Hina's Fave Breakfast Cereals

Cereal is one of life's great comfort foods. It's a "Saturday morning cartoons" breakfast. It's the happy snack with prizes in the box. It's the late night, movie watching, popcorn alternative. It's the best milk-flavoring device ever! (Chocolate cereal goes into the bowl, plain white milk goes over the cereal, eat all the cereal, and PRESTO! Chocolate milk! Just like magic. And you know you only ate the fruity cereals so that you had that fruity pink milk left over to slurp up.) I love that there are so many different varieties of cereal available out there!

As I grew older, I moved away from the super sweet kiddie cereals laden with marshmallows and frosted with sugar. Instead, I focused on super sweet adult cereals laden with nuts and berries and frosted with sugar.

My absolute favorite cereal of all time is Trader Joe's Super Nutty Toffee Clusters. It's loaded with Brazil nuts, pecans, almonds, and delicious toffee flavored granola clusters. This is the most delicious, most uber-fabulous cereal in existence. .....However, a serving size is ONLY 3/4 cup and contains 250 calories and 9 grams of fat. And that's before adding any milk!

Quaker also has a great cereal called Cranberry Macadamia Nut cereal. This fruity-crunchy-nutty combo is one of my favorite movie time snacks. It's the perfect mix of sweet, rich and crunchy. Unfortunately, 1 cup is 245 calories with 5.9 grams of fat. *sigh* The best tasting cereals are the most calorie rich.

Now, I must confess that while cereal is a lovely start to your day, many cereals are loaded with sugar and fat. So I have some back ups which I munch on periodically.

Cheerios
Plain old original flavor Cheerios. At only 100 calories per cup, this is a winner. .....But I like to tweak things to suit my sweet tooth. My favorite way to eat it: Add 2 tbsp. roasted, unsalted sliced almonds (90 calories), 1 tbsp. Blue Agave Sweetener (much like honey, but it's low-glycemic, so no blood sugar spike - 60 calories), and 1/2 cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze (20 calories). Total 270 calories. I suppose you could just buy Honey Nut Cheerios, which has lower calories at only 110 calories per 3/4 cup (about 147 calories for 1 cup), but adding nuts and sweetener of my own is extra yummy!

Trader Joe's Organic Morning Lite
Sooo yummy! High fiber, low fat, low sodium. "A Delicious Crunchy Blend of Organic Whole Grains & Honey." 1 cup = 130 calories. This is a great start to the morning. It's sweet and crunchy, it resists soggies fairly well, and if you mix in a 1/2 cup of Fiber One Original, you only add 60 calories, plus you get 14 grams of fiber! I like mixing the two together because I get my fiber for the day, and the Organic Morning Lite tastes great and makes the Fiber One bearable.

Kellogg's Special K Chocolatey Delight
A 3/4 cup serving is 120 calories. This mixture of crunchy rice and wheat flakes has chunks of chocolate. It's a good sweet breakfast, or a nice low cal dessert.

Soooo....... everybody share. What's your favorite cereal?

Another Confession Monday ..... *sigh* A True Foodie Weekend

I am hoping that since this past weekend was Easter, I wasn't the only one who splurged on food. And I don't mean, "Oh, I ate too much." I mean, I really splurged on food. Not only did I eat too much food, I ate too much really, really good food.

It started on Saturday morning, with a 5.4 mile walk, which really kick started my appetite. So I got home and had a tasty smoked salmon sandwich with cream cheese, caramelized red onion, Thai chilies, roasted tomatoes, and capers. In addition to my large nonfat latte, that was a tasty start to the weekend. Saturday evening was even better. One word: Tapas. We went to a nice, small tapas restaurant and proceeded to order half the menu. My favorite dishes were the Baked Garlic (two whole roasted bulbs!) with bread, Octopus in Spicy Tomato Sauce (fabulous! the sauce was garlicky and had grated almonds!), and the Spicy Lamb Strips in Garlic Sauce, served with a side of rice. And how can you eat Spanish cuisine without imbibing sangria? We had a porron of sangria, which was not too strong, over ice and fruit. Very tasty. However, I could not end the evening without a nummy! We stopped at a grocery store and picked up a pint of Ben & Jerry's Dublin Mudslide, which I finished off at home while watching Alien vs. Predator Requiem. So, not only did I rot my insides, I rot my brain cells as well. (But I love ice cream, and I love cheesy monster movies! What can I say? It's my shameful weakness!)

