Flo's V8 Cafe

Since my last visit to California Adventure, many changes have happened in the park. The addition of Cars Land being one of them. I wanted to spend as much time as I could exploring parts of the park I had never been in before. After looking at several menus from the eateries around the park, we decided to try Flo's V8 Cafe.

Menu & Plastic food display at Flo's V8 Cafe

The menu, like many of the other counter services restaurants in the park, is very limited. Entrees here are around $12 and three orders can be shared between four somewhat-beginning-to-get-hungry people.

View of Radiator Springs Racers from inside Flo's V8 Cafe

We ordered just before noon when the rush of lunch visitors arrive. My dad got us a table facing the Radiator Springs Racers ride, which is a MUST GO at California Adventure. Not only is it a must go, it's a must get-up-at-6am-to-line-up-for-a-fastpass ride and a must go on more than once ride. Even a one hour wait time did not stop my impatient family from going on it a second time.

Roast Beef & Gravy ($11.49)

Cozy Cone Motel

Chicken Verde Cone ($6.99)

Needing to grab a quick dinner before the World Of Colour show began, I ran to Cozy Cone Motel (probably my 5th time in Cars Land that day) to get a chili cone. I wasn't quite sure which one of the two cones I wanted. The employee there asked if I liked spicy foods and I replied yes. She suggested the Chicken Verde Cone, which is like a green curry. I am very glad I got this one because it was unique and delicious. But warning: it gets increasingly spicy the more you eat it. The good type of spicy though. It's quite a large serving and works great as a dinner on the go. This size was just enough to fill me up to a comfortable level.

Chili Con Queso ($6.99)

I ended up getting the opportunity to try their other cone too because my brother decided he wanted one for his dinner too. This is the bread cone filled with a traditional beef chili. Not as spicy as the Chicken Verde but still had a kick. The shredded cheddar cheese on top melts and gets all gooey once mixed into the chili, yumyum~ There is also bits of crunchy corn chips to add some textural contrast.

Both the Chicken Verde and Beef Chili bread cones were delicious and cheap. These cones made for the perfect hand-held dinner while waiting for the World Of Colour show to begin. It's also from the adorable, new, looks-exactly-like-the-movie Cars Land, so you can't go wrong.

Reviews on Yelp





Love from Coconut Crumpet's Corner ♡

Mitsuwa Marketplace

Before boarding our Seattle-bound flight, we went to fill our bellies up with some authentic Japanese food. Mom intended to go to Souplantation (yet again) but my brother was strongly against it. After a quick Urbanspoon search (or was it Yelp?), I discovered a popular, well-rated Japanese food court located inside a supermarket.

Despite the many Asian communities in Vancouver, we seem to be lacking true Japanese cuisine. I would pinpoint Denman Street as the area, that I know of, with the most Japanese eats. But I think this single food court packs more excitement than all of the Japanese food in Vancouver combined.

The food court is the first thing we encountered once stepping food into the building. There were so many people; all the seating and tables were occupied by Asians (there were some Caucasians too) gobbling down casual Japanese eats. My family immediately became a little bit too excited and ventured off in four different directions. 

Mifune inside Mitsuwa Marketplace

Luckily my dad managed to snag a table, and that's where we all met after ordering our own meals. Dad has been craving katsu for the longest time; he always asks where good katsu can be found. Vancouver doesn't even provide the amount of options that this one food court has. He came back happily with his katsu don, fried pork cutlet on rice. My brother got a bowl of ramen that came with a piece of tonkatsu. Both were around $6 or $7 from Mifune. 

Katsu Don from Mifune

There was an immense amount of rice in this bowl. My dad's usual portion would be a quarter of this; he managed to eat half. He had one minor complaint, and that was that the katsu had lost its crispiness after the egg and onions were added. I don't think this katsu matched up to his memory of the katsu he had in Japan, but it was still okay. I'm not sure why dad didn't purchase from Miyabi-Tei (the stall I purchased from) since their katsu don was cheaper and looked more appealing. 

