New Year Eve

no firework this year~ i spend my new year at a friend's house for potluck dinner and count down in font of TV. very cozy and relaxed new year eve. my other friend went to queen mary for firework and i can't think of anywhere else for firework in LA expect Disneyland or Universal city walk.... orz..

上海僑家珊

i wasn't really looking forward to this restaurant before coming. it's a rather small and family-style restaurant. located in the same plaza as 避風塘. people told me they rather go to 避風塘 instead of here~ lol~ but the taste was alright and i like the dishes they served.

Providence

4.5 ★★★★ for the ambiance and the service
5 ★★★★★ for the food
$$$$ 100 and above
we had the 5 courses tasting menu for $85.
japanese kanpachi
Sea Scallop
halibut with cranberry bean
veal tenderloin
bread pudding w/ barley ice cream
i love the bacon rolls and seaweed bread they served. i couldn't really remember how does the scallop taste. the fish was good, but i didn't eat the bean... i wish they could substitute it with corn.. too bad i forget my camera that day and couldn't take any pictures...we also had the foie gras. i was a bit disappointed b/c it looks so dry and hard from outside. but it was really soft and even better than the one i had before. the course remained me of the Bazaar. nice food presentation and interesting tasting experience. it was very impressive on their Mojitos & screwdriver. and they treated us Macaroon & chocolate jellies at the end.

Paris Buffet

buffets 3 days in a roll. we had buffet every day while we were in vegas. our last stop was Paris. we went at 10am and thought we were early, but the line was even longer!!! so we thought it better be good. we finally got in after 2 hrs wait and i was so disappointed at it b/c the selection was a lot smaller compare to other buffet on the strip. They offer free champagne for brunch and have crepe for dessert. but it didn't really make up my 2 hours wait. the highlight was the stone crab came out when we were almost done. i was so full at that time, but still, the stone crab was the best they had in Paris buffet.

Rio Buffet

we was planing to eat at Rio on Friday night for dinner. we arrived around 8pm and thought it's after peek hours, but we were wrong!!! i guess b/c it's x'mas eve, so the line was supper long, almost a 3~4 hours wait!!! we decided to come back the next day for lunch since Rio serves dinner all day on X'mas. We came around 12pm and there's still 2 hours wait. awww~~ bad timing to get buffet pass on holiday >:S
they got crab leg, prime rib, lamb, and also gelato, but compare Rio's gelato to M. M is still better. But the selection in Rio is huge.
we shopped around cosmopolitan after dinner. i think it's just opened a week before we came and they haven't really start running their pool area yet. so they open it to public. we also checked out their buffet. looks so much better than what we just had. lol~

M Buffet

@ Vegas for x'mas weekend. return to M buffet after 1 year when i remember i swear i won't come back to M buffet again after 4 hours wait last year... the food there is pretty good and highly recommend, it's the long wait that makes me hate M buffet so much. but this time we went for lunch, so no wait! a lot variety and love their gelato ice cream.
we brought the hotel package Buffet of Buffet included the buffet pass for 2. after we checked in, they gave us the wrong room. I booked GO DELUXE, but they put me in regular guest room instead. I was so mad and about to complain, but the flamingo lady upgrade us to a mini suite. haha~ even better
went to see volcano at night. the TI show get cancelled again due to renovation on their pool. i felt like i am never gonna see it orz...

Mastro

5 ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ for the ambiance and the service
5 ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ for the food
$$$$ 100 and above
the best part about our vegas trip is the xmas dinner!!! we had Mastro~~~ wa~~~ i've waiting for it since the day i heard we are going to eat Mastro! it's a 3 course dinner comes with calamari & sear tuna for appetizers, Casar salad, main entry which you can choose from Mahi mahi, salmon, chicken, or steak. of course i go for the steak and chose filet Mignon.
they served their plate hot like ruth chris, so i ordered my medium rare. the 1st bite came into my mind is "this meat is way too salty" lol~ they didn't marinate the meat, it's the salt they sprinkled on top of the meat. the meat itself is perfect~~~ so juicy and soft. i also tried their rib eye and new york steak. their rib eye is so fatty~ a little too fat for me, but their steak all getta a strong grill taste which i love a lot. i wast planning to finish my steak, but the service was very fast and they took away my plate before i finish my last piece. awwww~~ i miss Mastro steak~~
the meal ended with chocolate cake and cheesecake and finished with coffee. we to go our dessert since we were too full...

Xmas Company Trip

actually it's Xmas trip from my dad's company. it's a 2 days 1 night short trip. 1st time stay in Mairage and the hotel is pretty decent.
we also visit the Beatles shop downstair.
visit the bellgio at night for the show. i was thinking to watch the show from TI and the volcano at night. but we got too little time for those...

