Food journal #7 - Phil’s BBQ

I went to Comic Con 2011 at San Diego this week. Before we go, I saw Phil’s BBQ on Food channel and I really want to try it. We went to the restaurant on a Wednesday night. it’s located next to the Sport Arena and inside is nicely decorate and very easy to find a seat.

I order BBQ baby back ribs for myself and my husband have the Beefy Rib & Chicken Dinner ( 2 Beef Rib and 1/4 Chicken BBQ’d), and we also order a side of corn on the cob and fried. The baby back ribs are very tender and juicy, and the sauce is very sweet and the meat is full with the BBQ sauce favor. 

I think it done well on the BBQ meat, but both of the side is very disappointed. The fries is not hot and crispy. The corn on the cob is using the grainy corn, and it’s very chewy, and the potato salad on my husband’s combo is not season, very bland. I would go back for the baby back ribs but I am not recommend to order the extra side. It’s not worth the money. (3 Stars)

Address: 3750 Sport Arena Blvd., San Diego, CA 92078

Phone: 619-226-6333

Food journal #6 - TLT BBQ (Meat Lover Paradise)

This store is for the meat lover, the chinese style meat kebab/meat skewer. The price is very reasonable, they also served beer. I recommend go there with more people. I was surprise with the eggplant kebab, a lot of people don’t like eggplant soft and mushy texture, but this store is totally different. You can see from the picture, it’s firm with a lot of favor. Highly recommend!

BBQ takes time to make so be sure you don’t have plan after dinner. It will take at least 15min before your first order arrive. The store is locate at the quiet corner of the strip mall, so be careful at night. Get their early, around 6:30pm then you don’t need to wait too long.

We did order the mix chow mein, which is chow fun noodle with chicken and sausage. A good item to fill up your stomach. Lamb kebab, chicken wing kebab, and beef kebab are the must try item. 

But don’t order the “A” vegetable kabeb, the texture like a wet paper towel dry up with burn edge.  (4.7 stars)

Address: 39257 Cedar Blvd., Newark, CA 94560

Phone: 510-494-1008

Food journal #5 - The Melting Pot

I like fondue, and I want to try this restaurant for almost a year, finally I got a chance this week to check in this restaurant. We went there on Saturday evening around 7pm with no reservation, and we can get a seat right away. The seat is at the back of the building, you can see Cal Train pass by every half an hour. This is a very nice seat if there wasn't a loud and obnoxious family with 8 kids running around and screaming every 5 minutes. I can say it wasn't a kid friendly restaurant because of the hot pot and flat top stove, and 8 kids was running around and their parents was chatting with themselves and totally ignore the kids, OMG. This is not a good situation at all. And, the host feel really bad for us and try to make up for our experience and give us 2 free drinks. I am really glad the waiter try their best to control the situation, but it was scary to see the kids running around and accident would happen anytime if they touch the "HOT" pot or the stove top. I wouldn't blame for the restaurant for the experience, I would blame the family.

This is the first time we try the Fondue experience, so we pick the set menu called Fondue fusion. 
First course: Cheese Fondue - we choose the spinach artichoke fondue with breads (Nice Fondue and the bread is soft and cheesy, we finish all the cheese dip before the bread and chips.)

Second course: Salad

Third course: Mojo cooking style - Lobster, shrimp, chicken, pork, filet mignon, sirloin, potato, and corn ravioli 

The cheese dipping sauce for seafood is pretty good.

Forth course: Dessert - Milk chocolate with gram cracker and s'more

That's all, the bill arrived. It costs $128.03 for us with 2 drinks. The service is great, the food is fresh, but I think this is a little expansive for 2 person dinner. My husband still feel hungry after the dinner, I think I won't be back again unless I am really craving for chees fondue. (2.8 Stars)

Address: 2 North B Street, San Mateo, CA 94401
Phone: 650-342-6358

Mouth Watering Strawberry Yogurt Recipe

	Owl City .mp3
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

DIY Strawberry Yogurt - Healthy and Yummmmy~!