Ramen & Tonkatsu from Mifune

My brother had no comments on his ramen, he's not much of a foodie. More like the garbage can or black-hole stomach. The ramen looked rather plain, but I can't speak for the flavour as I didn't try any. However his piece of tonkatsu was, and stayed very crispy.

Miyabi-Tei inside Mitsuwa Marketplace

I love unagi, it's my default whenever I go to sushi restaurants. Unfortunately, unagi don is extremely over-priced in Vancouver. There is no way I am paying $13 for a bowl of white rice and a measly small piece of unagi. You can imagine my joy when I saw a bowl of unagi don plus egg cost only $7.50. -angelic voices- According to the constant stream of customers purchasing their lunches from Miyabi-Tei, it is one of the most popular spots in the food court. Their food looked the most appealing, there was a wide selection, and their prices are very reasonable,

Unatama Don from Miyabi-Tei ($7.50)

This bowl of unatama don was not nearly as large as my dad's katsu don, but still at least double what I should be eating for lunch. Emphasis on the should, because I ended up clearing the whole bowl. Oops, sorry diet! Wait..what diet? It's vacation time! There was a fair amount of juicy, thick, smooth eel and the egg was flavoured with a sweet sauce. There was a tad too much sauce which made the rice too wet to pick up with chopsticks. The egg was scrambled perfectly, very fluffy and just how I like it! The little side of edamame and picked daikon was a nice addition. I thoroughly enjoyed my meal and left very full but very content. However, the miso soup had a strange taste to it and I didn't drink it. Although this unagi don was not as amazing as the one from Pioneer Saloon in Honolulu, it was still mighty tasty. If only I could bring a Japanese food stall back home.

Santouka Ramen inside Mitsuwa Marketplace

My mom's lunch was the most expensive, and she thought $12 was just not as much of a steal as the rest of our lunches. She got a bowl of spicy ramen from Santouka Ramen. There is a ramen restaurant in Downtown Vancouver with the exact same name...I'm not 100% if it is the same company though.

Spicy Ramen combo from Santouka Ramen

After waiting in a long line up and retrieving her order, Mom slurped up those ramen noodles and really enjoyed the soup base. She said it was very flavourful from the pork bone and the spiciness added the perfect amount of flavour. The marinated egg was well received too. Even the hungriest person would be super full after eating this; that little bowl on the side is white rice with some seasonings. Mom was much to full of noodles to eat the rice so we packed it to go in my plastic container. This is why I always carry an empty container on all my food trips, it's very useful.




Click below to see the best matcha drink on Earth and some sweets!

Little Next Door

Besides The Griddle Cafe and Cafe Gratitude, I had a few other bucket list restaurants in Los Angeles I just had to eat at. Little Next Door is one of them.

Little Next Door

Little Next Door is a French restaurant, with some of the best food (and macarons!) in Los Angeles. What drew my attention to this restaurant was 1) all the positive reviews, 2) the menu items, 3) the location and setting, and finally 4) the prices. Sounding like an all-around awesome deal? It was!

This little restaurant facing West 3rd Street (a very busy street) is smack in the middle of the hip and trendy city of Mid Wilshire. I just kind of think of it as between Beverly Hills and Hollywood; sounds expensive, no? After a morning of shopping at the Outlets at Orange, we took an hour drive to get to this area. With loudly growling stomachs, we headed to Little Next Door for a very late brunch on a Saturday afternoon. Since it was like 2pm, we were seated immediately. I was very content with our table as it was next to the fence, facing the sidewalk, no direct sunlight, and would give beautiful lighting for photos. So far, Coconut Crumpet was very happy.

Our waitress spoke bits and pieces of French to us, greeting us with a warming 'bonjour!', calling us 'madame et monsieur', and thanking us in French too. It created this unique environment in which my family has never been in before. She was very attentive and came back frequently to refill our water, bring us more bread, or just ask how we were doing.

