Kat's 9 Lives

Poilane is a Parisian landmark full of rich history.  The original location is close to Saint-Sulpice.  It's a must for anyone who goes to Paris.  I often think about the pan au chocolat!
Be sure to go early in case they run out.  In the past, they would run out of the croissants but I feel that now they have established themselves further that even if you go later in the day you will be able to find some goodies.  Having a tasty treat while you prepare to spend the luxurious day in Paris is the only way to live!
Normally I come down this way when I want to hit all the goodies in this area.  I come out to shop at Le Bon Marché for their high end groceries.  You can find many splendors from all over France in one place.  Don't forget Pierre Hermé near Saint-Sulpice for the delectable French sweets.  I love their macarons and the mille fueille.
Originally Poilane is known for their bread.  Ms. Lin Guide has had the bread before and only think they are okay so I never bothered to try the breads.  The designs on their bread often changes and I find it endearing that they call them "cushions".
They had me at their buttery flaky croissants.  Be sure to get one or a couple of each.  We always bring some on the plane and home.  It's rare that you get them fresh and hot out of the oven because I like to toast my pan au chocolat for the melty goodness.
The reason I knew about Poilane was from a fellow blogger and he recommended me to try the shortbread cookies called punitions.  They are light in taste but nothing I would say that blows my mind.  I come back often for only the croissants.  Of course there are many items to check out and maybe one day I will try everything.
All in all Poilane is a must.  If you are true foodie, then you must come here for a taste... and bring me back something! lol

Poilane
8 Rue du Cherche-Midi 
Paris, France 
+33 1 45 48 42 59

Every time I have a delicious bread in San Francisco, I often question if it came from Acme Bread Company. While I was at the Hog Island Oyster Co. in the Oxbow Public Market, I noshed on some delectable bread. The Hog Island Oyster Co. in the Ferry Building serves bread from the Acme Bread Company so I wondered if they transport their bread all the way here. To solve my curiosity, I asked and they told me that they get their bread from a local bakery called Model Bakery. Of course I had to make a trip around the corner to peruse around their shop for some baked goods.
Here they offered a variety of cakes, cookies, pastries, and breads. Definitely a great local bakery in Napa. I had been stuffing myself the entire weekend and didn't want to be too greedy that day so we only picked up cookies. The cookies were a hearty size. I enjoyed the Almond Macaroon, which was like a giant almond meringue or just the outer cookie of a macaron. The almond flavor was pretty strong. I liked the chewy texture.
All in all it was a nice stop for extra snacks. We had so many desserts left over from the trip. I just wished I had all the stomach room and the magical ability to NOT gain weight from all these indulgences. O=P

Model Bakery
1357 Main St
St Helena, CA 94574
(707) 963-8192

Tucked away on Lake Ave is The Cheese Store of Pasadena. After a grueling 3 hour drive from OC to Pasadena for Gourmet Pigs birthday party, I accompanied her to pick up some cheeses. Since my trip to the Truffle Festival in Napa, I have been craving some triple creme cheeses. The Cheese Store of Pasadena was the perfect answer to my foodie search. As soon as you open the door, the pungent aroma of ripe cheeses flow into your nostril. If you love cheese, then you'd be in heaven.
Even though it is not a huge store, they offer a vast amount of artisanal products. There were a few private rooms that seemed to have people tasting wines and cheeses, which would be a nice option to explore. It was a rainy evening and we were two gals with a party to start so we had to hurry. There were so many great products to peruse and a lot of holiday items that looked divine. Can't overlook the freshly made brie filled with truffles on their counter!
They have many cheese experts that will gladly help you find the right cheese for you to take home. There are a few different samples at the counter for you to try as you wait for the next available staff. The first thing I saw at the counter was a cute bag of Sea Salt Caramels from Little Flower Candy Co. They were a little pricey, 1/4lbs for $7. Nevertheless, I had to buy it to taste for myself and I know Ms. Lin loves salted caramel. The caramel and hints of sea salt were nice. I wished the caramel was a bit smoother and softer so that it would melt in your melt. Still, the caramel was solid and tasty.
I couldn't stop myself after trying all the different cheeses. The Delice de Borgogne made of Cow's Milk from France was simply divine! After trying this cheese GP had to buy this for her party instead of the Époisses. It was so creamy and smooth but with a strong pungent bite at the end. We loved the velvety texture and strong flavor. I admit it might have been evil of me to convince GP to buy the honeycomb they sold there, but it was so DELICIOUS! It was such a hit at the party. If you are to buy any strong cheeses then you need to pair it with honeycomb to bring out the natural sweetness and flavor of the cheese. It also matters what kind of bread you smear the cheese on. The artisan baguette sold at The Cheese Store of Pasadena went perfectly with the Delice or with just the honeycomb. C'est Magnifique!
My main purpose of finding a nice triple creme was to pair it with my truffle honey. Even though the Delice was great, I wanted to have a wide variety of cheeses to pair with my truffle honey. I asked for a lighter yet just as creamy cheese they suggested the D'affinoir made of Cow's Milk from France. This will allow the flavor of truffle in the honey to permeate through better and no strong flavor will be fighting for my tastebuds' attention. Be sure to serve these cheeses at room temperature so that they are soft and easily spreadable. The flavor emanates better as it gets softer.
Even though I had sworn off truffles because I have had my fill for the next year or so after the Truffle Festival in Napa, I couldn't do it! When they offered me a sample of their Boschetto made from Sheep and Cow's Milk from Italy, I couldn't resist! The first thing I did was inhale the fragrant aroma of truffle and I was hooked! Truffles are like a drug that I really can't say no to apparently. You really can't taste the normal pungent flavor of sheep's milk. There are slices of truffle embedded into the cheese. Honestly, it was just okay because I currently in love with having sliced truffles in the center of a triple creme.
Last but not least was the divine Blue de Bocage made of Goat's Milk from France. This blue cheese was fantastic! I think it is the goat's milk that they use that made it so soft and smooth with a pungent bite. We were both in love with this cheese because it was so flavorful. Behind the strong savory flavor was a slight sweet pinch of heaven that emanated through my mouth. After we left the store, the flavor resonated throughout and we ran to the car to eat the honeycomb so we can continue the joy. O=) Blue cheese is best with honey and even better, honeycombs.
The Cheese Store of Pasadena
140 S Lake Ave
Pasadena, CA 91101
(626) 405-0050

