Rose City Pizza - Rosemead

November 28, 2015

Small Business Saturday is today, 11/28. This is a huge day to acknowledge many small businesses out there. The underdogs that are hidden behind large businesses gets to shine, today. Rose City Pizza is located close to me, and I love the vibe that I get when I walk in. No bullshit. No fluff. They are who they say they are and do what they do best. Make a pretty damn good pizza. I've been here a couple of times, and I can really speak that the owners of this place are humble, and hard working (I've never spoken to them, but I can tell just by how they work). This is a joint you will want to come just to show support. So what better way, to share Small Business Saturday, than at a local joint that serves the local community.

Without further ado, it's time for some good pies.

I really wanted pizza fries, tots, anything fried. But I need to calm down a bit since I've been devouring my face in fried greasy foods all thanks to Thanksgiving and Black Friday. I really thought I was going to order their Deluxe. But... Stromboli. Was literally sitting there, with my name, patiently waiting for my arrival like my flight just landed. I couldn't keep my eyes off the sesame crusted dough.

There is a problem when your food is sexier than you. But I did kind of feel sex(ier) eating this. The sauce, is everything that I would want minus the spicy kick. Which is fine because I doused tons of red chili flakes anyways. But the sauce had a strong, beautiful, garlic presence. I love garlic. So when I say I can taste the garlic, I ain't playing around. And if you don't love garlic, then we really have a problem here. I don't want to have to question our friendship... The stromboli is stuffed with gooey stretchy mozzarella cheese, pepperoni and italian sausage. The dough was VERY crispy outside and soft on the inside. The sesame seeds really made the dough pop, and I probably wouldn't have paid attention to it if it wasn't on top. Very delicious.

John ordered the Aloha. Hawaiian pizza is not something that I normally order. But oh my bacon gods has landed. Bacon in Hawaiian pizzas is NOW imperative. And you know what? If you think about the sauce and the pineapple, it's sweet and usually one noted (does that sentence even make sense) but with the salty bacon, it really transformed a classic into something totally different. Simple. But DUH why didn't I think of this?

Make sure to get your foot in whenever you are around. There is a Target and Starbucks. Target was our first destination for Lactaid pills (yes, I know), followed by Rose City Pizza, and then Starbucks for a pick-me-up. I am genius.

3588 ROSEMEAD BLVD. ROSEMEAD, CA 91770 (626) 280-8885

Cheers,

Daisy

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L &E Oyster Bar - Yakuza Izakaya - MILK. HBD Brother.

November 23, 2015

We celebrated my brother's birthday on Sunday, 11/22, but his birthday is on the 11/24. He was asking what's for dinner, and like every year whether it's my birthday or his, our responses to each other when asked is always "McDonald's". I did offer him a 20 pc chicken nugget combo instead of the 10. See? Best f*cking sister EVER-ever.

Just look at him with his skinny legs, all cool. And there's me. With that pissed off resting bitch face that I just can't get rid of. I'm telling you, I'm born with it. But deng, I'm looking cute. Not trying to take the spotlight away from my brother, but my bowl cut is on point.

My brother wanted an early dinner, which worked out perfectly because ONE: I like to go out early and TWO: We ended up hopping to another restaurant.

So first things first. L & E Oyster Bar.

1637 Silver Lake Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026

We arrived a little short under 5:30. It was quiet and pretty much remained that way for the rest of our dinner. Going back to first things first, drinks. My brother and I ordered a beer. The beer list is pretty small. There were only 5 on the list I believe with 4 being drafts. There are a lot more options for wine, but you know me, I love to slug beer down my throat.. but.. I also do that with wine too so..

The complimentary amuse bouche Hush Puppies were amaze balls. With a touch of honey just adds the finishing punch to make this good to great. Wouldn't this be great to serve during the holidays? I would eat so much of these I would be scared of myself. My new years resolution will be ruined till 2017 comes along.

Second. Oysters.

These were $30 for a dozen of the daily special. They were okay... but weren't too memorable. I think we were all spoiled by the fantastic oysters we had at the Santa Monica Pier during Special Olympics. We had the most amazing oysters that day served by The Providence. But out of the 3 Pacific osyters that we tried, the Kusshi was my favorite while everyone liked the Reach island.

For $17, I will definitely pass. To be honest, there was little to none shrimp flavor. I love love LOVE shrimp cocktail, so this was extremely disappointing. I don't say this much, but I did feel slightly robbed.

