Kat's 9 Lives

Ah how I miss Parisian gourmet food. There are many secrets hidden away at Lafayette Gourmet. It is not just another place to shop for clothing, cosmetics, and more. In fact, many people might have just walked by without realizing that they have a huge department just dedicated to food!
One of Ms. Lin and my favorite places for macarons is Sadaharu Aoki. It's the perfect blend of of refined Japanese flavors mixed into a Parisian delicacy. I know there are so many wonderful places to get macarons when you are in Paris but this place just holds a special place in my heart. It was the first time that I encountered so many wondrous flavors.
Four years ago when I came to Paris for the first time, I was still embracing the joys of gastronomy. Many things were changing for me and the world I once knew was blown away with the marvels of a new world. I am sure that every time I go to Paris, I will be making a special trip to Sadaharu Aoki to satisfy the craving within. How can I not return to a magical place that carries Yuzu and Black Sesame? They even have Wasabi, Ume, Jasmine, Genmacha, and more!
Each bite is a burst of flavor. There's many levels of flavor and texture. The outer layer is crisp yet delicate. Whilst the inside is moist and has just the right chewiness. Every piece is carefully crafted to perfection. They also have a wide variety of pastries and chocolates that they offer. There is always a new surprise to pick up along with the delicious macarons.Sadaharu Aoki has now spread to Taiwan and opened their first store. Hopefully they will make their way to America sometime soon! =)
Sadaharu Aoki Paris Patisserie
Lafayette Gourmet
40 Boulevard Haussmann 75009 Paris

After hearing about the goodness of Filling Station, I happened to be nearby that day with Gourmet Pigs and went inside for a snack. I refused to have more Bruxie because I didn't want to dish out the dough. Since Eat In OC recommended this place that morning, bam! I am out the door and making it a goal to follow through the same afternoon. =)
Sadly, they stop serving breakfast right around when I went in! I missed it by 2 minutes and they had already cleaned up and put away all the breakfast preps. There were tears flowing down when they gave me the bad news. I had my heart set on some good ole fashioned breakfast goodies. It was a last minute decision to go there and I wanted to give them a try since I was already there. The server recommended the Biltmore Chicken. It's chicken breast with melted pepperjack cheese, tomato, red onion, avocado, and lettuce inside a ciabatta. Was this anything spectacular that blew my mind? Nah, it was just simple goodness. Fresh ingredients that go well together. They had me at avocado!
The french fries were fresh, plump, and crisp. A good cut and texture. You can never go wrong with fresh tasty fries.
All in all, it's a classic place to check out in this area. I will definitely have to stop by again for breakfast on a colder day so that I can sit outside to people watch. =)

Filling Station
201 N Glassell St
Orange, CA 92866
(714) 289-9714

So glad to see two of my favorite people tonight! Inspired by Eating My Way Through OC, he has list a flame under me to start writing more. Since he is such a loyal reader and a great person, I will "try" to right more =). What better way than to continue with the CheeseBall Wagon Food Truck that was at the Port O'Call / San Pedro Lobster Festival! I love that so many trucks are starting to gather here. At first I thought that the food was up-charged their food but now that I look at their menu, it seems that this was not the case. Besides their most famous dish, everything else was around $2.50 - $5.50. I kind of wish I paid more attention and ordered some of their other dishes to try!
What really caught our eye was their World Famous Cheddar Cheeseballs! How can you ever go wrong with breaded and deep fried cheddar cheese nuggets served with creamy ranch dressing? **drool drool** Well, they kind of dropped the ball a little in my opinion. First off, $7 for this... is a bit pricey for what you get. They do use real cheese that's dipped in battered and fried. I just wish they were more consistent and size. Some were fried to perfection and some were still a whole chunk of cheese amidst the crunchy batter. I liked the smaller pieces where the cheese was more melted and gooey.
Their ranch was very thick and creamy. It's definitely a bit more zesty than the ranch you find at most restaurant, which is nice. Still, I can't see why this appetizer would be so pricey. I can probably make something very similar at home at half the cost and twice the size! Maybe I should have given the sliders or hot dogs a try. Overall not bad but the cheeseballs were too pricey for my liking. Add $5 and I can get lobster? If you think about it in that sense... well I'd always take meat or seafood! Even though I do looooove fried cheese! lol
Despite everything, I think this is a cool and fun truck. The design and decor was super cute and inviting. I found the staff friendly and passionate. They are definitely worth another try, but I'd skip the cheeseballs the next time around.