Then Sunday was Easter, so of course we feasted! My mother cooked Easter lunch, and what is better than mom-food? This year, mom made a pork loin roast, stuffed with bread crumbs, thyme, and king oyster mushrooms, with a side of apple-ginger-Cointreau sauce, accompanied by grilled asparagus and lemon (prepared by mom, and cooked courtesy of dad, the grill master), and mom's fresh homemade bread rolls. What did I contribute to this feast? Three different varieties of tulips arranged in vases, and .....Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies from Extraordinary Desserts! (Come now, you didn't think it would be an Easter feast without a nummy, did you?)

I wish I could say that was the end of my weekend decadence, but we got home, puttered around the house, then started preparing dinner. My husband had a craving for "really good cheesy pasta." Well, far be it for me to deny a craving of the man I love! I whipped up a dish of wide whole wheat noodles (that's a plus, isn't it? whole wheat noodles?), and I made a Garlic, Cream Cheese and Irish Cheddar Cream sauce. It was to die for!! (Damn you, Irish Cheddar!! Why do you taste so divine?!?!) Of course, by this time, foodie guilt was engulfing me, so even though I had a healthy green salad (after the pasta), all I had for dessert was a tiny 90 calorie Soy Creamy ice cream sandwich. Not the most satisfying of nummies, but certainly a tasty little snack.

Anyway, the result of all this glorious food indulgence, is that I must haul myself out of the house to run up and down stairs and power walk for hours in an attempt to appease the Fitness Gods. I wish to please them with my cardio sacrifices so that they do not smite me with whole body cellulite. Wish me luck and a strong will to stick to my 1200 - 1500 calories per day. I will be counting every last crumb I consume!

A Happy Monday to All, and to All a Healthy Week of Spring!

Foodie View: Vanilla Ice Cream - AKA a Blank Canvas

I am a chocolate lover first and foremost, and vanilla isn't exactly a stand up and take charge flavor. Sometimes, I want my ice cream to take the lead, rather than being an "I dunno, what do you want to do?" sort of flavor. Generally, I want my ice cream to be a flavor that "shows up with dinner reservations, has a wine recommendation, has plans for a movie, and has a lot of scintillating conversation swirled into the whole mix." I like my flavors akin to Ben & Jerry's Urban Jumble (a metropolitan merger of chocolate and coconut ice creams, mingled with white and dark chocolaty chunks, pecans and roasted almonds), now sadly retired to their Flavor Graveyard. Now, that was a take charge kind of flavor!

Vanilla is a good "river" ice cream - it just goes with the flow. As my wise and hilarious friend says, "It's like tofu in that it embraces whatever flavor you add to it. Kind of like the zen ice cream, or the ice cream that gives in to peer pressure!" Given its placating and complaisant nature, vanilla tends to be the perfect blank canvas on which to create a palate masterpiece. Below are some of my absolute favorite Vanilla-and-(fill in the blank) creations. I fully encourage you to buy some vanilla ice cream and have a creative night. This is also a great activity for children. Have them create their own personal flavor and give it a name. For those of us counting calories, you may want to start with Dreyer's Slow Churned Light or Dreyer's Slow Churned No Sugar Added ice creams. They're super creamy, very tasty, and only 100 or 90 calories, respectively.

Fruity ~ Vanilla Ice Cream topped with:
Fresh Passion Fruit
Fresh Mango
Raspberry Preserves
Blueberry Preserves
Guava Jelly
Grilled Pineapple and Sugar Free Coconut syrup

Pies and Cakes ~ Vanilla Ice Cream mixed with:
Pumpkin Pie - 100% Pure Pumpkin Puree and Pumpkin Pie Spice or Cinnamon (or both)
Apple Pie - Chunky Applesauce and Pumpkin Pie Spice or Cinnamon (or both)
Blueberry Cheesecake - Blueberry Preserves and Ricotta Cheese
Strawberry Shortcake - Strawberry Preserves, Shortbread pieces, and whipped cream

Exotic ~ Vanilla Ice Cream topped and mixed with:
Ginger Preserves (or chopped candied ginger) and Roasted Cacao Nibs
Green Tea powder sprinkled on top
Sweet Red Beans and Coconut Gel