I love raw oysters, but, I love fried oysters. I don't know why and I get it. Everyone wants that fresh oyster. But it's annoying me how oysters are the new pretentious food item that everyone raves about. Not saying I don't love it because I do, especially with a big fat Uni on top. But, I have the hugest appreciation for cooked oysters as well. I'm extremely versatile, and will not deny food that is good. I'm tired of people who thinks fried oysters are cheap oysters. And that raw oysters are the only way to go. Like get real. Rare steak does not taste as good as medium rare. Does that make sense? We were all babies once. Heck I ate glue and thought it was marshmallow cream. Get over it.

Going back to fried oysters. Yes, I love fried oysters so damn much. And at times, better than loving fresh oysters. I love how the texture of the oyster changes when it's cooked and the flavors become more pungent. With the fried contrast from the crumbs, and the creamy/tart flavors of the lemon and tartar sauce, there isn't anything else I would rather eat. All my friends know how much I LOVE fried oysters. The ratio from the breading needs to be spot. The crust on these were delicious, though I wished they used a larger oyster, for that texture that I am looking for. 10 orders of this, with a big pitcher of beer, stretchy pants, and loud Backstreet Boys "Drowning - in your love". I will be in heaven.

These roasted cauliflowers were roasted and served with finger lime avocado mojo & sweet potato chips. Pretty good, but simple. I love Cauliflower, and felt this was something I could make at home. $12.

$32. I wasn't too pleased sadly. So sad. Anyways.. There was a profound flavor of cumin, which masked the whole dish. It was almost impossible to taste the fish. The other thing that was extremely disappointing, was all the bones that were left. Maybe I'm comparing a Branzino that I've had at Bestia in Downtown LA which for $31, had all the bones removed. I know, I sound like a spoiled brat. We weren't sure which part of the fish were bones, or if there were any left in the spaghetti squash. Being extremely careful, I still managed to get one stabbed in the roof of my mouth.

Check!

Next hop! Yakuza Sushi Izakaya

With a name like that? How can you go wrong! And by now, our expectations are low.

FIRST THINGS FIRST! SAKE!

I am not a fan of hot sake, but since the brother wanted it, he gets it. It's always the first one, like all other face punching shots out there, that is the hardest to take down. After that, slugging Daisy is out! ANOTHERRR ONNEEE! (Trust me. I can get dangerous to cheers with).

Top left: Yellowtail Belly sushi, Salmon and Yellowtail cut roll, Bonjiri and Sunagimo.

Bottom left: Fried squid legs, Blue crab roll, chicken karaage.

Everything was better than expected. I think the funnest part about this was our low expectations. And my brother really wanted sake. And tacos. He really wanted tacos.

The reason why we crossed the street to dine here in the first place, was because the menu at L&E was very limited to what we really wanted. And it's really hard to eat oysters to get full. At $3+ each, the bill can easily become a car payment. And if you can afford to eat $3 raw oysters till you are full, I will punch your face. Who the hell eats $3 oysters until you are full?! No matter how rich you are. Don't do that. Fried oysters, maybe. But I have John.. my all of a sudden trainer and dietitian when I start consuming a lot of calories during dinner. GOD WHY CAN'T HE LET ME LIVE!

MILK

This is not similar to Blue Bunny or Good Humor strawberry shortcake. This was just simply strawberry ice cream dipped in white chocolate. I was extremely disappointed since I was really expecting the traditional flavors of BB/GH. This tasted nothing like it. I know it's still a good pop, but not the original.

Strawberry Macaron Ice Cream and Banana tres leches. Both of these were yummy. Their macaron had a good chew, not too sweet, perfect combination with the ice cream. The bananas tres leches was amazing! Super rich and creamy in the best most lactose intolerant way. I definitely got bloated after eating these, and the gas last through my next lifetime. Yeah I know I have no filter.

DENG that's COLD. It was a lovely evening though we could've had a few more beers and sake. It was, Sunday after all. And the time was ticking to rush home to watch The Walking Dead. Did you guys see it yet? No spoiler alerts, but social media Memes are OUT OF THIS WORLD funny as hell.

As for more drinks.. that will be something we are planning shortly in the month of December. Stay tuned for that.

Happy Birthday DAVID!

I am broke.

Daisy

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Smitty's Grill

November 18, 2015

My supervisor took me with her to a Vendor lunch today for new partnership opportunities in our broadcast department. I love going to Smitty's for a good cocktail, shrimp cocktail, more cocktails, and endless conversations.

Glancing through the menu, I really didn't feel all that hungry. But for some reason, I ordered a burger. I should've ordered a salad, or seafood. Something that screams I'm not that hungry. A burger? What was I thinking?

