Hangin' With The Boys

My two brothers are visiting in Southern California so we wanted to take them some place where they could get a good view of LA, in all of its wondrous smoggy splendor. Remember that time when I went to watch Hall and Oates at the Greek? Well if you go further up the road, it'll take you right to the Griffith Observatory.

While the rest of the country is having some kind of polar vortex or crazy thunderstorms, this is how LA looks like in early December. 

The Griffith Observatory sits high on the top of a mountain so it seems like it's floating among the clouds.

If you're like me and you're too lazy to hike up to the Hollywood sign, this place would be the best bet for you. You can even see the sign right when you pull into the parking lot. (Parking is free!)

But if you're all about dat fitness, feel free to come with your hiking threads. They've got trails all around and some lead all the way up to the observatory. The trail (pictured below) is paved well so I reckon it's not that hard of a climb.

You can find a bust of James Dean in commemoration of the famous movie, Rebel Without A Cause, that shot a lot of their scenes on location.

The place isn't too big so you can actually cover the whole area in probably just 45 minutes, add an hour if you're planning go inside the Planetarium (tickets are like $7/person). The observatory showcases astronomy exhibits so don't be surprised to see a lot of fifth graders marching along with their chaperones.

Love the iron doors!

Once you get through the doors, you'll see a huge pendulum hanging from the Ballin Ceiling Mural. The pendulum swings back and forth and hits the little pegs one by one, not because the pendulum is swinging in a different direction but because the pegs move as the earth rotates. So basically WE are moving while the pendulum is constantly swinging in just one direction. I am actually just being repetitive for my own sake, not yours. My brain has turned into mush...Oh, science!

The Ballin Ceiling Mural

Exhibits are easy to explore and are very educational, so don't forget to bring the youngins!

A brass statue of Albert Einstein.

Umm...Excuse me, Mr. Einstein.

But I need to phone home.

It was one of my beloved brother's birthday too so we headed back down to Beverly Hills to get our sassy grub on.  We chose to go and try out Hakkasan, it's been in the neck of our woods since last year and we've heard good reviews about the place.

It would be sort of difficult to spot the restaurant if you're not too familiar with the Hakkasan logo so once you get to Beverly Blvd., look out for a single character with a neon blue background (pictured below) and voila, you have arrived! Or you can just follow the paparazzis taking pictures of A-list celebs like Paris Hilton, Charlize Theron, Fergie and Chef Gordon Ramsey popping in and out of the restaurant's entrance.

It was a Thursday night so we made reservations at an earlier time to avoid the weekend rush. I know it's technically not the weekend yet but that's how a lot of people here roll, they just bypass to Friday. We were immediately seated at our table by a friendly hostess and we were able to put in our orders with some great recommendations from our super patient and awesome server, David.

Sup, David! Yup, he did an impeccable job so he should have a little bit of recognition in my humble blog :)

I explored a little while waiting for our food. I couldn't help but admire the Chinese-inspired wooden dividers, it gives you enough privacy but doesn't make the space too confined.

This is the long narrow hallway that leads to the dining area and the bar.

The restaurant has two bars, this being the smaller one with a minimalist design.

The women's restroom with marble sinks and floors. There are no paper towels, only hand towels.

They've got Molton Brown for their hand wash and hand lotion. You best believe I washed my hands like five times...just because! Ha!

Enough exploring...let's get our Cantonese grub on!

Crispy Duck Salad with pomegranate, pine nut and shallot. This is one of their popular dishes in the menu. I definitely don't fancy the gamey taste of duck but this tasted pretty darn good.

Hakka Steamed Dim Sum Platter: Scallop shumai, har gow, Chinese chive dumpling and black crab dumpling.

 Salt and Pepper Squid. I thought this tasted just like the usual fried squid, nothing really special.

Pan-seared Shanghai Dumping. Looks boring, tastes great!

Vegetarian Dim Sum Platter: Morel crystal dumpling, bamboo pith dumpling, bean curd lotus roll and edamame dumpling

Grilled Seabass with Chinese Honey. I give this ten fingers and ten toes up!

