Vegas and Food

May 30, 2007

Bon Marche Bakery & Cafe - Fountain Valley, CA

Bon Marche in Fountain Valley, California. Good place for a quick lunch. Fine service and food, and not too expensive. All desserts below are under $3 a piece. But I was a little disappointed with their desserts. They were so so, not gonna buy dessert here again.

French bread was dry, didn't taste fresh

Seafood Curry Spaghetti $7.95 (comes with French bread and your choice of drink)
We liked it.

Japanese style Hamburger steak $7.50 (comes with rice and choice of drink)
Tasted like meatloaf. It was good.

Green Tea cake

Strawberry cake

Japanese style sweet potato Mont Blanc
Only thing I could taste was sweet potato, I couldn't taste anything else.

Bon Marche
18932 Brookhurst Street
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
(714) 963-7573

http://www.yelp.com/biz/bon-marche-bakery-and-cafe-fountain-valley

May 29, 2007

Vegas offers - 5.29.07

vegas offers

Caesars:
$150,000 Invitational Poker Tournament (1st place $40,000 plus a free entry into the 2008 World Series of Poker - a $10,000 value, based on 800 entries)
Includes complimentary accommodations for 3 nights your choice of a Total Rewards casino.

Main Street Station:
Free nights and $25 in free play

Stratosphere:
Lucky Sevens 07.07.07 Shopping Extravaganza $149 package
Includes:
accommodations for 3 nights
$50 food and beverage credit
10 free entries into the $30,000 Stars & Stripes Cash Extravaganza
Bonus - Receive a $100 Macy's gift card fo every 5,000 points you earn

May 28, 2007

Z Pizza

los angeles

Pizza from Z Pizza. I liked the crust a lot, the crust was tasty, had sweetness. It's expensive for pizza. I guess it's expensive because this place serves organic, homemade, lowfat stuff.
We got this "create your own 14" pizza". Total was little over $17.

Here's the some of the prices:
10" around $10, 14" around $16, 18" around $20
sandwiches, calzones - $5.59
salads, pasta - $5 - $7
Build your own pizza:
10" - 6.49 plus $1.25 per ingredient
14" - $11.95 plus $1.75 per ingredient
18" - $14.95 plus $2 per ingredient
Lowfat Mozzarella, Pepperoni, Bell Peppers

Roasted Peppers and Roasted Eggplant
I know, eggplant looks so weird, I thought they were gonna chop eggplant or cut in small pieces but my guess was wrong. Taste was ok, but I'll order something else if I'm getting Z Pizza again.

Check website and find locations:
zpizza.com/

May 27, 2007

Vegas offer - 5.26.07

Mandalay Bay:
$100,000 Vintage Vegas slot tournament (1st place $35,000, everybody gets at least $100 in free play, based on a minimum of 150 entries)
Includes special Vintage Vegas reception with the Rat Pack and a welcome gift

May 26, 2007

Japanese snacks 3

store bought

Pura Loli Hello Kitty $3.99. There are 8 Hello Kittys you could get, plus 1 secret rare Hello Kitty, and you don't know which one until you open the package. This was the last package at the store and I just had to get it.

I got this rare Hello Kitty. Sometimes the last one nobody wants is lucky.

Pretz (flan flavor, 79 cents) and Takenoko no sato (limited edition $2.29)

When I opened Pretz, it smelled so good and it was good.

Meiji Almond chocolate (99cents), Fujiya LOOK Cake Shop (99cents), and Cho-pan (99cents)

I liked Almond chocolate, but not other two. Cho-pan, I just didn't like it. LOOK Cake Shop tasted too much sweet alcohol and it didn't taste like Monc Blanc flavor at all.

May 25, 2007

Vegas offers - 5.24.-5.25.07

Luxor:
$100,000 Take Flight blackjack Tournament (1st place $35,000 cash + first-class airline tickets)
Includes a soaring day of tournament action, 3 nights' complimentary accommodations and a special tournament gift.

Monte Carlo:
$100 in free play

Four Queens:
Dance the Night Away package
Includes 3 nights complimentary room, complimentary entrance into the Dance the Night Away party, hors d'oeuvres & cocktails, random drawings for spectacular prizes throughout the night, and special Dance the Night Away gift

Harrah's:
$75,000 Invitational Poker tournament (1st prize $10,000 cash, based on 200 participants)
Includes 3 night complimentary stay and tournament

Flamingo:
$1 million Big Bingo Bucks (bingo tournament) (prizes ranging from $1,000-$1,000,000, based on 500 people)
Includes entry into the tournament and 2 nights complimentary accommodations of choice at Flamingo, Harrah's, Rio, Bally's or Paris

May 24, 2007

Japanese Flan, Sweet Potato Apple Pie

store bought

Flan (milk pudding) and potato apple pie. Bought at Mitsuwa Japan Gourmet Foods Fair.

