August 2017 – Insider Irene

Testing out Timeout Cafe and Bar in Gardena, CA

Published on August 30, 2017September 1, 2017 by Insider IreneLeave a comment

As a food and travel writer I’m often looking for different locations to enjoy a good meal while working on blog posts – kill two birds with one stone. Haha…. I’m efficient that way 🙂 So when my foodie friend (@foodiejudge on Instagram) invited me to a private media tasting I was curious to see if this cafe could be another remote LA work station for me. The Korean fusion restaurant serves traditional cafe fair, but recently launched a new concept for a day and night crowd.

Like any good cafe, quality coffee is key to a good start. The owner informed me that they had serve Intelligentsia, which is a celebrated coffee brand with distinct robust flavors. They had to purchase special equipment to brew the beans to bring out the flavors, so you know that they’re serious about their product. Be sure to order your coffee black so that you can really taste every note. Mmm… and of course all good cafe had wifi, which worked well for me.

Once everyone arrived, we were treated to their most popular items family-style. If you’re a vegetarian or looking to eat something light their Berry Garden Salad was amazing! Their raspberry vinaigrette dressing topped with avocado feta cheese, strawberries, and blueberries over a bed a mixed greens was not only a beautiful display but tasty as well. On the flip side, if you’re looking anti-veggies their chicken wings brought some heat. And if you’re like Switzerland and fine with both meat and veggies, their sandwiches are solid. I tried the Korean Cheese Steak, Apple Tuna, Pastrami and the later two were my favorite. Apple Tuna is a solid cold sub and the hot pastrami was so mouthwatering. I loved it!

While the restaurant is known for their home-made recipes and secret sauces, they recently got their alcohol license and based on the atmosphere I can definitely see it as a prime spot to cheer on afternoon sporting events.

What do you usually get when you go to a cafe?

XOXO,

Rockstar

Marvel’s Inhumans Panel at Ballroom 20, San Diego Comic Con 2017

Published on August 28, 2017September 1, 2017 by Insider Irene1 Comment

I’ve a veteran convention goer, but San Diego Comic Con is a completely other animal. The standard logic in making the most the most of a conventions don’t apply SDCC, and giving yourself enough time to secure an activity is of utmost importance.

For me, I absolutely love attending panels and I saw on the Comic Con app the new Marvel TV Show: Marvel’s Inhuman in Ballroom 20 – I definitely wanted to see that! So, after I hopped off the trolley, I headed straight to Ballroom 20 – arguable SDCC’s second most popular Hall. BTW, I highly recommend taking the trolley if you’re not staying in the Gaslamp District. Driving and parking in this area is really tough and expensive.

Trolley ticket and Ballroom 20 schedule on the SDCC app

I was advised by some friends that if there’s a popular panel that you want to watch you should sit in on the panels before it to secure a spot. Not knowing if the new Marvel series would be a hit or miss I decided to sit through all the two panels beforehand. Luckily, the shows at least peaked my interest.

Ballroom 20 – SDD’c 2nd most popular hall

When I first entered Ballroom 20, I was blown away by the sheer size of the room, the room capacity is 4800 and and while it wasn’t overflowing, I’d say about 90% of the seats were taken. There were multiple screens for people to watch the panels so even at the back of the house attendees could still enjoy the panels.

After looking for single seats I was able to secure one about mid-way in the room. The Season 4 actors and actresses from “The Strain” all came out and they even showed us an exclusive clip from an upcoming episode. In a nutshell “The Strain” is an American horror drama television series about vampire zombies, and while it’s not really my type of show, it was cool chat with the cast.

The panel following was “Legion,” a series tied to the X-Men franchise. They showed an amazing silent film style clip of the mutants fighting to “Bolero” an orchestral piece by Maurice Ravel, and while the two ideas seem to clash it was so tastefully done. Prior to coming to this panel I knew very little about this series, but I left wanting to watch the entire series. Thankfully FX renewed Season 2 and the series is expected to air in February 2018.

