restaurant review: a taste of argentina in los angeles at carlitos gardel restaurant

(Los Angeles).  I recently tried to dine at Hart and Hunter but they were closed for a private party ... (sigh)  It is the season of holiday parties so I shouldn't complain but I was really really craving their biscuits.  Luckily we were able to cross the street and try Carlitos Gardel Restaurant.  Although I've seen the restaurant for many many years, I never really gave it much thought.  Upon entering, I was surprised at how cozy and classy it looked from the inside.  We were given a lovely seat right next to the window (overlooking Melrose which is not picturesque but makes for fun people-watching).

travel zen on tuesday - bilbao - chocolate con churro

Chocolate con churro in Bilbao, Spain.  This was probably the yummiest, thickest hot chocolate I've ever had!  I heard that the Spanish eat this for breakfast - if I did that I would be 300 pounds!

things to do in downtown las vegas

Downtown Las Vegas.

Most people who visit Las Vegas tend to visit the Strip, the home of high rise hotels and casinos, and pricey restaurants and shopping. But, there is a cheaper option to the Strip: downtown Las Vegas. Downtown has been getting a little bit of revitalization. It's still not as flashy as the Strip but it has its charms.

If you ever find yourself in downtown, these are my suggestions (other than gambling):

restaurant review: another italian gem in los angeles - pistola

(Los Angeles, CA).  There are lots and lots of Italian restaurants in Los Angeles but Pistola is still a welcome addition because the food and service are top-notch.  It is obvious from the moment you enter that they are working hard to make every detail perfect and enjoyable.  

Our waiter (sorry can't remember his name) had just recently arrived from Chicago and he was endearingly attentive and enthusiastic about the restaurant and the food.  Fortunately we weren't disappointed after all the build up - every dish and cocktail we had was very well prepared and delicious.   

We shared a steak, grilled lobster and a pasta dish (tagliatelle with ragu) - and since we had just returned from Italy, the restaurant had some tough competition.  The steak was seasoned expertly and was the highlight of the meal.  The lobster was also delicious but I still prefer the lobster at Connie and Ted's.  I can't say that the food was better than what we had in Italy, but it came very close and we left very satisfied, especially with the lovely warm ambiance of the restaurant and the attentive service.  (And apologies for not having pictures of the pasta -  we were so hungry and ate almost all of it before I thought about taking a picture... ) 

The price point is a bit high so I imagine Pistola is more of a special occasion or date-night restaurant.  I did notice that they have a very enticing New Year's Eve menu available so if you are looking for a good NYE option, check it out.

happy christmas eve!

It's almost Christmas!  I normally don't travel during this time since I enjoy hosting festivities at home, but many people I know like to travel around the holidays - whether it's to a cold, snowy place for snowboarding/skiing or a warm, sunny place like Hawaii.  

Whatever you choose to do, may you and your loved ones have a wonderful holiday season!  Happy Travels!

travel zen on tuesday - antigua, guatemala

Antigua, Guatemala

A small colonial town in Guatemala, Antigua has a beautiful plaza that fronts this cathedral.

an introduction to christmas eating in the philippines

Lechon during Noche Buena.

Christmas in the Philippines means lots of eating opportunities.

A majority Catholic country with a long history as a Spanish colony, most people in the Philippines celebrate Christmas with a lot of church-going, eating, and more eating.

From about December 16 to 24, churches - both Catholics and Protestants - hold nightly mass or service, locally known as "simbang gabi" in Tagalog. But, in practicality, they usually occur before the crack of dawn so it is called "simbang madaling araw" (or pre-dawn worship).

For food lovers, simbang gabi is exciting because of what happens after the mass or service. Because they tend to be well-attended, many food vendors usually set up their stalls outside the churches. There, you can find delicious goodies. Watch out for:

must love uni! review of maruhide

(Torrance, CA).  A restaurant that specializes in uni?  For a lover of the soft pillows of orange creaminess that is uni (or sea urchin) like me - that is music to my ears.  For those who find uni utterly disgusting and slimy, it is probably pretty horrific.

Uni is one of those rare things that people either really love or detest.  I used to think people who didn't like it simply didn't have an opportunity to have truly fresh uni; but after years of trying to convert people with divinely briny and sweet uni, I realized that many people are so turned off by the texture and look of uni that it really didn't matter to them how it tasted.  (So unfortunate ... but I guess that's more uni for me!)

The point of this rambling?  If you don't enjoy uni, stay away from Maruhide.  There really is very little for you to eat since almost every single dish - rice, pasta, salad, etc., has uni in it.

restaurant review: blue water cafe + raw bar in vancouver, canada

Blue Water Cafe + Raw Bar.

During a recent work-related trip to Vancouver, Canada, Mr. Sazy Rock and I dined at Blue Water Cafe + Raw Bar in the Yaletown neighborhood of downtown. Despite the depressing rainy weather, the welcoming atmosphere inside and the impressive food gave us a pleasant introduction to the city's food scene. 

