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Quick Breakfast

John and I get Starbucks every weekend before we do anything. Sometimes, we think it's better if we just have breakfast there. And honestly, I love Starbucks. I think in terms of consistency, they got it to the nail. And hey, if you don't like the drink, they will make it right for you.

I normally order their Americano, but ever since they launched their cold brew, I just couldn't go back. For now at least, I am enjoying the sweet notes of the drink with a strong punch to my face. Seriously, their cold brew is no joke. That stuff is pretty strong. If I don't drink water after, I will feel dehydrated and nauseous afterwards.

My favorite go to sandwich is always their Sausage & Cheddar Breakfast sandwich. It's hefty, and always does the trick to fill me up enough to get me going. Today, I wanted to go for their croissant breakfast sandwiches. I've had it a few times, but just wanted it today to switch it up a bit.

Double-Smoked Bacon, Cheddar & Egg Sandwich

Smokey bacon, melted cheese with a flaky croissant. So yummy and love how hot and crispy the croissant was. This sandwich not only filled me up afterwards, but it really made me feel satisfied.

Slow-Roasted Ham & Swiss Breakfast Sandwich

You just can't beat yummy ham with a nice nutty swiss heated together in a croissant. This was definitely a great way to start off our day.

One day, I will eat these sandwiches combined. Starbucks got the croissant game going strong. I need their super steroid oven to warm up sandwiches everyday in a snap.

Let me get something straight. I love Starbucks. 100% for it. But, I also love other coffee brands out there as well. But why I love Starbucks is their iconic trademark on their brand. They know what they are doing. When I was in Japan, I had to get Starbucks every morning. And luckily, there was one right downstairs of our Hotel. I told John if we were millionaires, I would want to have a big home, with a Starbucks inside.

And don't be one of those pretentious guppies telling me you hate Starbucks and how you love xyz so much better. I WILL DENY YOU.

Cheers,

Daisy

 

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Jazz Cat Shabu

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Jazz Cat Shabu

I've been going to Jazz Cat ever since they opened their first location in Alhambra, when it used to be next to Noodle World on Valley. They closed that location a few years ago, to open a larger location in San Gabriel. Now, they have a few more locations spread out. I do wish, that they kept the original style of when they first opened in Alhambra. The presentation was different from the tradition hot pot we are used to, it was actually pretty. And, they served this seafood/pork paste in a bamboo tube. Now, it's just a simple plate of protein with the veggies.

I've gotten sick this week, and have been trying to recover, but this weather has been kicking my ass. Los Angeles is finally cold, and here goes everyone complaining now that they missed the sun. Are you kidding me? It was like yesterday when the whole population of Los Angeles were crying for summer to be over. And now it is. So get used to the it. The cold mornings where getting out of bed is like traveling through a blizzard storm. Those runny nose days and green snots.

Luckily, I am not that sick. I am smart enough to force myself to drink fluids all day. Even though I had wine, rum and beer (don't ask), I am still somewhat well rested enough to get through the day. John was nice enough to suggest eating out so I didn't have to cook. But picking a place is always the hardest part. Why is that? No it's not a girl thing. If I had a choice, it will be buffets, burgers, tacos and fried chicken. I have the worst, biggest appetite you will ever meet. And it's scary.

But, Jazz Cat is a place I ALWAYS want to eat at. Raw marbled meat, cooked gently in hot seasoned broth, dipped in Satay sauce, and then eaten with a big hunk of rice. We always order the same thing.

Jazz Cat House Broth (Non Spicy)

You get the option of ordering it regular, or the "T-rex" version which has more meat, but less vegetables. MORE meat all the way. I didn't order this spicy because I really love the flavors of the soup. If I wanted something spicy I would probably try their other soup bases, and they have a lot to pick from.

Beef

I've had many hot pot places all over SGV. And there isn't any place I would rather eat at than Jazz Cat. The meats are extremely tender and delicious. It's not all you can eat, but I don't really care for a place like that when I get full from this. For a little under $14 before tax and tip, you can get good quality beef with a delicious soup base. John cooks his eggs over-easy while I like my eggs to be soft boiled.

What I do first: Throw in all my vegetables. I like my veggies extra cooked in the sauce as it also releases flavor into the soup. Once the soup starts to boil, grab your beef, give it a quick swish, dip it in your satay sauce, and eat it with the rice. I can't even begin to tell you how happy it makes me to have good hot pot. Screw fat kid eats cake, it's fat kid eats rice. My body felt extremely soothed, warm, and ready to sleep which was much needed.