Alcoholic ~ Vanilla Ice Cream mixed with:
Blood Orange slices and Cointreau
Toasted Coconut Shreds and Malibu Rum
Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans, Baileys Irish Cream and Kahlua
Super Nutty Toffee Crunch Cereal (Trader Joe's) and Amaretto
Limoncello
Rum-soaked Rasins, Cinnamon and Dark Rum
Baileys Irish Cream, Butterscotch Schnapps and Ladyfingers

Wanna-Be Chocolate ~ Vanilla Ice Cream mixed with:
Graham Crackers, Mini Marshmallows and Dark Chocolate Syrup
Toasted Almonds, Chocolate Fudge Brownie, Dark Chocolate Chips
Warm Caramel Syrup, Dark Chocolate Chips, Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies
Dark Chocolate Ganache

Don't be shy. We've all taken vanilla to new heights. I'm always looking for more decadent ways to tweak my ice cream. Share the joy!

Foodie View: Hina's Top Three Cupcakeries!

One of the things I love best about cupcakes is that they eliminate the guilt of not sharing. It's a very personal dessert, and regardless of the size, nobody hears the word "cupcake" and expects you to split it. How can you? It's a cupcake! Two bites, and you could be done. And if you did offer to share, what would have to give? "Sure, I'll share! Here, extract the maximum amount of flavor from this tiny mound of cupcake crumbs, and try to feel satisfied with that." You might as well save your cupcake for yourself, and point the other person in the direction of the platter.

That's the other wonderful thing about cupcakes. They rarely travel alone. A cupcake starts it's life in a tray with 5 or more siblings. They bake together, cool together, they even get iced and frosted together! Then it's usually onto a tray or platter, or into a box. Cupcakes like to hang out together, and that makes it so much easier to satisfy your craving.

And nobody satisfies a cupcake craving like these places! Here are my Top Three Cupcakeries in Southern California

Dots Cupcakes
400 S. Arroyo Parkway, Pasadena, CA 91105
(626) 568-DOTS

This place is terrific! It's right off of S. Arroyo, very close to the end of the 110 Freeway, and there's free parking located underground. Stop in at the cute little boutique-shop for a cup of good coffee, and grab your favorite flavor. If you go on a Friday or Saturday, you can try my favorites, all made with Valrhona chocolate: Chocolate Chocolate, German Chocolate, and Chocolate Cheesecake. My friend swears by the Strawberry Shortcake, but I thought it was just ok. I also recommend the Apple Pie. It's such a cute one, and very tasty!

Sprinkles
9635 Little Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 274-8765
and
in Corona Del Mar Plaza
944 Avocado Ave., Newport Beach, CA 92660
(949) 760-0003

I must say that Sprinkles takes cupcakes to a whole new level. The cupcakes come in over 20 fabulous flavors, and they always look so perfect and trendy with their decorative dots or sugar toppings. My favorite flavor here, surprisingly with no chocolate, is the Pumpkin cupcake. It's really good spiced pumpkin cake with cinnamon cream cheese frosting. The flavors go so well together, and the frosting isn't too heavy. I also tried the Mocha cupcake, which is a Belgian dark chocolate cake (mmmmm...) with mocha frosting. The cake was terrific, but I think I was looking for a more coffee-rich flavor. Of course, if I had had it with a cup of coffee, it would have been perfect. I have also heard that the Red Velvet cupcake is one of the absolute best, a light chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting. I will definitely be trying that one soon!

Yummy Cupcakes
2918 W. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank, CA 91505
(818) 558-1080
and
313 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 393-8283

