Daikokuya Ramen @ J Town Los Angeles

We all remember our first taste of Ramen. For some, it was a defining moment. For me, Daikokuya Ramen was love at first taste. Our wait was 40 mins and it was well worth it.

There is never a clear line at Daikokuya, it is perpetually crowded with no sight of empty chairs and counter tops. The restaurant does not take reservations, hence the first thing diners do when they enter the restaurant is to pencil down their name and wait for their turn to slurp.
Seared Kurobuta Pork Belly Chashu with sweet glaze and green onions. The Kurobuta Pork is regarded as one of the highest quality pork in the world. This highly prized pork comes from the ancient breed of pig known as Black Berkshire.

The Gyozas at Daikokuya are made fresh everyday, topped with thinly sliced scallions scattered over the top. The rectangular packets are pan fried with edges that are crispy and pork fillings that are intensely juicy and flavorful.

The noodles, made from wheat flour, are combined with seasoned bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, green onions and a seasoned hard boiled egg. Each bowl of Daikokuya Ramen came with few slices of fatty Chashu too. What so special about this bowl of noodles? Well, it is the broth, which is cooked for over 15 hours using the kurobuta pork bones, yielding a bowl rich flavorful broth unlike any other.

Next stop Mochi Mochi.....

Verdict: TOTALLY SMITTEN

Sweet Love from J. Paul Getty Museum @ Los Angeles

J. Paul Getty Museum is one of the most visited museums in United States. The modern architectures houses some of the most prominent art works, which includes European paintings, drawings, sculpture, illuminated manuscripts, decorative arts and photographs. What I love most about this place is the outdoor setting, with landscape that was designed creatively and executed tastefully.

Ever present never twice the same. Ever changing never less than whole.

Getty's secret garden - Ever present never twice the same

If you look far enough, you will see downtown L.A. Ever changing never less than whole

In-N-Out @ Los Angeles

Our trip to L.A would not be complete without a visit to In-N-Out. This family owned fast food restaurant which started in 1948 by Harry and Esther Snyder is a must stop for every tourist. Back in the 90's, only Californians get to savor this magnificent burger. But since then, it has expanded to 258 locations, which includes region such as Arizona, Nevada, Utah an Texas.

Our first stop in Los Angeles =)

The kitchen is always sparkling clean despite the heavy orders.

The menu is fairly simple consisting of 3 burger varieties: Hamburger, Cheeseburger and Double-Double. Of course, there is the secret menu which includes the popular 3x3 (3 patties and 3 cheese), Flying Dutchman ( 2 meat patties and 2 slices of cheese by itself with no bun, condiments, or veggies) and Protein Style (burger wrapped leafed lettuce instead of a bun).

Free flow of fountain drinks ~~

At In-N-Out, burgers are prepared the old fashioned way. The patties are made from 100% pure beef which are free of additives, fillers and preservatives. Microwave, heat lamp or freezer are forbidden in the kitchen. The never frozen beef patty, fresh hand leafed lettuce, juicy tomatoes, crispy onions coupled with the old fashioned sponge dough bun and spread is what every burger needs. I could taste the freshness and quality of the burger in every bite. **Yummmm**

What is a great burger without great fries? In-N-Out's fries are cut at site and cooked in 100% pure cholesterol free vegetable oil. The results? Fresh, crispy and fluffy fries - I almost forgot how real french fries should taste like after eating frozen fries for so many years.

Verdict : TOTALLY SMITTEN

I Mei Food Court @ Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport

Located on the 4th floor of Terminal 2 Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, I Mei Food Court is an ideal place for transit passenger to spend a few hours before boarding on the next flight. This food court is at the same level as the EVA air VIP lounge and Evergreen Transit Hotel. There is free Internet access and good range of cuisine for you to choose from.

We decided to make a stop at the Dim Sum counter.

The Dumpling Set comes with a bowl of piping hot soup, which was very tummy soothing and souperlicious!

Xiao Long Bao - The rice flour wrappers were packed with crunchy, peppery filling of minced pork. Needless to say, the soup from the Xiao Long Bao was absolutely flavorful.

Assorted Dumplings - Even though the fillings aren't revolutionary, the assorted dumplings were stuffed with preserved Chinese vegetables, prawns and chicken.

And off we go to our next stop -- Los Angeles.....

Verdict : SOMEWHAT SMITTEN

Ginger Bread House @ St. Regis Singapore

My California vacation has officially ended. I'm back home and ready to start work tomorrow. It has been a crazy 2 weeks and I must say, I really miss California a lotttt. The weather was great and the traffic was kind to us. I managed to drop by some of my favorite eateries and tried some new places. Before I start sharing my food journey with you, here is a quick look at what I had the night before I left K.L.

St. Regis Ginger Bread House. My Auntie & Uncle actually ferried this two huge Ginger Bread House all the way from Singapore for us to savor. The Ginger Bread House was perfectly intact and it taste delicious.

This Ginger Bread was very different from the one I bought from Lavender and Coffee Bean. It doesn't taste like a stiff piece of cardboard. The bread was semi moist and slightly chewy with a spicy kick of ginger. This was truly a delicious Ginger Bread rather than just another decorative Christmas ornament.

Even though, we were away for 15 days, the Ginger Bread still taste good. The trick to preserve these delicious Ginger Bread is to keep them in the fridge and toast it for 2 mins before serving. I had two pieces of Ginger Bread this morning and it still taste yummy! =)