restaurant review: forma in santa monica

A new restaurant recently opened in Santa Monica and a business colleague Mr. Sazy Rock met at a conference a while back invited us to check it out. I was very pleased with the invitation and to have eaten at Forma. Forma has received some press when it opened. But, it seems like it really should have received more as I will explain below.

The Scene

Located on Santa Monica's fancy shopping street - Montana Avenue - the restaurant was very busy on a Friday evening. Okay, it was packed. Inevitably, it was very buzzy. Diners were dressed nicely but jeans were completely acceptable. If you can, try and get a table close to the back of the restaurant. That's where staff finish the pasta and risotto in cheese wheels. I would have loved to just watch (and eat that) all day. 

Finishing a pasta order.

restaurant review: cassia in santa monica, california

When Chef Bryan Ng shutdown his downtown Los Angeles restaurant called, Spice Table, due to a subway extension, I was a bit sad. That restaurant had plenty of Singaporean / Malaysian / Vietnamese dishes on offer that I really enjoyed, and missed. Luckily, he decided to open in Santa Monica. The recently opened Cassia has some of the old menu items found at Spice Table and some brand new ones. 

The Scene

The Scene.

When Mr. Sazy Rock and I arrived around 7:30 pm and the place was packed. The big, open room also meant that it was loud. Luckily, older persons that we were, the host showed us to a table in the back room that had a wall, which shielded us from a lot of the noise. The tables were also arranged quite close together so we ended up making friends with a group seated next to our table. Beware about sharing confidences as your table neighbors will likely be able to hear you.

top 10 tips for hiking half dome in yosemite

View of Half Dome from Glacier Point.

Summer might be over but it is never too early to plan a hiking trip to Half Dome in Yosemite National Park. Planning well in advance will ensure that you can hike this beautiful piece of rock safely. It is beautiful up there. From the top, you can see the verdant Yosemite Valley. Plus, the trail allows you to observe the powerful nature of Vernal and Nevada falls. I have hiked to the top of Half Dome twice and, each time, I've been left exhausted but absolutely in awe of its beauty.

These are my tips for successfully hiking to Half Dome and back.

restaurant review: manhattan beach post

Manhattan Beach Post

Mr. Sazy Rock and I recently had dinner with a friend and business associate at MB Post to talk shop. I have eaten there a few times for brunch but never for dinner. So, I was pleased to finally try the evening fare.

The Scene 

restaurant review: maude in los angeles

The unassuming entrance.

I am lucky that Mr. Sazy Rock's job (and my work with him) require us to be up to date with food trends, restaurants and all other manners of deliciousness. When Curtis Stone opened his restaurant in Los Angeles, which he called Maude, Mr. SR and I were traveling. We were pleased to have finally secured a reservation. 

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: 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:

restaurant review: superba snack bar

Inside Superba.

One early November Saturday, my friends and I met for brunch. It was a beautiful sunny and warm Los Angeles November so we decided to check out Superba Snack Bar in Venice Beach.

This is what I thought:

restaurant review: tar & roses

The facade.

I have eaten a few times at Chef Andrew Kirschner's Tar & Roses restaurant in Santa Monica over the past few years. But, it has been a while since I have been there. So, on one warm (it's Southern California after all) evening in early November 2014, Mr. Sazy Rock and I decided to go back to T&R for a dinner meeting with a business associate. 

For the most part, I have always enjoyed my meals at T&R. This most recent visit was no different. 

On to the meal...

travel zen on tuesday: vines and grapes in los olivos, california

Wine tasting is one of my favorite activities - but sometimes it's nice to just enjoy the beautiful peace amidst the vines.  Take a little break and enjoy your day!

things to do in downtown los angeles

Olvera Street.

For the longest time, downtown Los Angeles was a place no one wanted to be in when office workers went home. Recent developments, however, have revitalized downtown. Now, there are plenty of stuff to do day and night.

In fact, I have spent a few staycations being a tourist in downtown. I found the experience very illuminating and fun. So, if you are visiting downtown, fret not. There are plenty of stuff for you to do. These are my recommendations if you decide to visit:

larchmont village - small town feel in the middle of LA

(Los Angeles, CA).  Larchmont Village is a delightful retail/dining area in Hancock Park that is located on Larchmont Boulevard and flanked on the north by Melrose Avenue and on the south by Third Avenue.  It’s a great place to have brunch and shop with friends.  You can find general visitor information here.  

I usually come here for the Sunday Farmer’s Market (every Sunday 9 am – 2 pm), casual brunches and shopping for unique gifts.  But the best thing about visiting this area is letting the day leisurely pass you by while you people watch.  Yes, there are often celebrity sightings (usually TV stars) but the real gem is seeing the locals hanging out here with their cute dogs.  People are always running into old friends or acquaintances and that genuine small town feel is rare in a city as large as Los Angeles.  (Also, I’m horrible at celebrity sightings.  I do have a friend who seems to have eyes in the back of his head – he can sniff out any celebrity and identify them correctly if they are within a ½ mile radius, even if they are walking behind him.  It’s quite a talent.)

