Thanksgiving Weeeeekend.

I know I know… total “welcome to LAST WEEK” status. I’ve been wanting to post up about thanksgiving weekend all week, but with the workload increasing at work, and finals on the line, I haven’t been able to spare the time to do so =(.

TODAY.

I.

Will.

POST.

BUHLEEDAT.

Now I usually would post up a random C&H comic at the end, but seeing as how I’ve lagged, I’ll 1-up it a bit this time.

I’ve probably just made every guy reading this happy, and every girl jealous LOL.

Snap. Another few I forgot about.

Alright, was sorting through pictures again, and found out I forgot to update about a few other places. Ahhh iPhoto… how would I keep my photos in check without you?

Anyway, I’ll start off with a classic: KOURAKU.

314 E 2nd St
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 687-4972

“Hey… do you wanna get some Kouraku ramenBLEGHHHHHH!” *Throws up*

LOL sorry Logan.. I had to ahahahah.

Now, this place I’ll warn you now, isn’t the BEST place for japanese food, but at 2AM where everywhere else is closed, it’s still incredibly satisfying. They have a rather large menu, pretty much anything will do.

Two of my favorites: Hiyashi Chuka and Gyutan Shioyaki. Two solid choices as always.

Next, we have FRED 62.

1850 N Vermont Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 667-0062

This place is always good for late night eats, especially after a concert or after clubbing/lounging. Service has always been good, prices are decent, and the food is simple and great. If you go, I recommend the following:

- French Dip Sandwich
- Mac Daddy and Cheese Balls
- Tofu Chilaquile
- BEARDED MR FRENCHY
- Turkey Meatloaf
and many others.

Mac Daddy and Cheese Balls. Jalapeno bits mixed in as well. So good.

French Dip Sandwich.

Next time after the club, be sure to give this joint a try if you’re hungry!

Third, we have Louise’s Trattoria.

232 N Larchmont Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90004
(323) 962-9510

I usually don’t come here for dinner, since their lunch menu is so amazing. I did come for dinner once, and it was delightful. Penne Asparagus with wheat penne and blackend chicken, paired with a great glass of wine, all for less than $20? That’s a win. The waiters/waitresses there are great as well. No matter how picky you are with your food, they’ll do whatever they can to make you happy.

Onion and Sage Foccacia. Dip in some balsamic vinegar and EV Olive Oil, and you’ve got a great starter.

I live for their Minestrone. It’s by far the best I’ve had to date, and unlike other places, comes out so hot I actually had to blow on it to cool it off. Also a nice dip for the Foccacia.

AMAZING. Chicken and Portobello Mushroom Ravioli in a Cream Redux sauce.

And last but definitely not least: Diddy Riese out in Westwood.

926 Broxton Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90024
(310) 208-0448

Not only does this place have freshly baked cookies and brownies, but they also serve amazing ice cream sandwiches with their cookies. At 35 cents a cookie, and $1.50 for an ice cream sandwich, the prices are well worth it. It’s definitely somewhere you’d want to come late night with a friend after dinner for dessert, or if you just want something cheap and delicious.

Always a line outside.

Don’t leave without grabbing a sandwich and a dozen cookies LOL. You know you’ll want more when you leave.

I got Rocky Road ice cream with Chocolate Chip w/ Walnut cookies (not pictured), and Juhee got Oatmeal Raisin w/ Strawberry ice cream. Since we were already in the area, we also got one for Stanley and dropped it off for him.

Alright, I think I should be all caught up now. Cack to work on the reals this time.

Hmmm… reminds me of a certain girl I know LOL.

Later everyone!

21 Choices.

Ahhhh 21 Choices.. still one of my favorite frozen yogurt places in the area. I do still prefer the “korean” aka “pinkberry” style of frozen yogurt, since it’s a bit more tart and not nearly as creamy, but if I’m feeling for something a bit more sweet, 21 Choices is the #1 option.

Anyway, yesterday, November 25th, was quite a special day. Yes, that wondrous day where 21 Choices opens their doors and offers everyone FREE, yes FREE, frozen yogurt. So after my day ended, I headed over to Occidental to pick up Juhee, Gina, and Tiffany. HOWEVER, Tiffany couldn’t go since she had to finish an essay, and Gina needed to go pick up her car from the dealership out in Glendale . Psh. Flakers! LOL just kidding. So I dropped her off first, then Juhee and I headed over to Old Town. 21 Choices.. here we come!

