Aug 31, 2007

Creme Brulee - Another Surprising First Try

The heat wave has been overwhelmingly surrounding Orange County these days,
As a way to avoid direct contact with the gruesome sunlight,
I've been hiding in the house during day times.

But there's not much to do,
So I just kept wandering around my little squarish home, and I stopped, in front of the fridge.
Let me look what's inside..
Eggs, enormous amount of eggs,
I guess it's time to roll up my sleeves and make those eggs into something light and delicious to start out this sizzling Labor Day weekend.

One Large Creme Brulee-


Ingredients?

3/4 cup of heavy cream
1/4 cup of milk
1/4 cup of sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Hot water

How?

Just by looking at those ingredients you should know that it will be a really simple dessert to make.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
Simply whisk all the ingredients together and pour the mixture into the ramekin.
You can mix and match between heavy cream, half & half, or milk for the cream mixture,
Just remember it's about 1 cup of those milky stuff per serving.
And of course using the real vanilla bean makes a better creme brulee,
Too bad I still don't know where can I buy it around my area,
I'll keep my eyes wide open next time I go to the grocery store.

Enough of my babbling, let's transfer the ramekin into a pan and fill it with hot water about half way to the ramekin.
In to the oven for about 40 minutes or so, check regularly by poking a knife into the mixture,
If the knife comes out clean, it's ready.

Silly Me Getting All Excited Making This Dessert-


Now put the unfinished creme brulee into the fridge for at least 4 hours.
One thing about creme brulee is that you can make it early and store it in the fridge before serving,
Saves a lot of efforts when you're holding a party!

So when you've decided to monger on your creme brulee,
Turn on the broiler, torch will be much easier but I'm not that fully equipped in my kitchen yet,
Evenly toss some sugar on the top,
Put the creme without the brulee part in the oven for about 2 minutes, until the sugar is caramelized.
I kept checking on my creme brulee during this step cz I never make it before,
I was afraid that I gonna ruin it, I tend to mess up my dishes, not like this never happened before.

Set it aside for a few minutes and it's time for some sweet goodies.

What was I doing before writing this blog entry?
Sitting in the house with my lovely creme brulee and watching people on the streets wiping out their sweat.

Cindy's Rating: 7

Aug 29, 2007

Reunion with My Lovely Friend "Long Long"

"Long Long" (蓉蓉) is finally in LA!
Flew all the way from Taiwan to NY, and from NY to LA,
She's now on the soil of this sunshine state!

I haven't seen her for ages, ok, actually only a few months,
But it feels like forever since we haven't really talk to each other during this period,
No phone calls and no msn (which is one of my essential tool to communicate with the outside world).
That doesn't mean we're not close at all,
Good friends don't need to stick together 24/7 in order to be "connected!"

So as a food lover like me, what did I do when I first met her in LA?


Showed her some good food from Park's Bar B Que, (http://foodmakesmehappy.blogspot.com/2007/06/parks-barbeque.html)
Caught up with each other about what's going on these days,
And enjoyed every moment we had together.
Who knows when will be the next time I get see my big sister.

For sure I'll try to meet up with Long Long as often as I can during her stay in LA,
Maybe have her over at my place for a nice and warm homemade dinner,
Let's just cross fingers that she won't get scared after eating my food!
Or foodsick cz I just can't stop pushing food into her mouth.
I love sharing!

A Japanese Touch for Your Sea Bass


Ingredient?

2 sea bass fillets
2 stalks of scallion (chopped into long slices)
About 3 slices of ginger
Soy sauce
Mirin
Chinese rice wine (米酒)
Sugar
Water

How?

In a deep pan, combine all the liquid ingredients together with scallion and ginger.
The approximate ratio for those liquid ingredient follows:
Water, soy sauce, rice wine, mirin, sugar. (4:2:1:1:1).

