Friday, February 27, 2009

Whole Bunch of Food Deals

Applebee's:  1 appetizer + 2 entrees for $20.
MENU

Arby's: Free Roast Burger with any drink purchase
COUPON

Benihana:  Hibachi Dinner for Two for $45
MENU

Buca di Beppo:  $10 off $20 purchase
COUPON

Dunkin' Donuts:  Free coffee sample
SIGN UP

Fleming's Steakhouse:  Filet Mignon and Shrimp Scampi Dinner for Two for $89
MENU

Fresh & Easy:  $4 off with $40 purchase
COUPON

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

"Casual" Weekday Lunch

Parents went to Chinese supermarket to buy grocery in the morning.  The came http://www.eileenlikestoeat.com and dad said casually, "lunch will be ready in 40 minutes."  When they called me to go downstairs for lunch, I was surprised how "casual" it was.

Crab & Shrimp by you.

Dungeness crab and shrimp!  Everything was brought alive from the market.  My dad just boiled them.  The thought of throwing live crab and shrimp into boiling water still made me go "ouch".  But the taste of live seafood was so good and I soon forgot about the suffering of the animal.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

[Los Angeles] [Chinese] Hop Woo Seafood Restaurant

Hop Woo Seafood Restaurant
合和海鮮酒家

11110 W. Olympic Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90064
(310) 575-3668
http://www.hopwoo.com

Dr. P and I was craving for some Chinese food.  Hop Woo was probably the only authentic Chinese restaurant that we known of in the Westside.  And they have lunch special!

Lunch Special Menu @ Hop Woo Seafood Restaurant by you.

Lunch special dishes are $5.95 or $6.95.

Free Pancake at IHOP Today



http://www.ihoppancakeday.com

Today, from 7 am to 10 pm local time, participating IHOP Restaurants will give you a free short stack of 3 pancakes to celebrate National Pancake Day. In exchange, you're asked to donate to your local children's hospital through Children's Miracle Network. You can't get it to go; limit one order per customer.

Monday, February 23, 2009

The Beautiful Bazaar

Yesterday I blogged about the food at The Bazaar. Today I want to show more pictures of the place.

The Bazaar by Jose Andres by you.

The first time I went to the restroom, I didn't bring my camera with me.  I actually went back to the restroom again just to take pictures!  haha....  The bathroom is huge!  And you can see yourself on the toilet from every angle!  Seriously!  The entire stall, including the door, has mirror walls.  It was.... different.  And I didn't know whether I should stare at myself peeing or not.

Sunday, February 22, 2009

[Los Angeles] [Spanish] The Bazaar by Jose Andres

The Bazaar by Jose Andres
SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills
465 S La Cienega Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(310) 246-5567
http://www.thebazaar.com

What is THE one new Los Angeles restaurant everybody's been talking about?  Gotta be The Bazaar by Jose Andres.  The restaurant recently received a rare 4 stars reviewfrom Los Angeles Times!  This was one of the restaurants I really want to try from the dineLA list.  Unfortunately, we didn't make it during that two weeks.  But since dineLA has been extended till the end of February, Dr. P took me to Bazaar to celebrate my birthday.  It was my first experience with molecular gastronomy cuisine.  I never knew "foam" could taste so delicious!

The Bazaar by Jose Andres by you.

The Bazaar is located inside the posh SLS Hotel.  We checked in with the hostess at the lobby, and seated in the Rojo Room.  We could see the busy chefs + Marcel Vigneron working at the kitchen.  It was Marcel Vigneron from Top Chef Season 2!

Thursday, February 19, 2009

34

My birthday was on 2/16.  I turned 34!  I can't believe time went by that fast.  I mean, I still feel like 16 inside.  haha....  For some women, age is a secret that you don't tell or you try to hide.  I really don't understand that.  For me, I don't mind sharing at all.  I am quite proud of my age.  I have 34 years of life experience to make me the person I am today!

Birthday Present 2009 by you.

