! And the guys at the store were super nice. :)

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

Social 121

2012-01-16T13:37:00.000-06:00

I bought a Living Social coupon a while back for Social 121 and it's expiring soon so my bf and I decided to go for dinner yesterday. I've been there a few times for happy hour but always wanted to go there for dinner. Their menu always looks so yummy!

Social 121
5760 State Highway 121, Suite 175
Plano, TX 75024
(972) 377-2500
http://social121.net/
Price: $$$

We went a little earlier to take advantage of the happy hour in the bar. Half price on their amazing appetizers. Can't get better than that! I also noticed that they had changed some of their appetizers on the menu so I wanted to check it out.

Happy hour Mon-Thur 4:30-9PM, Fri/Sat 4:30-7PM (bar area only). Half price appetizers and flatbreads.

They usually have live music at night in the bar. I find it to be a little too loud most of the time, but the talent is there. At least it sounds good! haha. It's just a little hard to talk to people and order stuff.

It took a while before anyone came to greet us at the bar. We quickly ordered the appetizer since our reservation time was coming up... We got the Kentucky Glazed Pork Belly (butternut squash puree, apple & fennel slaw, bourbon glaze) $11~ Half off during HH!

I loved their previous pork belly app so this was the main thing I wanted to try. I love butternut squash AND pork belly and they're together!! It was a great dish. For the small portion size the hh price is good. The presentation was nice. The puree was a nice pop of color on the plate. The pork belly was cooked perfectly. Crispy outside, super tender inside. The sweetness of the puree plus the freshness of the apple and fennel completed the dish. I think it's better than their previous pork belly!!

The night was off to a good start. We checked in with the hostess and were immediately seated. The dining area was actually quite dead at 7pm. :(

Our waiter came and took our drink orders. He was really nice. We had already looked over the menu at the bar so we knew what we wanted already. haha. But he went ahead and gave us the specials. They sounded really good but we were set on our decisions.

My bf got the Dijon Glazed Atlantic Salmon (bacon & scallion risotto, asparagus tips, sage brown butter) $21~

It was in my top 4 of things to try so that was a good choice. hehe. The plate was colorful and pretty. I thought it was a good portion size. We ordered the salmon medium, meaning it should be slightly pink in the middle. I thought it was slightly overcooked. But still tender. We both enjoyed the glaze on it, slightly sweet and had a nice sear. on the whole, it was still a good piece of fish. The risotto was very good. It was slightly al dente which I like and the asparagus still had a crispness to it. Very delicious overall!

I got the Crispy Duck Breast (roasted brussles sprouts, herb gnocchi, warm duck jus, mustard sauce) $24~

Unfortunately the skin was not crispy at all. :( But the duck meat was cooked well. It was still juicy and tender. If only the skin was crispy then it would be perfect. The seasoning on the duck was quite light. My bf thought it was bland but I liked actually tasting the natural flavor of the duck. Plus with the sauce it was enough flavor. The gnocchi was bursting with herb-y flavors which I enjoyed. They were just a bit too soft. I loved the brussels sprouts and the sliced fennel on top added a nice freshness to the heaviness of the duck and gnocchi.

For dessert we chose the White Chocolate Bread Pudding (anglaise, caramel and garnished with fried plantains) $6~

It was highly recommended on online reviews. It was a lot smaller than I expected... :( But the flavors were good, just a bit dry. I wish they would've poured more of the anglaise on the bread pudding instead of just decoration on the plate.

Our waiter was really good. He was really nice and kinda left us alone when we're talking and stuff. But he came and checked on us from time to time.

I really like this place. I think the food is fantastic every time I go. The service can be spotty at times (especially during hh) but I've never had any bad experiences with waiters or anything. Sometimes just a little slow. I'll definitely go back to try more things on the menu. Keep up the good food, Social 121! :)

**Plus the discount from Living Social. It was an amazing deal. We got 2 entrees and a dessert. We basically only paid for tip! Woot!** :D

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

Zanata

2012-01-14T18:00:00.000-06:00

This past Wednesday I went to go check out Zanata in downtown Plano. Some of my friends and I were going to that area for a BYOB painting class at Let's Art Party (if you haven't done one of these classes yet, you totally should. It's super fun. Art and booze! What more do you want for a great time?!? haha.) Anyways, I suggested we go check out Zanata which is across the street. I've heard great reviews about the place.

Zanata
1022 E 15th St
Plano, TX 75074
(972) 422-9999
http://zanatas.com/plano/
Price: $$-$$$

We were there in time for their happy hour. The discounts weren't very good but I was glad it wasn't just limited to the bar area. I really liked the decor of the place. Bright and warm and rustic. It's quite similar to Urban Crust which is just a few doors down in terms of cuisine and architectural structure but the feel is completely different. While UC is more dark, loud and trendy, Zanata is more mild and comfortable. I prefer the latter. It's a place you can have a nice relaxing dinner with friends and you can actually hear each other talk!

I got there before my 2 friends but we were short on time since class starts in less than an hour. I was nicely greeted by our waiter and he brought us some water. Then one of my friends showed up so we decided to go ahead and order.

Here are the HH specials btw... Happy Hour Tue-Fri 4-7PM. $3 off pizzas, $2 off hot appetizers, $1 off specialty cocktails, draft beers, sangrias.

My friend got the "Z" Crush (vodka, seasonal berries, fresh mint, house simple syrup, lime juice) $8~ It was quite tasty and STRONG! Oof! He was feeling it before he even drank half! haha.

We started off with the Mighty Quinn (house sausage, pepperoni, prosciutto, hot peppers, onions) $15~

Their pizzas are hand tossed 12" Neapolitan style and they use fresh ingredients and imported cheeses. I liked it a lot. The crust was a bit thinner than I normally prefer but the ingredients were definitely fresh and delicious. The hot peppers weren't that spicy but added another depth of flavor. The salty sausage and prosciutto with the spice of the peppers and sweetness of the onions all worked together beautifully.

All of us love brie on crackers so we wanted to try the Baked Brie (cranberry chutney, toasted walnuts, lavosh) $11~

It looked really pretty but wasn't as good as it looked. With the brie being baked, it was more pungent than we're used to but I really enjoyed the soft texture of it. It was missing something...it wasn't sweet enough. The cranberry was more tart than sweet. So then I had a genius idea and asked the waiter for some honey. We drizzled it over the cheese and chutney was it was fantastic!!! So keep that in mind! If you want some extra sweetness when you order this, just ask for some honey and it becomes pretty awesome! :P

Brussels Sprouts $5~

You know me...I need some veggies in my meals so we got a side of Brussels sprouts. They are sauteed with bacon. YUM! We all agreed. Plus bacon makes EVERYTHING taste better. The texture of the Brussels sprouts was perfect and there wasn't any of the bitterness that it usually has. It's a great, hearty vegetable.

We ended the meal with a Chocolate Ganache Cake (for 2, cannoli cream filling, roasted pistachios) $10~

All their desserts sounded good but we chose this cuz it looks like it was bigger for sharing. It was a good sized slice of cake. It was delicious. It was moist, chocolatey, decadent but surprisingly not super sweet. The crunch from the pistachios definitely added a nice difference in texture. I really liked the cannoli cream in the middle too, different than your normal frostings or buttercream. We licked that plate clean! haha.

Our waiter was super nice and wonderful. He was there when we needed him and answered all our questions. We also had some complexity in splitting the tab and he did it with no problems. :)

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So... after the painting class, we were all a little hungry. We decided to go back to Zanata cuz we liked it so much earlier! haha.

The first waitress to greet us was uber friendly as she brough us our waters. We had a different waiter take our order and he was nice as well.

Fusilli & Sausage (spicy house sausage, roasted red pepper sauce, pecorino) $15~

My friend ordered this without the pecorino since he's not a huge cheese fan. The pasta was cooked perfectly al dente. The sausage actually had a nice kick to it and there was just enough sauce without drowning the pasta. It was a great dish.

FM544 (provolone, fontina, wild mushrooms, Brussles sprouts, truffle oil) $15~

The truffle oil was so fragrant but the taste wasn't overwhelming like truffle oil can sometimes be. I think the wild mushrooms were marinated in balsamic or something because they had a slight tartness to them. The addition of the Brussels sprouts on the pizza was wonderful. I enjoyed this a lot too.

We all agreed that the food here is really good. I'd definitely prefer it over Urban Crust in the selection of food as well as ambiance. We all thought it was a tad pricey though. But I will definitely recommend this place for a gathering or date night. And I'll be back for sure. There's many more items on the menu I want to try...especially the S'mores pizza! hehe.

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

Fujiyama Sushi

2012-01-11T15:10:00.000-06:00

Over the weekend I went with a group of my friends to Fujiyama. 2 of my friends love sushi and have decided that this place has really fresh sushi and great service and so they got a big group together to go again.

I've actually gone to Fujiyama a few times several years ago. It kind of went downhill each time I went so I haven't been back in a long time. But apparently early 2011 they got some new owners and chef and the quality has gone back up.

Fujiyama Sushi & Yakitori Bar
18217 Midway Rd
Dallas, TX 75287
(972) 662-2885
Price: $$

It's on the side of a shopping center. Not a really big place and it was pretty dead when we were there Sunday night. I arrived a few minutes late but was greeted as soon as I walked in by the waiter to get my drink order. The waiter's English wasn't that good but he was really nice and accommodating.

After we ordered, the waiter brought out several plates of Sweet Potato Tempura (with lemon sauce and spicy mayo sauce, topped with slivered almonds).

It was on the house. :) The tempura batter was nice and crispy. The sweet potato was cooked through and had great texture. The lemony creamy sauce was interesting. It was sweet and tart at the same time and combined with the slivered almonds it made a sweet/tart/nutty/salty combination. Not too shabby! Nommy!

I ordered the Vegetable Tempura Set (8 pieces of mixed vegetable tempura, with rice, miso soup and house salad) $10~ to share with a friend.

I requested more of the sweet potato and the waiter happily obliged. I really liked the tempura batter. It wasn't too thick and was uber crispy. I thought this was a great deal too because it came with a side salad, soup and rice. The salad was very fresh and I loved the little strips of crispies over it. The only complaint is that there was too much dressing and the dressing was a bit too sour.

I also got a Wasabi Roll (spicy tuna, spicy salmon, topped with tobiko, wasabi tobiko and wasabi mayo) $10.95~

This item had 2 chili peppers next to it indicating that it's spicy. But it wasn't. :( But thats ok because it was really fresh, and yummy. I love the tobiko that bursts in your mouth.

One of my friends got the Dallas Roll (crab meat, tuna wrapped in soy paper, topped with salmon and tobiko). It was also really fresh.