No list is complete without Yummy Cupcakes. I have never been to the Burbank location, but the Santa Monica store has free parking in the 4th Street parking lot. Yummy Cupcakes has over 100 different cupcake flavors. This is the current King of the Cupcakeries! Since they have so many fabulous flavors, they have a rotating Daily Menu with 18 flavor combinations available, and the menus are available on their website. Of course, you can always place an order for any specific flavor. A few of my favorites are: Carrot Cream Cheese (the carrot cake has raisins and pineapple), Mudslide (a coffee infused chocolate cupcake, baked with a "shot" of Irish Cream), and the Chocolate Truffle (a chocolate cupcake with a chocolate ganache center AND topping). I love the fact that they have an entire "Cocktail" flavor line of cupcakes, such as the Lemon Pinot Grigio, Blue Hawaiian, or Pina Colada cupcakes. It's something I've never seen anywhere else. And check out their upcoming menu of St. Patrick's Day cupcakes. I am heading straight for the Guiness Extra Stout cupcake with cocoa whipped cream and green edible glitter! Also worthy of note, although I haven't tried them yet, are the Cupcake Biscotti and the Cupcake-in-a-Jar. Real cupcakes, sliced and baked to a crunch, and your favorite cupcakes layered in a jar with the toppings (whipped cream, chocolate sprinkles, etc...), ready to eat with a spoon. It's decadence gone wild!

I have to note that I have not found a decent cupcakery in San Diego. Not that San Diego doesn't have terrific desserts, just no cupcakeries worthy of mention. There may be a store with cupcakes just waiting to be devoured. If so, clue me in! I am always on the hunt for Great Food!

Foodie View: Vietnamese food in Chula Vista

I know people on the East Coast probably don't believe me, but winter does hit Southern California. No, we're not neck-deep in snow, but for us, the need for a sweater means it's freezing! You know when it's cold outside, and you're feeling chilly on the inside, and all you want is some good food to warm you up? That's where I was about a week or so ago, so we went to Pho Hiep and Grill, a Vietnamese restaurant.

Pho Hiep and Grill
543 Telegraph Canyon Road
Chula Vista, CA 91910
(619) 482-8883
www.PhoHiepGrill.com

If you've never tried Vietnamese food, you're missing out on some great eats. Pho Hiep and Grill is a decent place for your first taste of Vietnamese cuisine. It's located in a shopping center on Telegraph Canyon Road, just off the 805 Freeway, and there's ample parking. Unlike many other pho restaurants which appear a little run down, this establishment is very clean and nicely decorated. Another plus, you have to request chopsticks as they are not kept out on the table. Much more sanitary! I don't mind asking for my chopsticks. I'm just happy a few hundred other people haven't touched, licked, and sneezed on them before I got there.

The food was fresh and tasty. Although we originally went to try the pho, we decided to order less soupy entrees so that we could easily share with our baby. We ordered Goi Cuon (spring rolls), Bun Thit Nuon Cha Gio (grilled pork and egg rolls over vermicelli rice noodles), and the Com Tam Hiep (Hiep's house special combo with rice, with a pork chop, chicken, shrimp, shredded pork, and Vietnamese-style steamed meatloaf). The spring rolls are large, you get two pieces cut in halves, served with peanut sauce. Ours were quite fresh, filled shrimp, pork, noodles, bean sprouts, and mint. A vegetarian option is also available. The bun (vermicelli noodle dish) and the com (rice dish) were enormous entrees, very flavorful and satisfying. Our 17 month old baby really enjoyed the steamed meatloaf and chicken with rice, although I found the very tender shredded pork to be the best part of the dish. The bun was such a large serving of noodles, meat, and vegetables, that we couldn't finish it. However, the grilled pork was excellent. It's marinated in a honey sauce and grilled over an open flame, and it comes out tender and savory. A perfect flavor complement to the noodles and sauce. For dessert, we ordered Che Hiep (Hiep's house special dessert), a sweet red bean mixture with shaved ice, coconut milk and tapioca, topped with crushed peanuts. Much like a red bean version of halo halo. It was delicious with a sweet/salty flavor, and the coconut milk adds the perfect creamy, tropical taste.

While the food is very good, and the location is easily accessible, I have to gripe a little about the service. The staff are very polite, but they seem disorganized, and one or two seemed to have some difficulty communicating in English. When we came in, we were seated promptly, and they brought us menus and a high chair for Mr. Baby. We had just started looking at the menus when two servers started placing food on our table. It took about four minutes for us to explain that we hadn't ordered anything yet, and this was not our food. Then we had to wait nearly 10 minutes for someone to show up to take our order. We also ordered iced Vietnamese coffee to go, but had to ask for it three times (no exaggeration). It seems our order was lost or forgotten the first two times, but it may have been simply due to confusion between the three different waiters who came to our table over the course of the evening. We also had to ask for our check more than once, and by the time we got it, we were more than ready to leave.