Complimentary bread and balsamic olive oil

We quickly ordered and another waiter brought us some complimentary bread. My family of four devoured two bowls of bread, happily dipping it in the luxurious spiced balsamic olive oil. The oil had fennel seeds and a multitude of other spices and herbs, very fragrant and a pleasure to eat, especially when you're almost dying of starvation. (We had breakfast at 7am..and brunch at 2pm..) The baguette had a crunchy shell and an extremely pillow-y interior, also served warm. Love.

Quiche Lorraine ($9)

Cafe Gratitude

Cafe Gratitude Los Angeles

Cafe Gratitude is one of the most popular vegan/raw restaurants in greater Los Angeles. The vegan restaurant scene down there is much more expanded than here in Vancouver. I have never dined at a vegan restaurant before but have much interest in doing so. I took the opportunity to visit one during my vacation in Los Angeles; it would be an interesting experience for the rest of my family as well. It was my 'special day' that day, since my parents let me choose all the restaurants we would eat at for lunch and dinner. It started with a late brunch at Little Next Door and ended with a healthy, clean dinner at Cafe Gratitude. We are all vegetable-lovers so I figured a vegan dinner wouldn't be too much of a shock for them. 

After getting at mani-pedi at Marie Nails (which, by the way, I do recommend!), we drove down Beverly Boulevard to Cafe Gratitude. It is located outside of the busy Hollywood area in what appears to be a more residential area. We thought our GPS has brought us to the wrong destination, but it wasn't wrong! Cafe Gratitude is part of a tiny plaza that even has free (but limited) underground parking! Free parking in Los Angeles is nearly unheard of... Just watch for the bright blue A-fold sign that points to the garage entrance. 

My mom still needed a bit of coaxing before actually agreeing to eat at the restaurant. We walked into the cafe (not restaurant) side and asked to see the menu. The prices were decent and it was getting late so we asked for a table. There was a covered patio seating area that would've been a lovely place to eat; evening temperatures in Los Angeles are extremely enjoyable. Unfortunately, eating outdoors would have to wait for another time. Seating is a bit dim, especially as the sun begins to set. 

We were served water in unique glass bottles that matched the hippie-style of the whole restaurant. Now, descriptions of the dishes on vegan menus doesn't really do much more than listing all the vegetables used. Photos are much more effective in showing how the ingredients were transformed into a work of art, so I suggest taking some time to look at the photos on Yelp and Urbanspoon before visiting to get a sense of what interests you. I also asked our waitress for recommendations and what the most popular dishes are. She was very patient and kind to us newbie vegan diners while waiting for us to make decisions or taking our order. Oh, I've heard you're supposed to order by saying "I am..." then the dish name, cute huh? 

After writing down our orders, the waitress or waiter will ask you the question of the day, which is written on a chalk board by the cashier. Our question was 'What are you proud of?' and served as an opening topic for our table to chat away some of the wait time for our food. It is a clever way for the restaurant to keep the atmosphere lively and the guests less focused on how long it takes for food to be made.

I am Warm Hearted ($13)

Shoop's Delicatessen

Our lunch in Santa Monica was an unplanned one. My parents didn't feel like having Sunday brunch at a fancier restaurant by the pier, we just missed the farmer's market on main street, and the popular Urth Cafe was 1) too expensive and 2) had a long line up. As everyone began to get a bit moody, we stumbled into Shoop's on Main Street to just get some food into our systems before anyone started arguing.

Shoop's Deli in Santa Monica

Half deli and half cafe, Shoop's serves burgers, sandwiches, and wraps with German influences. There are vegan and vegetarian options, as well as flavour inspirations from around the world. Select breakfast fare such as eggs and pancakes are also available all day. 
Seating is limited and we had to wait a few minutes for a table that could accommodate my family of four, even at 2pm.

The Clevelander ($10.50)

My brother ordered The Clevelander hot sandwich, which resembles a burger more to me. It had corned beef, swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and an array of dressings. He gobbled this tall sandwich up in a jiffy, and still complained he wasn't full yet. Unless you're a growing teenage boy that had been starved since 8am that morning, this big sandwich should be filling enough. A small side of fruit came with all our orders, an appreciated side dish for a health conscious Crumpet. 