Below are a few of my favorite places/things to do in the village:

restaurant review: connie and ted's (again)

In May, Martinikitty wrote about her and Mr. MK's dining experience at Connie and Ted's, a restaurant in West Hollywood (a city within the County of Los Angeles). Although Connie and Ted's is only about six and a half miles away from where I live, in Los Angeles traffic, it could take me anywhere from half an hour (if I had enough karma points) to an hour (if I pissed off someone in the universe) or to more than an hour (if President Obama was fundraising in town) to get there. So, I've taken pains to avoid it because of its location and the notorious LA traffic. 

But, one evening, Mr. Sazy Rock and I decided to brave (in the first-world-problems-kind-of-brave) the LA traffic to check out the restaurant. Was it worth the traffic headache?

Connie and Ted's in West Hollywood, California.

neighborhood guide- favorite lunch spots (koreatown & surroundings) p-y

Continuing on my list from last week, here are my favorite lunch spots P-Y:

Papa Cristo's - Ktown adjacent (Olympic)
2777 W. Pico, Los Angeles (cross Normandie)

This Greek market serves up the best gyro in town. Gyro consists of grounded lamb, beef or chicken slow roasted on vertical pit served with onion, tomatoes, tzatziki (yogart) sauce wrapped up in soft pita bread. Most sandwiches under $10.









Closed Mondays. Parking lot back entrance leads into the market.

neighborhood guide- favorite lunch spots (koreatown & surrounds) a-l

I am fortunate to work around Koreatown and within 15 minute drive time to a vast array of quick service, budget-friendly (typically around $10) but most importantly yummy lunch spots. Here are some of my favorites in alphabetically order (A-L):

Alcove Cafe- Los Feliz
1929 Hilhurst Ave, Los Angeles

Whenever I want a break from the dreary office environment, I escape to Alcove Cafe. Sitting under a shade outside surrounded by other diners who don't dress like they hold a regular office job and an occasional C-list celebrity makes me feel like I truly got away. The typical American cafe fare of sandwiches, brunch items and salads are good but I love the desserts the most. I usually alternate between the turkey pesto panino and shrimp salad but everything is good.

There's valet parking in front; plenty of street parking available in streets adjacent to Hilhurst. As long as you avoid coming exactly at noon, I've never had to wait for a table. Most meals are in $10-20 range.

daycation in marina del rey (paddleboarding, water bus, fisherman's village, etc.)

Paddleboarding on a sunny day!

(Marina Del Rey, USA).  Like most Californians, I live only about 20 minutes from the beach and yet I rarely ever venture to the westside to enjoy the ocean.  I think most people assume all Californians spend their days on sandy beaches being tanned and sporty, but that is really only true for a tiny percentage of people who are lucky enough to live right next to the water.  But now that summer is almost over, I was determined to enjoy my proximity to the ocean.   And what better way to do that then to give paddle boarding a try?

restaurant review: petit trois

Recently, Martinikitty and I with a 3rd friend (not Sazy Rock who was on a road trip) tried new hot spot (opened 7/24) Petit Trois in Hollywood. We showed up early (5:15!) on a Wednesday evening to grab three coveted bar stools.

Before diving into the food and ambiance, here's the 411 you should be aware before going to Petit Trois:

what is the international terminal of lax like now?

It has been a long while since I've flown out of the International Terminal (Tom Bradley) at LAX.  I knew it had been renovated so I was curious to see what it was like now.  (Mainly I wanted to see what restaurants/bars where available, since the original terminal was pretty abysmal.)

So, what is there now?

my experience taking uberBLACK to lax

I'm a fan of uber.  After years of terribly inconsistent and unreliable service from taxis in the Los Angeles area, it is refreshing to be able to get a car easily and reliably at a push of a button.  It's also nice to have the payment (and tip) handled behind the scenes so you don't have to fumble with cash at the end of your ride.

When I'm in town, I will usually use uberX which is cheaper than the more premium versions of uber (i.e., uberBLACK and uberSUV).  uberX is essentially a rideshare service where the drivers are not professional drivers (but do go through some sort of background check by uber).   However because they are not professional drivers, they are not technically allowed to drive customers to and from the airport (or at least that is what I understand from articles I've read on the subject matter).  Therefore, in order to utilize uber for airport transportation, one must utilize uberBLACK or uberSUV - which have flat rates for airport transportation.

hotel review: westin st. francis san francisco on union square

View of hotel from Union Square.

(San Francisco, California).  The Westin St. Francis San Francisco is a landmark hotel conveniently located on Union Square near some of the city's best shopping and dining.  It is also close to some of the city's main tourist attractions such as Chinatown, North Beach, Fisherman's Wharf, etc.

I was surprised I had never stayed here before even though I've probably walked by the hotel hundreds of times.  (It's right next to a humongous BCBG and I used to like shopping there before I discovered their sample sales, but that's a story for another time.)  Since it was a Starwood hotel, and I'm determined to hoard as many Starwood points as I can, I decided to book a weekend stay here.  I made the reservation directly on the Starwood hotel website since it gave the best rate I found on the internet (after checking on hotels.com, expedia.com and travelocity.com). Average rate per night = $260.