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Los Angeles is one of those cities you can't help but develop a love-hate relationship with, and this city, with its glamour and grime, changed my life in innumerable ways. 

I understand the stereotypical hate on Los Angeles - the hideous traffic that can double, nay triple, commute time if you happened to be extra unfortunate, getting more than your fair share of pollution, the slew of cliques that make socializing seem more like a jungle, the vapidity and superficiality of it all. But to loathe the city means to completely ignore the beauty you can unearth between the flaws, and aren't we all waiting for someone to find beauty underneath our imperfections?

I've been calling LA home for five years now and while I have yet to fully explore the city and all that it has to offer, I am continuously enamored with it. What with its wide array of food options, eclectic mishmash of art and culture and that feeling of being home yet having the independence to be whoever you want to be, Los Angeles is home.

I know you might be feeling rather compelled to throw a rotten tomato towards my general direction after that hideous pun but I am nothing without my my love-hate relationship with puns so you'd have to suffer through that, unfortunately. I haven't written a monthly favorites in a while because I'm a lazy little prick having the time of my life. Seeing as to July is ending and I did have a lot of favorites this month, I thought it was high time I made another monthly favorites post. So, without further ado, here are my July favorites:

Every self-respecting Filipino will tell you that the best Filpino meal is homecooked. In other words,  if I'm going to a restaurant to pay for Filipino food, it better be damn well take me to the moon and back. With that said, EagleRock.Kitchen is a favorite go-to for when I have a hankering for Filipino breakfast food. We usually order the BangSiLog (Fried milkfish, garlic fried rice and fried egg) but we loved the ERK fries and ginataang bilo bilo. Their vinegar is amazing! It tastes just like the vinegar served with "silog" dishes in the Philippines, and it satisfies my palate in more ways than one. If you're interested in trying Filipino cuisines, I highly recommend this place.

An unassuming treasure in Glendale, Gam Tu Bop serves delectable rice balls with reasonable prices. We ordered the Gam Tu Bop #2, which came with free edamame and miso soup. We ordered the spicy shrimp, tuna, unagi (made from sushi grade unagi, you guys!) and salmon rice balls. Our favorite was definitely the unagi rice ball followed by the salmon. The spicy shrimp and tuna were both just 'eh'. I also found the cashier, who is also possibly the owner, absolutely adorable! If you're in the area and in dire need of carb overloading, head over to this place. It's worth it. Trust me.

A coworker gave me this stainless steel bracelet recently and I haven't taken it off yet (even if it clashes with the accessories I'm wearing). It's just too adorable to take off.

My boyfriend introduced me to Star Trek: The Next Generation recently, and suffice to say, I'm obsessed! It has 7 seasons and we just started watching season 2, but if you ask me why I love this show, I wouldn't know how or where to start. The characters are endearing & brilliant (except for the occasional underdeveloped caricature characters but who doesn't have them, right?), the plot lines are so cerebral and ponderous, it's so visually entertaining and I desperately wish I had a replicator and a holodeck. Yup. I'm a Star Trek girl now.

These are all the drinks in my refrigerator. However, the star of the show is definitely GT's Synergy organic kombucha in Trilogy flavor. I stopped drinking soda almost three years ago, and I've never looked back. However, on hot, humid days like all of the sweltering Los Angeles summers, I miss the fizzy feeling that only comes with carbonated drinks. I'm not a big fan of fizzy water *coughs* Perrier *coughs* because I personally think it's kind of gross. Enter my summer year round must-have: KOMBUCHA

I discovered kombucha three years ago and have loved it since. It has probiotics, less calories and sugar content than soda and it tastes great! We love kombucha so much we actually started making our own from the scoby of a Trilogy kombucha. I can't wait to give it a try!

If you follow me on instagram & twitter or are friends with me on Facebook, you're well aware that I've been playing Pokemon GO since its release almost three weeks ago. I wouldn't say I'm obsessed with the game so much as my inner 90s kid liking the idea of catching all 151 pokemons and having a viable reason to sing the Pokemon theme song in the shower more than twice. It also gives me a better motivation to be more active because evolving a charmander to a charizard trumps health and general wellness y'all. As of writing, I am level 16 and have 66 pokemons stashed in my pokedex.

These smile-inducing flowers I got from my boss for working so hard on the first week of July. I did 10 hours worth of overtime and managed not to die. I consider that as one of my greatest personal accomplishments in life right next to not accidentally killing Mac & Kiki (my succulents!) yet.