Oh and guess what? The service here is always amazing. Unless you are just a total douche bag, then no. But every time we come, the servers are always coming by and checking if everything was okay and if we needed anything. Like, if we needed anything? Who asks that in SGV? not a living soul. It's more like, don't bother me unless you want a refill or your bill. Not here, service gets 100% from me.

rice

I just can't give up rice. Ever. I think I might die, like, really. I have a large potato sack worth of Jasmine rice because I just love eating it with my dishes. The whole experience just wouldn't be the same. There's a phrase I grew up with called "Pah fan" which literally mean dig rice. So when we eat rice, we would pah fan, because we are literally digging the rice into our mouths. Funny huh? That explains why I eat a lot of rice since my parents would always tell us that.

If my brother David sees this post, he would be pissed that we didn't invite him... BUT with that said, I am totally down to come back again!

See you soon Jazz Cat.

121 E Valley Blvd, San Gabriel, CA 91776

Happy swishy swooshy.

Daisy

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Tacos Tu Madre

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Tacos Tu Madre

Hello,

Today I've gotten the opportunity to enjoy an amazing treat hosted by Damon Eats (@damoneats) for the soft opening of Tacos Tu Madre.

Tacos Tu Madre is a little shack with dia de los muertos art outside of the restaurant. Being a taco lover all my life, this was definitely a tasting I am excited about. I grew up eating street tacos such as: lengua, cabeza, buche, chicharron, Suadero, and tripas. So you can imagine my appreciation for the craft.

Tacos Tu Madre is a contemporary take on the classic tacos with a few spins on ingredients such as Duck Foie Gras.

Menu

Menu

Prices are still unknown at the moment, but you can see a large variety of tacos to test. Come with a group. Or someone who is really hungry that can eat. Like me. I always like to eat. So you can try a lot of them.

Course

Chorizo Eggs

This was one of our favorites, hence the first image. The chorizo had good flavor, and was not dry like a lot of chorizo I've had. The eggs were cooked perfectly over easy with a surprise ooey gooey center that became a finger licking madness. I was a bit intimidated by the size of the chorizo, but it was perfect with the eggs and handmade tortilla. I would definitely order this in a burrito.

Ahi Tuna

Another favorite. I'm a huge fan of a simple tartare. Simple, some dishes should be left that way and they did a great job at this one. The tuna was plump, was perfectly seasoned and not overly dressed with the sesame oil, ripened avocado, with a touch of furikake. I would love them to make a LARGE crunchy taco out of this. Just saying.

Fried

Fried Chicken and Fried Shrimp. I love fried anything. Especially in a taco. I have to say, their tortillas held up really well for all the dishes. The chicken had a tangy worcestershire/katsu sauce. The shrimp had a good fresh take with crema, salsa and pickled onions. Both were perfectly fried, and seasoned ever so slightly.

Taco Porn

Top Left: Asada, carnitas. Bottom Left: Korean, Al Pastor.

Delicious everything. Though, I did feel some tacos didn't need cheese. It masked the flavors of the marinade and seasonings of some dishes, but the cotija that they used was very tasty.

Drinks

Don't forget to tip the bartender. At food events with open bar, people think the bartenders are just there to pour you drinks. No. It's common courtesy to tip the bartender even if it's free.

All drinks were exciting and fun. And Yes. I think I drank all 3 in less than an hour. No I am not an alcoholic, I just like cocktails. The one with the lime is their El Diablo: Tequila based, Ginger Beer, and Creme De Casis. Vampire Punch is the one with pomegranates: Gin Based, Compari, Orange Juice and Soda. Death before Dinner is the Vader looking one: Rum Based, Grapefruit, maraschino, lime, and a few drops of charcoal.

Sweets

Horchata Slush

This was so freaking amazing. I can't even tell you how good this was. It was a perfect warm day in Los Angeles in the high 80's and this will definitely be something I will be driving out here for. You taste the creaminess and roasty flavors of the rice, with the perfect amount of sugar and cinnamon ratio. I'm so glad this was something I did not miss and definitely something I don't regret going in my belly.

Red Velvet Churros

We waited a long time for these because they ran out. But it's ok. When there's a wait, it gives you every right to drink. These churros are denser than what I'm used to, but their cinnamon sugar and cream cheese frosting were delicious.

And then, it all came out at once.

When churros fly out of the kitchen, you need a photo bomb huddle. What's not to love right?

