[Arcadia] [American] The Cheesecake Factory

The Cheesecake Factory
400 S Baldwin Ave
Arcadia, CA 91007
(626) 447-2800
http://www.thecheesecakefactory.com

 I like Cheesecake Factory.  I can't believe I've never blogged about it though.  In fact, Dr. P and I had our first date at The Cheesecake Factory.  We went to Westfield Santa Anita Shopping Centre to do a little shopping on Saturday and had lunch at the Arcadia location.  The first thing we noticed was that there was no line!  No matter what day/time, there's always a line at the Pasadena location (which I go most of the time).  Second thing we noticed was that most of the staffs at this location are Asians.  75% of the population in Arcadia are Asians now I think.  When I went to Arcadia High (sadly it was like 15 years ago), there were only about 30% Asians.


The Ritz ($12.00) / Passion Fruit Mojito ($8.95)

Both of us were in a drinking mood.  Dr. P got The Ritz (Courvoisier, Champagne, Cointreau and Pomegranate Juice; Shaken, Chilled and Served Up) and I got the Passion Fruit Mojito (Captain Morgan Rum and Passion Fruit; Topped with Cruzan Single Barrel Estate Rum).  The Ritz was one STRONG drink.  I really like my Passion Fruit Mojito.  It was even more fun walking around the mall half buzzed.

[Alhambra] [Fusion] Baccali Cafe & Rotisserie

Baccali Cafe & Rotisserie
百家利燒雞
245 W. Valley Blvd.
Alhambra, CA 91801
(626) 293-3300

Our ex-coworker Claire is officially a nurse now.  We haven't seen her for 3 months and miss her a lot.  So we decide to have monthly get-together.  This month we had lunch at Baccali. 


Honey with Lemon ($2.75)

I like their honey with lemon with unlimited refill.  We all got like 5 refills for the 3 hours we were there.  When we left, they even gave us a brand new one in a to-go cup.  Good deal!

Potluck Party at Wen's

Wen invited me to the potluck party at her house.  I haven't seen Wen for almost a whole year!  Yeah, I'm a bad friend....  One year is really too long.  So I took Dr. P with me and we drove down to OC.  The drive was far.  But one hour drive and I get to see a friend who I haven't seen for a year, it was totally worth it.  And for the delicious food, double totally worth it!


Popcorn Chicken

Wen's hubby made the most delicious popcorn chicken.  The secret ingredient was garlic.  It was so good that I even requested some for to go. 

[Baldwin Park] [Fast Food] In-N-Out Burger

In-N-Out Burger
13850 Francisquito Ave.
Baldwin Park, CA 91706
(800) 786-1000
http://www.in-n-out.com

In-N Out, In-N-Out, That's what a hamburger all about!  We all know In-N-Out probably has the best hamburger in the world.  But their fries is equally good.  Besides the occasional craving for an In-N-Out cheeseburger, sometimes I just crave for their fries.


Animal Style Fries ($2.79)

On my way http://www.eileenlikestoeat.com from school, I stopped by at the original In-N-Out location at Baldwin Park to get their Animal Style Fries.  This location also has a In-N-Out store where you can buy t-shirt, hat, and other brand goodies.  The animal fries has melted cheese, grilled onion, and their famous thousand island sauce on top of the golden french fries.  If you've never had the animal fries before, I urge you to try it.  It's the most delicious fries ever!

[Los Angeles] [Japanese] Sawtelle Tempura House

Sawtelle Tempura House
1816 Sawtelle Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 479-5989

I discovered a tiny little Japanese takeout restaurant on Sawtelle.  The name is Sawtelle Tempura House, but they don't really sell tempura.  They open from 9am to 3pm.  There was one very nice old Japanese lady behind the counter. Most people come here to get lunch takeout.


Bento ($5.50)

Their specialty is the Bento.  I think the bento is different everyday.  But I've only been there once, so still not sure.  The bento I got had chicken, fried fish, egg, and 3 different types of veggies.  Everything tasted really good.  I like it a lot.  The rice was served hot, but the bento was served cold.  I think Japanese usually serve their bento cold.

