Sunny days

Those sunny and hot days are quickly approaching Los Angeles, so I decided to put a few pieces that I bought recently together. What do you think? 

Disappointed

The Open Door

yellow tail sashimi (3.5/5)

mixed japanese mushroom (4/5)

Macchiato

macchiato sunrise (2.5/5)

banana/mango waffle (2/5)

I have to say that I am disappointed with these two places. First of all, I always wanted to try the Open Door, since I heard a lot of good reviews about this place. They also have happy hour from 5PM-7PM. The food is good here, but if you want to grab a meal that will fully satisfy you then this place is not right for you. I feel like this place is more suitable for those who just want to talk to a few friends, have a few small dishes, and drink a couple of beers. Next, I went to Macchiato. Macchiato is just one of the many teas, coffees, and dessert places. I was also very disappointed with this place. The macchiato sunrise was nothing special. The waiter explained to me that it was a mango and peach tea? The waffle was nothing special as well. The mangoes had a sour taste. I am pretty sure that it was not fresh. The green tea ice cream was very hard. I don't know what else to say about this place. 

Pad Thai Tuesdays

BDG cardigan: Urban Outfitters

black high waisted pants: H&M

white top/black suede wedge booties: Forever 21

Honey Green Milk Tea w/boba

Thai Purple is a restaurant that is located in the city of Alhambra, CA. This place has a wide variety of Thai food, however the best part about this restaurant is the pad thai. The pad thai here is only $3.99 every Tuesdays.  It is both delicious and cheap. What more can you ask for?  There is also a Cha for Tea fairly close to the restaurant. I would say the walking distance is less than 5 minutes. I have tried numerous tea places, and I have to say that the tea here is pretty good. There are many places where you cannot distinguish the tea because of the fructose and flavored syrups in the drinks. The tea here is just right. An interesting fact about Cha For Tea is that their pearls (boba) is made of sweet potatoes.

Tea places I love:
1) Tastea
2) Le Arbre
3) Cha2o

Sushi lover

Ichima Roll (3/5)

Salmon Lover Roll (5/5)

Mango Tango Roll (2/5)

sweet/spicy

I decided to stop by Ichima for dinner today. It is located in Pasadena, and this is probably my second favorite sushi restaurant. I have to say that the salmon lover roll is the best of the bunch. I would definitely recommend it. If you had the rainbow roll before then I would say it is comparable to the ichima roll. It is really nothing special. The mango tango roll was my least favorite. I love mangoes, but I am not really fond of the sweet and spicy taste. I won't be ordering this next time. Other than that, the sushi here still satisfy my cravings.

My top 3 sushi restaurants:

1) Ichiban (Glendale, CA)

The Red Dragon roll is delicious here.

2)Ichima (Pasadena, CA)

3)Gin Sushi (Pasadena, CA)

Addiction

I went to the 3rd Street Promenade near Santa Monica Beach yesterday, and I only bought a few items.

I stopped by the Brandy Melville store and bought an open back tank and a caged crop top. They were also  giving these braided feather headbands for free, so of course I had to take one. I explored several stores, but none of them really captured my attention except for the cream crochet long cardigan at Cotton On. I think these tops would be perfect for the summer.

Getaway

Green Zone (organic)

Hainan Chicken (4/5)

Passion Fruit Tea (4/5)

Brandy Melville

3rd Street Promenade

Skull Top:Brandy Melville

Shorts/Chambray Button up:Forever 21

Santa Monica Beach

Curry House

Keema Curry (3/5)

Beef Curry Plate (2.5/5)

Today has been a very productive day. I decided to go to Green Zone to grab a quick lunch, and I would always get my usual, Hainan Chicken. What is the best part about the food and drinks? It is all organic. Also, I wanted to try the tea of course, so I chose the Passion Fruit Tea. The tea is not too sweet, plus you get free refills. After lunch, I went shopping at the 3rd street promenade. Finally, I was able to visit the Brandy Melville store. I was quite disappointed because I did not find many items that I intentionally wanted. I felt like the store was cluttered and unorganized. I ended up with only two tops. I explored Santa Monica Beach for a bit after and had curry for dinner. Although it was tiring, it was an exciting and relaxing experience.

Simple with a twist

Brandy Melville
http://www.brandymelvilleusa.com

Brandy Melville has quickly become one of my favorite stores. I randomly came across this store a few weeks ago, and I liked what I was seeing. I would say their clothes are laid back and simple, but with a twist. This is in fact my kind of style, so I decided to order a few things online. While I was browsing their website, I noticed that their clothes are one size fits most. I am quite small, so I had no problem with with this particular aspect of the clothes. Their clothes are very soft, and it fits perfectly. I am definitely going to be shopping here more often.

Capture the moments

Nikon 1 J1

"the beginners' camera"

The Nikon 1 J1 does not compare to those $2000+ dslrs that I envy, but it will suffice. It is not bulky and the pictures come out great. I have to admit that this is my new obsession.

Pasadena

Zankou

1/2 chicken

Bird Pick tea&herb

lychee oolong

Zankou Chicken is a restaurant located in Pasadena. I have to say that the food here is pretty delicious. It is also rated as "the best chicken", but you could be the judge of that. The portion is good for 1-2 people. My order consists of the 1/2 pound chicken, 2 panini wraps, some veggies, their own special sauce, and a garlic sauce. Be warned: bring some gum or mints because the garlic is kind of strong. If you know me, I am a tea lover, so I have to also stop by Bird Pick tea & herb. I have read and heard a lot of good reviews about this place. It is located near many shopping stores such as Forever 21 and H&M, so that is a plus! I ordered the lychee oolong and the drink tasted weird at first. I think I was too use to Half&Half and many other popular tea places around the 626 area. The oolong flavor is strong and the drink has a hint of lychee. I would probably not order this drink again, but I would come back and try other drinks. 

Hot & Cold

Boiling point

Kimchi

Hot pot on a chilly day? It can't get better than that. Boiling point is one of my favorite places to go to when I am craving for soup. I would always get my usual, kimchi soup, but if you have a hard time choosing then I would recommend the beef soup. The beef soup does have a little bit more flavor, but I don't know why I would always gravitate to my usual. Maybe I just like that veggie taste?

Quick break

Le Arbre

Green Milk Tea w/boba

Peach Green Milk Tea w/boba

Noodle World

Shrimp Fried Rice

Spicy Spaghetti w/beef

So I decided to take a quick break from studying and stopped by two places, Le Arbre and Noodle World.  There are two delicious items that I would always get and of course it is the green milk tea w/ boba and spicy spaghetti. On the other hand, the shrimp fried rice was very bland.  Even sirracha could not help the tasteless fried rice.