Pork Cutlet Curry. I'm not sure how much this was. The pork cutlet was cooked well and the flavors were pretty good. My friend enjoyed it a lot.

Crunchy Spicy Roll (spicy tuna over fried crispy rice). My friend who doesn't even like sushi ordered this and loved it. The crispy rice was done well. Not like some places with hard rice that almost breaks your teeth.

Frankford Roll (snapper, yellowtail? and deep fried) $7.95~ I didn't get to try this but it also looked pretty good.

The quality has improved tremendously since I was there several years ago. All the seafood was very fresh. Also...they have FRESH wasabi!! OMG! First time ever having it. It was freshly grated from the wasabi root. The color is a much lighter green and texture was more grainy. The flavor isn't as harsh as the bright green paste stuff most places serve. It actually has a hint of sweetness to it. It was delicious!

The service was good there. The waiter was super nice and was willing to do everything to accommodate to our requests. But the food came out a bit slow. It seemed like they were short staffed even though it wasn't very busy in the restaurant. We had several items that took forever to come out. But at the end the sushi chef personally came over to apologize to my friend for serving one of his rolls so late. We weren't in a hurry so it was fine. And they apologized, so all is well.

I definitely recommend Fujiyama. Go check it out, and if you like it as much as I do, tell your friends! I hope their business pick up so they'll stick around for a long time! :)

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

Lonesome Dove

2012-01-11T14:14:00.000-06:00

First post of 2012! And it's a place I've been dying to go to forever!!

We were long overdue for a gathering of one of our quarterly eating groups. We decided to venture out to Fort Worth this time and made a reservation at Lonesome Dove. Chef Tim Love is the chef and owner of this restaurant. He's a pretty famous celebrity chef being featured on shows like Top Chef and The Great Food Truck Race and also competed on Top Chef Masters. :) I've watched him on all those shows so I was eager to try his restaurant. Also because the menu was so exotic and interesting!

Lonesome Dove Western Bistro
2406 North Main Street
Fort Worth, TX 76164
(817) 740-8810
http://www.lonesomedovebistro.com/
Price: $$$$+

I've looked at their menu online sooo many times so I knew that it was pretty pricey. But they feature a lot of exotic game meat and has won many awards. I had pretty high expectations!

The restaurant is casual, despite the prices. When you walk in, it seems to be a pretty small place. Wood plank floors and Western decor. But we were led through the front room, then another small room and then ANOTHER small room and finally down a flight of stairs to yet another room. It's deceivingly big! And it was packed with people that night.

We were seated and our drink orders were taken. Then the waiter recommended that we pick a few appetizers and they can make a sampler out of it. Basically each appetizer can be ordered in individual pieces. So we chose a few dishes and they will serve one piece of each app per person. Interesting concept... and everyone can try everything! We also got some bread to start. The jalapeno cornbread was pretty yummy! I can totally taste the flecks of spicy jalapeno with the sweet bread. Mmmm!

So for the First Course we chose 4 appetizers:
Wild Boar Ribs (house made pickles, Lonesome Dove BBQ sauce) $12~ (or $4/piece).

This was highly rated in online reviews. It looked really good and was cooked well. There was just enough fat on it to make it nice and juicy. However, I wasn't blown away. It was good ribs but not mindblowing. Also, I didn't care for the pickles that came with it. They were more sweet than tart and I felt like they didn't add anything to the dish. A side of slaw or something might've gone better with the ribs.

Rabbit-Rattlesnake Sausage (spicy Manchego rosti, creme fraiche) $15~ (or $5/piece).

This was really good. The sausage had a nice crispy sear on it and the meat itself had a hint of sweetness to it. But the main star in my opinion was the crispy potato hashbrown thing under the sausage. It was perfectly crispy and yummy. But the whole thing was tiny! It was literally one bite. I forced cut it into 3 tiny bites just to savor it. hahaha.

Kangaroo Carpaccio "Nachos" (avocado salsa, habanero-fig demi-glace) $12~ (or $4/piece).

This was one of the dishes I really wanted to try. Kangaroo?? How much more exotic can you get? But I was hesitant on the carpaccio part since that means it's mostly raw... This was even smaller than the sausage. One piece of tortilla and an even smaller piece of kangaroo on top. The meat was interesting. It's really tender and seems to be light in flavor. But there was a pretty bold seasoning rubbed over it so I don't really know what the actual meat tastes like. I liked the texture of the meat and I decided to eat it separately from the tortilla so I can fully enjoy it. The rest of the dish was basically like a chunky guacamole. Which was good but too much in ratio to the rest of the dish. It would be nice if we at least go some extra pieces of tortilla chips or something.

Elk Sausage Sliders (seared foie gras, blueberry jam) $14~ (or $7/piece).

I haven't really had elk before and one of our friends at the dinner said elk is probably one of the best meats ever. He was right. This was one of the best sliders I've had in a long time. The meat was tender, juicy and full of flavor. I know elk is way leaner than beef but it didn't taste lean! All the elements just melded together wonderfully. I can just eat this all night. But at $7 a piece...it's definitely pricey!

Some of us got a second course. I chose to have my second course as my main dish so I can save more space for dessert! :P I got the Butter Lettuce, Applewood Smoked Bacon Lardons, Spiced Pepitas, Chili Buttermilk $9~

The bacon lardons is what sold me on this. Basically crispy pork belly. NOM! The salad was good. The pork with the pepitas and little slivers of jalapeno definitely made it better. Butter lettuce is a really delicate lettuce and I'm not a huge fan of it. I think with romaine it would've been a better fit texture wise with the pork and pepitas. The dressing wasn't spicy like I hoped and wasn't anything special. I enjoyed it overall though.

Warm Hominy, Lamb Bacon, Swiss Chard, Muenster, Quail Egg $12~

Hominy refers to corn without the germ. It is served both whole or ground. Hominy is boiled until cooked and served as either a cereal or as a vegetable. Muenster cheese is a cow's milk cheese with a taste comparable to typical white American cheese or a sharp jack cheese. This looked really good. It was kind of like a stew. I got to try a bite. I loved all the different ingredients in it and the broth was really flavorful. However, there was a sheep/lamb-y flavor (I'm assuming from the lamb bacon...haha) which I didn't like. But I don't like lamb in general so if you do, you might like this!

Grilled Corn, Cucumber, Heirloom Tomato Salad (red wine vinaigrette) $9~

This was really colorful and looked really fresh. I didn't get to try but my friend cleaned her plate.

Berkshire Pork Green Chili (tortilla strips, smoked cheddar cheese) $10~

This looked pretty hearty and the portion size was good. My friend said it was good, not great.

Time for the Main Course!
Roasted Garlic Stuffed Beef Tenderloin (Western plaid hash, Syrah demi-glace) $35~

The tenderloin was about 8-9 oz. The waiter said this was their most popular entree. The tenderloin was huge! I got to try a bite of the meat and it was really tender. It had good flavor but I didn't really get much garlic. The asparagus was nice too. My friend said the flavor of the sauce was a little overwhelming though. I didn't try the sauce so I can't comment. He even had some leftovers to go!

Pan Seared Lane Snapper (smoked crawfish chowder, crispy parsnip) $28~

If I had ordered an entree this was my second choice. It was also a good portion size. The sauce was awesome...lots of flavor and great with the bits of crispy parsnip in it. The fish had good flavor as well but it was slightly overcooked. Still a good dish overall.

My bf got the Rocky Mountain Elk Loin (salsify, Hen of the Woods, swiss chard, candied grapes) $40~

This was my first choice as an entree. The slices of loin added up to about 3-4 oz in my opinion. Salsify is a white root, kind of like a parsnip but skinnier. It was a pretty small plate but pretty. The elk was super tender and seasoned lightly so you can taste the actual protein. I enjoyed all the elements together but it definitely needed more of EVERYTHING! haha. Especially the salsify. I loved the dish, I just wanted more!! It was definitely expensive for the portion we got. However, I did do some research and the price for elk seems to be around 3 times more than beef. I guess I can understand the pricing more based on the data.

I definitely saved room for Dessert! haha.
I already knew what I wanted from looking at the menu online. Warm Ancho Chile Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream & Almond Brittle $10~

It was almost like a flourless chocolate cake...really decadent. I liked the almond brittle around the cake. It added a nice crunch and a floral accent to the chocolate. I didn't detect any chile though...that was a bummer. I liked this a lot. It just needs to be bigger as well!

Chocolate Tuaca Layered Mousse Cake $10~

This was a large piece of cake. It looked really yummy but it was just ok. I really liked the chocolate layer on top but the consistency was too thick and hard against the actual cake part. The flavors were good but I felt like it could be a bit more moist.

Fresh Mexican Doughnuts with Chocolate, Cajeta & Coffee Cream $10~

This was basically churros with dipping sauces. The churros were pillowy and delicious. I really liked it with the chocolate sauce. Cajeta is basically caramelized goat's milk. That was really good as well. The coffee sauce was very watery, I'm not sure if the consistency was meant to be like that?

Overall it was a great meal. I enjoyed pretty much everything I tasted but it was just a bit too expensive for it all. With 1 piece of each appetizer per person (for me and my bf), one salad, one main course, and one dessert, the final bill (including tax and tip) was about $135 for the 2 of us. We didn't even get any beverages or anything. And I wasn't totally full. I had another dessert elsewhere about an hour later. haha. :P

As for the service... our waiter wasn't friendly at all. We didn't feel welcomed and he almost made us feel like he didn't want us there at all. Several of my friends commented on that and one guy even said "I really don't like him!" I mean, he did everything he was supposed to, checked on us regularly and served the meal correctly but no smile or friendly chit chat or anything. Bleh... :( It definitely made us enjoy our dinner a bit less. However, after the dinner, I asked him if I could meet the chef (since I saw him walk by earlier in the night) and he said he would check for me. And later came back and told me that the chef will come by our table. Woot! That earned a bit of his points back.

So Chef Tim Love came by our table. And I was able to get a picture with him! YAY! Another check on my list of Top Chefs to visit. hehe. :)

I would still recommend checking out Lonesome Dove since the food is delicious and you can try some really exotic things. Just keep the prices in mind...and also keep the prices of the different proteins in perspective. It's definitely not a place most people can visit frequently. And you MUST try the Elk Sliders!!!!

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2012-01-01T09:00:00.003-06:00

Happy New Year Everyone!!

Hope your 2012 is filled with lots of scrumptious CHOMPS! and great times~

~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

Stan's Grill

2011-12-27T20:37:00.003-06:00

Ahh... This'll be my LAST post for 2011! This year has flown by...craziness!