In no time, our food came in a snippy.

Applewood smoked bacon, grilled onions, white Vermont cheddar, and rattlesnake bbq sauce.

Umm hey guys I know it's the first time you are meeting me... And I should've ordered something cleaner.. But. BURGER! Get in my BELLY NOW! Of course these guys have no idea what a foodie I am. And I only got lucky with this photo because my supervisor brought up my love for food (thanks Kathy!)

The burger was not just big, it was juicy, good greasy from the cheese and bbq sauce. Each bite that I took needed to be followed by licking my fingers. Extra napkins is mandatory. White or beige pants especially, should have a napkin over, with the dirty on top of that.

The burger had no chance. Even though I wasn't that hungry as I said, I can never leave a burger half eaten. It's just not in my character. The burger itself was huge. Had a nice smoked charrrr. Delicious smoked bacon with crispy edges. And the sauce was finger-licking good.

When I got back to the office, I went straight to the kitchen and poured myself a big cup of Joe, and chugged it like vodka.

Until next time Smitty's. When I am there to guzzle myself with endless martinis and talk like a pirate.

daisy

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Hainan Chicken

November 17, 2015

Hello, you. Work, life, has been insanely busy for me. My internet is down, it's like 9:30 at night and I am crashing from 4 cups of coffee. I don't need help, I need sleep! But, I had a little time after work to grab a quick beer with a coworker.

Just a quick gulp and catching up before headed home to deal with cleaning and cooking, but mostly cleaning. We grabbed our beers from "Rounds" in Pasadena on North Lake Avenue.

Ok as I am writing this blog, my mom literally sent me like 10 food images. Wondering where I get my passion from.

Going back to being busy, and tired. I was using the excuse that maybe I have allergies, and that's why I'm so tired because my eyes feel heavy, swollen, and small. But no. I need to come to realization that sleeping past 12 to wake up at 6am doesn't work anymore.

So with that said, I needed to make something fast. Easy. Without making a mess. Something I can get done quickly, so I can eat it, and tell you about it. YOU. See how important you are?

HAINAN CHICKEN

I got 3 Cups of white jasmine rice, rinsed 3 times. I then filled it with chicken broth as you would for 3 cups of rice. If the palms of my hands is touching the rice with my fingers flat, the liquid should come up slightly above my knuckles.

I took one slice of lime and about 6 slices of ginger to cook together with the rice. Leave it. It's done and wait for it to cook.

The ginger scallin sauce is simple. I grated (and you can always finely mince) 4-5 tablespoons of ginger, finely chopped one large bundle of green onions (about 6 stems), and minced 2 cloves of garlic. Combine these ingredients together and dash 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Heat 1/3 of a cup of oil, I used Thrive Algae Oil because that's what I've been using lately, but you want a flavorless oil. When the oil is heated, just simply pour it into your mixture, and add 2 tablespoons of soy sauce. Your sauce is done!

For the chicken, I got a 4-5 pound thigh pack from the market. I trimmed off as much fat as I could so I wouldn't have that much trouble with cleaning. I boiled 1/2 a pot of water, enough to submerge the chicken, 2 tablespoons of salt to season the water, the rest of the lime slices that I didn't use, 6-8 large slices of ginger, 3 large cloves of garlic, 2 stems of green onion, and 1 tablespoon of white pepper. Now, let the chicken boil and simmer for 30 minutes on medium.

Now. The recipe is literally something I threw together. No science. But if I didn't like it, I wouldn't spend the time to tell you about it. Laying here awkwardly writing this on my phone, sucking away my data. You eat this chicken and tell me you love it!

Anyways, check your rice. If it turns out a little dry, pour in more chicken stock from your pot of chicken. When ready to serve, scoop some rice, take your chicken, and then slather the ginger scallion sauce over the chicken. The sauce is everything eaten together with the rice and chicken. My dad used to put the sauce in a can of sardines. Don't ask. I don't know. I don't like that. But he does.

This is another huge staple of something I grew up eating. Quick and comforting, and as always, extremely affordable.

now it's 9:54pm. I can still make it to sleep now! Just need to brush my teeth!

Happy cooking and let me know what you think.

remember that food should always be accessible!

Daisy

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Comoncy - Studio City - Best Breakfast of 2015

November 15, 2015

I got an invitation to visit the new Comoncy Cafe out in Studio City. They have a total of 3 locations: Beverly Hills, Studio City, and Scottsdale Arizona. I was recommended to check the new location since it's larger with more creative innovations on the menu to check out. I would rather head out to Studio City anyways, since LA traffic is never forgivable.

