Solvang, California

Solvang which means sunny fields in Danish, is a hidden gem located 74km north west of Santa Barbara. This little town is home to a number of bakeries, restaurants and merchants, offering visitors a taste of Denmark in California. 

The weather was fantastic, it was hot and sunny 

Solvang street view. The architecture of the buildings and facades reflects traditional Danish style

The pedestrian friendly village is boosted by a bevy boutiques with elegant antiques and collectibles that are beautifully crafted

The best substitute for brains is Silence. Silence is a great substitute for intelligence =)

There are a variety of boutiques selling blue and white Delft ceramics. 

More ceramics...

Beautiful night lights! Very magical...

Love this cute signage - If Dad says no call 1-800-Grandpa. 

Paula's Pancake House @ Solvang

You have never been to Solvang, if you have never dine at Paula's Pancake House. The wait was 40 mins, but a quick snack at Olsen's Danish Village Bakery proved to be a short wait. This popular pancake house features original thin Danish style pancakes served with fresh fruits. It also has an all day breakfast menu and lunch menu that starts at 11am (except Sunday which starts at 12pm).

It opens at 6am and close at 3pm.  This is the most popular restaurant in town with people flowing out of the door

Happy diners enjoying their meal and soaking up some sunlight at the patio

The interior is not lavishly decorated but it has a cozy feel

The restaurant was dolled up with some Xmas decorations

Paula's Special - Danish pancakes topped with warm cinnamon apples and fresh whipped cream (US$8.75). This ain't any ordinary bready thick pancake. This thinly spread out pancake was light and fluffy. The combination of warm apple and maple syrup were wonderful.

Breakfast Special - Sunny side up eggs, sausage and hash brown potatoes. The sausage was extremely aromatic and juicy, while the hash brown was crisp on the outside and soft on the inside 

Buttermilk Pancakes with scrambled eggs and grilled premium ham (US$10.45). This old fashioned buttermilk pancake is thicker than the Danish pancake but equally light and fluffy. The perfectly grilled ham was succulent

Egg Benedict - Poached eggs with premium ham on grilled English muffin topped with Hollandaise sauce, served with sliced tomato and fresh fruit cup (US$10.95). Paula poached its eggs with love, topping off with thick Hollandaise sauce and olives. Absolutely beautiful....

We ordered additional corn beef hash and grilled danish sausage - It was perfect =)

You can pack this Solvang Danish style sausage home for US$9.99 (10 per package)

Incredible food with waitresses showing generous amount smiles.

Verdict : TOTALLY SMITTEN

WHISK @ Empire Shopping Gallery

That wholesome high immediately came to our mind when we visited WHISK. The sweet treats won't leave you with the jitters of a sugar high as it is wonderfully balanced. 

Macaroons 

Pick your stool and be ready to be Whisk away...

Moist, buttery and rich Swirled Butter Cake. Colorful swirl added visual drama to this grown up  cake.

Hummingbird Cake - such a lovely name. This moist and tender cake is packed with chopped pecans, crushed pineapple and mashed bananas. 

Latte

Americano

Verdict: SOMEWHAT SMITTEN

Olsen's Danish Village Bakery @ Solvang

While waiting for a table at Paula's Pancake House, we decided to check out Olsen's Danish Village Bakery. The bakery can be quite overwhelming with so many options to choose from. 

Bent Olsen, a third generation baker left Denmark to work with Solvang's Danish baker in the mid 60's. Five years later, he set up his own shop where he presents a full line of Danish treats.  Today, the bakery is run by his son, Herluf Olsen and his wife. 

 It is here where family recipes of four generations are found

Life is short. Eat Cookies =)

The Apple Strudel was amazing, the pastry was buttery and flaky. The apple filling was more apple than syrup and the combination of almonds flakes made it heavenly

These deliciously crisp cookies are filled with scrumptious butter flavor. The cookie tub assortment contains 6 different flavors : almond, coconut, oatmeal, chocolate vanilla swirl and cinnamon

Verdict: TOTALLY SMITTEN

KLCC Isetan Food Market

Not everyone has the time to dine out every night or cook every meal at home. Fortunately, there is the new KLCC Isetan Food market, which allows lazy/ busy/ full of excuse people like me to do takeaways. Whether you are in the mood for sushi, sandwich or chicken, the 5 Japanese and 1 Koren stalls have you covered. 