Us crazy girls decided last minute that we would take a quick trip to Vegas. We left at 4 AM in the morning and started heading out. I was planning to sleep in the car but we just ended up singing and chatting for the longest time. This really did not help my health as I was really sick but c'est la vie! There was no traffic in the middle of the night and got there early in the morning. I suggested that we go to Bouchon in the Venetian for breakfast. Last time I was staying at the Venetian, I attempted to go but the room had the wrong information on their hours. Bouchon does not offer reservation for breakfast. It is a first come first serve basis. There was a 10-15 minute wait and a waiting area where we sat down and took more funny pictures. Of course I spent the whole time photographing the dining room with a few funky exceptions. O=9 Their interior decor was very old school. It gave me the nostalgic classy Parisian vibe that suited the ambiance.
At first we opted to sit outside but it was quite nippy. Don't worry, before we went in I made sure to take enough pictures first. Even the staff sort of mocked us for being weak and moving back in. =( lol I was very sick and didn't want to risk getting worse so it seemed like the best move. The garden pool is across the courtyard. If it isn't cold outside, then I would recommend sitting there enjoying the ambiance and view.
Chef Keller's restaurants have a very unique way of serving bread. Many of them serve the fresh bread by plopping it onto your table. They also brought us Strawberry Preserves and Butter. I have to say the bread was delicious. It's simple goodness. Maybe I was starving from staying up all night, but I really loved the combination of strawberry and butter. This definitely started the morning out right. I know it might sound weird to say that it was light and refreshing when butter is involved but this will keep me smiling for a while.

So here is where things started going South... the first lady was super sweet and nice but our server... well that is a whole other story. There were barely any females working there except the hostess. The men were not very friendly or competent at times. While we were waiting for our food, suddenly a staff dropped this plate onto our table and left abruptly without saying anything. We all looked at each other and questioned what this was. TP and Veggie Girl each ordered a Baguette with Nutella and Scrambled Eggs. What was plopped on our table looked like a croissant. I was trying to make up some false reasoning that this is a "modern" baguette... lol They thought that they messed up their orders and I actually fought for them because I wouldn't think they did. I was wrong... we asked the server and he completely messed up that simple order. The funny thing was when he took our order he whipped out this leather bound notepad and wrote down the order in a serious manner. Quite hilarious.
The whole ordeal somehow ended with them accidentally bringing us another croissant we didn't order. lol It turned out to be Chocolate Almond Croissants. This was actually pretty good, but very sweet. The croissant was buttery and flaky. I liked how it was layered with a layer or chocolate and a nice layer of sweet almond butter-like substance. This reminded me of the Magic Bars sold in Nordstrom, but in croissant form. I really should have went back to pick up some more yummy pastries before I left Vegas. The baguette with nutella was a little bit different from what TP and Veggie Girl expected, but at least we got something good out of it? Well at least I liked the croissant. O=p
My order was not messed up so I wasn't as perturbed of the whole mess. I decided to bite the bullet and try the Chicken and Waffles, which was $26. It's an interesting high end take on a classic dish. Here it comes with Roasted Chicken accompanied with a Bacon and Chive Waffle. The sauces were Tahitian Vanilla Bean Butter and sauce Chasseur. What really caught my eye was the bacon and chive waffle. How can you ever say no to bacon? Perish the thought! The roasted chicken was flavorful and cooked to perfection. I enjoyed the savory flavor by itself and even combining will all the components. The waffle was solid and fluffy.
TP and Veggie Girl thought the combination of chicken and waffles was crazy, but I like mixing savory and sweet. Each of the components could stand alone in taste and flavor. When combining them, something goes amiss. Still, I enjoyed everything. The sauce Chasseur didn't really work for me, but I liked the sweet syrup to add to the savory flavors. I would definitely recommend this dish and order it again. Not sure if it is quite worth the price, but then again this is Bouchon and Vegas. When in Rome.
All in all it was better than I thought it would be. Even though there were a few snafus, nothing tremendously bad happened that would overtake the importance of food. Luckily the food was good enough for me to overlook most things. I wish there was a Bouchon bakery closer to where I live. Come to think of it, I can always drive to LA now for some nice pastries. I am glad this was a much better experience than the Bouchon in LA. Maybe they are better for pastries and breakfast/brunch. =)