Spearmint Rhino

came here on a friend b-day. 1st time experience is so so~~ the club is not as hyped as I imaged. it's pretty slow and quite at the beginning. it only got heat up toward the end when the special guest showed up. we got the VIP package since there were 24 of us. each of us end up paying $27 for the entry. the girls in Spearmint are mostly white and most of them are nice looking. the show in the end was just so out of ordinary~~ we left around 12pm, just right after the show. i guess i am ready for chippendale. =P

Harry Poter Movie

it almost came to the end. the last one split into 2 parts... i kinda hate that. i thought i am about to finish it but guess what! there's actually one more to go.. urg... this episode is a bit slow and a lot talking. i think i like the pervious one better while Harry still looks cute and small.

Fire + Ice Brunch

we tried our this restaurant on their Sunday brunch. it's all you can eat Mongolian BBQ style. basically you pick whatever you want to grill and they stir fried it for you. they also have omelet and pancake.

Crab dinner

we saw crabs for only $2.99 per lbs when we were shopping at H mart in Diamond bar. since it's been raining over the weekend, we don't wanna drive too far, so we decided to do some homemade cooking. it took us a while to figure out how to kill the crab after researching on the internet. =v=

Manhattan Steak

4 ★★★★ for the ambiance and the service
4 ★★★★ for the food
$$$ 50~100
another deal to try out! we get pre-fix menu for $30 only! it came w/ salad, petite filet, and creme burlee for dessert. there was a b-day party going on, so it's quite noisy that day. otherwise i think it's a romantic spot if you wanna spend the night with your date. the food was great for the price we are paying. But i looked at their regular menu which would cost $40~ for steak entries. it could at least $100 bucks per person without the deal. @~@

Rock & Republic Sample sales

i think i should stop coming to sample sales.... sample sales means spending a lot of money... even though it's a lot cheaper than what you'll get outside... i got a mid-calf jean, and a skinny jean.
$ 70 there's zipper on the back
$ 40 the bargain i found!

The Counter

i've finally ate the counter. since i don't usually come to the west side, there's a lot food i have been waiting to eat for a long time. counter got customize hamburger. you get to pick what ever you want to add on the menu. i chose 1/3 lbs. beef with grilled onion, lettuce, tomato, and roasted corn with garlic sauce. people here are mostly white, i think we were the only Asian there. .. @~@

Bar 210

we went to bar 210 for a friend b-day. as we waited for our friend to come, there's one mid-age guy came to offer me a drink. he called himself from the Gipsy Kings. i haven't no idea until my friend told me Gipsy Kings is a band. haha~ i didn't recognize his face at all. i checked out their song afterward, it's acutlly not bad. Bar 210 is next to Plush. we arrived early and have to waited until 11pm for Plush to open for the dance floor. the dance floor is kinda small. but we got our own table, so we danced around it. it was a fun night, but i think it wouldn't be fun w/out the table reservation, it would be too crowded. i think i am getting too old for this. i felt so tired the next day and it took me a day to recover....

The Envy Steak House

4 ★★★★ for the ambiance and the service
4.5 ★★★★ for the food
$$$ 50~100
Vegas = non-stop eating!! we went to dinner at Envy Steak house. it's the biggest dinner i haven't had for a while. it's located off the strip, but since the rating is pretty good + we got coupon from restaurant.com, we wanna try it out. everybody recommend their truffle fired. so we ordered it as well. it is very good!! the truffle taste is strong. i had the rib eye, Oscar style. all i can remember is that the portion is really big. the mean is tender, but i wish it got a stronger grilled taste to it.
The night followed with La Reve show after. we found a deal online w/ $44 dollar discount on the ticket. everybody is comparing the O show w/ La Reve. I guess they are kinda similar b/c their both dreamlike. But I enjoyed La Reve as much as I enjoyed the O. The best I love about La Reve is their begining and ending. i hope it's alright to post the photo since i saw everybody else was taking photos after the show. @~@

Jean Philippe Patisserie

then i went to Bellagio for dessert~~~ i've been craving for the crepe for so long~~~ this time i save room in my tummy for it~~ i order the souffle mixed berry crepe w/ chocolate, i always get the most deluxe one. i didn't know it's $ 2 extra for adding the chocolate sauce~ awww... the crepe become $12~ so pricey~~
the garden is about the fall & pumpkin~~ they have pumpkins weight 900 lbs~~ i wonder if they exhibit it every year.

Joe's

4 ★★★★ for the ambiance and the service
4 ★★★★ for the food
$$ 30~50
we went to Joe's for lunch located inside Forum Shop at Caesars Palace. I've passed by this restaurant many time but never know about it. it's actually pretty famous for it's stone crab, originally from Miami. i think the crab claw is pretty cute with black claw in the front. we had the large carbs, the meat is pretty fresh and juicy, but not as sweet as the waiter described. i didn't really check the price until latter. it's actully not cheap! LARGE STONE CRABS for $52.95!!! wow... i guess once in a while for me is good enough.
I ordered the bacon wrapped scallops which they called "Filet Mignon." it surprised us when it brought to the table. it's like the scallop STEAK according to it's name.

