1 month ago
Selections from Extraordinary Desserts
We tried (top left, clockwise): La Bête Noire (“Traditional vanilla crème brûlée, chocolate truffle cream are layered in between dark chocolate cakes and moistened with Madagascar vanilla bean.”), Gianduia (“Myer’s Rum laced chocolate cake layers are married with hazelnut buttercream, chocolate mousse, and boysenberry preserves. Crushed pralines cover this most popular dessert.”), Torta Misu (“Our unique version of Tiramisu consists of espresso soaked ricotta cake layers and Italian mascarpone rum cream. This house favorite is finished with whipped cream and dusted with cocoa.”), and Ivoire Royale (“An exquisite torte made of fine layers of vanilla bean soaked pound cakes and creamy white chocolate mousse. Bursting with fresh raspberries, strawberries, blackberries and blueberrIes, this delicate mousse torte is hidden by white chocolate shaving dusted with powdered sugar.”). We also tried some sort of fruit Pavlova, which was excellent.
weekend foodie rundown
The boyfriend came across the country this weekend to spend time with me, so the friends and I decided to rise to the occasion and eat our way through San Diego. As expected, I spent my first paycheck on stuffing my face.
The cheapest, most assessable (read: white-palate friendly) sushi and Japanese food in San Diego, available at three locations (Sushi Delis 1, 2, and 3). It’s not the best sushi I’ve ever had, but at its price, it’s definitely worth a stop. We tried (among other things): teriyaki platters, tempura udon, and a bunch of different rolls. Our favorites are the 4x4 (four different pieces of four different rolls) and the Broadway (salmon, spicy tuna, tempura shrimp). For $16, I got a tempura udon and two rolls. Yum.
Let’s say this: we were all craving Boiling Crab, which was the only reason we decided to settle for Joe’s. The food was alright, but we definitely weren’t full, even after stuffing ourselves with the potatoes, corn, and sausage. Between five of us, we tried the Dungeness Crab Bucket in Garlic Herb and Spicy Boil, the Fire-Grilled Steampot and the Joe’s Classic Steampot. The Fire-Grilled was definitely the most tasty and flavorful. We split the bill, which came out to about $18 per person.
We always come to this Vietnamese/Chinese restaurant for pho, which is pretty darn good. Tasty broth and pretty fresh noodles, which is basically all I require. $5.50 for a regular sized bowl of Pho Tai.
Um, YUM. Also, ridiculously expensive. I love this excellent dessert place, which always has several amazing varieties of cake and fruit pastries, and do both so well. Edible flowers and gold leaf adorn each piece of dessert, which comes to around $8.50, give or take. I suggest going to the Extraordinary Desserts on 5th Street, rather than the one in Little Italy, because there is simply more parking.
This place is amazing. Period. My friend Monica is obsessed with this BBQ joint, which is usually so popular that the line winds around the establishment. Great baby back ribs and beef ribs (and the best damn coleslaw I’ve ever tasted). To avoid the line, come after 9PM. We got a teaser platter for $7, which included a huge tower of french fries, coleslaw, and ribs (4 bones). Amaaazing.
12 months ago
Tonight a few friends and I went to a local sushi place called Sushi Deli for dinner. The entire place is entirely white-washed (not a single Asian employee and the menu indicates which rolls include raw fish) but the food is delicious, fresh, and most importantly, very cheap ($5-6 for most eight piece rolls). We waited outside for a good twenty minutes before opening time and there was already a line. Luckily, service was fast and friendly. Strongly recommended to anyone in the La Jolla, San Diego area.
1 year ago
jen’s first time clubbing in SD
Last night, some friends and I went to a frat/sorority-sponsered event at the downtown San Diego club Decos. It was supposed a pre-Valentine’s day thing, so we had to wear hot pink getups. I was only going along with nine other girls (and two guys, for protection!) because I felt that I was getting a little boring from sitting at home all the time, and because I had never gone to a club in the US before.*
However, a few things I learned, in retrospect. First, girls who do not have cars should not go clubbing without a secure ride. Second, they should not drink so much that they are falling down before they even enter clubs. Third, they should not attract so much attention that they are led out the back exit. Fourth, it’s not anyone’s birthday; that’s just a ploy so you give them lapdances.
And it goes on and on and on.
The entire night, to be honest, is a huge blur, and not because of all the alcohol we comsumed. The dark shadows and the strobe lights and the $5 waters all seem to create an alternate world where there is no such thing as reality. And so it seems OK to freak some guy asks for your number and if you’re from State University (as if!) and also OK to sit on the bathroom floor to hide from him later. The fifth-year students who chat you up are nice guys, and frat boys suddenly seem so much classier, even if they’re still doing the same pervy, douchey things. It also seems perfectly normal to see strangers make out with your friends and then to have them be missing for a few hours…
Of course, it was not all as bad as I’m making it sound. Clubs are supposed to be at least a little sketchy, and I still had a great time dancing with my friends and some random guys. While there are certain adventures associated with this visit that I won’t care to repeat, I can’t say that there won’t be a repeat performance. It’s all just an experience, and of course, you’re only young once.
* Clubs in the US are obviously very different from clubs in Shanghai, Barcelona, Madrid, Paris, London, and Mexico.
1 year ago
Me, fascinated by K’s pretty pedicure.
Blacks Beach, La Jolla, UCSD.
Pictures from my weekend beach visit, as promised. Blacks is actually a nude beach, but there’s a good strip of beach where uh… clothed visitors stay. I love hanging out there, but there are two cons: 1) the washed up kelp on the beach attracts little flies, which can be annoying because the kelp is frigging everywhere, and 2) walking back up the beach is fucking exhausting (for out-of-shape me). The beach is surrounded by cliffs and it’s steeply uphill the entire way back up.
Cool little fact: there’s a house on the cliffs that overlooks the beach and it used to be owned by… Michael Jackson.