I've never been to Comoncy before, but after seeing their menu, it's something I would check out for a good breakfast. Breakfast is hard to find. Considering how large and populated with restaurants LA county is, it's hard to find that ONE, that can do it all. What I mean by that is, I hate how some cafes serve crappy espresso. Or great coffee, but terrible eggs and bacon. There's never that one place, that I can knock out all birds with one stone. Well Comoncy, I think they've done it.

Best Breakfast of 2015

The spread was pretty simple. And, there are some things that I just can't say no to. John was supportive on pigging out by having another dish to accompany this meal. And, cappuccino is always necessary. Always. At a place like this, it would be a waste to not have espresso. Trust me, it's good.

First thing first. Cappuccino.

Being super stoked about the design, I used one pack of raw cane sugar. Don't be a snob to tell me you drink it straight without sugar. Good for you. But a pack of sugar can really help the notes of the espresso pop. Kind of like putting ice with your whiskey, does that make sense? The espresso was extremely good and better than I expected! Loved how this was something they highly recommended. So good, that we bought some to take home.

A must. I love ordering huevos rancheros, and couldn't keep my eyes off from the menu about it. It's a huge breakfast staple for me, and I assumed it will be good at Comoncy if they had the audacity to put it on their menu! THEY DID NOT FAIL! John was SO sneaky about this too. He took a few big bites, and I had to ask how it tastes before he tells me it's amazing. What a jerk! Like, does he really think I wasn't going to notice half of it missing?! Comoncy rendition of huevors rancheros were : organic eggs over easy, crispy blue corn tortilla, avocado, black beans, and ranchero sauce. Everything was perfect about this dish. I loved the black beans and the contrast it brought to the crispy blue corn tortilla. It wasn't too thick or pasty, but extremely smooth and creamy. The soft over easy eggs with the ranchero, the avocado, and everything all in a bite, made my eyes rolled back. I mean literally I think I went blind for a second. It was like, the huevos rancheros god descended from above and blessed this plate. Super flavorful, but not heavy like the others I've had. I can't say no to this. This is a must when I come back, and something that I recommend to you. Dash some hot sauce, and tell me if you blacked out too.

Their steak sandwich was composed of : Brioche bun, prime sirloin steak, red cabbage slaw, lemon vinaigrette,organic Roma tomato, avocado, and horseradish aioli. Ok, The prime sirloin definitely gives you a run for the money. It was very tender and very flavorful. I had absolutely no trouble at all take perfect bites from this, It may look tiny, but it's loaded with steak and I love how they don't skimp. The brioche bun was fantastic. Flaky and not too eggy like some other ones I've had. I actually love how I could taste the butter in the bun. The lemon vinaigrette is not subtle as well, in the best way I can say it. Everything just married perfectly. Even the tomatoes were freaking delicious. This was one of their many lunch items that they carry. I must come back to devour more.

Baguette, Greek Yogurt, berries and organic maple syrup. I've never had yogurt with french toast, and thought this was another success. Fruits and yogurt with sweet maple syrup. What could possibly sound wrong with that? It was also my first time having french toast with baguette, which I didn't mind. Sometimes, brioche could be too heavy. Literally egg on egg. This was very light, but something I would share. The basil really made this dish pop. It was a little touch, but really made this bright and fresh.

At the end of our meal, I've concluded that this was the best breakfast I've had all year, and seems to stay that way for the rest of 2015. I can't wait to come back, and have more dishes. Though the huevos rancheros is going to be hard to pass up.

With that said, I hope you will find a way to make it out for a taste. Their breakfast is ON POINT along with their espressos. Which, I also highly recommend you getting. The brand is Equator and the beans are "Tigerwalk".

I'm hoping more Comoncy cafes will open more locations, as for now, I and we will have to make our trips. Let me know what you think.

STUDIO CITY : 12265 Ventura Blvd, Studio City, CA 91604 (323) 391-2096

BEVERLY HILLS : 413 N. Bedford Dr.Beverly Hills, CA 90210 (424) 285-8874

SCOTTSDALE: 7301 E. Indian Plaza, Scottsdale, AZ 85251 (480) 361-1339

Happy eatings!

Daisy

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Wine & Dine

Rose City Pizza - Rosemead

L &E Oyster Bar - Yakuza Izakaya - MILK. HBD Brother.

So first things first. L & E Oyster Bar.

Next hop! Yakuza Sushi Izakaya

MILK

Smitty's Grill

Hainan Chicken

Comoncy - Studio City - Best Breakfast of 2015