Halloween @ Vegas

we lived at Palms hotel this time. play boy club~ i was planning to check out the club at Palms since we got VIP pass, but there were a lot people since it's halloween weekend and we don't wanna pay to get in..... anyway~~we got spa pass with our room. the spa experience was wonderful though. the room is pretty decent w/ jacuzzi bathtub, but they ran out of king size bed, so we end up w/ 2 queens... that's kind lame... >:(
the view from our parking lot~ haha~ too bad it's not the view from our room...
we went to Hikari for dinner. we ordered the sushi all you can eat. the bar service was super fast... like the next second after we order, the food is ready. the sashimi is above average, nothing surprise me though, but it's good quality for the price we are paying.

Roscoes House of Chicken and Waffles

3 ★★★ for the ambiance and the service
3 ★★★ for the food
$ 30 and below
i came here for our department dinner. when i heard we are going for chicken & waffle, i was like... r u kidding me... it looks so cheap and normal.... but i heard it's rated #1 fried chicken in the Cali. then it makes me wanna go check it out. the place just looks like Denny's, very family style restaurant. i ordered chicken w/ waffle along with mac&cheese, greens, potato salads, and candy yams. to be honest, after having one bite of the chicken, i thinking the rating is off~~~ it's a bit too dry for me and the meat is too hard. i think even Chick-fil-A is better. but i would recommend their sides. i like their chicken liver and giblets. love the giblets!! they had it deep fried and it's yummy. probably the reason that will make me come back. their waffle is just average. it's not as crunchy as i expected. but it got a special taste to it.

Marché Moderne

4.5 ★★★★ for the ambiance and the service
4.5 ★★★★ for the food
$$$ 50~100
- half star for not having the dessert i want!! i am craving for Canneles de Bordeaux!!! they don't have it on their dessert menu, but i saw somebody ordered it at the other table. but when i ask for it, they don't have it.... urg... i am so sad.... anyway, we came here for our 2nd year anniversary ^^ ♥♥♥ the restaurant is located on the 3rd floors inside south coast plaza at the Nordstorm wing.
they treated us an appetizer, the scallop w/ grapefruit ice at the beginning.
For appetizers,
we ordered lobster & shrimp & oyster. "Great choice!" said our waiter. haha~ it is very good!!
Merguez & Shrimp- very flavorable, gotta a strong taste.
and pan roasted foie gras. it's cooked just right. very soft and chewy paired with pear sauce. and on the left is deep fried doughnut.
babe had the lamb rib. the rib is soooooooo tender and juicy~~~ we love it!! the sauce tasted like carrots & squash. but the meat alone is perfect enough for me.
since i think French cuisine is good at cooking duck, i ordered the duck breast. it's also very good! i love the sauce on the side that goes along with the meat so well. the meal was lovely, but i think this restaurant is too small in turns of seating space. the table is kinda narrow and we don't have much arm space while eatting.

Brunch @ Joe's

4 ★★★★ for the ambiance and the service
3 ★★★ for the food
$ 30 and below
- half star for having a hair in my entry!!! Joe's has pretty cheap brunch with good selection. The place is beautiful and there were people waiting outside the restaurant before it opens. i ordered a salmon benedict with poach egg. as the waiter bring up the dish, i saw there's a hair laying around the corner of the bendict.... i told the waiter and he just took it off and said sorry, doesn't even have the intending to ask or change a new one. awww... i was being too nice. i should of told the chef and make them give me a new one.

Santa Monica Beach House

it's like a weekend getaway~~ we got to stay at the beach house since our friends booked it for her b-day party. it's right next to the beach and 5 min walking distance to venice. the place is beautiful w/ 2 floors, 3 bedrooms and a pool table.
the room we stayed in
we went shopping at the venich beach in the afternoon & went back to see the sunset outside our patio

Standard Hotel

i luv the view in Standard. there's $10 parking fee which sucks~~ but i guess b/c it's one of the attraction in downtown LA... i got to sit inside the water bed beside the pool. it's so comfy and roomy. there's an event going on the day we went. some kind of fashion show. but we left before it begins.

Wigwam Motel

weirdest motel ever~ i randomly found this while i was surfing online. the motel actually showed up in the movie CARS, they called it cozy cone motel. i didn't know it came from Wigwam Motel that actually exist. You can't really miss it if you drove by, those cones really stood out.

TEA

i love tea~~~~~~~~
i've been drinking Republic of Tea
pretty much most of their flavored tea are good. you can get it in any whole foods market.
but i recently discovered Early Gray Black tea from Lamill Coffee
天阿~~ 我沒喝過這麼香的紅茶~~ 超超推薦
also highly recommend Momo Oolong tea from Lupicia
這也超好喝的!! peach flavor is strong, 冷泡也很棒!!