Winter Escapades~

I must admit, my winter break wasn't exactly the most exciting but it sure was filled with memorable moments that truly capture the warmth of my home, family and food.

My dad actually had a little surprise waiting for me when I got home from our last week of school and finals. I was delighted to find a box full of mochi-cake! I call it this because there really is no other name for this. Dad told me he tried a little at some small Korean bakery awhile ago and figured it would fit my tastes since I not only love rice cakes, but I also love cake! I was not disappointed! the soft mochi was absolutely delish and was finished off by a soft outer coating of subtly sweet cake crumbs (i'm thinking something along the lines of a castella or sweeter sponge cake). There is nothing inside the rice cakes which make it seem less sinful, although I think it if there were filling... it would be overwhelming and probably mask the flavor of the cake crumbs.


--> Below: Vietnamese noodles to start off the break (not sure what this bowl was called)


-->freshly cut noodles... fat, slippery, and tender!
--> The occasional rain showers in Socal gave me the great opportunity to take pictures in my backyard... the grass was glowing green and every flower seemed to pop out from the normally dull landscape.

--> below: not surprising to see that the only fruitful tree happens to be our lemon and orange tree...
---> Below: Nevertheless.. there will always be a part of socal's dry and hot remains wherever I go... this broken and abandoned shell I gladly captured with my camera held a sense of melancholic remorse and yet... a great reminder of the New Year 2010! Let's leave our mess, burdens, and regrets behind and start off anew!!

--> Below: an extremely common flower found in parks, front lawns etc. yet.. when you isolate one little bud... it becomes so much more beautiful :D

-->below: this gazebo seen below was actually designed by my father and built by him with the help of my brother and I. We spent a good half a month during a hot summer break to get this finished... looking at it now.. I have now come to appreciate the art of landscaping and design. My dad's goal was to make a fairly large gazebo with a clean, simple and somewhat modern design that complemented our contemporary-esque theme ... hopefully it has been achieved .. I think so!

PaPa Walk: Taiwanese Cafe

With Southern California's heat seemingly never ceasing until late December, Shaved Ice is definitely not limited and exclusive to the scorching mid-months of the year. I was perusing through Socal's middle to high rated Taiwanese cafe's on Yelp.com and came across PaPa walk whose "Coffin Bread" or 棺材板 guān cái bǎn, was far more intriguing than their shaved ice. A fan of deep fried goodies and selections loaded with carbs, I took note of Papa Walk and stopped by while visiting some friends in the San Gabriel area. For those of you who do not like feet, the place is a bit terrifying due to the cafe's feet-decorated walls, floors and menu. I must say however, after I had the shaved ice I completely forgot about it!

--> Below: The Coffin Bread- deepfried chunk of toast, hollowed out and laden with creamy corn/seafood chowder



--> Below: ALthough this dish looks incredibly tempting, I have to say... it was far more anticlimactic than expected. It was not terribly bad .... just wasn't as exciting as the "concept" of the dish. The soup inside was probably the killer for me since it was a bit too bland, sweet and... well there was seafood. Most people would be delighted to find shrimp in their soup but I like my corn chowders ... well without crustaceans. I wouldn't complain however to be eating this on a really cold day after playing in the snow or rain. I am glad to have tried this dish, considering I will most likely get it again when I am to be "in the mood" for it!
--> On the other hand their Brown Sugar Shaved Ice was to-die-for... apparently from friends, it usually does not taste as good.. I guess the person who made it that day I was there is apparently the the "guy who knew what he was doing" because I could not stop eating! I believe I had five choices/toppings--mine were : condensed milk, pudding, red bean, mung bean, and rice balls.


--> Inside this fortified mountain of ice lies the generous filling of azuki beans, and chewy yet delicate rice balls.
--> Below: The pudding was pleasing - definitely not a rich creamy type but definitely had that custardy taste I was craving for!

Pa Pa Walk:

227 W Valley Blvd
Ste 148-B
San Gabriel, CA 91776

(626) 281-3889

~Bella Trattoria~ Italian Bistro

Bella Trattoria : Riverside's hidden jewel

Enjoy sidewalk dining at it’s best!
The new Bella Trattoria will tempt the palate with delicious Southern Italian Cuisine including brick oven baked pizzas, build your own pasta and pressed Panini sandwiches. Experience the flavors of Italy right here at the Mission Inn Hotel & Spa.-- Mission Inn Hotel (Missioninn.com)

--> Below: I bet festive lights would look even more romantic at night

--> Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breast: Lightly Breaded Sliced Breast of Chicken served with Fettuccini Pasta and Alfredo Sauce--> below: Brick oven



--> Margherita Pizza: fresh basil, mozzarella cheese, roma tomatoes, garlic and olive Oil
Although this pizza is not the best of the selection I can guarantee you The Athena pizza on the Dinner menu only is absolutely delicious! definitely recommended





