I will smash your face into a ... jelly!

Using blogger droid

2010-08-19T13:46:00.001-07:00

I'm testing out some options on best way to edit blog with least amount of hassle. This app is called blogger-droid and it communicates with blogspot. So far I like the image upload feature to my blog.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.5.3.1

my pretty pretty phone

2010-08-19T11:02:00.000-07:00

I got this phone (Samsung Galaxy S aka Captivate) about 3 weeks ago. Of course I can talk about how great and wonderful this phone is but that's boring. I will instead talk about everything that stinks about this phone.

GPS - it's a known issue and knowingly I bought this phone regardless of this glitch. Two parts to this glitch. One, Samsung claims that Google won't allow its android to have "wireless network" feature used in cell tower triangulation turned on by default. By simply navigating to Settings >> Location and Security >> and check "use wireless networks" will improve its GPS locking time. Two, Samsung does have a faulty GPS. Samsung says it will address this issue in big update in September. I hope this is true.
Android Market Place - I receive this message a lot:"A network error has occurred. Retry, or cancel and return to the previous screen". With both my wireless and 3G signals fully detected, I have no idea why I'm constantly run into this message. Can't really tell if this is Google's side or AT&T side.
Camera hangs up - this turns out to be my user error. While in camera mode, when power button gets pressed, the phone becomes non responsive. It's not true. It just switches to lock mode. I can simply press the power button again and it releases its lock. Duh~
Speaking of power button... why in the world Samsung put the power button on the right side. It's just not a natural place for button which used so often.
AT&T data plan sucks!!!!! Are you kidding me? $15 gives me stinking 200mb per month??? And once I go over 200mb, they charge me other $15 for additional stinking 200mb. I am being extra cautious about this data transfer that I make every effort of not using 3G and rely on wireless network to do everything. This stinks! I also noticed that many of the apps rely on 3G networks to operate. (DO NOT use any of the crap-wares that came with the phones) They all use 3G network even if wireless is detected and being used. I realized that some apps rely network connection for loading their ads. I hardly do anything outside of wireless network but those tiny data adds up quickly. This is what happened just now. I perform some app updates while my wireless is clearly in place.. all the data transfer use up my precious data instead. Now I'm down 25% of my monthly quota stolen from me right in front of my eyes.
End call - why in the world ending call take so long? After pressing end call button, it usually takes about 5 seconds before Android becomes responsive again. I wonder any of other android phone experience the same thing.
Creating a group contact - I usually store all my contact information on my SIM because I always think that's the best practice. I'm sure this problem has something to deal with this. I cannot for the life of me create a simple group contact list. Please tell me there's something I've done wrong.
Sound button - There no easy way to control "system volume" and "media volume"without further navigating to Setting.

That's it for now.. Other wise great phone. Probably best phone I've ever owned.. haha.. Thanks for listening.

being creative with fruits

2010-08-19T10:15:00.000-07:00

When I came across these pictures on the web I loved it so much that I had an urge to duplicate this artwork. Once I get my orange and apple, I will post my version on this blog.

changing direction

2010-08-19T10:06:00.000-07:00

Goodbye hungerguide. This blog no longer addresses itself as foodie blog. Not that I don't enjoy food any more, my direction for this site has changed according to my immediate goal. This blog will serve as my scratch paper where I randomly jot down thoughts, pictures, and videos to share. Stay tuned.

ShareASale

2010-07-14T09:23:00.000-07:00

Confirmation Code: GHHHHSS14444455

Best of O.C. - Hungerguide Edition

2009-09-14T16:50:00.000-07:00

I just read the 15th Annual Best of Orange County - Eating & Drinking on OCregister.com.

http://www.ocregister.com/best/eating_drinking/

I didn't agree with many of the selections and I thought I offer my two cents to the list. Here it goes:

Best Brunch

Omelette Parlor in Costa Mesa
Sabatino's in Newport Beach
Las Brisas

Best Chinese Food
Just to give you an idea how bad the O.C. Register's list was, here was their top 3:

PF Chang's
Pick up Stix
Panda Express

Here is Hungerguide's top picks (not in order):

Best Chinese in Irvine - AJ
Best Chinese Seafood - Newport Seafood
Best Chinese egg noodle soup - Sam Woo in Irvine

Best Coffeehouse

Kean Coffee in Newport Beach
Gypsy Den in Costa Mesa
85 C (more for their bakery side)
Veronese Cafe Gallery in Fullerton

Best Deli/Sub Sandwich shop

De Simone Bakery & Deli in Huntington Beach
Bahn Mi Cali Bakery in Westminster

Best Hamburger (probably in the planet) - In N Out Burger!!!!

Best Italian Food

Mama D's Italian Kitchen in Newport Beach
Spaghetti Bender in Newport Beach

Best Japanese Food

Sushi Kappo Suzumaru in Tustin
Fukada in Lake Forest
Cafe Hiro in Cypress
Maestros in Costa mesa

Best Japapnese Ramen/Yakitori

Shin-Sen-Gumi in Fountain Valley
Hondaya in Tustin
Daikokuya in Costa Mesa

Best Mexican Food

Salmeron's El Tapatio in Santa Ana
Costa Azul in Santa Ana

Best Pizza

Laventina's PIzza in Newport Beach
Gina's Pizza in Newport Beach

Best Thai Food

Thai Nakorn in Stanton
You & I Thai Cusine in Anaheim

Best Vietnamese Food

Tay Ho in Westminster
Boiling Crab in Westminster
Brodard in Westminster

Kokoro Sushi Revisited

2008-03-27T14:40:00.000-07:00

There were times where Kokoro Sushi ran out of their rice and not enough helping hands to accommodate large number of guests. Those days are in the past and Kokoro Sushi quickly rises up for the occasion. The owner and chef of Kokoro Sushi has pride in his restaurant for slowly establishing its reputation in serving great sushi without emptying out your wallet.

Our night started out with the sashimi platter. We work ourselves into salmon skin salad then to shrimp boat. Then I realized that I forgot to take pictures. Below photos are shrimp boat, spicy lobster roll (oops, I missed this one, too), baked muscles, jalepeno poppers, pineapple sake, halibut tempura, salmon collar, and finally amaebi sweet shrimp sashimi and tempura. All those dishes result in four happy eaters that night.

More good news. Word is around that this place is preparing to serve Japanese style tapas with draft beer soon. It also extends its business hour to midnight. Once everything is set and done, Kokoro Sushi will be one cool place to hang out in Orange County.

Kobawoo House, LA

2008-03-27T10:30:00.000-07:00

I am proud to introduce more authentic side of Korean food. The dish is called "bo-sam", which means wrap. Main ingredient is pork, my favorite type of meat, and it is prepared in rather unique way. Bo-sam often uses pork belly and boils along with miso and ginger. The meat is so tender and subtle in taste that is completely different than ever popular Korean bacon, or sam-gyup-sal.

