K'ya Lounge II

Since I enjoyed the food the first time, I thought it would be fun to have a post-Christmas dinner here before venturing to see the Newport Beach boat parade.

I made reservations in advance. Happy hour starts when it opens at 4:30pm. However, when we got there at 4:30pm, there was a group of people already and when we asked the hostess for help, she said she had to help those other people get seated first and she would get back to me.

Well, once those people got seated, I had to get her attention again by standing really close to her and making eye contact. She finally asked "do you need help?" like we never spoke before. I said that I made reservations and she asked if I wanted to make reservations. I said no, I made reservations today at 4:30pm. She finally led us to a very small table next to the kitchen. We had to ask for a better seat.

It was my fault for mistaking K'ya for the Rooftop Lounge because when you go to their site, it also advertises the Rooftop Lounge with the beach view. It is kinda confusing.

Well the service was pretty good despite the initial mixup; I don't like the waitresses too much though it is understandable they get busy and confused themselves with the large crowds and people that stay at the hotel. Perhaps they get priority.

I got the mushroom ravioli and the pomegrante martini. It was a bit strong.

My sis got the Shrimp Fra Divolo. When it came out, my ravioli was piping hot but her dish was luke warm. So she got it remade and it was fresh and hot. All appeared well until the waiter asked my sis if I was her daughter. LoL.

I really liked my ravioli but I think they only gave like 6 pieces. The cream sauce was good and it was not too cheesy so that you could really enjoy and appreciate the mixture of the ingredients. The Shrimp pasta was pretty good too once they provided a fresh hot one. It was not too shrimpy, which meant that the shrimp musta been fresh; you know when you can tell when certain seafood's been lying around because it stinks! On the other hand, I am not a huge shrimp fan and it was kinda just like an ordinary penne pasta with tomato sauce and shrimp to me.

I don't think I would want to come here again. The food is good, but the servers (and waiters) can make you feel a bit uncomfortable with their uncouthness. For me, it was the difficulty in getting seated (twice) by the hostess and for my sis, prob the unwanted assumption by the waiter. I do want to try the Rooftop Lounge though for the view.

Gelato Paradiso

Gelato Paradiso is definitely the best gelato place outside of Italy! Don't take my word for it; the length of the line says it all. There were at least 10 people by the time we got there and lots more lined up behind us.

I got the Tiramisu and Mint chip in a waffle cone. I had a sample of the toasted almond, but mint chip has always been my fave.

My sis got this double chocolate and coffee flavor. She said it was so good, she was gonna cry.

I'm happy with my flavors. As for the waffle cone, the smell is divine, but because it was freshly made, it caused a leak and gelato leaked all over my favorite Linkin Park hoodie.

Despite all that, I would definitely make the long drive to Laguna Beach. It truly is a euphoric experience on the gustatory system. And the gorgeous beach view is just a short stroll away.

I used to live in Laguna Beach for a few short months with Hogmany. I don't know how we could have missed this place.

Get your Gelato here. You can thank me later.

Orleans Corner

The is a new establishment that opened across from my work area a few months ago. When it first opened, the food was good and the prices were decent. But it seems that they have changed the chef and increased the price. The owner is friendly and always looking for feedback but the servers are not the most attentive.

The po-boy lunch special may be the best option.

My sister and I came for dinner. When we got in at 9pm, no one was there to greet us. There was only one other family having a birthday dinner. We waited a good 10 minutes before someone finally came out to get us seated with menus.

Sis got the pound of shrimp and I got the macaroni. My sis also got the clam chowder which was not very thick and was lukewarm. That seems to be a big problem of this place. I got the crawfish chowder for lunch one time and it was lukewarm.

They also have sweet tea but I didn't think it was very good.

The shrimp is comparable to that Bubba Gump place. However, I think for the price, Boiling Crab is better. The macaroni was alright, nothing to rave much about.

I had a coupon for buy one, get one entree 50% off with drink, so it was quite a deal.

The place is also known for its alligator bites and frog legs which my cworker is a fan of. When we first went a few months back, they did not have the permit in place to get the alligator shipped, but it seems like everything is in place now.

Come here to get your frog legs and alligator bites!!

Houston's Steak House

I went to Houston's in Pasadena with my family. I wasn't a huge steak fan. I just got the chilli which came with a few pieces of tortilla chips topped with shredded cheese and onion. It really wouldn't have killed them if they offered a whole bowl of chips for the price.

My sister got the fish burger which she enjoyed. And my parents both got some kind of meat, the center cut filet, perhaps with french fries.

The server wasn't very good. I saw reviews for their crab cakes so we had asked if they had crab cakes and why it wasn't on the menu. She responded that they did have crab cakes. Well the crab cakes turned out to be very mushy inside like it was filled with mayonnaise.

As a non steak lover, I would not return to this establishment.

Enrique's

This is a taco place near old town Monrovia. It has $1 taco Tuesdays. The tacos are great, but as with cheap great food, the wait can be ridiculous. We were kept waiting quite a while before we were served. The tacos are small so you would have to order 5 to feel full.

For desert, I got the Sopapilla. It is wonderful and very reasonably priced!! There are 4 pieces of light and fluffy squares drizzled in something faintly sweet with a scoop of ice cream. Yum! It beats the churros from Pop Desert and Champagne Bar in Pasadena.

Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner

Well this place is overhyped. My sis and I got the Chicken dinner which comes with an entree, corn, and biscuits. The chicken is not very tasty. I was expecting something with some extra kick, but it was kinda dry and bland. I got the dumplings and it just seemed very doughy and mushy and I got full on it fast. We couldn't even finish our apple pie with ice cream.

I did take the leftover dumplings home and it did make as a very nice midnight snack.

Not returning. However, it being the month of November I was able to get me and my sister into Knott's Berry Farm theme park for free. The turkey leg inside by the way is horrible as well! Not worth the $12. Save your money and bring your own snack!

Moo Creamery

On the way to a job site, my coworker and I stopped at Moo Creamery for lunch. I got the 24 hour Burger. I couldn't resist the sunny side egg on top. The egg made the burger, but it was so messy it puts Carl's Jr. commercials to shame. Egg yolk dripped down all over the place. I had to soak my buns up in them to eat the plate clean. I had it with the Freshly squeezed Basil Lemonade. It was very strong, very tart. I had to add water to make it more drinkable, but it's definitely a refreshing healthy idea compared to a fizzy soda.

We then had some samples. I had a sample of the bacon ice cream; it had a gritty feel to it and if you didn't know it was bacon, you woulda thought it was walnuts or something; though upon the 3rd bite, you'd start wondering why it had a salty smoky flavor. I ended up getting a dish of toasted almonds with whisky caramel on top. Oooh, the whisky was strong.

The staff is healthy, the atmosphere pleasant with a nice mix of eaters. I would definitely come back again if I were in Bakersfield again. It would make for a nice stop after white water rafting say.