TBA
Birthday fooding
Casual yet classy lunch with Tiff at Le Petit Paris kicks off a weekend full of birthday-related activities. Excellent raw oysters and a strawberry vanilla dessert well worth the stomach space, plus foie gras, smoked salmon poached eggs, and a goat cheese and caramelized apple millefeuille-- the latter two were very good when fresh and hot; aka eat quickly for maximum enjoyment.
Add in the classic art deco interior, complete with skylights, and it was a lovely experience to start off the weekend. ^_^
Very different experience for Sophia's birthday dinner at Little Sheep Hot Pot in San Gabriel. Nom'ed away on all you can eat (AYCE) hot pot, including tons of sliced beef, tripe, tendon, multiple kinds of mushrooms and tofu... a stuff-your-face-because-it's-AYCE meal that honestly, didn't do too bad on things. Just make sure have modest expectations, and that you wear clothes you don't mind getting smelly from the pots of steaming, fragrant broth everywhere.
Breakfast the next morning at Champagne Bakery, a semi-local chain. Things looked good to start, but reminded me more of airport "nice" food court in execution-- that is, pretty meh when your food actually arrives vs. what you see inside the glass case. The brioche french toast was particularly disappointing.
Finally, Matt and Michelle whipped up a Blue Apron meal. Pan fried salmon seasoned with lemon juice and mustard seed was a nice approach to spices, I think the potatoes were thyme and something else?