Tender pork is served with heavily marinated daikon and fermented shrimp sauce. Then wrapped with chinese cabbage that is prepared in a similar way as how kimchee has been made. All that flavors and textures combined result in my happy tummy. It is the ultimate food pairing session.

Other picture is "jeng ban gook soo", marinated cold noodle on round serving plate. Enjoy the pictures:

698 S. Vermont Ave. #109 Los Angeles, CA 90005
(213) 389-7300

Nine Course Meal

2007-11-26T10:21:00.000-08:00

First Course

Trio of Shrimp - Shrimp Scampi, Shrimp Dim Sum, Shrimp Bisque

Second Course

French Onion Soup with Drizzle of Truffle Oil

Third Course

Blueberry Glazed Pan Seared U-10 Scallop with Blueberry Vinegar Salad

Fourth Course

Kim-Chee Chicken Cordon Bleu

Fifth Course

Cajun Pan Seared Shrimp with Rissotto

Sixth Course

Pan Seared Curry Orange Roughy with Sweet Chili Salsa

Seventh Course

Sashimi Rice with Korean Chili Paste

Eighth Course

Tofu Special Soup

Ninth Course

Mint Lime Sorbet

Saigon Cafe, Westminster

2007-11-15T13:31:00.000-08:00

Salmeron's El Tapatio, Santa Ana

2007-11-13T15:31:00.000-08:00

Salmeron's El Tapatio captures the true essence of hole-in-the-wall restaurant. The restaurant is literally hidden one street behind the major streets. When your friend thinks the place is "too ghetto" and when the server only knows hand full of English, you know you're in for the genuine experience of authentic Mexican dishes.

There is this one dish that I repetitively order whenever I come to El Tapatio. It's called carnitas familia, family style carnitas. As you can see from the picture, the portion will easily serve 4 people. This slow cooked pork in olive oil is so tender and flavorful that I always end up stuffing my tortilla until it can't be closed. The unique texture of the meat is something no other kinds of meat can imitate.

There is this "aguas de fresca" with all sorts of fresh fruit drinks you can order in flavors of melon, strawberry, and pineapple.

Salmeron's El Tapatio is one of my favorite restaurant in Orange County and I'm glad I finally took some pictures to post them.

View Larger Map

Kokoro Sushi, Lake Forest

2007-11-13T00:24:00.000-08:00

What if I tell you that there is this sushi place with fast food price with restaurant quality food? Well.. there is one. It's called Kokoro Sushi

Kokoro Sushi is located near 5 Fwy off El Toro exit, sharing same mall with Guitar Center and 99 Cents Store. It's formally known as Oishi, recently had grand opening with a new owner and chef.

I've been wanting this restaurant to open for quite some time. I met Kokoro's restaurant owner, Charles, couple years back when he was working as a sushi man for Sake Sushi in Rancho Santa Margrita. Because I enjoyed his food and service so much, I followed him to Mizuru then to Maki Maki in Irvine Spectrum when he was a head sushi man there. With many years of experience under his belt, he finally decided to open his own restaurant.

I highly recommend this restaurant. You can always mention my name when you see Charles. Enjoy the pictures.

View Larger Map

Breakfast at Omelette Parlor, Costa Mesa

2007-11-12T18:49:00.000-08:00

I can't think of any better scenario than starting your weekend with having a hearty breakfast with people you love. Omelette Parlor was always listed at the top of places to eat breakfast in OC area. Finally after hearing about it for some time, I get to try it for the first time last Saturday. The restaurant is located at the corner of 17th Street and Orange in Costa Mesa.

About 9:30 AM, parking lot is filling up quickly. As I entered the place is Southern style dining area that brings out the coziness of the restaurant. Our server was also helpful and friendly which adds to our positive dining experience.

I ordered the omelette called Mrs. Beechers with spinach, mushroom, and cheese inside. As expected, omelette was delicious. I really enjoyed nicely burnt hash brown with freshly squeezed orange juice. Toasty english muffin comes with apple butter to spread. We had extra order of Belgian waffle with whipped cream and strawberries. It was an excellent choice.

I can see myself coming back to this place again and again for many years to come. Enjoy the pictures.

View Larger Map

Lil Dragon Bites...

2007-11-07T09:32:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since I post anything and I'm strangely impelled to write something before the day ends. Here are some interesting places that I visited that's worth writing about.

- Jazz Cat Cafe in Alhambra
- Veronese Gallery & Cafe in Fullerton
- Saigon Cafe in Westminster

Visit me soon~

Daikokuya Original Noodle & Rice-Bowl, LA

2007-08-29T14:46:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that I wasn't really thinking at that time. I attempt to eat at one of the most popular ramen house on a scorching hot afternoon without air conditioning. And of course, the day I decide to visit, is the Tofu Festival weekend at Little Tokyo, LA. Parking is impossible and there are way too many people.

I'll go straight to describing photos.

As you can see, there is an open kitchen with one guy just dedicated to prepare their famous ramen. Other cook pretty much prepare rest of the dishes. There is inner kitchen with a guy who prepares ingredients. This place is narrow and limited in seating. I really wished that they would turn up their ac unit.

Here is the photo of delicious Japanese style sausages. It was an excellent choice.

Here is what people come for. Kurobuta, black pork, was very tender and bold in taste. The soup was thick and flavorful. Their soy sauce and pork bone based soup boiled daily for entire day. It's bit too rich for my taste. Nonetheless, ramen was good overall.

Hayashi cold noodle with soy sauce. Lots of ingredients with good portion. I had a bite, and it was just okay.

View Larger Map

Hashigo, Costa Mesa

2007-08-29T13:01:00.000-07:00

I am able to cross off yet another restaurant from my wish list. Hashigo is a modernized Korean restaurant catered to younger crowds with Americanized flavors. Don't get me wrong. When I say "Americanized", I don't mean food tastes bad, I just don't see anything spectacular about this Korean food coming from a Korean guy. To Japanese people, teriyaki chicken will always be just teriyaki chicken to them.

One thing I must point out, all the servers seem inexperienced and clueless. They are all friendly people but I had to ask for everything at least 3 times. I thought the price was fair. I visited the restaurant with high recommendations from different people but I guess I can hold off on revisiting this restaurant for awhile.

View Larger Map

To Eat Ja Jjang Myun or Jjam Pong, That is the Question.

2007-08-29T10:36:00.000-07:00

Long time ago, Chinese immigrants came to Korea and brought along the wonderful gift of Chinese food. Over time, Chinese food deviated slowly from common Chinese dishes and progressed into entirely new breed of Korean-Chinese cuisine. Today, there are hundred thousands of Korean-Chinese restaurants spread all over the world. Korean-Chinese restaurants are like pizzarias to Americans. In a way that food evolved from different country and popularized and enjoyed by millions of Korean people.