Inasmuch as July gave me a lot of wonderful memories, I'm excited for August! What are your favorite moments of July?

On account of my saying that beaches are swarming with Pokemons (and yes, I do play Pokemon GO), my boyfriend took me to the beach so I could catch new ones to add onto my Pokedex. He knows I haven't been to Venice beach before, which is why he took it upon himself to drive for more than hour to take me there. That's also yet one of the reasons why I adore the guy.

We went on a day wherein the Santa Clarita fire was at its ravaging worst so the skies were dark and tinted with yellow. My boyfriend woke up to finding a thin veil of ashes on his car's windshield. 

We made our way to the Venice Canals first, and I was a bit disappointed. It wasn't quite what I expected. The canals were lovely but they were a bit ho-hum and reminded me of canals in the Philippines. From the photos, I kind of thought they'd be a more picturesque sight. 

Afterwards, we walked the entire length of the Venice Boardwalk, which, to someone with social anxiety, was kind of a herculean task. It was packed and I hated every minute of being there. But if there's one thing I learned, it was that growth rarely ever goes hand in hand with comfort. 

We frolicked by the beach for a while, which made me really happy. I like the smell of the sea. I like the sight of the ocean. Just those things are more than enough to remind me that I'm glad to be alive.

In all my excitement and anxiety, I completely forgot to catch pokemons, which is why we went there in the first place. I was too busy running around and getting wet. Afterwards, we got dinner from The Terrace wherein I ordered seafood pasta and my boyfriend got the grilled atlantic salmon. My pasta was good while his dish came with delicious rice and a flavorful, albeit a bit dry, salmon.

I had an amazing time, but I don't think I'll be back. I'd rather go to a less touristy beach than traverse through the intricate crowds of Venice Beach again. 

Since I moved to Echo Park, giving the Echo Park pedal boats a spin was something I've always wanted to do. But we either forget, don't have the time or are just plain to lazy to do so. This weekend, however, was a different story. We finally got around to doing it! Boyfriend left his sunglasses in his car so he ended up using a pair of sunglasses I got for free from a Lyft representative.  We walked to the pedal boat dock around 5 p.m. because it wasn't too hot but the sun was still up.

The rates, as of this writing, were $10 per adult and $5 per kid for an hour, which we gladly paid. I think they recently added an option to pay via card because on yelp, reviewers were saying they only accept cash. The staff manning the dock were all efficient and friendly. They instructed us not to go too close to the edges or go into the areas that are roped in (usually where the water lilies where). After putting on our life vests, we were guided towards our boat.

If you know me, I've always been so in awe of Echo Park Lake's beauty, even before I moved into the area. Imagine my absolute bliss when we started going into the middle of the lake, right by the fountains. I was getting wet by the fountain's mist but I was pretty darn happy.

I thought my phone's camera wouldn't be able to capture the rainbow's majestic beauty but it came as a surprise to both my boyfriend and I that it did. 

It was a gorgeous day - the lake looked particularly stunning, the lilies were abloom and people were usually lounging about, playing with their kids or walking their dogs. We saw a rainbow by the fountains and a turtle (or maybe two, we aren't exactly sure) emerge from the water, only to come swimming back down the moment it saw us headed its way. It was a good experience though we were over it after about half an hour. Plus, my boyfriend was kind of complaining about how his long legs make it harder for him to pedal (oh, the few pros of being petite).

I probably wouldn't go again but time can only tell. If anything, it was a relatively good leg workout. Have you been to the Echo Park Lake? What is your favorite activity in the area?

My boyfriend and I have never had Burmese food before so when I found out that a Burmese restaurant called Daw Yee Myanmar Corner was opening in my neighborhood, we had to give it a try. Burmese food hails from the scenic country of Burma, which is now officially known as Myanmar. Before I move on to my review, allow me to state that I am completely obsessed with this place. It opened three weeks ago, and we've been here four times. So yea, obsessed.

Dinner spread on our 3rd(?) visit here with Mohinga, Tea Leaf Salad & Myanmar Milk Tea. I also ordered Molasong for myself but it arrived a bit later after I took this photo.

Mohinga, Myanmar's national breakfast dish, though we usually get it for dinner. We both think this is SO MUCH BETTER than ramen or pho. Sorry, not sorry.