The Ranger ($9.95)

Sorry for the out of focus photo, growling stomach was calling. My parents shared The Ranger hot sandwich. How were they not still hungry afterwards? It was very similar to The Clevelander except with roast beef, grilled onion, and coleslaw. 

Aaron's breakfast wrap ($9.25)

I was craving a wrap and had a bit of difficulty choosing one. The Aaron's breakfast wrap was the perfect pick. It was a unique and unsual combination of barbeque chicken, egg whites, and yam wrapped in a large spinach tortilla. The chicken can be substituted with tofu for vegetarians and vegans. I really loved how the entire wrap was placed on the grill and charred; it heated the wrap thoroughly and was served extremely hot, so much so that my hands couldn't hold it for long. This wrap was of a very generous portion and the flavours were clean and worked well together. I was so full after scarfing down my wrap that even eating the fruit was a bit of a pain. I really liked this! Simple and satisfying, I want to recreate this at home!

Shoop's would have never made it on my researched restaurant lists but I am very glad we discovered this little establishment. The staff where patient and friendly and our orders arrived very quickly. The cafe was full the whole time we were there, even in the afternoon! People were eating salads, pancakes, German breakfasts, while reading the newspaper or chatting with a friend. A very local place with reasonable prices for the portion size. Their breakfast menu was very appealing to me, but for once it wasn't the pancakes! The array of wraps and savoury items sounded exciting and new. If there is ever a time you're strolling down Main Street in Santa Monica and pass by Shoop's, hopefully you'll remember this post and give Shoop's a bit of consideration.

Reviews on Yelp

Santa Monica on Dwellable

Love from Coconut Crumpet's Corner ♡

Porto's Bakery & Cafe

Porto's Bakery & Cafe in Burbank, California

Between every two or so hours of driving from Fresno to Los Angeles, my dad would need to take a break. We happened to be in Burbank at the end of our second last leg (before we got stuck in the horrendous Los Angeles rush hour traffic for two hours). Porto's is very highly ranked on Urbanspoon under the 'cheap eats' category as most of their pastries cost anywhere between $0.50 to $5. My mom was attracted my the mass amount of people hustling in and out of the bakery and my praise of how cheap it was.

I was astonished at the large display of desserts and the array of bread loaves for sale. My eyes shone while my the nerves in my brain zipped back and forth trying to make decisions. A dozen or so employees went to and fro from the cashier and filling customer's boxes with sweets. This large bakery is a busy and evidently popular place, but service is quick and friendly. Got time to kill? Grab a drink to pair with your meal or afternoon snack and enjoy some chatting time at one of the tables inside or do some people watching outdoors (if it isn't blazing hot).

Desserts from Porto's Bakery & Cafe

It would be unlike myself if I didn't leave the bakery with a box of sweets. This time, it was also because we were getting hungry and our eyes began to get bigger than our stomachs. My mom allowed me to pick four things, one dessert per person. We actually took like three days to finish these because we kept over stuffing ourselves during meals and had no appetite for dessert when returning to the hotel. Due to my lack of research and reading of reviews on this particular bakery, I wasn't sure what to purchase. My mom and I chose according to what looked appealing and what sounded special. Here is what we tried and our thoughts:

Pina Colada Mousse ($2.95) - The mousse had bits of crushed pineapple and was topped with shredded coconut, which delivered the a heavy pina colada flavour. It was one of the less-sweet desserts of the bunch and Dad liked this best out of the four we bought. The fresh orchid flower was a pretty decoration.

Parisian ($2.75) - This was a very dark chocolate cake. I, like Peanut Crumpet, prefer dark chocolate and really liked this dense and mildly sweet devil's food chocolate cake. The chocolate whipped cream was a lighter option than using buttercream icing (which I don't really like anyways). My only suggestion is that this cake could be more moist.
 
Cappuccino Mousse ($3.50) - Compared to the Pina Colada mousse, this mousse was much thicker and very sweet. The texture was almost cake-like. Due to the sugary-ness of the dessert, this individual cup could be easily shared between three people. Although it was just decoration, the chocolate coffee bean was the highlight for me.