Two most popular dishes in Korean-Chinese cuisine are ja jjang myun, black soybean paste noodle, and jjam pong, spicy mixed seafood noodle soup. Both very unique in taste and can't go wrong with choosing either one.

Now the question takes place. "What shall I eat between ja jjang myun and jjam pong?" Some genius came out with the solution. "Ja jjam pong", half ja jjang myun, half jjam pong. It's probably the best idea since the internet came out.

There is a new wave of ja jjang myun gain popularity in recent years. It is due to ja jjang myun often depicted in scenes from Korean dramas where actor/actress putting their faces in the serving bowl and gorge down the noodle with lots of slurping sound. I wonder how much of ja jjang myun sales fluctuate after such scenes air.

I'm still looking for good ja jjang myung place around Orange County. Please leave your comments with recommended Korean-Chinese restaurant information.

Carnitas Los Reyes

2007-08-15T00:09:00.000-07:00

After reading about Carnitas Los Reyes in the OC Weekly, I decided that I should try it sometime. Since I don't usually have business in that area, I didn't get around to going until a few months after I'd read the article, which turned out to be a bit of a mistake, since I'd missed out on some cheap, delicious, and filling eats.

Located in a strip mall on S. Tustin St. in Orange, the restaurant occupies an unassuming position at the southern end. From the reviews I'd imagined that it would be far grungier, but it was fairly standard inside, with about 8 or 9 small tables. To order, you go up to the side of the counter, where despite evidence to the contrary in reviews, the menu is printed in both Spanish and English. It consists of most of the standard fare, tacos, burritos, tortas, soups, etc. Whenever I go to a new taco place, I order a taco with one of each of the meat offerings available, with the exception of chicken. So today I ordered barbacoa, al pastor, carnitas, buche, lengua, carne asada, and chorizo. I didn't see it on the taco menu, but chicharron was noted as something available for burritos, so I ordered one of those too.

As for the tacos, the best one by far was the buche. Buche done right is just ridiculously tasty. Done right usually involves copious amounts of oil. The boiled version you can find at some other places is not so hot. Tacos that were also of note were the al pastor and carne asada, the latter which tastes like a saltier version of the one that can be had at Taqueria de Anda. I found the lengua, chorizo, and carnitas to be a bit too dry. The barbacoa wasn't bad, but it didn't stand out enough to me to be really recommended. The chorizo was somewhat spicy and might be liked by fans of its taste, but it's not a taste that I'm particularly enamored of. However, the original review I read in OC Weekly suggested it was the best chorizo he'd had outside of his mother's cooking, so maybe I'm in the minority.

The burrito was an absurdly large creation filled with beans, onions, cilantro, cheese and chicharron. It containts "super-delicious fatty pork crispy melty action." Perhaps you have seen the pork rinds that are sold in supermarkets and such, the Bakenets. These are to those as diamonds are to cubic zirconia. A man that would eat chicharrons daily is a man that isn't just inviting Death, but going over to Death's house and kicking him in the groin repeatedly. That being said, indulge in chicharrons at least once. Your taste buds will thank you and your stomach will complain because of the vast amounts of unctuous coating being applied to its surfaces.

The results of this meal were a very "nigul nigul" feeling (Korean for feeling like your stomach is coated with oil as above) and the absolute lack of desire for food for the next day. Eleven hours later, I was still feeling full. This is because each taco is only $1, and is about twice the size of tacos that you will find elsewhere, which I hadn't counted on in my order. Since I'm usually happy with 10 tacos elsewhere, I overordered by about 2 tacos and a burrito. If you go, the normal amount of tacos that satisfy according to other reviews I've read seem to be two or three. Please order accordingly, and place a small initial order before you order more. Your stomach will thank you. (Photos below do not show the buche taco, which was the first to go)

View Larger Map

Beard Papa's

2007-07-27T14:58:00.000-07:00

Let's face it, here in america we are in love with big things. We love our big cars, big implants, big stereos, and big televisions. How ironic that the biggest cream puff hails not from america, but from Japan, a country known for producing small gadgets, and thin slivers of raw fish. Beard Papa's is brought to our eager watering mouths by Yuji Hirota who opened up the first Beard Papa's store in Osaka, Japan and since 1999 has opened up many other locations worldwide.

For those of you that have never seen the size of a Beard Papa cream puff just imagine a regular cream filled puff pastry you might find at the dessert section of a buffet. Now take 5 of those puny cream puffs and feed it to the devouring monster that is Beard Papa. Not only is the Beard Papa larger in size than a regular everyday cream puff, it also has a better version of the cream filling. For every bite into its crispy shell, Beard Papa will surrender its rich creamy vanilla filling which spurts itself into your salivating mouth. (no sexual innuendo intended) I dare say it's almost as satisfying as the peach tart that I get from the Japanese pastry shop I visit in Fountain Valley, but more on that later.

http://www.muginohousa.com/

Krispy Kreme, Block at Orange

2007-07-27T01:17:00.000-07:00

I have a weakness, a burden I have carried most years of my life. It has made me the chubby kid back in elementary school and it resurfaced itself a couple years back when I weighed 220 pounds. Some people call it dessert, but I call it the deceptacon of deliciousness. Sure it tastes heavenly and pleases our tongue with each bite beckoning us to force in more food after every meal. Yet once you let dessert sink its fangs into you, you'll gain weight faster than Lindsay Lohan drinking her next alcholic beverage. I have with all my heart fought my desire to gobble up every dessert in sight for the past year, however due to my recent absintence from smoking, my craving for sweets has resurfaced 10 fold. For the last couple weeks my dessert of choice has been donuts.

Enter Krispy Kreme, brought to us by Vernon Rudolph on July 13th 1937. Vernon brought a secret (probably crack) yeast raised donut recipe from a french chef and with the help of rich investors has built what is known today as Krispy Kreme. Yes Krispy Kreme is a franchise and donut shops are dime a dozen around most cities, but I have never tried any donut that tasted better than Krispy Kreme. If someone knows of any donut shop that surpasses Krispy Kreme in taste please let me know. I care not for the nutrition value because I'm eating a donut aren't I?! If I wanted to stay healthy I wouldn't be eating donuts. How glorious it was when I opened my dozen assorted donuts from Krispy Kreme. The warm, sweet, and tart cinammon apple; The crunchy on the outside and moist on the inside glazed cruller; The moist and chocolaty chocolate cake! Most of you probably already tried Krispy Kreme. but I ask you when's the last time you have made the trip? Live it up, now is the time!

View Larger Map

Din Tai Fung Dumpling House, Arcadia

2007-07-24T11:02:00.002-07:00

The legend of Din Tai Fung began at the small shop in the city of Taipei. The restaurant now branched out to cities in China, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Korea, and USA. It had many claims that this restaurant simply serves best dumplings in town, if not the whole country.

