Murals at Pekin Cafe

[As of March 10, 2019, Pekin Cafe is now closed]


The original post was in the works last year but I am updating it with these newer images of this street art tribute...

to Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor (links to the NAACP and change.org petitions are listed at the end of this post)

Christmas Party with Friends 2018

We recently hosted a party at our pad...

This is a piece I bought from Project Reo Collective's past Loteria art exhibit this past spring. It's called "Ang Estrelya", a Filipino take on the Mexican loteria card for "La Estrella" (the "star"; the artist is Nina Cristobal of Nina Cee Studio)...

Lunch round up - Carnival, Halphen Red, Los Pollos, Pho Convoy, Cali Baguette, the food court in Su Mercado, Sandwich Bags Deli, Gunco Ramen and Mandarin

Time to clear out the memory card before the end of the year,

featuring past lunches...

Steamy Piggy+ desserts from Paris Baguette

We were up for trying a fairly new place,

over in the Convoy area of course...

Hui An Garden

A couple of months ago, I met up with Kirbie for early lunch...

Hui An Garden used to be Fu An Garden (which Kirk had posted on earlier this year before they closed)...

Nomad Asian Bistro

After our brief foray to the  Huntington Pier...

we headed to Long Beach to meet up with our friend for lunch...

House of Pancakes

When you hear the words House of Pancakes, you usually think of the breakfast type of pancakes, like IHOP.

You won't find those here at this establishment...

San Tung #2

(I'm on a roll here, trying to finish up the Summer 2015 photos as well as Spring and Summer 2016)

Continuing with Day 6 of our epic road trip...we got picked up by my cousin and her second daughter. The first one was traveling while the youngest, her son, was out with his dad.

She took us from our motel from Parkside to the Inner Sunset.

My niece  recommended a popular Chinese place, known for their wings...

No Philippe the Original...so Capital Seafood Arcadia it was

We were supposed to go to Philippie the Original but when we saw the horrid traffic leading to the freeway, that idea was nixed immediately. Turns out that the Dodgers had a game going on, so yeah, we would NOT be heading in t hat direction.

Thus, Cathy in her infinite wisdom headed back through Pasadena, until we hit upon Arcadia...

where we employed Cathy's trusty method of seeking a place to eat...

which was to drive around until something looked good...

Return to Sam Woo & Pappalecco (Kensington) for Astroboi's birthday crawl

Like how Cathy and her mister have their "favorite" parking spot when going to Ranch 99 (it's not in the main lots that's for sure), so does Astroboi.

Away from the crowds is always good. Going early to Ranch 99's Sam Woo for breakfast is also good.

Although we arrived at 8:30 when Sam Woo opened, there was actually a line...

Dragon Express

TC and I were out and about earlier today doing errands.

We visited my friend La Ley to give her some tomatoes from our garden (beefsteak, roma and cherry!). For lunch, I thought we would try a restaurant she and her sister likes...

It is called Dragon Express on E Street, next to a very groovy looking grocery store (Foodland). The strip mall is a bit on the weathered side but looks are not everything for us...

Belated birthday breakfast @ Sam Woo + Desir Bakery (Ranch 99)

Earlier today, I met up with Cathy of mmm-yoso, along with her husband (aka The Mister)...

Breakfast would be at the restaurant inside Ranch 99,

one that I've always walked by or peered into but never ate at, until today...

Spring Break Road Trip 2016 - Day 5 Highlights

The criss crossing telephone lines and street car lines in the Parkside neighborhood were a welcome sight to see once again...

Our fifth day brought us to the Outer Sunset...

More inflation reflected in Mandarin's menu...

I was at Mandarin Chinese recently with some friends...

and saw the inevitable...

Late breakfast at Manna with TC

Along with the New Year comes a slight increase in prices...

as TC and I noted this quiet Wednesday morning...

Return to Golden House

We hadn't been here in awhile...

and for the sake of convenience (and also because TC was craving orange chicken)...

Mandarin & Cucina Urbana revisit

Lunch on a whim earlier this week...

with my friends, La Ley and Mr. TJ...

Late dinner at Mandarin Beijing

We hadn't been to Mandarin Beijing in a while...

Three years to be exact and it was also for the same reason...

Dumpling Hut

The next stop on D's birthday food crawl was actually unplanned.

One the northwest corner of Clairemont Mesa Blvd and Mercury is the same strip mall that houses the mediocre and gringofied  Pho Fusion, and Mercury Grill (which Kirk has posted on back in 2011), which incidentally Dumpling Hut replaced.
The strip mall also featured the now defunct Aria Kabob (which TC and I enjoyed) which is now Chaba Thai (also posted by Kirk in 2013). So much turnover!

We were actually going to have dessert at a Korean place but when I mentioned, "Oh, that must be new, that Dumpling Hut. Want to try it first?", D was all for it. So off we went...

Pekin Cafe (aka Chop Suey)

It's back to regular blogging and although I have to start work this Friday (of all days, dammit), I'm going to do my best to crank out the posts like the Duggar woman does kids.

Earlier today, in North Park...

a few steps away from this beer billboard at the southwest corner of 30th and University Ave...