Earlier this week I met up with some of my HS friends for dinner. The first place we went had a 45 minute wait so we went around the corner to Stan's Grill. This is a pretty new place but the few reviews online seemed pretty good.

Stan's Grill
3645 Dallas Pkwy
Plano, TX 75093
(972) 850-0953
http://stansontheparkway.com/
Price: $$

The place was pretty empty. There were a lot of TVs everywhere so I think this would be a good place to watch games and stuff in the future.

We were all pretty starving so the menu looked good.
The waitress was really friendly and gave us some of her recommendations.

My bf got the Fish Tacos (3) (flour or corn tortillas filled with sauteed or blackened fish, lettuce, pico de gallo, cilantro and a cheese mix; served with homemade salsa; with side of fries) $7.95~

It was a pretty big plate of food. The fish and toppings were very fresh but the pico was a bit watery and made the tortillas kinda soggy. Their fries were pretty dang good!

I got the Chicken Fried Chicken (8oz. chicken cutlet, topped with choice of country or jalapeno cream gravy and Texas toast; served with vegetable of the day or mixed grilled veggies and a choice of fries or mashed potatoes) $10.25~

It was also a pretty big portion. Some of my friends got the Chicken Fried Steak and it was even more massive than the chicken. The chicken was cooked well and quite juicy for being all white meat. I liked the batter but the gravy made it a bit soggy. The jalapeno gravy could've been a bit creamier and spicier in my opinion. Again, the fries were yummy! The vegetable of the day was sauteed broccoli. I liked it a lot!

Some friends got the Crunchy Queso Catfish (fried catfish covered in homemade queso with pico de gallo; served with vegetable of the day or mixed grilled veggies and a choice of fries or mashed potatoes) $10.95~

This was one of the dishes highly recommended by our waitress. I was a bit skeptical... queso? with fish? But it was pretty fantastic. The fish was SUPER tender and I liked the batter. The queso on top complimented it really well. And it was a huge portion. You get 2 large pieces of catfish and 2 sides. My friends cleaned their plates!

The manager (I think...or maybe it's Stan?) came by to check on us a few times. He was super friendly and hospitable. It made us feel really welcomed to be there. From what I remember they had some pretty good specials either for happy hour or during game time. I think next time we'll go there to watch a game or something.

I would recommend checking this place out. Really great service and good affordable food!!

Quality of Food:

Service:

Ambiance:

Value:

Overall Experience:

~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

HAVE A SAFE AND DELICIOUSLY HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!! :)

Picasso's Ristorante

2011-12-22T21:34:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I went to Picasso's Italian Ristorante for a friend's birthday. Our main reason for choosing this location is because they are BYOB. Also, online reviews say the food is pretty good! But...they also said how bad the service is. Well...it's super close to my house so I've always wanted to give it a try.

We had a party of 10+ and I was able to get a reservation the night before. Good thing I did because for a Wednesday night, the place was pretty packed!

Picasso's Italian Ristorante
3948 Legacy Dr #217
Plano, TX 75023
http://www.picassosrestaurant.us/
(972) 618-4143
Price: $$

It's a family run place so it's got that kind of homey, dated look. It could be a somewhat romantic spot.

A few of us got there a bit earlier than the reservation but we were able to get seated. We got a few appetizers to start. Just FYI...they charge $1 per glass for wine. And I apologize for not taking pics of the appetizers.

We got Garlic Bread $1.50~ and Calamari Fritte (sliced calamari steaks prepared in seasoned bread crumbs, fried and served with marinara sauce) $6.95~ The garlic bread is a really good deal. It had a nice crust on the outside. The calamari however...disappointing. The calamari pieces are in no way "steaks". They were teeny and so the breading totally overpowered it. It could've used a bit more seasoning too. Eh.

On to dinner...

My bf got the Margheritta 10 Inch Pizza (fresh tomatoes, basil, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, topped with fresh mozzarella cheese) $8.50~

This isn't really a Margherita pizza in my opinion. It's typically a thin crust pizza and this is clearly not. And it could've used more toppings on top. But, I did like the dough. The texture of the crust was nice, so as a regular pizza, it's not bad!

Many of us ordered the Spaghetti (served with your choice of meatballs, meat sauce, Italian sausage, mushrooms with tomato sauce or olive oil & garlic) $8.95~

It was a good size portion. The pasta was cooked really well...al dente, just how I like it. The meatballs were very moist and tender. I didn't care for the marinara though. It was a little too sour for me, and my friend agreed.

Special of the Day: Lobster Ravioli $13.95~

This was really good. I got to try a bite. There was a good amount of lobster inside the ravioli and the cream sauce was very nice. Not super heavy but definitely filling.

Picasso's Seafood Delight (combination of mussels, shrimp, scallops sauteed with broccoli, carrots and mushrooms in your choice of wine creamy garlic sauce or zesty marinara sauce served with linguine pasta) $15.95~

This looked really good. There were lots of seafood on top and the cream sauce was definitely better than my marinara!

Vitello alla Marsala (veal scaloppini sauteed in marsala wine sauce with fresh mushrooms served with linguine pasta) $13.95~ I didn't get to try but my friend cleaned his plate. That's a good sign!

So the food overall was pretty good! But the service definitely lived up to it's reputation from online reviews. The waitress wasn't very friendly at all and she was very slow getting everything. One of my friends asked for a refill on water so the waitress took her glass and then never came back... Also, with the entrees we were supposed to get bread. None of us at the table got bread so I asked the waitress if we were supposed to get garlic bread or some sort of bread with our meal since it's stated on the menu. She just replied "It's not garlic bread, just plain. Do you want bread?" I was thinking... DUH! I just told you that we're supposed to get it with our entrees so why are you even asking me if we want it? At the end of the meal she came around and asked if we wanted anything else. And this was another thing that ticked me off... I took that chance and told her it was my friend's birthday... Normally restaurants would offer a free dessert or something for birthdays, especially Italian places. And seeing how it's a family run place that prides itself on being a "neighborhood gem" you would think they would go above and beyond with their hospitality. She just stared at me and then asked the table again if we wanted anything else. OMG! Didn't even have any sort of reaction. Even if they are not gonna give us a free dessert, at least tell my friend "Happy Birthday" or something. Nada...

We still ended up ordering one thing to try.
Tiramisu (lady fingers dipped in espresso coffee with mascarpone cheese, eggs and a touch of brandy) $5.50~

This was praised on the reviews. It was pretty good. I liked the mascarpone cream a lot but there wasn't enough lady fingers in my opinion. We also asked for a candle for this and she said they didn't have any. Sigh~

She gave us the check all together. Initially I wanted to ask her to split it for us, but then didn't bother for the frustration and ended splitting the check myself among 12 people!

All of us were a little miffed by the service. Even if the food is pretty good, I don't think it's good enough to go back and deal with the lack of service. At least we saved a bundle by bringing our own alcohol!

Quality of Food:

Service:

Ambiance:

Value:

Overall Experience:

~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

OAHU - PART 3 - Honolulu

2011-12-15T13:38:00.000-06:00

I think the final part of the trip had overall the best food. Starting with one of the best meals of the entire trip!!

There was a Japanese udon place just behind our hotel that we drive by everyday and there's always a long line out the door...day and night. At first we thought it was some tourist hype but then we looked up reviews online. People RAVED about it. We were getting excited reading about it. Now we HAVE to go!
Marukame Udon
2310 Kuhio Ave.
Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 931-6000
- Curry Udon (Regular) $5.25~

- Plus Half Boiled Egg $0.50~

- Kamaage Udon (Regular) $3.75~ Hot udon with ginger dipping sauce. This was my fav. It was basically udon in hot water. You can really taste the flavor of the udon and appreciate its texture. The dipping sauce was perfect. Light yet full of flavor. :)

- Bukkake Udon (Regular) $3.75~

- Vegetable Tempura $1.50~
- Eggplant $1.50~
- Fried Chicken $1.50~

- Vinegar Rice & Sesame Seed $1.50~
- Squid-Ten $1.50~

- Croquette $1.50~
- Sweet Potato $1.50~
- Salmon Musubi $1.50~

First of all, they make everything in the restaurant, including the udon! You can see them rolling the dough and cooking it right as you walk in. The place is cafeteria style where you take a tray and walk down the line and pick what you want. They also make the tempura and musubis right there in front of you. Everything looked so amazing. Plus it's super cheap!! Under $4 for udon?!?! That's unheard of! It was by far the cheapest meal we had on the trip. The quality of the udon was amazing. The texture was perfect. Definitely the best udon I've ever had. The different types of tempura were tasty as well. My favorite was the fried chicken and sweet potato. I really wanted to go back again but we didn't have time. :( And the line moves super fast so definitely go check it out.

The next day we were over on the east side checking out Lanikai Beach and Sea Life Park. One of our friends had recommended a place around here. It's his one of his favorite places to eat.
Keneke's
41-685 Kalanianaole Hwy.
Waimanalo, HI 96795
http://www.kenekes.net/
(808) 259-9811
- Pork Adobo Plate Lunch $8.50~ The pork was really moist and flavorful. It was definitely better than Kalua Pig!

- Omlette with Cheese $4~

- Teriyaki Beef Sandwich $5~ It was just a meat patty with some sauce. I didn't think it was a very good deal.

- Mahi Mahi Sandwich $5~ I wanted a light lunch so I ordered this. The fish was cooked perfectly. It was a great sandwich!

- Chocolate Macadamia Nut Ice Cream $3~ This was yum! Rich and creamy and lots of macadamia nuts in there.

It was local Hawaiian fare but they had some other options as well. And it was cheaper than most other Hawaiian food places. I would say out of all the local Hawaiian food places, I liked this place the best.

For dinner, we wanted to get poke from Safeway, which was also a recommendation. No pictures. :( But the poke at Safeway is AWESOME! Especially the spicy poke. The one we got in North Shore was such crap compared to Safeway. YUMMMMM!

Down the street from Safeway was Leonard's Bakery. Malasadas!!! This place has been on my list since the beginning of my planning!
Leonard's Bakery
933 Kapahulu Ave.
Honolulu, HI 96816
http://www.leonardshawaii.com/
(808) 737-5591
- 2 Cinnamon Malasadas $0.90~ each
- 2 Custard Malasada Puffs $1.25~ each
- 2 Dobash (Chocolate) Malasada Puffs $1.25~ each
- 2 Flavor of the Month (Lilikoi Custard - Yellow Passion Fruit) Malasada Puffs $1.25~ each

I totally went overboard and got 8 malasadas. They're basically like beignets or donuts...either filled or plain. I would recommend only getting what you can eat at the moment. Fresh is wayy better than a day old malasada. I liked the filled ones a lot. The plain ones were eh...like a regular donut. I really liked the passion fruit custard. You get the essence of passion fruit and it wasn't too sweet with a hint of tartness. The malasada was warm and pillowy when it first came out. Delicious! The next day... they are not as good...

