eight ways to sunday

[eightwaystosunday]

IV. 8/8 DO: Wines of South Africa Tasting

Just a fun little thing I got to do for Foodbeast. More information + photos available there tomorrow. And huge ups to miss nikapants for coming out with me. <3 #L7sundayfunday

[eightwaystosunday]

IV. 7/8 DO: Make a Thai Tea Arnold Palmer

This was inspired by the Thai tea lemonade I had at the Chan Dara restaurant on Larchmont. Their version used a sweet Thai lemonade while this one calls for lychee-chili lemonade for a little more of a kick. Full recipe below. :)

(Adapted from White on Rice and Serious Eats)

Thai Tea:

1 cup Pantai Thai Tea Mix

4 cups water

3/4 cup sugar

Coconut milk

Lychee-Thai Chili Lemonade:

1 pound lychees (I used canned)

Juice from 10 to 12 lemons

3/4 cup sugar

Pinch salt

1/2 small red Thai chili

3 cups cold water

Ice

Directions:

Bring water to a boil and add Thai tea mix. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Allow to boil for three minutes, then remove from heat. Let mixture steep for thirty additional minutes.

Meanwhile, combine lychees, lemon juice, sugar, salt, and Thai chili in blender. Blend until smooth, then strain liquid mixture into pitcher or bowl. Discard solids. Add water to lychee lemonade and stir to combine.

Strain the tea leaves from the Thai tea mix, then let cool. Once cooled, take a glass with ice and fill about 1/3 with tea, another 1/3 with lychee lemonade, and stir. Add coconut milk to taste.

[eightwaystosunday]

Would you ever go vegan, vegetarian, pollotarian, or pescatarian?

I've definitely thought about it, but knowing me, I couldn't do it long term. I like meat too much. >__< The best I could do is a combination of pollo- and pesca-, that way I still get to eat sushi and chicken.

[eightwaystosunday]

IV. 6/8 EAT: Almond Date Shake and Vegan Pad Thai at Au Naturaw

This one was kind of a mission. Au Naturaw in Downtown Santa Ana has two doors, one clear and a wooden one past that, so I've always been kind of intimidated to walk in.

Service turned out nice though; my almond shake, subtly sweet. But that pad thai. Weird. The peanut sauce was spicy, which was nice. But the noodles were really chewy, not at all like regular pad thai noodles, which I guess is to be expected from a raw, vegan version. It took a little getting used to, and a lot of awkward tearing to finally figure out a way to eat them that didn't make me look like a dog. Not bad for a first time eating all vegan stuff though.

[eightwaystosunday]

IV. 5/8 EAT: Balut (fertilized hardboiled duck egg)

First time trying balut! Even as a Filipino, these have always terrified me, and continued to terrify me even as I was scooping slimy, dismembered baby duck bits into my mouth. I just tried not to think about it too much.

I mean, it tasted fine — just like regular, if slightly moister, meat. I'm just not sure the taste was enough to shake the memory of that awful Dumplings* movie (dir. Fruit Chan, 2004) from my mind. =__=

(*Don't click if you don't want dumplings or balut ruined for you forever.)

[eightwaystosunday]

IV. 4/8 EAT: Mitarashi Dango and Takoyaki at Mitsuru Cafe (plus bonus Pumpkin and Earl Grey Macarons at 'Lette)

Mitarashi dango are sticky Japanese rice balls covered in sweet soy sauce, similar to mochi but less starchy.

Ever since I was little, I've been a sucker for Asian rice snacks, so I've wanted to try these for a while. They weren't as sweet as I was expecting (kinda thought the soy sauce would harden and caramelize), but still very good. The takoyaki (fried octopus dumplings) weren't as salty as they usually are and I haven't decided whether that's a good thing or not. As for the pumpkin macaron, nothing too interesting there -- not too much pumpkin flavor, a small hint of cinnamon and nutmeg. I kinda like that the picture is sh*t outta focus though. Hah, go figure.

[eightwaystosunday]

IV. 3/8 EAT: Queso Empanada and Cachapa (sweet corn pancake) at Mil Jugos

Can't help but love the corn scent that wafts out of the bag as soon as you loosen the knot.

The cachapa was welcomely sweet, and the flakiness of the empanada was unexpected, but ultimately spoiling. As in, I dunno if it's possible to go back to regular, doughy, Filipino or Mexican empanadas after this, sigh.

[eightwaystosunday]

IV. 2/8 SHOOT: In-camera double exposure, outside LACMA

[eightwaystosunday]

Gratuitous shot of raindrops on my car Tuesday morning. Because pretty?

[eightwaystosunday]

IV. 1/8 EAT: The Original Plate at Currywurst Truck

A little overhyped sadly.

Wish these were spicier and had more of a snap. Fries were good though. Workers seemed to hate being there and spent a good chunk of my lunch break standing around and talking outside the truck.

[eightwaystosunday]

III. 8/8 EAT: Sour Cream Blueberry Muffin at Crave

[eightwaystosunday]

III. 7/8 SEE: “Drive" (dir. Nicolas Winding Refn, 2011)

Screencaps courtesy Cinema Squid; edits mine.

[eightwaystosunday]

III. 6/8 DO: Cosplay as Sadako for Halloween

[eightwaystosunday]

III. 4/8, 5/8 EAT/DRINK: Drew's Cucumber, Sisig Poutine, Salmon Croquettes, Timmermans Pumpkin Lambicus, and Thai Tea Panna Cotta with Lychee Boba at Chapter One

Finally hit up Chapter One with the girls before the Foodbeast Halloween Party.

Wish the panna cotta had a more obvious Thai tea flavor, but the sisig was on point -- good as you can get at any turo-turo spot.

[eightwaystosunday]

III. 3/8 EAT: Chicken Satay, Sweet and Spicy Pork Sliders, and Lychee Limeade at Arroy Truck

[eightwaystosunday]

III. 2/8 EAT: Brisket Sandwich at C4 Deli

Seems like a fun spot to hang out with friends.

Nice decor. Sandwich was good, but nothing super distinctive from the rest of DTSA. Can we stop with the sandwich/hipster/gastropub spots? I need some ramen up in this bish.

[eightwaystosunday]

III. 1/8 SEE: "My Neighbor Totoro" (dir. Hayao Miyazaki, 1988)

Screencaps courtesy Cinema Squid; edits mine.

I'm so sad I didn't love this movie.

It's the first time that's happened with a Miyazaki film, but I thought it was kind of boring. Maybe I really am doomed to always need a #ship.