I visited this restaurant couple months back. As expected, there were lines and I had to wait about an hour before we get in. Din Tai Fung is known for its juicy pork dumplings. Once you take a bite, this incredible flavored juice squirts out.

1108 South Baldwin Avenue
Arcadia,California 91007
(626)574-7068

Apple Pan, West LA

2007-07-23T09:14:00.000-07:00

Apple Pan is this hamburger joint in LA with legendary status. Apple Pan is famous for its hickory burger and apple pie. Add to the fact, it's been around since 1947, that's around the time when my parents were born.

The uniqueness of this hamburger joint starts from how it's laid out. It has this station island where they flip burger patties and buns. Outer part of island is the u-shape counter where customers sit on high stools to enjoy their burgers. In between the station and the counter is where servers take orders and serve you food with minimum distance to travel. All corners of the restaurants are for people waiting to find stools to sit. There is no waiting list.

Besides from the interesting restaurant layout and the hickory burger, Apple Pan isn't that impressive. Burgers and fries were over priced and overrated. 3 burgers, 1 fries, 2 drinks, adding tax and tip cost me grand total of $30.

10801 W Pico Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90064
(310) 475-3585

Jägerhaus German Restaurant, Anaheim

2007-07-23T09:09:00.000-07:00

My very first German food.

2525 E Ball Rd
Anaheim, CA 92806
(714) 520-9500

New Restaurants to try

2007-07-19T16:16:00.000-07:00

There are several restaurants that I want to explore. Instead of trying to figure out where to go eat whenever I feel hungry, I can make a list now and save some trouble. I would start with my list, then maybe you guys can help me add to this list.

Belacan Grill in Redondo Beach, the best Malaysian food according to Rasa Malaysia

El Camino Real in Fullerton

Thai Nakorn - now open one on Beach Blvd.

Apple Pan in LA

Hashigo Tofu in Costa Mesa

Laventinas Pizza in Newport. Less than $6 pizza for large pizza.

Jägerhaus German restaurant in Anaheim

Going back to Maru Sushi in Valencia, my all-time favorite restaurant

Carniceria El Campeon at 31921 Camino Capistrano, SJC, CA 92675

Ham Ji Bak, K-Town LA

2007-07-17T15:23:00.000-07:00

I will not hesitate to say this.

Ham Ji Back is the best Korean restaurant in all Orange County and LA county area. There, I said it.

Ham Ji Bak specializes in marinated pork rib that is second to none. If I were to introduce one and only one Korean dish to non-Koreans, I would choose Ham Ji Bak pork rib. It is seriously good.

3407 W. 6th St. #101-C
Los Angeles, CA 90020
(213) 365-8773

Little Tokyo Shabu Shabu, Rowland Heights

2007-07-15T23:57:00.000-07:00

Little Tokyo Shabu Shabu is a new restaurant that opened up at the Life Plaza, Rowland Heights. Thinly sliced meats are dunked into simmering pot of either shabu-shabu, sukiyaki, or yakiniku broth. Then you have the choice of ponzu or peanut sauce to dip the meat into. Meats were fresh and price was fair. I wasn't too crazy about their service though.

1330 Fullerton Rd
Rowland Heights,CA,91748
(626)810-6037

AJ Restaurant, Irvine

2007-07-15T23:42:00.000-07:00

I've eaten at this restaurant quite frequently but never had a chance to write about it. Here is this traditional Taiwanese restaurant with authentic flavors. The best thing about this restaurant is that I don't have to visit Taiwan or even drive to Rowland Heights to taste the bowl of famous spicy beef noodle soup. It's so authentic, you have to specially request for English translated menu.

Here is the shot of spicy beef noodle soup. You MUST order "fat" noodle for maximum experience.

This is spicy wonton. It's sweet, spicy, and full of flavor.

Fried dumplings.

I also recommend thousand layer cake(?) and pig ear to try.

14805 Jeffrey Rd # D
Irvine, CA 92618
(949) 786-3585

Al Palace, Costa Mesa

2007-07-13T14:39:00.000-07:00

There are times when I just want to eat Americanized chow mein. Don't ask me why. Asian Noodle has this teriyaki lo mein and Cathay Newport had this sizzling chicken chow mein before they closed down. And there is Al Palace with good old Americanized chicken chow mein. I get to enjoy egg drop soup, fried shrimps, fried wontons, egg rolls, sweet and sour pork, chicken chow mein, fried rice, and omelet like dish with gravy, all for $9 per person. Amazing.

270 Bristol St # 110
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 549-0653

Spring Roll?

2007-07-11T16:07:00.000-07:00

No, you won't find this in a restaurant. Master chef Spencer hand-crafted this spring roll to an art piece.

Dragon Phoenix Palace, Westminster

2007-07-11T15:28:00.000-07:00

Any restaurant name that contains the word "dragon" and "phoenix", you know you're in for the ride. This Hong-Kongese style dim sum restaurant located in the heart of Little Saigon carries big taste follow by its big restaurant name.

9211 Bolsa Ave # 201-208
Westminster, CA 92683
(714)893-1976

Dolphin Bay Cafe, Artesia

2007-07-11T15:08:00.000-07:00

Two words, "cheap" and "delicious" cross my mind. I know those words normally don't go together but this is an exception. With high recommendation from my friend, LW, I decide to go for an exploration for new eateries. With decent size meal and refreshing green tea cost me less than $6.

Salt and pepper pork chop meal

Crispy chicken combination meal

Tempura appetizer

17806 Pioneer Blvd
Artesia, CA 90701
(562) 865-9901

There are something I left out.... perhaps you're looking for these!

2007-06-11T21:27:00.000-07:00

Walnut Snack filled with hot red bean paste found at resting spot.

Tuna jerky and flattened fish jerky.

Piggy ice cream bar with strawberry syrup. This was one of my favorite childhood snack.

Vegetable pancake at Coming of Budda Festival.

At "Chil-gap-san" restaurant

Side dishes.

Dduk garbi.

Deng-jang bi-bim-bap.

Mat-gul-ri, unfiltered rice drink.

In the middle is bool-go-gi flavored triangular kimbap.

Galbi burger.

The best ddukbboki stand in Korea. At the narrow market street of Nae Dang Dong, Daegu, I reminisce of my childhood.

Seafood varieties at local restaurant in Daegu.

Cup of cappuccino at the Sleepless in Seattle Cafe. I particularly like this shot because my elementary school friend took this shot.

Talk about the meal with over 20 side dishes per person. Every bite is flavorful and satisfying. This is one of top 3 food i had in Korea.

Chinese food combo. This collection of delicious dishes costed about $10.

cold noodle, literally ice floating on the soup. This particular dish is loved by entire nation of Korea during summer time.

Best kimbap in town. How would I know? Because my cousin said so.

Before.

After. Fresh varieties of sashimi prepared at seafood street market. You can imagine yourself dishing out that sashimi, dipping into chilly sauce, deliver right it to your mouth, and finally wincing with soju. Kkaa~

Dong dong ju, other half of mak gul ri.

