Eating Out March

Most of my food adventures are documented on Yelp!  Though I'm elite, I haven't been to their notorious events.  That's also on the to-do list this year!

http://letopho.yelp.com

For now, here's a collection of things I've been eating in March.

Umani Ramen - Umemura Restaurant
Creme Brulee Cheesecake - Nakkara
Oven Roasted Bone Marrow - Bacaro LA
Fries and Meat - Some food truck at Grand Park
The Bacaro Burger - Bacaro LA
Macarons - Bottega Louie
Middle Eastern Dish - Hayat's Kitchen
Half Fried Dumplings - Shanghai No 1 Seafood Village
Loco Moco Hotdog - Hawaiian Food Truck
Cheese Hotdog Thing - Random Korean Place
Wings - Pann's Restaurant 
Chinese Family Style  - Jade Wok
Hawaiian Nachos - The place closed down!!
Apple Dumpling Hook's Cheddar - The Hart and the Hunter
Smoked Trout, Avocado Toast - The Hart and the Hunter

I'm surprised I was able to remember where I devoured these dishes, but I guess it's because they've all made an impression.  If only meeting new people was this easy.

Asians Love Karaoke

My coworker who is white made an observation, "Asians love karaoke."  Yes... yes we do.  What is it about being trapped in a room for a couple of hours singing poorly, at some points screaming to pop songs that's so addicting?  I guess it's an opportunity to perform and act silly and not have to worry about neighbors complaining.

And these two were the stars of the evening.  Kevyn doing a near perfect Nikki Minaj rap and Charles doing an enthusiastic Japanese pop song with choreo.   It was obvious - these two practiced.  But I guess that's what you do when you're stuck in LA traffic for hours.  If I can't be a good singer, I can work on my performance - need to work on connecting with the audience when I sing Enrique Iglesias.

Our karaoke place of choice:  Max Studio in Little Tokyo.  Sneak in alcohol and they will charge you a dollar a head and look away.  Just don't destroy their equipment.  Remember to put in all-sing songs and follow this rule:  you are only allowed one "nobody knows this song" song.  Don't waste precious karaoke time with obscurities!!  And make sure those shy ones sing too - they are paying for the room too after all.

We are all stars.

Afterwards we celebrate musical success with shared McDonald's fish mcbites on the trunk of someone's car.  Mmmmmmmmm/

Empty road realness.


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A couple of shots from March's Karaoke event.

I detest Wicked songs, but Sean killed it.  He surprised me with his love for musicals.

I've realized that the same Road Trip Songs also make good Karaoke Songs:



Our group manages to sing the following every time:

- Seasons of Love - Rent
- Back Here - BB Mak
- More than Words
- Defying Gravity - Wicked
- A Whole New World - Aladin
- Summer Nights - Grease
- Don't Stop Believing - Journey
- Neyo - Because of You

Artists to remember
- Bon Jovi
- Nsync
- Aaliyah
- KC and JoJo
- John Legend

And if your neighbors don't mind.  Youtube Karaoke is always fun too!
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheKARAOKEChannel/videos?view=1&flow=grid
http://www.youtube.com/user/SunflyKaraoke

February Recap - Year of the Snake

I guess we can consider this a "throwback!" Back in February I checked out the Garden Grove Tet Festival.  I heard it was supposed to be the largest Vietnamese Tet Festival outside of Vietnam.  And holy pho it was.  There was a huge food set up, stage performances, carnival rides and cultural booths.  The highlight reel above does a great job at capturing the event.  Though there could be more shots of multiple the food booths.  We enjoyed a clam salad on rice cracker (goi hen.)  MMMMmm.

There was some controversy this year when the LGBT groups were not invited to march in the parade. It's pretty sad that the church groups threatened to pull out of the parade if the LGBT groups participated. I didn't stay updated on what happened, but I happy when I found this gem walking around the festival.

This ride was a bit terrifying, but it added to our adventure.  Could not stop laughing.  David lost his wallet in the gravatron, but was able to retrieve it before the next group went in.  #luckybitch

Viet squat

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We also attended another festival in Pasadena hosted by the Pacific Asia Museum.  Took the opportunity to walk around the museum.