Bouchon
3355 Las Vegas Blvd S
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 414-6200

Saturday was a day of catching up. One of our friends was down from SF so Burumun and I decided to hang out. I invited PK to come along to join in the fun and to hang out afterwards as well. Our first stop of the day was at Spoon House. At first we planned to go elsewhere but I suddenly remembered how much Burumun raved about this place. Why not try it out while I'm in the area. =9 The parking is in the back so if you past it like I did, just make a U-turn and park behind.
Ironically, I'm the only one who hasn't been here out of everyone in the group. The outside might look a bit run down but the inside is a cute cafe/diner style. Apparently they are known for their French Bread. PK doesn't remember much of this place except for the yummy bread. Needless to say we went through our basket fast and asked for more. They sell the bread for $3.00 per loaf. It's much better if you just eat it there for FREE!!! lol The bread is light and fluffy with a crispy and flaky outer crust. It's the way Japanese people make French Bread. ^_- I made sure to have some left for the bottom of the bowl to soak up the sauce.
For my dish I debated on what to try. At first I wanted to get the Barca D'Oro but Burumun was getting it so I decided to try the Garlic Beef with Italian Sauce and sneak a bite of her's instead. O=9 I am actually really glad I chose this dish because it was on the safe side. The sauce was stronger and more flavorful with all the chopped garlic. MmMmmm Good. Some of the meat was a bit overcooked but some were just the right chewy texture. Overall I enjoyed my pasta the most. It's simple but a good price. The noodles were nice and firm but I wished there was more sauce. At the end there was enough to soak up with the bread. ^_-
PK wanted to try the Japanese-Style Cod Roe, Squid, Sea Urchin, and Seaweed. We were going to share the pastas as well. I took one bite of the pasta and I was like umm... yah... push the plate to the side! lol PK being as sweet as always, offered to switch back but I said it's okay if we don't. She took a few more bites and switched back, which was very nice of her. I was okay with not eating anymore because I had my fill of carbs. The carnivore inside of me wanted meat! lol This pasta was very very light in flavor and a bit too fishy for my taste. I know it's a seafood pasta but it had that awkward seafood taste. You couldn't really taste the sea urchin in the sauce at all. Luckily we were going to eat live sea urchin later ^_-. *stay tuned*
Burumun had the Barac D'Oro, which was Seafood with Italian Sauce. Inside there was Squid, Shrimp, Clam, and maybe some Octopus. Her pasta looked much better than mine because it was saucy and full of content, but I tried a bite... and I like mine better in flavor. ^_^ The sauce wasn't as rich or flavorful as the one I had. Although looking back on the photo, it looks really tempting. Still, I prefer the garlicky sauce on top of the beef on my pasta.
Our friend ordered the Spoon House Napolitano with Tomato Sauce and "Wiener". The pasta looked hearty and full of ingredients. He said it was good. All in all it was a nice fun meal with friends. The food was not bad for the price, but I wouldn't drive out especially for this. I am glad I got to try it and have some fun with friends. You can make a lot of this at home and you can always buy bread somewhere to accompany your meal. Although if you really love the bread there and want to buy some, why not just eat there and have your fill as you are enjoying your pasta. ^_-

