A couple of weeks back, I stumbled across Lasa, a Filipino fusion restaurant, on Yelp. As someone who is Filipina and deeply engraved in her culture, I'm always on the lookout for delicious and high-quality Filipino restaurants in the Los Angeles. Fortunately for me, my boyfriend and I have almost the exact same taste in food, and he was down to try Lasa out.

Situated in a plaza in Chinatown, parking was relatively easy to find and we ended up walking to the actual building. When we got there, however, we were pretty disoriented to find an ongoing burger + art show featuring artworks by the makers of Bob's Burgers. We initially thought that we might have been misguided by Yelp. However, due to boyfriend's suggestion to call the actual restaurant, we found out that Lasa is in that very vicinity! Yay!

The interior is cozy and warm. It even boasted a couch seating for diners near the entrance. Our host immediately sat us down though it did take a while for our waiter to approach us. We were there immediately after it opened so there was only one other couple. However, after about an hour, it definitely became more packed.

We ordered the Adobo Peanuts, "Pancit", Red Snapper Kinilaw, Lumpiang Sariwa and Kesong Puti Fritters. They had a pre-fix menu for $40/head. However, since we are pescetarians, we couldn't really eat the entree they were going to serve. Our waiter took the time to explain everything we had, and while some people might appreciate that, I really prefer my waiters to be more personable and less loquacious about the menu. I mean, we were hungry and he practically spent all of five minutes explaining the menu to us.

The food arrived after nearly twenty minutes, which isn't necessarily a good thing. However, we forgive a lot of things for really good food. Once our food was served, the waiter took another five minutes to explain everything that we've gotten.

From left to right: Pancit, Red Snapper Kinilaw and Adobo Peanuts

We already knew that the taste would be nothing like the typical Filipino versions. The "Pancit", with its egg noodle, calamansi butter, scallions and fish sauce cured egg yolk, was delicious and multidimensional. I did feel it was less savory than I preferred. This dish was boyfriend's favorite. The Red Snapper Kinilaw, showcasing watermelon radish, red snapper, calamansi Kosho, asian pear and fish sauce-vinegar sauce, was my favorite out of all the three appetizers. It was just tasty and although it wasn't quite what I expected it to taste like, it was well-balanced and satisfied my palate well. The adobo peanuts were definitely reminiscent of adobo and I liked how they integrated the taste with the crunchiness.

Fresh Lumpia

The fresh lumpia, with Brown Rice Flour Crepe, Roasted Cauliflower, Black Kale, Shaved Cabbage and Peanut Soy Vinegar, was boyfriend's favorite out of all the dishes. I, on the other hand, still gravitated towards the kinilaw. While the Fresh Lumpia was better than the typical Fresh Lumpia I've had in my lifetime, it didn't quite cut it for me. It was delicious, sure, but I like my lumpia savory and oozing with flavor. It was a refreshing entree but it wasn't quite as filling as I wanted it to be.

For dessert, we got the Kesong Puti Fritters, which had the Muscovado Cream Glaze and some delicious persimmon compote. The "fritters" resembled donut holes and based on the waiter's description, it should have had some kesong puti inside. However, none of our fritters did. The only reason I still enjoyed the dessert was because the persimmon compote was extremely delectable and satisfying. That was one dessert I did not feel guilty immediately after.

Are we going to go back? Definitely - even with the long drive. The waiter mentioned that they tend to rotate the menu based on what's fresh and in season. However, it's not the type of food or taste I will have a regular hankering for. 

Catching the sunrise is always one of my favorite things, and I never realized how the rising sun creates an aura of somberness & petulant optimism until seeing the sun rise in such a metropolis. Waking up earlier has led me to healthier habits, which include a more regular meditation habit or doing at least a few yoga moves in the morning. Waking up earlier is also helping me focus on what I need to do, and has helped me find more reasons to live for. Have you tried to catch dawn at least once in your life? If not, you totally should. 

Over the weekend, boyfriend and I hiked to Griffith Park. We've decided to hike more regularly, especially since it's less hot in the winter. It's more difficult for me to work out in the winter just because it's colder and it's so much more tempting to cozy in with a soft comforter & sip hot chocolate. Hopefully, our regular hiking treks will help me stay in shape throughout the season of food.

I've posted about Moto Sushi before but when we came back this Sunday to celebrate being together for 26 months now but DAMN. As two, self-appointed sushi snobs, every single piece of nigiri blew us away. We ordered salmon (both regular & New Zealand salmon), yellow tail, two different preparations of red snapper, monkfish liver, uni, unagi & bluefin tuna. ALL OF THEM HAD FRESH WASABI AND I DIED.

I reiterate - every.single.nigiri.was.AMAZING. First world problems, we had difficulty choosing the last piece of sushi to imbibe upon. It's been our tradition to choose the best sushi as the last thing to eat in order to make the flavor in our mouth last longer.

For the most part, we've both chosen uni. Last Sunday was an exception because we chose the bluefin tuna. Fitting, I know, especially since the bluefin tuna had gold flakes on it. Yep, you read that right. It was such a satisfying dinner and while it was pricier than our usual sushi restaurants, it was oh-so-worth it. Rest assured, this is our monthly go-to now.

And by nothing, I mean no puns. I legitimately spent five minutes trying to come up with an original pun for September and failed. Fortunately, I have more than enough favorites to make up for it!

Eventrockit food market is a fantastic event that happens every other month and changes locations ever so often. They have new food vendors every event and some old favorites as well. We had some sushi + taco fusion and blue crab & avocado crostinis from Norigami. We both found the sushi tacos amazing while the crostinis were just okay. On the other hand, both the mango chili and a couple of delicious aguas frescas we ordered from a drink stand were delicious. We also ordered a plate of good Thai Garlic noodles from a Thai Truck (I forgot the name!).

