I have been to Fig many times over the past few years for work functions and parties held at their venue. The food was always exemplary and I expected the same from our outing for their Poolside Cinema events. Sadly, my recent experience was quite the opposite. Service was a bit slow which was understandable as I believe the pool area only had one server attending to all the customers. The alcoholic drinks were very meager in portion. What was worse than the light pour was the quality of the food.
To say that the $29 foraged mushroom pizza tasted like cardboard with arugula on it would be an understatement and kind.
I’m a french fry connoisseur but the $14 plate of supposed rosemary fries resulted in only 3 fries being eaten from the batch. It was as if potatoes were cut and fried but the kitchen forgot to season it.
The $28 rockfish was barely passable as the fish was tender but the fish, squash, eggplant and peppers had no distinguishing flavors.
The only saving grace was the $26 cacio e pepe. It’s as if it was cooked in a different kitchen than the prior three orders. The pasta was perfectly cooked, al dente. The cheese packed a punch of flavor and the black pepper added a bit of heat to the dish. If we were ever to return, we would likely order just that dish, which would satisfy the $25 minimum.
I honestly am appalled by what Fig was allowed to serve us. I asked the family who sat in front of us, and they thought everything they ate was horrible as well and they ordered other items from the menu. I cannot ever recommend Fig to my friends or even to my worst enemy. It’s a hard pass on their food and drinks on a go forward basis.
Fig Restaurant
101 Wilshire Boulevard
Santa Monica, CA 90401
I had first read about Sushi Beluga on one of my Yelp searches for new and noteworthy restaurants in the area. Since I had the day off, I decided to give them a try on MLK, Jr. Day.
I checked their opening time which was 11:00 a.m. and headed down to Playa. I arrived around 11:26 a.m. and saw the sign by the door that their soft open business hours were not as advertised, but they were set to open in 4 minutes so I decided to wait it out in my car until 11:30 a.m. and was the first customer through the door.
My server was absolutely lovely and welcoming. She explained that they had only been open only a month and a half and not all the items on the menu were available yet. She went page by page and identified those selections and mentioned that they expect to have the full menu available and be fully operational by the end of January or beginning of February.
I ordered the salmon sample which had 5 pieces of salmon for $15.95. For those doing the math, each piece cost $3.19. It was definitely not a cheap plate, but I was hopeful that the 5 star reviews on Yelp were on point.
I was sold on my first bite of the aburi miso salmon. It was tangy, complex with varying layers of flavors. The salmon tasted like it had hints of mirin, soy, sesame oil and citrus. It turned out to be my favorite on the plate.
That first bite set the stage for the rest. Next was the salmon with yuzu which had a smoky, citrus flavor. The third sample was the salmon truffle which was a bit oilier than the first two and had a slightly earthier aftertaste.
The next two samples were both king salmon as the restaurant was out of ocean trout. The texture of the king salmon was akin to the butteriness of the sashimi I had at Sushi Katsura which was located a couple hundred meters from the famous Tsukiji Market in Tokyo. King salmon #1 was Rey light, citrusy and quite refreshing while king salmon #2 had a bit of crunch and a slight tartness which tasted a bit like mango salsa on top contrasted by the salmon which had a more subdued flavor.
I didn’t believe I would ever taste quality even remotely close to what I indulged in during my visit to Tokyo in 2018 but at long last, I think I found a restaurant that is a much closer than Tokyo and likely a less expensive substitute.
Sushi Beluga is not your cheapest fare but the quality of the food they serve demands a slight upmarket price. As the saying goes, you get what you pay for, and having been spoiled with the freshness and exemplary cuts of fresh fish in Tokyo, I can wholeheartedly recommend Sushi Beluga as my new local go-to sashimi, sushi and nigiri spot in Playa Del Rey.
Sushi Beluga 207 Culver Blvd. Playa Del Rey, CA 90293 https://www.sushibelugaca.com
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I first heard about the opening of Coast on Eater LA. The week it opened, however, there weren’t very many details online or on social media.
Luckily, by the time the date of our reservation arrived, photos of a few of the dishes and the menu were posted on Yelp.
