Wednesday, December 15, 2010

A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE IN LOS ANGELES... DAY 2

Day 2 ... What does this day have in store for me in Los Angeles?

12:00 p.m. KIRIKO - I met Eric, a high school friend, for lunch at Kiriko Sushi in Santa Monica... It was Eric's second time ordering real sushi, so we decided to splurge as we ordered the omikase, a specially prepared meal by the chef that has a combination of sushi, sashimi, specialty appetizers, etc ...

It may have been a bit "much" for lunch -- but we left the place completely satisfied with the decision. Below are photos of the chef's choices for the day, along with a photo of a celebrity we saw there... :D

Photos were taken with my iphone 3Gs ...

Top to bottom:

- Mango wrapped in smoked salmon topped with caviar

- Monkfish liver with shiso (and plum pasto?)

- Homemade tofu


** all three dishes were very good; I would have thought the monkfish liver would taste strange, but it oddly tasted like foie gras






Left to right:

- Grilled soy marinated sword fish (not a fan)

- Halibut tempura with shiso & plum pasto (AMAZING)








- White Blue Fin Tuna (yum...)

- Yellowtail (typical)

- Amber Jack (delish)






Assortment of Sushi:

- Can't recall
- Red Snapper
- Spanish Mackerel
- Scallop
- Toro






And... to end the meal, they gave us a blue crab hand roll. :D


yum yum yum...








Do you recognize this female actress? If not, you can catch Nicolette Sheridan on Desperate Housewives. Who would have thought I would see a celebrity in Santa Monica.






After lunch, I spent the rest of the day with my family ... When it came time to eat, we decided to visit LOS BURRITOS in Echo Park. This restaurant, aka shack, provided some of the best burritos I've ever had while growing up in Los Angeles. Yes, this 300 square feet structure has some kick-ass burritos... I highly recommend the Combination Burrito or the Bacon and Egg Burrito with a medium sized Horchata (rice milk)... If you order the combination burrito, beware, its a juicy burrito and the wetness is bound to spill over onto your hands, so make sure to grab some extra napkins!

And that was day 2 - another day eating around LA and feasting on foods I had when I was a child -- ah, good ole memories!



KIRIKO, 11301 Olympic Blvd #102. West Los Angeles, CA (310) 478-7769
LOS BURRITOS, 1312 Echo Park. Los Angeles, CA (213) 977-9102

A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE IN LOS ANGELES - DAY 1

Every time I visit LA, its just too short! The days are filled with seeing family and friends, while leisurely visiting some of my favorite foods while growing up. This trip (I am still here) is no different, but I hope I get some sleep. :D

Day 1 ...

1:00 p.m. LAX AIRPORT - I land at LAX and instantly notice the 50 degree weather differential from NYC to here. Its 80 degrees and I ceremoniously begin to take my winter jacket off and enjoy the sun rays. My friend picks me up and we head to the suburbs of Los Angeles!



SPAM WALL OF FAME (left); 442nd Street Combo (right) at Shakas

2:30 p.m. SHAKAS (Monterey Park, LA) We are at Shakas's, one of the first Hawaiian restaurants around our neighborhood, and this was one of the many "chomping" grounds during my high school years... I haven't been here in two years? maybe more? But I am here now because life is not complete without the sesame chicken and spam musubi here! So I ordered the 442nd Combo ($8.95) w/ a side of spam musubi ($1.95, should have gotten the classic Shaka plate -- however, I didn't want the teriyaki beef -- but i forgot I could substitute it -- man, I am rusty!!!)... As I open the box, I learned that they changed the classic sesame chicken drumstick with chicken pieces ... :( ... as I take a bite of it, I knew it tasted all wrong - the flavorings were the same, but the texture and feel of it was not what I had salivated and longed for ... :( However, the spam musubi was as good as I remembered it... sad... :( Would I come again? I think the likelihood just diminished because my favorite sesame chicken is no longer a favorite with these chicken chunks ... however, if I DO come again, I am ordering the Shaka Plate and will have them substitute the beef for chicken cause their teriyaki sauce is yummy! p.s. They have Hawaiian Sun drinks here (my fav is the Strawberry Guava and the Pass-o-Guava) and Hawaiian Shaved Ice!

