Food & 2 Flicks: Not Simultaneously.

Zen Munching

Asian eating delights in one spot: Zen Zoo promises to gift you with a little Zen in the Zoo of life! Their small locale in Hollywood is a breath of fresh air. A friend and I went for lunch, we ordered a yummy Thai Salad, the Dim Sum sampler and Boba Teas that turned out to be delightful. Perfect for a lite lunch! So good...

A Kick & A Laugh

I usually don't care much for martial arts-type movies. When friends urged me to watch Kung Fu Hustle I said I eventually would. I would postpone movie dates involving this title and finally I had to give in, the result? I was wrong, they were right! This over-the-top, eccentrically hilarious take on Kung Fu Masters and mobsters is hilarious. Drowning in special effects and ludicrous kung fu matches this movie will keep you laughing the whole time. It almost feels like you're watching an animated film. It's so unrealistically fabulous and well done. A must watch.

Dark & Interesting, Just The Way I Like It (Sometimes)

I can't believe I never saw this movie until now! It captured me after the first 10 minutes and it's on my favorites list on top 5. It's part fiction, part psychological, a little humorous, sometimes creepy and persistently engaging! Donnie Darko is haunting yet magnificent!

*The soundtrack is fantastic, now is my wish list!

Pretty Dinning, Happy Princess

One of the advantages of courtship is the dates. Dates that include dinning at wonderful places, selected with care, aiming to make an impression. Mission accomplished!

My handsome and charming guy friend C took me to dinner to Firefly in Studio City. Upon entering the establishment you're greeted by what looks like an old English library surrounded by deep-red walls, besides, a bar where you may order drinks while sitting on their comfy leather couches to wait for your table. Once your table is ready, you are guided to a cover patio with the feel of a garden and in the center, a fireplace!

My date ordered a bottle of wine, he had the tenderloin and I the foil-baked fish! Our dishes were scrumptious, perfectly portioned, sensitively seasoned... More than just a romantic date, simply delicious!

(No photo or web link available)

Location: 11720 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, CA 91604-2615
Telephone: 818.762.1833

Long Time No See...

This weekend was full of faces I hadn't seen in a long time. It felt like a little reunion of my favorite peeps in awesome places.

Here's a re-count:

Dinner & A Movie

I hadn't seen Val & my dear T in ages and Rachel is here from Boston with her little female entourage; we all decided to meet up and do something girly and animated so we chose dinner and a movie followed by drinks and a photo session. Groovy!

Our first stop was Cinespace in Hollywood where appetizing food and a movie are paired up for your convenience and offered in a very favorable setting. Who wants popcorn and a soda when you can have pan seared filet mignon and a glass of wine? If you stay after the movie you can enjoy the nightclub with a guest Dj playing the hot beats of the moment.

*Sidenote: If you've never been to Cinespace, it's really a must-do, the experience is great and the food is far from average. I've been there several times, ordered something different every time and I've never been disappointed.

The Weirder The Better

After our D&M we headed over to Jimmy's Lounge, a small club hidden on Santa Monica Blvd and El Centro. One of the girls told us they were hosting a little photo event and it turned out to be a lot of fun. PYT sets up a booth-type thing in the patio and a professional photographer takes pictures of the drunk and the sober.

This is not a place for glam. The stranger your taste in everything, the more you'll enjoy it! Get there before 11:30 and you might be able to score $2 vodka drinks!

Not So Grand On The First Try

Granville had been mentioned to me with tales of magnificent cuisine and delectable tastes. So on Saturday, C, My sister and I decided to check it out for lunch and see what all the fuzz was about. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations. Not horrible but definitely not as great as it was made out to be. I can't put my finger on the oddness of my dislike so, I guess I'm going to give it another try before I make up my mind about it... I'll let you guys know.

Sunday Brunch - Heavenly

This was the highlight of my weekend in regards to food: Square One Dining is simply utopian. I heard their breakfast menu was the main attraction so I didn't even bother looking at the lunch menu. I ordered the smoked salmon poached eggs with roasted potatoes and my *HOT* guy friend had the eggs benedict accompanied by a salad... Upon arrival of our food, all heard was oohs and yums... We finished the party with brioche French toast smothered with a bourbon-pecan topping, vanilla whipped cream and hot syrup... Delectable, precise, tender, crunchy, tasty...

Make Me Movie You!

I know the title of this post makes no sense at all but I think it sounds really cute so there you go, it is what it is.

It somehow feels like I've been spending more time watching movies than eating and although I really want to find a balance I can't help all the movie-watching, hence, the following movie reports:

Transformers

Wow, wow, wow... Wait, again: WOW! If you could see me right now, you'd notice my eyes widening up and the mix of a happy-smirk and exclamation mark spread all over my face! This movie was out-of-this-world remarkable.

Transformers is packed with humor and action. I didn't move, blink or even breathe... That's how fun and enthralling it is. Initially I didn't want to see it, I thought it was going to be a total waste of my time, boy was I mistaken...

Movie critics have given this film terrible reviews but we all know that the only great movie critic in this planet is me, so forget about the rest and go see it immediately!

*Side note: I would love to have a little mojo!


The Usual Suspects

I had no idea this was a must-see classic in the mystery/crime genre. I told a friend I hadn't seen it and he brought it to my house, sat me down and I fell asleep... Now, the reason why I fell asleep had nothing to do with the movie, so after finally watching it I must say I'm very glad I did.

For the majority of the film I was delivered an intriguing and complex story to which there seems to be no easy answer. When the final piece of the puzzle is put in place, the entire film is turned on its head. The Usual Suspects is more than just a film with a clever ending, it's smart altogether, fabulous!

Time To Relax - Flaming Getaway

Living in L.A. can be a little overwhelming sometimes. My wondrous parents invited me and my girl-friends to Palm Springs for a weekend of repose, a necessary break from Hollywood parties and work.

We arrived Saturday morning and left Sunday afternoon. Our stay there consisted of lounging by the pool and sauntering up and down central Palm Springs taking in the beauty of the quaint little shops and invetibaly the heat.

A couple of interesting finds include:

Azul

This restaurant has two very distinctive characteristics: One, servings are tapas-inspired which gives you many options, and two, live entertainment consisting of the bandstand-like performance of old favorites! My two friends and I shared a couple of plates, while enjoying the music and chatting away. At Azul, the size of the plates are too big to actually be considered tapas but the food was very good. The tenderloin was fantastic!

The Village Pub

Now, this place is really interesting. The Village Pub has a little bit of everything: A rock band, dance floor, tables, 3 bars, smoking patio, lounge, pool tables and food. We had a couple of drinks and enjoyed the mixed crowd. The temperature had cooled off a bit and sitting in the patio was simply awesome!

*Side Note: It was 115 degrees, I've never felt so hot! If you're going to Palm Springs, this is not the best time to go... Unless of course you enjoy melting away!

Movie Time! Take 2!

Little Children

This is not a happy-go-jolly movie. Little Children is one of those films that make you feel troubled. Each character has flaws that are significant to their roles in society and standards of healthy living. They hurt (themselves and those around them) and even though they’re wrong in so many ways, you wish nothing but the best for them, you feel for them. This, to me is exceptional. If I film can make me feel that way it gets 2 thumbs up.

The Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer

Boring. I yawned a couple of times. It lacked the humor, action and suspense of the first.
This take at Fantastic Four is watchable but tedious at times. It had a couple of good special-effect sequences and the silver dude was awesome but other then that: BLAH.

*Side Note: Jessica Alba looks really freaky on this film. I can’t put my finger on it but she was not her usual hot self here.