Vegas Baby! VEGAAAASSSSSS!!

Alright my sweets, I am out like shout this weekend and hitting lovely Las Vegas! (Admit it, you’re totally jealous – it’s okay, I would be too)


So Beans, hmm what should I call her.. I don’t know her well enough to give her a nickname.. let’s call her shmelshmissa, and I are venturing to Viva Las Vegas this fine Easter weekend. Never heard of it? Click the link silly! Should be fun – I know, I know.. you’re going to miss me SOOO much, but don’t worry! I’m going to release my inner Fat Kid all over that town and will be ready to report back on all the goodies I stuffed my face with as soon as I’m home.

If you’re really jones-ing for a post from Dee-lightful Dee, feel free to try and locate me at any of the marked places below. (Or you can leave me a comment, that'll definitely get me to log in)



  There’s gonna be some serious swallowing all over that town!

- Dee

Fukada Me?! Nooo, Fukada You!

Fukada is worth the Swallow.

 

I’ve only ventured here a few times, but each time it’s been Dee-licious. Fukada is a cool little Japanese restaurant in Irvine.

 

This time I went with a craving for Soba noodles in my combination, but unfortunately they were all out. I think we chose a shitty night to go because like I said before, this place has always been great. This time, the food was still great (aside from them being all out of Soba), but the service lacked. Don’t get me wrong, these ladies are always friendly, but this time they were taking forever to take our order, bring our order, bring our bill, and take it back.

 

Still, I refuse to hold this against them. I will return to fulfill my Soba craving.

 

So what did I get?

 

Seafood Salad Combination with Spicy Tuna Don. *Nom Nom Nom Nom NOM*

 

Lightly seared Salmon, Tuna, and Yellowtail on a bed of greens with a ginger dressing. Simple, but oh so good.

 

Spicy Tuna Don – Exactly what it looks like, spicy Tuna mixture on white rice with a smidgen of Wasabi garnished with some dry toasted seaweed. Side note – typically I would order this with brown rice, but some crazy person (Chef) told me that some other crazy person (Chef’s brother, Squid) had informed him that it’s not good to eat brown rice in the Winter... Yeeeaaaahhhhh... I don’t know about all of that, but hey.. any reason to not order the healthier option! Fat Kids Rejoice!

 

If you’re a fan of Spicy Tuna, or Japanese food all together, you must try this place. It’s so good. The Spicy Tuna Don is addicting, I’m convinced in the words of Dave Chapelle, “They sprinkle some crack on it.”

 

As most men would say.. Tis nicer to Swallow than to Spit. ha! gross.

 

/Swallow It

 

- Dee

Hi, my name is Dee and I’m addicted to Sushi.

Okay, so maybe it’s not a real addiction, but I could honestly eat Sushi every single day for the rest of my life – if I could afford it.

We all know Sushi can be expensive.. and I’m not even close to wealthy, well-off, rich, or financially comfortable... YET. So, when I can’t afford to go to Yoshi’s, Maru, or Hapi Sushi (this is where I go to treat myself) I venture over to Minato Sushi in Lake Forest. Minato is the best place to go for inexpensive yet decent quality all you can eat Sushi. Just $24.95 for AYCE Dinner, and $18.95 for AYCE Lunch.


Mexican Roll – California Roll topped with spicy mayo and Sriracha.


Philadelphia Roll – Salmon and cream cheese.


Salmon Sushi – One of my fave’s.


TNT Roll – Tuna Tataki on top of spicy tuna roll.


Albacore Sushi – Hands down my favorite thing to order here, it’s so tender it practically melts in your mouth, and they top it with Garlic Ponzu and a green onion garnish. The peppery seared albacore with the citrus savory sauce is a perfect blend of flavors, you can’t help but order more and more and more.


This was a nice little treat the owner/chef James made for me. Hamachi (Yellowtail) Sushi, all dressed up.

*All orders are full size (8pcs for rolls, 2pcs for sushi) I just kept forgetting to take a pic before my inner fatty could come out and eat half the plate.. I’m tellin’ ya, I’ve got a problem!*


Green Tea Ice Cream is included in AYCE.


