[Mission Viejo] [Shabu Shabu] Shabu

Shabu
28715 Los Alisos Blvd
Mission Viejo, CA 92692
(949) 588-3225

We saw Shabu when we went to Simply Fondue in the same plaza. It was a cold day. We decided to give this place a try.



Half of the seats in the restaurant was already reserved. Luckily we got there early enough to grab to seats. They turned so many people away that night.

[Irvine] [Japanese] Tokyo Table

Tokyo Table
2710 Alton Pkwy
Irvine, CA 92606
(949) 263-0000
http://www.tokyotable.com

Dr. P's friend Richard came to visit from Texas.



There's no good sushi in Taxes so Richard requested Japanese for dinner.

[Laguna Beach] [American] K’ya Bistro &Bar

K’ya Bistro &Bar
1287 S Coast Hwy
Laguna Beach,CA 92651
(949) 376-9718
http://www.kyarestaurant.com

We haven't been to K'ya Bistro for a while. They did some remodeling of the place. Now the bar is outside in the hotel lobby. Price went up a bit. The food is still delicious though.


Sauvignon blanc ($11.00) / Chanti ($9.00)

[Pasadena] [American] 300 Pasadena

300 Pasadena
3545 E Foothill Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91107
(626) 351-8858
http://www.300Pasadena.com

Celebrated my friends Jennifer and her hubby Peter's birthday at 300 Pasadena this year.



300 Pasadena it's a hip and trendy kind of bowling alley.

[Temple City] [Chinese] Happy Noodle

Happy Noodle
麵對面
4815 El Monte Ave
Temple City,CA 91780
(626) 279-7558

Dinner with parents at my dad's favorite noodle restaurant.


小菜三拼 3 Items Combo Appetizer

I like the seaweed the most.

[Alhambra] [Taiwanese] Old Country Cafe

Old Country Cafe
老鄉親
2 E Valley Blvd
Alhambra, CA 91801
(626) 284-4610

My current favorite Taiwanese eatery in San Gabriel Valley.


排骨飯 Pork Chop Rice

Their pork chop rice is really good. But that one particular day, it was oily and the pork chop had way too much fatty parts.

[Cook] Stuffed Poblanos

This one was a complete failure! I didn't find Poblanos pepper in my supermarket. So I just grabbed some similar looking peppers. This one was sooooo spicy. This whole dish ended up in the trash. *sign*



When I took it out of the oven, I immediately started coughing from the spiciness.... man it was horrible!!

[Cook] Greek Quinoa Burgers

 

This home-made vegetarian burger tasted even better than veggie burgers from restaurants. And it's sooo easy to make!



I served it with simple Greek salad with lettuce, olives, tomatoes, and feta cheese with balsamic vinaigrette dressing.

[Irvine] [Taiwanese] Yu's Garden

Yu's Garden
余姐清粥
5408 Walnut Ave #H
Irvine, CA 92604
(949) 654-2366

We often go to Yu's Garden to get 3 items combo + boba milk tea to go. This time we tried their shaved ice.


Shaved Ice ($3.50)

If I remember right, shaved ice with 3 items is only $3.50. The lady gave us A LOT of toppings. It was just the right amount for the two of us to share.

We'll be back for more shaved ice!

[Aliso Viejo] [Pizza] Porky's Pizza

Porky's Pizza
22912 Pacific Park Dr #C
Aliso Viejo, CA 92656
(949) 916-5000
http://www.porkysonline.com

We've been wanting to try Porky's Pizza ever since we moved to Aliso Viejo.



We ordered "The Feast" for take-out. For $29.99, we got extra large pizza with two toppings, large salad, 10-pc wings, garlic knots, and 2-litter bottle of soda.

[Irvine] [Cafe] Irvine Hoag Hospital Cafeteria

Irvine Hoag Hospital Cafeteria
16200 Sand Canyon Ave
Irvine, CA 92618
(949) 764-4624
http://www.hoag.org

Bet you didn't know Irvine Hoag Hospital Cafeteria actually have pretty good food.... for super cheap, too!


Jerk Chicken

[Lake Forest] [Asian Fusion] Pei Wei Asian Diner

Pei Wei Asian Diner
23632 El Toro Rd #E
Lake Forest, CA 92630
(949) 860-2001
http://www.peiwei.com

We had buy one get one free coupon from Pei Wei.


Spicy Korean Steak ($8.50)
Korean hot pepper sauce, garlic, white mushrooms, onions, carrots, long beans, toasted sesame seeds

Dr. P's favorite dish from Pei Wei.

