travel zen on friday: relaxing on the water in cabo san lucas

Can't wait for another beachy vacay!

where i ate in las vegas during memorial day weekend (2015)

(Las Vegas, Nevada).  I'm embarrassed to admit this, but on this recent trip to Las Vegas, my friends and I were so lazy that we basically ate at our hotel or across the street from our hotel.  But fortunately, the restaurant offerings in the Palazzo (and the Venetian) and across the street at the mall were all quite good so, in this case, our laziness actually paid off!

I won't go into detail on all the meals we ate but here are a few highlights:

restaurant review: andiamo steakhouse in downtown las vegas

Most people visiting Las Vegas stay on the Strip and never set foot in downtown. It's a shame, really. True, downtown is not as polished as the Strip. But, downtown still has its charms.

On this most recent trip, Mr. Sazy Rock and I were back in downtown Las Vegas for some business. We decided to check out Andiamo Steakhouse, an Italian Steakhouse, located at the D Hotel on Fremont Street. We were not disappointed.

The Scene

Although Andiamo has only been around Las Vegas for a few years, it feels like an old school institution: dark wood, low lighting, servers and bussers impeccably dressed, bleached white table cloth, the works. There was also a nice buzz in the room with a lot of diners enjoying their meal.

travel zen on friday: usa

From my road trip around the Southern States of the US. A beautiful sunset from Fairhope, AL.

exploring a few new places for lunch in downtown los angeles

(Los Angeles, CA).  While I normally try to bring lunch to work for healthier eating, I do like to explore lunch options in downtown Los Angeles occasionally for fun.  

One favorite is the Grand Central Market which is undergoing quite an exciting rebirth.  Recently I tried the new extension stall for Sticky Rice which serves more noodle dishes and is just right around the corner from the original location.  We tried the pineapple fried rice with shrimp and drunken noodles - both were flavorful and tasty, but I think I prefer the noodles.  The new location also serves boba tea and other Asian beverages.  

Then on a different outing to the Grand Central Market, I tried some seafood dishes at Bombo - the Fisherman's Stew and the Clams & Sausage with pasta.  The seafood was fresh and well seasoned, but a tad overcooked.  But it didn't bother me so much that I wouldn't come back to try some of their other fare - such as the fried chicken dish.  (For some old favorites, like Belcampo - see my previous blog here.)

I also ventured to the Water Court Plaza to try a fast food Indian restaurant called Saffron.  They served a choice of about 5 entrees with naan or rice.  It was acceptable but not particularly exciting.  I won't be returning anytime soon, but if I ever get a hankering for naan during the week, I'll know where to go.

Probably my favorite recent lunch "find" is the food truck - an nam - that parks on Grand Avenue near MOCA.  It is very difficult to find good banh mi (Vietnamese) sandwiches in Los Angeles.  This one is the closest to the real thing without having to drive more than an hour outside of Los Angeles.  It's the magical combination of the crusty, chewy roll with the pate, cold cuts and pickly veggies - mmmmm...  I look forward to Tuesdays when I allow myself to have carbs during lunch... They also serve a decent garlic noodle and a very fresh, refreshing spring roll.   Everyone on the truck seems super nice so check them out!

Have you found a new place to lunch in dtla recently?   

cocktail bar hopping in japan

Mr. Shuichi of Bar Oscar doing the Hard Shake.

There was something comforting and intimate about cocktail bars in Japan. I won't over generalize and say every single bar in Japan (because I did not go to every single bar) exuded the same feel good vibes but I certainly felt the love in the bars listed below.

A fantastic cocktail at Bar Oscar.

It all started with a simple question: "What bars would you recommend for us to check out while in Japan?" Mr. Sazy Rock posed that question to Mr. Ueno, the owner and master bartender at Bar High Five in Tokyo, while we sipped on some spirited concoction at his very small bar in a tall-ish building in the Ginza neighborhood. Mr. Ueno's answer (and advanced research before our trip) formed the genesis of my love affair with Japanese cocktail bars.

Bar K.

travel zen on friday: some beach time in rio

Copacabana Beach in Rio - ready for summer??

restaurant review: mariscos 4 vientos (a mexican seafood gem)!

(Los Angeles, CA).   After watching (and salivating over) a delicious video of Mariscos 4 Vientos posted by one of my favorite youtubers, Mark Wiens (see his video here), I made it a mission to go and taste the delicious seafood tacos and tostados myself!  And I was not disappointed!

Mariscos!  Where have you been all my life???

the bbq trail in lockhart, texas

Lockhart.

About 45 minutes outside Austin, Texas is a tiny little Wild West frontier looking town. If you're into that, you've found your El Dorado. As part of the Chisholm trail, where folks herded cattle from Texas to the railroads of Kansas, one could easily envision cowboys walking in and out of the buildings around the Lockhart square, which is anchored by a Moorish-like architecture of the courthouse.

The Lockhart Courthouse.

The Wild, Wild West.

But, Lockhart is known for something else entirely despite the quaint buildings that evoke a bygone era: BBQ. Oh yeah!

It is unsurprising that the town has a concentration of BBQ restaurants. Remember, this place was part of the Chisholm trail. And, it seems inevitable to me that where herds of cattle came through, some of them had to be eaten. 

On a recent business trip to Austin, Mr. Sazy Rock and I decided to research the BBQ offerings in Lockhart. There, we ate and compared the goodies at Kreuz's, Smitty's and Black's. Who won?

travel zen on friday: usa

During a recent road trip around the Southern States of the USA, Mr. Sazy Rock and I were invited to stay at a hog farm in Como, MS. It was unlike any hog farm I have ever seen. It was gorgeous and was adjacent to this beautiful lake. 

hotel review: the palazzo in las vegas

(Las Vegas, Nevada).   Another trip to Vegas. Another hotel.  At times I can’t even remember which hotels I’ve been to before since many of them seem almost the same in Vegas…I guess it’s the little things that differentiate them for me now – i.e., proximity and convenience to good food and shopping.  This time we stayed at the Palazzo, which I deduced I have been to before and yet I couldn't remember much about it.  Clearly my age is starting to show, but then again, I've never had a particularly good memory... 

So how was it this time???

puerto rico eats: lechon

Lechon galore.

There's a town in Puerto Rico called, Guanavate, that reminds me of another town in Portugal called, Mealhada. What do they have in common? A concentration of restaurants that specialize in one thing: Pigs roasted over an open fire. The difference is that in Guanavate, the oinkers are the adult variety while the ones in Mealhada are the suckling variety.

While at Saborea Puerto Rico earlier this year, I've decided to take Mr. Sazy Rock and some new friends to Guanavate to check out the pig action. We weren't disappointed.

Lechon in transit.

travel zen on friday: rolling tuscan hills

Rumor has it that these same hills served as the inspiration for the background of the Mona Lisa painting.  Cool, huh?

my experiences at wi spa (aka getting mercilessly scrubbed by an older korean lady)

(Los Angeles, CA).  I recently introduced a friend to her very first Korean spa visit.  As I was getting her mentally prepared for it, I realized that a visit to a Korean spa could be quite daunting for the uninitiated.  I thought back to my very first visit (so many years ago), and recalled how much I had to learn in terms of spa etiquette.   So here are some things I learned after years of going to Wi Spa.  (By no means am I an expert, but hopefully these tips will help you avoid any major faux pas in a similar spa.)