Cheer Up With Food

Last January my husband and I went on a weekend trip to the Bay area.  When we got off the plane we were starving (as usual)!  Our friends had made a list of recommended restaurants that we should try.  So when I was looking down the list, I wanted to eat somewhere where I know we'd get full for sure.   Korean BBQ at Gogi Time was the first place I chose to satisfy our bellies. Gogi Time We came to this restaurant late at night on a weekday and it was busy- a good sign that this place was legit!  If you're not familiar with eating Korean BBQ, you get banchan   (side dishes) first to eat and share with your fellow diners.  These small dishes are usually replenished throughout your whole meal: The side dishes surrounding the grill and some vegetables that we ordered as part of our main course Some of the main dishes we ordered for us to grill: Marinated beef and chicken We didn't take much photos because we were that hungr...

On Pi Day, I attended my friends' wedding at  Emerald at Queensridge .   I found this place to be simply elegant!  As for the food, I liked how the meats were cooked.  Its usually a hit or miss when it comes to eating meats at weddings.  The meats are either cooked correctly or dry!  I was relieved this venue knew the right way to cook the meats for a 100+ guests. Beautiful setup An epic salad display Bread rolls A nice light dinner.  The meats were nicely cooked and juicy, not dry at all! Simple wedding cake Looking for a place to hold your wedding ceremony and reception?  I recommend checking this venue out!

Last week I attended  Cafe Zupas ' VIP party for local bloggers and tech-savvy food lovers.  I really didn't know what to expect only that I knew that they specialize in sandwiches, soups, and salads, and that they're based from Utah.  Upon arriving we were greeted by the staff, who were all friendly and knowledgeable.  They suggested for us to choose the Try 2 Combo.  I decided to go with a sandwich and salad and my husband chose a sandwich and soup: The salads were made right in front of us: They let us choose our own desserts: Our meals: I got the Thai Mango Chicken Salad .  I was surprised by how much flavor was in every bite!  This came with chicken, mango, Thai peanut sauce, bell peppers, red onions, peanuts, wonton strips, iceberg lettuce, and House-Made sesame ginger dressing.  Even though there wasn't too much dressing and Thai peanut sauce, they absolutely were the reasons that made this salad amazing...

I had heard Yu-Yu was a restaurant that recently opened in China Town, so of course I had to check this place out!  This restaurant specializes in kushi age  (Japanese deep-fried meat, vegetable, and fruit on skewers).  Their deep-fried delights don't compare to what you eat at fast food chains.  Upon seeing them you'll notice they're not soggy and not leaking thru with oil, they're deep-fried just right! I loved their simple decor, it was splendid! Tofu Salad - this was one good d*mn salad   !! As you can see the kushi age are lightly breaded and small. I remember we had shrimp, water chestnut , lotus root, shiitake mushroom , squid leg, silver fish, Asian pear, etc. I never knew so many foods could be fried and still taste great than just by itself!  The foods are typically dipped into a batter of egg, flour, panko  (bread crumbs); and deep-fried in vegetable oil. Tamago  (Japanese omelette) with a side of da...