hana k.'s Profile

3 breweries with 5 tastings per brewery in 5 hours. It's either a recipe for disaster or the best time ever. We booked a private tour for 6 people and we all had a blast. Since all of us were popping our brewery cherries, I had a lot of questions for Jon. He was really helpful and made some great suggestions in narrowing down our brewery choices.

When I found out that they also offer pick up/drop off service, I was sold. Round trip transportation from Orange County was $200. Well worth it, in my opinion.

Our driver/guide was Brian, and it was only his second tour. Considering he had to deal with 3 loud ass Korean girls (ok...make that 2 loud ones and 1 calm one), he did a really great job. We started off with Ballast Point which was the furthest south then headed our way up to Stone Brewing. We finished off at Port/Lost Abbey. Some of us were too full (or too drunk) to fully appreciate the last brewery. If you're traveling with lightweights, two breweries might be enough for you.  

It was a memorable experience. I highly recommend you take "before" and "after" pictures with your group. Good times all around.

I'm not really a "spa resort"-type of gal. I don't go to spas; I don't even like massages. Even so, I had a really nice time at this place. For my birthday this year, I wanted to take my mom on a short trip. She decided she wanted to go to a hot springs ("on-chon") to soak in mineral water.

Koreans love going to "on-chons," and I knew there were quite a few in Desert Hot Springs. After doing some research, I found Bella Monte Resort. For me, their big selling point was that their in-room jacuzzi tub has direct access to hot mineral water.

I sent an email to inquire about room rates, and they gave me a price that was much lower than the prices listed on their website. I strongly suggest calling them directly when reserving a room.

With 21 rooms, Bella Monte is a small hotel but it has most of the amenities you need. Everyone who works there is really friendly and accommodating. They have a private parking lot with gated access. They have three outdoor mineral pools; one is a bigger pool and two are smaller jacuzzi tubs. If you want to sweat even more, you can sit in their dry saua. Our room was nice, and it had a microwave, mini-fridge, and a wall-mounted plasma TV.

We didn't partake in any of their spa services, so I can't comment on the spa. However, I can comment on their awesome oversized bathtub. There is a separate spigot that accesses the hot mineral water. The water is really, really hot. Michael, the assitant general manager, said that some people don't like to mix the mineral water with the cold tap water. If you want to soak in "pure" mineral water, you have to let the water cool off for a bit.

Instead of a Do Not Disturb sign, you hang a little tassle on the door. They don't have an onsite restaurant, but there are a few eateries within driving distance. It's the perfect getaway to relax and not think about daily life. All we did was eat, soak, watch DVDs, soak, repeat.

My only complaint is the background music that is piped through the outside speakers. I think the music was supposed to be relaxing and meditative. I couldn't tell if it was Peruvian flute music or some kind of yoga soundtrack. I just know it was really annoying after a while.

I considered asking them to turn down the music, but my mom reminded me that tastes are subjective. What if the staff or other guests really enjoyed the music? So I didn't say anything. To their credit, they shut the music off at 10 p.m.

Overall we both enjoyed our short stay at Bella Monte. I think this would be a great place for a romantic get-away or for a girls' night out.

The LOWDOWN (The Birthday Girl Remix)
One star for the fantastic bathroom
Two stars for the mineral water/jacuzzi tub
One star for peaceful surroundings
Minus one star for the not-so-peaceful music

Solid 4 stars until I make a return visit.

Corndog Castle = an endless source of "That's what she said" jokes

"Omg, it's so huge!"
"That's what she said."

"I need two hands to handle this thing."
"That's what she said."

"I can hardly fit this into my mouth!"
"That's what she said."

The variations are endless.

My PG review: Really frackin' good. Get one of each (corn dog, hot link dog, cheese dog) and share with a partner. But don't visit Tower of Terror after eating these!

If you have trouble finding this place, look for the big dinosaur in the vicinity of the big rollercoaster.

Bluurgh!! Something in the marinade didn't agree with me last night. My stomach felt like it was going to explode afterwards - and not because I ate too much. I didn't eat anything raw or cold; I only ate beef and a few veggies.  The unmarinated beef was pretty good for a buffet, but the kalbi gave me a whopping MSG headache.

Thus, I'm downgrading to 2 stars. From now on, it's New Seoul for me.

Four months after my original review - Miss Priss is still the best. Best cake. Best frosting. Great customer service.

Red velvet is still my favorite, but chocolate chip is a close second. The boyfriend goes crazy for chocolate mint. Last night my friends raved about the peanut butter and jelly. Tuxedo is always a crowd favorite, and everyone loves red velvet.

We've taken her cupcakes to parties and special occasions. They've always been a hit. Right after I write this update, I'm going to enjoy a red velvet. I've been saving one in the fridge, and it's all mine.

Believe the hype. The Office Burger may be a reason for me to move to LA. Their burger presents the basic beef dilemma. If you get it medium, the meat is perfectly juicy but it bleeds pink meat-juice on the bun. If you get it medium-well, the burger is a bit dryer but your bun stays dry. I prefer medium-well, and the boyfriend said he liked medium better. Either way the burger is definitely 5 stars.