Bring it to a boil for about 2 minutes.
Pat dry the fish with a paper towel and toss it in to the pan.
Cook for about 5 minutes or so with the lid on and it's ready to go.

I don't have a lid for my pan so I just cook it till the sauce is reduced for about 1/3 of the amount.
Garnish with chopped scallion if desired.

PS. Ginger helps to get rid of the fishy taste and gives a fresh punch to the sea bass.

Cindy's Rating: 6 (as simple as 1-2-3)

Aug 27, 2007

Haroo Tea House

I'm so glad that there's one more place to go for a few drinks,
What I mean drinks here = tea. Sorry for all the alcoholics out there.

Haroo Tea House-


I love their business card, which the actual street map was printed on it.
That makes everything easier for someone like me (I get lost about once every other week).

Green Tea Tangerine and Jasmine Pearl (I haven't pour the water yet)-


They have a wide selection of tea,
From Oolong to Earl Grey, from fruit tea to ice milk tea.
Not to mention those "functional" tea that will soothe your uncomfortableness when you are suffering from nausea, headache, pms, etc.

Interior-


The place is cozy and spacious,
Unlike most of the boba tea places, Haroo seems more "peaceful," probably due to the lower noise level and more layback design.

How much I wish there's a nice tea place next to my neighborhood, with delicious dessert and wireless connection.
Am I asking too much?

Cindy's Rating: 7

Aug 26, 2007

Star Wars VS. Disney

Few weeks ago I got a return mail from the post office saying that my stamp was 2 cents short from the price I supposed to pay,
My stamp was 39 cents, since when the postage went up to 2 cents more?
Oh well,
So I made my trip to the post office and found out that how creative our stamps can get these days.

Here's What I Used for One of My Letter-


Look at how big that stamp is, wish whoever's gonna pick up the letter won't confuse this as a toy sticker.

And Here Are the New Sets of 41 Cents Stamps-


How am I going to tear off that Micky stamp and send it somewhere else?
They are too cute to be used.

Aug 24, 2007

Simplified Mango Parfait with Blueberry Yogurt


Ingredient?

1 ripe mango (cubed)
1 lime juice
1 tablespoon of honey
1 organic blueberry yogurt

How?

First save a small amount of cubed mango on the side. It'll be used as the top layer of the parfait.

Toss in the remaining mango in the blender, along with the lime juice and honey. Blend till smooth.
Pour in a container and freeze for about one hour.

Prepare a wine glass or any other desired container for the parfait.
I use blueberry yogurt as the very bottom layer,
The mango mixture from the freezer as second bottom layer,
Another yogurt layer on top of that,
And I pour in the remaining mango mixture and toss in the cubed mango I saved earlier.

This dessert is very easy to make and you can mix and match with all kinds of fruits you like,
I think next time I'll try it out with passion fruit!
Let the experiment begins!

Cindy's Rating: 5

Aug 23, 2007

Aglio e Olio? Not Quite There.

I feel like I've been making pasta these days,
What can I say?
It's one of the simplest dish that I can make in 30 minutes!
Fine,
I'm just lazy (yet still refuse to eat out every single meal).

Spaghetti with A Lot of Stuff (what a name)-


Ingredients (4 to 5 people, if you're eating with me, probably only 4)?

1 box of linguini
3 shallots (chopped)
5 garlic cloves (at least 5 cloves, minced)
2 handful of shrimps (shelled and deveined)
5 pieces of chicken thighs (cubed or sliced)
1 box of button mushroom (sliced)
1 can of tomato with herbs
1 cup of dry white wine
Extra virgin olive oil
salt

How?

Almost the never changing steps of cooking pasta,
First boil the water, add some salt, and toss in the linguini.
Cook according to the instruction on the box, al dente will be the ideal condition for these pasta.

In another pan, drizzle some olive oil and toss in the chopped shallots with some salt.
About one minute, toss in the garlic and wait for another one minute.
Garlic smells great!

