Month: March 2013

  • Legoland – One of the perks of living here in Southern California is the constant sunny weather and mild climate. That means almost every weekend, we can enjoy a wide variety of outdoor activities. This time around, we took a short 1.5-hour drive to visit Legoland . Building play sets out of Lego bricks is still my hobby, as W and I have assembled a few projects already. Hopefully I can share our creations in a later post.

    A boat ride in the Lego themed pond (top); L.A. (middle) and San Franciscio (bottom) landmarks…..
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    Familiar landmarks in D.C. (Top) and San Francisco (bottom)…..
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    Harry Potter!! Assembled with countless number of Lego bricks…..
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    Inside a demo factory…..
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    A closeup view of some Star Wars themed props + me & Yoda…..
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    We did catch a breakfast before the drive – French press coffee, baked eggs (top) with prosciutto, potatoes and mushroom, baked with tomato and Parmesan cheese; pecan & banana griddle cakes (bottom) with whipped honey butter & warm maple syrup…..
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    | The Raymond Restaurant | 1250 S. Fairoaks Avenue, Pasadena, CA | (626)441-3136 | www.theraymond.com

  • Valentine’s Dinner (Part I) at Maison Akira – Since V-Day falls on a week night this time around, we picked a place closer to our home base, avoiding the infamous LA commuter traffic. Maison Akira was the sensible choice. We are no stranger to this restaurant, having the pleasure of dining here during Dine LA Week 2012. (see entry)

    Maison Akira serves French/Japanese fusion cuisine, and has been an establishment in the Pasadena area for almost twenty years.
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    The design of the menu reminds us of this special event…..
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    Amuse-bouche – scallop tartare…..
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    House smoked salmon and caviar…..
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    Maine lobster corn chowder…..
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    Grilled miso marinated Chilean sea bass and grilled prawn…..
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    Maple leaf duck breast a l’orange sauce…..
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    Valentine’s dessert to share…..
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    The dinner was short but sweet. If I had not seen the menu, I’d thought it was more like a prix-fixe business type dinner. The dessert items were sure the highlight of the meal. More on Part II later…..

  • L.A. Eats – In celebrating the Lunar Chinese New Year, we went to The Peninsula Beverly Hills for afternoon tea, which has a special menu just for the Lunar New Year.

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    Strawberry and whipped cream, and a tall glass of bubbly…..
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    Tea is served…..
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    Three-tiered serving tray with savories and sweets (Lemon Curd and Devonshire Cream on the side)…..
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    Currant and Classic Scones…..
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    Pastries: Green Tea Macarons, Red Bean Tart, Raspberry Lychee Cake, Coconut Mochi Cake, Almond Cake…..
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    Sandwiches: Egg Salad with Watercress on Marble Bread, Cucumber Sandwich with Dill, Charred Vegetables on Wheat Bread with Pesto Spread, Housemade Smoked Salmon with Cucumber and Preserved Lemon, Curried Chicken with Almonds on Raisin Bread…..
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    Savory Caviar Cake…..
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    Our tea time at 2pm was perfect since we had an early breakfast, and I was totally hungry/motivated to chow down this well portioned tea set. It was a very satisfying and savory meal. With the harpist playing in the background, I’m ready for my afternoon nap!

    (Thank you W for snapping a few of the above yummy looking photos!)

    The Peninsula Beverly Hills | 9882 S. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills, Ca | (310) 551-2888 | www.peninsula.com

  • Hello Las Vegas! – Last weekend, we went to Las Vegas for the Celine Dion Concert . It was a short 3.5-hour drive and here we are! Morning view from the room, the Strip and part of the City Center……
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    A very short trip, Wine+dine and catch a show……
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    Nice features about this room: the view and a huge bathtub…..
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    Restaurant Guy Savoy, a Michelin 3-Star back in France. A photo with Chef Chartron, (I had a few drinks, pardon me for my red puffy face), who became the Executive Chef in 2011, he was also the youngest chef on The Strip to attain this title…..
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    A quintet of amuse bouche, French Club Sandwich (upper left) with foie gras + tiny triangle of French country bread; the fluffy Parmesan waffle (upper right), Green apple purée + celery, and a little surprise hidden underneath…..
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    There are no less than a dozen varieties for us to choose from: plain, caramelized onion, seaweed ciabattas; pain de campagne; olive bread; lemon bread; basil bread; multigrain; baguette; plain and poppy seed baguettines; mustard seed bread; and Parmesan and bacon-sea salt pain au laits. Definitely a over-the-top presentation…..
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    Black Truffle on poached egg…..
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    Colors of Caviar – one of Chef Savoy’s most well-known creations, a multilayered affair of caviar vinaigrette, topped with caviar crème fraîche, topped with Ossetra caviar, topped with haricot vert purée, topped with hot egg sabayon, all eaten with a traditional mother of pearl spoon. The dish is followed by (right) the Red Mullet Fillet, with Spinach and Mushroom Gratin…..
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    Foie Gras with “bitter infusion”- Hudson Valley Moulard duck foie gras, which is pan-seared, then cooked en papillote. Then added with cherry vinegar and pink radishes, the radish added a bitter, vegetal, spicy, pungent smack that cut down the heaviness of the foie gras…..
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    Artichoke and Black Truffle Soup, Toasted Mushroom Brioche, and Black Truffle Butter +Mushroom Brioche. This is Guy Savoy’s most famous dish, we have here a soup of artichoke, topped with shaved Parmesan and sliced black truffle. The aroma of this soup was about as decadent as you could imagine, abound in the smells of truffle and cheese, absolutely saturating with flavor, it was the soup that was the star, not the sliced truffle. The brioche, which was stuffed with mushrooms and spread with truffle butter, was a rich, flaky, soft bread that my server encouraged me to dip in the liquid…..
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    American Prime Beef Tenderloin, Carrot Paleron Cannelloni…..
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    Concassé of Black Truffle, Croutons in Comté Mousse…..
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    Intermezzo: (top) a little palate cleanser, small scoop of cherry sorbet, paired with pomegranate and sweet ginger. “Coconut” (bottom), everything you can imagine, fresh sliced coconut, coconut sorbet, roasted coconut bits, coconut pearl tapioca and coconut chips…..
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    Chocolate Fondant, Crunchy Praline and Chicory Cream…..
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    The confection cart, loaded with the following goodies: coconut macarons, caramelized bananas, blancmanges, apricot-stuffed grapes, raspberry cheesecake, raspberry-mango phyllos, fresh grape soda, pâtes de fruits, marshmallows (butterscotch, bubble gum, jasmine-root beer, creme caramel), chocolate mousse, rice pudding (French vanilla, pink praline), sorbet (raspberry, cherry), and vanilla ice cream. We tried to restrain ourselves here, but still ended up requesting pretty much one of everything.
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    It was a very decadent dinner, especially for the dessert portion. Despite of the multiple dishes being served, we managed to finish the meal within two hours and made the Celine Dion Concert on time!

    Guy Savoy at Caesars Palace | 3570 Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109 | 702.731.7110 | www.caesarspalace.com/casinos/caesars-palace/restaurants-dining/restaurant-guy-savoy-detail.html