All things considered, it was still a good restaurant. They haven't been open long (since December '07 or January '08), which may account for the disorganization. However, it seems to have built a nice reputation fairly quickly. We arrived early in the evening, around 6pm, and tables were available. When we left, there was a lineup of customers out the door. The food is good and the portions are big. The menu is a good size with six appetizers, and 44 items for bun (vermicelli noodle), pho (noodle soup), and com (rice) entrees. The prices are reasonable; our dinner of 1 appetizer, 2 entrees, 2 desserts, and 3 iced coffees totaled around $40.

We had a good foodie experience, and it's a place we can go with our baby. I would definitely go back, and I while it's not the best Vietnamese food I've ever had, I would still recommend it as good eats. But you know me! I'm always on the hunt for Great Food. Any tips on really, truly Great Vietnamese Food hot spots?

Foodie View: Hina Cooks! Super Easy Vegetarian Stir Fry

Is it incredibly vain to write a review of your own food? I fully admit, I'm bragging right now. I made a totally awesome stir fry dinner, and I am so proud of me!

It was a quick meal, an easy to make meal, a healthy meal, a vegetarian meal, a satisfying meal, and a super yummy meal! The veggies add lots of flavor and texture, not to mention color. The soy based ingredients (tempeh, baked tofu, noodles, some of the veggies) add lots of protein and help make it a very filling dish. And although I like a good steak now and then, the calories are just so high! So I've been trying to get some tasty, healthy, and above all satisfying vegetarian dishes into my family's diet.

I got several ingredients from 99 Ranch Market (but you can visit any Asian grocery store), and the rest came from Trader Joe's. I must say, I am an avid Trader Joe's shopper. If you haven't checked out this awesome grocery store, definitely visit your nearest location. They have a great variety of products and very affordable prices.

If you've read my blog before, you know I'm a busy mom, and I'm working on eating healthy and losing weight. My baby is 17 months old, and he demands a lot of attention. He also makes a lot of mess. I don't have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen, while Mr. Baby gets into who knows what. So I appreciate "easy" dishes which don't take a lot of time, or focus, to prepare. I'm happy to say I've succeeded with this dish. So check out my Super Easy Vegetarian Stir Fry recipe!

Ingredients:
2 packages House Tofu Shirataki Noodles - Fettucini Shape (it's also available in Angel Hair shape)
3 oz. Furama Plain Baked Tofu (TJ's also has baked tofu, I just use Furama because it's easily portioned into 3 oz. squares)
4 oz. LightLife Organic Flax Tempeh (about half a package)
1 package Trader Joe's Beef-Less Strips
1/2 medium onion, diced
4-5 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups Trader Joe's frozen Stir Fry Vegetables (contains: Chinese pea pods, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, green soybeans, water chestnuts, carrots, and mushrooms)
2 tbsp olive oil
6-8 tbsp Lee Kum Kee Vegetarian Mushroom Flavored Stir Fry Sauce
Optional: black pepper, to taste

In a large wok or skillet, lightly sautee garlic and onion in olive oil. Slice tofu and tempeh into strips or bite size cubes. Add tofu, tempeh, and Beef-Less Strips and stir fry for 4-5 minutes. Add frozen vegetables and stir fry for 5 - 8 minutes, or until completely cooked through. Drain Shirataki noodles and rinse thoroughly with hot water. Add noodles, sauce, and black pepper. Toss and mix well, stir fry for 4-7 minutes, or until well mixed and heated through. Serve immediately.

Makes 3 - 4 large servings. Each serving is only 362 (for 4 servings) - 482 (for 3 servings) calories. The entire wok full of food is only 1446 calories! A healthy, low cal dinner, on the table in less than 20 minutes. I feel pretty good about feeding this to my family. Pretty awesome!

If you've got any quick and easy recipes (with the emphasis on "quick" and "easy"), please share!

Foodie View: Hina's Thai-licious Weekend (Part II)

My friends, I have most excellent news. I have found something truly special. I have discovered one of those rare, elusive restaurants which has..............GREAT FOOD! Yes, it's true, and I am so excited! (And I'm so full. Ohhh, my stomach hurts from the intense splurging, but how could I not? I have found GREAT FOOD!)