We hit up a local recommendation the next day for lunch. Multiple people throughout the trip had recommended this place so we went to check it out. And apparently Man vs. Food has been here! Cool!
Helena's Hawaiian Food
1240 North School St.
Honolulu, HI 96817
http://helenashawaiianfood.com/
(808) 845-8044
- Kalua Pig & Cabbage $4~
We have to get this at every meal otherwise there are no vegetables at all!

- Short Ribs Pipikaula Style (Large) $10.40~ They are known for their short ribs. For a large order, it's not very big but I thought the flavor was pretty good. Not the best short ribs ever. But still tasty.

- Fried Butterfish Collar $4.85~
This was my favorite of the meal. I love me some butterfish. And the collar meat is always the most tender. Fried makes it even better! :P

- LauLau $4~
The pork was pretty juicy but the leaves were a little bitter.

- Haupia (comes with the meal)

This is a coconut milk based Hawaiian dessert. It's kind of like a stiff gelatin. I liked it a lot. It's light, not too sweet, and very refreshing after a heavy meal with all the salt and meat. I would say it was a better Hawaiian meal than all the other times I've had on the trip so far...

For dinner we hit up another highly recommended local Hawaiian joint. The place is tiny and normally has a line. We went pretty early so got seated immediately. It definitely LOOKS like a hole in the wall. haha.
Ono Hawaiian Foods
726 Kapahulu Ave.
Honolulu, HI 96816
(808) 737-2275
- LauLau Plate (LauLau, Pipikaula, Lomi Salmon, Haupia, Rice) $16~
The pork laulau was a tad dry in my opinion, but they had the best leaves. It had the best flavor.

- Chicken LauLau $6.25~
This was really good. The chicken was super tender.

- Plain Butterfish (Boiled) $6.25~
Totally NOT worth the money. Tiny little pieces. Kinda bland...
- Kimchee $2~

Theirs was even better cuz it was just a tad sweeter than Helena's. I could just eat a giant block of that!

We met up with a friend of mine that goes to school in Honolulu later that night. She introduced us to this place. I'm still wondering why no one had told me about this place earlier!! It's open late and there's ALWAYS a line out the door.
Bubbies Homemade Ice Cream & Desserts
1010 University Ave.
Honolulu, HI 96826
http://bubbiesicecream.gourmetfoodmall.com/
(808) 949-8984
- Chocolate Eggnog Mochi Ice Cream

- Chocolate Mint Mochi Ice Cream

- Strawberry Dark Chocolate Chip Mochi Ice Cream - 3 for $2.95~

The strawberry was by far my favorite. I liked how the mochi was really thin. They had a lot of interesting flavors. I tried guava too and that was pretty good!
- Multiple Orgasm Ice Cream Cake (Oreo, Coffee, Chocolate ice cream) $5.45~
Online reviews raved about this cake. It was pretty tasty!! You can't go wrong with 3 different layers of ice cream!

- Bubbies Navel (chocolate chip cookie sandwich with coffee ice cream and dipped in chocolate) $4~
This looked better than it was. It was kinda hard to eat and the middle of the cookie was too doughy. But still not bad. I love ice cream. haha.

Our last day in paradise.... Sigh. :(
We had a great lunch! Found a tiny little Japanese restaurant actually next to the place where we booked our surf lessons! :) It seems to be owned by an old Japanese couple. Only about 4 tables plus a small bar area. And the entire time we were there, only Japanese people came in to eat. That's a GOOD sign!
Hana No Sato
2410 Koa Ave.
Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 922-9635
- Baked Ginger Pork Set (Ginger pork, salad, miso soup, rice) $6.98~
For the price, this was an amazing deal! Fresh salad, lots of pork. Good flavor and tender. Yum!

- Sea Food Bowl - Regular (Tuna, Salmon, Yellowtail, Octopus, Squid, Red Snapper, Shrimp, Egg, and Fish Eggs on rice; with miso soup) $9.98~

I totally wanted sushi during this trip but never really got it, so this'll have to do. For all the different types of sashimi on top, this was also a great deal! The fish was fresh and it made me happy. :)

We ended the trip with happy hour at our hotel later that night and watched the sunset. Sigh... I sooo didn't want to go home.
Sheraton Princess Kaiulani Splash Bar & Bento
120 Kaiulani Ave.
Honolulu, HI 96815
http://www.princess-kaiulani.com/dining/splash
(808) 922-5811
All the drinks were so colorful and pretty!
- Blue Hawaii

- Mai Tai

- Chi Chi
I've never had a Chi Chi before and it's awesome! :)

It's been a great trip. I can't wait to go back to Hawaii. Surfing is so fun!! And I just love the beach... Gotta save more money so I can take more trips!!!

~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

OAHU - PART 2 - Honolulu

2011-12-14T14:46:00.000-06:00

This next part is during the 2 days we first arrived in Oahu.

The first day we just explored around and went sightseeing. Our first local dining experience was at Ala Moana Center. A friend of mine told me that the Kalua Pig from their food court was the best. So we went to check it out!

We walked into the Makai Market Food Court at Ala Moana and there were lots of different vendors and it was pretty busy. We walked around and only noticed one place that was selling Kalua Pig so I guess that was the one she was talking about.

Poi Bowl Hawaiian Food
1450 Ala Moana Blvd.
Honolulu, HI 96814
http://www.alamoanacenter.com/
(808) 949-8444
- Kalua/Lau Lau Plate (served with 2 scoops of rice & macaroni or tossed salad) $8.95~

- Side of Kalua Cabbage (small) $4.25~

First of all, I have to say that the ladies that worked there were all quite rude. They hurried people along and were very stingy. We asked for extra chopsticks and were waved away. WTF?!? She didn't even look at me...and just waved me away like I was some annoying fly or something. Not cool, old lady!! The food didn't look very appetizing. The Kalua Pig was dry, so was the pork in the LauLau. And the flavor wasn't all that great. Fail... :( The Kalua cabbage was ok though. I think that was the only good thing in the meal. I think you can totally skip the food court here...

Walking around the center, I unintentionally discovered this awesome Japanese food court in the 3rd level in front of Macy's.
Shirokiya: Specialty Food Court @ Ala Moana Center
1450 Ala Moana Blvd.
Honolulu, HI 96814
http://www.alamoanacenter.com/
(808) 973-9111
- Ebi-Takoyaki (5 pieces) $3.80~ My first time having Takoyaki. It looks and smells better than it tastes. haha. The batter was wayyy to thick and heavy. Not much octopus at all. Apparently that's how it normally is.

- Andagi (red bean, custard, chocolate filling) $4.50~ It's a "Japanese" donut. I liked the custard filling the best. More like a cake donut.

- Shumai

It was pretty cool. They had all different stands and vendors all cooking and prepping ready-to-eat items. Most of the stuff are wrapped and you can just pick it up to go, or eat there. So many different Japanese foods, and they all looked sooo good. We got a few things to snack on since we didn't eat that much at the regular food court. Definitely worth going back to try more stuff!

For dinner, we were walking around all the shops and hotels by Waikiki Beach and we noticed this little ramen place with a constant line out the door. We decided to give it a try.
Ramen Nakamura
2141 Kalakaua Ave, Ste 1
Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 922-7960
- House Special: Szechwan-Style Spicy Ramen (topped with fried minced pork, round onion, bean sprouts, and chili peppers) $9.50~

- Ramen Combo (Hakata ramen, small fried rice and 3 pc. gyoza) $13.90~

- Mini Ramen & Small Fried Rice Set (Shio ramen) $10.30~

It's a tiny place...maybe seats about 20-25 people at a time. But they move pretty fast. We didn't have to wait too long. For the price, you get a pretty good quantity of food. The ramen is pretty good. Not as good as Mitsuwa in LA but it was yummy. I really liked the fried rice as well. I would recommend it. :) Cash only though. Most places in Oahu seemed to be cash only...

The next day was Thanksgiving and we were making our drive up to North Shore. We planned on checking out Chinatown since it was on the way. And close to Chinatown... we hit up another great recommendation.
Liliha Bakery
515 N Kuakini St.
Honolulu, HI 96817
http://lilihabakeryhawaii.com/
(808) 531-1651
(From bottom left, clockwise)
- Green Tea Roll $1.49~
- Coco Puff (chocolate filling) $1.29~
- Mini Cream Puff (custard filling) $1.15~
- Chocolate Cream Puff (custard filling) $1.20~

They are known for their Coco Puffs. It's the chantilly frosting on top that totally makes it. I couldn't pinpoint what the flavor reminded me of. But it was pretty awesome. The puffs themselves were light and thing. Plenty of filling inside and weren't too sweet. One of the best cream puffs I've had.

Surprisingly most of the stores and restaurants were closed in Chinatown... What?? Asian people don't close on Thanksgiving?!? haha. But we walked by this dim sum restaurant and decided to get some lunch.
Yee Hong Pavilion
100 N Beretania St. Ste 101
Honolulu, HI 96817
http://yeehongpavilion.com/
(808) 524-9988
- Steamed Shrimp Dumping $2.45~
- Steamed Chives and Shrimp Dumpling $3.15~

- Steamed Pork Hash (Siu Mai) $2.45~

- Steamed Dried Scallop Dumpling $2.45~

- Gai Lan (Chinese vegetable with oyster sauce)

- Beef Flat Noodles

They didn't come around with carts and had really stopped making food since it was after lunch hours. But we were able to order what we wanted. Which is actually better cuz then we get them fresh! The dim sum was decent. The shrimp was really fresh. And it was the biggest plate of Gai Lan I've ever seen at a dim sum place. haha. Not too bad.

Fast forward through the days in North Shore and we're back in Honolulu again. YAY! :) Back to civilization! haha.

For our first dinner back, we went back to Shirokiya at Ala Moana Center. The scene at night is a little different than when we were there during lunch. All the ready-to-eat stands were closed and all the made-to-order counters were open towards the back.
Kohmen @ Shirokiya
1450 Ala Moana Blvd.
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 973-9111
- Pig Bone Broth Ramen of Soy Sauce (full toppings) $10.95~

- plus Grilled Pork Rice Bowl (combo) $3.95~

There were 2 ramen counters. This one definitely had a longer line, plus their pictures looked better. haha. The ramen was pretty good. Again, Mitsuwa in LA is still better but the texture here I liked a lot. The grilled pork rice was pretty good too.

