Kat's 9 Lives

During my stay with Ms. Lin Guide near Universal Studios I decided to explore some tasty treats.  I happened to come across Quenelle.
They offer a variety tasty and innovative concoctions.  What really caught my eye was that they had plenty of yuzu flavored items.  I am an avid yuzu fan so whenever I see it being served, I must get some.
Ms. Lin Guide and I tried a bunch of different flavors.  He was so nice and patient with us that I really wished there was a tip jar to leave tip.  We ended up just leaving some money on the counter because he was so sweet and gave us extra service.
First we tried the different ice creams and sorbets.  There were just so many things that looked good and I was going to be very greedy and order a ton.  Luckily we just started with 2 scoops and then move onto the popsicles followed by the baked goods.  We chose to try the passion fruit kaffir lime and the jackfruit tonic.
The flavors were very vibrant and fresh.  For me, the passion fruit was quite tart.  The jackfruit complemented well as it was much sweeter and lighter.  For the topping, I chose the caramelized rice as it sounded very interesting.  They had quite a few toppings that sounded very tasty.
For the "On a Stick" flavors, I wanted to try a bunch of them but in the end we agreed upon yuzu mojito and the hibiscus watermelon.  The guy warned me that the yuzu is very tart and I thought to myself, "yuzu is always yummy."  Oh man! That was one tart popsicle! I gave it to Ms. Lin Guide as usual since she always takes the bullet for me on food I don't want.  The hibiscus watermelon was very light and not too sweet.  For me, I prefer a heavier flavor and sweeter treats.
The service there was impeccable because as I stood there eating the popsicle, he could sense I didn't like it and offered to change flavors for me.  I didn't want to be any trouble so I told him that we were good since he let us try so many flavors.  After we were done, he scooped out a generous serving on the new ice cream that he was testing.  This was also a yuzu flavor based, I believe with jasmine tea.  I really enjoyed this as it was sweet and flavorful.  This really hit the spot and it was so sweet of him to give us extra free items.
That was not the end of the friendly service.  We broke down our stay with ice cream first, then popsicles, and baked goods to finish.  After all the goodies and free goods we were offered, I was getting full but I still wanted to pick up some of the tasty baked goods they offered.  Everything looked very tasty and I wanted to get one of everything.  We debated for a long time on which items we should get because we were trying to be good about not overbuying and not finishing the treats.  There were alfajores, peanut butter and jelly cookies, brownies, blondies, red velvet cupcake, and more! I was a kid in a candy shop.  We didn't get everything but the guy was so friendly and sweet that he put a bunch of extra sweets inside for us! I felt so guilty because he was so nice and that he didn't need to.  We ended up with almost twice as much baked goods! He was just the nicest guy and wanted us to try the tasty pastries.
Man! The service here was so friendly and welcoming that we talked about the whole car ride.  I would definitely come back to try any new flavors and for the service.  It's a very small but quaint shop.  Everything was very clean and neat.

Quenelle
2214 West Magnolia Boulevard 
Burbank, CA 91506
(818) 843-1035

Time has really flown by! The last time I was at Porto's in Burbank was during the Obama vs. McCain election. Of course with the heated debate around Meg Whitman and Jerry Brown for Governor I would think they'd be selling cookies to poll the audience again. Sadly they did not have a poll going.
Nonetheless I am back and happy to see all the cute Halloween decorations and themed cakes! The Spider and Pumpkin cake looked frightfully cute and delicious! If I lived close by, I'd be buying Porto's cakes all the time because they are such a great deal and nicely done.
I really enjoyed the Halloween inspired cakes. They would definitely be a hit at any party. One year, I will make it my goal to have a Porto's cakes as my b-day cake. O=)
As always they have a vast selection of delectable pastries. It's so hard to resist buying up everything.
The best thing about Porto's are their prices. They are pretty tasty for the price. Although I do think they have been raising their prices, but then again the times are changing and nobody really have the same prices anymore.
There's so many choices. They have muffins, croissants, breads, cakes, cookies, and more!Don't forget about the hot food selection. This time around they have added a new tasty treat. The Chicken Croquette was surprisingly tasty. Normally I love the Ham Croquettes but this time around they were just salty and lacked the special taste and flavor that I liked before.
Guess we came too late in the day because they ran out of their ham & cheese croissants. It's one of my favorite savory treats at any bakery. The prices have gone up for them but at least the ones here are usually a pretty decent size and work great for an on-the-go breakfast.
After a crazy day of moving about in LA, I welcomed the option of a White Chocolate Mocha to keep me going. Caffeine has no effect on me but drinking lots of sugar does make me happy.
Still nothing is better than finishing the day off with a freshly toasted Cheese Roll in the oven. The only way I recommend people eating the cheese rolls is to toast them. I use my toaster oven to heat the pastry just high enough for the bits of sugar to melt and caramelize on top. As soon as that happens, remove them from the heat to allow the heat to dissipate.
Wait for a minute or so for the crust to crisp and attack the delicious pastry! Must eat the whole thing while the cream cheese filling is warm and each bite is filled with a crunchy sweet flaky crust. Mmmm mmmm goodness!
Want fresh from the oven cookies? Who doesn't? I love the Dulce de Leche Kisses here. It's Porto's take of Alfajores. The secret to them is the same as the cheese rolls. I wouldn't turn the heat as high for the toaster oven for the cookies. Just let them slowly heat up so that the cookie can maintain its moistness as well as soften the dulce inside. Trust me, it'll be delicious! =DPorto's Bakery