The restaurant was intimate with a relaxed, casual beach vibe. Lighting was on the dim side but bright enough to see comfortably within the space.
We had an eager and enthusiastic server named Walter who made our dinner experience seamless.
My husband and I started with a Japanese inspired seaweed salad which came with avocado, shiso, umeboshi and tagarashi. It had a sesame dressing and was quite tangy and crispy.
We also ordered the meatballs with polenta and mashed potatoes. The meatballs were moist and savory but the polenta stole the meatballs’ thunder. It was unbelievably rich and buttery. I could have eaten a plate of it by itself.
Dueling the polenta for decadence was the bowl of silky mashed potatoes. Both were incredible and truth be told, right as the busboy was removing the bowl from the table, I quickly grabbed the spoon and licked off the last bite.
At the other end of the table, our friends Sarah and Susannah ordered the octopus which had a slightly crispy exterior. The meat was not chewy like it ordinarily would be as it was tenderized by the preserved lemon, giving it a slightly citrusy flavor.
It also had a bit of heat from the harissa which was tempered with a few cubes of sweet potato. They found that dish to be absolutely divine and would highly recommend to those who don’t mind seeing the octopus in its full glory.
For dinner, I ordered the rockfish which came in a brown butter ponzu sauce and my husband ordered the mushroom risotto with arugula and mascarpone.
Of the two, my husband’s dish was better. It was mealy with a hint of cheese. His only complaint was the portion size. My rockfish had a slightly crispy outer layer and was quite tender but it lacked any sort of distinct flavor.
I also ordered a side of crispy fries which was deliciously crisp and piping hot.
Our friend Barbara ordered the wagyu sirloin which we sampled. The sliver of beef was incredibly lean and tender but apparently some of the pieces she ate were tough and marbly so there was some inconsistency on the quality and cut.
Susannah ordered the old school sand dabs which she found to be quite enjoyable and would likely order again. Of all the dishes, she had the biggest portion served for her entree.
In direct contrast was our friend Sarah’s entree, the shrimps “a la plancha,” which came with 6 small shrimps on the plate. They were fine but not exceptional and the portion was quite minuscule, closer in size to an appetizer.
Last to arrive was what I called Christmas on a plate. It was beautifully plated with pomegranate seeds encircling the butternut squash. The combination of the sweet and sour juices bursting from the plump pomegranate and blending together with the natural subtle sweetness of the squash created a unique and divine flavor explosion.
In sum, the octopus, meatballs with polenta, mashed potatoes, fries and butternut squash were our top shareable choices.
We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner and would recommend for adventurous eaters.
I think as the menu evolves, Coast will definitely be one to watch and visit again with our foodie friends. Based on the items we ordered, the courses had a hint of Japanese, a bit of Italian and a nod to classic American cuisine. The restaurant needs a bit more time to find its true identity and hone in on what it does best. In my humble opinion, the Italian fare was the most flavorful and satisfying so perhaps a menu that incorporates specialties from the Amalfi “Coast” might be best suited for this restaurant by the coast.
Coast
1017 Manhattan Avenue
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
People in the know are aware that true and authentic Asian food in Los Angeles can only be found primarily in San Gabriel Valley as most new immigrants settle in the SGV and open up shop in close proximity to their homes. Newport Seafood embodies the melting pot of SGV in its menu which incorporates Chinese, Cambodian, Vietnamese and Thai cuisine. Most of the clientele is of Asian descent and the many Asian dialects spoken within the restaurant are positive signs of a legitimate and successful Asian establishment.
Eight of us met up for this venture for what has now become our twice a year pilgrimage from the Westside. It takes anywhere from 30-65 minutes to drive to the restaurant so we try to plan our schedules sometimes a month or two ahead of time to ensure that a large enough group will be able to make the trek.
Newport Seafood should only be visited by those who truly love and appreciate the Asian culture, its culinary techniques as well as the flavors and traditions of Asian cuisine at its best. Those who mistake cheese for tofu or or those who are unaware that steamed rice is served in the red and black covered bowls should not bother visiting Newport Seafood as it is not for novices with inexperienced and unsophisticated palates. Friends who truly recognize and respect the time, effort and quality of the cooking technique and melding of flavors are the ones privileged enough to be invited to this sensational feast.