For dessert, I had my eyes on the crepe counter. hehe.
Crepe Harajuku @ Shirokiya
1450 Ala Moana Blvd.
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 973-9111
- Mini Crepe (strawberry, banana, whipped cream, chocolate sauce) $3.95~

- Ice Cream Parfait (2 scoops of ice cream, pineapple, banana, whipped cream, chocolate sauce) $3.75~

The crepe was done well. It had a nice mild flavor and I liked the texture. But the ice cream parfait turned out to be a better deal. It was cheaper and had more fruits and ice cream.

So I realized I'm not a huge fan of local Hawaiian food. I mean, it's fine but I wouldn't crave it. But there's some great Japanese food here. I guess there's no surprise there. hehe. YUM! :)

~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

OAHU - PART 1 - North Shore

2011-12-13T12:44:00.000-06:00

I recently had the chance to visit the island of Oahu in Hawaii. First time there and it was pretty epic!! I can't wait to go back! :)

But unlike most other trips I take, the food was not the star... I ate some good meals, but overall, the food wasn't spectacular. Although I have to thank all my friends that gave me recommendations of places to eat and visit. :) They definitely made the trip planning much easier!

I'll be doing this in 3 parts since there are A TON of pictures. Part 1 is up in the North Shore area of Oahu, and Parts 2 & 3 are in the south by the Honolulu/Waikiki area. We actually stayed 2 nights in Waikiki, then drove up to North Shore for 4 nights, and then back down to Waikiki for 5 nights. So the food will not be in order...

North Shore was probably my least favorite part of the trip. There wasn't much to do and the weather was windy, cold and overcast the entire time we were there. 4 nights there was overkill. I think 2 would've been plenty.

Anyways, on to the food. We tried to hit up the more local, hole in the wall type places on the trip. We didn't want anything we can find back in Dallas.

On the drive up to North Shore, we stopped by the Dole Plantation. Definitely a good place to go if you've never been. Really fresh pineapples!
Dole Plantation
64-1550 Kamehameha Hwy.
Wahiawa, HI 96786
http://www.dole-plantation.com/
(808) 621-8408
- Dole Whip (cup with topping) $4.95~

The soft serve is sooo good! It was creamy, fresh, and great with the fresh pineapple chunks. I'm mildly allergic to pineapple so I had to really restrain myself from eating too much!

First night in North Shore. Unfortunately it was Thanksgiving night and most places were closed. We found a 7-Eleven and a grocery store that also sold food and got some dinner there.
7-Eleven
- Deluxe Spam Musubi (spam & egg) $1.69~

I've heard of how good the 7-Eleven spam musubis are... and I wasn't impressed...But then again, it tasted like all the other musubis I tried during the trip. haha. So I guess for the price, go to 7-Eleven to get your musubi.

Kahuku Superette
56-505 Kamehameha Hwy.
Kahuku, HI 96731
(808) 293-9878
- Seaweed Salad $3.69~
- Shoyu Poke $9.99/lb~

Online reviews said they had really good poke. Poke is basically a raw fish salad usually served over rice. This was my first time having it. I didn't care for it even though I love sashimi. Something about it didn't sit well with me. I think the fish wasn't really that fresh.

Day 2 in North Shore was better... when the sun is out and you can actually see everything! haha. We hit up a highly recommended shrimp truck.
Giovanni's Shrimp Truck
56-505 Kamehameha Hwy.
Kahuku, HI 96731
(808) 293-1839
- Shrimp Scampi (a dozen shrimp - marinated in olive oil, fresh chopped garlic, lemon/butter and sauteed in a pan; served with 2 scoops of rice) $13~

This is definitely the best one to order. The shrimp was cooked well and I liked the garlic bits on the rice a lot.
- Hot & Spicy (a dozen shrimp - cooked and covered in own special blend of hot sauce; served with 2 scoops of rice) $13~

This was eh. It was definitely spicy but was also quite sour. I didn't like the sourness.

BBQ Corn Stand
56-505 Kamehameha Hwy.
Kahuku, HI 96731
- Island Style (butter, sea salt, garlic salt, black ground pepper) $3~
- Baja Style (butter, mayo, lemon/lime juice, Baja seasoning, Parmesan cheese) $3~

This was just behind Giovanni's Shrimp Truck. I think this outshined the shrimp truck. The corn was amazing! I liked the Island Style better because it didn't overwhelm the flavor of the corn. But both were fantastic. I think I'll try to recreate it myself one day! hehe.

Before dinner we went to get some shave ice. This is HIGHLY recommended by my friends.
Matsumoto's Shave Ice
66-087 Kamehameha Hwy.
Haleiwa, HI 96712
http://www.matsumotoshaveice.com/
(808) 637-4827
- Small Shave Ice (Cherry, Blueberry, Coconut Cream flavors) $2.25~

- Small Shave Ice (White Cake, Strawberry, Banana Cream flavors) $2.25~

I'm not really a fan of shave ice since it's just ice and sugar syrup. But I have to say this is BY FAR the best shave ice on the island (we've tried some others during the trip). The ice is so fine and delicate and the sugar syrup was pretty good. I know some places have weird tasting syrup. The line is super long, but it didn't take too too long to wait. I wouldn't go back all the time, but I'm glad I tried it. Btw...the banana cream is the best! :)

We just went down the street from Matsumoto's to get some dinner.
L&L Drive In
66-197 Kamehameha Hwy
Haleiwa, HI 96712
http://www.hawaiianbarbecue.com/
(808) 637-4700
- Seafood Combo (Fried Mahi Mahi, BBQ short ribs, 2 scoops of rice, macaroni salad) $9.25~

- Kalua Pork and Cabbage (served with 2 scoops of rice and macaroni salad) $7.75~

We have a L&L in Plano, so it wasn't a big deal. The food was ok. Nothing special to mention. The cabbage did leave a pool of grey watery mess at the bottom of the container so that was kinda gross.

Day 3... This place wasn't on my list but we just drove by and decided to check it out.
Surfin' Taco
54-296 Kamehameha Hwy
Hauula, HI 96717
http://www.facebook.com/surfintacos
(808) 293-4440
- Two Surfin Tacos (fresh fish, corn tortilla, jack cheese, fresh lettuce, pico de gallo, signature Surf sauce; served with side of rice and beans) $9.95~

- Da Kine Quesadilla (grilled steak, jack and cheddar cheese, signature Surf sauce; topped with sour cream, guacamole and pico de gallo; served with side of rice and beans) $8.95~

It was pretty good. Good sized portions. I think the quesadilla is a better deal than the tacos.

Day 4. It was a Sunday and not much was going on in North Shore so we drove back down towards Honolulu area.
Food Truck @ Aloha Stadium Flea Market
99-500 Salt Lake Blvd.
Honolulu, HI 96818
http://www.alohastadiumswapmeet.net/
(808) 483-2756
- Mini Loco Moco (served with 2 scoops of rice, 1 hamburger patty, 1 egg) $5.50~

So far I'm not too keen on Hawaiian food. Just a lot of meat and rice and not a lot of difference in texture. This was ok. It was an ok snack to tie us over to our next destination.

Zippy's
904 Mokauea Street
Honolulu, HI 96819
http://zippys.com/live/
(808) 832-1755
- Mini Zip Pack (fried chicken and teri beef over rice) $6.10~

- Surf Pack (2 pieces of fried chicken, spam, teri beef over rice) $9.40~

- Mini Korean Fried Chicken (1 scoop of brown rice and salad) $6.25~

This was my order. I really liked it. They were pretty good about getting the flavor profile of Korean fried chicken! And I liked the fact that I could choose brown rice and salad instead of macaroni salad. The mini portion was perfect.
- Vic Pack (chicken katsu, sausage, spam, teri beef over rice) $8.48~

The chicken katsu was good too. The others really liked the teri beef.
I actually really liked this place. I thought it had more variety than other Hawaiian food places. I was a little over the Kalua Pig by then. haha. Plus it was cheaper! Local Hawaiian food was more expensive than I expected!

Our last day in North Shore was the best meal for me in that area.
Kahuku Grill
56-565 Kamehameha Hwy
Kahuku, HI 96731
(808) 852-0040
- Grilled Seafood Combo (Garlic Lovers' Shrimp & Coconut Macadamia Nut Shrimp; served with rice and fresh mixed Pupukea green salad with papaya seed dressing) $13~

- Grilled Seafood Combo (Grilled fish (Basa) & Coconut Macadamia Nut Shrimp; served with rice and fresh mixed Pupukea green salad with papaya seed dressing) $13~

- Side of Fries $3~

This was a great recommendation by a friend of mine. I'm so glad we went. It's a tiny place, slightly hidden, by Quizno's. They are famous for their coconut macadamia nut shrimp and it was awesome. Yes, there was wayy more batter to shrimp ratio but the batter was delicious. Super crispy and sweet from the coconut. The grilled fish was cooked to perfection and amazing. Plus I love the spices they sprinkle over their rice. Definitely makes it more interesting! And the salads are made with locally grown greens and the dressing is homemade as well. Definitely one of the best meals of the whole trip for me!

~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

Lunch @ Blue Plate Kitchen

2011-11-15T09:50:00.001-06:00

Happy 11-11-11! hehe. I went to lunch with a bunch of co-workers this past Friday. Since it was on the company, my boss and I suggested Blue Plate Kitchen (one of our favorite places!) :P

We had a large group of 15. Good thing we made our reservation for an earlier time. By noon, the place was pretty packed!

Blue Plate Kitchen
6130 Luther Lane
Dallas, TX 75225
(214) 890-1103
http://www.kentrathbun.com/blueplate/dallas/
Price (for lunch): $$

The manager, Dennis, came by and greeted us. He's always so friendly! :) And it's such a nice feeling to be personally greeted because they know you. hehe.

There were too many of us, but I tried to take as many food pics as I can.

Some of my coworkers started with the Soup of the day. Black Eyed Peas with Andouille Sausage $7~

There was plenty of peas...not enough sausage though. I liked the flavors. Once you start chewing, you can really taste the different spices and complexity. It's a pretty hearty soup.

For my entree, I ordered the Pan Seared Fennel Dusted Salmon (celery root puree, roasted root vegetables) $17~

I was torn between several other options but opted for this since I liked all the elements and it seemed like a healthier choice. The fish was pretty small but perfectly cooked. I think I was thinking parsnip puree when I read celery root puree because it caught me off guard. I'm not a fan of celery and the celery taste was quite prominent. I still enjoyed it with the fish though. Next time I'll be sure to remember that celery root tastes just like celery! haha. I loved the root vegetables...a mixture of different kinds. It added texture to the plate with the tender fish. And it was surprisingly filling. I was very full after.