Candy Art

Sumo Wrestling

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Missing Tet celebration is like missing Christmas and I missed it again this year.  It was the perfect opportunity to hang with my brother who was also in SoCal.  We celebrated with an AYCE Chinese Hotpot Dinner at A & J Hot Point Hot Pot in Rosemead.  I gave my little brother a red envelop to celebrate the new year.  Family time!

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Finally we checked out the Midnight Temple Ceremony in Chinatown.  This included dragon dance, prayer and intense chinese fireworks which created large clouds of smoke and loud explosions.

May Birthdays - Attention Whores

I celebrated a lot during May.  Particularly the birth of many of my friends.  Though this won't compare to October where it feels like everyone was born, but May came close.

Planning ahead is the key and I was texting all the Gemini's so that we had our designated days and themes.

Kevyn's Surprise Birthday House Warming

I met a friend of Kevyn's.  She was excited to meet me to help her plan his birthday party, but she was 19 and had no idea what she was doing.  She wanted to celebrate at Bubba Gumps because they sang to you and she wanted to get him a Panda cake because.. that what she calls him.  And... she wanted to get him flowers because... she likes flowers?  But he's allergic. What to do?  Good thing his roommate interviened on facebook:

He will love wherever we go, BUT I know seafood is not his favorite. Maybe we should decorate and get popeyes for 2 pc Tuesdays...?! Haha Also, Kevyn is dying to have people over to our new place so that is an option. I'm off all day today and tomorrow please let me know if I can be of any assistance.

Crisis averted.   He came to his home and we screamed SURPRISE and he ran away.  His favorite was out on the table: fried chicken and friends from different parts of his life were there.  Perfect.  We all squeezed in and participated in his pointing instagram pictures.

My Birthday on the Rooftop

What I liked about the birthday bonanza is that everyone planned something different.  My rooftop party was celebrated on a casual Thursday.  I asked folks to dress in black and white for a classy affair with overpriced drinks and amazing views.  This is to make up for my ridiculous Superhero party last year.  I was thrilled that my coworkers came from the west side to see DTLA in all it's glory.

James' Vino 'Stache Bash

James took class a bit further and rented out half of a Wine Bar for his mustache themed event.  I wrote about it before. Oh you fancy.  Jimmy and I were able to reuse our bay to breaker outfits.  James is already thinking about next year.  

David's BLACKOUT

David took classy twenty steps back and got table service at the Abbey the following day.  Two bottles of Grey Goose and one bottle of Absolut rang up to $1,900.  David almost jumped out the window when he got the bill.  He basically bought everyone 2.5 drinks and didn't ask anyone to chip in.  Messy messy night.  Everyone was trashed, but that was the goal.  We had fun with the go-go boys it was like watching beefy hairless monkey's swing upside on poles.  Though what they were swinging on looked like gas pipes and I was waiting for one of the pipes to break causing a huge stampede.  A gay, synchronized stampede that would be perfect for a high end fashion commercial.

I handed David water and watched him knock it out of my hand and onto people.  He also lost his cap that night and bought another.  He found it later in his laundry.

Double Your Pleasure, Double Your Fun

Because I'm such an attention whore, I planned a second birthday party that was sort of a combined Gemini event.  6 Gemini's came out along with a lot of folks from our circle.  It was a fun overcast beach day at Will Rogers - the gay beach one mile north of Santa Monica.

Cindy pictures here.

Whew!

Eating Out May

Jitlada - Giant Prawns.  Really overpriced Thai place riding it's Jonathan Gold review
Blossom Vietnamese Restaurant - Great duck egg noodle dish
Marugame-Monzo - Udon Gratin - Creamy to perfection
India Sweets and Spices - A bunch of things
Gigi's Bakery - Best Cuban tamale ever
Pingtung Eat-In Market - Creative gyoza
Homemade - Vietnamese Corn drizzle
India Sweets and Spices - Samosa Chana - Tikki masala - basically everything
Marugame-Monzo - Braised Pork Belly
Borneo, Kalimantan Cuisine - Laksa!  Probably the best I've had outside of Singapore
Borneo, Kalimantan Cuisine - Nasi Campur - simple and amazing rice dish
Morning Nights - Quiche
Homemade - Gumbo!
Chego - Chubby Pork Belly

A little redundant since I post these pictures on my instagram.  But I like the collages.