--> It was still pretty warm in Riverside when I went here for the second time, but my favorite thing to do now is going to Bella Trattoria in the middle of winter, dining outside under whimsical light deco, heat lamps and enjoying the joyous Italian music. A MUST DO if you're ever in town and already ate out somewhere and feel like getting a small snack or drink i HIGHLY recommend Bella's :

Nose Warmer : Brewed Coffee in a Mugwith Tia Maria, Frangelico, Venetian Cream and Grand Marnier
and the
Chocolate Milano:Chocolate Milano, Brewed Coffee with Chocolate Milano Syrup,Whipped Cream and Chocolate Shavings with Venetian Cream


Address:
3649 Mission Inn Ave.,
Riverside, CA 92501

Phone: (951)784-0300

Happy Hour @ Yardhouse

Yardhouse Happy Hour!~


--> Calamari- lots of tentacles !


--> Eggrolls topped with deepfried strips of carrot
-->Jamaican Jerk Wings
--> Pizza: half mushroom, half pepperoni

Mandalay Bay Buffet : Desserts

--> Below: Fruit tart w/ chocolate cup: presentation-wise, I thought I'd fall in love with this since I love fruit tarts, but it was probably the most disappointing of the entire selection of desserts! fruits were definitely not in season nor remotely ripe! Although sometimes this can pass off, the cream or custard inside usually makes up for the lack of ripened fruits on top... the custard in this tart was beyond bland! tasted like cheap diluted jello packets of vanilla pudding!!! Now I must revive my love for fruit tarts and make a stop at Porto's Bakery!!

--> below: Tiramisu w/ chocolate cup : very very creamy! but nonetheless yummy
--> Blueberry Cheesecake: extremely light and fluffy- very very small hint of cheesecake- reminded me of the cheesecake I get at Korean and Japanese bakeries!

--> Mini Lemon Meringue Pie/tart
--> innards- probably my favorite one of the entire bunch: extrmely fluffy and pleasing meringue- reminding me of marshmellows by the campfire! then underneath this sticky yet delicious cloud hides a delicate balance between sweet and sour lemon custard! Although the custard may have solidified because of the refrigerated conditions, it was nonetheless delliiiciousss!


Although there were MANY desserts at the Mandalay Bay Buffet, I was only able to pull out my camera for the biggest and smallest highlights of the afternoon! Perhaps next time I can find some self control and take my time with picture-taking :)

San Francisco ~ continued..

Zachary's : Chicago Pizza - Berkeley

I know a good group of friends and family who go to UC Berkeley and ALL of them just keep talking about this place called Zachary's... with high expectations and rumbling tummy, I discovered the first chicago-style pizza I have absolutely fallen in love with! Coming from Southern California... well rather specifically the San Fernando Valley, it's actually pretty hard to find local joints that serve specialized food. Quite honestly, the only chicago-style pizza I've eaten was from BJ's... a chain!! Not that I have anything against chain-restaurants.. I just really like supporting the mom and pop diners with inspirational and truly food-loving advocates who cook to make people happy!
Although Zachary's has another location, it's only served locally, meaning you.. and I will not find one down in Southern California :( ... unfortunate. I have searched high and low for great pizza so I can list all the "pizza" places that are praised for the pizza they make: all the delivery brands (you know.. dominoes, etc), BJ's Brewery, California Pizza Kitchen aka CPK, AMeci's, etc. etc. the list goes on and on! Although some of their pizza's are actually pretty good (ameci's chicken ranch yumm), you just can't find a truly great pizza place that makes you feel like you've eaten a wholesome, warm, home-cooked meal! My friend was initially a bit upset eating here because she wanted a true "meal" ... in her definition pizza ain't a meal!! she left satisfied and truly surprised by Zachary's pizza!

--> Below: While taking a trip to the restroom you can see an entire wall filled with Zachary's pride, framed, posted and glowing in all its glory! impressive yes..!!



-->We ordered Zachary's Special- which fed three easily! : sausage, green peppers, onions, and mushrooms
--> I have to say.. my absolute favorite part of the pizza is definitely the tomato sauce on top!!! i LOVED it!! I'm a huge cheese person so I hesitated a little while eating it but quickly fell for the wholesome chunks of tomatoes scattered throughout a truly rich tomato sauce filled with the right spices and herbs!
--> This is the best shot I could get of the great layers of crust, cheese, fillings and great tomato dressing on top! Let me tell you... the tomato sauce and crust is truly what sets this pizza apart from all the others! the crust is the complete opposite of Bj's semi doughy-raw-yeasty pizza dough! Zachs' crust and bottom (very important that the bottom isn't gooey and soggy) was crispy, bready and baked to perfection. I loved how the semi-crispy dough was constructed so that it could withstand all the gooey toppings weighing it down!
--> A messy but delicious slice! note those beautiful chunks of tomatoes that just melt in your mouth - bursting with naturally sweet tomatoey goodness!!