Generous portion of delicious potato pancake.

Spicy octopus dish.

This is probably my second favorite dish I had in Korea. It's that dduk bbok ki from street vendor. My favorite dishes were prepared by my aunt who cooked for us everyday with endless dishes. Too bad I didn't take any pictures. I was simply too busy enjoying them.

Happiest Places on Earth

2007-06-04T17:37:00.000-07:00

I took KTX, the fastest train in Korea that travels up to 300 km/h (186 mph), from Daegu to Seoul. JS greeted me at Seoul Station, spent much time catching up while heading toward our next destination. We arrived at Eewa University to meet up with JS’s girl friend. FYI, Eewa is the top all women university in Korea. REPEAT, and underline, “all-women”. Suddenly surrounded by flock of college students. All of sudden, I could no longer resist the rushing emotions of gladness and joy of reuniting with long time friend and wonderful individual, JS. I gave him big hug and thank him. Here is my happiest place on earth #1.

Met up with HJ at the student lounge at Eewa. We stopped by Yeon Sae University and head down to the hip town of Shin Cheon. There is this chain of café named Minto, short for Minderle Youngto. This uniquely built, multi floor café is known for its own colorful culture and carefully selected waiters and waitresses. As soon as you enter, café staff greeted us by doing hand motion that you often see when 2 years old singing twinkle stars. Waitress are dressed in pink and white maid uniform that you may see in fairy tale. My friends kindly introduced me to our waitress as a wealthy man who owns most of livestock from the country of Ghana. And “yes”, she actually bought the idea and decided to give me special introduction of café. Regardless of the fact that we were placed in the isolated corner of 6th floor, there were plenty of views. Here is my happiest place on earth #2.

Reunited with my buddy, SJ, from elementary school then head to grab some Korean BBQ accompanied by some soju. Jumped to the bar for some beer. Then we headed toward the college town of Hong Dae, filled with clubs, bars, and restless young crowds. Every passing scene includes girls who dressed in clothes that indicate the early coming of summer, and more girls with even less clothes. So we took our chance of entering into this club to begin celebrating the reunion of very special friends. Paid $10 entrance fee times 4 plus $5 more for storing our belongings. Good mix of heart pumping hip hop music playing loudly from the stage. We all grabbed our share of beers and waiting for that moment #3. I saw few wannabe Korean b-boys making his ways to the dance floor. I saw more b-boys breaking and busting out their moves. Suddenly they formed a congregation of b-boys and dance among themselves. There must be like 20 guys dancing on the floor. I finished my beer, and still there is no change in scenery. I witnessed the biggest sausage fest in the history of mankind. We did not hesitate any second to leave the bar, in hopes of recovering ourselves from our damaged souls.

We quickly hopped onto taxi, headed to the busy town of Jong Roe, where night is still young. We entered this bar called “Mak-ju-chang-go”, that resembled bars along side of Pacific Beach in San Diego. Good music and excellent mix of crowds. Spent good portion of our evening there and finish off at some street vendor, eating dduk bok ki. I enjoyed the company of awesome friends, felt all sorts of noise in the air crashing with the 80s music, embodied ever precious culture of motherland right at the heart of Seoul. This is my happiest moment #3.

Beautiful Korea

2007-06-02T00:13:00.000-07:00

More Pictures

2007-06-01T23:30:00.000-07:00

This is as Korean as you can get. Shin Ramen socks!

Beautifully designed aprons.

For those who can't ready Korean, the sign reads "Se-ta-buk-se-ko-pi".

Entire building is see through Karaoke bar full of people dancing and singing.

Night life in Seoul.

At the coming of Budda festival there are plenty of wishes that are attached to the lotus lamp, like "for the world peace", "health of family". But this one caught my eye. It reads "Thank you for buying us LCD TV as wedding gift".

Street Vendor, "po-jang-ma-cha". It's not as commonly spotted in the street any more.

Keep your hands dry.

Statue of kid named Lee Seung Bok who cried out "I hate communists". Resulted in tourtures and death. One of few things that I remembered from old elementary school.

At the college festival at Kyung Book University. In Korea, college students are allowed to drink. Awesome!

Night life at Daegu.

Video Journal

2007-05-22T03:38:00.000-07:00

Busy Street at shin chon:

Hip Hop Free Style:

Fire Show at the street of Yeo Il Do:

Buddist National Festival:

Rock concert at KyungBook University Festival:

Group Punishment at Kyung Ju:

Street Vendors

2007-05-18T14:28:00.000-07:00

Hair Cut

2007-05-18T03:48:00.000-07:00

Having little time to prepare for this trip, I did not have a chance to get a haircut from U.S. What I failed to do at the state became instant joy and celebration for my cousin’s family. My cousin was determined to get me a haircut at the local salon, “yes” there is no more barbershop standing in Korea. And “yes” I think this may be a contributing factor why every Koran guys have gay haircuts.

With every joyful event alike, there are spectators who are hoping to see a show, one with monsters and crowns. I have 1st grade nephew and 5th grade niece who want their uncle to get a perfect haircut. They chant “ma bbak yi” at the salon and their demand became loud and clear. By now, one may question what “ma bbak yi” is. For your reference, here is the screen shot of this popular show:

Hair stylist lady asked me of what hairstyle I want. I glanced at the kids and I see in their eyes, young souls wanting to witness something spectacular. “Ma bbak yi, please”, I answered.

Thank God sweet lady didn’t take me seriously. I ended up giving her 110% tip to show my appreciation.

Myung Dong kar-gook-soo (flat noodle soup)

2007-05-18T03:16:00.000-07:00

Within the city of Seoul, there is this busy side of town called “myung dong”. There is this restaurant that redefined the Korean specialty food, kar-gook-soo, and add an exclamation mark at the end. This restaurant is so popular, there is no single restaurant in the world that better associate kar-gook-soo with this one. Without further a due, I present you “Myung Dong Gyo Ja”.

Entire dining experience is catered towards busy Korean culture. You seat, take order, pay, and they bring out food all in less than 3 minutes.

Here is the clip that shows the entrance of the restaurant with lines off the door.

Here is the clip of an ice cream man, not too far away from the restraurant, who supposed to appear at Korean TV for his ability to build extremely high ice cream.

My cousin is holding the final product:

Day 1

2007-05-18T03:13:00.000-07:00

It’s about an hour away from the destination. I’m currently flying over the Japanese island. Here is the recap of my day.

I arrived at LAX nearly three hours before the departure in preparation to face tighten up securities at the airport. United Airline had two hours delay due to the overcast weather in San Francisco. In addition to unusual magnitude of turbulences, I was seated next to this gigantic Caucasian male, who barely fitted into tiny economy seat. I could of swear he reminded me of a professional wrestler seen on TV. His knees literally were touching against front seat, which force him to squat and roll up his entire body for next 4 hours. Of course I had pleasure of watching him suffer, and in return, I throw bad jokes at him for next 4 hours.

