L.A.: Hotel and Food

My previous blog post did the trick and guilted me into getting my act together to do further posts on our trip to L.A. last November. As I said, I have heaps of photos, so here's Part 1. Well, actually, I already got started with those posts on the LAPD sergeant and crime rate comparisons so technically this is my third post on L.A..

L.A. hasn't been high on my list of place to see for years because I've spent many summer holidays there while I was growing up and I'd rather go somewhere I hadn't been to. Fortunately, my decision to be a parasitic sponge paid off two years ago when I began tagging along with Bee when he went to the American Film Market for work.  Since then I've been rediscovering L.A. and really enjoying the place.

We stayed at the Georgian Hotel on Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica, a charming beachfront art deco hotel built in the 1930s. We had a good-sized room (big enough for me to do my yoga) although the furnishings looked a bit tired.  The staff were warm and friendly and I enjoyed the personal feel of this boutique hotel. One of the best things about it was the location. The beach is right there and we were within walking distance of the main shopping areas and restaurants.

The Georgian Hotel, Santa Monica

The other great thing about it was the Veranda Restaurant, located at the front of the hotel with its striking striped awnings.  It was great for having a drink and people-watching anytime during the day. It made returning to the hotel welcoming and made me feel like I was part of the local scene. I'd have a coffee there after shopping or a cold drink after a long walk. We'd have nibbles and wine while watching the sun set before dinner and hot chocolate or port after dinner.

View from the Veranda at tea o'clock

At cocktail o'clock

The sunsets were glorious- with that wide open beach and those towering palm trees they definitely made our vino taste better.

Santa Monica sunset, Ocean Avenue

With this trip, my aim was to relax, see a bit of art, a bit of nature, do a bit of shopping, eat lots and take things as slowly or as quickly as I felt like. That was exactly how my days went. I'd sleep in, do some yoga, have a nice lunch by myself or with Bee, go to a museum or gallery, do a bit of shopping, and enjoy many a happy hour with Bee. 

Happy hour was a revelation to us here. Not only were the drinks significantly discounted but so was the food (e.g. truffle fries, poutine, sushi, yakitori, etc). Once we realised happy hour occurred at most of the restaurants we decided to try a new place each night. I only wish Sydney food establishments could step up to this patriotic duty.  Our favourite happy hour venue in Santa Monica was this Japanese Bar and Restaurant called Ozumo, located on the top level of Santa Monica Place. Unfortunately, it had shut down several months ago and they were re-opening at a better location right on Ocean Avenue about a week after we left. Something to try next time.

One of the restaurants I like to go to first, while I'm still feeling virtuous, is True Food Kitchen at Santa Monica Place. It serves delicious, fresh, "globally inspired" healthy food.

Teriyaki brown rice bowl

Inside out quinoa burger with sweet potato hash and kale salad

The Blue Plate Oysterette had great seafood and wonderful service. After the oysters, we had roasted monkfish and linguini vongole (which I didn't take such a great job of photographing with my IPhone hence its absence). 

A tasting plate of oysters from the west and east coast

Roasted monkfish

The Water Grill next door to our hotel wasn't bad either. Overall, I was impressed with the seafood we had in this town which was something I hadn't expected.

Chilean sea bass with butternut squash gnocchi, brown butter and sage

Upside down pumpkin cake with cloves and jalapeno

When we felt like a hearty meal, Boa Steakhouse was hard to beat. 

Truffled cheese fries

New York strip

Some dessert I can't recall with strawberries and vanilla bean ice cream

When we wanted to pig out, P.F. Changs for Asian-inspired dishes, Bubba Gump for ribs and popcorn shrimp and Johnny Rocket for burgers satisfied more than adequately.

Last year, I got really excited and booked us at several restaurants which got rave reviews from critics. Unfortunately, I didn't think most of those restaurants are worth mentioning. The food was overworked, ambience largely stuffy and meals overpriced. The only standout was Wolfgang Puck's Spago in Beverly Hills. I even got to meet Wolfgang himself! The venue was spacious and full of light, the service attentive but relaxed and the food was fabulous. 

Belgian endive salad, candied walnuts, pomegranates, blue cheese, baby beets, dates

Italian chestnut agnolotti, port wine, parmesan - so simple yet divine!

Soft French omelette, chanterelle mushrooms, Gruyere cheese, fingerling potatoes

Chinese stir fried noodles, Louisiana shrimp, black bean sauce - OMG, to-die-for dish

Chocolate dessert which has stayed in my perceptual but not verbal memory

In my next blog post, I'll tell you all about how we, burp, burned all this food. We just had to.

Christmas in Manila

I've been meaning to get my blog post on L.A. done since I got back from there last November but the end of year and Christmas preparations have gotten the better of me. It also didn't help that each time I looked at my L.A. photo album, I was overwhelmed by countless images I knew I had to sort through. The calls of warm melt-in-your mouth fruit mince tarts in Sydney and my mom's creamy but fresh nepa fruit salad in Manila were like the sirens in my sea of procrastination.

So to pay further homage to procrastination, I thought I'd do a quick blog of photos from my Christmas in Manila.

We started off our December holiday by finishing work early and having lunch at the Boathouse in Balmoral. It was a hot summer day and that cool glass of rose went down a treat- along with the fish and chips and burger with beetroot pickle. It was the sort of place that let you know what summer in Sydney is all about - the hot sun, blue skies, the beach, good food and the sound of children having fun in the water. It was a great place to start off our summer holiday.

The following day it was off to the airport for our flight to Manila and saying goodbye to a hazy day in Sydney.

Qantas lounge

I waved a guilty goodbye to Miso & Tofu who would've already settled in at their pet motel by then.

The cloudscape was riveting as we approached Manila sometime in the late afternoon. 

Excuse the bit of flare from the IPhone

  

It culminated in an amazing sunset that reminded to take stock and appreciate the simplest wonders of being alive. Can you blame me for wishing there was a habitable world in the skies?

As usual, our arrival home involved gastronomical soothing. Lots of it.

Mud crab with ginger and shallots

Beef brisket with radish

Shandong chicken

Spare ribs with garlic and black bean glaze

Of course it was also about Christmas. This meant medianoche (midnight feast on Christmas eve), being with family and being at home.

Christmas morning in Manila

In the garden

 And more gastronomical soothing of the local kind at Seafood Island restaurant at U.P. Hub

U.P. Hub

Crab Marites

Pinakbet

Native salad

The same crew who owns Abe restaurants delivered well at Fely J's in Greenbelt 5.

Fern salad at Abe restaurant Trinoma

Rice with dilis at Fely J's

Lechon kawali

Gising-gising

Kare-kare

Our cook Linda also created further piglets out of us.

Linda's lumpiang Shanghai

Although fireworks have been banned for years in Manila, people continue
to buy them. Fortunately for us, we live on top of a hill so we were able to benefit from the generosity and illicit acts of our surrounding neighbours.

You can never escape the poverty in Manila. It's in your face and you always wish you could do more.

shanty towns in Manila

Before we knew it, it was time to return to Sydney with the hope that Miso & Tofu haven't absconded from their pet motel because we've abandoned them. We worry they would take a while to being back to their loafy selves but it seemed like we needn't have worried. They were both happy to see us and greeted us with furry arms.

 Within hours of arriving home, Tofu was back to her old tricks of sleeping in strange positions and it meant all was well in our home.