Super Thai-licious in Los Angeles
Thailand Plaza (AKA Jinda Thai)
2nd Floor, 5321 Hollywood Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 993-9000

The restaurant is located on the second floor of Thailand Plaza, above the Silom Thai supermarket. There is parking available at the plaza, although it can be easy to miss. Swing into the driveway, take a ticket at the parking booth, and park upstairs on the second level (follow the arrows). Make sure you get your parking ticket validated! If you park elsewhere, there is a street level entry with a staircase and elevator up to the second level.

It's a large restaurant overlooking Hollywood Boulevard, with a raised section in back by the entrance, then a large open floor full of tables, and ending with a wide stage at the front of the room. This is an excellent place for a large party, and they are very willing to accommodate your gathering. There were two big groups the night we went, and though there were still open tables, the restaurant was quite full. If you head there on a weekend evening, make sure you make a reservation if your party has more than four people. The decor is a mixture of traditional Thai statues and ornaments, and glitz and glitter surrounding the stage. The tables are large (all the better to hold lots of food) and the seats are great big, surprisingly comfortable, cushioned wicker chairs. Let me say, if these chairs reclined, we would have passed out after our feast. The stage is large, and there is live entertainment nightly. Don't be surprised if your waiter takes your order, then hits the stage to perform a number. The vocalists on stage during our visit were quite good and they sang in English, although I understand that others sing in Thai as well as Chinese.

We were greeted at the door by a friendly and welcoming host, who I can only describe as the Thai equivalent of Joe Pesci from Good Fellas. He seated us, and handed each of us a binder - this was the menu, an extensive list of delicious food. From the appetizers, soups, and salads, to the curries, seafood, noodles, rice dishes and extras, we found items on every page that we wanted to try. Alas, we are only human, and our stomachs could only hold so much!

We started our night with cocktails and martinis from the full bar, and an appetizer of Angel's Wings - a dish of deep fried boneless chicken wings stuffed with meat, noodles, and veggies. I don't know what sort of gigantic winged chicken they found, or maybe they used turkey wings, but these were huge! Two crispy breaded wings were served on a platter, sliced into four pieces each. This is easily an appetizer you could share with two to four people, or even a meal for one person. But, really, why would we limit ourselves so early in the evening?

Then our feast really began. Along with a large bowl of rice to share at the table, we ordered the Stuffed Squid Panang Curry, tender little squid stuffed with sausage in a red curry sauce. Absolutely delicious!! Our server recommended the Chinese Broccoli with Crispy Pork, which was excellent. The veggies were crisp tender, not over or under cooked, and the pork was crunchy-crispy outside and tender inside. I highly recommend the Papaya Salad with Salted Crab. The salad itself is good, raw papaya shreds in citrus juice served with a wedge of cabbage, but the addition of the fresh blue crab really makes this dish stand out. It can be a bit awkward to eat, but the fresh, buttery-smooth meat inside the shell is worth the work. Definitely try the Tom Yum Kung (the lemon grass shrimp soup). It's served piping hot, is a perfect blend of sour and savoury, and the presentation is just so cool! It comes to the table in a donut shaped pot with a burner in the middle, and an open flame inside. The whole setup looks like a miniature fireplace with soup mounted around it.

Next we ordered the Yellow Noodle Rad Na, yellow noodles with sweet and sour gravy sauce, cooked with shrimp, chicken and squid. This was very good, and extremely filling. However, my favorite two dishes of the evening were the Whole Steamed Pompano, and the Garlic Prawns. The pompano was so moist and light, and it was served with a thin sweet and sour sauce which didn't overwhelm or smother the taste of the fish. The Garlic Prawns looked like three fat mini-lobsters on a serving platter. Each one was grilled and split down the back for easy peeling. It was served with a spicy, peppery sauce, and it was absolutely fabulous!

I cannot rave enough about this place, as nothing I can write can do justice to the menu. The atmosphere is very comfortable, the chairs are great for lounging when you're ready to burst after your meal, and the live performances are fun and entertaining. The food is clearly an enormous plus here. The menu is available to go, it is extensive with something for everyone, and the portions are excessively huge and plentiful. You can request spicier fare, and there are hot peppers and chili sauce available for those who prefer more of a kick. The service was great, very friendly, and willing to make good recommendations. While we didn't make it to dessert, I have heard that they are very good. I will have to make it back soon to sample more of the menu. As it is, we only tried one appetizer and seven entrees, and along with four drinks from the bar and a pot of tea, our tab only came out to $127. We were expecting a check much larger, and this was a very welcome surprise!