Dr. P gave me the cutest birthday card ever!  The cute kitten brings a smile to my face every time I look at the card.  I had mentioned to Dr. P about this book "Heat" that I want to read.  I thought he wasn't really listening.  (Yes, I talk a lot.  And most of them time he just answers "uh-huh uh-huh" like a typical guy who doesn't listen.)  But Dr. P actually listened and remembered!  He bought me the book!  Ok, so I guess men do listen, sometimes.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

[San Gabriel] [Cambodian] Battambang Seafood Restaurant

Battambang Seafood Restaurant
馬德望海鮮酒家

1806 S. San Gabriel Blvd.
San Gabriel, CA 91776
(626) 307-3938

Battambang is a Cambodian seafood restaurant.  I've been there twice and really enjoyed the food.  I don't really know much about Cambodian food.  I thought it tasted kind of like Vietnamese Chinese food.

Beef Lok Lak @ Battambang Seafood Restaurant by you.
牛扒生菜 Beef Lok Lak (US$11.00)

One of my favorite dish from the restaurant was the Beef Lok Lak.  The marinated steak cube was super tender.  It was served with fresh onion slices and tomato with a side salad.

Free $2 Subway Gift Card


Free $2 SUBAY Gift Card for California Residents



http://subway.com/california/

To claim your FREE $2 gift card, please complete the form below using a valid California mailing address.

  • If you are one of the first 142,500 valid requests we receive, we'll send you a $2 Gift Card.

  • We are distributing 142,500 SUBWAY® gift cards as part of a settlement agreement with the State of California due to claims made that advertised specials were not honored in certain locations.

  • Be sure you tell your friends how they can request a card of their own.


Please allow 10-12 weeks for your card to arrive. Limit one Gift Card claim per California household.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

[Los Angemes] [American] Campanile

Campanile
624 S La Brea Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 938-1447
http://www.campanilerestaurant.com

A few years ago, sister and I had lunch at Campanile.  We thought the restaurant was beautiful.  But the food was pricey and disappointing.  We decided to have our Valentine's dinner at Campanile simply because of the price.  5 course dinner with champagne for $45 per person.  Now that was a bargain, and worth to give Campanile another try.  I was glad we did.  We had an "almost" perfect Valentine's dinner.

Campanile by you.

We arrived a bit earlier than our 7:15pm reservation to have a drink at the bar.  The high chair was slippery (or maybe because of my silk dress?) and I "slipped right out of the chair" (yup!) when I first tried to sit on it.  Yes, I felt stupid, and I wasn't even drunk, yet.

Angie Hearts Spring Sales

angiehearts.net

Spring Sales!

AngeiHearts. net 10% off on Entire Order including sale items.
Just enter the code "sale10" at checkout.

http://www.angiehearts.net

(Sale ends 2/18/2009.  Final sale.  No exchange/return.)

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!  Well, Happy "belated" Valentine's Day!  We had the perfect (ok, almost perfect) dinner at Campanile last night.  I was going to write tonight.  But now I'm feeling lazy.  So I'll save the post for tomorrow.

Today, I just want to say something to Dr. P (and shamlessly telling the whole world, too). 

Eileen & Fred by you.

[Rosemead] [Ice Cream] Coldstone Creamery

Coldstone Creamery
3580 Rosemead Blvd.
Rosemead, CA 91770
(626) 280-6246
http://www.coldstonecreamery.com

It'a "almost" my birthday.  My sister got a ice cream cake from Coldstone Creamery for me this weekend.  So sweet!

A Cheesecake Named Desire Cake @ Coldstone Creamery by you.
A Cheesecake Named Desire Cake

This cake is called "A Cheesecake Named Desire".  There were heart shaped chocolate on each slice (I guess that's for Valentine's season).

Bento Show

Bento show again! Last week I brought bento for 4 days! Good for me! *pat myself on the back* Well, I was trying to save money. What better way to save money than bringing your own bento?

2/9/2009 Bento by you.
2/9/2009

I cooked some frozen Cajun shrimps (forgot the brand) and tossed some cooked spaghetti with the sauce.  It tasted alright.  The shrimps tasted just like frozen shrimps.  Fresh shrimp is much better.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Be Aware of Chinese Restaurants

Be aware of Chinese restaurants. I really don't mean to be a racist. I am Taiwanese (and a lot of people consider that as Chinese, too). It's just from this story I heard. This story didn't come from a customer, but a Chinese person who used to work as a server at a Chinese restaurant. This Chinese woman told me some horrible things she and her coworkers used to do to their customers. The worst part is... she told me she never felt bad doing those things. Maybe that's one of the reason I never considered her a friend.

