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.

Review: The Coolhaus Shop ★★★

Pistachio 

Mango - Non Milk

The first thing you will like about this place is the colder than usual air conditioning, which is great considering how the summer has been in Pasadena, hitting triple digits in September. It seems like they are open during construction and it looks like it is not closed, but has actually been open for some time already. This one has one restroom, which most ice cream shops don't. There's only one big table there. The staff was friendly and helpful and the ice cream claims to be organic which I can't taste the difference anyway. I picked the Pistachio and other Yelpers tend to choose the Mango one more regularly, but both are good flavors. The Pistachio appears to melt way too quickly. 

The price is definitely on the high side, $4 for one scoop, and I don't think it's worth that price unless you are actually in the area. I added $1 to make an ice cream sandwich which makes more sense. They also sell small containers to go and those cost $12. For that much I expect that ice cream to be made in-house, but this, just like most ice cream shops, came from a warehouse.

Review: Hello Gelato ★★★★

The first thing you will like about this place is the colder than usual air conditioning, which is great considering how the summer has been in Pasadena, hitting triple digits in September. It seems like they are open during construction and it looks like it is not closed, but has actually been open for some time already. This one has one restroom, which most ice cream shops don't. There's only one big table there. The staff was friendly and helpful and the ice cream claims to be organic which I can't taste the difference anyway. I picked the Pistachio and other Yelpers tend to choose the Mango one more regularly, but both are good flavors. The Pistachio appears to melt way too quickly. 

The price is definitely on the high side, $4 for one scoop, and I don't think it's worth that price unless you are actually in the area. I added $1 to make an ice cream sandwich which makes more sense. They also sell small containers to go and those cost $12. For that much I expect that ice cream to be made in-house, but this, just like most ice cream shops, came from a warehouse.