Finally Marvel’s Inhumans Panel was up. I was beyond hungry at this point (my stomach kept growling at me), but was thrilled to learn all the juicy details on ABC’s newest series. The entire cast came and spoke about their auction experience and gave us some insight to their character. A number of them told us how they had no idea who they were auditioning for and after they were casted understood some of the very strange requests from the directors. It was pretty hilarious.

They then showed us a few teaser clips from the premier episode. One was of the royal family having a discussion on next steps and another was a battle scene between two unexpected characters.

The one thing I thought was silly was that they were going to show a premier of Inhumans THAT night – but it was scheduled to show right after this panel and at a location 15 minutes away. Good thing I’ll get to catch it at home on September 29th (8/7c).
Which show excites you most? “The Strain,” “Legion,” or “Inhumans”

XOXO,

Rockstar

The Poke Shack Grand Opening at Beverly Hills

Published on August 25, 2017September 1, 2017 by Insider IreneLeave a comment

One of my goals this summer was to eat healthier by incorporating more fruits and vegetables into my diet, and limiting my carb intake. I often found it difficult to do both without sacrificing taste, but with an increase of poke shop poppin’ up, I’m able to accomplish both goals – so when my foodie friend (@Foodiejudge on instagram) invited me to the Poke Shack’s red carpet event to celebrate their Grand Opening I couldn’t say no.

The VIP event certainly was a show stopping one complete with a red carpet, live DJ spinning pop tunes, and photographers capturing every moment. I waited in a very short line to order my bowl, and since they’re customizable so you’re bound to have a great meal since you’re picking all the ingredients. I love salmon so I ordered two scoops of that and a scoop of ahi tuna. Both fish choices were really fresh and tasty, and they have an enormous selection of mix-ins and toppings so I definitely loaded up! However, next time I will omit the diced mangos since they tasted a bit unripe.

I think one thing that makes this poke spot special is their bamboo rice! I’m cutting traditional white rice out of my diet (as I mentioned above), so this was a nice substitute. My poke server also made a pretty flower design with a radish before handing me my bowl, which I felt like was a nice touch. Overall it’s a solid place to enjoy a healthy meal especially in a posh and sophisticated neighborhood like Beverly Hills.

What kind of mix-ins do you like in your poke bowl?

XOXO,

Rockstar

Wining and dining at the Pacific Wine and Food Classic at Newport Beach

Published on August 23, 2017September 1, 2017 by Insider IreneLeave a comment

Orange County is home to “the real housewives”, beautiful beaches, and some amazing restaurants so it should come to no surprise that there’d be a spectacular outdoor festival to wrap up summer in pure California style. Over the weekend I partnered with Trip.com (a travel app) to attend the Pacific Wine and Food Classic at the Newport Dune Waterfront Resort (Newport Dunes, 1131 Back Bay Drive, Newport Beach, Ca 92660), where more than 100 food and beverages were prepared by some of Orange County’s finest chefs and mixologists.

If you need a vacation this resort-style tasting basically transports you to a relaxing getaway. With the event held on the sand overlooking the dunes, I enjoyed the warm weather and scenic view. The water glistened and the weather was perfect with the sun shining brightly with a small ocean breeze. Most foodies have to choose environment or food quality, but both were equally desirable here. I loved the variety of food available at the tasting and felt that the samples were light and evoked the essence of California cuisine. Some of the small bites that I enjoyed included fusion tacos, seared sashimi, scallops, gazpacho and sliders just to name a few.

I spent quite a bit of time at the VIP Patron Patio as the area was equipped with fun photo booth opportunities and unique booze infused creations. I had a patron infused pineapple popsicle, which kept me cool under the hot sun. The area also had several couches and seats for patrons to lounge around while enjoying the beautiful day – something I took full advantage of 🙂

Food samples and Simon Majumda of Food Network

During the event guests could also watch different cooking demonstrations of executive chefs signature dishes on the Fisher & Paykel / DCS Culinary Stage. Food Network Star, Simon Majumdar of Cutthroat Kitchen hosted and provided his own culinary tips and tricks as well.

