The hours for my seasonal part-time job ramped up so I equally if not even more so busy than usual. My grandma also passed away this month so I had more responsibilities on my plate than usual. Regardless, I was able to enjoy a few indulgences to help me get through the month. Check ’em out!
Blooms at Diamond Valley Lake
$ Bargain
The Blooms (Diamond Valley Lake): See a sea of beautiful wildflowers in the city of Hemet. Vehicle is $11 and $4 per person to see the blooms. It does get busy so plan to come early! Get more tips here!
Wondercon and Brisker Sandwich (bottom two)
$$ Moderate
Convention(Wondercon): Wondercon is one of my favorite conventions as there’s a great assortment of vendors, cosplays, and panels. It’s the baby brother of SDCC but for $35-$55 a day (or 3 day early bird for $120), it’s affordable and you don’t have to fight over getting a ticket. Learn more here.
Brisket Sandwich (Destination Smokehouse & Eatery): If you love meat you’ll love the BBQ at Destination Smokehouse in Hemet, CA. The Brisket & Cheddar ($14.50) Sando is where it’s at! Drool more here.
Fairytale Facials
$$$ Splurge
Disney themed facial (Fairytale Facials): If you love Disney and you want/need a few hours of pampering this woman owned business in Garden Grove, CA is for you. Treatment ranges from $150-$165 and I liked it so much that I already booked my next appointment. Read more here and see the video here.
It’s that time of month – monthly favorites! and for the month of April I visited San Francisco and the surrounding cities during my Spring Break! (!!!) Woo!!! It was much needed.
During that trip I knocked off a few more of my bookmarks and several of them made this month’s favorites! Check out my list below to see who made the cut!
Duck Chow Mein (Sam Wo): This Chinatown SF staple has been serving the community for over 100 years, so they must be doing something right! I ordered the Duck Chow Mein ($9.05) and boy was I in for a surprise. I absolutely loved it. The noodles had a nice chew to it and it can easily feed you for two meals. Read all about it here.
Roast Pork Entree (New Lun Ting Cafe): The mysterious orange gravy may look off-putting to some, but boy that sauce slathered over a thick cut of roasted pork and rice is beyond amazing. See full review here. For $9.25 you can feed two people with that popular entree. I will DEFINITELY be back for this on my next visit to SF Chinatown.
Japanese Confectionary Treats (Osaka-Ya): Osaka-Ya is a Sacramento staple that has served their loyal customers since 1963 and their authentic treats are both beautiful and delicious! They have many different flavor combinations and while I ordered 2 sets of four types in a future visit I will need to order way more! This was by far my favorite stop in Sacramento and the prices were very reasonable although it’s very hard to just pick one: Mochi ($1.50) Manju ($1.60), Flavored Mochi Bites (Box of 12 small bites, $4.75). See my full review here.
Falafel (Falafel Stop): Healthy fast food for a reasonable price. For $7.11 you can get a very nutritious and filling meal. The Falafel in a pita bread, may look small, but it is packed with a lot of ingredients! See my full writeup here.
Thrifting (St. Vincent De Paul Thrift Store): There are multiple branches of this charity good store; however the San Mateo location has a great assortment of garments and misc items. See full review here.
$$ Pad See Ew (Bangkok Spice), Boba Drink (True Dan), Beef Wrap (Zen Noodle Bar)
$$ Moderately Priced
Pad See Ew (Bangkok Spice): This Anaheim mom n pop shop is legit! The portions here are enormous and very reasonably priced. An order Pork Pad See Ew was $10.95 and could easily feed you for two meals. See what else I ordered here.
Boba Drink (True Dan): This small 3 chain boba shop serves Taiwanese drinks with a twist. I visited the Burlingame location and tried the “Fresh Milk With Brown Sugar, Crema, and Oreos” with Oat Milk Substitution (+$.50) = $6.50 and wow it was amazing! Honestly, it beat out my 2020 favorite boba drink (see list here), and that’s saying a lot! See my full review of my True Dan experience here.