First, they eat your food before they bring it your table. They eat it with their hands, picking up a shrimp there, a piece of beef there. If they really like the food, they put some of it into their own "bowls" to eat more later. (Yes, they keep a bowl in the back to steal people's food.) Then they arrange the plate with fingers again so you'll never know someone already ate your food.

Then they cheat you with the bill. This woman said that they use the handwritten order pad. They scribble down the dishes you order, but will NEVER put the individual price for each dish. Then when they add up the total, they ALWAYS add some extra money to it. If it's a small order, they can only add $3 or $5. If it's a big order, they can add $15 or $20. If it's a big order and the customers also order alcohol, they can add $50 or even $100. Especially if it's one of those big banquet table that somebody is treating. She claimed that from her experience, people who treat will NEVER check the bill. They didn't want to look "cheap" or "stingy". So they usually just bust out their money and pay without even looking at the bill.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

[El Monte] [Fast Food] Jack In The Box

Jack In The Box
11780 Ramona Blvd
El Monte, CA 91732
(626) 279-7549
http://www.jackinthebox.com

Did you guys go to Jack In The Box to get the free fries yesterday?  I did!

I went before work.  When I was waiting to make a left turn into Jack In the Box, there was no car at the drive-thru.  I was think, "Good!  It'll be fast!"  But just within a minute after that thought, while still waiting to make a left turn, 3 cars pulled in the drive thru.  So I ended up spending 20 minutes there and was late for work... all for the free fries.

Seasoned Curly Fries @ Jack In The Box by you.
Seasoned Curly Fries

Jack In The Box probably has the best seasoned curly fries.  Actually, I don't even know any other place that sell seasoned curly fries.  Since it's free, it tasted even better.

Monday, February 9, 2009

[Beverly Hills] [Indian] Chakra Cuisine

Chakra Cuisine
151 S Doheny Dr
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
(310) 246-3999
http://www.chakracuisine.com

With dineLA happening in February, a big chunk of my paycheck went to food.  And I just spend $300 on textbooks and more $$$ on the incredible Hayden Harnett sale.  Dr. P had some extra spending this month as well.  So after "careful consideration" (haha that sounds funny), we decided to cancel the $$$ level dineLA events at Gordon Ramsey's and Bazaar.  Instead, we tried a $ level lunch at Chakra Cuisine for $16 per person.  Surprisingly, it turned out to be the best dineLA meal this year.

Chakra Cuisine by you.

We made reservation at 12:30pm, but it seemed unnecessary.  When we arrived, the entire restaurant was empty.  The decoration was beautiful.  They even have private cabanas for more "private" dining.

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Last Week's Bento

Only brought bento to work twice last week.

2/2/2009 Bento by you.
2/2/2009 Bento

Everything was from Korean supermarket.  Well, except my dad's braised pork.  I love the bean thread noodle with veggies.  The slightly spicy blue mackerel was fishy, but so good.

[La Puente] [Mexican] Taco Nazo

Taco Nazo
13032 Valley Blvd
La Puente, CA 91746
(626) 333-1166
http://www.taconazo.com

I read about Taco Nazo's fish taco on Yelp.com.  I stopped by before work to get some tacos for dinner.

Taco Nazo by you.

Taco Nazo has 4 locations in LA.  The La Puente one looked big from the outside, but they only have outdoor seating.  I ordered from the counter inside and grabbed some lime and radish from the self served salsa bar.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

[Los Angeles] [Seafood] The Water Grill

The Water Grill
544 S Grand Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90071
(213) 891-0900
http://www.watergrill.com

The Water Grill is on a pretty high position at my "to-try" restaurant list.  I took advantage of dinLA and took my parents there for lunch. 

The Water Grill by you.

