Kat's 9 Lives

The photos for Zero Degrees really caught my eyes.  Since Ms. Lin Guide and I was in Rowland Heights for a meal, I had to stop by.  The craze now is to have glass bottles to take home and to reuse if you like.  Recently I bought my own cold press/slow juicer, these bottles really come in handy at home when I am juicing watermelons.  The only gimmick is that the glass bottles hold less liquid compared to their plastic cups, which I thought was a jip for the price you pay...
Hence I bought one bottle and one plastic cup O=D.  One souvenir bottle for each was enough.  They offer a very small menu to choose from with some interesting concoctions.  I decided to try the Matchata (Matcha + Horchata) and Strawberry Mojito.  Don't worry there's no alcohol and for those who wish they served alcohol, sorry!
The Matchata was interesting in taste as you can taste the matcha powder with a strong sweet horchata flavor fighting to be the strongest flavor.  If you like sweet milky drinks, then this is the drink for you.
I had high hopes for the Strawberry Mojito ever since TP's wedding.  The one at Zero Degrees was a little too sour and underflavored for my taste.  I want the strawberry flavor to really pop with the mint.  Their versions was really soda watery and sour... pass!

The best reason to go is to take the beautiful photos! I really loved the wings painted on the wall but it was really hard to take photos because there isn't much space between tables and the wall.  The place was packed and I didn't want to invade other people's space to take my photos.  Hopefully, you, can still enjoy the ones I took.  =D Cheers!

Zero Degrees
17575 Colima Rd
City of Industry, CA 91748
(626) 810-1714

Currently my favorite drink is their Orange Passionfruit Green Tea where they use real fresh squeezed orange juice that adds a nice refreshing flavor to the drink.  The Watermelon Slush is made with fresh watermelon and is very refreshing after hot pot or on a hot day.  I tried some of their other concoctions that were a little off for my taste, but interesting combos.  They have a Grapefruit Rose Green Tea and Lala Land Slush, which consists of guava and strawberry slush.  Each drink contains some fresh fruits.  The flavor combos were a little off for me but definitely points for creation! So if you like good tea drinks and are willing to pay the price, I'd definitely come here.  They also offer free wi-fi and have very friendly service.

Tea Bar Metro
18174 Pioneer Blvd 
Artesia, CA 90701 
(562) 865-0888

Who doesn't love ice cream and donuts?  Now imagine them harmoniously together in one bite! I decided to finally try Afters for dessert, even though it is a bit far but worth the trip.  They were pretty packed the night I went and very hard to find.  There isn't really a sign that pops out for them.  I kept circling the plaza and had to look real hard to find them.  What helped that night was that there was a crowd of people waiting.
The line was way out the door but you could tell that it must be good or something special to make it so popular.  Most of the crowd were teenagers and college students.  The interior is very simple and the line wrapped around inside.  They have tables outside for you to sit and eat there if you like.
I liked the variety of ice cream flavors they had.  Not your typical flavors, which is what I love.  My favorite is the Cookie Batter.  It is really good! They have Thai Ice Tea, Vietnamese Ice Coffee, Cookie Monster, and more.
If there isn't too much of a line, I would suggest to ask and try some of their flavors.  You can choose to just eat the ice cream or make it into an ice cream sandwich.  You can either get it glazed or without it.  Personally, I like glazed but it does tend to get heavy because it is all bad sugars for you.  So bad, but so good O=D.
The first time I went, I got two sandwiches and could barely even finish one.  Still, I ate the yummy ice cream! The Cookie Monster is very colorful and just fun to eat but flavor wise, it was just okay.  Surprisingly the Cookie Batter was great and if you add a little Captain Crunch, it would really add to the texture.
All in all I really enjoyed the place because you can't find many good ice cream places in Orange County like you could in San Francisco.  I heard the owner say they are thinking of opening down in Tustin, which would be great and I would go more often.  The sandwiches are more for splurging.  If I went more often, I would just get the ice cream and enjoy a bunch of different flavors.  =)

Afters
18030 Brookhurst St
Fountain Valley, CA 92708

I remember coming to Hello Dessert for the first time eons ago and how they don't allow photos.  Everything still looks the same and the menu seems to have expanded.  Still not sure about taking photos but I take them anyway! O:)