Wrap it all up with a Cucumber Slushy. I think it’s cucumber juice with lemon-lime soda and perfectly slushed ice. It’s super refreshing!

Chef/Owner James is awesome, as well as his other chef Young, they’re both funny, they’ll drink with you, talk to you, and make you special orders without having to ask for them, they both make the place an all around blast.

When you’re on a budget and want some decent Sushi and a good time go to Minato and.. wait for it..

/Swallow It!!

- Dee

PS - Have you ever gotten ice out of your ice maker and it tastes like Garlicy Sadness and Death?? Wtf is up with that?

Dee Deems Deemer’s Dee-sappointing

Ha! I crack me up.

 

Soooooo, I had lunch with an old friend last weekend at a place called Deemer’s American Grill. I’ve been here before and it was damn tasty so why wouldn’t I want to go back?!

 

My first time there I had the BLT and it was super yummy so this time called for something new, the Californian burger. This burger has Monterey Cheese, Avocado Relish, Tomato, Baby Spinach, and Herb Aioli. Sounds good, right? Check out the shot:

 

 

Doesn’t look too bad. But let’s go back and really take a look at each ingredient.

 

Monterey Cheese, mild flavor but not bad to snack on. Avocado Relish, sounds different in a good way, relishes usually pack a punch of flavor, in this case, you would expect a hint of savory, but avocados... unless seasoned at the very least with salt, are actually very mild flavored, same with spinach. Tomatoes are standard, but I refuse them in my burgers and sandwiches. Now the Herb Aioli, oh how I love Aioli’s – they always compliment unhealthy foods so beautifully. BUT mayo with herbs blended in... still pretty mild flavored, not like a Lemon Dill Aioli, or a Chipotle Aioli, nay just some herbs in mayo...

 

All 5 elements were mild flavored; mild with mild, with mild, with some mild thrown in for good measure, and a little more mild in case you didn’t have enough.

 

Shit was bland! I had to use my friend’s BBQ sauce to jazz it up and actually attempt to finish it. Not to mention the bread completely fell apart.

 

Go there (bet you weren’t expecting that) and try something else, the customer service is actually really good and the place is always immaculate. Like I said before.. the BLT was damn good! So there’s hope for the other menu items.

 

/Spit out the Californian

/Swallow something else!

 

- Dee

A Dish So Nice They Named it Twice

Shabu-Shabu. That’s right, twice.

I was introduced to Shabu-Shabu back in 2003. How I ever lived without this is a mystery to me. – Did that rhyme?! Shabu-Shabu literally means “swish-swish” for the way you cook your meats/veggies by swishing it around in boiling water.

Shabu-Shabu is served with your choice of meats, and a dish of veggies which consists of Napa cabbage leaves, tofu squares, carrots, spinach, seaweed, green onions, and Udon noodles for your soup at the end (more on this later). It also includes two dipping sauces, a Ponzu (citrus soy sauce) and a Goma (sesame sauce) – you can season up your sauces with some minced ginger, minced garlic, and sliced green onions, don’t forget the hot drops! Just one in each sauce should do the trick. Top it all off with a bowl of rice.

What place do you go to for some pretty damn good Shabu-Shabu you ask? Well, California Shabu-Shabu in Costa Mesa of course! Great service, even better food.

Check it out:



I had the Regular (8 pieces) Choice Beef with brown rice and about 4 glasses of the most delicious Iced Green Tea I’ve ever had. Look at the beautiful Beef and super fresh veggies!





*Nom Nom* Right?!

So once you’ve gone through your meats (or veggies for you non meat eaters – no judgment!) and rice and sadness sets in at the thought that the meal is over... Think again! They surprise you with a bowl of soup base! You simply spoon in some of your boiling water, which has been seasoned with all the yummies you’ve been swishing in it, add the noodles, and whatever other veggies you might like and voila! Udon soup. It’s pretty awesome.



That was mine and I already want more.
This place is goooooooooooood. Go there, experience it, love it, love me for telling you about it, and then go on living your newly improved by California Shabu-Shabu life.


/Swallow It!

..and swallow some of that Iced Green Tea too, hell yeah mutha trucka!