An empty Fish Cake Curry bowl and my glass of Molasong

Ambiance: The ambiance inside Daw Yee Myanmar Corner had an interesting and eclectic feel as it combined cultural ornaments and quite possibly, though not entirely sure, modern-vibe paper mache, animal heads. The wooden tables, coupled with brightly colored chairs, made it even more so.

Service: On our first visit, our waitress was actually Burmese, so she suggested several dishes that we may be interested in. She was amicable and made us feel at home. I never saw her again after that visit though. Nevertheless, we've had mostly efficient service from the waiters and waitresses here.

Food: Within all of our four visits, we ordered the Mohinga, Fish Cake Curry, Tea Leaf Salad, Molasong, Myanmar Milk Tea, Shwe Kyi Cake and Tapioca Cake. The Mohinga is, by far, our absolute favorite. Served with a couple slices of lime, chili flakes, cilantro, lentil fritters and (optional for additional $1) boiled egg with rice noodles and catfish soup base, it took my breath away. It's honestly so much better than any ramen or pho we've ever tried, though we're open to being proven wrong. You know where to find us during the harsh, biting cold of winter!

The Fish Cake Curry, which came with a side of rice with fried peanuts on top, was delicious as well.  I've had lots of curry cuisines - Indian, Thai, Filipino - but Burmese curry had a different taste altogether. I'm not a salad person (unless that salad contains arugula) but I actually liked the Tea Leaf Salad, which was made from Myanmar-imported tea leaves, steamed corn, yellow lentils, fried garlic and roasted peanuts. It was fresh and the texture was superb. The Molasong was a delicious and sweet drink that contained whole milk, coconut milk, pandan jelly and tapioca. I didn't like the Myanmar Milk Tea so much and I honestly thought it was unmemorable. For dessert, we ordered the Shwe Kyi Cake, a gluten-free cake made with semolina wheat and poppy seeds, and Tapioca Cake. Unfortunately, we both didn't really like them and found them underwhelming. They were just not the kind of desserts we were looking for, especially since my sweet tooth is bigger than my stomach.

However, everything else was so on point in this restaurant and you best believe I'm coming back again and again and again and again and - you know what I'm going to say.

Will you recommend Daw Yee Myanmar Corner to friends? 100% Yes. You might even catch us there!

A friend of mine, Lea, and I have been meaning to see each other for a while but just couldn't find ourselves in the same area at the same time. But she graduated from college recently, moved closer to my neighborhood and finally, after what seemed like forever, our schedules matched. 

On the day we planned to meet, the June Artwalk was also happening so I suggested we explore it instead of the stereotypical dinner and conversation. She let me know a few of her friends are coming along - the more, the merrier! We hit the Museum of Contemporary Art (MoCA) first since I felt that it's a good way to start an evening of art.

It was an enjoyable time as I got re-acquainted with some abstract artists I like and met a few new contemporary artists as well.

Heart and Mind by Elizabeth Murray

The Egg by David Altmejd

She's Egungun by Wangechi Mutu

One of the art works I fell in love with at the Artwalk.

A couple of us were famished after walking around MoCA so we decided to go to the Grand Central Market and enjoy the myriad of food choices there. Afterwards, we walked along Gallery Row to peruse artworks by local artists all while headed to The Last Bookstore. It's one of my favorite bookstores of all time, and for good reason. It houses a labyrinth teeming with books, vinyl, artworks and wonderful art installations. They also have poetry readings, book signings and music events from time to time. If you haven't been, you're missing out.

I also came across 37 collections of Sherlock Holmes stories for only $10, and it totally made my day! Arthur Conan Doyle is one of my favorite whodunit writers, and I think I've read most, if not all, of his Sherlock Holmes anthologies.

I had such a good time with Lea, Gina, Kathy & Fermin, and the fact that I was surrounded by wonderful art works just made the evening all the more great. 

I know, I know. I post too much about food. But you have to admit, food is one thing we're all obsessed with. In fact, I'm so lucky to be dating someone who not only has the same palate as I do (for the most part) but who also encourages me to be more food-venturous.

Moto Sushi
This place came with a recommendation from my boyfriend's friend. He has never let us down so far, and the places he recommends are places we usually end up becoming regulars to. We tried Moto once but found it only average and overpriced for the quality we got. They put a lot of fake wasabi, and while it was nice of them to upgrade our salmon cuts to salmon toro for free (even though I accidentally ended up eating both instead of sharing them with my boyfriend), there is no point to adding toppings to a good salmon cut. Let the fresh fish speak for itself.

