Review: Gui Il Bun Ji BBQ ★★

Our group came on decision to eat KBBQ, after been walking countless hours in the L.A. Auto show.  There is was a lot of selection in K-Town, but we ended up this one, since it got four stars, and also have AYCE!

There was parking spot in the lot, but we were force to pay the $2 valet even though we park ourselves.  There was no waiting despite is Friday night.  The décor is modest, could some remodel.  We choose the $15.99 AYCE option, if you paying credit card it cost $2 more each person.

They got the usual stuff like brisket, beef tongue, and pork belly.  The steak is only one piece for two person.  There were no short ribs in this price.  

Overall, the meat was not bad but for this price cannot be complain.   We told them staff that we choose to paid them in cash, instead they foot us the bill with the added $2 each for credit card.  That was shady business tactics, it was all in Korean text. The staff didn't offer any apology for their mistake, and I don't think we would come back here.  There's such so many choices in Korean town.

2013 L.A. AutoShow

I been to L.A. Auto Show like 7 years in a row, there is always something to see.  It is noticeable that once very impressive variety of selection had decrease.  There is no Ferrari or Lamborghini. There is no top world debut car this year, except mid-rage and entry model.  Best day to come is usually the Friday the first day they open, less crowded and usually there’s discount if you purchased online ahead.  The best part in this year,they let you sit in 2 fix figure car like the Maserati Grand Turismo MR2 and BMW M6. 

Review: The Cheesecake Factory ★★★★

Chargrilled Coulotte Steak

Shrimpt Pasta

Banana Cheesecak

My assumption of cheesecake factory, do they only sell cheesecake? They sell cheesecake but definite not the only thing in their menu.  Their menu is huge, almost 20 pages!  Which was a surprise to me; they got cocktails, pizza, burgers, pasta, tacos, seafood, and of course cheesecake.

I came this place for a friend birthday dinner; Friday night in Santa Anita Mall is the worst time to find parking. Took me almost 20 minutes to find a pot. At the top of that, someone forgot to make the reservation ahead of time; our group had to wait over 2 hours!

The décor was nice; looks like a typical Italian restaurant.  The customer serve was friendly and provided good feedback.  I was the only in the group did not order the pasta.  The price of their pasta cost almost the same as the Steak. I ended up order the Chargrilled Coulotte Steak, which is a U.S.D.D. Prime Sirloin, topped with butter. I choose the mashed potatoes instead the fries.

The steak portion was 12oz that is a good size for $20.  In addition, this is prime grade too.  The steak was tender and good, it was slight undercooked in some section of the steak. The steak was not seasoning that well, but steak sauce solve that problem.  The mashed potatoes were very good, a watch great match with the steak.

I tried some of the pasta that my friends order, was not to impress with it.  Some of the pasta was dried, and the sauce is weak. The free bread was pretty good, soft and fresh. In the dessert, we order the banana cheesecake, which was so gooood !

Overall, I am impressing with this restaurant chain. Good quality food in most part that offer good service and atmosphere. However, you might wanted to book for a reservation in peak hours.

Review: Sun City Seafood ★★ 1/2

Roasted Duck 

Egg Tart

Shrimp Rice Roll

These places have been open for some time, yet it only got less than 70 reviews.    There are so many dim sum places in the area, and is not funny anymore.  This place dim sum can be dirt cheat if you manage to follow the requirement, but reality is confusing especially for first timer.  

Their strength is appearing in the dessert like egg tart was very good.   The BBQ mini dish was disappoint, the service was actually pretty for this type of atmosphere, and the cart lady was friendly.  I do wish the quality was better.  I would give this another chance in the near future.

Review: Rutsu 18 ★★★

SHOYU 

Chewy Noodle

Decor

Rutsu 18 is the newest Japanese restaurant in Alhambra, it replaced Tamaya.  Parking is easy; it got its lot and pretty of parking spot in the street.  The Décor have been remodel but is still unfinished.  All the tables and chairs are wood. 

Customer service is friendly, just what you expect from a typical Japanese restaurant.  However they don't greed you like some other Ramen shop.   There was some mistake from the order but was quickly been fixed.

I order the Shoyu Ramen which is reasonable priced at $7.75.  The portion was a bit small; noodle was the chewy one which is usual for Shoyu.  The broth was good and not too salty or oily.  They got sushi and chicken entrée, but no curry that Tamaya one.  Over all is pretty average, but there's definite room for improvement.

Review: Hooters Baja Burger ★★★

Baja Burger with Curly French Fries

1. Jews do not recognize Jesus as the Messiah.

2. Protestants do not recognize the Pope as the leader of the Christian faith.

3. Baptists do not recognize each other in the liquor store or at Hooters

This was first time I dine in the Hooters.  It wasn't my first choice but I wanted to get something to eat before the Red Bull Flugtag.  The décor remind me a lot like typical sport bars but with more attractive waitress of course.   Don't bother to ask them straight for the number since they likely get that request like every hour.

