Raciel "RaDragon" D.'s Profile

Not bad!

My new fav Winter accommodations in Mammoth -- especially  if there are less than 4 people in our party.

Rooms --
I was a bit paranoid about staying in a motel (bed bugs, cigarette burns on sheets, mouldy room, etc.) but my paranoia was unfounded with this Quality Inn location. The room + bathroom was clean, there were no weird smells, and accommodations were as comfortable as a motel can get! Though my other sis found the bed to be too firm/hard (she's used to the  Westin/Sheraton/W's beds), I slept like a baby on all the nights we were there -- well, the first night I actually passed out, thanks to one-too-many Pomarita's from Roberto's Mexican Cafe, but I digress...

Free Breakfast --
Our first ever morning, we woke up rather late (8:30AM!), found the breakfast buffet and thought that it was awesome (they had coffee, pastries, cereals, etc.). The next morning, we were surprised at the bigger buffet: sausages, waffles, scrambled eggs, yoghurt, coffee, pastries, fresh fruit, Oh my! So we figured that one needs to get up and start just as they open the buffet (around 7AM, I believe) to get first dibs on the hearty selections. ^_^ Oh, make sure you bring cash -- the buffet is free, but it's always cool to leave a tip for nice lady tending the breakfast buffet.

Other Perks --
The semi-outdoor jacuzzi was great and they even have a computer downstairs for you to use (that's if you didn't bring your own laptop *gasp* for in-room free WiFi goodness). Covered/Underground parking makes for safe unloading of gear at the end of the day, too (i.e., no slipping and sliding on the snow) They even have those bellman/hotel carts that you can use for one-trip loading/unloading of gear/luggage.

Staff --
We've never had any problems with the staff. In fact, after we checked-in late one evening (read: 1AM), we found that the in-room heater wasn't working. So we rang downstairs and told them about the problem and they sent someone who fixed our heater right away.

Rates --
Hello, savings (compared to a cabin-renting or the Village/Westin hotel)! Even better if you sign up for the free Choice Hotels membership, as they have deals for "Choice Privileges" members

Twelve years after living in California, I finally took my first Surf lesson -- unfortunately, it wasn't with Surf Diva. It was with another surfing school in La Jolla (which shall not be named) and I had a horrid time! First off, our instructor was proud that he was hungover (was up 'til 4am, if I recall) and didn't really properly "introduce" my sisters and I to surfing. We did practice our pop-ups on the sand before entering the water, but that was about it. I ended up having a twisted ankle at the end of our painful 3-hour session -- my fault, really (jumped off my board), but was later told that I should've fallen off backwards instead. Good to know... after the fact! :(

I thought I'd swear off surfing forever until my sisters and I found Surf Diva and we signed up for the 2-day surf clinic. From the get-go, the instructors were bright and cheery. We had brief introductions where they found out what the athletic skills of the group were then based on that feedback, tailored the lesson to our skill level! Prior to heading into the ocean, we were given surf etiquette lessons, safety lessons (rip currents!), how to read the breaks, and other useful -- but not overwhelming -- information. Then we practised our pop-ups and paddling on the shore. By the time I was out on the ocean, I was able to pop-up, stand on my board and surf on my first try! My sisters needed some work on theirs, but the two surf instructors were very patient with us. Furthermore, they were rather encouraging, especially if we weren't making the waves and gave us tips as the day went along. That was just the first day!

At the end of our 2nd day, we got a surprise visit from the co-owner, Izzy which I thought was sweet of her to check in on us budding surfers. She answered some questions we had and even told us a funny story about this businessman she taught how to surf in crazy ocean conditions!

I've since attended the Level 2 class and joined a friend's Bachelorette Surf Party all with good results. I'm not going into the professional circuit any time soon, but have enough skill/knowledge to be able to go out surfing with my friends... on our foam boards! LOL

p.s.,
Most of the instructors we've had have been women (all EXCELLENT) but have also had two guy instructors (during the Bachelorette Party) -- one of them was great, the other guy was just OK.

p.p.s.,
I looove their shop! It also helped that we got 20% off shopping after our 2-Day clinic. Sweet.

I'm as low-maintenance and un-glamorous as you can get. I love my t-shirt and jeans and only use lip gloss and SPF moisturiser when out in public... I don't wear makeup!

So, when I heard about Wink Eyelash Extensions through my friend, I immediately knew it was something that I didn't need. However, I had a big birfday party coming up and my friend's wedding (where I was a Bridesmaid). I knew I couldn't just go as my regular, casual self so I gave it a shot and got a "Full Wink"!

I am more than impressed with the outcome! From the get-go, Christine was professional and understanding of my low-maintenance needs. From setting up my appointment, to her prompt arrival at my home, and then consulting first on my (non-existing) beauty regimen and eyelashes, Christine explained everything along the way.