As usual, we began with the offerings from the cart.
The seaweed salad in sesame oil is always a refreshing start to the decadent meal. The slightly spiced sliced cucumber adds a bit of heat to the subtlety of the seaweed. Combined it checked off the salad component of the meal.
First to arrive was the crab and asparagus soup which had a slightly thick soy sauce broth with chunks of crab and white asparagus. It was hot, savory and delicious. The flavors were reminiscent of the traditional Chinese egg drop soup with a nod to Vietnam in the addition of the crab and white asparagus creating subtle layers of flavor.
The first entree served was the star of the dinner, the massive plate with the 6 lb lobster sitting atop a bed of egg noodles. The sheer grandness of the dish automatically set the stage for a celebratory meal. The sea of hands and fingers reaching for its claws and shells began at a slow and then increased to a rapid pace. There was no easy or dainty way to eat the lobster except to use fingers to pry off the piping hot, delicious, succulent meat from the shell. With the noodles resting underneath the lobster, the juices from the lobster were interwoven in between the strands which enhanced its umami flavor. Our server mentioned that they only use female lobsters as was evidenced by the roe sitting on the side of the platter. It had a dense texture with a mild but slightly bitter flavor though admittedly, it’s definitely an acquired taste.
We also ordered the fish with basil which was lightly breaded and subtly salted. It was a simple and light dish but had a great deal of depth with the basil adding a layer of slightly sweet and peppery flavor.
Next to arrive was the French Vietnamese fusion dish, the beef loc lac, which was amazingly tender and moist. The cook who prepared this dish wisely sliced the beef against the grain and cut them into small bite size pieces allowing the juiciness of the meat and the thick soy sauce gravy to fuse and get absorbed within each crevice of the meat.
The walnut shrimp was prepared similarly to the fish but was slightly sweeter and was prepared without a heavy sauce allowing the plump, moist shrimp to shine on its own.
Last to arrive was the yang chow fried rice which had petite pieces of BBQ pork, fried eggs and mixed vegetables. The rice was fluffy, not oily, perfectly cooked and was a very generous serving.
In the large expanse of Los Angeles and all the restaurant options it has to offer, Newport Seafood is one of the most delicious budget friendly options for large group dining. There is always a moment of silence when the food arrives as we sample and savor each sumptuous bite. All conversations cease, and we each silently enjoy each dish, appreciating and attempting to understand the complexities of the flavors. As we move on to each course and immerse ourselves in our own nirvana, we are whisked on a journey across Asia, with spices, flavors and techniques fusing each region’s history and traditions onto our plates.
Newport Seafood has masterfully created a diverse and expansive dining experience that cannot be replicated and stands head and shoulders above all Asian restaurants for its culinary expertise of southeast Asian cuisine. It is always an exceptional experience and should definitely not be missed by Asian foodie aficionados.
Newport Seafood
518 Las Tunas
San Gabriel, CA
We started off our day heading out for breakfast for the first time since we arrived. We were low on milk and had not yet gone to the store so instead we headed to Choei Cafe and Bistro less than 5 minutes away. It had been on my list of previously vetted restaurants. The food and service had been rated to be superior and on our first night when we did nothing but go to dinner and get groceries, we had passed by it and noticed that nobody was dining there for dinner. Still, we weren’t dissuaded from trying it for breakfast.
We arrived a few minutes before opening time but the Open sign was already displayed. We took a few minutes to look at the menu as the breakfast options had both Western and Asian options but ultimately we decided to get a bit off of each menu.
The first to arrive was the chicken and rice porridge which was very similar to something I used to eat in the Philippines as a child. It had the look of oatmeal or grits as it had soft rice in it but had a savoriness that is common in soup and enhanced by the chunks of chicken. My husband was impressed with the flavor and ate it effusively.
He also ordered a veggie, chicken ham and cheese omelette as well as an Asian fusion pancake dish. The omelette tasted no different than one from home but the syrup for the pancake was not as dark as maple syrup. It tasted like a sugary corn syrup.
I ordered scrambled eggs which came with both thin slices of chicken ham and chicken sausage, three crispy hash brown triangles and a side of baked beans.