Crispy Chicken with Kumquat Lemon Sauce

Stir-Fried Black Pepper Beef with merlot. I like how they cut the meat down to almost bite-size!

Egg and Scallion Fried Rice. Nothing really special, just like any other fried rice.

Hakka Noodle with mushrooms and Chinese chive

Jasmine Tea Smoked Pork Short Ribs. Definitely a memorable dish, so good that we ordered another one.

Hakkasan is pretty synonymous with their cocktails so I had to try one. By the way, ONE is the magic number when drinking with family in public places because it's just not that great to get shhh-faced in front of the 'rents and siblings---but at home? That's a whole different ball game, my friends.

This drink is called The Hakka with Belvedere vodka, Tozai junmai sake, coconut, passion fruit and lychee juice. Holy leotards, Batman! This is one of the most refreshing cocktails that I've ever had---like, in my life. It's too good that you can easily down a couple of these but this will definitely get you barely crawlin' by the end of the night!

My bro's drink, Green Destiny, with Zubrowka Bison Grass vodka, cucumber, kiwi and Granny Smith apple juice. This was a refreshing cocktail too but I still think The Hakka takes the prize.

My other bro's drink, Lychee Martini, with Double Cross vodka, Giffard lychee liqueur, grapefruit bitters and lychee juice. This was good but martinis in general are just a little bit too strong for me.

Happy Birthday to my No. 1 nemesis! We make a pretty good team when we're not busy scratching each other's eyes out or laughing at each other's fashion blunders!

David (our awesome server) was kind enough to surprise my brother with one of their desserts, the Chocolate Mandarin. You pour the chocolate sauce in and then smash the hard chocolate with a spoon.

We were all too stuffed to order separate desserts but the birthday celebrant and I just wanted to try this fella right here. Coconut Panna Cotta with rum-roasted pineapple, pistachio financier, pistachio gelato. This was absolutely divine!

Hakkasan is known to be a hotspot so the bill can easily get mighty steep---but the food and drinks were sumptuous and the staff was attentive, friendly and efficient so it was definitely well worth it says the girl who didn't foot the bill.

The fun bunch. 

Time to stumble our way back home but let me do a quick Fruit Fashion Files. I didn't want to think too much about my outfit so I took a black short-sleeve kimono dress, paired it up with a black belted coat with gold zippers and topped off the ensemble with some tan-colored cutout booties with tassels. Easy peasy!

Coat by Mango; Dress by Zara; Booties by Prada

Ugh, I'm finishing up this blog post and all I'm thinking about is that Hakka drink. *drool*

Toodles!

Fruit Adventures: Pasadena Gems

Have you ever been to Pasadena? Most folks, both local and tourists alike, visit the Old Town Pasadena area to catch up on some retail therapy or to enjoy a succulent meal in one of the trendy and upscale restaurants that the Old Town has to offer. But what most people don't know about (or are just nonchalant about) is the rich architecture that lies in the city's vast residential area. I am in no way an art fanatic but having an architect for a boyfriend has definitely given me a new perspective on these sort of things. In short--- I kinda give a rat's butt about it now.

The Gamble House

Being one of the most iconic houses of the arts and crafts movement in architecture, the Gamble House is a sight to behold. The house was built as a winter home for David and Mary Gamble (of Procter & Gamble), designed by Architects Charles and Henry Greene. Guess when this house was built? 1908!

Uh...this was JUST a winter home? Damn.

The boyfriend has been itching to go to this place so when we found some time to squeeze in a one-hour docent-guided tour, I jumped right in to reserve some tickets. The only way to get into the house is through the guided tours so it's best to check out for their schedule and purchase the tickets online at gamblehouse.org. There is no photography allowed inside the house so sadly, I can't share with you how truly remarkable the craftsmanship of this house is but you can easily find a book or google about it. Every detail was so well thought of that the architects even designed the furnishings themselves. That, or they were just a bunch of control-freaks!