Milk pudding from Italian Tomato (located inside Mitsuwa) $9.80 for 4 pcs. (2 custard, 1 green tea, and 1 coffee). Creamy, very thick on top, very smooth almost like liquid bottom. Really good. The only thing is that because the top of the jar is really small, you can't use your regular spoon. I had to use fast-food plastic fork to eat.

Potato apple pie from Ra Poppo $7.90. Using Japanese yellow sweet potato. I really loved this. Not too sweet like American apple pie. Crust was different from American apple pie. It was like half cookie dough and half something else.

May 23, 2007

Vegas offers - 5.23.07

vegas offers

Harrah's:
Exclusive book launch of Drop Dead Beautiful, the new novel by Jackie Collins
3-day and 2-night complimentary accommodations at your choice of one of five Harrah's resorts in Las Vegas. You and your guest will also attend our VIP cocktail repception and Meet & Greet with Jackie Colllins to receive your complimentary copy of DROP DEAD BEAUTIFUL.

Caesars:
2 complimentary concert tickets to attend a performance by Lionel Richie, and a 2-night stay at your choice of Bally's, Caesars, Flamingo, Harrah's, Paris, or Rio.

Gold Coast:
1 night at $44 and your 2nd night is free, plus $30 dining credit, $15 match play, $15 instant credits

Hello Kitty Club

store bought

I found these Hello Kitty Club snacks at Mitsuwa and I just had to get it since they are limited.
I believe it was $3.99 each. Both include the Hello Kitty in the picture and Ramune candy.

Picture left, you can put and keep your candy or jewelry. Picture right is a cellphone holder.

May 22, 2007

Hamada-ya bread - Torrance

torrance

Hamada-ya in Mitsuwa, Torrance. The total was $4.20 ($1.70 + $1.50 + $1).
We got Kinpira, ham croissant, and sausage.

Kinpira: It was good. If you like kinpira, you'll like this one.
Ham Croissant: ham is too small. Croissant is small. Too greasy. When I heated up in microwave, so much grease came out and it was just too much. Bottom part was all soaked in grease and it wasn't good.
Sausage: I wish they use Japanese sausage.

So overall, I think it's little too expensive for the size of the breads and taste you get.

Hamada-ya (Inside of Mitsuwa Marketplace)
21515 Western Ave, #146-B
Torrance, CA 90501

Vegas offers - 5.21.07

El Cortez:
$50 in birthday free play

Harrah's:
$110,000 Speakeasy Slots Invitational tournament (based on 500 people, 1st prize $50,000)
Including welcome reception, VIP brunch, awards dinner

May 21, 2007

Mitsuwa - Green Tea soft cream

los angeles

Mitsuwa supermarket had a special "Japanese gourmet foods fair" event. Here's homemade double matcha (green tea) soft cream. It was $4.50 (with sweet red beans topping).
It was expensive but gooood.

May 19, 2007

Vegas offer - 5.19.07

Hilton:
For $135 you get
Deluxe hotel accommodations for up to 2 nights
2 free entries at the spa
2 free welcome cocktails at Shimmer Cabaret
$25 dining credit
Earn $50 in Reward Dollars during your trip and get $150 in Reward Dollars Bonus!

This offer sucks.

May 18, 2007

Vegas offer - 5.18.07

Luxor:
Million Dollar playoff slot tournaments
Two upcoming tournaments, July 19-22 and Oct. 25-28.
Each tournament includes three nights' accommodations, a free gift and a $100,000 prize package including $30,000 for 1st place and prizes paid down to 40th place. (based on 200 people)
Offer says:
Play in both tournaments and you'll be entered into our Million Dollar slot playoff Oct 27. Score in the top ten during the playoff and you'll have the chance that night to win One Million Dollars, $30,000 cash or a 2007 Chrysler 300.

Koraku - Little Tokyo

little tokyo

Koraku in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles. This place is not crowded at all like Daikokuya. So you don't have to worry about waiting outside.
I ordered shio ramen and half size fried rice combination, $8.75.
Ramen was just OK, but rice was good. Gyoza was delicious but greasy. We both liked tenshin chahan ankake. Chahan means fried rice, ankake means gravy on top. So I don't recommend to order ramen here but order something with rice. They have total 93 things on the menu plus some more menu on board on the wall.
I didn't like chashu pork, and I also didn't like pork in fried rice. Maybe they are using low quality pork? I'm not sure why but it tasted weird to me.