Put the chicken in the pan, after a while, add the mushrooms and shrimp.
Pour the tomato with herbs along with the wine.

I was going to use fresh basil and sun dried tomato for the dish, but I saw this can of tomato with herbs on the aisle yesterday when I was at the supermarket.
In my mind...
" Why can't I just use the can, it makes everything easier!"
So I walked about 50 steps and put that box of fresh basil in my hand back to the vegetable area.

Bring everything to a boil and turn to medium heat,
Stir in the drained linguini,
Less than 30 minutes and my lovely dinner is done.

Ps. Shrimps and clams will be a perfect match with the sauce. I would like to use clams instead of chicken, somehow the clams I saw at the supermarket was like the size of a fist.

Cindy's Rating: 6

Aug 22, 2007

Thai Bamboo - Clean Environment with Friendly Service

What's good for dinner in a steamy hot summer night?
Thai food is the first thing that pops up in my mind.
I need something sour and spicy that fires up my appetite (even though I always have good appetite no matter what)!

They also have dishes dedicated specially to vegetarians-


Fish Cake (Tod Mun Pla)-


I can't wait for more food to come after gobbling down this appetizer.
Cindy's Rating: 6

Chicken with Basil-


The jasmine rice served on the side is good enough by itself,
But it tastes even better together with the sauce from this dish.

Cindy's Rating: 6

Coconut Milk Soup with Chicken-


I love creamy soup!

Cindy's Rating: 7

I really like Thai Bamboo,
The place is a little bit Americanized, but the food still tastes good (in an Americanized way).
Our waitress was serving me and my friend with smiley face the whole time.
One more thing, The restaurant was very clean, I can't even spot a tiny dust anywhere.
And it was only 5 minutes away from my place,
What more can I ask for?

Overall Rating: 6


Thai Bamboo
6715 Quail Hill Pkwy
Irvine, CA 92603

(949) 509-4771

Aug 20, 2007

Not So Chill Day in Laguna Beach

I was expecting a pretty chill weekend when I decided to spend my Sunday afternoon at Laguna Beach,
Unexpectedly it turned out to be a wee bit stressful day.

First thing I saw as I drove down Pacific Coast Hwy was a tremendous amount of automobiles.
They were everywhere that you couldn't even make a left turn because cars just kept passing by from the opposite direction.
Not mentioning the pain of searching for a parking spot while at least 5 other cars were aiming at any potential opening spaces at the same time.

The second "thing" I saw was numerous tiny black dots scattering on the beach and along the sidewalk.
People. Of course me myself contributed to one of the dot on the beach.
Lesson learned. Never go to the beach during weekends.

After all the struggles,
I finally managed a way and set my foot inside a restaurant,
230 Forest Avenue, where I had my overrated lunch.

Prosciutto Wrapped Shrimp-


This dish should be easy to recreate at home.
Simple ingredients: tomato, mozzarella, shrimp, prosciutto, balsamic vinegar, extra virgin oil, and maybe a slight touch of pesto sauce.
I'll definitely make this dish again when I get a chance.

Cindy's Rating: 6

Smoked Bacon Wrapped Dayboat Scallops-


The sweetness from the pineapple salsa balanced well with the saltiness of scallops and bacon.
However, the taste doesn't quite reach the standard that will make me order it again.

Cindy's Rating: 6

Frutti di Mare-


And This Little Fellow was Inside the Clam-


This could be one of my least favorite frutti di mare I've ever had before,
The whole plate was under seasoned, and the mussels were fairly fishy.

Cindy's Rating: 4

Flat Iron Steak Salad-


I didn't taste it but according to my friend, the salad was very fresh.

The dishes from 230 Forest Avenue are created by one of the most talented chef, Marc Cohen.
The restaurant itself is also crowned with the celebrated Zagat Award.
But somehow disappointment was beyond fulfillment.