On aforementioned friend's urging to try the place again, we went for a second time over the weekend. I've never been so happy for second chances as we were completely blown away by our second visit. We ordered two orders of salmon, two orders of yellowtail, one order of bluefin tuna, one order of monk fish liver, one order of unagi and one tuna roll. We saw that they had LIVE UNI and immediately added two orders of it as well. (Note: It was market fish price but when we went there, they were $20/order). Also, remember to state NO WASABI on your order sheet if you're not into the fake, powdery wasabi most sushi places serve.

The yellowtail, bluefin tuna and tuna rolls were both okay. Pretty standard taste, if not a bit below average. Both the salmon and unagi were fresh and delicious albeit not the best ones we've had. The monk fish liver, on the other hand, definitely won a place in my heart. I haven't had a lot of monk fish liver sushi but that was quite a gustatory experience.

The live uni came on top of an emptied out sea urchin, which made for a really cool-looking plate. I mean, how many people can say they've eaten on top of a sea urchin? This might be an important time to note that the first foodgasm I've had was when I tried uni for the first time. I didn't think anything else could top that. I was obviously wrong. It was usurped out of the throne by super fresh uni topped with real wasabi (because fake wasabi is gross and is a joke).

We ordered one more monk fish liver to share and ended our evening with a big smile and a full stomach. You best believe we'll be back.

Thai Me Upp
I think we found our new neighborhood Thai restaurant with this place and it's not because of the pretty dorky name. Situated in a plaza next to Paris Baguette, this tiny restaurant showcased a confused sense of interior decoration. When we stepped inside and sat down, the chef/owner exclaimed,"Awww you guys are so cute!". I mean, it could only go well from there right? We were given shrimp crackers with an enticing chili dip, which we scarfed down almost immediately. We then ordered the Eggplant Tofu Basil, Cha Cha Fish (one of their specials), a large bowl of garlic fried rice (we totally should have just gotten the small) and their homemade vinegar drink.

You guys, we're in love with their Cha Cha Fish Dish (ooh that rhymed). It was probably the best fish dish we've had in awhile (and trust me, we've had plenty in the last couple of months). The Eggplant Tofu Basil and the homemade vinegar drink were delicious as well, and we're definitely coming back to try out more dishes. My only complaint would be that our orders were served individually and not together, which I would have preferred. Their yelp reviews give them pretty low ratings for the slow service. Fortunately, my boyfriend and I are both willing to wait for good food.

El Morfi Argentine Grill

My boyfriend had been to this place a couple of times before and he raved about their empanadas, which, of course, he wanted me to try. We went for dinner and were seated near the window, which I liked. Plenty of people watching and sunshine - yes please! We ordered a couple of spinach & jalapeno empanadas, a pitcher of sangria, seafood linguine and eggplant parmesan with spaghetti on the side.

As we waited for our order, we were given bread and an olive oil with pesto basil dip for appetizers that we both loved! We finished about two servings of bread before we decided that it was a bad idea to say yes to more. My boyfriend joked that that was the highlight of the meal. Between the spinach and jalapeno empanadas, we both liked the latter more. It was more flavorful and worth every penny.

By the time our entrees had arrived, we were finished with our pitcher of sangria, which was pretty concentrated and made me a bit tipsy after one glass. The eggplant parmesan I got was good albeit the texture wasn't to my liking and the flavor wasn't up to par with The Park's version of the same dish. My boyfriend wasn't particularly enamoured with his seafood linguine either. His joke turned out to be factual in this case. Aside from the pesto basil dip and the jalapeno empanada, there wasn't a lot to write home about.

Scarantino's Italian Inn

I found Scarantino's through a yelp search while I was craving for pasta, and because my boyfriend is awesome, he obliged. I don't think they have parking space as we accidentally parked at the parking space of the mental institution next door. We stepped inside and were immediately welcomed with the smell of melting parmesan cheese. After a 15 minute wait, the maitre d' showed us our table. We ordered the red snapper (his), eggplant parmesan with spaghetti on the side (mine), cannoli and tiramisu.

We both loved his red snapper. Meanwhile, my eggplant parmesan was only slightly better than El Morfi's. I would unfortunately report that neither version topped The Park's version of eggplant parmesan. We both liked the desserts  but he liked the cannoli more whereas I opted for the tiramisu. We had a really great time and the food was delicious but we'll probably be headed to El Morfi for my pasta fix (because empanadas & pesto basil dip, y'all).

Have you tried any of these restaurants? How was your experience?