Kat's 9 Lives

I took a red-eye with Ms. Lin to Miami. Unfortunately our flight was delayed, The Ritz-Carlton totally broke my luggage, the rental car took long to get, and we were running extremely behind. Needless to say that day was hectic and I was barely catching my breath before moving on to a full day's activity. Before we left California, we talked about where I would camp out during her business meeting. We both decided that Calle Ocho would be a good place. I was a little worried but it sounded like "Little Cuba/Calle Ocho" would be a fun adventure. Nowhere in the reviews did it say it would be dangerous, but I was a little cautious since I am foreign to this are and in another state. Still, I am a tough cookie and I am not afraid of most things. ^_-
Calle Ocho was not what I had imagined it to be. I thought there would be more culture and stores but it was really just a street of great Cuban food. Since I would be stuck there for around 4 hours, I found very little to do except eat and eat some more. =X Usually Cafe Versailles is super busy and I was afraid there was going to be a line but I got a seat really easily in the dining area. The area that was super busy in the morning is the Cafe/Coffee area where are the locals come to line up for a fresh cup of Cuban coffee and to chat. Since Cafe Versailles is so well-known for their coffee, I had to order myself a cup. The only problem is that there were a few choices so I asked my server which they are most well-known for. He told me to get the Cuban Coffee with Evaporated Milk. They bring you the hot evaporated milk and you pour the coffee in. The coffee aroma was delightful and tasty. I could see why all those people outside are lined up just to get themselves a nice cup of coffee. A must have indeed. =D
I mulled over the breakfast menu and there were a bunch of choices. Most of it seemed like a normal breakfast menu with a few tweaks. In the end I chose to order the Special Cuban Sandwich. It's Ham, Swiss Cheese, Pickles, and Mustard all on Cuban Bread. The best part is the bread being nicely toasted, fresh, and crispy. All the flavors came together in harmony. It had just the right saltiness, crisp bite, and a wide flavor palette. The pickle helps add another complex level to the flavor of the ham and a special bite. I was really surprised at how good this sandwich was and I should have bought another order to bring back to the hotel to snack on. Although it wouldn't be freshly toasted and crispy if I brought it home, but I'm sure it would still be superb. Thinking about this sammy, I really need to find a great place nearby with a yummy Cuban sammy like this. O=9
The whole time I was sitting there I was eyeing the Tres Leches Cake. Once I see that on the menu, I am sold. Their cake was super moist, rich, and sweet. It was super sweet and leches comes out when you use the fork to cut the cake. The glass of water really helped in between so that I could scarf down more cake. Muy delicioso! The whip cream on top helped mellow out and balance the sweetness. If I had more stomach room I would try a bunch of other desserts.
Even though I was really full by this point, I still went on to ask for the lunch menu. I was there for so long that I made it to the beginning of lunch time. They have daily specials and deals, so I decided to try the Yellow Rice with Pork. Maybe it was because I was full or it was just an off day, I wasn't that impressed with this dish. It was not what I had expected or I would have chosen a different dish. There was barely any pork and it was stewed inside with the rice. I thought it was nice and light. What I really wanted was the pork with a side of rice not rice with bits of pork. Still, it was a solid dish and I enjoyed the plantain on the side. That was my favorite part of the dish! ^_^

All in all it was a nice morning after a super tiring flight. The coffee was wonderful and an eye opener. I should have gotten 2 cups of that delicious treat and maybe 2 slices of cake! Oh and I can't forget the fabulous drool inflicting Cuban sammy. I can easily see why this place is a classic jewel in the neighborhood. The next time I make my way back to Miami and have a car, I would definitely stop by here. Too bad Ms. Lin and my Mom weren't there to enjoy it with me. Don't worry, I made sure to save them some food. The sad part is my Mom ended up letting the hotel throw out due to some miscommunication. My poor money and yummy food flew out the window! =**(