It's the weekend, I am wondering at the house and open up my fridge and looking for comfort food. I find strawberries and yogurt, this comfort food is easy to made and definitely is a healthy choice. You don't have to feel guilty after eating the delicious organic yogurt. Cheers~! =)

Ingredients
Strawberries - 1 lb 
Plain Non Fat Yogurt - 2 lb
Sugar - 4 tbsp (table spoon)

#1 - Wash the strawberries and use paper towel to dry up

#2 - Dice the strawberries into small cubes

#3 - Mix the strawberries cubes into the non fat yogurt

#4 - Stir the mixture and add sugar

#5 - Ready to serve

Food journal #4 - Homemade Seafood Dinner

	Lee Greenwood - God Bless the USA .mp3
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

Congratulation to myself, finally got my citizenship today after 15 years in United State. I am proud to be an American. Therefore, we celebrate today by cooking a Seafood dinner at Home =) 




It's a long day for me, it is because:
#1 - Wake up at 6am
#2 - 9am arrive Oakland (A lot of traffic)
#3 - Getting a parking spot at the Oakland Paramount Theatre
#4 - Cooking a perfect seafood dinner with the best ingredients I could get my hands on

The Paramount Theatre serves all the arts in Oakland, it's a beautiful historic location with stunning decoration inside.

Back to the Food Part. I order my ingredients online and it arrived today around 3pm, the shipping only cost me USD$10. And, it was shipped by FedEx. 

The item are neatly packed. I ordered the following:
#1 - Fresh Grade Carlsbad Oyster (1 Dozen)
#2 - Live Sashimi Grade Spot Prawns (1 lb)
#3 - Frozen Sashimu Grade Large Soft Shell Crabs (6 pcs)

The soft shell carb is pretty big compare to the Quarter. (USD $0.25)

The crab is already clean when it comes with the package, I only need to wash off the ice from the surface.

And, surprisingly the shrimp is as big as the soft shell crab.

How to prepare the shrimp:
#1 - Chop the head off, peel off the shell from the body
#2 - Use scissors to cut off the legs and the antennae 
#3 - Use knife slight cut the back of the shrimp (Abdomen part)
#4 - Take out the intestine 
#5 - Prepare the wasabi and soy sauce
#6 - Ready to eat

Wash the shrimp head and dip into the tempura batter mixture, fried until changes color.

The soft shell crab has the same process as the shrimp.


Be careful with hot oil and water. I recommend you prepare the extra long frying chopsticks, and use the wok cover as your shield.

We also prepare broccoli and zucchini for the tempura.

And, lastly we open the oyster. Add lemon juice, ketchup, and tabasco.


Dinner is ready to serve~!  

Food journal #3 - CULTURE Organic Frozen Yogurt

Yogurt is good for you and CULTURE is good for you... the key ingredient is coming from Straus Family Creamery - Kosher Yogurt. The taste is smooth and silky, but not too sweet. It's different than those chain yogurt stores, it's definitely a healthy choice. They have many organic toppings for you to choose. I like their mango and strawberry, both of the items are carefully prepared, finely chopped squares. You know the store workers did put their heart on preparing the ingredients. The store is locate at the heart of Palo Alto - South California Avenue, plenty of parking space across the street, easy access location. They also serve organic chocolate chips cookie, very tasty. It's not a self serve yogurt place, they have small, medium, and large for you to choose. Because the healthy ingredients and easy access locations, the yogurt is a little bit pricier. (4 stars)


P.S. Don't forget to ask for a frequent visitor card. 12 stamps = 1 FREE medium swirl + 1 Topping


Address: 340 S. California Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94306
Phone: 650-324-0440

Refreshing Homemade Lemonade Recipes

	Fool's Garden - Lemon Tree .mp3
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

Refreshing summer drink - Homemade Lemonade 

Ingredients
Lemons - 5 pcs
Hot Water - 800ml
Rock Candies - 2 pcs
Honey - 6 tsp 

#1 - Cut the leomons in thin slices, and remove the seed

#2 - Put the Rock Candies into the Hot Water

#3 - Add lemon slices to the mixture
(Do NOT add lemon slice before hot water, it is because it will make the mixture become bitter.)

#4 - Use wooden spoon to poke the lemon slices until all the lemon juice coming out

#5 - Add honey into the mixture, and stir until it dissolve with the water

#6 - Wait until cool down and put into refrigerator 

#7 - Serve and Enjoy