We also ordered some authentic Belgian Waffles from Marcel Waffles for desserts. We got the Original Liege and Original Brussels waffles without any toppings. Out of the two, the Liege was definitely our favorite. Since my boyfriend is Belgian, I was also looking forward to his thoughts (we've been on a look out for authentic Belgian waffles for a while), and he thought it was definitely close to the waffles in Belgium

Recently, my coworkers and I went to Escape Room LA as part of the company's team building exercise. While in the waiting room, we played a couple of games. As we were ushered in and given our orientation, we were instructed to turn off our phones so no photos - le sigh. Our HR person chose The Theatre theme, and off we went! I managed to solve one puzzle and felt mostly confused half of the time. While it was definitely fun and thrilling, I'm not much of a puzzles person (even though I like my whodunits - weird, I know). My boyfriend would definitely enjoy "escaping" though, and while I'm not as good in it as he is, I look forward to coming back regardless.

We're not big fans of shabu shabu because most restaurants serve only meat with little to no options for paescetarians like us. However, Joon Shabu Shabu was different. They offered a good seafood plate that was more than enough to entice us. It had a few pieces of big scallops, salmon and shrimp. We were given an elaborate orientation on "how to of shabu shabu". It was quite an exciting experience. My only criticism would be that we left feeling a wee bit hungry, which is kind of unacceptable for the $50+ bill.

Out of sheer curiosity, we decided to try out Lola's Peruvian Restaurant and HOLY COW, it's amazing. We've been there three times in the last two weeks (yep, we're obsessed), and it never disappoints. We've had their salmon plate, seafood paella and seafood pasta. The salmon plate probably had the best grilled salmon I've had in my entire lifetime, and trust me when I say, I've had a lot. The seafood paella and seafood pasta were extraordinary as well.

Alfajores - Peruvian cookies

We also had the Lucuta ice cream, corn flan and alfajores, all of which we've never had before. Out of the three, the corn flan was probably my favorite, although they have all been gastronomically orgasmic. I can't wait to go to this place again!

As a lover of all things ice cream, it seemed a travesty not to try Flavors Creamery, the new gelato place in Glendale. It was cheap (I got a small size for only $2!), and while it didn't wow me, it was a good price for what I paid. Besides, the people were friendly and I prefer supporting mom and pop shops in lieu of big companies.

Granted, I've only been to three German gastropubs in LA but Wurstküche slays them all. Touting one of the best fries, bratwursts AND beer selection in the area (it has my favorite sour beer on tap!), this place has carved a place in my heart and decided to hibernate there. In fact, I've always regularly craved for a visit to this restaurant. It's quite a drive and the traffic is horrible, but it's forever worth it.

This street art I saw while we were stopped in traffic in Glendale. I love it not only because of my affinity for art but also because of my affinity for puns. I thought it was cute and witty, and definitely worthy of being on my September favorites!

Over Labor Day, we (and by we, I mean he but I was with him throughout the journey for moral support) drove to Oxnard for a day of exploration. My siblings have visited Oxnard once before and they regaled me with stories of its beauty so I had to experience it for myself.

We got dinner at Money Pancho, a Mexican restaurant with marvelous reviews on yelp. We were greeted with a smile and were immediately shown our table. Only one other couple was there but it definitely got busier as the night went on. We ordered the Camaron Bilbaina (Black Tiger shrimp, delicately sauteed with dry red chilies, garlic, butter, and mushroom sauce and then flambe in white wine before serving) and the Filet of Sole Veracruzana (filet of Sole cooked in Salsa Veracruz made with garlic, peppers, onions, olives, tomato Ranchera sauce & white wine). We both thought they were delicious though I preferred the Camaron better than the Sole. By the end of the meal, we had debated on getting desserts because we were both full but decided to get the flan. It was delicious, and I'm really happy we got it. We walked back to our hotel with happy stomachs and happier hearts.

Come the morning, we grabbed breakfast from Hollywood Beach Cafe. Boyfriend ordered their Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict with spinach & hash browns while I got Avocado & Toast with two eggs, griddled tomatoes and fresh fruit. My boyfriend's choice tasted better but we enjoyed the fresh fruits a lot. They had the best strawberries & raspberries I've had in a very long time. No photograph of the food because, you guessed it, I got too distracted by the adorable dog.

The restaurant was close to the beach and we had initially planned on taking a walk there after eating but we forgot to bring towels, and didn't want to risk getting sand all over our shoes and my boyfriend's car. We decided to skip the beach and headed to the Channel Island Harbor Marina instead - it's where the Oxnard Farmers' Market is held every first Sunday of the month.

It was a such a good day to be in such a beautiful and calming place, and we had a lot of fun exploring the different pop up shops in the Farmers' Market. It was surprisingly bigger than I expected it to be - even bigger than Echo Park & Silver Lake Farmers' Market. We ended up buying a Chocolate Chocolate Thunder cupcake from a local baker and a small container of raspberries, which were definitely not as good as the ones we've had at Hollywood Beach Cafe but they were fresh and delicious nonetheless.

The epitome of political paradoxes

Before heading home, we swung by the Carnegie Art Museum, which is one of the reasons why I wanted to go to Oxnard in the first place. However, it was closed because they were preparing for an exhibition for late September. I was disappointed but I'm glad to be able to see its notable facade anyway. Afterwards, we headed back to LA with big smiles and lots of singing to The Smiths. I always feel closer to boyfriend after traveling somewhere new together, and I can't help but feel so grateful to have him, his company and all the conversations we have in my life. It was a wonderful three-day weekend indeed.

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?

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!

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?