And don't forget to bring cash. This place accepts CASH ONLY.

Gyoza $4.25

Fried Rice (half)

Shio Ramen ($6.95, combination with fried rice is $8.75)
2pc, chashu pork, bean sprouts, green onion and bamboo shoot in clear soup
I actually hated their chashu pork. It had no taste, tasted like pork soaked in water for a while. So far, the best chashu I think is at Ramen Nippon.

soup (comes with tenshin chahan)

Tenshin Chahan Ankake $8.75
Shrimp omelette with gravy on pork fried rice
*recommended

Koraku
314 E 2nd St
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 687-4972

Mon-Sat 11:00 a.m.-3:00 a.m.
Sun 11:00 a.m.-12:00 a.m.

May 17, 2007

Vegas offers - 5.17.07

Venetian:
2 complimentary suite nights on selected dates
$50 free play
2 for 1 spa club 1-day passport

May 16, 2007

Whole Foods Orange Mousse

store bought

Orange Mousse from Whole Foods supermarket. It was $4.49. Yes, it is pricy for supermarket desserts. BUT Whole Foods desserts are delicious and better than some of the restaurant desserts! (Their soups are really good, too)
This mousse was really good. I finished eating this in 2 minutes and I really wanted next one.

Vegas offer - 5.15.07

vegas offers

Planet Hollywood:
$30,000 Let Freedom Ring slot tournament (1st place $7,000)
3 complimentary nights and tournament

So here's what I think.
The best slot tournaments are from MGM company (MGM, Bellagio, T.I., Mirage, Monte Carlo, NY NY, Mandalay Bay).
The reason is because always prizes are higher than others and better, and less people, and there are always food and gifts.
Like usually, their first prizes are $10,000-$20,000, based on 100-200 people, and everybody who plays at tournament gets $100 in free play. Other places like Caesars, Flamingo, etc., their tournaments are based on 300-400 people, and prizes are less, and only top 50-100 people get something.
Smaller casinos, like Planet Hollywood, Hooters, or any casino in downtown have usually really small prizes, like you can tell from my offer today.

May 15, 2007

Hamada-ya croquette bread

los angeles

Hamada-ya croquette bread. You can purchase this at Mitsuwa or Marukai supermarket. $1.50.
What is it? Well, it's croquette! Sounds crazy? Croquette in bread? That's Japanese style.
Now, this bread had less taste than I thought. OK, almost no taste.
Maybe it needs to have more sauce on croquette. I see just a little bit of sauce on the bottom, but you can't taste that.

May 14, 2007

Vegas offer - 5.14.07

vegas offers

Caesars Palace:
Complimentary hotel accommodations for two, and each customer will receive one stylish his or hers Tommy Bahama watch

Luigi's D'Italia - Anaheim

anaheim

Calamari

Spaghetti

Luigi's D'Italia
801 South State College Boulevard
Anaheim, CA 92806-4613
(714) 490-0990

www.luigisditalia.com

http://www.yelp.com/biz/luigis-d-italia-anaheim

May 13, 2007

Mojito Caribbean Cuisine - Valencia (CLOSED)

Santa Clarita

Mojito Caribbean Cuisine restaurant in Valencia. Excellent service, food was fine. It wasn't wow! but it was good.

very soft bread

Ensalada Havana $7
Mixed greens, tomato, avocado, pineapple and fried plantain croutons with house dressing
This is a half size, our waiter separated and served in 2 plates

Tamal Cubano con Cangrejo $10
A cuban favorite with a twist, fresh corn tamale stuffed with shredded crab served over rock shrimp tossed in a tomato creole sauce

Paella $34
Clams, mussels, scallops, shrimp, white fish, chicken, and chorizo cooked in saffron rice topped with a half lobster (you can get full lobster for extra), served with grilled calamari salad
It was big enough to share, we had half left over

looking sleepy

Mojito
26876 The old road
Valencia, CA 91381

CLOSED Mondays
Lunch: 11am-2pm
Dinner: 5pm~

http://www.mojitocuisine.com/

http://www.yelp.com/biz/mojito-caribbean-cuisine-valencia

May 11, 2007

Golden Corral Buffet - Virginia

virginia

Golden Corral buffet in Virginia. I really don't remember if I liked it or not but my husband liked it. He went by himself the first time and then with me the second time. It was $8.59 per person in 2004.