What better place to find the Lobsta Truck than at the Lobster Festival at Port O'Call? They started to bring trucks to the festival ever since last year and this year there is a truck ring! When I heard that the Lobsta Truck was going to be there, I was extremely excited.
There wasn't a long line to order and they are pretty fast at making the orders. They also offer a special of a whole lobster out of its shell for $18 at the festival. Believe me, if I wasn't so prepared for the lobster mania I would have taken them up on the offer! lol
Of course the reason I was here was to try out their Lobster Roll with Mayo, $12. I am a sucka for some delicious lobsta! They put a decent amount of lobster on the toasted bread. Maybe I have been spoiled by too many tasty lobster rolls or I had too high of an expectation that I built up my hopes just to be dashed. The taste was just meh! Could have used a little more flavor or salt. Personally, my favorite right now is still the one at Thermidor in SF. Ms. Lin said that the truck did remind her of the famous lobster roll in NYC, but just not as tasty. Sigh! Live and learn. At least I can say that I have been there and done that now. Luckily, I had 4 lobsters waiting for me at Lobster Festival!

Break the Cycle believes everyone has the right to safe, healthy relationships. As the leading voice for teens on the issue of dating violence, Break the Cycle advocates for policy and legislative changes that will better protect the rights and promote the health of teens nationwide. Engaging, educating and empowering youth through prevention and intervention programs,Break the Cycle helps young people identify and build healthy relationships.

Break the Cycle, the leading national organization working to end teen dating violence, invites the Los Angeles community to commemorate Domestic Violence Awareness Month and support safe, healthy relationships at Savor the Season: Cooking for Love on October 9, 2011.

This premier food and wine gala features top Los Angeles chefs “cooking from the heart,” a live and silent auction, music, wine and spirits -- all benefiting Break the Cycle’s work to foster healthy relationships. “At Break the Cycle, we work every day to prevent abuse” says Marjorie Gilberg, Executive Director of Break the Cycle: “This year’s theme—Cooking for Love—ties the event to our mission in a way that inspires our entire community to celebrate healthy relationships with us.”

Cooking for Love benefits Break the Cycle, the leading national organization working to end teen dating violence. The event celebrates healthy relationships by bringing together culinary talents committed to “cooking with love” while proceeds go to preventing dating violence. With one in three teens experiencing relationship abuse, Break the Cycle needs the community’s support now more than ever.

Honorary Host Chefs Gary Arabia of Global Cuisine (globalcuisine.com) and Katie Chin of Wok Star (spokesperson for Thai Kitchen / Simply Asia Foods, cookbook author and more: chefkatiechin.com) will lead a stellar line-up of culinary talents, including:
Stefan Richter, Top Chef finalist – Season 5
Danielle Keene, Top Chef Just Desserts – Season 1 (airing now)
Gloria Felix, Hell’s Kitchen on-camera Sous Chef – Seasons 4 and 5

On a hot sunny day, we decided to catch a little snack before a sneak movie premiere testing. I decided to finally come try Haven Gastropub for some gastronomic treats since it was close to the theater. Parking is not that difficult around that area. We got a spot right across the street. I love that it is still free parking around this area. To get away from the heat, we chose to sit inside. They had a classy dark wooden motif.
I debated on what to try out. For me, I had to have the Mac n' Cheese with Black Truffles, Gruyere, Fontina, and Parmesan. How can you deny yourself this cheesy goodness with the essence of truffles? Yum! Freshly baked with crisp melted cheese on top and a piping hot gooey mess inside. This was pretty fragrant and cheesy. A great treat to start off the meal or to finish off.
It was a relaxing day for me and MBA. She chose to get the Short Rib Tacos with Pickled Red Onions, Cotija Cheese, and Salsa Borracho. The meats were nicely seasoned and the flavors came together well. My biggest qualm was that it was a mess! Tons of flavor but at a price. There was sauce spewing out of every orifice. Not a pretty side and will definitely dirty your hands. It's also a bit pricey for $14 and you only get 3 tacos. I am glad she enjoyed it but it wasn't something to write home about and I definitely wouldn't order it based on the price, personally.
After a long debate, I decided to try their Chicken n' Waffles. Things sounded better on paper. I was expecting a crisp fried chicken to go along with my waffles, but instead it was a more wet fried chicken. Albeit, the flavors were not bad but it wasn't quite what I was looking for when I order chicken and waffles. The cornmeal waffle was a bit on the soggier side which could be a result from the heat of the fried chicken. It was a sloppy soggy mess to be honest. I thought it was inventive to use beer in the maple syrup but it wasn't anything too special. For $15, it was not that filling and left me kind of blah afterwards.
All in all, I thought they were a little overpriced and overrated. I wasn't too impressed. Maybe I expected a little bit too much after all the hype?? I mean the food is solid but some stuff wasn't worth the price IMHO. The one thing I wanted most was the Bacon Ice Cream, but since we were running late for the movie screening MBA food blocked me! I was devastated that I couldn't get me some bacon lovin'!!! Hence, despite not being amazed... I will have to come back one day for that bacon goodness. =) They do offer Happy Hour, so I just might return and give them one more chance.

Haven Gastropub
190 S. Glassell St
Orange, CA 92866
(714) 221-0680