Surprisingly, not packed like we thought it would be. Guess they did a good job being incognito about it all hahah.

Hmmm… I wonder…

Choices of the day! Notice how they put “freefreefreefree” at the bottom hahah. So sneaky.

Juhee got SWEET STRAWBERRY, while I opted for PUMPKIN PIE. Her’s was good.. but not nearly as good as mine LOL.

Love this place.

Alright, that’s the quick update from me today. Back on the grind.. things are getting busy here at the office.

LOL.

- Charles

The post consisting of posts I should have done earlier (actually, only one post applies).

So then, I’ve been looking through my old photos on my iPhone, and realized that there were actually quite a few events/restaurants that I’ve gone to in the past month that I have yet to share with everyone here. Most of them I have already taken care of, but there were a few that slipped past my mind and were therefore replaced with other posts. In light of these events, I have decided that I would just take the time and cram all these forgotten posts into one cumulative post.

However, looking through “one mo’ gain,” I realized that many of these places are rather insignificant, so I actually only have one restaurant that I deem important enough to bring back from the past. That restaurant is:

Sanuki no Sato (November 15th)

18206 S Western Ave
Gardena, CA 90248
(310) 324-9184

If you’ve never been here, or even heard of the joint, I suggest that you take a day and plan to try this famous Udon restaurant out in Gardena/Torrance. The quality of the udon is just AMAZING.

For those of you who can’t read Japanese, it reads Sanuki no Sato LOL.

Random light ball lamp outside. Thought it was kind of interesting.

First on the list: Gyutan Shioyaki (Broiled Beef Tongue w/ Salt). Always good.

What I ordered: Tempura Zaru Udon. Fresh cold Udon to be dipped in Tsuyu in the same manner as Soba.

What Juhee ordered: Nabeyaki Udon. A popular Udon soup dish that’s cooked in the pot it’s served in.

Chawan Mushi (Poached Egg and Tofu w/ various goodies inside). Nice way to end a meal. Light, refreshing, and of course delicious.

Wonder who was bored enough to do this? Hahah.

After that meal, headed back out to K-Town for some dessert. Where else to go for dessert and drinks than good ol’ Mr Coffee?

537 S Western Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90020
(213) 389-6767

Green Tea Ice Cream and some Iced Peach Tea.

So that’s that. Now, onto things that actually fall in to chronological order.

Sunday, I went back to Arcadia to grab dinner with my pops. I usually eat dinner with my parents every week, but since my mom is currently in Taiwan, and I’ve been overloaded with work, I haven’t really gotten to do so for the past two weeks. I made sure my schedule was clear that night, picked up my dad from the house, and we chose to have Sushi for dinner that night. Seeing as how my dad absolutely despises having to travel far for food, we kept it close and went to Sakana in Arcadia. We’re good friends with the owner there, and the quality of the fish and food in general is top notch.

713 W Duarte Rd Ste H (Next to IHOP)
Arcadia, CA 91007
(626) 821-9800

Gin Tako. Basically little balls cooked with a piece of octopus inside, then poured over with a broth. NOT to be confused with Takoyaki.

Special #1, consisting of Uni (Sea Urchin Roe), Amaebi (Sweet Shrimp), and Hirame (Halibut). Super fresh, super good.

Soup made from the head of the Amaebi. Usually get to choose to have the head either made into soup, or have it fried. I usually prefer it fried, but I was feeling for soup that day for some reason. Either way, can’t go wrong.

Ika Watayaki. Squid put under the broiler, then covered with a nice sauce. Especially tasty when you wash it down with a nice glass of Asahi or Sapporo hahah.

Uni and Ikura Nigiri Sushi. Sea Urchin Roe on the left, Salmon Roe on the right. Two of my favorites.

Black Cod with Miso. AMAZINGLY good.

Why I also love eating with my dad. He never lets me pay LOL.

Afterwards, I dropped him back home, then started heading back home to my house in LA. On the way, I remembered that one of my favorite programs was running on Sirius, and immediately had to tune in.

Basically plays new releases from different DJ’s, as well as some classics from his personal collection. Always in for a treat if you’re into that kind of music.