We had an early reservation at 11:45am.  The very nice host apologized for the slightly colder temperature since they just opened.  We sat down with our menu, then waited... waited... and waited... for the waitress to come and take our order.  The restaurant was quite empty at the time.  But service was really really slow.  Later when the restaurant started getting busy, service actually became faster.  Another interesting thing I noticed, most of the patrons were Asians.  I noticed the same thing last year at all the dineLA restaurants.  I guess us Asians know a good bargain when we see it.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Yakiniku at Home

Dr. P. had some work to do on Saturday. We decided to have dinner at http://www.eileenlikestoeat.com to save time/money. Went to Nijiya and saw their beef for yakiniku/sukiyaki was on sale. One $3.50 box was plenty for two of us. Also got a cabbage for $1.20. And some Japanese BBQ sauce for $3.99/bottle.

Yakiniku & Cabbage by you.
Yakiniku & Cabbage

Dinner was put together rather quickly.  Marinated the beef in some Japanese BBq sauce for 10 minutes.  Sautee.  While meat's cooking, chop the cabbage and some garlic.  When meat is done, sautee the garlic and cabbage in the leftover meat sauce.  Season with salt and pepper.

[Los Angeles] [Japanese] Sawtelle Tempura House

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

We weren't sure if Sawtelle Tempura house is open on Saturday.  Drove by,  it WAS opened, and got 2 bentos to go.

Bento @ Sawtelle Tempura House by you.
Bento ($5.50)

Fried fish, tereyaki chicken, sweet egg roll, tofu, green veggie, crispy pickle, braised daikon & carrot, and some kind of black thing (I think it's veggie?).  We were full, and satisfied.

I think I'm addicted to their bento.  Too bad they don't open on Sunday.

Monday, February 2, 2009

[Santa Monica] [Italian] Valentino Italian Restaurant

Valentino Italian Restaurant
3115 Pico Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(310) 829-4313
http://www.pieroselvaggio.com/valentino/

When Dr. P and I first saw the participating restaurant list for this year's dineLA Restaurant Week, we immediately picked Valentino as one of the restaurants we want to try.  Since it was also our 3 years anniversary last week, we decided to have our anniversary dinner last Friday at Valentino.  But the experience at the one Michelin star restaurant was far away from romantic,  and actually quite disappointing.

Menu @ Valentino Italian Restaurant by you.

When we first arrived at the restaurant, there were about 3 parties waiting in line.  The host tried to seat the people in front of us at this one table at the entrance of the bar area right next to the line of people.  Of course none of them wanted that seat.  When it was our turn, we gave our name and reservation time to the host.  But he didn't care to check us off.  Seemed like reservation didn't really matter that night.  The host again tried to seat us at the worst table in the restaurant.  We asked nicely if we could have a seat in the back dining room.  We were then brought into a small crowded room.  The host bumped his hand into a wine glass on the table on the way and broke the glass.  Yes, the restaurant was busy.  But I wish the host would act more "gracefully". 

Denny's FREE Grand Slam



Denny's restaurants will be giving away a free Grand Slam Breakfast on Tuesday, February 3, between 6 am and 2 pm local time. Let's wake up early and go have some FREE beakfast!

Sunday, February 1, 2009

[Covina] [Light Meal] IKEA

IKEA
848 S. Barranca Ave.
Covina, CA 91723
(626) 732-4532
http://www.ikea.com

Mom and I went to IKEA on Friday for their one day pillow sale.  The $49.99 down pillow was on sale for $9.99!  We got there at noon and it was sold out.  The employee said that people started lining up at 8am.  They opened at 10am.  Pillow was gone by 10:30am.  Oh well, fine, no pillow.  But let's get some IKEA food.

Apple Salmon @ IKEA by you.
Apple Salmon ($6.99)

Mom got the apple salmon.  A small piece of salmon served with apple sauce.  I never had salmon with apple sauce.  It turned out to be pretty good.  Maybe I'll try that combo at http://www.eileenlikestoeat.com next time.  Mom liked the fish, but thought the potato and veggie was a bit too salty.

Monkey Bento Box

Remember my cute monkey bento box? Last week I finally used it!

Monkey Bento Box by you.

I didn't really pay attention to the writing on the lid when I bought it.  So I was sitting at work admiring how cute it is.  Then I noticed it says "My name is Mink.  I like to read the fantasy story.  I am very excited... when I read."  Is it just me, or you guys think that's a little.... perverted?  I read it out loud at work.  Coworkers burst into laughter and said, "You're perverted!"  See, it wasn't just me!