YAY! Gyu-Kaku is coming closer to the OC


I CAN'T WAIT.
This is going to be my new spot for Happy Hour! Gyu Kaku is my favorite Japanese grilling restaurant. It's a little on the pricey side, but that's what their Happy Hour is for. If you've never been, check this guide:

Wine makes everything classier, doesn't it?


This Saturday, March 5--OC Custom Wine in Anaheim is featuring Cheeseburger Night! But, this is not your average fast food! $13 bucks gets you this gourmet burger with a glass of wine. Not bad, but you need to make a reservation because seats will run out. To reserve your spot, click here.


If you do miss out on this event, you should still visit OC Custom Wine when you get a chance.

A little bit about their business
"OC Custom Wine buys grapes from premier vineyards in Napa Valley, Sonoma, and the Central Coast. You taste the wines we have made direct from the barrel. Based on what you like in a wine, we will create a wine for you by blending wines from the different barrels to match your taste preferences. You get to bottle the wine the same day you taste it, and if you want you can make a custom label to put on to your custom wine. The next time you decide to have wine with dinner, you could be drinking your very own creation!"
And it only costs $25 to make your very own custom wine, which includes your own custom label. If you don't want the bottle for yourself, it makes a great gift too. Everyone loves personalized gifts :)

The. Best. Travel. Mug. EVER.

We've all been there. You buy a stylish new travel mug only to find that it leaks, and doesn't really keep your drink cold/hot for more than an hour-tops. Well ladies and gentlemen, trust me when I say I have found THE BEST TRAVEL MUG EVER. IN THE WORLD. Maybe, don't quote me on that. Anyways, here it is!
 
 Featuring, the AUTOSEAL® Aria Stainless Steel Travel Mug from Contigo. Clever brand name isn't it? I bought these when they were selling them at Costco for $19.99 in a two pack. It came in two colors, blue and green. 

I did my own little experiments to test this new travel mug:
1. To see how long it would keep my drink warm, I poured in hot water in the morning  at 10:00am and did not drink it until 1:00pm. The result? IT WAS PIPING HOT! I almost burnt my tongue. But nonetheless, I was very excited that indeed this travel mug keeps my drink not only warm, but HOT! :)

2. To see how long it would keep my drink cold, I poured in cold water in the after noon at 12:00pm. I left the mug in the car on a very hot afternoon and did not return to it until 5:00pm. And lo and behold, my water was still icy cold. Ah--so refreshing.

3. To test how leak proof this mug was, I poured in water, closed it, and shook it vigorously several times. No leakage all around. I also purposely dropped the mug on the floor several times and once again, no leaks and the button-top stayed closed. Yay. 

Well, there you have it. This is the best travel mug ever. I love it and I have been using it everyday. Try for yourself.

NEW JOINT: Okinawan Dining at Habuya

Habuya, Okinawan Dining

As read on Habuya's Yelp page:
ANNOUNCEMENT: First Okinawan Dining Restaurant in Orange County has come!!
Ok, I'm pretty excited to try this place. This article was printed in the FOOD section of the Los Angeles Times today and already, there have been some great reviews on Yelp (4-5 stars!). This is definitely something different to try in Orange County. Read more about Habuya in this Los Angeles Times article here.

Japanese Okinawan Dining
14215 Red Hill Ave
Tustin, CA 92780
(714) 832-3323

Tea To Go!

I'm totally not a coffee drinker, so I prefer to drink tea. It's healthier, since I'm not adding cream and sugar, and it still does the trick to keep me awake. But on a really busy morning, I don't have time to boil water and make tea. I just want to get out of my apartment and go! So, I found this "Tea on the Go" from Crate & Barrel! It can brew loose tea leaves and tea bags. Now, I can make tea even with cold water, which saves me so much time.

 

Nothing but EXTRAODINARY

Imagine a stylish, architecturally pleasing dessert shoppe that features an endless variety of homemade tortes, cakes, fruit tarts, cookies, creme brulee, cobbler, bread pudding, mousses and of course homemade ice cream. Now imagine that remarkable array of desserts on a menu that changes daily. Sound too good to be true?

Yesterday, I took a spontaneous trip to San Diego's Extraordinary Desserts. Extraordinary Desserts has two locations in San Diego, one in central downtown and the other in Little Italy. This review is for the Little Italy location, which is apparently the newer, trendier spot for late night dessert. If you have never tried this place, oh my goodness, it's a heaven-whipped patisserie that serves delectable layers and layers of extraordinary flavors that melt in your mouth. It really is, that good.



Here's what I ordered:
White Chocolate Linzer Torte
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French Pie Strawberry
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Devonshire Napoleon
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Chocolate Truffle Loaf
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GAME TIME!!

Okay, we all know the Super Bowl XLV, the biggest annual event in America, is today. But, of course for me, it's all about what I will be eating. The Food Network website featured a special recipe list of a variety of 58, yes FIFTY-EIGHT different tasty Super Bowl snacks! I'm drooling...

Here are a few of my top picks:




Wishlist: Egg Waffle Pan from Williams Sonoma

A Hong Kong favorite for generations, the puffy, doughy treats called “egg waffles” are traditionally cooked by sidewalk vendors and enjoyed for breakfast and snacks. Now you can make the waffles at home using this pan from Nordic Ware, a family-owned company famous for its fine bakeware since 1946. Read more