Shanghainese Food (Zen Noodle Bar): If I want authentic Shanghainese food in the Bay Area Zen Noodle Bar will definitely be my top pick! Their Beef Wrap ($8.96) was amazing (perfect marriage of all flavors) and all the other dishes were solid. For a variety and a party of two I’d recommend three dishes. See what I recommend here.
Afternoon Tea (Malaya Tea Room): For about $33 a person, you can enjoy finger sandwiches and an unlimited pot of tea of your choice, in a classy, tropical destination. I tried Butterfly pea for the first time (See Video here) and seeing it change from blue to purple was pretty cool. To see the breakdown of my tea experience click here.
Fruit Flavored Sugar Cane Drinks (Sugarmama): I grew up drinking sugarcane and when I found this home-based small business up in Oakland called Sugarmama, who specialized in fruit flavored sugar cane beverages, I was eager to check her out. At the time she did glass jugs – See my IG post here. Many flavors were in the $30 – $32 a flavor, and a jug can yield 5 cups. I think now you can buy a large jug (since she moved to plastic) for $23-$25 (though Durian is $29). I loved the strawberry sugarcane drink as it was very refreshing! If you’re local to Oakland you can pick up on Wed, Fri, or Sat or for a small fee you can have it delivered within the Bay Area. She also does individual sized drinks ($6-$8), but I thought the jug was great to share!
Artisanal Pastries (Baker Doe): You can get a dozen croissants from Costco for about $5, or you can get one Croissant that’s basically a work of art for $6. I won’t lie it took me three attempts (meaning three different days) to get an order in, since he sells out super fast! You can read my instructions and review on each pastries here. He has a different menu every week, but my writeup will give you some insight on the experience. Honestly, probably the most beautiful and buttery croissants I’ve ever had and if you want to see what all of them look like click here. I ordered two of everything that was available that week and the total came out to around $70ish.
This post is long overdue, and while I can’t say I’m an expert in Sri Lankan cuisine I know what I like and Rice N Spice (Yelp) has successfully combined mouthwatering profiles at an affordable price-point for all to enjoy. It’s really the best of both worlds, I remember fondly after I had an amazing time at Wondercon (Batman 80th Bday Post, Dark Phoenix Panel Post, Shazam Advanced Screening) I was famished and wanted to end the weekend on a high note with some bold flavors. Rice N Spice did that and while it didn’t follow my traditional Keto diet (Other restaurant alternative: Sashimi Bowl post, Brazillian BBQ post), although they did have vegetarian options it was well worth the calories!
Options to choose from
Located about 1.5 miles west from the Anaheim Convention Center, this hole in wall is a small, but clean shop with a buffet set-up similar to an Chinese or Indian fast food joint. You would certainly drive right past it as it’s tucked right in the corner of this no nonsense strip mall, but parking was easy and the hospitality was welcoming.
My friends and I studied the menu carefully and decided on the following: Godamba Roti $11.49 (House-made 1 egg roti and 2 godamba roti served with curry, sambol and choice of protein), Lamprais $11.99 (Rice simmered in brother with boiled-fried egg, eggplant mixed curry, fried shrimp sambol, pineapple curry with chicken, wrapped and baked in a banana leaf), and Kottu $10 (House-made godamba roti mixed with egg, vegetables and chioce of chicken, mutton, or beef curry).
Ordered Dishes
They made my roti fresh and when it came out it was flaky and perfect to dip with the side dishes. My friends who ordered the Lamprais and Kottu were given beautifully presented entrees and all the dishes tasted just as good as it looked, although I think my roti dish was the best 🙂
I’ll definitely be back when I’m attending a convention in Anaheim. The food is plentiful and tasty and I always love supporting mom n’ pop shops.