I know, I’m a dork. You love it.

- Dee

A Loco Kind of Night

A few nights ago, it was decided that Chef, H1, and I would venture to Taco Loco in Laguna Beach for dinner.

I’ve been coming here since high school and I always, without fail, order the same exact thing.

Behold, the Blackened Mushroom & Tofu Burger:



We also decided to all share an order of the Calamari Nachos:



*Yum*

Side note: Watching Wipeout while trying to write a post is not smart.. That shit is distracting dude! But I digress.

I am a full blown meat eater (as I’m sure you’ve picked up on from previous posts), but I have ALWAYS ordered the Blackened Mushroom & Tofu Burger, it’s THAT good. Whole wheat bun, mustard, mayo, ketchup (sounds weird, but it really works!), shredded lettuce, guacamole, spicy sauce, and mushrooms  and tofu seasoned with Cajun spices. This burger comes with a side of tortilla chips which is also topped with spicy sauce. Every flavor and texture in this burger works together so well it’s honestly surprising. Who would think that mixing mayo, mustard, ketchup, guacamole, and spicy sauce would actually work?! It does my friends, it does.

The Calamari nachos are yummy too! The squid isn’t fried, per se. It is made with strips of Calamari steak which are lightly breaded (very lightly) and pan seared. The rest is pretty standard, cheese, guacamole, sour cream, spicy sauce, and of course the chips. It’s Dee-lish.

/Swallow them!

- Dee

Claim you’re a doctor and you’ll end up needing one. :(

Forgive me for not writing sooner. I’ve had one hell of a weekend..

I had intended to write a snazzy post on how you can all call me Dr. Dee now as I successfully managed to wrap my own sprained finger all by myself! Observe:



Popsicle stick & medical tape is all you need to be a Dr.



I know from personal experience that paying a $20 co-pay to have the Dr. tell you that you have a sprained finger and the only thing they can do is the “Buddy System” isn’t worth it. So why not do it yourself right? Gotta tell ya though... I highly recommend having a second set of hands help you with this, but like I said.. I’m a pro so I did it all by myself! Aren’t ya proud mama?!

While taking these pics (because of course I was going to post them up and show you all) I realized that I looked very much like a jackass. Sorry to all who have hurt a finger in the past, but really this “Buddy System” nonsense makes us all look special in one way or another. So I thought why not add some flare?! No need to look completely lame, make it worse with some lace!Yeah! And this is what came of that:





I’m a fashionista now! Designer Dee! I like it. Now, Yellow is not a “quiet” color by any means, but it was all I had and it’s better than tape and a popsicle stick. See.. I’m resourceful too!

The funny thing about this injury was when I woke up and couldn’t move my finger (no idea how it happened, I swear!) my first thought wasn’t, “how am I going to do my normal job on Monday?” Nay.. It was, “Shit! My Blog!” Priorities, pfft. Who needs ‘em.

So..... That was Saturday, then 5:30am on Sunday came and guess who woke up with a crazy case of Food Poisoning??? You guessed it! This chick. Now, I’m not gonna tell you not to eat at the Chick-fil-A in Tustin, but.. all I can say is, I won’t be returning. I swallowed it, and my body gave me no choice in spitting it back out. TMI – I know, my bad. So featured below was Sunday’s meal, yes one. That’s all, unless you count a teeny bit of Pho broth before bed.

Meal of champions.. and a dog who refused to get out of the shot because there was food within 7 miles of her presence. /Fatty



That would be knock off Grape Flavored Pediatric Electrolyte drink with a rice cake topped with PB&J while reading The Stand. Hell yeah, that didn’t come back up and was delicious to swallow down.

Finger’s feeling better, stretched it out a little and it works again. Tummy’s better too, damn fast food.. never again I tell ya!

...Still dehydrated and feeling hung over from the incident.

More swallowing to come. -Shit that sounds bad.. even to me.

- Dee

Shake*Shake*Nom*Nom

Hey ChickaDee’s and Chickadoo’s! Today’s post is brought to you by Dee a la Thursday.