3614 W Magnolia Blvd
Burbank, CA 91504

First let me start off by introducing the almighty Porto's Bakery! I have always been going to the one in Glendale, but since we were in Burbank... we had to come and try it out! I have been raving about it to Ms. Lin for the longest time but we never get a chance to make our way down there. Finally I was able to show her the joys of Porto's Bakery! It's a great deal for what you get. I prefer this over most high-end bakeries that are all show. I like my food simple and simply delicious! ^_- Of course making it pretty attracts the eye, but taste matters most of all!
I started cracking up as I walked in and saw the Porto's Presidential Cookie Poll! As of September 26th it was McCain 170 and Obama 219. I am actually quite surprised that it's so close especially for California. I know I am going to get a lot of jeers and boos from you people but I was going to buy a cookie for McCain just to help bridge the gap. It's not because I am voting for him, but I am the type of person to cheer for the person or team that other people don't want or like. O=) I am a Bruin but I will cheer for a Trojan just to annoy my friends who are obsessed with school loyalty. I love yanking their chains! ^_^ Sadly, Ms. Lin forced my hand and stopped me from buying a cookie! I say give me cookie or give me death! lol It's all good though because I was just playing and it's fun to annoy Ms. Lin a little... hey that is what sisters are for! ^_~
Porto's always had pretty and reasonably priced cakes. I was very tempted to get one and Ms. Lin wanted the Alright now for the goods! The goodies of course. I tried to take as many photos of the baked good display but there were a lot of people around so it was hard to snap the photos without some behinds getting in the way. Ms. Lin promised me a cake and I couldn't decide where to get one and she set a price limit... it's too hard to find a cake in LA for that price.. maybe a slice! lol Tiramisu because it had beautiful lady fingers lined up around it. Of course it's in the photo! ^_- Then I decided against it because I was sooooo caked out. Maybe next time. I need a cake break.
My favorite cake at Porto's is the Opera Cake. I wanted to get a big cake of that but it's just a flat and unflattering cake. We both wanted something pretty despite taste. =oP So instead I picked up a slice for my tummy. Never too caked out for a tiny slice of the cake I love. Especially since their cakes are reasonably priced and sized. Not a one-bite and it's gone cake... that's for sure. They layer the chocolates perfectly with delectable cake.
They have really good Ham and Cheese Croissants so I always pick up a few to take home. I only ordered the remaining 3 they had left in the case. In retrospect, I should have ordered more! Ms. Lin seemed to enjoy the tasty baked goods. She stole so many bites! Boo! lol The croissants are huge and flaky. They definitely do not skimp on the ham and Swiss cheese inside. It's a much better deal and price than what you get at Tartine in SF. I'd take the croissants and baked goods any day over Tartine. My wallet will thank me too! ^_^ **OMG I haven't posted about Tartine!!! I need to get on that!**
Another fan favorite is the almighty Porto's Cheese Rolls! Yum YUM! The trick is to toast it lightly and let it cool so the crust can crisp. Then sink your teeth into the heavenly wonderful pastry that will have you begging for more! Be sure to toast it enough that the cheese oozing on the outside starts to crisp a little too. That way the center will be warm and moist with a flaky outer layer. The killer combo! I want one now! ^_^
Since Ms. Lin is so salty! Yes, she loves salty foods. I recommended her the Ham Croquette that is just a great mixture of diced Ham and Mashed Potatoes. It's very flavorful and on the saltier side. All batter and fried. How can you go wrong with that? It's just a simple and quick snack that I like.
While we were sitting down to chow down on some of our goods, an employee was walking around offering free samples. They were great! It's half the size of the original with all the flavor! I chose my favorite cheese roll and Ms. Lin got the Guava Roll, which is pretty good if you like guava. As for me, I am just not a fruit person but I have had this many times. If I got one, I would get the Guava CHEESE Roll! ^_- Got to have me some wonderful cream cheese inside. The guy was funny too. Apparently the staff was talking about me and the pictures I take. See the sacrifice I make for my site! lol
All in all I love this bakery. I wish there was one in OC! Even if it was 20 minutes away from my house I'd go often! For those of you who know me and know how lazy I am... that's the highest compliment! lol If you live in LA or go to LA often and have not heard or tried this place you are MISSING OUT! Where have you been hiding!! It's time you come out into the sun and see the world! Also my new favorite is the Caramel Kisses! Be sure to bake this so that the center will be warm before you bite in. It gives it that extra kick. They are shaped like a Hershey Kiss. Inside is filled with a Semi-Solid Caramel/Dulce de Leche. The cookie part is like a soft Sugar, Buttery, Shortbread like cookie. I am drooling just thinking about it! Apparently I forgot to take a picture of the awesome cookie and I have eaten it all already! Tough luck! ^_^ It's in one of the photos of the food case if you look closely. That's my Where's Waldo Challenge for you! Happy Hunting!