I had such an amazing time at this tasting and one thing that I loved about this event was that it was well organized and not too crowded. The lines for each vendor were all very manageable and it was such a classy affair. I’d definitely come back next year, but will wear flip flops. I made the mistake to wear wedges not realizing that it was actually on the sand. Nevertheless, a great event and one where I think all adults would enjoy.

Whats your favorite food to enjoy on the beach?

XOXO,

Rockstar

My First Time at San Diego Comic Con

Published on August 21, 2017August 21, 2017 by Insider Irene4 Comments

AHHH!!! So it finally happened! I FINALLY got a badge and attended the world famous San Diego Comic Con (SDCC) – the mothership of geek conventions and the crown jewel of San Diego. And let me tell you SDCC definitely deserves all the hype and recognition of being the Con of all Cons, because it is. When I stepped off the trolley, I was beyond overwhelmed. There were lines everywhere and I wasn’t even inside the convention yet. But after I got my bearing I just took it all in and remembered that just being there was exciting!

Space wise, I wasn’t even close to covering the entire convention ground and I went four days! I didn’t dare brave the “Hall H” Line, which is a like a convention in and of itself – for virgin SDCC goers like myself, it’s in essence THE place to be to see popular blockbuster panels like Big Bang Theory, Justice League, Game of Thrones etc. People camp out at least a day in advance and if you planned to do Hall H on Saturday, be prepare to camp out on Thursday!

And no joke, there are people who had legit camping tents and padded mattresses. I’ve been to other big scaled conventions (ie. Wondercon Disney D23, Anime Expo) where the hard-core fans camped out, but never had I seen it in this extreme fashion. There was a line to get into the convention, a line to see panels (other than Hall H), autograph lines, an “exclusives” line, concessions stand line, line to take pictures… actually they were more like mobs of people – ha! Regardless, there were lines galore!

But, would I do it again, ABSOLUTELY! There’s no other convention quite like it. Sure there are other conventions where there are shorter lines or no lines, but the shear size and star power that this convention can attract is like no other. Where else can you get a sneak peak of upcoming trailers, autographs or photos from the entire cast from your favorite tv show, cosplay with groups of nerds, and hang out with geeks from all over the world? And don’t even get me started on the shopping. Nerd heaven!!!

Now I get that getting a badge is extremely difficult, but the convention geek scene expands past the convention doors and the entire city basically welcomes the nerd herd to seek refuge at the Gaslamp District and beyond. There are TONS of giveaways just outside the convention, so even if you don’t have a badge you can still have a great time geeking out just like the rest of us.

As virgin SDCC goer, I didn’t really know what to expect, but if you love superheros, cosplayers, toys, free stuff, celebrities, this is the place to be – with or without a badge. I’m sorting through my photos and boy was that an adventure.

What part of SDCC are you most excited to read/see? Cosplay? Panels? Shopping? Life outside the Convention? Let me know below!

XOXO,

Rockstar

NEW rolled ice cream at “The Joint” in Garden Grove, CA

Published on August 18, 2017September 1, 2017 by Insider IreneLeave a comment

Rolled ice cream is all the craze and Garden Grove recently welcomed a new addition – appropriately called “The Joint Creamery” (13281 Brookhurst Street). Tucked away in a strip mall, this little hidden gem has colorful creations that would certainly stand out in a crowd, and with the weather heating up this is a great place to cool down.

The trendy dessert shop created quirky names to match their unique creations such as “Franken Beans,” “Cracked Ice,” and “Pineapple Express,” and the fun doesn’t stop there. Patrons can select one of the popular combinations and have the exotic flavors crafted before their eyes. I ordered “Purple Rain” to test out their taro ice cream.

Everything worked well together and ice cream is always one of my favorite desserts to indulge in especially in the summer. I’m curious to try the galaxy, which is a sesame favored. What flavor would you be interested to try?

XOXO,

Rockstar