Overall Rating: 5

230 Forest Avenue
230 Forest Avenue
Laguna Beach, CA 92651

(949) 494-2545


Aug 19, 2007

Watermelon Granita - Something Icy for This Mid-August Weather


Ingredient (for one serving)?

2 cups of watermelon
1/4 cup of sugar (or less)
half lime juice

How?

Blend all the ingredients together and pour onto a shallow pan.
Freeze the mixture for about one hour, take it out and slightly rake it with a fork.
Back to the freezer for another hour and repeat the step.
Are we done yet?
Don't worry, one more hour, rake it one last time, and your watermelon granita is ready to serve as your best companion for this mid-august weather!

Cindy's Rating: 6

Aug 18, 2007

Pork Chops with Scallion and Garlic Sauce - 青蔥醬豬排


Ingredients?

2 stalks of scallion (chopped, about 2 inches)
5 garlic cloves (minced)
4 slices of pork chops
Soy sauce
Mirin
Water
2 table spoons of butter
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Fresh ground black pepper

How?

Melt the butter in a hot skillet and sprinkle some salt with fresh ground pepper.
Toss in the scallion.
The big white-colored scallion actually fits better with this dish, but since I can't find that in the supermarket today, ordinary scallion will do the trick too.

After the scallion is slightly burned on the side, pour in the sauce (soy sauce, mirin, water. 2:1:1) along with the minced garlic.
Bring to a boil for about one minute, put the sauce into a separate bowl.

Clean the skillet first before we start pan-frying the pork chops.
Drizzle some olive oil and lay down the pork chops after the pan is well-heated.
Spray some salt and pepper while cooking, or you can finish this step in the beginning.

Pour the sauce mixture back to the skillet after the pork chops are fully cooked and slightly burned on the edges.
Bring to a boil and it will be ready in 1 minute!

Ps. The sauce is a perfect match with the rice!

Cindy's Rating: 7

Aug 17, 2007

TenRen or Tea Station?

This should be my favorite Chinese tea place with franchise throughout California.
TenRen (天仁) or Tea Station,
I've been so confused about their names.
Even though the menu, atmosphere, and store layout all looked similar, some called TenRen and some called Tea Station.
But who cares?
As long as the quality of my Osthmanthus Oolong Tea remains the same every time I visit the store-


Cindy's Rating: 8

Besides all the basic snacks you can find at a Chinese tea place, such as crispy chicken, fried fish balls, toast, etc,
Most of the TenRen/Tea Station also carry hot dishes such as Stir-Fried Udon-


Cindy's Rating: 7 (Based on the one in Rowland Heights)

Salty Sliced Pork with Dry Noodleds 碳香烏龍鹹豬肉乾麵-


Cindy's Rating: 6

They even have cheese cake with green tea powder-


Cindy's Rating: 5 (Tastes better with the whipped cream)

Their tea is like my savior during this burning summer season.
One good thing to carry me through until the snow comes.

Overall Rating: 7

Check their websites for stores near you:
http://www.teastation.us/#
http://www.tenren.com/

Aug 15, 2007

Gifts from Malaysia

Here's my new life after I started my first full-time job on Monday:

6:30 a.m. Struggle to open my eyes when the alarm rings. Next I start to roll around the bed for at least 10 more minutes.

8:00 a.m. Time to stare at the computer for the next six or so hours.
12:00 p.m. Thinking about lunch but uh uh, it's not time yet.
1:00 p.m. Food at last *if I'm not stuck with the project.
4:00 p.m. One more hour, only one more hour!

5:00 p.m. Sadly I have to stay longer in order to learn new project with my boss. *No overtime pay.

6:00 p.m. Dragging my legs home. My eyes are tired due to 6 plus hours of direct radiation.

6:30 p.m. Small snacks.

And here's what I got from my friend, who just came back from Malaysia a few days ago-


Moon cakes, flower clips, and a cute little bag.

