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Showing posts from April, 2009

Sushi Ota: Did it deserve to win the Top Food Title for SD in 2008? (San Diego)

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Outside Sushi Ota Sushi Ota from all aspects (along with online reviews ) is the best available sushi restaurant in San Diego. Even though I recently had experience sushi nirvana at Urasawa , my brave friend still added Sushi Ota on our food agenda for that day. Yes, brave would be the word since I did not plan on eating sushi for 3-4 months after Urasawa . Since we just munched on some carne asada fries, pollo asada burrito, and rolled tacos earlier at Super Sergios , we were just going for a "light" snack at Ota . Kumamoto Oysters (w/ ponzu sauce, grated daikon , and scallions) Being a fan of raw oysters, especially the Kumamoto oysters , this was a must order. The kumamoto oysters , native of Ariake Bay in Kumamoto Prefecture, on the southern island of Kyushu were fresh and delicious. The ponzu sauce added a nice touch to the dish, along with the grated daikon and scallions. This dish actually exceeded my expectations, and I was ready for the upcoming sashim

Half and Half Tea House: Was it the "Best Boba in the U S of A?" (San Gabriel)

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In Front of Half & Half Tea House A few months ago, some idiot (Ya, that idiot was me) proclaimed Half & Half to be "The Best Boba in the U S of A." Well, fast forward to the present day, do I still hold the same opinion? Or was my infatuation with this specific tea house similar to the crazy Angelinos believing Kogi Tacos is the best thing out there since sliced bread? Pudding Ice Milk w/honey boba ($4.58) What I would say about Half & Half is to try their ice milk drink with honey boba and either their grass jelly, coffee jelly, or pudding. It's their signature drink, where I've yet to find anywhere else in the SGV. Truthfully, their boba milk teas are really just OK. I prefer the boba drinks at Ten Ren/Tea Station much better. Hot Taro Milk Tea ($4.38) Like I said earlier, the milk tea here isn't anything special, and that carries over with the hot version(s) as well. Just as FYI, you're able to get pretty much any cold drinks here, hot. Fo

Urasawa: Simply, was it "worth it?" (Beverly Hills)

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(Entrance) *Picture Courtesy of Right Way to Eat * As a kid growing up watching various sports, "The U" to me has always been the Miami Hurricanes (my favorite College football team previously). As we fast forward ten, fifteen years to today, "The U" stands for one thing: Urasawa , the mecca of Japanese cuisine. Urasawa was formerly run by Chef Masa under the restaurant name Ginza Sushi- ko . In 2004 Chef Masa sold the restaurant to his sous-chef Hiro Urasawa , and thus, this legendary restaurant in Beverly Hills was born. Since moving to Los Angeles 3 years back, Urasawa has always been called my "Good-bye to Los Angeles" meal if/when I move back to Nor Cal, but as I've grown to love life down here, I decided to squash that plan and join a group of foodies in the So Cal area for a meal to remember at Urasawa . Located in the heart of Rodeo Drive, you'll see many high end stores, and cars in the area, along with its abundance of tourists visi