[San Gabriel] [Taiwanese] Lu's Garden

Lu's Garden
小陸子清粥店
534 E Valley Blvd
San Gabriel, CA 91776
(626) 280-5883

Lu's Garden is a restaurant specialize in Taiwanese style "Porridage & Small Dishes".  When I was living in Taipei, I love having "Porridage & Small Dishes" for a late night snack.  Since the servings are small, you can order a variety of dishes to go with your porridage (or white rice if you prefer). 

Dr. P and I had a "Saw" marathon at http://www.eileenlikestoeat.com.  We watched Saw 1~3 for 6 hours straight!  After we finished the movies, it was already 10pm.  I immediately thought of Lu's Garden.  My family used to come here a lot.  But for some reason, we haven't been back for a long time.  Well, after this visit, I don't think I'll be back for a even longer time.


紅燒肉 Stewed Pork Belly ($6.95)

The Stewed Pork Belly was my favorite dish at Lu's Garden.  It tasted just as good as I remembered it.  But my god, this tiny plate cost $6.75!  I couldn't believe the price when I saw the bill.  Seriously, the plate was tiny.  It was the size of a sauce dish.  There were about 6 pieces of pork.  And that was $6.95?  I could order a big pot of stewed pork belly at some other Chinese restaurant for that price. 

[Los Angeles] [Japanese] Ugly Roll Sushi

Ugly Roll Sushi
11128 Palms Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90034
(310) 837-8500

One night I was browsing on Yelp.com.  The name "Ugly" Roll Sushi grabbed my attention.  Are their rolls and sushi ugly?  But the restaurant has such good review.  So Dr. P and I went for lunch to try it out.



The restaurant is located in a strip mall in West LA next to a Burger King.

[Alhambra] [Banquet] Almansor Court

Almansor Court
700 S Almansor St
Alhambra, CA 91801
(626) 570-4600
http://www.almansorcourt.com

On Halloween night, I didn't go trick or treating.  Instead I went to a wedding with Dr. P.  It was Dr. P's friends Fernando and Monica's wedding.  They picked Halloween to get married because the date had some special meaning to the bride.  We didn't attend the actual wedding at the church because Dr. P had work and I had school.  But we went to Almansor Court in Alhambra for the banquet at night time.



Before the actual banquet started, they had a mariachi band performing. Those guys were really talented. The upbeat music definately made people get into a festival mood.

[Los Angeles] [Fast Food] 7-Eleven

7-Eleven
3470 W 6th St
Los Angeles, CA 90020
http://www.7-eleven.com

I don't really know which category should I put 7-Eleven in.  But I guess "fast food"? 

If you are from Taiwan like me, you probably love the 7-Eleven there as much as I do.  7-Eleven in Taiwan is like a small have-it-all store that you can find in every street corner.  When I was in Taiwan and wanted a quick meal, 7-Eleven would be one of choice.  They had a variety of cooked food, as well as many yummy snacks.  When I first came to the U.S. and saw the 7-Eleven here, needless to say, I was a bit disappointed.  So I don't really go to 7-Eleven that often now.  But not after I discovered their coffee lately....


Obama Cup Coffee & Hot Dog

I used to go to McDonald's to get coffee.  I liked their iced coffee for a while, but the syrup they used just started tasting really artificial and I don't like it anymore.  I don't like their hot coffee either.  It usually left a sour taste in my mouth.  Then somebody told me to try the coffee at 7-Eleven.  The day I went, they had special Obama and McCain cup that was sponsored by CNN for polling reason.  Of course, I got my Obama cup.  There were a few fresh pots of coffee and a coffee/cocoa machine.  I went for the machine.  I kinda wanted hot cocoa, and kinda wanted cappuccino, too.  My solution was to have half and half.  I made my own blend of hot cocoa cappuccino.  And it was GOOD!  Love it!  Big cup of my special coffee for $1.50.  Good deal! 