To kick off your feast, order the juicy skewered Yakitori. A sweet salty combination of the Yakitori sauce and tender licking good chicken and chicken's parts will kick start your fabulous meal. 

Try this classic Chicken Katsu. The golden fried cutlet is placed between soft thick bread with sweet savory sauce. 

At Fugetsu, dig into everybody's favorite Japanese savory pancake, the Okonomiyaki (RM18). It comes in three different flavors - beef, chicken and prawn.

Let's not forget the classic Sushi Rolls. We had a hard time deciding which to pick 

For a classic finish, Gong Cha Green Tea with Pearls will satisfied your sweet cravings. 

Your food options suddenly got a whole lot better and best of all, these easy-to-eat cuisine are sold at an affordable prices.

Verdict : TOTALLY SMITTEN

Cold Stone Creamery @ Downtown Santa Barbara

Cold Stone Creamery may not be a healthiest ice cream in town but I can tell you - It is the creamiest and smoothest ice cream I have eaten so far! The ice cream is combined with mix-ins, such as candies, nuts, cakes, chocolates and other items, which are folded into the ice cream to create your own unique flavor. This blissful creation comes in three sizes - Like It (5oz), Love It (8oz) and Gotta Have It (12oz). 

In the spirit of joviality, Cold Stone employees will sing a Cold Stone song whenever a customer give tips

Flavors flavors, which is the tastiest of all? Sweet Cream, French Vanilla, Cheesecake, Strawberry, Mint, Coffee, Chocolate, Banana, Eggnog, Bubble Gum, Cinnamon, Coconut....

My unique creation - Banana Ice Cream + Fresh Strawberries. Let's call it Red Banana =D

Cold Stone Signature Creation : Coffee Lovers - Coffee Ice Cream, Toffee Bar and Caramel

Cold Stone Signature Creation : Chocolate Devotion - Chocolate Ice Cream, Chocolate Chips, Brownie and Fudge

We love the Red Banana so much that we order an extra pint to go. It was absolutely delicious.

In my opinion, there are 3 top dessert places in California - 1) Diddy Riese, 2) Pizookie by BJ's  and of course 3) Cold Stone Creamery.

Verdict: TOTALLY SMITTEN 

Los Arroyos Mexican Restaurant @ Camarillo Premium Outlet

I was introduced to Mexican food during my university days and I have fallen in love with it ever since. Perhaps is the fragrance refried beans or the well seasoned BBQ meat that tantalizes my taste buds every time I bite into it...

Los Arroyos which means "little rivers" in Spanish is a family owned restaurant that started in 1999 at Santa Barbara. The Arroyos's family prepares Mexican cuisine like no others using authentic recipes that have passed down over generations. 

Diners are required to order at the counter and the menu & specials are posted on the wall for easy reference

The restaurant has a salsa bar, allowing diners to taste all the different types of sauces

Mexican food would not be complete without the classic guacamole 

The quintessential Mexican delicatessen. These triangle cut tortilla chips are made fresh everyday, ready to be dip into the different types of sauces.

There are many varieties of salsa sauces to choose from at the bar. Pico de gallo, which is also known as salsa fresca are made from raw tomatoes, lime juice, chili peppers, onions and cilantro leaves. While, Salsa Negra contained dried chili, oil and garlic. 

Burrito Mojado - Los Arroyos's most popular wet burrito are filled with grilled steak, black beans topped with salsa roja. It also came with some rice, guacamole and sour cream.This burrito was wonderfully rustic with sufficient sauces to keep it moist.

Tacos al Pastor - two soft tacos served together with grilled seasoned pork, pineapple and onions on homemade corn tortillas. The meat were juicy with sufficient amount of heat.

Flavorful and filling Tortilla Soup

We were all blissfully appeased by Los Arroyos's authentic recipes.

Verdict : TOTALLY SMITTEN