4:30 p.m. I visit my parents at Rose Hills Mortuary and enjoy the LA sunset with my brother.







6:30 p.m. A MOTHER'S COOKING (Suburbs of LA) -- Now, I'm at a friend's house, where her mother has prepared a classic Vietnamese dish. I can't recall the name of it at the moment, but it was delish... Vietnamese noodles, Crab mixed with dried shrimp and egg, half-sliced tomatoes -- all cooking on the stove for about 2.5 hours... There is nothing like home (click my heels), there is nothing like home (click my heels)... HA HA. I miss a mother's hand in good ole' home cooking.... Thank you for mothers! (btw, I got the recipe for this, so I can cook it at home!)

9:30 p.m. I am driving towards Korea Town to meet my brother and his friends at BCD Tofu House. Is it me? Or does Lady Gaga's song "Pokerface" feel different while listening in a car? It was almost electrifying -- yes, imagine me bopping my head to the song and then singing -- ma ba ba ba POKERFACE ... You and I...da da da ... POKERFACE ... :D

10:00 p.m. BCD TOFU HOUSE (KOREA TOWN, LA) -- um, a little bit of "siu yeh" - aka Late Night eating in Korea Town in Los Angeles. I thought it was funny that we went here This is one of the 14 franchises around the world, with one in New York and another in Japan and Korea! I didn't order the typical Soon Du Boo, as normal people would, instead, I ordered a plate of steamed dumplings - 7 for $3.99 - what a steal! The sauce was delicious! (sorry no iphone photos)


11:30 p.m. CRAZY HOOKS (Korea Town, LA) -- Um, anyone see The Pirates of the Caribbean movie? If not, come to this bar and you'll feel like you're in the hull of one of the ships -- pirates abound (hung from the ceiling), posters of the movie decorate the wall, and the typical skull and bulls (flagship sign of a pirate boat) flag is swaying in the room. This place is not short of "corn-e-ness", but its a chill spot to relax and have a conversation with friends... which is what we did as my brother's friends and I talked about our memories in Hong Kong, our different timed travel adventures in Argentina... and just about life... We ordered a Tower of Beer and since I was driving, I had a luxurious $7 Virgin Pina Colada... (man, food and drinks are expensive in K-town -- and that's not just NYC)


1:45 p.m. HOMEWARD BOUND IN THE DENSE FOG... And, just like I started the trip to Korea Town with a song from Lady Gaga, I ended it with a song from Far East Movement -- Like a G6 ... Like a G6 ... now, i'm feeling so fly like a g6 ....

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

FOOD ENVY at La Ribaudiere in Jarnac, France



photos resized for web

I think that's all I have to say or show you... I was recently in France for a friend's wedding and the photos you see above are from her rehearsal dinner at La Ribaudiere in Jarnac, France (south of Paris)...

I have to admit, my friends are foodies, so they know what they want. For our menu, the couple tested a lot of different entrees/appetizers the night before and even came up with their own dishes ... so they had the perfect menu (well at least in my opinion)...

This is a sampling of what we had:

- A bite of lobster wrapped in cucumber (compliments of the chef) - a dim sum looking item
- A cantaloupe puree with champagne (cleansed the palette)
- A chestnut soup served with bacon, foie gras and a perfectly boiled egg (DELICIOUS, refer to photo)
- Squab wrapped in bacon with chanterelle mushrooms
- Ice cream covered with a chocolate flambe (amazing... and i may be titling this dish incorrectly (refer to photo)

We had a few other items as well, but wow, just thinking about this dinner is making my mouth water ... not sure how much the dinner cost, but I can safely say it was not cheap.

So if you're ever around Jarnac and celebrating a special occasion, I would highly recommend this restaurant.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Anyone who likes to travel will enjoy this article from Christoph Niemann from the New York Times Abstract City Blog!

The article is by Christoph Niemann in the Abstract City Blog on August 3, 2010.

Check it out by clicking here or read below!