There was this one kid from LAX terminal, who must be going through his puberty, with up most annoying voice I ever had to endure. Combinations of squeaky and off-pitch sound created this awful sound wave that torture my eardrum. It was equivalent to “lion blast” attack from Kung Fu Hustle that pierce eardrums and causes people to turn deaf. In many occasions, I had to restrain myself from walking up to him, and adjust his vocal chord so that he may never speak again. I was able to control myself knowing that I only had to endure his voice for the duration at the terminal, possibly in the plane to SFO.

Barely made it to SFO, catching connector flight to Korea via Singapore Airline. Everything about Singapore Airline was pleasant one, especially the staff. After loading my bag and sitting at my assigned seat, I felt a kick from the back seat. I looked back, and there he is, the kid with the puberty “lion blast”. Doom! Duration of this flight is estimated to 12 hours and 30 minutes. I did not wait a nano second before I request to move our seatings

HungerGuide, Korea Edition

2007-05-10T23:19:00.000-07:00

As many of you already know, I will be heading out to visit Korea next week. I will be flying out from LAX --> SFO --> Inchon on the 15th, and be back in 2 weeks. I must admit that I am NOT at the peak of my munching game. I fail to condition myself to fit 6 meals in a day plan. Motherland will meet "weak" side of Hyuk, rather than "proud" Hyuk with American-size appetite.

Yeah, something like that.

Fly Catchers

2007-02-20T20:19:00.000-08:00

I wait and wait until the fly glides down the room, low enough for me to swing at it. This is no ordinarily house fly. It's a size of basketball, maybe even bigger than that, with all distinct features of fly in place, like a pair of wings with hind wings and compound eyes with thousands of individual lenses, magnified at thousand times. Ryan and I never encounter such insect, or an animal of this kind. We both know that we need to strike hard and quick. The fly seems to be irritated as it buzzes louder as it approaches closer. Baseball bat lands perfectly on its skull(?) and immediately crashes onto the floor. We simultaneously charge towards the fallen fly and kick continuously until fly becomes unconscious.

I woke up as Ryan and I celebrate the capture of giant mutant fly. Ki told me that weird dream like this may be affected by what I ate before I went to sleep. I had double double from In-N-Out that night. I also watched Jung devour two three-by-three as a night snack.

Quan Hy, Westminster

2007-02-14T21:40:00.000-08:00

Father's Office, Santa Monica

2007-02-13T20:25:00.000-08:00

How far would you go to have that bite of perfect hamburger? Between the sub-style toasty buns lie the generously cut hamburger pattie with unbelievable amount of juice squirting out with each bite; marinated in this not-too-sweet, not-too-sour, just the right amount of seasoning to accentuate the mixture of meat. First bite reminds me of my passion, next bite makes me forget all the troubles I had to go through to have this bite. It has a whopping price tag of $11. Be ready to wait 30 minutes to an hour. Father's Office is located on Montana and 10th St in Santa Monica. The bar is tiny and has limited seatings. It has a maximum occupancy of 80 people, and there will be 80 people occupied most of the times. And "yes", it's that good.

"Let's go drink until we can't feel feelings anymore."

2007-02-05T22:10:00.000-08:00

Guy who's holding the 4 pound er live lobster is Ryan. Next thing you know, that gorgeous lobster is cut into pieces and boiled and grilled to perfection. This is what Ryan do. He was trained in Shaolin and master his culinary art of kung pao dragon. All the kiddigs aside, he's one of the best gourmet chef I know. I promise to put more of his cooking in near future.

Round Two - Risotto with Scaollop and Pesto

2007-02-01T11:23:00.000-08:00

Rice came out little over cooked. I tried to cook from the memory and switch the steps in adding butter and adding vegetables. I thought the scallop came out well. It was my first time making pesto. Overall, it was still good. Hehe.

Mushroom Asparagus Risotto

2007-01-30T08:40:00.000-08:00

Servings: 2-3

Ingredients:

Arborio rice aka risotto rice
2 Carrot
1 Onion
1 Celery
4 stalks Asparagus
8 Mushrooms
Fresh Basil
Fresh Parsley
Minced Garlic
Butter
Parmesan Cheese

Rough chop 1 carrot, 1 onion, 1 celery and put it in a pot with at least 4 cups water and let boil. This is veggie stock.

Chop asparagus into 1 in. long cuts; chop each mushroom into 4 pieces; small dice 1/2 carrot. set aside.

Chop fresh basil and garlic as fine as possible and keep aside. this is fresh herbs

Boil arborio rice in water until the there is a very slight crunch to the rice. you're cooking the rice 1/2 way to 3/4 way done.

In a hot saute pan, drizzle a little oil (olive oil or canola oil is okay) and saute the asparagus and mushrooms for about 30 seconds

Add the diced carrot and minced garlic (add as much garlic as you like). saute until garlic is slight brown (not completely brown; brown means garlic is burnt)

here's the tricky part

Add the rice and stock together... add enough stock to be about 1/4 in. above the rice

Add some salt and pepper, and let sit until stock disappears or until the rice is fully cooked

If the rice is fully cooked and there is still some stock, then drain the stock out.... if the rice is under cooked and there is no more stock left, then add a little more stock and keep doing this until the rice is fully cooked.

Add 1/4 lb butter and about 1/2 cup of parm cheese (if the cheese is salty, you may want to add a little less cheese)

Turn the heat off

Stir until you get a nice creamy texture. mix in the herbs too when you add the butter and cheese

Here is my first try of risotto. Thanks Spencer for your awesome receipe.

Kabob House, Irvine

2007-01-26T11:36:00.000-08:00

Fukada, Irvine

2007-01-24T13:21:00.000-08:00

Fukada, Irvine

Location: 8683 Irvine Center Dr. Irvine, CA 92618
Price: Moderate
Ambience:
Recommendations:
Rating: 4 out of 5

Pho Bac Ky, Irvine

2007-01-23T21:04:00.000-08:00

If you're looking for good Vientamese grub, and not having to worry about sticky restaurant tables in Westminster, look no further. Pho Bac Ky is a recent addition to existing Pho Bac in Barranca that bring taste of LIttle Saigon bit closer.

Pho Bac Ky, Irvine

Location: 5329 University Dr. Irvine, CA 92612
Price: Moderate
Ambience: Clean
Recommendations:
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Gyu-Kaku, Huntington Beach

2007-01-20T21:09:00.000-08:00

I've been holding up on pictures of food for my next project. Since I have to put an hold on HungerGuide idea, I'll start post all my images.

