I Am Fortified

"I Am Present" Bruschetta - toasted whole wheat
baguette, cashew mozzarella, roma tomatoes,
fig-balsamic dressing, fresh basil

Until recently, I had a volatile relationship with vegan food. I'd had one too many bad experiences that left a bitter taste in my mouth (literally). But after giving hipster mecca Café Gratitude a second shot, I feel like a whole new woman. I first heard about Café Gratitude from my yoga instructor who insisted that eating vegan was the way to go. My carb and cheese loving self was naturally skeptical, but Café Gratitude is the perfect place for transitioning vegans or anyone who wants to give vegan food a shot. Knowing what to order can be tough, so I suggest you take along a vegan friend or simply order one of the many delicious bowls. (The "I Am Gracious" is my favorite).

"I Am Fortified" - sautéed seasonal veggies and kale,
brown rice, quinoa, sesame garlic-tahini sauce.

The up-lifting and self-empowering menu: each item
 is named after an affirmation.  

Villa Blanca

My best friend and I started a new tradition this year. Instead of giving each other birthday gifts, we agreed to treat each other to a day of fun on our respective birthdays. So this year, we kicked off our new tradition by trekking every square inch of LA, getting lost, missing freeway exits, pampering our nails, and feasting on some of my favorite foods. One of our stops was at Villa Blanca, a charming dining room in Beverly Hills that serves the best calamari I've ever tasted. After stuffing ourselves, we headed over to La Provence for, what else, macarons.

Life-like and sparkly Bvlgari advertisement spotted in Beverly Hills on our way back from Villa Blanca.

Sugar Overload

I've been eating very healthy lately...

salted caramel. matcha green tea. rose. earl grey. violet.

red velvet pancakes at Larchmont Bungalow.

pear, Meyer lemon, pistachio pancakes with vanilla creme at Square One.

fancy chocolate from Koko.

My Favorite Place

The Mediterranean Sandwich is equal parts beautiful and delicious.

Favorite Place is living up to its name. I often frequent this lovely tea room with my sister for girly and refreshingly light lunches in a one-of-a-kind atmosphere. With impeccable service, delicious tea sandwiches and a relaxing mood, this place is perfect for lunch with the ladies. 

left to right, clockwise: a prominent display of tea sets and china makes you feel at home; their signature rosewater lemonade, a must-try; complementary lentil soup with a spicy kick; my favorite off the menu - the oriental chicken wrap

Cozy and comfy - With plush pillows and Frank Sinatra softly singing in the background, Favorite Place makes you feel like you're in mom's living room. 

This Cake is Bananas. B-A-N-A-N-A-S.

All you banana-haters out there must try this recipe! I hate throwing away overly-ripe bananas that are on the verge of attracting tiny fruit flies. So I'm always on the lookout for some innovative banana recipes because banana muffins and banana bread just aren't cutting it anymore. I was very pleased with how this amazingly moist and surprisingly cake-y (not dense bread-like) banana cake with cream cheese frosting turned out. The best part is I didn't even have to use a mixer. Also, I halved the recipe, but feel free to make a more traditional 2-layer cake with the full recipe.

 clockwise from top left: A touch of cinnamon added a nice subtle touch to the cake; the consistency of the batter was kind of odd and funky, but the mashed up bananas (I know it looks gross, but trust me on this one) loosened the batter up a bit; butter and flour the pan and the baked cake will pop right out.

chop chop: try adding the nuts into the batter next time!

I had to try really hard to not eat the frosting on its own. It's very tempting, but you must restrain yourself.

Isn't it beautiful?

Sweet San Diego

Art or food?

Spring Break means time spent catching up on my studies, but I was in such a desperate need of a break from my exhausting school schedule, we decided a San Diego trip was in order. Going back to my city of four years is always a relaxing change from the hustle and bustle of LA, and not surprisingly, our itinerary the entire weekend revolved around food and restaurants (and some of my favorite beach spots, which I'll post later). I strategically scheduled breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and desserts so that we'd be able to hit up all of my favorites, especially the church I worship - Extraordinary Desserts. 

Left: As seen on "The Best Thing I Ever Ate," the Dulce de Leche Cake is an extremely moist chocolate cake with crunchy milk chocolate layers, topped with dulce de leche. Basically, heaven.
Right: The chocolate version of my favorite Lindzer Danish also seen in this post. 

I hate waiting in line at the LA Sprinkles,
so we made a final stop for some sugar at the La Jolla Sprinkles.

Black and white cupcake from Sprinkles.

Best Late Night Snack

These white chocolate chip Nutella cookies are so addictive! Their consistency is pretty...interesting. They're super duper flat, but surprisingly chewy on the inside and crispy on the outside. It's mind-boggling, really. But they're perfect with a cold glass of milk, and aren't overwhelmingly chocolatey. Experiment with the basic cookie dough by throwing in some walnuts or chocolate chips.