If you are interested in a fun and affordable evening at a great restaurant with fabulous, authentic Thai food, you can't do better than Thailand Plaza. In a city where good food is plentiful, this place stands out as truly GREAT Thai Food!

Foodie View: Hina's Thai-licious Weekend (Part I)

I think I've mentioned that I love great food. I am always on the hunt for great food. This past weekend, I had a major spice craving, and we went to two different Thai restaurants, one in San Diego and one in Los Angeles. Since we ate so much food, and since I love to rave about all the food I eat, I'm splitting my review into two separate posts.

Thai-licious in San Diego
Lanna Thai
4501 Mission Bay Drive
San Diego, CA 92109
(858) 274-THAI

Lanna Thai isn't a huge establishment, there are only about 15 tables, but it has a 4 1/2 star rating on Citysearch, so we decided to try it out. The location is a little odd; a restaurant/shopping corner in the middle of a street filled with car dealerships. It's flanked by a 7-11 on one side and a Planned Parenthood on the other, and there are other shops and restaurants towards the back. Parking is awful, with the small parking lot being shared between so many businesses, so you may have to park on the street.

Location and parking aside, this is a good restaurant with a comfortable atmosphere. The clientele is varied, and the decor is nice, adding to the warm, oriental ambiance. We arrived fairly early, there were several open tables and we were seated promptly, but I can see dinner reservations being a good idea, especially on the weekends. The service was very good, our waiter and waitress were quick and accommodating, although they demurred on making recommendations.

We started off with two appetizers, the Spinach Wrap and the Thai Spring Rolls. The spring rolls were alright, quite large and stuffed with veggies and noodles, but the Spinach Wrap was excellent! This is like any lettuce wrap that is available in so many restaurants, but using large, wide spinach leaves instead of lettuce. However, the filling really made this dish. In addition to the usual onion, lime, carrots, peanuts and your choice of shrimp or tofu, there was toasted coconut and fresh diced ginger. They added a sweet and spicy edge to the dish along with the aromatic herb sauce. We also ordered a bowl of the Hearty Soup, filled with tofu, spinach and noodles. While it was a substantial soup, it tasted rather salty.

Our entrees ranged from green and yellow curries to Pad See-Ew with assorted seafood. Everything was tasty, and the ingredients were very fresh. The Green Curry with Tofu, in particular, was a personal favorite. The tofu pieces were large, the spices were excellent and well balanced (no sharpness or bitterness which often comes with hot, spicy food), and the coconut milk made the dish savoury and rich, without being too sweet and creamy. The Yellow Curry with Tofu was fine, but seemed a bit on the too sweet side, and contained more potatoes than tofu. The Pad See-Ew with Assorted Seafood was a great dish. The noodles were wide and soft, and there was plenty of shrimp, squid and mussels.

If you care to try the cocktails, the Thai Iced Tea with vodka is pretty good, as is the Lanna-tini, a lychee martini. If you're sensitive to the taste of alcohol, go with the Lanna-tini. It's like drinking the best lychee juice you've ever tasted. For dessert we had the green tea ice cream. As a general rule, you can't go wrong with green tea ice cream as it is a well-liked flavor the world over. While the ice cream itself was fine, I didn't much care for the toasted black sesame seeds sprinkled on top. I can see how some people would enjoy the dark toasted taste with the clean green tea flavor. Unfortunately, to me it tasted a bit burnt and it added a dirty sort of taste.

Overall, this is a good restaurant. Their claim that they, "prepare to order cuisine, made from the finest spices and freshest ingredients," is not an empty boast. The food is fresh and delicious, and the prices are reasonable. For a party of five adults, ordering two appetizers and four entrees, we only spent about $130, including drinks. The food is available for take-out and delivery, and they are willing to accommodate large parties. The menu selection is decent, considering the size of the restaurant. However, while the food was tasty, I wasn't WOWed by anything. This is good Thai food (but not the elusive GREAT food), at a fair price. I would recommend Lanna Thai for anyone who enjoys authentic Thai food, and I would eat here again.