Larchmont Family Fair

On a Sunday afternoon, 10/26 to be exact, the weather was perfect for a stroll. Dr. P and I decided to have a walk around the neighborhood. Wewalked a few blocks to Larchmont Blvd for coffee without knowing the entire street was blocked off for the Larchmont Family Fair on that day.  Good we didn't drive.



Pony rides for the kids.  Those ponies are adorable.  But I kinda feel sorry for them.  They had to walk around in circle all day long.  Must be boring job.  They also had a little petting zoo with sheep and chicken.  It was funny watching little kids trying to catch the chickens.  Again, I feel sorry for the chickens.

La Fonda Antioquena

La Fonda Antioquena
5125 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90004
(323) 957-5164
http://www.lafondaantioquena.com

I passed by La Fonda Antioquena many many times.  The big sign of "Columbian Food" got me curious.  I've never had Columbian food before and had no idea what it is.  Yes, call me ignorant.  I admit it.  I actually thought Columbian food is somewhat similar to Mexican food.  But to my surprise, it was nothing like Mexican food.



The restaurant looks small and.... ghetto from the outside.  They have a small and not very well designed parking lot.  But the inside of the restaurant was bright and spacious.  I read on their website that lots of Columbian celebrities visited here when they came to America.  Even the Columbian former president had dinner here.  Food must be good.

[San Marino] [Dessert] Vanille de Patisserie

Vanille de Patisserie
2998 Huntington Dr
San Marino, CA 91108
(626) 286-3600
http://www.vanillecakes.com

Of course we got a cake for my mom's birthday.  My sister bought the cake from Vanille de Patisserie in San Marino.



What a pretty looking cake box!  Let's see what's inside the box.

[San Gabriel] [Chinese] Newport Seafood

Newport Seafood
518 W Las Tunas Dr
San Gabriel, CA 91776
(626) 289-5998

October 24 was my mom's birthday.  She requested the lobster from Newport Seafood for her birthday dinner with our family.



We went to their old location, which was in the same plaza as Golden Deli.  There was a big "We've moved" sign on the door.  They moved a few blocks down the street.  Now the restaurant is in a much bigger space with its own parking lot.

I Voted!

I voted!  It was a historical day in America.  Either we will have the first black president, or we will have the oldest president & first female vice president in history.  It was also a historical day for me because it was the first time I voted.  I never voted before because I just simply didn't care.  But this time I actually do care.  I guess as you get older, you start caring about stuffs like this more.

For presidential candidates, I voted for Obama.  We need change in America.  I actually liked both Obama and McCain in the beginning.  But McCain made a really bad choice on his vice president candidate.  I also didn't like how he always attacked Obama instead of just talking about the issue.  It's true that Obama doesn't have as much experience.  But I believe he will do a good job making some changes in this country.

Another big issue in California is Prop 8. Prop 8 titled Eliminates Right of Same-Sex Couples to Marry. I voted NO. This proposition is about human rights in my opinion. You don't have to agree with same sex marriage, but you can't take away people's rights just because they are different. That is discrimination. Why can't homosexuals have the same right to get married as heterosexuals? This discrimination is just the same as discrimination for people's colors. Remember back in the days when the law made blacks to sit on the back of the bus? Or how they couldn't go into restaurants? Remember how women didn't have any rights simply becuase of their gender? And the law actually is going to ban some people's right to get married because their sexuality? Because they are different? I feel pretty strongly about this issue. And I firmly believe that in the eyes of the law, everybody should be equal.

[Los Angeles] [Japanese] Tokyo Fast Food

Tokyo Fast Food
11921 Santa Monica Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 478-3603

I first read about Tokyo Fast Food on Yelp.  Odie raved about the food, portion and price at this restaurant.  So Dr. P and I came here for lunch on a Sunday.



Surprisingly, we ran into Odie!  He likes the food so much that now he works here!  We went up to the counter to order and pay.  Odie made some good recommendations on what to order.