Breakfast: BORING! Skipped it and had coffee since I had to attend an offsite company event. >.<

***

Lunch was a surprise birthday lunch for a team member at Naples Ristorante e Pizzeria at Downtown Disney. Once upon a time, long long ago, Dee ventured to this restaurant after a long day at Disneyland with my then bf (we can call him DB – I’m sure you can all figure out what that stands for). DB ordered a pizza with white sauce, artichokes, garlic, and something else – that pizza was magical. My lunch yesterday.. not so much. I ordered the Penne Con Pollo, featured below for your viewing pleasure.



Let’s take a closer look:



Pasta was dry, Chicken was dry, sauce was too watery.. whaaaat?! How does that happen?! I get it, the sauce sucked up all the moisture from everything else in the dish.. sneaky sauce!

PS – it was bland.. This is where the title comes in... I shook shook salt on it, then shook shook pepper on it, and THEN I shook shook some red pepper flakes on it. Taste, then repeat about 4 times. No bullshit. My team was in awe at how much salt I put on it. It was SOOOOOO bland! Ugh. I’ve discovered recently (although it’s always been suggested) that places who don’t put any condiments on the table, or don’t offer them at all, tend to be the best, most innovative, and tastiest and don’t need anything added anyway! Later on, I checked it on Yelp and the place only had 2.5 stars.. I should’ve checked it first. Ridick.

/Spit it Out.. All of it.

***

Dinner!!! Oh Dee-licious dinner!! Nom-sational - hands down. Yoshi’s Sushi in Yorba Linda was the place. This place is what sushi dreams are made of. So fresh, so flavorful, SO worth the drive.



We started with the Albacore Delight, or Dee-light as I’d like to refer to it as. California Roll (I hate these, but this is worth it) with seared Albacore up top, marinated onions, and green onions, all doused in an amazingly sinful garlic butter sauce.. This thing doesn’t even need to be dipped in soy sauce, it’s perfection in 8 pieces.

/Swallow It



Then followed the Crispy Spicy Tuna. I am a sucker for Spicy Tuna. This was actually pretty cool. Crispy/toasted sushi rice, a slice of jalapeno, and Spicy Tuna with a sprig of fresh greens. The sauces below were sweet, tangy, and spicy. The textures in this dish are insane, first you get that crunch from the toasted rice, then a crisp burn from the jalapeno, followed by the soft texture of the spicy tuna.. It worked, oh yes, it did.

/Swallow It

Next came Salmon Sushi:



Check out that marbling.. OMG my mouth is watering just looking at it. Simple, yet Dee-lish. Big pieces of fresh Salmon topped with marinated onions and Ponzu sauce, and yeah.. there’s rice under there.. somewhere.

/Swallow it down!

What’s next do you ask?! Well, here we go!



“Sea Snails?! WTF??!?!?!?” That was literally my reaction, I tried a few, but they’re a touch bitter. Not like Escargot at all.

/Spit it Out – Unless you’re into that sort of thing.

To help get rid of that last doozy we ordered some Kirin and Tempura Shishito Peppers:



Don’t be fooled! These peppers aren’t spicy at all! They have a very fresh essence to them, crunchy to bite into and they hardly need a thing, they are sprinkled with a little salt and that’s it. The sushi chef took the peppers, torched them a little bit, stuffed them with a tuna mixture and fried them up in a Tempura batter. So good!

/Swallow it.

It got better though! (Okay, yes, I ate a lot, but it was Sushi! (I have a sick obsession with the stuff. It’s like my version of crack!) Besides, I ate for the sake of the blog..
See guys! I DO care.



Snapper Sushi with Yuzu. *NOM* That little smidgen of green stuff on top of the fish packs such a punch of flavor, I might suggest not dipping this at all – if you can handle that. The Yuzu is citrusy, salty, savory goodness, pair it with that fresh slice of Snapper and you’re good to go.. Almost.

/Swallow it!

Last, but not even close to least:



The beautiful Star of Red Snapper. Slices of fish, dotted with hot Sriracha sauce, soaking in Ponzu. Yes.. that’s how you end a good meal.

/Swallow it

This place has great service and fresh food. No reason not to try it.

*Nom*Nom*Nom* This satisfies the Fat Kid in me.

- Dee