.....But I will continue on my quest for Great Thai food in San Diego.

Foodie View: Hina Goes Fishing In San Diego (On Land Of Course!)

Ahh, the great weather of San Diego, the zoo and parks and many dog-friendly areas! This place is great - that is, until I want to get some seafood. Now, I started trying out some of the "Best Of San Diego" restaurants, and I was consistently disappointed. Not just with the boring and limited menus, but with the substandard dishes and lousy service. Salmon isn't the only fish in the sea, people!

So, I went fishing at some other restaurants, and I have come up with a few winners. King's Fish House is a big champion with several locations to choose from, and they're reasonably priced. Lots of dishes in the $12 - $20 range. I'm impressed with the quality of their food. FRESH! They print out their menus twice a day to reflect what they've got in stock. I highly recommend the Cold Seafood Combo. (For those of you counting calories, this is a low cal, low fat, high protein tummy pleaser!) Insider tip: If you like things a little spicy, ask your server for some of the Atomic Horseradish they keep in the back. It's great on the oysters, and I even put it in the Spicy Seafood Chowder. I've gotten great service every time I go. My only lament is the Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake. Nice and chocolatey, but way over-sweet. (Of course, if you have a cup of coffee with it, everything works itself out.) King's is also family friendly, which is now fairly important to me. My boy got an activity booklet (not just a one page paper place mat), some crayons, and his own cup with a lid and straw. The kid's menu is good for kids, and Mr. Baby seemed to enjoy feeding himself his fish and chips.

My next find is Osetra, The Fishhouse in the Gaslamp Quarter. They're a little on the pricey side of my pocket, which is why it took me some time to make my way there. The cheapest entree on the menu is $28. First, they've got an oyster bar, and that's always a plus in my eyes. I had the Baked Oysters with masago cream sauce. They were rich and creamy and tender ... yummm ... Oh, and don't pass off the salad in the middle as just a garnish. Eat it all! Aside from being healthy veggies, it's very tasty with a fruity dressing. I would also recommend the Stuffed Shrimp. Three jumbo shrimp loaded with lobster, crab, and scallops. I couldn't finish it, but I made a valiant effort! The wine list here is very extensive (pages and pages and pages), and it's fun to sit at the bar and watch people scaling the three story wine tower. The Chocolate Passion dessert is one of the best. it's very moist and has hazelnut cream, and the ganache isn't insanely thick and dense. It's a rich, yet light chocolate cake. I'm going back for more.

I have also been searching for ages for a Great Sushi Restaurant in San Diego. Now before I get hit with lists of sushi places in San Diego, keep in mind that I'm looking for Great Sushi. Mediocre sushi need not apply. I'm not looking for a nightclub that serves spicy tuna rolls. I don't want a place where the rolls are smeared with cream cheese and avocado, dipped in tempura batter, fried in fat, and drenched in super sweet eel sauce. If the fish menu is limited to salmon, tuna, and eel, or if I can't SEE the chefs preparing my food, then it is NOT Great Sushi. I want a place with a variety of seafood. I want to sit down at the bar and ask my chef what's fresh today. I want to eat some Great Sushi!

..... And I did. At Taka Sushi, also in the Gaslamp Quarter. My husband took me here for our anniversary. We sat at the sushi bar and ordered omakase for two. Our chef very politely asked if there was anything we didn't eat, then proceeded to craft a spectacular dinner! I highly (oh so highly!) recommend the ankimo (monk fish liver), and the uni (sea urchin roe). We started off with ankimo, and it was sooooo rich and velvety. A good omen for the rest of the meal. If you've ever eaten old uni, you know how quickly your gag reflex works. Conversely, if you've eaten really good, really fresh uni, you know how the mental image alone makes you salivate like Pavlov's dog. This uni was very fresh and very buttery. All the fish we tried (including aji (Spanish mackerel), kanpachi (amberjack), toro (fatty tuna - way yummy!) and several others) were very fresh and tasty. I personally believe, for health as well as taste, that freshness should be at the top of your list when eating sushi and sashimi. I was happily surprised by the price. We left totally stuffed after consuming tons of food and a bottle of sake. Our bill was about $150. Taka Sushi is truly a Great Sushi restaurant.

I'm still fishing for more great seafood. Anyone have any bites for me?