GOOD EATS

Alyssa {al-eee-sa}. Always hungry.  

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*wipes off virtual dust from my infamous college food blog*

Hello! I honestly don’t go on foodventures as often ever since I finished college. I did miss blogging here though. I highly recommend the Strawberry Sakura latte from Lagu Cafe in Irvine! It’s not overpoweringly sweet and the flavors blend so nicely. I also didn’t have a caffeine crash an hour or two later. Tuna onigiri was a winner but I’d skip the salmon onigiri. Lagu is more of a grab and go place but I’m not complainin’.

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My friends and I wanted fancy Lunchables last Friday so we all pitched in to have a picnic at a park and celebrated my birthday early. I bought the gluten free crackers, prosciutto, and salami from Sprouts. Dom brought gouda, cheddar, manchego, and brie (my fav cheese there). Katherine provided the moscato and watermelon. Cindy brought the charcuterie board and mimosas. Lastly, Angelica brought the turkey rolls, lightly salted macadamias (not pictured), and Martinelli’s sparkling apple cider. There were lots of laughs and mosquito bites and we enjoyed watching the sunset as we snacked leisurely.

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Kazu Nori (in Los Angeles or Santa Monica) has a special place in my heart. I ordered the toro, yellowtail, and salmon rolls. Surprisingly, the yellowtail was my absolute favorite out of the three. Usually, yellowtail is bland or has a fishy after taste but not at Kazu Nori. Toro was delicious as expected. In retrospect, salmon will always be my go-to but Kazu Nori does something special to their yellowtail. Their packaging was simple and sleek and made a perfect picnic lunch with my friend Lynne. Friend picnic hangouts are truly one of the bright sides of all this quarantine and stay at home madness.

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Ever since I moved back home, I don’t go on foodventures but I squeeze in one now and then. I recently stopped by The Donut Man in Glendora to reunite with this thicc beaut that is their most popular doughnut. I was weary that it would be too sweet but the strawberries were in season and just the right amount of sweetness. COVID has forced me and my friends to explore local parks so I sat on a blanket and basked in this absolute strawberry doughnut goodness.

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Taiyaki and ice cream are a delightful combination. Somi Somi branched out from its LA location to a pop up kiosk at Cerritos Mall. For $5.95, you can choose your ice cream flavor, type of taiyaki, and add toppings for free. It’s no surprise I got the matcha soft serve sprinkled with Oreo dust housed in a Nutella taiyaki. Overall, this wouldn’t be something that I crave that often but it’s simple and sweet.

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It’s been way too long, fellow foodies. Life has been crazy and I haven’t had the chance to go on any new foodventures. A few weeks ago, I got to try the infamous pineapple boat from Shrimp Daddy at Smorgasborg LA. Needless to say, everything was packed with flavor and deliciousness! Garlic butter shrimp is where it’s at, friends. This is a must try if you make it out to Smorgasborg LA which happens every Sunday.

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Filipino food is making its way into Southern California with multiple restaurants and fusion shops popping up and it’s making me so happy. Baked Dessert Bar in Rancho Cucamonga showcases fusion Filipino desserts with notable Filipino flavors and it’s honestly a sweet mash up (pun intended). This bakery has cupcakes, mini cupcakes, cheesecake tarts, cheesecake in cups, and halo halo (to name a few). I’ve only been here twice, but I’ve tried their creme brulee, ube cheesecake, and turon cupcakes. Hands down, their turon cupcake is sobrang sarap (SO GOOD in Filipino). They have $1 Mini Mondays and I’m definitely going back to try other creations. 

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When in 626 area, you got to get tea! There are a plethora of boba shops in 626 and I always try to visit a new place. Last week, I was able to visit two new spots. Tea Brick and Bubble Crush are both in Monterey Park. Tea Brick is right next to Mama Lu’s and serves their drinks in cute plastic bottles. I tried their Earl Grey Milk Tea with boba and it was a solid drink! Boba tasted standard but tea was nice. My second stop was Bubble Crush and they have cheese foam here! I tried their tiramisu drink and did not like it since it was TOO sweet. Next time, I’d get something simpler. I love the variety that 626 has in their boba spots. 

