Vegas and Food

May 31, 2009

Mandarin Wong - Newhall, CA

This place is called "Mandarin Wong". But their takeout menu says "Chinese cuisine healthy style with a touch of Vietnamese, Thai, & Japanese". And Yelper's most recommended item is "Mongolian" beef. "Mandarin Wong" should be a Chinese restaurant, and a Chinese restaurant ONLY should serve Chinese food. What is a touch of Japanese or Thai or Mongolian or Vietnamese? Places like this restaurant always suck. You can tell by menu without eating.

I'm very surprised that this place is rated so high. Because we didn't like it at all. It's not something you can't eat, but we just don't like this Americanized Chinese taste. Do people really like this taste?

Every time my husband tries to get Chinese food in Santa Clarita, I say NO. And he still keep going to get Chinese food in SCV. I keep telling you, there are no good Chinese restaurants in SCV.

Mongolian Beef $7.95

Combination Pan Fried Noodles $8.95

topping for noodles

This is what their "pan fried" noodle looks like. SO WRONG. They even can't make basic Chinese pan fried noodles.

Rating (food): 2 / 5
Rating (service): N/A
Repeat: No

Mandarin Wong
23758 Lyons Ave.
Newhall, CA 91321
(661) 259-5823

Closed on Monday
Sun-Thurs: 11:30am-9:30pm
Fri-Sat: 11:30am-10:00pm

http://www.yelp.com/biz/mandarin-wong-chinese-restaurant-newhall

May 28, 2009

JJ Bakery - Torrance, CA

torrance

JJ Bakery in Torrance. Overall, I love this place, but there were a few things I wasn't crazy about. It's just like I'm in Japan, I can get all these crazy breads that you're never gonna find at American bakery or supermarket. White bread was very good when I toasted, croissant was delicious. I love hotdog and green onion buns, and of course their cakes!

All bread & cakes total was $27.55.

sliced white bread - I think it was about $1.90

mini croissant $2.85

hot dog with green onion bun $1.25

Danish bread (It was like a danish with sugar on top.) $1.25

black rice and red bean bread $1.35

This was OK.

crispy green tea with red bean $1.50

I'd buy this again.

red bean bread with mochi $1.25

I've had so many crazy breads before, but mochi slice in bread was my first time. I loved it.

There is a thin-sliced mochi under red bean paste.

dorayaki - I think it was $1

It was different from Japanese dorayaki. This was like super-soft sponge cake with raisin and cream inside. I didn't like it.

Quite small.

black currant & vanilla cake $3.75

green tea mousse $3.50

latte French $3.95

mont blanc $3.95

Unfortunately, I didn't like this Mont Blanc so much. Chestnut cream should have more flavor. I could only taste chestnut. It should be a little more sweet and flavorful.

Rating (food): 4.8 / 5
Rating (service): 3 / 5
Repeat: Yes

JJ Bakery
2370 Crenshaw Blvd.
Torrance,CA 90501
(310) 328-6668
Mon-Sat.8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.

http://www.jjbakeryusa.com/

http://www.yelp.com/biz/jj-bakery-torrance

Other JJ Bakery locations:

1130 S. Baldwin Ave.
Arcadia, CA 91066
(626) 836-6888

1756 Nogales St.
Rowland Heights, CA 91748
(626) 581-1678

15846 Halliburton Rd.
Hacienda Heights, CA 91745
(626) 333-1278

May 27, 2009

Vegas offers

vegas offers

Here's the offers we recently received.

Total Rewards: Macy's Gift Card Giveaway, July 31-August 2
Includes 3 complimentary nights, $75 Macy's gift card

Rio: Cruise Giveaway, July 17-19
Inside stateroom on either a 3 or 4 day Bahamas cruise from Miami, 3 free nights at your choice of any one Total Rewards resort

Excalibur:
2 nights in a widescreen room, $20 free play, $10 off one-day cabana rental, 2 for 1 "Defending the Caveman" tickets.

Green Valley Ranch: $15,000 slot tournament, July 16-19
Includes 3 free nights

Red Rock: 4th of July
2 complimentary nights, fireworks display in the exclusive VIP cabana area

Sahara: The $10,000 Sizzling Slots of Summer slot tournament, July 23-25
Includes 3 free nights

The Orleans:
2 complimentary nights, $50 slot play

The Orleans:
3 complimentary nights, and invite to summer spectacular invitational tournament series

May 26, 2009

Panera Bread

los angeles

fIf you want delicious, freshly baked daily bread, then try here. Their bagels start at 99 cents, price is not so much different from grocery store ones, but this bagel tastes much better. So does French baguette. Baguette was delicious. I believe they open 6am, so go there at 6 am if you can, so you can have fresh ones.

CLICK HERE for pics from 2007.

bagel (everything) 99 cents
Topped with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, garlic, toasted onion & kosher salt. 300 calories.

bagel (French toast) $1.29
Made with sweet maple-flavored & cinnamon chips. 350 calories

French baguette $2.59

Cobblestone $2.39
Cinnamon raisin bread dough mixed with chunks of apples and spices, topped with streusel and white icing. 650 calories

Rating (food): 4.7 / 5
Rating (service): 4.5 / 5
Repeat: Yes

http://www.panerabread.com/

May 22, 2009

Stratosphere - Lucky's Cafe 2009

Stratosphere

I don't know how many times we've been here, but we came here a lot. The food is actually getting better than a couple years ago. Or maybe depends on what you order, it can be good or awful. From my experience, they know how to cook basic American food (like pancake, ham, eggs, sausage, that kind of stuff), but they can't cook more fancy stuff, like crab cake.

Everytime we come here, on average we wait 30 minutes after we order food.

CLICK HERE for pics from 2008
CLICK HERE for pics from 2007.
CLICK HERE for pics from 2005.

toast and pancakes

2 eggs with sausage (or bacon) $3.99
(served from 12am-5am with this price)
Served with O'Brien potatoes, toast and jelly.

ham steak & eggs $5.99
Two eggs any style, O'Brien potatoes, toast and your choice of silver dollar pancakes or French toast.

seafood sampler $12.99

sauteed shrimp
All I could taste was butter. It's like shrimp in melted butter. Too much. Not recommended. I mean, look at it, why is this called "sauteed shrimp"? Shrimp is swimming in butter soup.