Los Angeles, my Los Angeles IV

Fourth of the food/restaurant rounds: anything Filipino, Part 1

I don't get to eat any Filipino food in the East Bay. Maybe I haven't been pointed in the right direction? Buh? Even still, David, Toni, Mike, and I went to Toppings in Daly City when Toni came up in May. I'm willing to make the drive out every so often, but not many people are interested in making the trek out there with me [D=]. Plus, Filipino food is super cheap in Los Angeles!

Anything Filipino, Part 1: Manila Good Ha! on Vermont

Corned beef with potatoes with ginataan to the far right
Dad's Bicol Express and dinuguan
Puto! This wasn't from Good Ha!; it came from a Filipino market on Sunset, close to where the weekend farmers market usually is.

Los Angeles, my Los Angeles III

Third of the restaurant/food rounds: Fried tilapia from Temple Seafood Market

Honestly, nowhere else can beat Temple Seafood Mart's fried tilapia. 99 Ranch could only go so far... plus, I've never had a fish that was poorly fried or one that tasted a little old from this place. AND, my mom makes the best dip in the world- a simple garlic-vinegar-fish sauce concoction, which I've cited before. On my list of favorite foods/meals, this ranks as #1. No kidding.

*warning: photos with unappealing lighting*

Fried tilapia, fried catfish (!!!). Yes, they "Fry Free!"
Now, the best- and most comforting- way to eat this:
1. Wash your hands and prep for the dive
2. Take a piece of fish and dip in the sawsawan
3. With your fingers, clump some rice (for me, I usually do a little less than gumball-size) with the fish and pack together with your fingers. Proceed to push in your mouth with a well-coordinated thumb extension. =D

Denny's

Apparently, Denny's has a Pick-and-Choose Grand Slam option these days. Now, I usually can't make up my mind whenever I'm ordering anything. This either results in coordinated ordering amongst my friends* ("What are you getting?" "The flan." "Oh! I'll get the pie then.") or my indecisive self ordering multiple things ("I'll have the french toast... and... lobster!")

*The odd thing is, even if my friends and I weren't sharing our plates, I'd still feel good knowing there were variety on the table. :P So this Pick-and-Choose thing is pretty convenient. [And yup, samplers are a go, too!]

Thanks, Denny's.
[oatmeal, turkey bacon, scrambled eggs, and fwoot]

Los Angeles, my Los Angeles II

Second restaurant/food round: Scoops behind LACC

Who doesn't love this experimental creamery?
Marcus, Michael, Elliot and I stopped by this afternoon for a cold treat. I had pandan (top) and vegan banana-Oreo (bottom) ice creams...
only $2.75!

Elysee in Westwood

In addition to Mediterranean food, I love Fayzan! We went to Elysee this morning... something like an edible adieu 'til January '10 :( By the by, Westwood parking meters are painful (5 minutes/quarter... huh!?).

We shared a plate of french toast, which came with some fried (maybe roasted?) potatoes. The french toast was more buttery than eggy, so every bite left my mouth a little greasy/glossy. Nom!
Caprese omelette with wheat toast and potatoes.
Sweeter goodies a la Fayzan.
Chocolate chip shortbread cookie pictured above.
Mango mousse. Extra nom.

The Pita Pit in Riverside

[okay, not part of my LA food rounds, but thought I'd share]
Boy, do I love me my Mediterranean food..

Mike's gyro. I wasn't too fond of the slices of lamb, but the feta was good.
My falafel-sprouts-hummus-onion-lettuce pita. It was sorta dry, possibly because I didn't add any sauce or dressing. Falafel = okay, but not Makes Me Wanna Eat a Crap Ton! status

Los Angeles, my Los Angeles

I love being back in LA because of 1) the family, 2) the friends, and 3) the food! When it comes to the family, I have my comforting at-home moments. For the friends, I have to run around SoCal [oh so worth it]. And for my gastral enjoyments, I usually make my restaurant rounds in order to fill up on all the foods I can't get (cheaply or at all) in the Bay Area.

First of the rounds: CBS in Chinatown

Dim sum for the nostalgic on all levels

My aaabsolute favorite ^_^

Teehee

As I was rummaging through the things I brought down from Berkeley to LA, I found these in my box of toiletries:

They're from Hanoi =D

And even though

moving out and driving back to LA were a little tiring, I was far more bothered by the news of Dr. George Tiller's murder ='(
Thoughts, condolences, strength..

Fiber > No Fiber

Well, I stubbornly consumed solid foods during the healing process. Heck, I'm still in the healing process... but that's okay. Anything for Mediterranean food, which is probably my second favorite kind of food.
First favorite? Probably Filipino, specifically for its comforting qualities. I could, however, eat Med food endlessly. Endlessly, I say!

My last meal in Berkeley 'til January!
From La Mediterranee on College. This is their lox levant with a cup of mamounia (amazing.. nearly beats out oatmeal for me). The coffee was supoib, as well. :)