Title: Red Eye!

A visual diary documenting a flight from New York to Berlin (with a layover in London).

Christoph Niemann - Red Eye
Christoph Niemann - Red Eye

Christoph Niemann - Red Eye
Christoph Niemann - Red Eye
Christoph Niemann - Red Eye
Christoph Niemann - Red Eye
Christoph Niemann - Red Eye
Christoph Niemann - Red Eye
Christoph Niemann - Red Eye
Christoph Niemann - Red Eye
Christoph Niemann - Red Eye
Christoph Niemann - Red Eye
Christoph Niemann - Red Eye
Christoph Niemann - Red Eye

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

A weekend getaway in Georgetown, South Carolina, What do I do?

Wedding season is upon us, or me, and its a great opportunity to get-away for the weekend and see another part of world. Most recently I attended a wedding in Georgetown, South Carolina. I've been to a few other confederate states like Louisiana (New Orleans!), Florida (Miami!) and Texas (Houston and Dallas) -- but none of those states reminded me of what I envisioned as the typical "southern" state... When I think of the south, I think of movies such as the "Notebook", "Fried Green Tomatoes" and "Forrest Gump" ; I also think about great big plantations, people talking in a southern accent and drinking sweet tea on their wrap around porch. Yes, a much more relaxed life than New York city. However, one thing New York City has in common with South Carolina, well at least recently, is the HEAT. The temperature in June was in the 90s, but add the humidity factor and you're around 95 to 100 -- quite unbearable (and the locals, said the heat was nothing during the time I was there.. oh how I miss California during this time)! So, if you could bear the heat and manage to leave your air conditioned room, then there are a few must dos if you happen to find yourself in Georgetown, South Carolina.

Top 5 Things to do in Georgetown, South Carolina:

1. Beach.
2. Visit Walmart (I'm a city girl and haven't visited a Walmart until now!).
3. Go into town, eat at Kudzu Bakery and see one of the oldest churches in town.
4. Debordieu - check out the houses, see the alligators/flying fish, and play a round a golf!
5. Take a day trip to Charleston, South Carolina.

1. BEACH. Wherever you are staying, ask them where the beach is and you can bask in nature's glory. :D Aside from relaxing under the sun, you can also go digging for sand dollars.






2. WALMART. What a funny thing to do, but I love visiting supermarkets while traveling and a tour of Walmart was certainly on my "must-see" list ! This was one of my first-ever trips inside a Walmart, so you can imagine how excited I was (my reaction is as if it was a cool toy museum or something!). Walmart is sort of like Target, but larger and with
a lot more discounted items. Sam Walton made this a truly affordable place for people to shop for food, clothes, household goods and other amenities you can think of (um, even guns!). Among the deeply discounted, or "rollback" items were 2-liter bottles of Coke for 98 cents, Minute Maid Pink Lemonade for 84 cents, 6-pack of Blue Moon for $6.97, Hershey's Miniature candies for $2.50 and much more... What did I buy? I wanted to take the whole store with me, but I couldn't - so I bought a big box of strawberries, diet coke, gallon of water, a wedding card, 1 bags of gummy bears and it cost less than $8.00 and that's cause the card was $3! Yup, the money you save here you can use on your travels, or a few good cookies at Kudzu Bakery! Needless to say, this is a great place to stock up for snacks while traveling, or even a place to buy items that you might have left at home! and, um its open 24 hours! what else can I say?!

Note: 24 hours Walmart Supercenter, 1310 N. Fraser Street, 843.527.9970

3. HISTORIC GEORGETOWN. There is not much to see in historic Georgetown, except to visit Kudzu Bakery and visit the Prince George Winyah Episcopal Church; however, some people have said the highlights of the town include the Rice Museum, Kaminiski House, browsing the boutique/antique stores and eating at some of the restaurants.