Cafe Versailles
3555 SW 8th St
Miami, FL 33135
(305) 444-0240

I was invited to a small B-day get together to Sushi Zen Bistro. As I walked through the doors I noticed the neon signs saying half off but I had just missed Happy Hour! =*( I was deeply saddened but there is always next time. It's a small restaurant with a sushi bar. The decor was your normal sleek dark tables and chairs. We all squeezed in the corner. My Evil Twin had a little mix up with the time so everyone else there was already done eating but we had just arrived. I decided to stay down and eat while everyone else went upstairs to get a drink. M.E.T. stayed and joined me for a little snack.
Since there was a lot of stuff on the Happy Hour menu that I would have wanted but unfortunately missed, I opted out of trying anything that is not on that menu. One thing that really caught my eye was the Crunch Blue Crab Roll. I don't know why but that night I really wanted some blue crab. It's a simple roll of Blue Crab, Avocado, Tempura Flakes, and Teriyaki Sauce. The blue crab was very tasty and I did enjoy the tempura flakes that added a nice crunch. I love the strong seafood taste of the blue crab. Even though it was $10.95, it was a pretty generous size and worth the price.
For sushi, I had to pick most stuff that is not on the Happy Hour menu so that I can get my money's worth. I decided to get a sushi order of the Japanese Hotate, Scallops. They came out fresh and it was a decent size. The other sushi I saw that looked tasty was the Hamachi Belly. You really can't go wrong with these two unless they weren't fresh. Both were decent cuts and fresh.
In the end I had to break down to try regular Hamachi. I was surprised by their sushi since I wasn't expecting much. In my mind that day I thought to myself that I have to come back for Happy Hour... yet, I have not been back for a long time. They weren't exactly mind blowing sushi but better than I thought they would have been. Still, I thought they deserve a mention and I would definitely post about them again once I go back for Happy Hour. If and when I go back, I would definitely get the blue crab again. It's hard to find decent blue crab and even harder to find places that give a decent portion. Hope they are still as decent as before when I make it back that way. O=PSushi Zen Bistro
1875 Newport Blvd
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
(949) 722-2520

From delicious to bootylicious and a new breed of lingo, Sushilicious! What's next? =) After a full meal of AYCE KBBQ at Shik Do Rak, Holly asked if I'd like to meet her at Sushilicious... Needless to say I was a little baffled. What kind of place is called Sushilicious??? It is a kaiten place, revolving sushi bar. Yes, I'm crazy... I agreed to join her for 2nd diner. O=9 It was near closing time when we arrived and we were given a friendly greeting by the manager. We sat down at the sushi bar near the sushi chef Takashi. The server and chef were very friendly.

Everything was a bright neon color. The decor almost reminds me of being in a frozen yogurt store. The hip neon minimalist approach gives off a snazzy feeling. Everything in the store was personally chosen by the owners. They try to give a modern hip feeling. Everything was very clean and new. Since it was close to closing time there wasn't much food on the belt, but that is okay because you can just order it directly. ^_^ If you are a picky eater or just want freshly made dishes then feel free to flag a server down to order or order directly from the sushi chefs. I recently discovered that there are microchips under each plate to monitor the freshness of the fish so that no dish would be sitting on there for longer than 45 mins.
Holly started off the night with some Philadelphia Roll, I think it is actually called something else. Still, it is the same ingredients of Salmon, Avocado, and Cream Cheese. I kept my eye on the revolving plates to see the different creations that they offer. They have a Medusa Roll that is Soft Shell Crab added into a California Roll. Since it was close to the ending of the night, they made it fresh for us. For $4 you get half a roll. The sushi chef was very friendly and offered us the other half of the roll on the house.
My favorite of the night was the Sushicalifragilisticexpialidocious Roll. The name alone was enough to catch the eye, but the description below sounded like a good combo. It is Crab, Cucumber, Avocado, Rice, and Lettuce all wrapped in Soy Paper with Rock Shrimp Tempura on top. Maybe some of you don't know but I am really like soy paper rolls. O=9 That was a big drive of why I had to have this roll. They made a fresh roll and the shrimp was piping hot with just the right crispness! The sauce drizzled on top went well with the shrimp tempura. It is a lot of fun trying to eat it all in one bite. I asked for another order because I really like it.
We also asked for a Shrimp Tempura Roll. Inside was Shrimp Tempura, Crab, Avocado, and Cucumber with Tempura Flakes on top. Personally I like the Sushicalifragilisticexpialidocious Roll more. O=9 Of course it is just preference. I enjoyed the juicy rock shrimp on top versus the elongated shrimps inside the roll. Still both are good, how can you deny fried shrimp?For dessert I saw that they have Tempura Ice Cream, so I had to try it out. Holly and I decided to share one since we were both full. Alas, they were out of Green Tea, but they recommended Mango so we tried that one out. I was a little sad that they were out but Mango is not a bad second. The batter around the ice cream was crisp on the outside and moist on the inside. It was just the right thickness. The mango ice cream was good too. I actually have been back since that night and I think the mango is better. O=9
We were pleasantly surprised when Jeremy came and told us that this was all on the house. He said that he wanted us to try them out at peak hours so that we can taste them at their best and we were really only snacking. I kindly declined but he insisted so we decided to leave a nice tip. We were also introduced to Daniel and had a really nice long chat. Everyone there was super friendly and you could tell they were passionate about what they do. I thank Holly for introducing this place to me. Just within a week I brought a friend back to enjoy a quick sushi fix. Of course to also observe them at peak hours and try more items. Check back for the repeat visit review ^_^.

Sushilicious
15435 Jeffrey Rd.
Ste 119
Irvine, CA 92618
(949) 552-2260