Porto's Bakery

3614 W Magnolia Blvd
Burbank, CA 91504

We were soooo running late on time that day because we added another bakery to our list to try in LA, which I will get to posting soon! ^_^ Parking is always tough to find so Ms. Lin dropped me off and I went for the grab and go! lol I called to tell her the menu at Arde's Bistro and made the executive decision on what to order. The store is small and quaint. They have a wooden interior with a red vibe that pops. The girl working there was very cute and sweet. I chatted with her while I was waiting for the food. Too bad we couldn't eat there. =*(
Everything was take out so we had to think convenient because we might be eating it while standing in line. Little did we know that you could sit and wait. I am sure we frightened all the people around us as we gobbled all the food down in a flash! ^_^ Hey we had to get bustling to be ready for the show! lol More on that later... All the dishes come with their Healthy No Mayo, No Eggs Potato Salad and Peppercini? I am not sure since I didn't eat it. Looks too healthy for me. =oP lol The salad was a little too sour for my taste... I think I would have enjoyed it more with the unhealthy mayo and eggs. Yummm... unhealthy... Mmm Mmm goodness! lol
My favorite of the 3 dishes was the Grilled Garlicky Chicken Wrap. You had me at Garlic! I am always leaning towards any dish that is garlicky! YUM YUM! All the wraps are rolled in Fresh Lavash, Flatbread. We also asked for no bell peppers in any of the dishes. It's Garlic Sauce, Shredded Romaine, Tomato, Onion, and Charbroiled Marinated Chicken Breast pieces. The garlic sauce was tasty and the flavor the chicken was good. They went great together and every bite felt flavorful and fresh. I would order this dish again for sure.
As many of you know, I love my filet mignon! So of course we had to get the Shish Kebab (Filet Mignon) Wrap. It's Hummus, Shredded Romaine, Tomato, Onion, and Charbroiled Marinated Chunks of Filet Mignon. They really loaded this wrap with lots of meat. The meat was tender but under-seasoned. I wished this was more flavorful and then it would be great. If I were eating there I think it would be better because I would ask the sweet girl to get me some Garlic Sauce! That makes anything better! ^_-
For the last dish we chose to get The Gyro. Served in special Gyro Pita, Shredded Romaine, Tomato, Onion, Grilled thin slices of Lamb and Beef Gyro Meat and side of Jajik, Yogurt Cucumber Sauce. I thought the meat was very tasty and the gyro was nicely presented. This dish was not bad. They are really generous on how much meat they put on each dish. The yogurt sauce helped the flavors pop from the gyro.
All in all the food was not bad. I think Ms. Lin enjoyed it less than I did. After reading more reviews online I realized I should have got myself some of their Baklava!!! WHY DIDN'T ANYONE TELL ME! Booo! I love baklava. Hmm come to think of it... I blame Ms. Lin! She should know that I love baklava and if people raved about it online we should have tried it. Darn it! Now I might have to go back sometime soon to get some. Maybe the next time we go to see Jay! ^_^

Arde's Bistro

4315 W Riverside Dr
Burbank, CA 91505