Kudzu Bakery is without a doubt my favorite spot to have visited in Georgetown. They have amazing home-made bread and cakes, delicious sandwiches and can't take my hands off the cookie jar, cookies. My favorites were -- banana nut bread, honey oat wheat bread, shrimp salad sandwich (sounds interesting, but wait until you try it on that honey oat bread!), chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies. Just thinking about it again makes my mouth water. Its the perfect spot to pick up sandwiches, snacks, and drinks/wine before you head out to the beach! A sandwich, drink, chips and a cookie are $6.75 (or forgo the chips and get two cookies -- which is what I did!)

p.s. In addition to eating everything mentioned above, you should also try the keylime pie!

Note: Closed on Sundays, otherwise open from 9 am to 5:30 Mon-Fri and closes at 2 pm on Sat. On certain days, they make different types of bread. 120 King Street, Georgetown, SC, 843.546.1847

Prince George Winyah Episcopal Church. According to wikipedia, Prince George Winyah is one of the oldest continuous congregations in South Carolina and the church building is one of the oldest churches in continuous service in South Carolina. The one thing I like about this church is the booth seating -- we're all accustomed to seeing pews in churches, but this church has booth seating where families congregated together, facing one another as they listened to the day's sermon. For pictures of the church, click here.

Other restaurant recommendations in Historic Georgetown, include:

-- Rice Paddy Restaurant, 732 Front Street (upscale American)
-- Thomas Cafe, 703 Front Street (hometown diner, great fried green tomatoes)

If you want to restaurants outside Historic Georgetown, here are a few suggestions:

-- Roz's Rice Mill Cafe - 10880 Ocean Highway, Pawley's Island, Southern Bistro
-- Frank's & Frank's Outback - 4434 Ocean Highway, Pawley's Island, upscale low country cuisine
-- Litchfield Beach Fish House - I3060 Ocean Highway, Litchfield Beach, casual fresh seafood (note: beware of opening times)

4. DAY TRIP TO CHARLESTON. Charleston is approximately 1.5-2.0 hours away from Georgetown. Its an easy drive south on highway 17 and while you are there, you can visit the shops, restaurants, Battery and Old Slave Market and get a tour of the old town. I would highly advise leaving Georgetown early in the morning to make the weekend walking / carriage tours that start at 10 am and last about two hours (but make sure to make your reservations a few days ahead, otherwise, there may not be any space for you!). Since we didn't know to make reservations a few days ahead, we were in luck and got a last minute reservation with Al Ray, who grew up in Charleston and has been a guide for more than 29 years! After our two hour stroll around Charleston, we made a lunch stop at Blossom and enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere inside the restaurant. We, then, ended our day-trip by stopping at the art fair.

Walking Tours: Charleston Stroll, $18 adults / $10 children, 843.766.2080; or Al Ray's Old Walled City Tours - $17 adults -- 843.343.4851 (walledcitytours@gmail.com).

Blossom Restaurant. Hungry and need an escape from the heat? I would highly recommend this restaurant. The air conditioning was a relief, the restaurant was classy, yet not overly expensive (well, at least for lunch), and the food was tasty! The lunch menu offers wood-oven pizza, homemade pastas, seafood platters, and delectable sandwiches. I ordered the Salmon BLT sandwich ($10) and thoroughly enjoyed it! The free bread was very good, so good we asked for seconds and maybe thirds. :D My friends enjoyed the Creek Shrimp Po-Boy ($10) and the Grilled Chicken Wrap ($7). The rosemary fries are no joke -- ah, yum!

Note: 171 East Bay Street, 843.722.9200; Restaurant is part of the Hospitality Management Group, Inc., which also owns Cypress (right next door to Blossom) and Magnolias.


5. DEBORDIEU COLONY. Golf, alligators, flying fish, beach, amazing houses are among some of the things you can do and see here. Its a gated community, but if you rent a house, or have a member sponsor you, you can enjoy its amenities -- including DeBordieu Beach Club, 18-hole golf course designed by Pete and P.B. Dye, tennis center, pools, beach access, and restaurants. We rented a three bedroom house that accommodated up to eight people for four days for $1500 and with that we had access to everything above.

DeBordieu Beach Club - 843.527.6055
DeBordieu Rentals - 800-797-3633
DeBordieu Golf Pro Shops - 843.527.6000
DeBordieu Tennis Center - 843.546.9408

Other places to stay, Hampton Inn, Georgetown (843.545.5000).