As I never trek down to San Diego, I had to make my one day trip count! So what does SD really have to offer?  I did various searches on good eats but I decided to look up a tasty BBQ place.  Apparently they have a highly rated place called Phil's BBQ that is growing in locations in SD area.  Unfortunately none up in Orange County yet.  Supposedly Phil's BBQ is rated as one of the top ten restaurants in the US by Yelp.  I actually only found that out when I arrived and was waiting in the semi-long line.
Smile, you are on camera and on the internet while you wait.  I read all the reviews that discuss about the long wait.  Luckily this was the last stop of the night for us and I wanted to just order take out.  As I have never been here before, I didn't know if there were two lines so we split up and had one person check out if there is a separate line for take out while the other one waited in line.
You can always call in the order or move to the front of the line as there are two lines, one for take out and for dining in.  Once you get to the front of the line, the cashiers will hold up cute animal paddles to let you know they are available.
I didn't read too much about the reviews and am normally a bigger fan of baby back ribs so I decided to get a rack of baby back ribs.  They were a bit on the drier side for my taste.  The sauce was very flavorful but I wished that the ribs were smothered in it or if I had an extra side of sauce.  As for the meat, the ribs were not too meaty and I think I have been spoiled by the ones at Costco or Bludso where the ribs are plump and full of meat.  The BBQ sauce used here is more tangy and reminiscent to the styles you would find in Memphis.
Normally I do not get the beef ribs as they are very big and fatty.  Fortunately I am greedy and wanted a bit of everything.  Here you can buy by the single rib so I decided to try one.  Unfortunately, I only got one! I wish I ordered a full rack or more and forgo the baby back ribs.  The beef ribs were very flavorful and tender.  It melted in my mouth and was loaded with flavor.  This was definitely the winner of the night.
Many people recommended the Broham sandwich.  At first I was hesitant because I was full from the day and I am normally not a sandwich person.  I am all about the meat! ^_- This sandwich is jam packed full of pulled pork, some coleslaw, and slathered with BBQ sauce.  The meat was flavorful and the buns were crisp to the bite.  I could see why many people enjoy this sandwich.
All in all the food was tasty and definitely counts as a good BBQ place.  I am still on the fence for it to be named one of the top ten restaurants in the US... I have never thought of San Diego to be the birth place of BBQ.  I would need to head back to Memphis or take a trip to Texas for comparison.  For Southern California, it is not bad.  The beef ribs are pretty darn good and I would definitely swing by if I was ever down in San Diego and order myself a rack or two!
Phil's BBQ 
3750 Sports Arena Blvd
San Diego, CA 92110
(619) 226-6333

Who doesn't love a refreshing milk or fruit tea to quench your thirst?  After a nice meal, Ms. Lin Guide and our friend decided to grab a drink and chat some more.  We found the closest place that looked good was 7 Leaves Cafe.  They are not your typical Asian milk tea place as they offer a little variety and pizzazz to their menu.
The staff was very friendly and offered samples before the purchase.  We actually got to try a great variety before we ordered.  They were so friendly that my friend and I each ordered 2 drinks.
They have the Strawberry Hibiscus Tea made with real fruits, hibiscus flower and rooibos tea. This was very light and refreshing.  Personally I wished it was a little sweeter as I have a sweet tooth when it comes to my teas.
We tried the Sea Cream Jasmine Tea has a light whipped sea cream on top, which was a little weird for my taste.  I don't think I can quite adapt to the salty cream mixed with the tea as I like drinks of a sweeter nature.  Still, I am glad that I was able to get a small sample to see if this would be a new drink that I might like.
One of their most recommended specialties is the Mung Bean Milk Tea made with mung bean, jasmine tea, and pandan leaves.  I am not a big fan of beans in general but I thought this was the most interesting and tasty drink.  The texture was not overwhelming and nicely flavored.  It was also sweeter than the other drinks so I did enjoy it.
We also tried the Sunset Passion made with hand squeezed passion fruit.  This was a little more on the tart side and didn't have the oomph that I was looking for.  In the end I decided to get the Strawberry Hibiscus Tea and Mung Bean Milk Tea.
Was this place mind blowing?  Not really but I would be willing to come back if I was in the neighborhood to grab a drink.