The house is heavily Japanese-inspired as the Gambles were very much into the Japanese art and culture.

Personally, I think the best thing about the house is the impeccable wood craftsmanship...like if you think you're anal then you haven't seen what they did for the interiors of this house--- everything was designed and collaborated to a T! Oh and speaking of wood, they won't let you in if you aren't wearing flat shoes (stiletto heels are the devil, or at least that's what the docents would think) as pointy heels may damage the wooden floors of the house.

Just a couple of feet from the house is the car garage that's now been converted into a bookstore filled with art/architecture books (you may also try to drop in and purchase some tour tickets if they're still available).

Dude, you know you're rich when you have your own gas pump in your garage...in---that's right, 1908!

Obviously I cease to exist when the boyfriend is surrounded by architecture books. Note to self: Send boyfriend to buy appropriate size of jeans. Mmmk, Mr. Saggy Butt?

I spy some cute tiles!

Taking pictures under the sun (in every freakin' angle) can really drain one's energy and sanity and since I knew that we were going to be around Pasadena, I called in advance and booked a table for afternoon tea at The Langham . This afternoon tea thing has become a tradition of ours since about 7 years ago, where we had our first afternoon tea together at The Drake in Chicago. It was a sweet discovery to find that both the boyfriend and I actually really enjoy this kinda stuff, so we agreed to try to have afternoon tea wherever we landed on the map. So far we've had tea at The Peninsula in Hong Kong, The Fullerton Hotel in Singapore and The Rose Garden Tea Room at the Huntington Botanical Gardens, and now we can add The Langham to the list!

Who would have known that this was in Pasadena? It's so hidden that you have to go through residential roads to get here. This looks like a perfect setting for a great wedding reception, non?

Upon entering, we were greeted by a modest lobby area, with a beautiful chandelier in the center.

The hallway towards the Lobby Lounge (where they have the afternoon tea), decked in huge beautiful paintings.

The hotel's beautiful courtyard.

It's not that hard to navigate around the hotel but if you spot this sign, you've arrived at the Lobby Lounge.

The set-up is pretty chill, you can hang out with your friends or just have a relaxing date.

Further inside, you can see floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the hotel's garden.

You'd think my date's looking at floor plans---he's just checking out the tea selection. Ha!

The Tiffin Afternoon Tea has two options, you can get the Traditional Tiffin Tea ($39 per person), or the Royal Tiffin Tea (includes champagne, $56 per person). Getting drunk off of champagne in the middle of the afternoon and possibly scaring all the other guests sounded so enticing but we still had somewhere else to go, so...Traditional it is!

The tea comes with a selection of scones, pastries and finger sandwiches. I was so hungry that I devoured all the sandwiches first, screw the pastries! Ha!

This passion apricot cone had a gold flake in it, should I eat it or save it 'til I end up having a whole gold bar? Hmmm. Decisions, decisions.

We're having afternoon tea with our little pinky's up so, I have to act all prim and proper, right?

But then I couldn't help myself and got sugar high with God knows how many sugar cubes and milk I dumped in my tea. My cup is too full, I lick the tea spoon and I don't wait until the sugar dissolves, I MASH it---I am every tea aficionado's faux pas nightmare! Ha!

Thank you, boyfriend, for recording my VERY FIRST short video (?) on my blog! And also for holding in your giggles until the last part.

Is that food in my hair?

When we were done with our sugar-high tea, I had the hostess validate our valet parking stub. Please take note that this place has valet parking only. I think they charge $12 for it but with a validated stub, we only paid $5.

We ventured a little bit more around the property and found cute little bungalows where guests could stay at instead of the usual hotel rooms in the main building.

As we went back inside, I noticed there was a nice, dimly-lit place called The Tap Room.

I wanted to grab a drink or two since it looked so cozy in there but alas, we had to leave or we might miss the main event of the night---which you will find out on my next post! :)

Stay tuned for more fun stuff coming up on the blog but for now, have a great weekend!

Toodles!