It’s no secret that Wondercon is my FAVORITE geek convention. I get to party with the pros (Batman’s 80th Bday Post), hear about the latest comic news, and cosplay. One highlight from this year’s convention was attending the Dark Phoenix panel where I got a new poster (photo below) and an opportunity to hear the producer speak about the latest Xmen movie, Dark Phoenix. However, the cherry on top (at that point) was seeing a 10 minute clip from the beginning of the movie!
Posters given to audience members
After the clip, the entire cast of the movie came out including: Sophie Turner (Dark Phoenix), Nicholas Hoult (Beast), Tye Sheridan (Cyclops), Evan Peters (Quicksilver), Alexandra Shipp (Storm) and Kodi Smit-McPhee (Nightcrawler). The arena of guests were excited to see them and eager to hear about their experiences.
Sophie Turner (Dark Phoneix) and cast
Afterwards the audience was teased with a SECOND 10 minute clip from the movie. This time an action sequence showcasing Dark Phoenix’s true power. It seems that many female heroines are showing a great presence in the spotlight. I’d love to see a live action movie about Psylocke in the future! I mean who wouldn’t want to see an asian ninja assassin kick butt?!
Which lady comic character would you want to see on the big screen?
Over the weekend I attended one of my all time favorite conventions – Wondercon, the baby brother of the World Famous San Diego Comic Con. (2018 SDCC Cosplay Post, 2017 SDCC Cosplay Post) The three day geek convention has a vivid cosplay scene and with Batman celebrating an enormous milestone attendees were ready to party with the Dark Knight and crew! I attended the event as Nightwing and geeked out with 500+ attendees at the official DC Comics Birthday Bash.
Photos from Wondercon
The packed room featured an all-star panel included Kevin Conroy – the voice of Batman: The Animated Series, Jim Lee (DC Publisher CCO), David Mazouz (Young Bruce in Gotham), Lee Meriwether (Catwoman in 1960s Batman Movie), Diedrich Bader (Batman in Batman: Brave and the Bold), and Roger Craig Smith (Batman in Batman: Arkham Origins video game) as they reflected and shared memories. A gigantic cake was rolled out later in the program and all participants were given a Batman decorated cupcake and a mini Bat-signal flashlight as party favors.
Cosplaying as Nightwing
The event concluded with a montage of celebrities wishing the Cape Crusader a Happy Birthday and all the Batman cosplayers had a chance to take a group photo with the panelists. Attending this event was definitely a highlight of the convention and I’m still star struck that I got to be in a photo with the voice of Batman Kevin Conroy (!!!) who will forever be my Batman as I use to watch him everyday afterschool when I was an elementary and middle school student.
Disneyland is known as the Happiest Place on Earth, but did you know that it’s also home to one of the most exclusive restaurants as well? Yup! Club 33 is a private club with an initiation fee of $40k, $10k annual renewal fee, and a rumored 10 year waitlist! Whew! Talk about exclusive! Thankfully, a friend recently got off the waitlist and I was fortunate enough to get an invite to check it out!
Club 33 details
As a first timer I was extremely excited to finally see what this was all about. There were some strict guidelines on what we could photograph so I did my best to abide by the rules while also showcasing some of the details for you to enjoy. Nested right in New Orleans Square my friend and I rang the doorbell and were directed to the garden with a glass of ice cold water and a towel. It was so hot that day, so the gesture was greatly appreciated. We then took an elevator upstairs and were given a tour of the facility before being seated.
5 course meal
The intimate space was certainly very classy and the restaurant rotates its menus seasonally. The Summer 2018 dinner menu was inspired by Italian flavors and guests selected one item from each category: Primi, Insalata e Zuppa, Pasta, Entrata, and Finale, although I opted to forgo the Insalate e Zuppa section and doubled up on the Primi. Service was impeccable and the Sauteed Snow Crab Claws and Ahi Tonnato Carpaccio were the highlights of my meal.
Earlier in August I attended Saban’s Power Morphin Con – a convention centered around the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers! This year marked their 25th anniversary and as a latchkey kid who’s watched the OG cast everyday afterschool – this group of teenagers with attitude definitely spoke to me.