Mango Cheesecake ($2.95) - Cheap cheesecakes usually don't do justice to the cheese part of the name but this one was pretty well made and a good amount of cream cheese could be tasted. The mango flavour is also strong enough, though a bit artificial.

Our total came to roughly $12 for four items, which is a good value in my opinion. My mom expected it to be cheaper, but since I'm used to paying almost $10 for a single serving cake at some fancy patisserie in Downtown Vancouver, Porto's is very cheap. There is such a vast variety of pastries and goods to choose from; everyone will be able to find something that is of interest. The serving sizes are generous for the prices and quality is acceptable. According to what I tried, many of the desserts are too sweet for my Asian family's sweet tooth, although some better than others. Porto's Bakery is not a must-do in greater Los Angeles but it's definitely a popular spot amongst locals and is worth dropping by if in the vicinity. 

Reviews on Yelp



Love from Coconut Crumpet's Corner ♡

In-N-Out Burger: Is it worth the hype?

In-N-Out Burger in Anaheim

After I told my friends my summer destination lie in California, multiple people told me "You must go to In-N-Out!" or "Can you bring me back an In-N-Out burger?" I know how famous this fast food chain is and all the rave reviews it has gotten from both tourists and locals alike. A few years ago, my youth pastor took a group of high school students on a road trip just to get a burger at the closest In-N-Out; yes, crazy I know. But do these burgers deserve their endless praise? It was my mission to taste one of these burgers and find out!

In-N-Out Menu

If you step foot into an In-N-Out restaurant without knowing their 'secret menu', there will not be many choices to choose from. To be exact, there are only 3 choices: hamburger, cheeseburger, and the double-double. Other items available are classic milkshakes in chocolate, strawberry, or vanilla, french fries, soda, and other berverages. The secret menu is where the real fun begins. Of course there is the famed 'animal style' burger but there is many more ways to mix and match than that. This website was very informative and I highly recommend reading all the possibilities before personalizing your ultimate burger. In short here are the burger options:

• Onions: chopped or whole rings, raw or grilled
• Mustard fried patty (comes with pickles)
• Chopped chilis
• No salt
• Extra/lightly/untoasted bun
• Extra everything (tomatoes, lettuce, onion, spread, pickles, chilis)
• Medium rare/well done patty

I personally chose to add whole grilled onions, mustard fried patty, no salt, and extra everything. The grilled onions add so much flavour, pan-frying the patty with mustard creates this crunchy exterior, and the mountain of fresh vegetables make the burger less guilty. The salt won't be missed with all this flavour going on with the onions and creamy spread. I believe only extra patties and buns have additional costs. 

First In-N-Out meal in Anaheim

Fries, not a complete fast food meal without them. I ordered regular animal style fries with no salt the first time, and found that the fries were too soft and soggy for my family's liking. On our second trip, I ordered well done fries and my mom loved them. It was crispy to the core, making the fries taste like chips. She was going to skip dinner that day but ended up clearing half of the french fries. So I recommend ordering fries at least light-well done, tastes much better with a crispier exterior.

My first encounter with In-N-Out was at the Anaheim location. We had just driven down from Fresno and by 8pm, were very hungry. A burger each and an order of animal fries to share (as mentioned above). I asked for my burger to be cut in half, thinking it was easier to eat. However more juice and fillings had the chances to squirt out. My family also shared a large 'black and white' milkshake; chocolate plus vanilla. The texture was extremely thick, to the point where a lot of effort had to be used to suck the drink (or more like ice cream...) through the straw. I couldn't tell the difference between the chocolate and vanilla in the drink, but overall, it made for a great dessert. Smooth, creamy, cold, and satisfied my sweet tooth at the end of the meal. The Anaheim location has limited indoor seating and a very busy parking lot as it is shared with the plaza that also has a supermarket. Many, many, many customers too since it is close to Disneyland.