As you can tell from the pictures, Gyu-kaku serves wide varieties of quality bbq meat. I can't really recall which meats are what but we ordered anything from beef tongue, korean kalbi, skirt steak, ribeye, beef brisket, pork belly, pork cheek, pork loin, to chicken breast. You can then dip into 3 different sauces. Dippings are "shio", "tare", and "miso". Last picture features "yakimochi ice cream", grilled mochi(rice cakes) served with ice cream.

Gyu-Kaku, Huntington Beach

Location: 7862 Warner Ave., #109, Huntington Beach, CA 92647
Price: Expensive
Ambience: Casual and modern interior design
Recommendations: miso harami, japanese sausage, basil chicken, kalbi soup, and yakimochi green tea ice cream for dessert
Rating: 5 out of 5

Comic LIfe of Hyuk

2007-01-15T20:47:00.000-08:00

mode365 logo selection

2007-01-15T19:53:00.000-08:00

I'm working on new looks on mode365.com. I figured logo may be a good place to start. Help me decide which logo works for my site.

Online Marketing Tips

2007-01-15T15:42:00.000-08:00

While I'm working toward making my first million, I encounter my first major milestone. I haven't sold a single item yet. In desperation, I turned to Scott for some advise, then read through few marketing books in search for answers. Here are the lessons:

Scott's Advise: (creator of www.hawkee.com)

Free shipping
Coupons
Relative title and key words

From the publications:

Define objectives and audiences
Target search engine
Ferret out your competitors
Associations, affiliations, and partnerships
Measure everything

6 c's to generate repeat traffic:

Content
Currency
Consistency
Credibility
Convenience
Clarity

Above outlines are self-explanatory. I prefer to go in details and see which points are valid when I actually make some sales. In meantime, what do you guys think? I would love to hear from you and your experience in online marketing.

dang-jang-yuh

2007-01-15T14:39:00.000-08:00

As I drink more coffee, I feel less resistant to caffeine. Does that even make sense? Before, I used to drink coffee and have no effect on me. Now I sip on my first cup of the day, my hands feel jittery. I had one of the worse experience taking cold medicine with some caffeine at night. I woke up middle of night, probably caffeine's doing its job, and feel my body system completely shut down, medicine's kicking in, battling each other to take control of my system. It was horrible.

"Dan-jang-yuh", frequently searched word that appears in korean search engine. I was curious of what that means, so I looked it up. In literal translation, "dang-jang" is fermented soy bean, one of the basic sauces used in many korean dishes. "Yuh", in korean used to describe female. "Dan-jang" was dereived from the actual term "jan-jang", expression used to describe less desirable situation. Today, "dang-jang-yuh" is used to describe a woman who's vain and shallow in character. Of course this term also applies to guys, "dang-jang-nam". Example was given to describe this term to further clarify the meaning. A woman who's sipping Starbucks coffee, also expensive in Korea, and reads Time Magazine in English. Having said all this, I present to you, "dang-jang-nam" of the day.

iCal, webDAV, phpicalendar, and RSS feed

2007-01-11T20:15:00.000-08:00

Train passing by on Jeffrey

Productive day indeed. I've decided on my de fecto calendaring solution. From Oracle Calendar to Mozilla's Thunderbird to Google Calendar and even MS Entourage. They weren't exactly what I wanted. I stick with Apple's iCal for last few months, and it seems to meet my basic needs with few extras. I was able to publish my calendars via webDAV module on Apache Server running OS 10.4 with htpasswd enabled. Then I installed phpicalendar interface then finally broadcast RSS feed onto this website. Lovely~

Secret Life of Merchant Manager

2007-01-11T19:33:00.000-08:00

I've entered the road of online shopping business. During the day, my mind occupies with system administrative works, by night my brain tunes into the world of data feeds, affiliate managements, and search engine optimizations.

It's been almost a week since the official grand opening of mode365.com. I have not sell a single item yet. I'm preparing to launch few things before I can realisticly expect more web traffic.

google solutions

2007-01-01T13:14:00.000-08:00

mode365.com is getting close to launch. Here are some of the tools that I am using in preparation to build an online store.

Google Documents - used to create and store all the necessary business documents and spreadsheets

Google Pages - used to experiment the online WYSIWYG web editor

Froogle - will be used in submitting data feed for marketing purpose

Gmail - arguably the best web based email client I've used

Blogspot - this very site is used to organize my tasks and links. It certainly kicks ass over xanga and msn space junks.

I must admit, I'm a fan of google. My tendency to stick with cost-effective tools has been big part of decision making process. Given that above tools are free, make them all that more attractive. Once I succeed in my online business, I have to take over the world using google solutions as well.

Memories

2006-12-15T10:52:00.000-08:00

First time in ten years, I finally get to visit my old high school. Every teacher that I remember nither retired or transferred to different school. Fellow Sentinels, enjoy the old school.

Loudest Sneeze of the Year

2006-11-30T18:00:00.000-08:00

"AH-CHOO". I just sneeze hard at the study lounge. It is so loud that I can hear my own sneeze cough echoing back from the other side of the wall. It is so loud, it is blog-worthy. Luckily, there is no leakage of mucus spraying on the air. It is one loud dry cough. This lounge probably contains about 200 college students who's cramming for next week's final exams. I refuse to look around for their reactions. Room fills with silence for few seconds. Then students continue with their chatterings, typings, and flippings of textbook pages. Moments passed. I hear an average "ah-choo" across the room. So substle, it was unnoticed.

Watching too much Family Guy, South Park, and Scrub result in funny dream

2006-11-30T17:34:00.000-08:00

Have you ever felt like you're losing dimension in your character? Not implying that I was ever that interesting or sophisticated. This thought of lacking dimension has been lingering in my mind for last couple of days. My colors are turning pastel; my flavors are becoming blend. I'm not even sure if I want to hang out with this "flavorless" Hyuk even if I were his friend. I don't necessarily have particular need to express myself. Being myself bores me sometimes.

Random Photos

2006-10-24T16:06:00.000-07:00

8 slices of Sweet Potato Cake, 1 slice remained

2006-10-11T13:59:00.000-07:00

It happened around 8:30PM on friday at the heart of K-town.

Congregated last minute crew. Some came after their first set of dinner (3/4 pounder of at Wolfe Burger's and cheese burger from MacDonald's). They came hungry and ready for the awaited next round of Shin Dang Dong stir-fry rice cake.

There were rice cakes, eggs, fish cakes, cabbages, carrots, chewy and crispy ramen noodles, dumplings, hams, and most importantly, the special chilli paste sauce. All the ingredients were ready to go.

D was ready to go.

Stirring of the dish was mostly done by 2 taiwanese at the table. D got boot off from the duty for not doing it correctly.

Extra service items were added. They were fried and wrapped around dried seaweed. Inside can be best described as a mutated version of "soon-dae", Korean pig blood sausage, with imitation crab meat at the center. We later learn that rice cake served best at the end of the session when spicy sauce thickens up and absorbed by the rice cakes. Mr. Squiggle patiencely waits for his rice cakes to be done.

