Kat's 9 Lives

Whenever I make a trip up to Los Angeles, I always try to maximize the trip.  This time we were up there to check out Supperclub LA in Hollywood, so I decided to stop off on a side trip.  I have been meaning to try out Mario's Peruvian Restaurant.  It's in a small shopping strip that can be easily missed and many people comment about the parking situation.  I went during a down time so there wasn't too much hassle parking, but since I read the warning I decided to park on the street and not even bother to pull into their parking lot.
The main thing I really wanted was some Alfajores, but sadly the server said that they were renovating soon so they did not have any.  Que Lastima! I was deeply saddened by this news but since I was already here, I thought I'd still make the most of it.  Even though it was not that busy, the service was friendly but a little absent.  You have to try and flag them down behind the counter.
Like most Peruvian restaurants, they start off by bringing bread and butter along with the green sauce.  Of course, I had to get my delicious Inka Kola to complement the meal.
A typical and tasty Peruvian dish is the Lomo Saltado that's made with beef, onions, tomatoes, and french fries accompanied with lightly seasoned rice.  I love the mixture of flavors and texture.  This dish tends to be more salty but that is what the tomatoes, onions, and rice mellow out and complement the savory flavor.  Don't forget to squirt some green sauce onto each bite to add the spicy kick that takes the flavor to another level.
Being Asian, I love a good fried rice.  I also read that Mario's Peruvian Restaurant offers some great seafood dishes and I decided to try the Arroz Chaufa de Mariscos, Peruvian style seafood fried rice.  It's a mix of calamari, shrimp, and octopus.  The flavor was a bit on the light side and I kind of wished I had some tasty soy sauce to add more flavor to the dish.  Another way to cheat is using the green sauce and I really poured it on.  The dish was a little bit greasy but to be fair, the seafood was very fresh and delicate.  Nothing was over cooked and there was a plethora of seafood in the rice.
All in all it was a solid Peruvian restaurant.  Still, I was a little disappointed that there was no Alfajores.  At the end of the meal, I had to go up and get the take out containers along with the check so the service was a little absent.  I'd probably stop by again if they have my favorite little sweet treats =).

Mario's Peruvian Restaurant 
5786 Melrose Ave 
Los Angeles, CA 90038
(323) 466-4181 

Click here to get the coupon.

With this long summer heat, I thought it would be a great idea to cash in on this deal.  I haven't had a Jamba Juice in probably over 5 years and I thought that today was the day =).  The deal ends 10/10/12 so quickly print out the coupon and head on over to the closest Jamba Juice! Apparently they now sell foods and snacks to join the drinks.

Today I got the Caribbean Passion and Mango-A-Go-Go, which were very tasty and full of mango flavor.  As you can tell, I really like mangoes so I chose the best options that showcase the flavor.  I added a simple boost to both drinks as they were free.  In total it was $5.59 for two large drinks, which is not a bad deal.  Sometimes they have the $2 smoothie deals but when you are in the mood for some good smoothies then you just make use with what you got.  =D
Jamba Juice
24312 Rockfield Blvd 
Lake Forest, CA 92630
(949) 699-4170

Having just returned from Dublin recently, I was very reluctant to try Dublin 4 as I thought it may be unfair and I had been fed up with European food.  Little did I know that I was tricked by some people to come here AGAINST my will and then they failed to even show up.  Needless to say that I was furious, but I decided that I should just stay since I made the effort to come out here and try to enjoy the rest of my evening despite the rudeness that these people showed me.  Can we say friendship over?  Such inconsiderate people are not worth my time.
First off, the parking situation here is not the best.  It's a very small area to park and most are just 20 minute parking spots so I was a bit concerned.  If you drive to the back, then you have to valet for $5 so be sure to get there early for a parking spot or pray someone is leaving.  You can park in the 20 minute spots at night as they don't mind as much.  The server told me it was okay and that they are more stringent in the morning than at night.
Everyone there was very friendly and after I sort of told the server what happened with my horribly lame friends, she even offered to accompany all night and keep me company.  I thought that was very sweet and endearing of her.  The service here is super friendly and great.  This is definitely their best seller as the feeling of being welcomed and that they really care.
This place is definitely no Temple Bar in Dublin, as it is clean and not everyone is drunk or smoking.  Dublin 4 has a very comfy homely feel to the place.  I enjoyed the dark decor.  From the outside and location, you would not remember where you are.  This strip mall is tucked away near the freeway and can be easily missed but there's a lot going on in this plaza.
To start off the night I decided to try the D4 Reuben Rolls, $12.  At first I thought this would be mini rolls but to my surprise they were rolled up in egg rolls and fried.  For those of you who know me, I absolutely love fried foods.  It's house cured corned beef, sauerkraut, and Blarney cheese inside accompanied by the D4 dipping sauce.  The flavor was very light and did not wow me.  There was also quite a bit of oil dripping out of the rolls when I took a bite.  Maybe I like my food a little bit more flavorful, so the roll needed to be a little bit more savory for my taste and a little more tightly packed so that the oil does not seep through.
After looking the menu up and down, there were a few items that looked decent but in the end I decided to try one of their gastropub pies.  To be fair, I had a really great Shepherd's Pie in Dublin so I had some high expectations as I am not necessarily a big pie fan.  At first I expected it to be laced with potato on top but it had a flaky pastry on top instead.  A great twist as I love a good puff pastry.
I decided to try the Dublin Lawyer Lobster Pie, $21.  It was made with Maine lobster, cognac cream sauce, and fresh shucked peas.  Maybe I should have went with my gut feeling to avoid this as I am not that big of a fan of peas.  The sauce was very flavorful.  I used the pastry to dip into the sauce.  There were tons of carrots and peas, but no lobster in sight.  After some more digging, I found the chunks of lobster.

All in all everything was fine but I wasn't really impressed with the food.  The service was very good, which helped make up for a lot of it.  I did try my best to save the night and they did try to help as well.  Food-wise, I will still have to be honest that it was just okay.