We also ordered citrus juice which tasted freshly squeezed and chilled. Choei Cafe is definitely more expensive than the standard street stall vendor but less expensive than American standards. For all of that delicious and filling food as well as a minute macchiato, it cost $25 for the two of us.
After breakfast, we were picked up by the Mae Ping River Cruise. I had shared with friends that my husband was “watted” out from Friday’s outing. Lo and behold, the river cruise parking lot was behind a massive wat. We didn’t opt to explore but I took a few photos while waiting for the boat to depart.
We joined a small group of Asian tourists and a German couple on the boat.
We stopped off at an organic farm were allowed to wander around. We saw two women preparing their entrees for the cooking school on-site. To the left was the open-aired restaurant engulfed in the trees, rice paddy and gardens. There were signs and explanations in front of certain plants providing Information on their healing and medicinal uses. We were escorted to tables overlooking the river. A large Australian group of mostly teenagers and a few adult escorts arrived and they all had a very early lunch of traditional Thai cuisine.
We were served with sliced pineapple and watermelon and glasses of tamarind, ginger, lemongrass and lychee flavored juice before heading back.
Shockingly and sadly, we came across a dead floating body in the river. It gave the rest of the trip back a more somber feel. He looked to be in between his 50’s and 60’s and had a white plastic back floating above his chest with some items in it. It was a reminder that we weren’t living in a bubble despite being on vacation. People lived and died in Chiang Mai every day. We needed to be mindful, respectful and grateful not to be in his shoes.
After the cruise, we headed to Vieng Joom On Teahouse. I had read on other blogs and city guides how beautiful and quaint it was inside. On the outside, it stood out with its Pepto Bismol paint but on the inside, it had a very different feel. There was still a great deal of pink accents interspersed throughout but it had a more exotic feeling with all the teas and accessories. On entering, you walked into the tea shop with bags of different types of tea, teapots and cups available for purchase and desserts in display cases beckoning you to sample them. The dining room opened up to the light as it was also riverside. The decor had a bit of an opulent Moorish vibe, with arched nooks carved into the walls and Moroccan inspired upholstery on the chairs and pillows
I had previously purchased the tea and dessert portion of the meal on Klook but we needed a more substantial lunch so we ordered a few other items off of the vegetarian menu. We started off with pot of a combination of black and green tea accented with Jasmine. It was quite smooth and fragrant.
Then our main dishes arrived. The pesto sauce on the pasta was very rich and dense in flavor. It was definitely not doused in olive oil like in Italian restaurants. The mushroom roti, which was basically a quesadilla, was quite tangy and gooey and had a thousand island inspired sauce to dip it in or to top it off. Lastly the fresh crispy veggie spring rolls had a thin layer of scrambled egg as its outer shell giving it a unique spin making it more like a sushi roll rather than a tradition egg roll. Everything was quite delicious and though it had a similar and familiar foundation, the tea house built and enhanced the look and quality adding a different layer of taste and flavor to each dish.
We finished off our experience with the three tiers of sweets.
On the top tier was a tradition buttermilk scone and a not-so-traditional strawberry scone with a bit of butter and jam to accompany them.
On the middle tier was a blueberry cheesecake with little chocolate butterflies on top of the small sections of cream.
On the bottom layer were chunks of papaya, mango, Apple and cantaloupe. It was about a $50 meal so definitely not Thai prices but the setting and relaxed vibe had a heightened luxury so it definitely set it apart from our standard day-to-day fare.
After a brief workout back at the Airbnb, we were picked up by The Home Massage & Spa. We scheduled a 2 hour deep tissue oil massage.
On arrival, we were greeted with a cold compress and cold tea. Our feet were washed and we are given slippers to walk into our massage room. Inside, the room had its own bathroom complete with a shower to go with the two beds. Just like at Lila, we were given black plastic underwear and I was given a very thin shower cap. My massage was far improved from Friday’s experience. Though she did start stretches on the feet and calves, it was just a way to start warming up the body. She did pressure points on the back first which is the type of massage we were used to. What made it uncomfortable was my arms were in a touchdown position for most of the time. Also, there were a few instances when she was using her elbow to rub up and I felt it was too close to my spine. Similar to the therapist of Lila, she worked on my chest but I was properly covered up with a thin layer of material and she worked on the periphery and she also worked on my belly but with a bit more finesse.