Spoon House
1601 W Redondo Beach Blvd
Gardena, CA 90247
(310) 538-0376

Everyone has been talking about 85 °C Bakery Café that opened up recently. It's suppose to be a famous chain from Taiwan. I am going to give it the benefit of the doubt that the ones in Taiwan are much better than this location. After all the hype, I finally came here late one night with PK and HW. There wasn't much stuff left but we were happy to find a place open so late for tea and some snacks. We arrived just in time before the rush, but they were out of a lot of things. They were even out of milk tea!!! How could they! =*(
I looked through their baked breads display but there wasn't anything that caught my eye enough to purchase. PK picked up the only two items that we agreed looked more delectable. I purchased the cakes because she said they always looked so good and that she has never tried them. So I thought it would be a good chance for all of us to try something new! ^_^
The best thing of the night was the Brioche Toast! It was extremely tasty and sweet. The bread was moist and fluffy. This really reminded me of King Hawaiian Bread or a mix between "Nai Su" (milk) and typical Asian bread. Apparently HW went back the next day and they did not have it. I hope to see this again and pick some up for home!
We were tempted by the Cream Cheese Custard Tart. Doesn't it sound good in theory? Yes, in THEORY! I don't know what they did with the custard but it tasted really gross and awkward. I could not taste the cream cheese at all and the crust was flavorless. I was hoping that the custard would be a mix between egg tart custard and cream cheese. They should change their recipe!
I chose the Coffee Crème Brûlée Cup. They describe it as classic French Crème Brûlée with fresh caramel and milk custard topped with coffee glaze. When I saw it I thought... "Sounds good"... but boy was I wrong! I don't know if it is the coffee caramel but something tasted funky. The coffee tasted sour and awkward. The dessert was presented nicely but the flavor was just horrid!
The Tiramisu looked good too and I picked that out but again... presentation is not everything and you can NOT judge a book by it's cover. Everything may look pretty but the taste surely did not reflect that. You could not taste any liquor, chocolate, or coffee essence that the cake should be dipped in. It was just Asian fluffy cake with some cream and chocolate powder on top. Is this even a Tiramisu? I am staying away from their cakes! It's not worth the risk to try them.
I do like the little boxes they pack the cakes in though... but I don't eat the box so I'd rather have it taste good!
As I mentioned before, they were out of Milk Tea! So they pushed for customers to get the Milk Green Tea and I caved in to order that. It took them a LONG time to get the drink out! Don't know why it should take that long. Finally I got my drink and BLECH!!!! Yes, I can taste the tea flavor and some milk but nothing else! I need some sugar in my drink! It was so gross and tasteless that I wanted to just toss it but it would be so wasteful. Now I am afraid of ordering any drink from there too!
All in all this place is not that good and I wouldn't come back! Except for the small chance that I can get that Brioche Toast. I mean I will give it ONE more try before I brush them off. My next trip should be much better than the first time, I mean... it's not that hard! As for now, I can bake much better than them and make better drinks! All this hype about them just tells me that I am not going to listen to them because there are a lot of people out there who eat anything! PK told me that there are cute people who work there but the night we went there was only one girl who was cute and that was it. My hopes for eye candy were dashed too! =*(

85 °C Bakery Café

2700 Alton Pkwy
Irvine, CA 92606

Not surprising but here I am again. This is the first time I have come here for lunch. I definitely like the prices better at lunch and it seems to be the same size as dinner. They don't have as many choices for lunch, but I found a new dish to try. MBA wanted to go to Nordstrom and I didn't feel like going to the mall on Saturday since it's SO crowded. Good thing I didn't because I ended up meeting Tiramisu later that day and took her to the mall! ^_^ So thank goodness I didn't have to go twice! At first it didn't even seem like Sabatino's was open for lunch and I never saw a real server. A guy from the kitchen came out and serviced, he was friendly but they probably needed a little bit more people to help out.
Today they surprised us with a new bread and we were starving so we gobbled it down in a flash. It was buttered with garlic and toasted to give that crisp texture. We debated on which bread we like better... dinner or lunch? We both agreed that dinner was slightly better. Then I wondered if they got rid of the other bread???? I was able to get that answer on Monday night, which I will post later. ^_-
MBA got her signature dish of Rigatoni with Sausage and Peppers in a Creamy Tomato Sauce. Just the way she likes it! ^_^ Of course she had to dip the yummy bread in her pasta sauce. As for me, I decided to try their Chicken Penne Gorgonzola. It's chicken breast & broccoli tossed with garlic, white wine, & Gorgonzola cream sauce and served with penne pasta. MBA tried my pasta and she really liked it. I asked for a minimal amount of broccoli and it was tasty. If I get this next time, I will ask for extra sauce because I like a thicker coat on my pasta. With penne it's harder to retain the flavor of the sauce. Still, it's a good new find.
This was the first time that I saw that they offered paninis so of course I had to give it a try. I ordered the Chicken Panini Sabatino. It's chicken breast, roasted red pepper, sun-dried tomato, avocado, caramelized onion, Mozzarella cheese, & house spread on sourdough. On paper everything sounded really good, but it fell short in real life. The sandwich was a little dry for my taste and it needed more avocado to smooth out the texture. I still think Nordstrom Cafe has better paninis. Stick with the pastas or the pizzas instead!