One coworker got the Grilled Texas Fish Selection of the Day (Sauteed brussel sprouts, long grain-wild rice) $MKT~

The featured fish was a Striped Bass I think. The fish was cooked well. I only got a bite so I can't fully remember all the different components. I liked the brussel sprouts. It was cooked perfectly. Not too soft and wasn't bitter or anything.

Another coworker ordered the Grilled Chicken Breast, Israeli Couscous (butternut squash, tart cherry, balsamic vinaigrette) $14~

This is one of their Heart Healthy options. This was initially my pick. I should've gotten this even though I liked my salmon. The chicken was good but the cous cous was the star of the show. It was al dente, had great texture and worked so well with the butternut squash and cherries. We both agreed that the cous cous was fantastic. It was a good size portion too. I would definitely get this again in the future.

We also got a few sides to share:
"Burnt End" Black Beans $6~ This had shredded brisket in there. The flavor was bold and you can really taste the brisket.

Applewood Smoked Bacon Brussel Sprouts $7~ I loved this. The brussel sprouts were also cooked perfectly and sooo much bacon bits and flavor. Bacon makes everything good! :)

They've updated the menu since I was there last (April...time sure passes fast!) And I noticed that they completely changed their dessert menu. No more buttermilk pie! :( But... there was Pumpkin Spice Cake (spiced rum glazed, cranberry compote) $8~

I was full but I HAD to try this. The main reason I like fall is because there's pumpkin everywhere! And I can't get enough! This was a mini bundt cake. SUPER moist, not too sweet. It was really good! I like the combination with the tart cranberries. And I think it was a cinnamon butter or something? Seemed a little too thick to be whipped cream... Yummy-ness!

Several people got the Chocolate Mousse (dark and milk chocolate, praline graham cracker) $8~

I'm not a huge mousse fan because I like to have texture. But this was a great mousse. Layers of milk and dark chocolate so it wasn't very sweet at all. I loved the bitterness from the dark chocolate. And the graham cracker layers added the texture. And I liked the little crisp on top.

Another great meal at Blue Plate. I'm always happy when I eat here. And once again, too full! haha. I did notice that their prices went up a bit though. :( That's why I take full advantage when it's on the company! hahaha :P I write about this place so much. If you still haven't gone yet, you need to go!!

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

Brunch @ Il Cane Rosso

2011-11-08T09:45:00.000-06:00

I went with some friends this past Saturday for brunch at Il Cane Rosso in Deep Ellum. I've been wanting to go there forever. It's just so far out... But a week or two ago I saw they had pumpkin pancakes for their brunch. Looked delicious so I made a point to go! They are closed on Sundays so the brunch is only on Saturday mornings until 3PM.

Il Cane Rosso
2612 Commerce St
Dallas, TX 75226-1402
(214) 741-1188
http://ilcanerosso.com/
Price: $$

I called for a reservation but they said they only take reservations for parties 6+. And if we get there before 2pm, they're never really packed. We arrived around 1:30PM. The place was bigger than I imagined. It was probably only 1/5th full. I liked the openness of the restaurant. It looks like a cool place to chill and hang out with friends.

For brunch they had the brunch menu, plus they had some salad options and all their pizzas available. They didn't have the pumpkin pancakes though.. that was a one time special. :( Oh well, there were plenty of other stuff that sounded delicious.

One friend ordered the Michelada $5~

It's basically a Bloody Mary with beer... Weird eh? He's not a big fan of beer but he really liked it. It had a nice spicy kick. Interesting...

Two of my friends shared the Luana Pizza (Italian tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil, Jimmy's sausage, hot soppresata, mushrooms) $15~

Soppresata is like a pepperoni. The pizza was definitely a good size to share between 2 people. But I thought it was a bit pricier than some other pizza places. It was a thin crust pizza with really fresh toppings on it. I wish there was a bit more toppings though, especially the basil. I'm not a huge fan of thin crust, I like a bit more dough. So it was good but didn't meet the expectation that I've hyped up for myself. My friends liked it though. They appreciate thin crust more than I do. It did have a nice char on it. I think for thin crust I still prefer Grimaldi's.

I still chose their regular Pancakes (ricotta pancakes with Nutella mascarpone and fresh berries, crispy pancetta) $10~

The Nutella mascarpone sounds amazing. I love Nutella. The portion was huge. 6 fluffy pancakes on a large platter. The pancakes were definitely homemade, it reminded me of how my mom used to make pancakes for us at home on a portable griddle. They were light and fluffy. Not too sweet but you still didn't need syrup. The nutella mascarpone was also light and fluffy. Not enough nutella flavor though. If they didn't say nutella, I would've just guessed it had a hint of cocoa or something. It paired really well with the pancakes though. I liked the strawberry/blueberry mix on the side as well. Added some sweetness and tartness with the pancakes. The pancetta was nice and crispy and I ate it with the pancakes together. I love sweet and savory! Alone, the pancetta was a bit too salty. I liked this a lot. I still want to try the pumpkin pancakes though. The waitress said they might bring it back in the next week or two...

One friend got the Cane Rosso Benedict (2 over easy eggs with fried polenta, crispy pancetta and Calabrian chile gravy, oven-roasted potatoes) $12~

This was definitely an interesting twist on a benedict. Using the polenta instead of English muffin, they changed the texture of the entire dish. Plus the polenta was slightly sweet. The eggs were over easy instead of poached too. I guess it was "loosely" named as a benedict. haha. I loved the gravy. I think that brought the dish together. The potatoes had good flavor as well and they were nice and crispy on the outside.

We ended the meal with Coffee & Donuts (zeppole with powdered sugar, chocolate, strawberry and espresso sauces) $10~

The presentation was cute with the paper bag. It was a pretty big portion! The donuts were like mini beignets with powdered sugar and dipping sauces. The coffee part was in the chocolate dipping sauce I think. The chocolate sauce was fantastic. Slightly bitter because it was dark chocolate so it wasn't too sweet. The strawberry puree/sauce was fantastic as well. The zeppole itself wasn't sweet at all! So the powdered sugar plus the sauces definitely brought it all together. I actually liked just the strawberry and chocolate sauce together. Didn't even need the donut. hahaha. Just gimme a spoon!

We were stuffed, as always. :P It was a good meal. Everything was good and fresh. I would say I've had better versions of each in other places but I still enjoyed everything. I definitely liked the feel of the place too. And our waitress was totally cool. I'm glad we finally got to try it. Maybe I'll go back again whenever they bring back the pumpkin pancakes.

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

The Loft at NYLO

2011-11-07T17:01:00.000-06:00

I recently saw on facebook that The Loft Restaurant at NYLO Hotel in Plano released a new menu and were offering awesome Happy Hour specials. Not only were they offering drink specials from 4-10PM but all menu items were 50% off!! Heck yea! They are only doing this promotion until 11/13.

The Loft Restaurant & Lounge @ NYLO
8201 Preston Road
Plano, TX 75024
(972) 624-6990
http://www.nylohotels.com/plano/restaurants-texas-hotel-4-1.aspx
Price: $$

I called up a few of my friends and we went to go check it out last Thursday night. I've been to the Loft lounge a few times, never to eat though. I've had one of their flatbreads a while back but other than that I've never eaten there. Never really thought of going either since I thought the prices were kinda high.

I like the concept of NYLO and the restaurant/lounge. The decor is kind of eclectic but pretty cool. The style is somewhat inconsistent but oh well. I've always heard that the food and service here wasn't that great and I'll have to agree on the service part. I walked up to the entrance of the restaurant and there was no one there. I stood there for a good 5+ minutes before a waiter finally looked over and saw me. I asked him about the happy hour and he wasn't too sure about the details. He went to ask and said yes, they do have hh until 10PM and just told me to sit anywhere. The restaurant was very sparse. I sat at a table across from the bar, not a very hidden or anything. No one came to greet me, bring me water or anything for another 7-8 minutes. A few waiters walked by, some looked at me, some didn't even notice I was there. It's pretty ridiculous. I didn't get water, or even a menu. Finally, one waiter came to ask me what I wanted to drink and I asked another guy for a menu. Way to make a customer feel welcomed people...

Slowly my friends started to arrive. By this time we actually had a waiter for the table! He was nice enough. We looked over the menu and ordered a bunch of stuff to try since they were half price!

Prosciutto + Arugula Flatbread $11~

Different than any flatbreads I've had before. Even different than the flatbread I've had at NYLO in the past. The dough looked like pita bread? but was harder in consistency. The prosciutto was a tad too salty. It was ok, good for half price. Definitely not worth the full $11.

The Dip (spinach, feta and artichoke dip) $12~

I was a little hesitant about the feta since I'm not a huge fan, but it was melted in with the other components of the dip. The flavor was good and it came with a lot of pieces of flatbread.

Buttermilk Chicken Poppers (served with chipotle or buffalo dipping sauce) $10~

The chicken was tender and I liked the chipotle sauce. Good for sharing.

7oz. Sliced Tenderloin (with demi-glace) $16~

This is an A la carte dish, so it doesn't come with any sides. The meat was tender enough and had a good crust on the outside but was overly salty. Seems to be a theme developing overall in the meal...

Slow Braised Pork Leg (with mousseline potatoes and chipotle pork jus) $14~

This was one of my choices. I asked the waiter if it was like a pork chop and he said yes. It's definitely not... haha. It was a good size. Definitely worth the half price. The meat was pretty tender, but being braised, it should've been more "falling off the bone". The mashed potatoes were good, nothing spectacular. Again, a tad salty overall.

Nori Crusted Tuna (thinly sliced served with house made spicy mustard) $11~

The tuna was tender and the mustard had a bold kick to it. It was good, just a bit small.

I got 2 sides along with the pork. Sauteed Spinach $6~

The spinach looked really fresh but it was doused with salt. OMG. I couldn't take more than a bite. I had to send it back and they brought me another plate. It was much better the second time. However, when I brought it up to the waiter, he didn't really react in any way. I had to ASK him to take it away... Really?? It wasn't comped in the end either. I also got the Roasted Seasonal Mushroom $6~ This was good, no complaints.

NYLO Truffle Fries Stack $7~ The fries took a longgg time to come out. By then we were all overloaded with salt, I didn't even want to eat this. I guess it was ok. Although on the menu it said all sides are $6 but we were charged half of $7 on this one...

By the end of the meal I felt like I had a layer of salt coating the inside of my mouth. YUCK. Not a good feeling. I kept drinking water but it didn't do anything... They really need to go easy on the seasoning here.

A friend of mine wanted to order dessert so we asked for the dessert menu. They went with the Smores Cheesecake and Creme Brulee. I think they were about $8~?