After the massage, we were given a hot tea and peanut butter cookies.
With tip, it cost $65 which was more than double what we paid for our hour and a half massage at Lila, and it’s still a fraction of what we would normally pay and the setting was more private and a bit more upscale. However, we felt that the massage was still lacking. We were both hoping for it to be less expensive, for the massage therapists to incorporate more hip and flute work during the treatment, for the massage bed to not be so stiff and for elbow usage used less frequently. Though the technique and bedside manner were significantly better than our experience at Lila, it still didn’t warrant a return visit or a solid recommendation.
Hunger pangs were knocking so we had the spa’s driver drop us off at Sunday’s Night Market. After spending an excessive amount of money by Thai standards for the majority of the day, I wanted to have a more traditional frugal dinner experience so we made a beeline into the alley for Lert Ros which is a seafood restaurant quite well known in those parts. Upon seeing the exterior and the display of exposed fish, my husband asked “is it safe to eat here?” To assuage his apprehension, I showed him that TripAdvisor had over 800 4 1/2 star reviews for the restaurant though I honestly could not blame him. It was definitely rustic and looked to be a large hole in the wall. The “kitchen” looked to be all outside, with the grills covered with large pieces of fish. It was surrounded with a mishmash of both food and kitchen supplies. I proceeded to seat us inside, at a table right underneath a fan.
We ordered a large red snapper, grilled shrimp and a coconut lemongrass chicken soup with some beer and sticky rice. Not surprisingly, the food was sensational and was a great value costing us 550 baht which is $18USD. Lert Ros just goes to prove that you can’t judge a book by its cover and also simultaneously and concurrently, how social media can help make or break a business. By the time we left, nearly every table was occupied mostly by Asian women and a few Asian men, some of whom were clearly of the upper echelon.
We ended our evening by walking at the Sunday Night Market for a bit. Having been to one nearly every night, the Sunday Night Market definitely had some unique items to purchase. I bought a painting on a canvas for 200 baht which is the equivalent of $6.51 USD. Being Asian myself I did negotiate him down from 250 to 200 but I wanted to be respectful since he was in the business of selling his artwork. I also bought some unique bookmarks: 6 for 10 baht or 3 cents.
As we could feel a few sprinkles and the sky was looking ominous with the street vendors adding their rain covering and the night market was getting more crowded with each passing minute, we decided to head back. We still needed to make a pit stop at the store to get more supplies for the week. Also, we needed to run a second load of laundry as the oppressive heat and humidity caused nonstop sweating throughout most of the day. More importantly, we wanted to be rested as Monday we both go back to school. On to the next phase of our vacation!
The first time we heard about Sakura, we lived walking distance from the restaurant but we didn’t start frequenting it until after we moved away. Over the past 15 years, it’s consistently one of our go-to spots and we’re always happy to return.
On tonight’s menu I ordered the salmon with sashimi and for my husband, a 12 piece sushi plate, a nabeyaki udon and 2 rolls.
My dinner came with a small side salad and miso soup. The lettuce was crisp, cold and fresh and the light sesame vinaigrette had a bit of tang. The miso soup was piping hot and not too salty.
My salmon was a bit dry this time but my tuna sashimi was just right. My husband’s udon comes with either a California or spicy tuna roll. We usually order both which we did again tonight. The spicy tuna had a bit of kick and the California roll was perfectly savory. The rice on the rolls stayed tightly wound around the center.
My husband’s sushi plate was devoured so I’m making the not-so-bold assumption that the quality and flavor were up to par.
He took his nabeyaki udon to go so that he can enjoy the plumped up noodles for lunch tomorrow. Funny story: one of the first times we ate at the restaurant we ordered too much food and by the time the udon came, he couldn’t eat anymore. A day later, he opened up the to-go container and the broth had disappeared. Initially, he was confused and then upset that they had forgotten to give him the broth. That of course made no sense since there would be extra effort to remove the noodles from the broth to pack it up. After he heated it up and tasted it, he realized the noodles had completely absorbed the broth, making that dish even better the next day so that is now his tradition, to order that soup to go, extending the Sakura experience a little bit longer.