It was a very fun afternoon spent with local foodies, eat a shit load of tacos, and have plenty of drinks. The turnout for this event was great. This shack is small and quaint, so make sure you don't bring a family/friends of 10 and expect to find seats. Opening tomorrow, November 1, I am appreciative that I was invited to this social media event. What better way to snap photos of food, but with a group of foodies who get it.

I took over 200 shots today. Pretty impressive.

1945 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025

By the way, they open late, so yeah. Drunk or Hungover, they will take care of you.

Happy Taco Hunting!

Daisy

 

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LaLas Argentinian Grill

A colleague took me here for the first time back when I worked in Hollywood. I didn't know what to expect, but knew the food was going to be great based off of tasting their chimicurri.  

Going a little deeper with their chimichurri sauce, it was basically freaking amazing. I never remembered it to me pulverized like some restaurants, but you can still see a few of the leafy bits. My friend ordered 2 because he didn't want to share. Now I get why.  

I've tried many things here. But one thing I was surprised on how delicious it was, were their burger. 

Lalas Burger

I'm a burger snob. There's just nothing I love more than a good patty between bread. And when they ask you how you like your burger done, you know you are in for a good treat. It had good meat flavor, a beautiful char, but the best part was slathering the chimichurri sauce on. ALL over. Slow motion. Big bite. Finger-licking-napkin-faced- GOOD. 

Argentina Sausage  

I've never had this before, but I did enjoy this. Yes. Chimichurri met the sausage. It has a nice snap and well balanced with the salsa. I've also tried blood sausage before. Unique and actually quite good. As long as you can get passed the blood part.

I'll definitely be back soon because this place makes bad ass food. So if you are ever in town and want to eat here, take me. 

7229 Melrose Ave.

Los Angeles, CA 90046

Tel (323) 934 6838

Sunday / Thursday 11AM till 11PM

Friday and Saturday 11AM till 12AM

wine alllll night. 

cheers, 

Daiisies  

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Dog Haus - Pasadena

My aunt Betty and cousin Celia were visiting from San Francisco this weekend to take care of some things. My aunt recently moved to San Francisco a year ago for her retirement, and to be closer to her daughters as well as her new born granddaughter.

To save this story for my next post, we were in queue as to when we were going to have dinner, so my dad told us to eat a snack first and dinner will be later around 7 - 8pm. This was around 3 close to 4 when he told me. John and I were done with the gym, and yea we were pretty hungry.

And that's where our post workout meal landed us at Dog Haus in Pasadena.

It was my first time here. John used to come with Brad, his best friend, that left us to Arizona (what a jerk right?). So now, John took me. I realized they used Hawaiin Kings roll instead of your American white logs, and they also have tater tots as an option for a side. Without getting too excited, I just wanted to stick with the classic downtown dog. John got a little leaguer, and we shared an order of tater tots and soda pop.

That looks pretty fantastic doesn't it? And a total failure to what a snack should be. Just imagine how full we felt afterwards.

This was my Downtown Dog. It consisted of a smoked bacon wrapped dog, caramelized onions, roasted bell peppers, mayo, mustard and ketchup. There was a few things I wished. One, was I couldn't unfortunately taste the bacon and wished the roasted peppers weren't so wilted that the only texture came from the dog. Other than that, I did enjoy the crispy toasty Hawaiin roll and the perfect combination of everything else.

Little Leaguer

Ok. I only looked passed this because there was "Little" in the name, and I was not looking for something little as a snack considering how hungry I was. If I actually read the description of " haus chili, fritos, shredded cheddar, diced onions" I would've ordered this in a HEARTBEAT. This was a pretty good dog. I wished the fritos had a stronger corn chip flavor due to it being slightly stale, but I still liked this better than the Downtown dog. I would order this again. I am the hugest sucker for Chili cheese. HUGE.

Tater Tots

Fried-to-perfect. Each one very extremely crispy with a piping hot center. Next time, I'm going to order these with Chili cheese.. because everything should have chili cheese... everything...

So there you go, a quick post workout meal after LA Fitness in Hastings Ranch. We always tend to find something to eat or going towards Pasadena because that's where the food is closest. Dinner ended up being at 7:30pm... so we were pretty screwed..

But in my genes, our family will eat no matter if we are hungry or full. Just wait and see later what we ate.

Enjoy a fantastic Sunday! I'm off to the Race tracks to celebrate a dear friend of mine's birthday today, Patrick Yorba. If I come home still standing from the champagne and endless shrimp cocktails, be ready to see my Chinese meal with my family.

Cheers!

Daiisies

 

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