The presentation was pretty nice on both of these. Then we dug into it. OMG... I think this is the first time we all thought something was really bad. The creme brulee didn't really have the bruleed hard sugar on the top. The custard wasn't like a creme brulee custard. The texture was strange, more like a thick pudding or something? The cheesecake was the really bad one. It tasted like it was a really old frozen cake that had been thawed out. You can taste the "old-ness". And the texture of the cheesecake was gummy. GUMMY!!! :( It was gross! We had to flag down the waiter and tell him to take it away.

It wasn't a very pleasant meal. Overly salted foods and yucky old desserts. Plus the lack of attention from the wait staff from beginning to end was unacceptable. They comped the desserts, which they should, but it was like no one really cared there. The place has such potential. They really need to do some revamping to make things better. I know I won't be back for sure, no matter how good their deals are. :(

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

Taste of Greenville Avenue

2011-10-30T16:32:00.000-05:00

I went to the Taste of Greenville Avenue in Dallas yesterday with some friends. This is my first time going to TOGA...I'm not sure how long they've been doing this. Basically a bunch of restaurants along Greenville Avenue participate and sell samples of their food in different booths. Most of the food ranges from $2-5.

4925 Greenville Avenue @ University
Dallas, TX 75206
Saturday 10/29/11 - 10AM to 8PM
http://www.tasteofgreenvilleavenue.com/

The main thing that made me wanted to go was the first thing we got!! Enjoy the pictures!

The Grape:
- Spicy Candied Bacon on a Stick (aka Heart Attack on a Stick) $5~ OMG!! So fatty and rich and sinful. I'm glad we ate it first because it was so heavy. Soooo yummy though. :P

Pho Is For Lovers:

- Pork Banh Mi $3~ Pretty standard. Fresh.

St. Martin's Wine Bistro:
- Champagne Brie Soup (signature soup for 36 years) $5~ I've heard great things about this. Creamy and rich. Light in flavor. Pretty good, I can't drink the whole thing though.

Woodfire by Kirby's:
- Sauteed Beef Tenderloin (with a Cognac Pepper Sauce & Loaded Mashed Potatoes) $3~ Steak was tender. Didn't care for the sauce though.

The Blue Fish:
- Ahi Tower Cone $5~ Really cute in the waffle cone. Yummy!

- Kobe Sliders (2) $5~ Eh. Generic...

Ozona Grill & Bar:
- Jalapeno Fries $3~ Not really fries. Just battered jalapenos and fried. Not very spicy. A little salty but quite addictive.

The Original Fried Pie Shop @ Baker's Ribs:
- Fruit Fried Pie (Cherry) $3~ Large. Too sweet for me.

- Creme Fried Pie (Chocolate) $4~ Awesome. Crispy crust. The filling was like chocolate pudding. Not too sweet. Very tasty!

- Meat Fried Pie (Pulled Pork) $5~ Looked good, I didn't try though. Needs BBQ sauce I heard.

Shuck N Jive:
- Fried Shrimp Basket $5~ Was fried nicely. But not worth the money.

It was a really nice day for something like this. I thought in general the prices were a little high. I think each item could be reduced by $1 or something. But it was something different to do here in Dallas. There was also a stage with performances and beer sampling for a small fee. Maybe I'll go again next year. :)

Overall Event:

~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

Chicago: Day 3 - The Bongo Room

2011-10-30T15:30:00.000-05:00

The last day in Chicago we met up with another friend of mine for breakfast. She suggested The Bongo Room because she's heard it was good and also it was close to where we were staying. I've also heard that they have the best pancakes. I looked at their website and I have to say the pictures look phenomenal.

The Bongo Room - Wicker Park
1470 N. Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 489-0690
http://www.thebongoroom.com/
Price: $$

I think they change their menu every season since we were given the Fall 2011 Menu. I also saw lots of pictures of dishes online that is no longer on the menu. So you can always get something new there!

They don't take reservations and on the weekends it gets super packed! Luckily we went on a Monday morning so it was pretty empty. The menu looked really good but I knew I wanted to try their pancakes.

My friend got the Breakfast Burrito (cilantro-jalapeno tortilla filled with guacamole and scrambled eggs topped with melted cheese and sour cream, salsa on the side; served with house potatoes) $8.95~

It was a nice hefty portion. I didn't try the burrito, but the flavor of the potatoes were pretty good.

My bf got the Tomatillo Salsa Scramble (three egg whites scrambled with grilled chicken, spinach and topped with diced avocado; served with tomato slices and choice of toast) $9.95~

This was also a big portion. Everything was fresh, there were lots of spinach in teh scramble, which I liked. It's definitely healthier than what we've been eating all weekend! haha. There were tons of diced avocado on top and the flavors were good. I liked the tomatillo salsa mixed in with everything. The one thing my bf said was that he preferred if they diced up the tomatoes and put it on top instead of the slices on the side.

I had 2 choices for pancakes and the waitress totally recommended the Pumpkin Spice & Chocolate Chunk Cheesecake Flapjacks (graham cracker crusted pumpkin flapjacks with chocolate chunks topped with warm vanilla bean cream) $9.95~

Good...cuz i was leaning towards that. hehe. It sounded so decadent. And it was!! 3 huge pancakes covered with the vanilla bean cream. It was utterly fabulous. One of the best pancakes I've had I think. Plenty of pumpkin flavor, I could taste the chocolate chips and the vanilla cream was divine. Surprisingly it wasn't too heavy or sweet. The texture was fluffy. Delicious! I would've liked a little more chocolate chunks but that might actually push it over the edge. I really wanted to eat the entire plate, but the portion was so large it's probably a good idea that I didn't. haha. I am still thinking about these pancakes from time to time. It would say it's one of the best things I had on this trip! :)

It took a while for the food to come out so I would say if you want a quick breakfast before work, this is probably not the best choice. But if you have the time to relax and enjoy some great food, especially pancakes, you need to go to The Bongo Room. I soo wish there is one in Dallas...

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

Chicago: Day 2 - Pequod's Pizza

2011-10-28T10:30:00.000-05:00

Can't go to Chicago and not get deep dish pizza!! My friends live there so they've tried many different places and claims that Pequod's is the best.

Pequod's Pizza
2207 N Clybourn Ave
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 327-1512
http://www.pequodspizza.com/
Price: $-$$

It took me a while to even understand the name. haha. I think you pronounce it "Pee-Quads"... and the logo was a whale with underwear on it's head. What??? haha. I googled "Pequod" and it's actually a Nantucket whaleship in the 1851 Moby-Dick novel. Interesting... hehe.

I'm so glad we made a reservation. The place was packed and they had several groups waiting in the front. We actually got there 10 minutes early too. The host told us that we can go ahead and put in our order while we wait for a table since it takes about 40 minutes for the pizza to cook.

The place is actually pretty big...you can't tell from walking in the front door. It's got a bar feel... dim and loud. They had TVs everywhere so we got to watch the Rangers game! :)

We started with The Pequod Salad (romaine, cheese, pepperoni, pepperoncini, black olives, green pepper, mushrooms, carrots, tomato, onion; with creamy garlic dressing on the side) $8.95~

After a day of more carbs and sugar...I really wanted a salad. It was massive, definitely enough for 3-4 people. The greens were fresh and the toppings added good flavor. The creamy garlic dressing was super thick...kinda like mayonnaise almost but tasted good!

We got a Medium (12") Pan Pizza (sausage, mushrooms, Giardiniere) $12.95 for cheese only +$2 per topping = $18.95~

All pizzas are plain and you make your own combinations. With additional charge per topping. We weren't too hungry so we thought a medium pizza for 4 people was plenty. The pizza was pretty awesome. It was hot and steamy. The cheese was super melty. I loved the bottom of the crust. It had a crispness to it, kinda like the outside of a good grilled cheese (the waitress's description). Supposedly other pizza places didn't have that. They also have their Famous Caramelized Crust. The pizza is baked in a cast iron pan blackened by decades of seasoning, and the overflowing cheese emerges from the oven as a halo of caramelized crust.

The edge was crispy, chewy and full of flavor. Another one of my favorite elements is the sausage on top. They also had a nice char/sear on top so it added extra texture. The flavors all worked together. The marinara had just the right amount of spices and flavor...wasn't too sour. The dough in the middle was nice and pillowy. And it wasn't too greasy! It was a lot of food! One and a quarter slices is all I managed to stuff down.

We also got Wings $7.95~

OMG... so much food again. I only managed to eat one since I was so full. But it was really good. The wings were so juicy and tender and I really liked the sauce. I wished I could've eaten more. The rest of the people killed the entire plate though. hehe.

The service was great. The host and hostesses were really friendly and our waitress was also very nice. The manager also came by to make sure we were liking our food. And after they served the wings, the manger came by again and apologized for the wait and said it was taken off our check. I didn't even notice that the wings came late. That's great service right there! It was a great dinner. The Chicago deep dish did not disappoint. I totally suggest checking out Pequod's if you haven't been there yet!

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

Chicago: Day 2 - Revolution Brewing

2011-10-28T10:21:00.000-05:00

Later on Sunday, after some more sightseeing, we stopped by Revolution Brewing to get some snacks and watch the football game. My friends really recommended this place. They said they brewed their own beers and the food was good as well.

Revolution Brewing
2323 North Milwaukee Avenue
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 227-2739
http://revbrew.com/
Price: $$

For some reason I had pictured a dingy hole-in-the-wall. But it was definitely not. haha. It was actually a pretty big place. It was clean and open and I liked some of the accents of their decor.

The guys ordered some beers and we looked over the menu. I was pretty full still so we just got a few things to munch on.

My friend had to order the Bacon Fat Popcorn (bacon, crispy sage and shaved parmesan) $4~

It was pretty good! I thought it was just going to be popcorn with bacon flavor but it actually had large pieces of bacon in there as well. The bacon flavor on the popcorn was subtle, but you can definitely taste it. Yum!

Crispy Calamari (brussel sprout leaves, almond, romesco sauce, parmesan, arugula) $9~

It was kind of a small plate but I liked the presentation with the greens. It added a nice contrasting color. The flavors were really good and I liked the addition of brussel sprouts, arugula and almonds. It was a different take on your normal calamari appetizer.

I chose the Pecan Tart with Zucchini Bread Ice Cream (warm pecan tart, zucchini bread ice cream, Eugene hot fudge) $7~

I don't normally like pecans but it was the ice cream that really captured my interest. Zucchini bread flavored ice cream...how cool! And it really did taste like zucchini bread! Who would've thought that a bar would have such interesting flavors! The pecan tart and hot fudge was good as well. The plate was just a bit small...