There are four giant moon cakes inside the box, one of them is lotus paste flavor-


7:00 p.m. After finishing the snack, time to relax myself by working out, swimming, updating my blog, or just simply being a couch potato.

11:00 p.m. Head to my sac again.

Now I can finally understand why most of my full-time working friends chose to stay home after work everyday.
IT IS REALLY TIRING.

上班族好辛苦哦...

Aug 13, 2007

Apple and Carrot Juice


Ingredients?

1 Organic apple
1/3 Carrot
1 Cup of water

How?

Just toss everything in the blender for 2 minutes and it's done.
Only filter it if you want a smoother taste.
I always keep the remaining fruit chunks because those are the healthiest part of the juice.

You can also add honey to make it sweeter, or ice to make frozen juice.

Cindy's Rating: 7

Aug 12, 2007

Hunan Restaurant 湖南小館

There are 22 provinces in China.
Shanghai, Beijing, Sichuan, Tianjin....you name it all.
And because of the distinctive geographic and cultural characteristics throughout the continent,
Each of the provinces has its own distinguishing Chinese cuisine.

Hunan dishes, just like Sichuan dishes, are both known for its spiciness.
Besides the popular use of chili, Hunanian also likes to add a little bit of sourish taste to the meal. It's very flavorful and well seasoned.

And Here's Where I Had My Hunan Dishes-


Shredded Potato in Cold Spices 涼拌土豆絲-


Refreshing.
The sourish taste prevents the dish to become overpowering spicy.
Very well balanced between the two dominant flavors.

Cindy's Rating: 7

Dried Bean Curd with Squid 香炒小卷-


Too chewy,
Recommended by the waitress, but it turned out to be my least favorite dish of the night.

Cindy's Rating: 3

Sauteed On Choy 空心菜葉 with Twice Cooked Pork 香干回鍋肉-


Cindy's Rating for Both: 5

Overall Rating: 5

There are many good Chinese restaurants throughout Southern California,
Just stop by any of the Chinese areas (ex. Rowland Heights, Monterey Park, San Gabriel) and I can ascertain you a nice authentic meal.
Well, at least better than most of the national Chinese chain restaurants.


Hunan Restaurant 湖南小館
1015 S. Nogales Street #131
Rowland Heights, CA 91748

(626) 964-8458

Aug 11, 2007

Creme Caramel -又驚又喜的First Try-

First time making this,
I burned myself and cut myself throughout the process,
But at the moment when I poured the creme caramel out of the ramekin,
I couldn't resist but "wuahhhhh" to myself.
(Didn't think it'll turn out this great!)

Creme Caramel (First Try)-


Ingredients (For a Big One)-

2 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup half and half
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 tbls. sugar
1 tbls. water
Berries (for garnish)

(I used organic sugar, organic vanilla extract, and organic eggs. Just trying to be healthier)
(I was supposed to use milk, but I thought thicker the better so I ended up using cream. The result? Yum!)

How?

Preheat the over to 325 degree Fahrenheit.

First beat the eggs, cream, half and half, and vanilla extract together.

In another pan, dissolve the sugar in the water, and turn into medium heat.
The sugar will start to caramelize (turning yellow and then dark brown), keep stirring it and quickly pour into the ramekin.
Tilt the ramekin in order to even out the caramel all over the bottom.

Pour the egg mixture into the ramekin.

Prepare a baking pan and put the ramekin in the middle.
Pour in hot water inside the pan till half way to the ramekin.

There it goes to the oven, I baked it for nearly 50 minutes because I was using this huge ramekin.
Just check it sometimes by poking a knife into the creme caramel, if the knife comes out clean, that means it's ready to go.

Set it aside for one hour, and transfer to the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.

How to Serve?

Run the knife along the edge and place a plate on top of the ramekin.
Now turn the whole thing upside down and your creme caramel should pops out immediately.
Mine refused to pop out that easily so I was shaking the whole thing carefully for 10 seconds.
Garnish with berries if desired.