Christmas Dinner 2011

Christmas dinner at mother-in-law's house.


Mirabelle Brut Rose

I love this rose sparkling wine!

[Huntington Beach] [Japanese] Gyu-Kaku

Gyu-Kaku
7862 Warner Ave # 109
Huntington Beach,CA 92647
(714) 842-8333
http://www.gyu-kaku.com

As I mentioned in previous post, I feel like I have no time to blog. I've been writing since 2005, and seriously don't want to give up blogging. So I think I'll try this new writing method to see how it works out. I will post pictures, but probably with less writing to save time. Ok... so I hope you guys will still like reading my blog.



On Christmas Eve, Gyu-Kaku had a 50% off dinner special. All You Can Eat and Drink for only $20/person. Cool deal!

No Time To Blog

I have no time to blog! What should I do????

I usually get up in the morning around 5:30am. I shower after getting up. Then I check my emails, read news, and browse the internet while sipping on a cup of coffee. Sometimes I cook in the morning so I have food to bring for lunch. Then I walk the dogs at 7am. Come back home at 7:30am, fix them something to eat, and also fix myself something to eat. At 8am, I start getting ready for work. Leave the house by 8:30am and get to work by 9:00am.

I work in an office. Most people I know who work at offices always have time to messing around on the internet for a bit. They have time to go on Facebook, maybe chat a little, maybe Plurk a little, and they get to check their personal emails, or even write blogs. But at my job, I work for the full 8 hours, sometimes 8.5 hours (if I have too much to do, then I take a 30 minutes lunch).

I get off work at 6pm, and usually get home around 6:30pm. I greet the dogs, and play with them a little because I haven't seen them all day, and really really miss them. Around 7pm, I would cook, eat, clean, etc. By the time I'm done with everything, it's about 8:30pm or 9:00pm. Then maybe I'll read a magazine, maybe I'll watch a DVD (I can never finish a DVD in one night now... always fall asleep half way through), or maybe I just want to go to bed already at 9pm.

I really really want to write my blog, but now hardly have time to do so. Help! What should I do?

Maybe.... I'm just thinking maybe.... I'll just post mostly pictures and write just a little?

I remember when I was young, I always had too much time. I was always bored.
"God, I'm so bored, what do I do?"
"I have nothing to do, I'm bored."
"Why do time go by so slowly I'm BORED!"

How come when we get old, all of a sudden it seems like we just don't have enough time?

[Cook] Cheddar Grits with Southwest Black Beans

I woke up this morning at 5:30am to cook because I want to bring home-cooked food to work for lunch. The Cheddar Grits with Southwest Black Beans was so good that waking up that early was all worth it!


Cheddar Grits with Southwest Black Beans

Grits is the same as polenta, I think? This vegetarian meal tasted great, and it was very satisfying. I love how the grits just had a little kick of spiciness with cayenne pepper.

[Getting Rid Of] Flip Video UltraHD 2hrs 8 GB Camcorder - Black (SOLD)

The Flip UltraHD camcorder combines Flip Video's signature shoot-and-share simplicity with the power of vivid, vibrant HD video. With 120 minutes of record time, you'll never miss another minute again. And because of UltraHD's pocket-sized portability, you'll truly be able to capture HD video anytime, anywhere.

• Simple to shoot: Forget cords, charging and missed shots. The Flip UltraHD records up to 120 minutes of video.


• Simple to share: You can make movies and even capture snapshots from your favorite videos - then upload them instantly to websites like MySpace and YouTube.


• Edit and create: Edit individual clips and make custom movies - complete with your favorite music.


• Direct connection to your computer: The built-in USB arm flips up to make an easy connection to your Mac.

$50 with free shipping

[Irvine] [Japanese] Santouka Ramen

Santouka Ramen
山頭火
14230 Culver Dr
Irvine, CA 92604

When we heard about the grand opening of Mitsuwa in Irvine, we were excited. When we found out there is a Santouka Ramen inside the food court, we got even more excited. Sad to say, we were disappointed at both Mitsuwa and Santouka during our visit.



This Mitsuwa is REALLY small. The food court is even smaller. There are 3 eateries in the food court: Santouka Ramen, Misasa, and a takoyaki place. It was a nightmare to find seats at this place. And when you finally get a seat, they are people hovering over you waiting for you to finish so they can grab your seat.