Anyway, got home and relaxed for a bit, then had to head out to Rowland Heights to meet up with Randy, who was buying my Blackberry Curve. I had already parked my C63 in, so I decided to take the R6, since I haven’t ridden it since coming back from Vegas. Always fun of course, pulled an average of 90-95 on the 60 freeway, and got there in about 15-20 minutes. Same thing on the way back home hahah. Francis and Allen called me once I got back, and we met up at Mr Coffee for another late night, ending in another late-night food run. This time, we headed out to Lucky Boy out in Pasadena. Known for their GUT-BUSTING Breakfast Burritos, I really wasn’t in the mood to get blowed up, so I got a club sandwich, while Allen got an order of Fried Zucchini Sticks, and Francis got a Bacon Burger. That was pretty much it for the night. Forgive me for the lack of pictures, as I left my iPhone back at home =(. Next time.

Finally, we get to Monday. Nothing really much to say other than.. it’s Monday LOL. I did however, check my bike real quick before rolling out, and noticed that there was definitely something different about my tires..

How the deuce did the 60 Freeway do that to my tires?! Oh well. They’ll smooth out soon enough.

Went in to work around noon, finished up some work, then one of my co-workers needed to go to Fry’s to return something, so we decided to grab lunch there at the cafe while we were at it. Yes, I know. Fry’s for lunch? Trust, they’re sandwiches are actually pretty satisfying.

My pick of the day.

But these are still my all-time favorites. *HINT HINT*

Tuna Salad Sandwich on Rye, a slice of Dill Pickle, some Salt and Vinegar Kettle Chips, and a nice cold Lemonade. Solid Combo hahah.

Later on that night, I ended up at the Pantry with Yoshi, since that was one of his favorite places, and since Japan really doesn’t have anything like that. Who am I to ever say “no” to The Pantry?

877 S Figueroa St
Los Angeles, CA 90017
(213) 972-9279

On the corner of 9th and Figueroa.

Packed as usual.

Yep, it’s an LA Monument. Never closed since 1950.

Dinner menu up top, as the breakfast menu doesn’t come up until 4AM.

Cole Slaw. Quite satisfying.

I could come here JUST for this. Sourdough Toast w/ butter. Slather on some jam, and you’re in heaven. Ridiculously good.

Bacon and Cheese Omelet. Don’t let the size fool you.. it’s actually pretty hard to finish unless you have a strong stomach LOL.

What I ordered: Country Fried Steak w/ Sausage Gravy. The peas and the potatoes were covering about another 1/3 of the steak LOL.

After that, I headed back home, and proceeded to take some metamucil to help digest all that food. If you ever eat there, be prepared… the next morning will be hell if you’re not ready for it hahah.

Anyway, that’s about it for this post. Time to get back on the grind so I can actually try to sleep EARLIER today.

Another comic for the go.

LOL.

That’s it from me. Goodnight everyone!

- MF Charles

THANKSGIVING THROWDOWN.

Ahhhh yes… it’s that time again! Logan aka ROGANSAN’s 3rd Annual Thanksgiving Throwdown! This time, instead of being at his house in Irvine, it was at Opie’s house in Huntington Beach, since a lot more people were coming. So, after waking up super early, I went back to LA to buy ingredients and prepare my items for the potluck. I had to make mashed potatoes, asparagus, ribs, biscuits, and bring a few jugs of water. Total costed me about $70 for everything, so not too bad. Started boiling up the potatoes right as I got home, since they take the longest. Threw the biscuits in the oven, then started sauteeing the asparagus. Also threw some mushrooms, onions, and fresh mozarella on the asparagus, then covered everything with some fresh black pepper and some more olive oil.

Mashed the potatoes, then added some garlic and fresh pesto. Ribs were to be taken care of once I got there. Everything actually came out super well, other than the biscuits, which came out flat because my oven’s heat sensor broke, so everything was below temp. They were still good though, so I brought them along anyway hahah.

So I packed everything up in a large box, threw everything in my trunk, and headed off to Huntington Beach. Actually a fair amount of traffic on the 5S as always, but once I got on the 605 to the 405, it was all clear. The house was in a gated community, so I had to stop and tell the security guard who’s house I was going to, and he had to check his list to make sure my name was on it. Pretty hardcore, though not the first time I’ve experienced this hahah.