Even before laying down on the portable massage table she brought (I thought I might have to sit up the entire time!) Christine showed me a selection of eyelashes and then suggested the lash length and curl that would fit me (the natural-yet-fuller look!)

When I was finally laying down to have my lashes done, I was a bit nervous and I think Christine noticed it, that she talked me through the procedure/what she was doing. She also made sure I was feeling OK during the entire process. I ended up dozing off at some point and awoke to Christine saying "almost done; you'll get to see your pretty lashes soon!" And pretty they were!

I've since received many compliments about my lashes and most were surprised I had worn extensions (they really looked natural). I wake up to eyes that "smize" (haha Tyra Banks reference) without much effort and look more polished, yet still my casual self! They're so unobtrusive (I wear glasses) and light-weight that I sometimes surprise myself when I look at the mirror and admire my eyelashes! LOL

I will definitely keep these up, since it's easy to maintain anyway, and perhaps get a touch-up before my trip to Miami Beach, FL in December. Thankfully, she has a referral discount that I can use since my sisters also want to have their lashes done. w00t!

This place is an absolute life-saver. Ok, maybe not exactly life-saving but close enough. Think day-before-the-wedding, and my bridesmaid dress was too big! I thought I had gained weight (as usual) but apparently had lost weight (I wish it could be this way all the time). That also meant that the top of my asymmetrical dress was loose in the ta-ta's region and chicken cutlets were not enough to fill it in.

Enter Smart Dressmaking & Alterations. I found them on Google, read the reviews here on Yelp, then I rung them literally 30 minutes before closing time and asked if they do "emergency alterations." The sweet lady over the phone said, "Yes, just come in with the dress" and off I went. I was somewhat worried that when I arrived, there was already another customer being helped and another one waiting (why would I think the place would be all just for me!).

However, the sweet lady whom I spoke with on the phone (Ugh, didn't get her name) was there and just instructed me to put on my dress as she was nearly done helping the two ladies. I went into the changing room and in it were printed inspirational quotes from the Bible -- as if to calm my nerves that everything will be OK! (it somewhat worked and had a good vibe about the place).

When I had the dress on, I wasn't sure how to explain what to do but the lady just looked at the dress and knew what needed to be done -- she started with the too-big-of-a-strap, pinned that, looked at the bust area and started pinning the side so that it would be a better fit, and so on. She really did have an eye for how the dress should fit.

She itemized the things that needed to get done and the associated cost on the claim ticket/invoice and in the end, the alterations were less than $40! Wow. I thought I'd pay $100 for this emergency alteration.

Fast forward to the *next day* and the dress was ready at the time I requested! Again, my worries that it would not get done were unfounded. I was also concerned that with the delicate material of the dress (lots of light chiffony-ruching) there would be pulls, but again, it was cleanly altered -- definitely professionally-made!

When I slipped into the dress, it fit amazingly well to my body. My mosquito bites almost look like juicy-juicy mangoes and I actually have a figure! Hahaha. OK, maybe my ta-ta's didn't suddenly grow but it accentuated what little I had. ;)

In summary (too late), the bride would have most definitely KILLED me for waiting that long (i.e., day before) to try on my bridesmaid dress, but throughout my own ordeal, I found a miracle worker in Smart Dressmaking & Alterations!

I'm definitely going back to have other alterations done; I already have a list of ill-fitting-coats to have taken in and I know they'll be in great hands. ^_^

We stayed here on two separate occasions which happened to be a week from each other (5/21-5/23 & 5/27-5/29). On both stays there were some positives and there were some negatives.

First, the positives:

Location: It's perfect. If you want walking distance to Gaslamp sites, this is pretty central.

Price: The rooms of the hotel are priced pretty competitively (considering the area), and it's always better if you're SPG (Starwood Preferred Guest). We were expecting the valet-only policy and looked up the cost ahead of time so there weren't any surprises.

Internet Access: Though I agree that if you're paying so much for accommodations, in-room Internet access should be free, the lobby internet was sufficient when needed (I didn't have time to surf the web on my holiday, anyway). There were lobby computers connected to a printer for travellers that wished to print their boarding passes (which my sis did).

Service: The service is pretty awesome -- on both stays, we were impressed with the prompt, friendly, courteous and attentive hotel staff (from the Valets, to the bartender, to the manager at their restaurant). It wasn't too friendly to the point of being pretentious either. One of the instances of our stay, the manager of the hotel's restaurant (Horton's Bar & Grill) extended their Sunday brunch buffet hours to accommodate our late arrival!