[Getting Rid Of] Cuisinart Chef's Classic Stainless 14-Inch Stir-Fry Pan

I know cooking with stainless steel should be better and healthier. But I must have no talent in cooking with stainless stell. I burned everything, and left those ugly mark on the side of the pan. I think there's a cleaning solution you can buy to clean the mess?



Cuisinart Chef's Classic Stainless 14-Inch Stir-Fry Pan

• 14-inch stir-fry pan made of 18/10 stainless steel with encapsulated aluminum core


• Stay-cool riveted handle and opposite helper handle for a secure hold


• See-through glass cover with loop handle and stainless-steel rim


• Dishwasher-safe for quick cleanup; oven-safe up to 550 degrees F


• Measures approximately 14-2/7 by 21-1/2 by 5-1/2 inches; limited lifetime warranty

$10 plus shipping

[Cook] Sizzling Garlic and Lemon Shrimp

I love the meal planning website Relish. One more day left to get $16 for six months of meal-planning from Relish. Today's dinner was super easy to make, and the result was way above my expectation. Dr. P went on a business trip to Boston this morning. Too bad he didn't get to enjoy dinner with me. But I'll make it for him again when he returns.


Sizzling Garlic and Lemon Shrimp

The main course was Sizzling Garlic and Lemon Shrimp. I served it with couscous and salad with pears and pecans.

[Getting Rid Of] Vintage Faux Fur Collar and Cuff Coat

I bought this coat couple years ago. I think I paid about $200 for it. I did wore it many many times, and always get compliments. The fabric is just beautiful, and I love the vintage looking colors. But.... I didn't take good care of the coat. The fabric on the front buttons are missing (my cat Strawberry ate it, for real!), one of the bottons on the back shoulder is missing, and one side of the tag is falling off. So whoever wants this coat, it'll require a little bit of work to find the right buttons to replace.



Size small; beautiful vintage looking coat; faux fur collar and cuff trim; front pockets; full lining; Fabric 51% polyester, 49% viscose, lining 100% polyester, fur 100% acrylic. By Heart Moon Star.

$40 (free shipping within US)

[Cook] Mocha Brownies

This morning I bought $16 for six months of meal-planning from Relish. Since my new year resolution is to eat healthier and to cook more at home, a meal planning service should help. Once a week, this website will come up with 20 main entrees (all with side dishes too) that are prepared with fresh and seasonal ingredients. You just pick 4 or  5 that you like, and it'll generate a shopping list and recipes for you to print out. I went grocery shopping with a list today. The meal planning service really saved me a lot of time. I haven't tried any main entree yet. But today I made Mocha Brownies from their menu. Wait, I thought I was supposed to eat healthier?


Mocha Brownies

I don't think I'm supposed to share the recipe publicly since its copyright belongs to Relish. The brownie was made with brown sugar, butter, coffee, egg, vanilla extract, flour, baking powder, salt, pecans, and chocolate chips. It was sinful and bad.... in a really yummy way!

[Mission Viejo] [Food Court] Muscle Beach Lemonade & Hot Dogs

Muscle Beach Lemonade & Hot Dogs
555 The Shops at Mission Viejo, Sp #VC-05
Mission Viejo, CA 92691
(800) 321-8400
http://www.hotdogonastick.com

I went to the mall today. Ate lunch right before I went. I wasn't hungry, but thought I would walk around the food court just to see.



Muscle Beach (Hot Dog On A Stick) gotta be the busiest stand there. I saw too many people eating the hot dog, and just couldn't resist the temptation.

[Getting Rid Of] Supermarket Gourmet by Jyl Steinback

I decided to "get rid of one thing a day" this year. My house is filled with things I don't use. I want these things to go to someone who would make good use of them.



Today I would like to get rid of a cookbook, Supermarket Gourmet by Jyl Steinback ($17.95). It has 266 pages with 200 recipes. Most of them only use 5 or less ingredients that you can easily get from supermarket. I bought this book from Barnes & Nobles when it was on the bargain book shelf. I had it for about a year or two, and still never use it.

So who wants this cookbook for $5? The money will cover envelope and shipping. If you want it, please leave a comment with your email address. First come first serve. If nobody wants it by the end of the week, it'll be a donation to the library.

[Teddy & Twinkle] Family Trip to Starbucks

Happy new year! The weather was so nice today. What a beautiful day to start a new year!



There's a Starbucks just one block away from our house. We decided to take a family trip there to get some coffee for the adults, and water for the kids. :-P