Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Sugar Rush in LA : Eat Your Heart Out Sweetie (Fun and Exciting LA Blog Series 9)

Sugar Rush in LA 
Eat Your Heart Out Sweetie 
(Fun and Exciting LA Blog Series 9) 

As an endocrinologist, my patients would
hate me for this post. I came to LA to attend a
convention about diabetes and insulin resistance,


…here I am- and could not resist the temptation of
the numerous candy stores at the Universal Citywalk.



It was an extravagant, persuasive sugar
temptation for me and my family,


…and it is a feast for the saccharine senses,


…as there was a wide array of sweets and candies,


…of all kinds, all forms and sizes.


Who cares about the calories? 



Who cares about  the health warnings?



 Everything that your doctor tells you 
not to eat, to limit and to avoid is here.


Even those they tell to eat a lot, like fruits-
they’re also here- and they are sinfully coated
either with caramel and tempting chocolates.


I even suspect the serpent used one of these candy coated
apples to lure Eve for a bite at the Garden of Eden.



These days the serpent has transformed itself to
appealing and tempting candy stores like Sparky’s


…and the delightfully alluring It’Sugar.


After all the candy shopping, my son gave us
a- okay sign while guarding his bagful of loot,


…and when we got back to the hotel, we
laid down all the sweets we had bought, 



…we couldn’t get enough and didn’t know what to do,
and how begin the massive saccharine buffet in our room.



After we fired up with the very first bite on
the sweet treats, it was a virtual Sugar Rush.





It’s sometimes exciting to be



Saturday, June 27, 2015

Wasabi Japanese Restaurant: Rice, Rice Baby in America (Fun and Exciting LA Blog Series 8)

Wasabi Japanese Restaurant 
Rice, Rice Baby in America 
(Fun and Exciting LA Blog Series 8) 


Wasabi Japanese Restaruant, 
transports  the diners to Japan, 


….without stepping out
of the Universal Citywalk. 


It was a beautiful restaurant gaily decorated
with numerous colorful Japanese lanterns,


…but despite the festive mood,



… they have a Zen inspired table arrangement that reflects
the inertly peaceful Japanese culture of minimalism that
characterizes the modest yet lovely and beautiful designs.


The chopsticks were neatly wrapped with red table napkin
laid in a perfect balance on top of a wooden  chopstick
holder, placed precariously right at the edge of the table,


…in flawless symmetry, even
with those at the other tables.




It was a true form of Japanese penchant for peaceful,
uncluttered living, holding tightly to balance, and
fondness for what is systematic, natural and simple.


Our meals came with complimentary rich brown type 
Miso Soup, that was pleasantly pungent and nutty.


…and Fresh Vegetable Salad,


We also ordered Assorted Sashimi,
everyone’s  favorite Japanese dish,
which we all gobbled up in a jiffy.


I had a plateful of delicious Sushi for me.


My daughter had Tempura Udon, that was served
in an huge bowl that she had to share it with us, as
she could not eat everything. It has a savory dark brown
broth, flavored with the rich taste of soy sauce and mirin.
It tasted so good that I almost ate up everything until
I realized that it was my daughter’s food, not mine.


The BBQ Shortribs was one of the most delicious dishes
that I have tasted during this trip. It had a sweetish- tangy
marinade and was perfectly grilled. It was very tender and
tasted so divinely delicious. I also gobbled almost half of what
was served,  until I realized that it was my son who ordered it.


The Salmon Fillet Teriyaki that my wife ordered
came  as a tasty, perfectly cooked salmon  fillet cube
bathed with just the right amount of teriyaki   sauce.
It was so juicy and so tender and does not have any
trace of any fishy- smell or any fishy- aftertaste at all. 


Wasabi meals came with a bowl of rice and it was
great as it satisfied our long time craving for rice,


...since we have been missing this Pinoy staple food
after we arrived in the US more than two weeks ago.


Wasabi has been so far one of the best culinary
 experiences we had on this Los Angeles  trip. 


Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Farmers Market Los Angeles; A Touch of Old America in the Heart of LA (Fun and Exciting LA Blog Series 7)

Farmers Market Los Angeles  
A Touch of Old America in the Heart of LA 
(Fun and Exciting LA Blog Series 7) 


The good thing with the Celebrities’ Houses Tour, 
it took us to the Farmers Market for its final stop.



My young son fully recovered from his motion sickness after
the very turbulent drive with a scoop of delicious vanilla ice
cream from the classic Bennet’s Homemade Ice Cream. 


Then, he was feeling better after the
ice cream and he was ready to roll. 


Farmers Market first opened on July 1934, and considered
as Los Angeles landmark and a must visit  tourist attraction.


While most Farmers Markets operate only on weekends,
this one in LA is open everyday- whole year round.


It is located at the corner of the 3rd Street and Fairfax Avenue,
and adjacent to the grove, and outdoor shopping mall,



…and an electric powered street car connects to two sites.


The pedestrianized street is lined with a variety
of stores, hip restaurants and coffee shops. 




LA’s Farmers Market is a foodie destination
as it offers a number of ethnic cuisine on its
more than a hundred restaurants and food stalls,



…and sit down eateries where we feasted on
Chinese food from the nearby China Depo,





…while my son gobbled up a tasty donut
from Bob’s Coffee and Doughnuts. 



The Farmers Market is also an ideal
place  for tourists to shop for souvenirs,


… as there was a great number
of  souvenir shops in the area.



Having a final stop at the Farmers Market was 
a  saving grace for the otherwise rough and 
rambling   Starline’s Celebrities’ Houses Tour, 


... that  provided us with a driver-tour guide who drove  like 
crazy and was only interested of having his job done the 
soonest possible time rather that giving us a leisurely tour.