Jason David Frank (Original Green Ranger); Me & Original Power Rangers Cosplayers
Held at the Anaheim Convention Center this biennial event welcomed Power Rangers from the various series including Turbo, Space, and of course the Original (English version) Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Toy companies and artists sold merchandise on the convention floor and of course there were panel discussion. I got a chance to hear Jason David Frank (Original Green/White Ranger) talk about life after Power Rangers as well as his collaboration with the Power Rangers Legacy Wars: Street Fighter Showdown (hence the Chun Li Cosplay). I also found out that my old college friend plays Ryu!
Angel High School Prom
Later in the evening the convention hosted a Prom at Angel Grove High School, the Power Rangers alma mater and boy was it a happenin’ place! The DJ was spinnin’ classic 90’s music like Aqua, Britney Spears, Nsync and best dancin’ favorites. People were doing a train conga line, there was a fun photo booth, and of course a cash bar for drinks. I hadn’t danced like it was 1999 in a LOOOONG time.
What song would you want to hear at a high school dance?
When I think of Anaheim I think of Mickey Mouse and tourists galore. Rarely, do I think about it being a destination for authentic ethnic food – let alone solid Taiwanese food. Yet, Celebrity Chef Theresa Lin recently debuted some of her signature dishes at Tru Grits so I obviously wanted to taste her creations. Good Taiwanese food outside of Taiwan is hard to come by so I was excitedly try some authentic dishes so close to home
Minced Pork Rice
Located inside the Sheraton Hotel, many guests wouldn’t think twice about a hotel offering tasty ethnic food; however, this branch deviates from that notion and dare I say the flavors are very comparable to a restaurant in Taiwan. The Taiwanese Minced Pork Rice dish ($9) was so simple, but packed with immense flavor and the Free-Range Hainan Quarter chicken ($13) with savory rice and pickled vegetables was so moist and tender. However, the signature tycoon beef short rib ($23) was easily the highlight of the night. When I cut into the meat, it just fell right off the bone and paired with garlic mashed potatoes and asparagus made it a complete meal. The value on this particular dish is very reasonable, without compromising the taste.
Hainan Chicken and Tycoon Short Rib
We ended our meal with some traditional American faire and the bread pudding with ice cream is a must. I’m on a low carb diet for 2018, but this dish is definitely a decadent and wonderful treat. The presentation is wonderful as it’s delivered in a small cask-iron pan, and the taste is equally impressive. Get this and you will not be sorry!
Bread Pudding with Ice Cream
Orange County isn’t typically known as an authentic Asian cuisine location. I typically drive up to the 626 area for that; however, I’m happy to welcome a great local option that’s just footsteps away from “The Happiest Place on Earth.” Cheers!
Bread pudding is one of my guilty pleasures. What’s yours?
As a foodie I’ve gone to my fair share of food festivals, but when I was informed about an upcoming industry event I didn’t know quite what to expect. Hosted by US Foods and Food Fanatics LIVE at the Disneyland Hotel, this annual food convention helps individuals from all areas of the food industry to network and get the latest scoop on the hottest trends. Guest were given ample samples of a variety of entrees, desserts, and garnishes, and I was lucky enough to cover the event with a wide grin and stuffed belly – all in the name of journalism of course. 🙂 When I first entered the venue I was overwhelmed by the layout. At the center there was a culinary demonstrations with industry-leading chefs on the Food Fanatics Stage as well as belly bars for guests to enjoy samples while listening to the lectures. I decided to venture toward the left side of the event and boy did I feel like I hit the jackpot – it was the protein station! 😀 There were refrigerators filled with beautiful meat cuts including: lamb, beef, and pork. I waited in line and saw the chefs cook and slice the meat right in front of me. Stockyards definitely produces premium cuts and on the other side was the seafood section. Salmon, bay scallops, crawfish, you name it and prepared in a variety of ways, fried, steamed… or in the case of oysters raw.