Burgers from second visit in Fullerton

For our second meal at In-N-Out, my family decided to drive to the Fullerton location. It's a bit larger and there is more parking. According to Google maps, the Fullerton location should take less driving time to get to compared to the Anaheim one. So I see no reason why tourists don't visit the Fullerton location instead. Since the southern Californian evening has the perfect temperature, we snagged a table outdoors. I enjoyed my burger as a whole, not cut, and it was so much easier to eat. 

The wait for food at In-N-Out is longer than usual for a fast food restaurant. But that is expected since burgers are customized and have to be made to-order. At both visits, all four of the burgers on my order were very complicated so a few numbers after us were served before we were. Funny story about my experience ordering: at the Anaheim location, the cashier taking our order must have been rather new. I'm estimating it took at least 5 to 10 minutes for him to punch in (somewhat) correctly what burgers my family wanted. Then the girl at the Fullerton location had absolutely no problem taking the same orders. Didn't even have to blink an eye or reconfirm what I had asked for. Anywho, point being, be prepared to wait a while, especially at meal hours and if each burger has like 6 personalization. 

A practice I really appreciate at In-N-Out is the minimal use of plastic and production of garbage. Compared to other fast food restaurants, or even Costco, my family made less garbage than usual. Only a few paper wrappings from the burgers, a shallow paper basket from the fries, and a single paper cup. 

Another little tip is if you can bring back a burger as souvenirs for friends, ask for one of the paper hats the employees wear. I brought two home to give friends and both of them were elated to get them. Easy to carry, unique, truly Californian, and free gift.

If at anytime there is an In-N-Out Burger nearby, GO! At least once in a lifetime, it lives up to the hype and rave reviews. I usually don't find burgers that appealing but the simplicity and freshness of In-N-Out's burgers make it a very enjoyable exception. It is a burger I would not mind getting again and again. Get the grilled onions, mustard fried patty, and extra everything! Super cheap and extremely delicious, In-N-Out Burger is a must try in California or the other states where it is available.

Anaheim Location on Yelp


Fullerton Location on Yelp

Orange County on Dwellable

Love from Coconut Crumpet's Corner ♡

The Griddle Cafe

Our first night at a hotel near LAX Airport was supposed to include a continental breakfast. But it was the saddest breakfast of any sort I had ever seen. A few mini cinnamon rolls and coffee-flavoured water. Not even cold water for me to fill my water bottle up with. So, after taking some touristy photos in Beverly Hills, my family was ready to get some real breakfast. The Griddle Cafe serves just that. 

The Griddle Cafe in Hollywood

When I was researching for restaurants in Los Angeles, The Griddle Cafe quickly made it to my list. Humongous pancakes in eighteen different flavours? Count me in! For those that have read my Honolulu post probably know I love pancakes.

We arrived on a Tuesday at around 11:30am. Before going to find street parking, my dad dropped my mom and I off in front of the restaurant. There were a lot of people standing standing in the vicinity, of which all were people waiting for a table. I was so worried my mom would say "the wait is too long" and make us find another food source. My imaginary beads of worry sweat were wiped away when I put my name on the waitlist and was told there was a 15 minute wait. I was a bit skeptical at first, because there were at least 15 groups ahead of me. Where they using the Chinese "tell them the wait is shorter so they'll stay and we can get their money" tactic? Nope. The steady wave of people coming out of the restaurant and quick service made our wait, maybe even less than, 15 minutes. Hurrah!

Barry Yellow Pancakes at The Griddle Cafe

Their red velvet pancakes are very famous, however there is only one pancake per order, compared to three for all other pancakes. Since we would rather not have to go through the tedious process to decide what other food to order, I chose the Barry Yellow pancakes. "Raspberry and lemon folded into our buttermilk batter" is how the menu describes it. I was blown away when it arrived at our table. Each pancake could easily be 12 inches in diametre. And there's three of them! Eating one quarter of this plate is like eating a regular serving of pancakes. The staff are very efficient and provide extra plates with all pancakes, because realistically, everyone will have to share this...right? The massive pancakes here are dirt cheap at $10 to $12.