So what's up with my 3 star rating? The rooms. At least 3 of 2 rooms that we stayed in. Bear with me as you figure out the maths. ;)

On the first stay, our first night was horrid, despite the fabulous view overlooking the obelisk at the entrance rotunda. There was some sort of function/party going on at the Westin balcony so the music was blaring 'til midnight. Then around 2AM, when one thought they had peace and quiet, the sound of the siren of ambulances/emergency vehicles and/or firetrucks came through the closed window.  The second night was a bit more tolerable, albeit we were still lucky enough to hear the sirens coming from the street and into our room. The curse of staying at the Gaslamp, I suppose! This was for a room on the 11th floor.

Our second instance at this hotel (again, it was merely a weekend later) was semi-better but for the smell of the first room assigned to us: it reeked of cigarettes. This was where that great service came in, though. They switched us to a new room within 15 minutes and we didn't even have to go downstairs to get the new key (they sent someone up). The "new" room was fine except for the seemingly faulty A/C: The temperature didn't dip any lower than 71 deg Farenheit, despite setting the A/C to cool. Still, despite the rather warm night, we weren't greeted with ambulance sirens as with the previous stay (these windows either kept the noise out, or there weren't any drunks that needed help those evenings ;)). This was a room on the 9th floor.

Despite all this, I'd really stay here again because of the convenient walking distance to the Gaslamp bars/nightclubs/locations.

p.s.,
FYI: there is one free bottled water per day in the room and you can ring to have another (free) bottle brought up. Also, when leaving, mention to the Valet that you're checking out and you get chilled bottled water (per person) for your trip home.

If my metabolism kicked up a notch (or two), I'd eat at this place at least once a week. There's something "neat-o" about eating a chilli dog (with onions and cheese) and K-Earth playing in the background then catching a film at the AMC closeby.

On the other hand, their gelato (Italian ice-cream) is so-so. That is, sometimes the flavour is spot on (depends on the fruit sorbetto), and other times, it's just unspectacular.

If you happen to visit when it's empty, it's a great place to savour your food (as savoury as hotdogs can get) and people watch if you're sitting outside.

I've only tried two other restaurants that serve pure Cajun & Creole food. One was in New Orleans itself, the other is up the street from this restaurant. I love this restaurant more than the other ragin' one. ;)

Don't leave this place without trying their Jambalaya, Gumbo or Crawfish etouffee. If you don't like spicy dishes, never fear! They can make it as un-spicy for you as possible. Their meals are made-to-order, so yours always taste so fresh and not like it's been sitting on a stove for hours (though in some cases [i.e., stews] that might be beneficial.) ;)

Their gumbo is served with generous portions of seafood and andouille sausage. We ask for it to be spicy and we're not disappointed -- the spice does not overpower the harmounious blend of ingredients!

Their sweet potatoe[sic] fries are delicious and the french bread they serve as an appetizer could be a meal on it's own (with the gumbo, of course.)

Seating is very casual and the chef (and her nephew) make you feel very much at home.

Wings wings and more wings.

That's all we get at this place. Either a box of 20 original or spicy chicken wings. No drumsticks for us; no strips; JUST WINGS.

It's pricey but we don't care -- we want our wings! LOL.

Pros:
Wings - spicy (not for the faint of heart) or original (enfused with garlicy-flavour)
Wings
Wings
and free Kyochon-themed calendar at the end of the year. :)

Cons:
Irregular delivery schedule -- twice we were able to have our wings delivered to our home and the rest of the time, they were either "too busy" or "don't deliver." mwuh?!
Price -- 30 pieces for about 27 bux! (So worth it, though)
No more freebies -- they used to include a sort of kimchi with our wing order and didn't used to charge us for a side of rice

I should also note that this place is setup food court style, only with minimal seating. I highly recommend you ring them ahead of time to order, unless you don't mind waiting in the Freshia market (Asian/Korean grocery).

I don't claim to be a sashimi (or sushi) connoisseur but so far, Eki Eki is my fav sashimi place in the South Bay.

I tend to be a creature of habit and thus almost always order their "Sashimi Combination" dinner -- for about $20, I get my fill of generous portions of salmon, yellow tail (hamachi), tuna and albacore. It comes with miso soup and a bowl of rice (I often ask for my miso to be served first, Western-style, though). The quality and cut of the fish is consistent, despite changing their sushi chef.

Don't get me wrong, I get other items on their menu and am extremely happy with the outcomes of salmon skin salad, amaebi (with deep fried battered shrimp head!), Spanish makarel nigiri, and spicy tuna hand-roll. On the rare instance that I go for their lunch special (went for a teriyaki bento), I was not disappointed.  

Oh, the (complimentary*) bowl of green tea ice-cream is perfect to "cleanse the palate" after a satisfying meal. (I guess my li'l bro and I are "regulars" there; we get our ice-cream complimentary but you have to pay for it, otherwise.)

p.s.,
They close in the afternoon (between 2PM and 5PM, I believe) so don't expect any late sushi lunches :(