After I stuffed my face with pretty much every type of protein known to man, I explored the right side of the arena and made friends with some of the US Foods staff. I fell in love with Hope’s Cookies – you might have seen then in Boudin Bakery, or Bristol Farms if you’re in California. The cookies were absolutely devine! There was also vegetable dishes, pizza, and the list goes on and on. It’s really quite incredible to have a place where restaurateurs and chefs can collaborate and partner together on creating something new.
What would you be most excited to see on a menu?
XOXO,
Rockstar
P.S. I’m giving away two $10 gift cards for Miguel JRs on my Instagram account. Come enter here
I’m a cartoon enthusiast and while my interest for thoughtful storylines is nowhere near the obsession of the TV show characters from Big Bang Theory, I’ve always wondered what attending a Comic book convention would be like. I’ve heard horror stories from friends who had attended the world famous San Diego Comic Convention as tickets are near to impossible to attain and that the venue itself is overwhelming to say the least; however, its concept continued to peak my interest as its mysteriousness attracted me.
This past Easter weekend I was informed that there WonderCon, a sister comic book convention, was being hosted in Anaheim, CA – just a hop, skip, and a jump away! I took the initiative to investigate this event as it appeared less known, but was excited about getting my geek-on!
Here are some tid-bits about the event
-Started in SF and was called “The Wonderful World of Comics” but shortened to WonderCon
-Moved down to Anaheim due to SF venue remodeling
-3 day event is held annually during Easter Weekend
-Parking in the designated convention parking is $12 a car
-There were about 12 or so food trucks lined up outside
-Most participants come in costumes
-Hundreds of Vendors that sell comics, collectibles and clothes galore
When I first stepped foot on the Anaheim property, I was blown away by some of the cosplayers (amateur costumed characters- though many could pass as the real deal!) and overwhelmed by the amount of vendors in attendance – easily over 100 booths. I dressed up as Misty, a water Pokemon trainer and friend of Ash Ketchum for my cosplay debut – all items that I already own, with the exception of the red suspenders. Dressing up is all part of the
fun! I was even able to buy a livesize Pikachu at the event – I choose you! Haha…
The energy at the event was intense and I definitely wanted to make the most of this first visit. This year marked the 75th anniversary for Batman. Rumors have it that Robin/Nightwing will celebrate next year. *swoons* Anyways there were various panels (discussions on comics, movies, the latest and greatest etc and of course the panels featuring people involved with Frozen or original Batman voice actors maxed out. So, to all you future Wondercon visitors, I would camp out at least an hour for popular panels. Gone are the days when you can walk in right at the start of a panel.
Nevertheless, I was able to catch a few and my favorite premier of “Son of Batman” an animated movie featuring Batman’s romance with villainess Talia and their son Damian (and future Robin). The voice actors came out afterwards to discuss their role and it really helped complete the VIP experience.
I was exhausted after the full day, but I would definitely return next year! I purchased a one day pass for $25- which is ¼ of anime expo and substantially cheaper than SD Comic Con. It’s a great alternative to the mass chaos at Comic Con, but allows visitors to experience the wonderful world of comics.
When I first entered the venue I was overwhelmed by the layout. At the center there was a culinary demonstrations with industry-leading chefs on the Food Fanatics Stage as well as belly bars for guests to enjoy samples while listening to the lectures. I decided to venture toward the left side of the event and boy did I feel like I hit the jackpot – it was the protein station! 😀 
There were refrigerators filled with beautiful meat cuts including: lamb, beef, and pork. I waited in line and saw the chefs cook and slice the meat right in front of me. 
ere various panels (discussions on comics, movies, the latest and greatest etc and of course the panels featuring people involved with Frozen or original Batman voice actors maxed out. So, to all you future Wondercon visitors, I would camp out at least an hour for popular panels. Gone are the days when you can walk in right at the start of a panel.
Insider Irene 