The staff is always super friendly and nice. Even when it’s ridiculously busy, the patrons are never rushed and are allowed to enjoy their time at the restaurant. This is one of the many reasons we will keep coming back time after time. Sakura is that rare find with solid food that is reasonably priced, is casual and quite the neighborhood gem.
Sakura
4545 S. Centinela Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90066
We had the great fortune of joining our friends for a special birthday celebration at Slay in Manhattan Beach. It was previously the short-lived Darren’s where we had dined for my sister-in-law’s 40th birthday dinner which we deemed her Tiffany birthday, complete with the breakfast at Tiffany’s DVD, a Tiffany themed birthday cake and a necklace from Tiffany. The company was much better than the food and after our special occasion dinner, we did not return.
Tonight’s dinner experience was much improved. The space had been renovated and had a bit of a nautical old world scheme. The new owner and chef served us a dinner feast which was quite exceptional.
The meatballs we ordered were moist and had a subtle but well seasoned flavor.
Our Caesar salad had crispy romaine bites with a creamy but not overpowering dressing and sprinkles of crispy croutons to round out the texture.
My ahi was sitting on a bed of fries and was perfectly seared and seasoned, and my husband’s filet was tender, moist and flavorful. His pesto mashed potatoes were very unique and truthfully just brilliantly simple and delicious.
Our friends enjoyed their steak entrees as well and the desserts were also delightful.
All in all, it was a 5 star understated and divine experience at Manhattan Beach’s newest additions.
SLAY Steak + Fish House
1141 Manhattan Avenue
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
https://www.slaysteakandfishhouse.com
San Pedro is not really a destination which has held much interest for Westsiders or even those who live in other beachside communities. It’s been many years, perhaps even a decade since we’ve visited the city other than to board a cruise at the port. However, this past Saturday evening was the exception. Cirque du Soleil had a new show called Amaluna at its port and that was our motivation for our visit.
It took about 40+ minutes for us to get there on a Saturday night. I used google maps to figure out which restaurants were in close proximity to the event and decided on Pappys’s Seafood which seemed very reasonably priced and was walking distance. I called and made a reservation because San Pedro is not quite linked to any traditional online reservations apps like Open Table, Resy or Yelp.
We found free parking half a block away, walked in, checked in with the hostess and were seated immediately. I had read that the building was previously a post office. It was quite beautiful, bright, open and spacious. The restaurant had tall ceilings and two walls had floor to ceiling windows. Our server was fantastic and all of the runners and busboy were equally responsive.
We started with a Titos martini and Moscow mule.
For dinner, we both ordered sea bass. My husband ordered garlic butter, roasted red potatoes and salad while I ordered mine with chimichurri, fries and salad.
My husband also ordered two additional sides of Cole slaw and Mac n cheese. My husband said that my fish was better than his but not having tasted his I cannot personally confirm. What I will say is that the chimichurri sauce was recommended by our server but having eaten at South American restaurants, the sauce did not seem authentic. However, the fish was tender and it was quite herbaceous so I cannot complain. The mac n cheese had a crusty top layer from the breadcrumbs but the cheese flavor was light and not overpowering. The salads, Cole slaw and fries were fine but nothing extraordinary. All in all, it was a fantastic deal for the amount of food with a full bar experience. The prices were comparable to a California Fish Grill but in a much more interesting and lively setting.
From our dinner location, we walked about 10 minutes to the tent for Amaluna. Signs were everywhere. We walked along the path where people can workout on machines of their choosing. As we were walking, we saw swarms of cars stuck in traffic, attempting to find parking for the show. Anticipating the traffic jam, I had planned our arrival so that we could have an enjoyable, leisurely dinner with time to walk it off before the show.
We meandered down the path and made it to the entrance. Embarrassingly, there was a bit of a hiccup when we inadvertently cut in front of a long line of people waiting to take photos under the Amaluna archway. We apologized profusely for our error in judgment and lack of observation.
We entered the tent and looked to see if there was a line for the interior poster of Amaluna and luckily there was not. There was somebody on staff who was volunteering to take our photo so we took her up on her offer.