One of my favorites still to this day. Listen to that song when you need to get somewhere fast LOL.

First thing I noticed when I got there though.. the houses are SUPER nice. They’re all facing the water, and have their own private docks for their boats and whatnot. So dope.

So nice.

Anyway, once I got in, I put down everything that was ready to go on the table, and got back in the kitchen to help everyone out.

Working in the kitchen.

Opie throwing down some dry-rub on the ribs!

This came in handy at night when it got really cold hahah.

Yep, that’s their own personal boat in their “backyard.” Yoshi grabbing the first beer of the day as well.

Must be nice waking up to this every morning.

Justin working his magic on my rack of ribs.

Opie slicing up the first two racks.

Mmmmm… so good.

Turkey #1!

Prepping the Salmon for grilling. Cedar planks.. only way to do it!

Pigs in a blanket! Bacon wrapped figs. AMAZING.

Taizo’s UNIVERSE FAMOUS Guacamole. You haven’t had good guac until you’ve tried this!

Amazing spread. Not even everything yet!

Taizo’s Spam Musubi. These were gone QUICK.

Kebabs!

Ready to carve.

Logan: master turkey handler.

Came out so good.

Some more spread!

Everyone lining up to get food.

Time for turkey!

Plate #1. Already super dead after this plate LOL.

LOL. “I want to rub his DOME.”

Wii’n it up.

Tennis!

Carving up Turkey #2!

Rogansan “schoolin da youf” on how to properly carve a turkey.

Homemade stuffing, and homemade gravy. Awesometown.

Justin double-fisting. Red in one hand, white in the other.

I ended up leaving around midnight to head back to LA. Definitely would’ve stayed longer, but figured I should get back early so I could sleep. Yea. That totally worked LOL.

This year was definitely a GREAT success. Great food, great company. Can’t ask for more than that.

Till next time!

- Chaz

Vegas Day 3: AD08 Release Continued (America)

First off, I just wanted to say that it’s so nice to be back home. It’s just good to be able to shower in your own bathroom, and sleep in your own comfortable bed. Don’t get me wrong.. I love Vegas, but going twice in two weeks? I’m good on that LOL.

Anyway, there’s not really much to say about Day 3, since it was pretty much all the same as Day 2. Instead of International companies though, it was US companies this time, such as Car & Driver, Road & Track, Eurotuner, and Modified, just to name a few. They started out with the Autocross first, then lunch, then track. This day was actually a lot more fun than Day 2 though, for two reasons: 1) the Yokohama trailer has WIFI internet through a satellite, and 2) we all got to take the cars out on the track and skidpad after all the press left LOL. Super good times.

Allen’s 5D’s mirror fell out (apparently a common problem on 5Ds). So how did he fix it?

JB Weld?! LOL. It did work though, so guess I can’t hate.

INTERNET!

My means of transport throughout the event hahah.

Getting ready to DESTROY this Evo X MR on the track.

Actually rather nice transmission.

Chillin out in the esses.

What’s that I see?

Ohhhh yes. Get to destroy a C63 that’s not my own LOL.

These were relatively new when I got in the car. Not so much after about 6 laps LOL.

Next victim: MS RX8. Actually very fun. Reminded me of my old S2K, just with way less power hahah.

Had to run the Carrera S as well. Good times in this as well.

Huge brakes. At least they work properly hahah.

What do I think about the AD08? I’ll tell you this: I personally think no other real STREET tire has the amount of grip and inspires that much confidence than the new Neova. The amount of traction is RIDICULOUS for something meant to be used on the street. I pitched the C63 sideways on the track, and it wasn’t a problem at all. Even when I pushed the tires past the limits, it was still controllable and I could correct it instantaneously. Once these release for the public (Q2 – sometime in April), I recommend that anyone who’s serious about driving hard to pick these up. They’re rather pricey for the regular consumer, but they’re definitely worth it.

Anyway, after all that flogging, we finished packing up, then headed back home. Got back in about three hours, averaging about 105+ once we got out of the Vegas traffic. Went back to my Arcadia house to switch to my C63, then headed back to LA. Just chilled for a bit at the LA house, took a quick nap, then woke up around 12:30 to shower. Headed back to Arcadia again, and passed out once I got there.

Finally done. Time to rest.

Next post: Logan’s Thanksgiving THROWDOWNNNNN.