The menu price is actually on par with typical sport bar and wasn't as pricey as I though.  We ended up order the Baja Burger with curly fries.    The burger was pretty good, the buns was toasted and the patties was cooked it just about right, only wish they did differently.  I would prefer slice of avocado over the guacamole.  The guacamoles tasted like those pre-made package.  The fries were cold and not fresh, we ask for replacement and they did that in a heart beep.

Overall it kinda meet my expectation, just don't expect high hope this place

Review: Omar's Pizzeria ★★★ 2/3

Puttanesca 18" Pizza

Mild Buffalo Wings

"Ideas are like pizza dough, made to be tossed around." ~ Anna Quindlen

I personally don't eat a lot of pizza, however I have heard a lot of good things about this New York Style Pizza place located in Arcadia.  happened to be in the area and decided to give them a try.

Parking is limited in the plaza, but there's several 30 minute ones, which I can attest is more than enough for this place.  Since this is not a full service restaurant, most orders here are likely coming for takeout. The owner was very friendly and even helped me open the door.

This place is famous for their pizza, so I ordered one called The Puttanesca which has artichokes, mushrooms, and olives.  The artichoke was overcooked and there was a lack of cheese, but the pizza dough was excellent. It was done just right. I also tried their Buffalo Wings, They were pretty good. The price was pretty affordable for what you get. 

There isn't a lot of Pizza Places in the area, so if you're in the mood for it, then this place is definitely worth a try. 

Review: Hunan Chilli King ★★★ 2/3

Dried Sautedd String Bean $7.99 - Avoid

Fried Snail Slice $9.99 - Must Get

Sauteed Lamb - Mild Spicy ($12.99) - Great Deal

Spicy Chicken with Hot Chili  $10.99 - Very Spicy

If you are someone who loves Chili and Chinese food, this is the place for you.  Just about every dish from the appetizer to the main entrée all have chili on it. If you don't like spicy food, don't come here period.  This isn't you average spicy food. This is type of food you need to get used of eating it.  At top of that you would need several cups of water or tea to cool off the heat!

Parking can be a nightmare here, suggest you just park near the supermarket nearby during the peek hour. The first thing that I notice when I walk to this place is the enormous amount of chili smell.  You will notice just about every dishes people order contain S&*T Load of Chili. At top of that they hang the chili in the wall. Just show you this place is very serious about Chili.

Food here is good, every dish do have chili.  They got some exotic meat like frog legs, snail etc... Those are actually great fit with chili. Just do not order the basic dishes like string bean and chicken, those was disappointed.   I heard their fish head is also very popular, but I have not tried yet.

This is not the place I would come weekly, but would be good during cold weather.  This place definite deserves to call them Chili King.  From the décor to the food it got more chili than you could count it.

Review: Pho Filet 2 ★★★ 1/3

#1 Combination Phone with everything but the kitchen sink =)

Side Veggies

Added with side veggies

I was so hungry in that day when I was fasting for over 12 hours due to blood test.  Technically I can just eat anything, but I wanted something to make up the loss blood and also can feed my hunger.  Pho was the first thing in my mind.

Located near by the square shopping center, parking is no problem.   If I remember right, the former business in here serve exotic food.  The interior is pretty big for a Pho place.   The menu have is easy to read and the price was reasonable.  I order the #1 Pho with everything (Beef Meatballs, Sliced Frank, Tendon, Tripe, and Sliced Beef Brisket).  I told the waitress to separate the meat from the soup, but it didn't happen.  The Pho was pretty good, the broth was on point.  The meat was mediocre, overcooked.  The broth does have MSG, which I was pretty thirsty afterward.

They need to paid attention what they customer request.  There are so many Pho places to choose from, I finding hard to recommend this one unless you happened to be in the area.

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library

I am a political and history junkie myself, this museum always at top of my bucket list to visit when I am in that area.  He has a deep resume and one of the best public speaker ever alive.  I got visited Nixon Museum couple time and have positive reaction.  The museum located in the Simi Valley in the middle of nowhere.

The museum is huge; you could easily spend good three or four hours there.  Since this one of the newer museum, it uses more technology like projector and many video displays.  Also feature some quiz game for the kids.  The museum covers from his radio career all way to presidency.  They even got the gun and clothing that were used by the gunman in the attempted assignation against Reagan.  I did read the news that as many as 80,000 items in this museum is missing from the audit.  It is a shame that someone would this.  

The best part of the museum as you probably would agree with me is the Air force One.  So cool you get to walk in a plane that were using by Several U.S. Presidents.  No photography as is allowed.  The staff in the museum is very friendly and helpful.   Make sure you bring a camera!