We get here early, so we haven't had to fight the crowds. That's why it's a 5 star experience in my book. The sweet potato fries are really good, but I'd rather fill up with another beer. Get one of those fancy pants expensive beers. You only live once. Now I just need another excuse to go to West LA.

Adobada Tacos = marinated pork + cilantro/onions + red sauce + creamy avocado sauce.

That's really all you need to order. You can also get an adobada tostada which is everything I described between two crispy taco shells. Throw the top shell away because you don't really need it. The carne asada is good, but it's not "oh my god" good. Just this weekend, I ate a tostada, a quesadilla, and about 10-12 tacos. I lost track at some point.

One of the other reviews said something about authenticity? Please. I've been to Tacos El Gordo in Tijuana as well as the taco stands right by the TJ border entrance. These tacos are just as good. I won't say they're better because you can't get that Mexican Coke. However, these are a religious experience.

A taco doesn't have to be made on a taco truck to be authentic. Authenticity is overrated anyway. Just tell me if it's mediocre, good, or fucking awesome. These tacos are fucking awesome. Chula Vista is just a short drive from San Diego. If you're anywhere near this area, go get some tacos.

I don't know if it's an Asian thing, but I noticed that a lot of Asians are lactose-intolerant. I'm one of the lucky ones who doesn't get affected by lactose. Yes, I am grateful.

While deciding on a venue for girls' night out, I suggested the Melting Pot because a) I've never been to Melting Pot and b) I've never had fondue. Fueled by a few rounds of vodka drinks, my girls and I popped my Melting Pot cherry in grand fashion.

Here's what we had:
- Fiesta Fondue: cheese fondue w/ salsa and bits of jalapeno. It's a fancier version of nachos and oh so good. We dumped the whole side of jalapenos in it, but it wasn't Asian-spicy.

- The French Quarter: shrimp, chicken, beef, and sausage w/ "cajun spices." I was saving room for dessert so I didn't really eat any of this. My friend really enjoyed it though.

- Pure Dark Chocolate Fondue: the MVP of the night. Because our bellies were full, the three of us split a small fondue. Combined with the plate of fruit, mini-cheesecake, pound cake bites, and marshmellows, this was more than enough. You can see the damage here: http://www.yelp.com/bi...

Our server was awesome! I'm blanking on her name (stupid vodka!) but I know she mentioned she was half Filipino. Anyway she rocked. I read some of the other reviews beforehand, and I expected it to be uber-expensive. Actually the damage wasn't too bad, and we left feeling full and satisfied.

Food was awesome, and the company was even better. I noticed the website said they have a location coming soon to Torrance. I can't wait to take the boyfriend.

In a moment of sheer lunacy, the boyfriend and I decided that we wanted to go to Pink's Hot Dogs. On a Sunday afternoon. During a holiday weekend. Yes, I know. Take a moment to laugh if you must. In our defense, we were out until 4am the previous night. Maybe we hadn't come to our senses yet. But I digress...

We see the line at Pink's and think, "Maybe it's not too bad." We get to the end of the line, and it's bad. Really bad. We don't even pause. We just keep walking down Melrose. We're getting hangry, and we don't have a Plan B. When it comes to food outings, always have a back-up plan!

We walk down Melrose and pass by a small pizza joint. We note that it smells great, and that will be our Plan B. We keep walking for another few blocks, and then we walk back. I'm too hangry and can't continue any further.

Enzo's is a casual place where you order at the counter and they bring out your food. We order two slices of pepperoni, garlic-cheese bread, 12 wings, and a side of sausage. Everything was simple but good. The garlic-cheese bread was covered with chopped garlic and lots of cheese. The pizza was greasy-goodness, and the sausage was tender. The boyfriend is not a fan of fried wings, but we both enjoyed their wings.

We both enjoyed our meal at Enzo's. It's not fancy-pants Italian food; it's just good food. I would go back the next time we're in Melrose.

Freshia is the newest Korean market in Garden Grove. Ok, technically it's in Stanton but that's a minor detail. Since it's the newest, everything looks nice and clean. But I can't say that I've been impressed so far. Their prepared banchan section is just okay, and their kimbap costs more than the other markets. Their produce and meat sections are fine but they're not anything special. You'll find the best meats at Arirang.

During their grand opening phase, I expected more sale prices. A few items were cheaper than other places, but I can still get better deals at any of the other Korean markets. I was really annoyed when I saw the price of Shirakiku rice: $19.99 for 20 lbs. We all know there is a rice shortage, and all of the rice companies have raised prices. However, I know I can get the same brand at another Garden Grove market for $14.99.

I think the big appeal will be their food court. Kyochon Chicken is open, and you can choose from Japanese, Korean/Chinese, katsu, and soon tofu. The Korean/Chinese place wasn't very good. I didn't expect too much from a food court, but their jjia jiang myun was inedible and lukewarm. I really don't see a reason to come back here. Just because it's new, it doesn't mean it's better.