Afterwards, we headed to the shop as I wanted to buy a shirt to commemorate our visit. We bought a magnet as well and then lined up to our door to head to our seat.
We had been given the opportunity to upgrade a week or so before the event. I’m a Cirque member and perhaps that’s why they reached out to me. We previously had seats in the back section but were afforded the chance to move to the third row for an additional $40 per ticket saving us about $60 if I had chosen those seats initially.
We chatted a bit with our neighbors to the left of us and found out they’re Vietnamese. Since Saigon aka Ho Chi Minh city is on our list of places to visit we picked their brains a bit. During our conversation, I shared that I was born in the Philippines to the husband and he admitted that he was a refugee for a year confined to one of the Philippines’ islands. In that moment, I was whisked to all the horrific war documentaries about the Vietnam war, how they were forced to live in tunnels and how strong and tenacious the Vietnamese people were, living in darkness and in relative silence, surviving the horror that occurred above ground. With that one sentence, I was transported in time and place and though obviously I wasn’t personally responsible for what transpired, I felt sadness and regret for what he and his fellow refugees endured.
Amaluna also offered a similar experience but more along the lines of a philosophical time travel. The storyline was introduced as a coming of age story. As with any tale of the like, there are conflicts, struggles and obstacles to overcome. Though Amaluna whisked you to another time and to another place, it is recognizable but from a distant past. Yet, because history repeats itself, the emotions remain timely and relevant.
Interspersed in the storyline were the standard Cirque du Soleil displays of strength and athleticism, balance and breath. In this performance, the focus was primarily on gymnasts rather than trapeze artists, clowns and anorexic contortionists. Though in one of the last acts, there were 2 women and 1 man who looked severely petite, most of the performers looked muscular and strong which was refreshing.
I had veered away from watching Cirque’s last few offerings because it became as formulaic as a Danielle Steele novel. Fortunately, Amaluna offered much more than the standard template and that is why this performance will stand out amongst the rest, though admittedly “O” in Vegas is still my number one pick of all their shows and I’ve seen quite a few shows in the last 25 years.
On our way out, after making a 3rd stop at the very clean but very tight portal potties, we headed our and followed the path back to our car parked near the restaurant. Walking alongside us was a very petite, 4’8″ girl with slim legs and straight blonde hair, wearing a denim jacket and black leggings. She looked like a mini version of Reese Witherspoon but as I kept looking at her, I had a sneaking suspicion she was one of the main characters on the show. My husband, having no fear of talking to strangers or celebrities, walked us toward her direction and politely asked if she was one of the cast members which she confirmed she was. I commented on how quickly she was able to change and how sensational she was. For those who are curious, the performer we saw is Anna Ivaseva who I now follow on Instagram. She played Miranda and I’ll stop short of sharing her storyline since the whole show was about her and her journey.
All in all, it was a fantastic evening. Sometimes travel isn’t a physical journey. At times like on Saturday evening, it’s a metaphysical, intellectual and emotional journey. It’s the epiphanies and the takeaways from these snippets in time which help us grow, understand each other a bit better.
Thanks for a great and enlightening evening San Pedro!
Pappys’s Seafood 301 6th Street San Pedro, CA 90731 https://www.pappysseafood.com/menus/
Cirque du Soleil’s Amaluna https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/usa/los-angeles/amaluna/buy-tickets
I had been wanting to try this casual eats for some time. It’s not quite in downtown Culver City so it’s away from the madness and perhaps that was my hesitation previously. However, on Good Friday, after a long, exhausting week, we just wanted to go somewhere and have some decent, reasonably priced food without any effort of getting dressed up.
Seasalt Fish Grill is located in a building with adjacent free parking. You walk up to the counter, order and they give you a number to place on your table. It’s beer, wine, sake and shoji only. They have a TV where you can watch whatever sports event is in season. The seating is casual and comfortable. The restaurant is not very big but it didn’t seem to be very busy on a Friday night.
We ordered the seaweed salad, half spicy tuna, half salmon poke bowl with mango, corn, avocado, the North Shore shrimp which came with rice, red onions and pickled cucumber and the fish and chips with garlic Parmesan fries.