7 Leaves Cafe 
9786 Westminster Avenue 
Garden Grove, CA 92844
(714) 590-2790

What is the number one thing that Ms. Lin Guide and I miss most about Paris?  It is the African Chicken! It sounds weird but believe me, it is the best thing and for a great price!
Where else can you get a full delicious meal for around 20 euros?  We use to love going to Chez Alex, but it closed down so we have tried all the poulet braisé places in Paris and found Babylone near Etienne Marcel.
This place can be a little deceiving.  It is open super late when everything else is closed.  I believe they open late and runs until the early morning.
There is a door that you ring the door bell to and wait for them to come and open the door for you.  Just because they looked closed, don't give up and ring the bell until they come and let you in.
Once you head inside you will see the decorative wall and all the photos of famous celebrities.  They usually have music playing and the servers are all dancing and singing happily as they work.  It feels very family run and a very fun and open environment.
Warning, this is Paris and they are very open.  There are some nude photos on the wall and the artistic wall has a very sensual fertility feel.  It is hard not to look at all the interesting photos and artwork around the restaurant.  You will see photos of Rihanna and more.
Now onto the yummy food.  Don't question what to get, you have to get your own plate of poulet braisé.  It is the best thing and what everyone else will be eating.  I am not a big chicken fan but I would fly thousands of miles just to get this! Oh wait, I do every year! lol
They have gotten very fast in getting the chicken done as more and more people discover the wonders of poulet braisé.  There are these 3 magical sauces that taste like ambrosia when mixed together and then enhanced by some heat.  They will warn you about the chili sauce if you have never had it before.  It is definitely not for the weak as it may burn your whole mouth, but definitely work up the courage to drizzle it in.
There is a trick on how you eat the chicken.  It may just seem like an ensemble of food.  You have the braised chicken and you will need to order the rice.  If you are hungy then you can order the alokos, fried bananas, to munch on as a side.  Make sure to ask for the Maggi sauce for the savory component.  I could be blinded by the label but I think the ones made in Europe taste more fragrant
I prefer to sauce my rice first.  First drizzle on the sauce one by one and then evenly add the Maggi for that extra flavor.  If you are able to hold your own on spicy food then drizzle a good amount of their chili to set your mouth ablaze with flavor.  Then mix the rice and start digging into the chicken accompanied with a mouthful of flavorful rice.
Ms. Lin Guide does it differently where she does not mix it in with the rice.  She starts first with the chicken and layers it over the rice.  Then she begins to drizzle all the different sauces one by one on top of the chicken.  You would think that there would be no difference in flavor but I made Ms. Lin Guide try my chicken versus her own concoction, but the flavors come out different.
If it is your first time having the poulet braisé, then you should try both ways with a little portion of the chicken so you can determine the best way to enjoy the heavenly meal!
Babylone
34 rue Tiquetonne
75002 Paris France
+33 1 42 33 48 35

After a wonderful meal at Totoraku with great friends, we decided to continue our journey for 2nd and 3rd dinner, snacks! lol Yes, we are that hard core about food.  First Totoraku then Apple Pan and to finish off the night we went Tatsu Ramen With A Soul.
Tucked away in the busy area on Sawtelle.  It's been quite a while since I have been up in this area and it was nice to try something new.  You have to love that places are open very late in LA and there are a lot of choices to choose from.
They have an interactive menu that you can look through and order the ramen of your choice with any customization that you would like.  We tried the Bold Ramen with tonkotsu broth infused with 11 different ingredients.
The flavor was robust and savory.  For a late night place that probably tailors to students or people who are hungry after a night of drinking, I had my expectations set very low.  Since we also just ate a feast and another meal, I didn't think that I'd really like the ramen nor really care about the taste since it was the last stop of the night.
The Red Rice was pretty tasty as well.  It was full of flavor and was a great side to complement the ramen.  I'd be inclined to try the Red Ramen next time I am up there and still hungry after my main meal.
There really isn't any seating arrangement as more of a first come first serve place.  First go place your order on the electronic menu and it should print out your receipt.  Then try to find a seat and hopefully your dish will come out shortly.  There really isn't much to the service, especially if they are very packed.
All in all it was a fun late night place to catch up with friends who just got off work to join the group for 3rd meal.  It's a different day and age, we no longer have to just rely on Denny's or Taco Bell any more.
Tatsu Ramen With A Soul
2123 Sawtelle Blvd 
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 684-2889