Squid tempura. One of my favorite childhood dish.

Surprise came at the end of the meal where they make awesome kimchee fried rice at the spot. Make sure to leave a room for the fried rice if you plan to visit here next time.

While you were at work....

2006-10-11T11:11:00.000-07:00

My day started slow when I woke up around 10AM. I stayed under my blanket til 12 then received a phone call from James to join up for lunch. I visited ICS and chilled there for awhile. I decided to cruise down PCH; quest to find a decent spot to enjoy my coffee.

I arrived at Laguna Beach, found myself a free parking spot, and roamed around. That's a random taco place called Taco Loco.

Friendly giant flog, stood in front of restaurant, greeted each passing customers and sang romantic opera.

Some bar/billard place called Sandpiper Lounge.

Famous gelato place. I have to try it next time.

Las Brisas, I had one of my favorite salmon dish there. They're also known for their breakfast.

After reaching the end of small shops, I decide to explore the beach side. My favorite shot of the day.

Random shots of the beach.

gaze upon the sky and he smiles

2006-10-06T00:17:00.000-07:00

Mixed emotions crowded my mind. No amount of tear can make up for the lost. There is no word to describe the magnificence of his character and achievement. I learn to see how man ought to live in his presence. Man who honors God. Man who fears God. Man who speaks peace and lives out love. There is a greatness in every gesture and heartfelt lessons behind each story unfold.

On October 5, 2006 approximately 5:30pm, the man I adore has left to be with our Lord.

I love you, grandpa. I miss you dearly.

Must See TV

2006-10-05T11:16:00.000-07:00

The actor in this ad is my roommate from college. Enjoy the ad and vote for his video. You can enjoy more of his short clips from http://filmgen.com Few of my favorites are Missing Pieces, Hunger Pain, Reflection, Out of Water, and Must See TV.

Shin-Dang-Dong Dduck Bok Ki, K-Town LA

2006-10-03T20:41:00.000-07:00

Dduck bok ki is a Korean chilly paste rice cake dish that's widely enjoyed among Korean youth. Shin-dang-dong is a region in Seoul known for its unique style dduck bok ki cooked right at your table with various condiments, or "sari", added.

According to my K-town source, radio korea, there is a newly opened restaurant at the corner of Western & 3rd St. where supposedly brought the original taste of shin-dang-dong dduk bok ki. I've never gotten a chance to visit shin-dang-dong therefore I've never had an opportunity to taste such dduk bok ki. On this friday I plan to follow my heart(or belly). It's my duty and desire to experience such food and share with you all.

Here is my proposal for this friday in attempt to round a gang of friends who shares the same love and passion for what we believe in. That is to drive far distance for the sake of adventure in exploring and experiencing strange land for good eateries. Afterward we can hang out at a cafe named "Mak" that has awesome sweet potato cake. Come join me for the ride!

Esquire names 'Sexiest Woman Alive'

2006-09-29T13:56:00.000-07:00

By the way, Scarlett Johansson is the sexiest woman alive.

I first saw her in Lost in translation. I wasn't that intriged by the idea of a rich white man, played by Bill Murray, experiencing such boredom in the city where there is more neon lights and night activities than any place on earth. He laters found Charlotte, played by Scarlett Johansson, to have fling with. It's a wrong idea to have Bill Murray, probably in his 50s, to have any romantic connection with Scarlett Johansson who's 19 at the time when the film was released.

I Kissed Dating Goodbye

2006-09-28T21:37:00.000-07:00

According to my departmental calendar, today is "Ask a Stupid Question Day". My manager seems to be in the holiday spirit. Unfortunately, he's living the tradition 365 days a year. I'm slowly get bothered by his lack of common sense and unprofessionalism. I received many calls from him outside of my working hour(lunch hour, saturday, at night, etc.), asked about the simplest and not-so-urgent questions. Not to mention wasting my personal mobile minutes.

mood for jazz, cup of chai tea, and good company

2006-09-28T20:58:00.000-07:00

You probably realized it by now that my title of the post, photos, and content have no relevance. I simply have too many photos of food. Above photos are taken yesterday at El Chinaco in Costa Mesa(corner of 19th & Anaheim). It's El Salvadorian style restaurant. I got 2 mixed and 1 cheese pupusas. I also ordered plantan dish with bean and sour cream. With large sized cantaloupe agua fresca added, the total came out to be whopping $16.54. For LUNCH!!!! Pupusas were really good. $16.54!!! What was I eating?

Come to think of it, there must be some sort of pancake-like dish in every culture. C just mentioned about Japan's okomomiyaki and korea's very own boo-chin-gae. It will be interesting to go explore on every culture's pancake equivalence.

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...and it goes

2006-09-26T18:05:00.000-07:00

"...Numbers aren’t the important thing...what matters is deciding in your heart to accept another person completely. When you do that, it is always the first time and the last."

from The Kidney-shaped Stone that Moves Every Day by Murakami Haruki

바닥에 살아도 하늘을 본다

2006-09-25T16:28:00.000-07:00

Homer: All right, brain, you don't like me, and I don't like you, but let's just get me through this, and I can get back to slowly killing you with beer.
Brain: It's a deal!

Lately, I religiously follow Monster Munchin' Elmo's recommandation. Again, I surrender myself for the quest to find excellent sushi with exceptional pricing. The restaurant is called Maki Zushi that is located in the city of Tustin(corner of Edinger & Redhill).

My brother and I ordered two Maki special rolls, lobster and scapllop, Maki Zushi Salad, and yellow tail. I immediately noticed the rough texture of rice carefully rolled onto dry seaweed. Bigger than usual chunk of fish placed at the center of each roll. Presentation of food is nothing short of what you imagine to see from the alley restaurant of Tokyo. I have my first bite of lobster roll with heavily marinated sauce. It was good... second bite, it was also good.. third bite, the same. Nothing extraordinary there. Yellow tail was probably my favorite among the dishes. It was plain enough to throughly enjoy the taste of the fish. I realized I get sick of those variation of mayo/sugar-loaded sauces after two bites. I enjoyed the overall experience of the restaurant especially with 20% limited time discount. I probably have to think twice before visiting the restaurant once that promotional discount is long gone.

"Honor your creative voice--it's what makes you unique."

2006-09-25T14:32:00.000-07:00

I like to make this as painless as possible. I knew all along this has to take place sooner than later. Everyone seems to be on it. Why not? This is my turn. I'm going to BLOG now.

Reading through friends' online journals adds to my daily dose of pleasure. Each one has their own unique ways of writing. I enjoy looking at pictures that captured the essence of moment. Sometimes, it's the only form of communication between friends. I believe that people leave traces behind their writings. I see traces of heart ache, tear, rejuvenation, and laughter.

With no particular direction in writing in mind, I committ myself to write. Hoping to become better at it; hoping to look back today and applaud myself for starting a journey.