Neurotic Gemini

After my birthday was James' at a Wine Bar in WeHo.  His spectacular catering, decorations, gluten free cake and wine bar reservation all cost him $400 which is very very reasonable.  James was excited - this is the first year that his birthday didn't fall on Memorial Weekend.  People were actually in town to celebrate.  The result of this rare occasion - a birthday bonanza.

James came up to me and said, "do you feel extra anxious and stressed around your birthday?"  I nodded in agreement.  He continued, "and do you constantly think about crossing your T's and dotting your I's when you plan events."  I thought about how much happier I would be if I woke up early to get things done.  I thought about my multiple to-do lists.  I thought how I like things done a certain way and I can't understand why other people are not on the same wave length.  I thought about how I often get disappointed because of my expectations.  I hugged James and said, "I thought I was just being crazy."  But apparently it's a Gemini thing.

I never really look to astrology, but I think my neurotic thoughts and behaviors can be pinpointed to a specific constellation.  I hugged it out and I felt that we connected.  James ordered his own cake, hand selected the food to be catered and was his own designated driver that night.  He needed things done a specific way and only he is able to do it.  He checked everything off the list.

David is also celebrating his birthday today.  Like James he planned the whole deal and reserved a table at the Abbey.  He knows its gonna be a clusterfuck, but this is what he wants to do and nothing is going to stop him.  The gemini's mind is set.

I am similar.  For my birthday I wanted to celebrate at a speakeasy at La Descarga, I wanted everyone to sing to me as I blew out a candle on my favorite Ube Cake from Red Ribbon and I wanted to not have to deal with a messy dinner bill.  And I would have done it myself like James and David but I had one thing that they did not, a boyfriend with boyfriend duties.

Jimmy and I dressed the part with our bay to breaker outfits.

I'm sure Jimmy has more anxiety than I do during this time.  He could easily ask what I wanted and do it to a tee and I would have been very happy, but that wouldn't make him a very good boyfriend.

Jimmy recommended Perch because it was a more manageable venue with an impecable view. Jimmy took me to a restaurant that I've been talking about for months.  Jimmy got everyone to sing to me at midnight intimately in our PJs in our home followed by an intimate family dinner that evening.

Jimmy is helping me step away from my lists and realize that better things can be achieved and appreciated if you let other people surprise you.  And I'm thankful that I had one of the best birthday ever without needing to check anything off that list.

....though other lists were checked off in the process. LOL. #gemini

Entering my Late 20's

I share my birthday with a lot of folks - an old roommate, college friend, coworker.  I guess May 30 is just the day to be born.

One of the reasons I think everyone should have a favorite animal is because it makes it extremely easy to shop for (unless you like red pandas - random)!  My office manager loves me for helping her clean left over food (which I actually just pack and bring home.)  She got me a collection of cards and notebooks that she bought from Michaels a month ago!

Birthday lunch!

Birthday twins!

When I came home, I was greeted with a birthday feast!  A potluck which included El Savadorian Papusas, Thai Papaya Salad, Filipino Sausages and Italian Alfredo Pasta.  Just how I like it - fusion of cultures in my belly with my roomies

Pinterest Strawberry Jello shots by Charles

Gift from John and Andrew!  So cute!

This year I traded in the crazy dinner bill and force fed birthday cake for a rooftop bar party that exclusively sold just cocktails.  From trashy to classy, I am entering my late 20s.  For the first time I invited all of my coworkers and all of my gaysian friends for a mixed crowd event.  Though the rooftop was big enough that folks didn't mix, I was happy that people drove miles to celebrate on a Thursday.

Jimmy was my personal photographer so all my pictures of people are on his camera.  For now, here is a collage of instagram pictures that people took from the roof at Perch on the 16th floor where my party was held. #hashtagsharing

My manager who was there said, "see you on Monday!"  I took that as an approval to work from home the next day.  City living.  LA Loving.  Onto my late 20s!!!!