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Rainy days in SoCal are a rare thing! *ramen craving intensifies* Josh, Jen, and I headed to Ramen Okawari in Riverside to curb those cravings. My miso ramen was standard and the slices of chicken chashu was sparse and dry. The egg wasn’t gooey sadly. Despite that, the noodle were decent and the broth was sweet and not overly salty. Their chicken and beef rice bowls look tasty so I might stop by again if I’m visiting this part of Riverside.

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Uncle Tetsu's Japanese Cheesecake in Arcadia (Santa Anita Mall) is a dessert worth lining up for. Many Asian desserts and sweets throughout the various Asian countries are known to be not as sweet in comparison to Western desserts. Uncle Tetsu's fluffy and light take on cheesecake is no different. My first bite into this dessert hit me in the softest and delicious way. It was slightly buttery and also tasted like a sponge cake. I never knew I could actually like cheesecake so kudos to Uncle Tetsu.

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If you know me, you know that I’m a tea enthusiast and only step foot in coffee shops if I need to study. However, Philz Coffee in Fullerton finally opened and I had to try out their iced mint mojito since it’s been on my list to try since FOREVER. Philz Coffee is originally from NorCal but they finally branched out to SoCal and one spot opened up in my college town!

The interior is very spacious but expect it to be crowded since there’s not too many tables to lounge around. Their mint mojito is $4.50 and tastes perfect to my non coffee loving self. The mint isn’t overbearing and the iced coffee isn’t over powering either. I’d probably drop so much money for this drink if I lived closer.

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Today, I ventured to Grand Central Market in LA with Chloe and the line for eggslut was horrendous as usual. I decided to check out Sari Sari, a Filipino rice bowl spot, and ordered an adobo rice bowl. The garlic rice was flavorful and fragrant but the cubed chunks of adobo fell short. Unfortunately, it wasn't marinated enough and was boring to eat. It's a no brainer that this place isn't authentic Filipino food but at least it's something. Representation counts.

For dessert, I got a small scoop of Santa Barbara Strawberry and a small scoop of mint chip for $4.95 from McConnell's. You can definitely tell this ice cream is made with love and quality ingredients but I do wish they gave you slightly bigger scoops. All in all, I got to try two new places from Grand Central Market today!

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Sanamluang in Claremont serves a phenomenal yet simple dish of khao man gai (chicken and rice) and I can't stop thinking about it. I appreciate you, Sanamluang. You won me over.

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These days, life has been slightly stressful and when I feel this way I tend to succumb to the alluring call of fried food or junk food. My body felt out of balance and I was on the search for healthy food in the area. As I thought about what to eat, Mediterranean food popped up in my mind since it’s tasty and also healthy. Najwa’s Mediterranean in Loma Linda popped up on Yelp and so I ventured out there a few days ago. The inside is spacious and is a generally nice sit down restaurant. I ordered their gyro plate and it came with rice, thin slices of gyro, salad, tzatziki sauce, pita bread, and hummus for about $11. My stomach and wallet were very happy after I finished the meal. One thing I wish is that they included a few more slices of meat since I felt like it was skimpy. Other than that, I’ll be back to try kebabs or their falafel very soon. 

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Unfortunately, there's not many Korean restaurants in Inland Empire. There are a few AYCE KBBQ spots sprinkled in Riverside and Rancho Cucamonga, but it isn't enough. Myung Ga in San Bernardino is the only decent Korean restaurant in the area. Their chicken bulgogi was actually very tasty and I'd recommend that over the japchae or tofu soup. I'd go here for their lunch specials where their dishes are under $10!

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Has anyone else noticed that insane over the top milkshakes have been popping up?! Nothing ever really pulled me to trying any of these milkshakes but my high school friend, Patrick, and I were in Rancho Cucamonga and decided to try it. The Mug Shakes in Victoria Gardens offers these decked out creations for about $8-9. My smores choice wasn’t overly sweet but it lacked on the amount of milkshake. These shakes were prettier to look at than to eat. Sadly, I wouldn’t be back but at least I can say I got a mug from my visit.

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Today’s foodventure was at Mica's Peruvian Fusion in Rancho Cucamonga. Peruvian food is definitely slept on and I’ll fight anyone who tries to talk down on it. My usual go to is their tallarines verdes (green spaghetti with a lightly fried chicken cutlet) but I couldn’t find that dish at this location. I settled for their fried yucca (so light and crispy!) and their chaufa pollo (chicken fried rice). Usually, I can’t eat fried rice by itself but there’s a smokiness to Peruvian fried rice that impressed by tastebuds greatly.