And the beers were good! I'm not a beer drinker so I'm taking the word of others. hehe. It's a cool, chill place. The waitress was fast and attentive. It's a good place to hang out with your friends. :)

Plus the Cowboys won! Woot! And later that night the Rangers!! Go Dallas!! :P

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

Chicago: Day 2 - Table Fifty-Two

2011-10-28T10:03:00.023-05:00

Sunday in Chicago we had a reservation for brunch at Table Fifty-Two. It is owned by Chef Art Smith who also competed in Top Chef Masters Season 1. He was one of my favorites. He's also Oprah's personal chef! I just thought he was so lovable on the show. Super sweet guy and puts love in everything he makes. Plus the food he made just sounded so yummy.

Table Fifty-Two
52 West Elm Street
Chicago, IL 60610
(312) 573-4000
http://www.tablefifty-two.com/
Price (for brunch): $$-$$$

Table Fifty-Two was definitely at the top of my list. It was the first reservation I made before I even booked my flight! I was so excited that I got the time I wanted. And I specifically wanted to go on Sunday because I heard that he only makes his fried chicken on Sundays. :)

We arrived 5 minutes early and were immediately seated. The restaurant was so cute. Bright, quaint and homey. The dining area was a little crammed since it was a small space but that also added to the homey-ness of that southern cooking feel. Everything seemed so promising...

After we were seated...it took a long time for anyone to greet us. Several waiters and assistants walked around the room, we were served waters, but none of them really greeted us. Err...? Finally our waiter came to the table to take our drink orders.

We were served some Sweet Potato Bread (with cinnamon butter) after we ordered.

It was so cute. The bread was moist and slightly sweet. With the cinnamon butter it was yummy! I was soo looking forward to the main course.

My bf ordered the Shrimp and Grits (Wild Gulf shrimp, Stone Ground grits, spicy tomato stew) $16~

There were 5 pieces of shrimp on there but they weren't very big. The ratio of shrimp to grits was definitely unbalanced. The grits were different than what we're used to in Dallas. The individual grains were bigger than the grits I've had before. I think because they were bigger it was a bit more firm almost like they were undercooked. But I liked that kind of texture so I was ok with it. The tomato sauce was a bit too tart. My bf said it would've been better if they had a bit of greens on top to add some freshness or something. It was good, not great.

One friend ordered the Crispy Pork Belly (fried egg, watercress, pickled okra, green tomato relish, dill aioli) $12~

This was my second choice but of course I had to get the fried chicken. The presentation was very fun and artistic. It was a small portion but everything was good. The pork belly had a nice crispy outside. The egg was cooked well where the yolk just oozed out when you cut into it. I liked the garnish and aioli with the pork flavors too. It was quite tasty.

I had to get the Fried Chicken and Waffles (Burton Farm Maple Syrup) $24~

One of my friends ordered it as well. When they served it, I got 2 pieces of chicken like it should be but my friend's plate only had one. My friend was so confused and had to ask the waiter why he only got 1 piece of chicken... They didn't even notice that the dish was incomplete? How did they even let it leave the kitchen?? And the waiter didn't really react when my friend asked him about the second piece. He was just like "oh. ok. We'll get you another piece." Quite unprofessional... The dish is pretty straight forward. The chicken was extremely tender and I liked the batter, but I wanted the shell to be crispier. It was almost like it was baked rather than fried. The seasoning was light so you could really taste the chicken flavor. I liked that. The waffle was pretty standard. I wish it was a bit crispier. I asked for some Tabasco and it definitely made the dish better with the spicy and tangy flavor.

We also got Biscuits and Gravy $8~ for the table.

I enjoyed the gravy a lot! It went well with everything! I ate it with the biscuits, with some of my waffles and even the grits. It was great. The biscuits had a crispy shell and I liked that. My friends kinda wanted a more fluffy biscuit though.

We also ordered an Apple Pie Doughnut $7~

I've been seeing on facebook before the trip that Table Fifty-Two makes their own doughnuts on the weekends. That sounds awesome. So we got one as dessert. We asked the waiter when we placed our orders to serve it at the end of the meal.

After we finished the entrees, we had a table full of dirty dishes. Waiters, including ours, walked around us but didn't seem like anyone noticed that our table wasn't cleared yet. We were getting a little annoyed with the lack of service. Especially our waiter...who was very aloof the entire time. Finally we saw our him walk back towards us and my friend spoke up and said "Can you please clear our table?" And the waiter goes "That's what I'm going to do" kinda snarky-like. WTF! It was quite unacceptable.

The doughnut took a longgg time to come out. I actually had to tell the waiter after our main course that we were ready for it. The timing was really bad on their part. Finally it came out and looked great. I cut it into fours and it was raw in the middle. Gooey raw dough and the apple filling only went about half way. If it's a filled doughnut then it should be fully filled. And it wasn't cooked! At first we thought maybe it was a cream filling, but it sure wasn't! We called the waiter over and showed it to him. His reaction was not good. He was just like "oh. sorry. we'll get you a new one." Not really very apologetic or anything. Ridiculous. By now we were all kinda pissed. But we waited... and got our new doughnut. This time it was cooked through but the filling was still only half way. The outside crust was nice and crunchy and the inside was fluffy, but not enough filling and not sweet enough.

They comped the doughnut, as they should. But the overall service and lack of attention was just incredibly bad. I was so disappointed. I was so excited about this place because Chef Art Smith always talked about putting your passion and love into the food. I would expect his restaurant to share the same characteristics. I still like Chef Art as the person I saw on Top Chef, but this experience has wavered that perception a bit. The food was actually pretty good but the service just ruined the meal. Needless to say I won't be recommending this place to anyone... :(

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Chicago: Day 1 - Frontera Grill

2011-10-27T14:50:00.000-05:00

One of the main places I wanted to check out in Chicago was definitely Chef Rick Bayless's Frontera Grill. I'm a HUGE fan of Top Chef and Rick Bayless won season 1 of Top Chef Masters.

Frontera Grill
445 North Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 661-1434
http://www.rickbayless.com/restaurants/grill.html
Price: $$$

Frontera Grill uses fresh ingredients, sometimes organic and custom-grown! Their goal is sustainability and works with the community and local farms. It's pretty awesome!

I wasn't able to make a reservation since it was fully booked but the host told me that they take walk-ins. And they don't open on Sunday or Monday so Saturday night was the only opportunity for me to go.

We arrive around 6:30PM. It was sooo packed! We were told there was a 2-2.5 hour wait. OMG! I read online that this would happen... But sometimes people luck out and get a table earlier. So we put our name down and a contact number. They said they would call if something opens up.

Since we've been snacking all day, none of us were really that hungry yet so it was ok that we eat later. Normally I would never wait around for 2+ hours... We decided to walk around some more until it was time for dinner. We got back around 8:45PM or so and the amount of people inside the restaurant and bar increased! Geez. It was super loud in there from all the chatter too... They said it was another hour.. Sigh~ Good thing I got a snack during our 2 hour walk! Luckily we were seated about 40 minutes later... I typically don't like to eat this late and all the waiting has kinda dampened my excitement... But we were finally seated!! I already knew what I wanted. haha.

We were given some Spiced Mix Nuts to munch on while we looked over the menu.

Although I already knew what I wanted since Chef Rick talked about it a lot on the show.

We started off with Queso Fundido Clasico (Samuels artisanal Jack cheese with garlicky roasted peppers, homemade chorizo, Mexican oregano) $8~ for the table.

You take the cheese and chorizo and wrap it in the corn tortilla. Now, if you've read some of my past reviews on Mexican places, you know I hate corn tortillas (which is why I don't like enchiladas). But this isn't Tex-Mex cuisine, it's real Mexican food. The corn tortilla didn't have that weird corn flavor I hated. It was very mild and soft so I liked it! The cheese and chorizo had bold flavors and the duo of salsas complimented everything well. I just wanted the cheese to be hotter and more melty? It cooled down pretty quickly and started to harden a bit.

Since it was pretty late my bf and I decided to share. We got the Ensalada Otonal (Roasted Nichols Farm beets & grilled Seedling apples, Bayless Garden greens, caramelized onion vinaigrette. Toasted guajillo crumbles, crispy ham hock, pecans) $8.75~

I was in serious need of some veggies. haha. The Chicago diet so far has been very carb and sugar heavy. :P I liked the salad a lot. There were some interesting elements that you normally don't see in most places. For one the little pieces of crispy ham hock added that slight bacon-ish feel. I liked the way they roasted the beets, which were thinly sliced. All the different components added a complexity of flavors. And it was really fresh!

Enchiladas de Mole Poblano (Homemade tortillas rolled around Gunthorp free-range chicken, doused with Mexicos most famous mole. Black beans) $18~

This is the dish I came for. All through Top Chef Masters, Chef Rick Bayless kept mentioning his mole. I believe he made it for one of the final challenges. I love mole. I had really great mole when I went to Mexico 2 years ago so I really wanted to try his. I was a little hesitant because the mole was on top of enchiladas (since I don't like enchiladas). But after trying the corn tortilla with the Queso Fundido, I think I'd be ok with the flavors. It was a good portion size. The dish had a nice pop of color with the garnish on top against the black sauce and beans. The mole was great. There were so many different spices and flavors going on, and had a nice spicy kick that hits you at the end of a bite. The black beans paired with the mole really well. The enchiladas were good too but didn't live up to the mole as well as it should have. The only complaint is that the dish needed more texture. The corn tortilla was soft, the chicken was soft and tender, and the beans were soft as well. It really needed more of a crunch somewhere. Overall I liked it though.

One friend ordered the Pollo en Mole Verde Queretano (Garlic-marinated, wood-grilled Gunthorp chicken breast, Queretaro-style green mole (sesame seeds, almonds, peanuts, poblano, plantain, sweet spices). Poblano-flavored mashed potatoes, braised greens) $23.50~

Also a good sized plate but needed some pop of color or something. The presentation was very neutral looking. The sauce was very interesting...with all the nuts and seeds inside, it reminded me of Thai curry. I liked the sauce with the mashed potatoes and greens a lot. The chicken was tender but not very exciting. It was definitely outshined by the sides and sauce.

Another friend got the Pescado en Crema de Calabaza (Wood-grilled day-boat catch (salsa negra glaze), spicy/smoky butternut crema. Roasted garlic spaghetti squash, lime-dressed arugula) $24.50~

The catch of the day was Cobia, which is similar to Mahi-Mahi...a firmer fish. This was really good! I particularly loved the sauce. So it seems like they are masters of sauces at Frontera Grill. haha. The fish was cooked well and had a nice glaze on top. I also enjoyed the spaghetti squash with the sauce. It was delicious.

Overall it was a pretty great meal. I enjoyed everything we ordered. But I have to say with all the expectations I had, I wasn't blown away... Maybe I just hyped it up too much? I would definitely recommend it for some great Mexican food, but I don't think it's worth waiting 2+ hours for...

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