Our weekend California trip was filled with lots of food, meeting up with friends and family, and enjoying perfect low 70s + sunny weather! A lot of the short getaway was planned around where to eat. I was there 4 days so I had to make my food adventure count!
A place I tried out for the first time – and my favorite meal I had – was called Ốc & Lẩu (snails and hot pot) and it was seafood heaven! The shrimps were as big as my face and so juicy and sweet! The scallops were served on baked shells and I wanted to take one home for decoration haha. I tried the mango squid salad and the crunchiness of the young mango added a nice texture to our meal. Must order items from here are: grilled razor clams with buttered green onions, escargot with peppercorns, and grilled king scallops with fish eggs!
I had to make a trip to In-N-Out for a grilled cheese with extra toasted buns- that little customization makes all the difference! My boyfriend, Charlie, ate the double double and compared it to the ShackBurger from the Shake Shack that he also ate during the trip (sorry, no pictures). He said that the Shackburger was better because the meat is juicier and the patty also has crispy caramelized edges from the grill top. He said it was very “juicy couture” Cannot beat the price of In-N-Out, though!
A go-to stop was 85C bakery, which offers freshly baked pastries, breads, cakes, and coffee/tea drinks. The marble taro bun is my favorite because it’s delicately sweet and the taro paste inside is smooth. I went 3 times during my trip to buy it if that gives you an idea of how much I love it! I also tried the egg tarts, which were not overly eggy tasting. I’m still in search of a place that makes Pasteis de Nata which looks like an egg tart, but is sweeter and much yummier. I had them in Spain and Portugal last year and have been craving them ever since! I wasn’t a big fan of the Sea Salt Jasmine Tea because it was too sugary, but Charlie enjoyed it.
My sister was actually in town during my mini vacation so we met up at Quán Hỷ for some more Vietnamese food! These bánh bèo were delectable! They are small steamed rice cakes topped with shredded shrimp and eaten with fish sauce. I ordered cơm hến (rice + clams) which was a nice and light entree with all the veggies + pineapple.
One of the best food decisions was trying out Japanese BBQ at Anjin. I wish I had pictures to share! I ate wagyu beef for the first time and it was as amazing as people say it is. Pretty much melts in your mouth! The wait to be seated took forever, but the meal was worth it from the housemade kimchi, to the apple veggie salad, to the meats.
A place that was recommended to me multiple times was Anaheim Packing District – it reminds me of North Market with a modern twist. The space is beautifully decorated with air plants and succulents! There are swing chairs and lots of cute seating space to enjoy your yummy eats. It’s a fun and hip place with so many different vendors. I had the green tea shaved snow topped with almonds and mochi!
I ended up enjoying a lot of green tea/matcha items during the trip including this swirled matcha + black sesame soft serve on a charcoal cone from Mr. Matcha. The bitter yet sweet flavors balanced each other and the cone had a cinnamon note, so yummy!
One of the highlights of the weekend was going to “1,000 steps Beach” at Laguna Beach. I was worried when I heard the name, but it was about 200+ steps down to the most beautiful view. The houses and hotels in Laguna Beach were million dollar mansions and the cliffs and waves made for a beautiful sight. The trek back up was well worth the experience!
It was such a fun packed short trip. Glad to have been able to try out some new eats + enjoy some old favorites!