Cindy's Rating (for the first try): 7

Aug 10, 2007

Zoolbia & Bamieh

I'm down to try new things! Especially food!
As I consider myself pretty adventurous making that statement,
One challenge shortly pops up in my face.
My friend bought this box of Zoolbia & Bamieh from the Whole Foods Market in Irvine-


At first I wasn't even sure that "zoolbia" and "bamieh" are the names for these mysterious objects.
Totally unfamiliar with Iranian snack.

Let me smell it first.
Mmmm.....I was getting worried about putting it in my mouth...
Let me read the label then.
Wheat flour, corn oil, egg, rose water, and some chemicals that I can hardly pronounce.
Should be ok, all the ingredients looked safe to me.

So I gracefully asked my friend to have one bite first, and saved the other smaller half for me to try.
--Chewing it--
Mmmmm.....
I....I hate to say this...but I am really not a fan of this Iranian delicacy...

(As I was searching for other food to eat in order to wash away the taste, my friend was enjoying the zoolbia as if he's in heaven..)

Aug 9, 2007

Simplified Tomato Chicken with White Wine


Ingredient?

6 pieces of chicken thighs
1 can of diced tomato with herbs
1/4 cup of dry white wine
1/3 stick of butter
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Fresh ground black pepper

How?

Preheat the oven to 375 degree Fahrenheit.
Sprinkle some salt and pepper on both side of the chicken.

Melt the butter in the pan and toss in the chicken with skin side down.
Till golden brown, turn to the other side and continue to cook for about 3 minutes.
Transfer the chicken and the melted butter to a non-sticking pan.
Pour the canned tomato on top of the chicken along with the dry white wine.
Roast in the oven until the chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes.

I turned the oven to boil one minute before I took out the chicken in order to crisp the skin.
When the chicken is done, remember to let it sit for 10 minutes before serving so the juice will remain inside the meat.


Cindy's Rating: 6


For the sake of time saving, I sort of skip some steps while making this dish. Like using canned tomato with herbs instead of preparing for the real spices, or not using vegetables while roasting the chicken.

But the result still turned out good.
The chicken was tender and juicy,
The meat did successfully absorb the sweetness and sourish flavor from the tomatoes,
And the slight aroma from the wine made this dish even better.

(I also paired this dish with the risotto package I got from Farmer's Market. However, it tastes really bad though..)

Aug 8, 2007

The Happiest Place on Earth - Part II. Blue Bayou Restaurant -

While I was on the ride for Pirates of the Caribbean adventure,
There was a mysterious restaurant located on the right hand side, as I saw it when the boat took off.
The place was dark, and the dingy candlelight was slightly swinging back and forth on each table when waiters/waitresses walked by.

What is this place? -


As the mystery gradually building up the cloud in my head,
I arrived at Blue Bayou, where we gonna celebrate big trouble maker's birthday.
We made a reservation for 8 people at 6:30 p.m.,
And we finally sat at our table around 7:30 p.m...wonder what's the reservation for..

Blue Bayou-


Wait! It's the place I saw when I was on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride!
Interesting,
The restaurant entrance was kind of far away from the ride,
And it seemed to be an underground place when I was looking from the boat,
How in the world did I get in there from point A to point B??
Oh well, let's just dig in, I'm in deep hunger.

Bread and Butter-


Tasteless...well...actually it was kind of salty, that's about it.

Cindy's Rating: 2

Salad-


It's a rare find. You hardly see an unchopped cabbage on the plate.

Cindy's Rating: ? (I didn't taste it)

Seafood Jambalaya-


I tend to order this dish if it's available on the menu, hard for me to resist the temptation of Cajun spices.

Cindy's Rating: 6

The "Pirates" Chocolate-


I didn't taste it either.

Overall Rating: 4

The place was on the pricy side for its food and service.
My jambalaya was around $24, and the sirloin steak was around $33.
Frankly speaking, for the price like that, I'd rather go eat somewhere else, but what can I do? I'm inside an amusement park.