There are other things you could do there that I didn't have an opportunity to do and I've listed them below. For a more expansive list of attractions, visit the Georgetown Tour Site.

-- Crabbing
-- Canoe or Kayak -- Black River Outdoors Center - 843.546.4840
-- Browse the Hammock Shops - North on Highway 17 to Pawley's Island -- there are specialty shops, restaurants are on the right hand side
-- Hopswee Plantation Tour - 843.546.7891 - $15

Nearby airports: Charleston (approx. 1.5-2 hours away) and Myrtle Beach Airport (approx. 45 minutes to 1 hour away).

Flights from La Guardia Airport to Myrtle Beach can run as low as $180 to $500 depending on the time you go. So shop for airline tickets early!

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Queen Rania of Jordan in New York!

Its not everyday that you can see royalty, well, not for me at least. So, as I was roaming around New York City taking photos of my beloved city, I happened to be at Borders when I noticed secret service wandering the aisles. I wondered who was here, and it was Queen Rania of Jordan. I knew nothing about her, well not until I got home, but like a paparazzi photographer (I am not, but I hunt for a photo like a photojournalist) I went to see who this person was. I was at first shocked by her beauty and her youth (she's turning 40 this year). Anytime I think of royalty, or a queen, I think of someone older. But, this is not what this blog posting is about (you can read more about her on my previous blog posting at www.simplyMEinNYC.blogspot.com -- its about how she reminded me of my trip to Jordan. I thought I would post a few photos from my trip that were most memorable but unfortunately I need to register them before posting them. (and yes, they are that good!).

So you will have to wait for the photos of my journey from Egypt to Jordan (via ferry to Aqaba - where the Queen enjoys to spend time w/ friends and family -- sadly I do not have pictures of the town), Petra (oh, i loved Petra), Petra at Night (a unique experience), The Dead Sea (you really can sit up in the water!), Bethany-Beyond Jordan (where Jesus was said to have been baptized), Amman/Jerash, and of course the fun times at Al Karak Castle (see the posting).

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

In Honor of Holy Week Pt 2 - Western Wall aka Wailing Wall, Jerusalem, Israel

One of the Views into the Men's (left) & Women's (right) Exterior Courtyard at the Western Wall

The Western Wall aka Wailing Wall or the Kotel is an important Jewish religious site located in the Old City of Jerusalem. The reason why its called the Western Wall is because its the Western most wall of the Temple Mount. An interesting thing to note about the Temple Mount is that -- what you see today is actually the SECOND Temple that was reconstructed by Herod the Great around 19 BCE and additional layers were added in the 7th century onwards by other ruling empires. The First Temple, built by King Solomon, was destroyed in 586 BCE when the Jewish nation was exiled to Babylon. What you see today is only part of the Second Temple as parts of the Western Wall are located below street level (which, I'm sure you didn't know; and is too much to write about here, but if you want to read more, click here for more info on Second Temple).