The poke bowl was the winner though some bites of the fish were tough but overall the flavor combination was varied and enjoyable. The seaweed salad was solid and had remnants of sesame flavor.
The North Shore shrimp had the shell on the breading which was unexpected, and it tasted sweet, unlike the three plates of garlic shrimp we had at Giovannis’s Shrimp Truck on the North Shore of Oahu. The pickled cucumber countered the sweetness of the plate.
The fish and chips were okay. The breading didn’t attach to the fish in 2 of the 3 fish sticks and the garlic Parmesan flavor didn’t absorb into the fries.
Overall, for the quality of the food, we would give it 3 stars. The location, convenience, casualness and service, we would give a 4. I wouldn’t go out of my way to dine here and for casual seafood eats, I would choose California Fish grill but if you’re in the area, about to watch a show at Kirk Douglas and don’t want to spend a lot of money, Sea Salt Fish Grill would be a solid option.
Seasalt Fish Grill
9901 Washington Blvd, Ste. 101
Culver City, CA 90232
https://seasaltfishgrill.com/culvercity/index.html
When we decide to dine out for dinner, we want to experience a different environment, people watch and/or treat ourselves for enduring and surviving yet another busy, arduous workweek. I judge a restaurant not just by the quality of the food but also equally on its service. Tonight’s food was delicious and very reasonably priced so that is what this review will focus on because of the manager, Jose, who intervened after I had come barreling into the kitchen screaming, agitated, asking for our food, because it took 25 minutes to get our drink orders, 10 minutes to get the lid to our coconut shrimp sauce which we were taking home with our leftover shrimp and 30 minutes after ordering to receive our salad and 2 entrees.
What we chose to remember from our evening was the part that was enjoyable and memorable and the reason we made the trek to the beach. Santa Monica and the Pier, to be exact, have had a special place in my heart since I was a kid. My dad had a job in Santa Monica so on weekends, he would make the trek from West Covina to Santa Monica to show me some of the places he discovered. The pier was one of those places that was magical for me then and now. Despite the mass crowds, especially over the summer, it’s a happy place, where one can feel like a child, feel like you’re on vacation and be whisked away from all your grown-up worries.
I somehow came upon Seaside on the Pier on the Santa Monica website. I looked at their menu which was very reasonably priced and decided to book a table on Open Table. I knew we were going to run a few minutes late so we tried to call on the road but nobody answered. In the midst of the crazy traffic on Ocean Avenue, I let my husband out so we wouldn’t be late for our 7:30 reservation and I went on the hunt for parking. After I found a lot, I walked with the crowd of tourists from Germany, Russia and other countless visitors from other countries venturing to the famous pier.
Luckily, the restaurant wasn’t too far from the entrance and I headed up the stairs to the restaurant where my husband was seated on the second floor, in the outside patio by a heat lamp. It was great seeing people on the pier, from all walks of life, seeing kids, dogs, teens wearing shorts, sweatshirts and flip flops, everybody on their own journey and different paths.
The first to arrive were the coconut shrimp. They were piping hot and needed a few minutes to cool off so they could be eaten. The batter was tight and stuck to the shrimp. They were perfectly crisp on the outside and the shrimp was meaty. It’s sweet and sour sauce was a nice accompaniment.
The next batch of food was the chicken Caesar, the seafood pasta and the grilled salmon. The winner of the evening was the pasta dish. There were lots of chunks of seafood and the Alfredo sauce had a bit of heat to it. The salmon was also quite good, perfectly grilled and lightly seasoned with a side of tasty cilantro rice and mixed green beans. The chicken Caesar salad with chicken was good but of all the dishes, could probably be skipped on our next venture.
Jose took us on the rooftop which has a fantastic view of the Ferris wheel, the pier and the ocean. I think once the kitchen staff, the servers and the host tighten up, this place will be a force to be reckoned with as the view is sensational. Yes, it’s located in a very touristy area but it doesn’t have offensive tourist trap prices and the food is actually quite good. Seaside on the Pier is on my Must Watch list.
Seaside on the Pier
250 Santa Monica Pier
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Grace Gambin
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