Blue Bayou
Disneyland New Orleans Square
(714) 781-3463 (Disney Dining)

Ps. Reservation is highly recommended. Just don't know if it helps or not.

Aug 7, 2007

Stir-Fry Udon with Spicy Miso Sauce - 炒味噌烏龍麵


Ingredients?

6 packs of precooked udon (the package says 1 pack for one person, that doesn't apply to me though)
1 pack of pork loin (sliced)
1 small cabbage (chopped)
9 Shiitake mushroom (sliced)
1 small onion (sliced)
4 garlic cloves (chopped)
3 stalks of scallion (chopped)
1 tablespoon of Hon-Dashi bonito fish soup stock (Japanese fish soup stock powder)
Soy sauce
Mirin
1 tablespoon of spicy miso paste
2 tablespoons of chili sauce (don't use that much if you can't handle fiery food)
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Corn starch
1 cup of water


How?

Let's marinate the meat first,
Mix together some soy sauce, mirin (2:1), and a tea spoonful of corn starch with the pork slices.
Remember to do this step at least 15 minutes before cooking time.

Prepare a big pot of water, bring to a boil and then toss in the udon.
Cook till the noodles are separated, most likely less than 3 minutes, drain it and set aside.

While cooking the noodles, set up another pan for the sauce.
First drizzle some olive oil, toss in the onion and 2 pinches of salt. Cook till the color turns translucent.
Add the pork slices along with chopped garlic and scallion.
About one minute, add the miso paste and chili sauce in the pan.
Pour in more water and soy sauce depend on how moist you want the noodles to be.

When the meat is almost cooked, toss in mushrooms and cabbage, together with the fish stock powder.
Throw in the cooked udon when the sauce mixture is ready (I like my cabbage soft, so it usually takes more than 7 minutes after I put the cabbage in the pan).

The noodles were "bouncy" and the flavor of spicy miso completely blend with the ingredients.
I was really happy with this nutritious meal.

Cindy's Rating: 7

Aug 6, 2007

The Happiest Place on Earth! - Part I -

Slightly more than half a year, here I am again, the happiest place on earth!-


Even though many people complain about its raising entrance fee,
Which is about $63 per person for a one-day, one-park pass,
I do think that it's definitely worth it.

Think about it,
Start from the moment you step into the gate, the magical journey begins.
Listening to classic Disney music score while strolling down the streets,
Eye-feasting on artsy decorations on the buildings, lights, and even tableware,

Catching Pluto signing autograph for a little kid-


Running into my favorite tiger in the world "Tigger"-


Or seeing the face of an exhausted kid laying on her mom's shoulder after one whole day of fun-


You even get to see several big shows throughout the park, fireworks is one of them-


What more can you ask for?
Very happy indeed.


Disneyland
1600 South Disneyland Dr
Anaheim, CA 92802

http://disneyland.disney.go.com/disneyland/en_US/parks/landing?name=DisneylandParkLandingPage

Fugetsu Do in Mitsuwa - 神戶風月堂



Fugetsu Do is a Japanese bakery (菓子屋) that can be traced way back then.
It has been in the business since 1897. Over 134 years of history, and the popularity still remains.
Besides many stores throughout Japan,
Fugetsu Do's notable dessert even make it all the way across the sea to the land of America,
So I can get a bite of its sweetness brown sugar financier-


Not too sweet, and the aroma of brown sugar just spread out in my mouth every time I have a bite of this heavenly thing.

Cindy's Rating: 7

Fugetsu Do is also famous for its gaufres, give it a try if you ever stop by Mitsuwa!

Overall Rating: 7



Fugetus Do 神戶風月堂
665 Paularino Ave (inside Mitsuwa Marketplace)
Costa Mesa, CA 92626

http://www.kobe-fugetsudo.co.jp/index.html