bruxies.

lunch at bruxies, chino hills.

this was our first time visiting this location. i like that it has more seating, and that their patio is dog friendly.

whats new..  the pastrami waffle sandwich, with thin sliced cucumber, slaw, and mustard. hearty and filling.

and my go-to fave, the prosciutto and gruyere.

mini bruxie maple syrup, (purchased separately) that my friend had me try-  it goes quite well with the flavors of this sandwich, and adds a sweet kick. i think im addicted.

love that bruxies has been expanding locations!

http://bruxie.com/

xx

gatlin’s bbQ. houston, tx.

gatlin’s bbQ in houston.

first time in texas! sO.. we ate. ALOT. we ate at gatlin’s the last day of our visit, right before we headed to the airport. this worked out perfectly, because when we got to gatlin’s it was 15 min till opening time at 11am… by 10:55, we noticed there was a line starting to form, so we hurried off the car and got in line (4th!) by the time we had placed our orders, the line was out the door. lucky for us (:

outdoor patio seating area. below was my order. the ribs were juicy, the meat slid right off the bone. the brisket was smoky and tender. bbQ sauce not pictured, but it was watery and tart. not heavy, and went well with the smoky-ness of the meat.

sides- their coleslaw was light and crunchy, not too sour or tart. my friend got the loaded baked potato- which was sO good, if i get to go back- thats what i’ll be having.

everything was beautiful. my palette is forever spoiled for bbQ now…

xx

paisano’s pizza.

we’ve moved back to CaLi!

first things first.

PIZZA. greasy american pizza. this is no gourmet pizza.. this is the fragrant cheesy late night kind, that you shamefully crave.

the pepperoni thin crust from paisano’s in hermosa beach, is the BEST.

 

its good to be home. for good.

xx

 

 

dos chinos.

dos chinos.  taipei, tonghua street area.

this new little place serves pork tacos, burgers, fries and cubanos. they’re made upon ordering, and served hot.

sO good compared to assembly line taco places currently in taipei. their capacity is smaller, but you go for their quality and authenticity.

pulled pork tacos, with onion, guac, and cilantro. lime to squeeze. i asked for the hot salsa to be served separate.

spicy chorizo tacos. my fave. they make their own chorizo.

their current menu’s succinct selection.

the mixed pork taco, (middle) is chorizo + pulled pork combined.

pork sandwich (cubano) with home made pickles, mustard and mayo. this was juicy and quite good as well.

so glad to have a place to get a taco fix! i’ll try their burgers next time.

 

xx

 

tonghua st, alley 38, #8

 

Sparkle Patisserie

sparkle patisserie in taichung.

i finally made it to taichung to dine at sparkle.

twG tea. french earl grey. the breadsticks are addictive. flaky pastry, parmesan and pepper.

mushroom truffle soup. fragrant truffle and small chunks of mushroom. not too much cream, keeping this soup light.

cheesy croque madame. sO good! not greasy, something thats rare for this dish.

the tiered afternoon tea set, compliments of our friends at sparkle.

the sweet tier.  light and fluffy, nothing was overpowering or heavy. note the handmade artisan chocolate in the middle. yuM!

my favorite was the scones! one sweet, and one savory. great texture. the savory rosemary cheese scone was especially delicious. flaky, buttery and warm.

savories. quiche, croque, mini burger, salmon, egg canape, chicken salad.

picked up some sweets to take home. mont blanc, red velvet cupcake, and my FAVE- carrot cake!

thanks sO much to our friends of sparkle! chef lucy, and front room manager vicky. we had a wonderful time.

xx

http://www.patisseriesparkle.com/

al barakat, four seasons landaa giraavaru. maldives.

this was my favorite restaurant at the landaa giraavaru resort.

its been a while since i’ve had arabic cuisine, so we ended up eating here 3 times during our stay.

everything was delicious. no complaints whatsoever.

sunset view from the outdoor seating area.

complimentary starter of veggies with yogurt dip.

royal tadigh.

octopus carpaccio.

beef  and egg ojja.

hot pita bread.

my plate loaded up with mezzahs.

chicken shish tawook

moroccan kofta meatballs with egg and tomato sauce.

arabic rice.

chocolate cake

strawberry, mango and banana layered with ice cream.

xx

les bebes.

les bebes cupcakes.

near yongkang st.  my new favorite cupcakerie in taipei! their cakes are sweet, moist and fluffy, REAL cupcakes that i’m used to.. not muffin like- or “not sweet.”

current flavor i’m obsessing over- the Earl Grey. the cake has tea leaves and is fragrant with bergamot. the cream atop is super light and fluffy, and not thick or too sweet. it reminds me of the foam atop a latte. i could wolf down three of these in one sitting.

cupcake minis! i bought one of every flavor they had that day.. and since i couldn’t eat ALL full sized cupcakes, i went with the minis for about 2/3 of the flavors. among my favorites are the red velvet, peanut butter choco, and double strawberry.

red velvet- beautiful frosting.. earl grey, and bailey’s.

will be going back for the Chai Tea flavor on saturdays.

yuM!

 

台北市大安區潮州街149-4號1樓 (02)2358-2226

break of dawn.

breakfast at one of my favoriteS in orange county, BREAK OF DAWN.

in laguna, closer to aliso viejo. vietnamese owned and influenced gourmet breakfast foods.

everything here is a gastronomic treat..  the dishes are quite heavy- sO come hungry.

cinnamon bun. served on a hot griddle, in cinnamon sauce, with whipped cream atop.

green eggs and ham. poached eggs, potatoes, and pesto. simple and satisfying.

 

creme brulee french toast. need i say more?

deLiciouS.

 

xx

 

http://breakofdawnrestaurant.com/

Billy’s Boston Chowder House

Lunch in Los Gatos downtown.

cute homey interiors. no fuss dining.

new england clam chowder with oyster crackers. sO good. creamy, with chewy bits of clams and little bits of potato. this chowder is smoother than some, its definitely not “chunky” style.

the Lobster Roll. huGE chunks of lobster, dipped in butter. i ordered it with tarragon mayo on the side- which i promptly emptied onto my bun after taking a little taste. the brioche is toasted and super soft, which makes the sandwich easy to eat and enjoy the lobster. the slaw, is also pretty good. for $20, this dish is pretty reasonably priced.

 

definitely a new favorite.

xx

http://www.bostonchowderhouse.com/

soLo pasta.

dinner at solo pasta.

we’ve been here quite a few times in the past, but this dining experience was by far the best. i think we finally ordered “right.”

i started with the asparagus appetizer, with half poached eggs and parmesan shavings. sea salt and pepper to flavor.

we wanted bread for the table, but solo pasta doesn’t do complimentary bread- so we were advised to order their bruschetta, which came with 2 pcs. tomato, and pate. the pate was quite good.

b ordered a steak of sorts.. which was sliced, and sprinkled with arugula and parmesan shavings. a quasi steak, topped with a bit of salad- but i must say these are 3 of my favorite things to eat.. so i was happy to see them all in one plate. the meat was seared medium rare, and was tender. not bad at all!

the steak dish also came with another 2 pcs of bruschetta. plain and tomato. the server failed to mention this when she advised our “bread” order..

i enjoyed the duck pasta with balsamic sauce. sO good. the creamy tart balsamic flavor is amazing. this is by far my favorite dish at solo. it never fails to satisfy.

and for dessert, they had lemon tart. creamy but still sour, a nice balance to the balsamic pasta.

yum yum.

xx

 

No. 29-1, Section 1, Ānhé Road, Daan District. (02 2775 3645 )