On to the review:

taking the train in italy

During my 3-week trip in Italy, my husband and I took the following train trips:

• Rome to Florence (less than 2 hours)
  
• Florence to Bologna (about 40 minutes)
  
• Bologna to Venice (roundtrip) (about 1 1/2 hour each way)
  
• Bologna to Naples  (3 hours and 15 min)
  
• Naples to Sorrento (on local train)(argh - an hour and a half because there were about 20 bizillion stops!)*
• Sorrento to Pompeii (on local train)(the express train; about 20 min)*

 * For local trains, you have to get the tickets at the station.

What was our experience like?

travel zen on tuesday - angkor wat in cambodia

A peaceful morning in Angkor Wat - and yes, I felt adventurous like Tomb Raider (not that raiding tombs is a good idea at all)...

restaurant review: the steakhouse at circus circus in las vegas

On a recent trip to Las Vegas, I had a business dinner with four gentlemen at The Steakhouse at Circus Circus. You're probably thinking, "Circus Circus? Really?" Yes, really. I've heard many chatter among steak lovers that Circus Circus has one of the best steaks in the city despite the other fancy options the Las Vegas Strip has to offer. So, we decided to talk shop and eat meat in a place with the word "circus" included in its name.

The Aging Room.

hotel review: crowne plaza palo alto

(Palo Alto).   We spent Thanksgiving this year with family in Palo Alto and stayed at the Crowne Plaza Palo Alto, mainly due to its location near our relatives' homes.  We weren't really planning on visiting any tourist attractions - to be honest, I'm not sure if there are any - and we weren't there for business - although I imagine with the booming economy in the Silicon Valley, there is probably a great need for business hotels in the area.

restaurant review: db brasserie in las vegas

DB Brasserie.

While other people like to go to Las Vegas to party or to gamble, I like to go to Vegas to eat. Many well known and/or highly regarded chefs have set up restaurants there including, Mario Batali, Jose Andres and Daniel Bouloud. Chef Bouloud opened DB Brasserie at The Venetian Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip. On a recent business trip, I dined there for lunch along with four other associates. Below are my thoughts on my meal.

traditional mosaic i purchased in florence, italy at pitti mosaici

Mosiac of the Duomo from afar.

(Florence, Italy).  One of the most memorable things that I purchased in Italy was a mosaic painting of the Duomo at Pitti Mosaici (Piazza Pitti 23-24r).  On my previous trips to Italy, I often admired the beautiful mosaics in shop windows but it wasn't until this recent trip - when I saw firsthand the amount of labor, skill and care that went into creating each piece - that I truly appreciated the amazing craftsmanship of traditional mosaics.

travel zen on tuesday - kerala, india

A mom and her son in the backwaters of Kerala, India. Where is it?

hello kitty gate at taipei's taoyuan airport (tpe)

At the Hello Kitty Gate.

Although I have pretty much gone over the hill, I must admit that I still have a certain fondness for Hello Kitty. I blame it on a Sanrio-filled youth. As a little girl, I used to wear shirts emblazoned with multiple Sanrio characters. I put my coins in a Hello Kitty purse. My pencils were kept in a My Melody holder. My lunch box had Little Twin Stars in the front. 

Now, I must admit that I still have a few trinkets that has Hello Kitty's cute mug all over. So, when Mr. Sazy Rock and I went to Taipei, I was very excited that the airport has a dedicated Hello Kitty Gate, complete with lounge chairs and other displays. This is what it looked like:

restaurant review: smoke.oil.salt in los angeles

Smoke.Oil.Salt is a new-ish (less than a year) Spanish restaurant in Los Angeles. The chef, Perfecto Rocher, hails from Valencia and cooks Catalunyan/Valencian cuisine. Mr. Sazy Rock and I previously met Chef Rocher a couple of years ago when he made us and other guests a true Paella Valenciana at a mutual friend's home. That paella was wonderful. Although we have not seen each other since then, we followed his career. So when we learned that he opened a new restaurant, Mr. SR and I were more than happy to check it out.

This is what I thought:

apps that i used while traveling in italy

On my recent trip to Italy, I brought my iphone and ipad mini.  Under T-Mobile's global coverage I was able to use my phone while in Italy (see my review here) for phone calls and texts and to check emails and go online.  I was also able to use it as a hotspot for my ipad mini when the connections were slow at some of the hotels.

I researched a few apps online and decided to go with the following for my trip (some of which do not require Wi-Fi).  How did they fare?

travel zen on tuesday - zion national park

Zion National Park

top 10 tips for hiking the milford track

View from Mackinnon Pass.

Someone once said that the Milford Track is the finest walk in the world. I don't know whether that is true or not, but I certainly enjoyed it. There are two ways to hike (or as the Kiwis call it, tramp) the Milford Track. The first is to do it independently, where you carry your own food and stay in shared accommodations with others. The second is to walk with a guide and stay in nice lodges with hot food and nice bottles of wine after the end of a long day. I have no specific tips for independent walkers because I did a guided tour with Ultimate Hikes, currently the only outfit that provides guided walks in the Milford Track. But, I have tips applicable to anyone hiking it.