November 11, 2005 2

Malo (Silver lake)

//// By in 05: Silver Lake + Echo Park

DSCN0122.jpgDSCN0127.jpgDSCN0126.jpgDSCN0114.jpgHad some drinks and food after work with a couple of co-workers. We went to Malo, a hip hang out place offers “creative” Mexican food. They used to have this Chocolate salsa sauce that tasted good and different, but seems like I’m among the few people who like it as it’s off from the menu. -__- We got the Tomatillo & Hass Avocados and Burnt Habanero and creme fraiche sauces for chips. I love the Habanero sauce very much and can’t stop eating it, even though it gets spicy. Most of us got the Ground beef, potato and pickle tacos because one of the guys keep raving about it. It’s pretty good but I wish there were more pickles. The Slow Roasted Carnitas Cola & Orange Juice is delicious! Can’t really taste the coke nor orange juice flavor though ^^;;

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Good drinks: Rum and coke, Mojito and magarita.

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November 10, 2005 3

Amori (Old Town Monrovia)

//// By in 02: Pasadena

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Tomato Basil Soup creamy yummy! Roasted Lamb Salad with wine sauce, very delicious sauce but the lamb texture was a bit too rough.
DSC06649.jpgStrawberry Creme Brulee. Very very impressive! *O* There’re light flakey pastry and strawberries inbetween, very crusty and delicious! Even though I’m never bored with creme brulee, I get pleasant surprise by this.

This Cal-French (Asian French fusion) restaurant only have lunch on weekday and I finally get a chance yesterday as I worked from home. Of all the higher end restaurant in that area, I like the small and intimateness of this place. But their daytime menu isn’t so impressive, have to rely on the specials.

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November 9, 2005 2

Tudor House (Santa Monica)

//// By in 16: Santa Monica

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Steak, Guinness, Mushroom Meatpie.
DSC06626.jpgThe interior of this English teahouse do transport you, especially overemphasized by all those import British products in the market area. The pot of house tea is Orange Pekoe. The food are very affordable and very English indeed (= bland, rough…) ^^;; The meatpie crust is light and the portion is rather small in US standard (which is perfect, just right!). I like the quiet tea room atmosphere~ There’re tons of desserts but then English treats are…^^;;;

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November 8, 2005 4

Chaya Venice (Venice)

//// By in 15: Venice

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Mine: Special Salad $10 & Ginger Creme Brulee (yum!)
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DSC06616.jpgWe were supposed to go to a deli but it was closed on Monday, so my boss suggested the nearby “Chaya”, at first I didn’t registered it is THAT Chaya. O,o It is just as I expected: pretentious LA fusion Asian place that’s more about the scene than the food. Well it’s daytime so there’s no ‘scene’. I forgot what my special was but it was quite good and cheap. The interior is very ugly and ridiculous imo, but then the place is meant for the night scene when it’d all dark anyway. Can’t say I know what the big deal is…

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November 7, 2005 3

Extrordinary Dessert (San Diego)

//// By in 18: Greater LA

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Chai Vert (Sencha + Assam with cinnamon, vanilla, clove , almond and rose petals)
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Truffe Framboise (Raspberry and kirsh soaked chocolate cake layers surrounded by bittersweet Valrbona chocoalte mousse with fresh raspberries). Gianduia (bittersweet chocolate cake with Myer’s rum that’s layered with hazelnut buttercream, chocolate mousse, boysenberry preserves and covered with crushed praline). Both *q*~ The cakes are very moist and light. Very satisfying!

We came here long time ago with Tomoko, a San Diego local pastry chef’s own boutique Extraordinary Desserts. She opened another one at SD’s Little Italy area now (that one seems to have lunch/dinner). It was packed. The interior is like a zen garden with buddha statue, dried pressed flowers on the wall and fresh flowers on each table.

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