Review: 2013 LA Japan Fair ★★★

2 Scoops of Ice Cream with Red Beans

Tokoyaki

Tajima Ramen from San Diego

I have somewhat a high expectation for this festival but ended with mixed feelings after all was set and done. Surprisingly.  There was a lot of parking spaces.  There is a lot of indoor seating at this event, which is not something I've seen from other similar events.

The Ramen shop was the main reason I came to this place. The Keika Ramen from Japan was a good quality, but the portion size was tiny and they used Beef Stew instead of Chāshū. I also tried the other Ramen from San Diego "Tajima" and it was a bit spicy with a very heavy thick broth, not my kind, also was cold, Other than those ramen vendors, the rest you could find in most Asian related events like Tokoyaki and Ornament. There was only one vendor offering dessert, which was Ice Cream or Mochi, the Ice Cream was mix with red bean which is an interesting combination. The best deal at this event was the $1 Japanese Tea Beverage bottle.

Admission costs $5 plus at top of $7 parking.  If you from around the area is worth a look, but I do suggest going they're early otherwise the Ramen Soup might run out or get cold which I experienced. There was also Hello Kitty character and a performance stage.  This event is more for family and local than for true foodie outthere.

Review: Phoenix Dessert ★★★★ 1/4

$3.25 for 4 Variety Mochi

Red Bean

Black Sesame

Taro

Mango

                 Phoenix Dessert is a well-known for making traditional Chinese desserts and drinks, unlike most other places that are going crazy with Boba Milk Tea; this one doesn't offer the Boba Milk Tea at all, which I think is a good thing. Their selection can be overwhelming since there is so much to choose from. Their Tapioca drink with fruit slices is quite popular, but I like their Mochi the most since they are so unique and serve big portions. They have four flavors of Mochi (Black Sesame, Taro, Mango, and Red Bean) and I have tried them all and found each to be quite good, but Black Sesame is my favorite. The Red Bean was pretty good as well; I didn't like the Taro too much. The Mango depends on if it is in season or not. Each of the Mochi is have pieces of coconut outside. I wish they offered more flavors than just four. Parking is no problem here since most of the time you can easily find parking in the big lot that they share with the supermarket. Phoenix is a franchise, but I like their desert more than their food which I think was mediocre, but if you like Mochi you should definite try this place!

Review: Kosuke ★★★★

Gyoza was cheap only $150 for 3 pieces !

Their Signature Kuro Ramen

This is one of my favorite Ramen shops in the area. They're famous for their Kuro Ramen which has a unique black oil at top of the Tonkotsu Broth.  This visit the Ramen didn't turn out as flavorful as last time. I think the noodles were a bit overcooked and the Popcorn Chicken wasn't crispy or fried properly. The broth was still as good as the last time and was boiling hot!

They seem to rotate the server every once in a while. This last visit presented someone new who wasn't as responsive in terms of Customer Service. Many times people forget they have a restroom,  but it is located in the back of the kitchen where one can only access it via the parking lot. I like their $1 Gyoza which gives you 3 pieces.  This place can get quite busy at lunch time, so either come here very early or later afternoon.  Their Spicy Broth Ramen is also quite popular here.

Review: Copa Vida ★★★ 1/2

This is not your usual Coffee & Tea Shop; this one has style and they have one of the most fancy tea brewing machines out there. Only shame I guess would be the fact that they do not have any Organic Tea which would be a better option. I have not tried their coffee yet, but that would be on my to do a list for my next visit. 

[Location] -  Located in Old Town Pasadena, just across from the Raymond Public Garage Parking Lot.

[Parking] - Park in the Public Garage or on the street. There is no private lot parking.

[Déco] - Bigger than most Coffee & Tea Shops, it has both a nice and comfortable style that makes you feel relaxed.

[Service] - Friendly service, but the staff wasn't too knowledgeable about the tea.

[Drink]  -  I order the Naked Pue-rh Tea which is a fermented dark Teal which has a strong flavor that I ended adding more water to dilute the strong flavor.

2013 Red Bull Flugtag in Long Beach Rainbow Harbor

This event is basically about team building a home-made human-powered flying machine and attempting to fly 30 feet high into the ocean. This was a pretty fun idea; I saw a video clip and got a laugh from it. There was an event being hosted this past Saturday whereas the last one hosted in this area was 2010. Who knows when they will host it here again? The parking was not too bad since we arrived about an hour before it even started, however trying to find a good view proves to be a major obstacle but is manageable. There were estimated to be over 100,000 people in the crowd! 

There were about 20+ teams participating this year where all of them have a unique style and come from different walks of life.  Some travel from as far as Alaska and Hawaii, but most or the participants were from SoCal. Nearly all of the teams have a custom and perform some sort of dancing move prior to launching the craft. The crafts were hit and miss.  There is one team that is remarkable and managed to break the previous world record for longest record-setting flight by flying 258 feet. That team is Chicken Whisperers who have an interesting background and wear funky chicken costumes. Nobody takes them serious till the craft launches which makes many people scream and cheer as they witnessed a new world record being set.