Some interesting notes about the wall:
  • Though the Western Wall is commonly referred to as the "Wailing Wall", Jewish people never refer to this holy place as the Wailing Wall - only as the Western Wall. The name gained popularity from 19th century literature where people used to call it the "Place of Weeping"... A description that stemmed from a Jewish practice where Jewish people came to "speak" to the wall -- often "mourning" or giving prayer requests... and mourning the destruction of their temple. (A third temple has been rumored to be built, but nothing has occurred).
  • There is so much history here that it is even difficult for me to grasp and remember, but for this blog posting, suffice to say -- that after the Roman Empire and the Spanish, Turkish Ottoman, British, Jordanian ruling and now the Israeli ruling, this area of the Western Wall has been designated as a holy place for Jewish people to to devote their prayers (part of the 1930 International Commission) without interruption or interference.
  • The exposed Western Wall, or the one you mostly see, refers to an 187 ft stretch of the wall, but actually it stretches 1,600 ft. Where is the other part you may ask? Its "hidden" behind residential structures built along its length.The height of the wall is 105 ft, with the exposed section approx. 62 ft. There are 45 stone courses, of which 28 of them are below ground level. Each stone weights anywhere from two to eight tons, with the largest weighing approx. 570 tons (found on the Northern side). Its amazing how this structure was even created! The area is thought to have been a limestone quarry centuries ago (hence the very large limestone blocks), so that may have helped place the stone into place
  • You can visit, with a fee of course, the lower parts of the wall. Its actually an interesting tour and I highly recommend it. The guide books say you need a reservation, but my brother and I were able to get a ticket without one (but you may need a reservation if you go in peak season).
  • The Western Wall is supposed to the sole remnant of the Holy Temple and is the "CLOSEST" spot to the holiest spot in Judaism -- the Foundation Stone -- which is expected to be housed inside the Dome of the Rock (others say it is situated opposite of the exposed section of the Western Wall), which is located inside the Temple Mount in the Muslim Quarter. Interestingly enough, Jews are forbidden from setting foot upon the Temple Mount and is considered a sin punishable by Kareth. WHAT?!?! So, one of holiest places located in the Muslim quarters ... can not be accessed by Jews and is considered a sin!
  • Every year, more than a million notes, or prayer requests, are placed in the wall crevices. The notes are collected twice a year and buried on the Mount of Olives. If you can not be there to place it, you can even fax in your request to have it placed there. The likes of Pope John Paul II, Barack Obama and Pope Benedict XVI have placed messages in the wall
  • The wall is segregated by gender, which I found surprising (and I will have to ask my Jewish friends why). Are women a substandard class or is this my American ignorance and prejudice towards American society (even though, we all know not everyone is created equal)? I started to think this when I compared my experience with that of my brother's.... here are some of the stark differences. Male's side: Exterior area was nearly double the size of the female side; there was a library and discussion room, not to mention a separate prayer room where rabbis would be present (um, did we mention that only males are allowed to be rabbi's); meanwhile, the female side had a small prayer room, and when I say small, I am not exaggerating -- it would be the size equivalent of two or maybe three restaurant sized bathrooms! you will have to see the photos.
Of course, there are photos to document this experience at the Wailing Wall. Below are a select few and you can visit my FLICKR page to see additional photos. The photos of the men's side was contributed by my brother, Wilson Lee.


Inside a small study room is a private sanctuary to pray (left). Within the Western Wall's crevices are small notes, or prayer requests left behind by visitors.




Men's library and prayer room (even has a rabbi) inside a building adjoined to the Western Wall. In the FLICKR photo album you'll see a stark size contrast of the prayer/library rooms between the men and women's side.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

In Honor of Holy Week -- Photos of the Old City In Jerusalem, Israel - Part 1

I figured since its Holy Week, I thought I would share some of my photos from the Old City in Jerusalem, Israel. After all, Jerusalem is part of the Holy Lands and is the place where many religious sects were born, and inevitably leading to many religious wars/fights stemming from differing religious viewpoints.

So, this is PART 1 for the week, giving you an aerial view of the different parts of the Old City while walking on "Ramparts Walk". I began the journey at the old Jaffa Gate and ended it near Lion's Gate. Through this walk, you will see bits and pieces of people's lives in the four quarters, where their daily routines though may be similar are separated by their religious faith and ethnic backgrounds -- Armenian, Christian, Muslim and Jewish. I ended my walk at the Lions Gate, but also continued forward through to the Jewish quarter, where I discovered the Western Wall, or more infamously known as the Wailing Wall. I hope to elaborate further on the story of the Western Wall and give you a view of the wall that you may never have imagined in a later posting. Additionally, some of my following postings will include photos from Jesus' Christ walk through Via Delarosa, the stations he stopped at, the Holy Sepulcher, and perhaps some photos of his origins - Bethlehem and Bethany Beyond Jordan. But, until then, enjoy the aerial view of the life people lead within the walls of the Old City.

Here is a quick glimpse of the photos within my FLICKR account... These photos are here to illustrate the lifestyle of the people living within the Old City Wall. Click here for more photos on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/simplyeverywhere/sets/72157623607445109/




Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...