Cream Pan is one of my favorite bakeries in Orange County! Too bad it’s all the way down in Tustin.. but it’s worth the drive if you’re in the area. The one thing that you must try is the strawberry croissant! Flaky, golden crust filled with custard and sliced strawberries… soooo goood!! *drools*
Croissant
Strawberry Croissant
Strawberry Croissant – Small
Strawberry Croissant – Large
Cream Puff
Strawberry Banana Croissant
Yelp Reviews
Address: 602 El Camino Real, Tustin, CA 92780
So for those of you who haven’t heard, the pop-up dining experience has been the latest fad that’s going on the food industry. You’ll have chefs that decide to just create their own menus at a restaurant, at a venue that they rented, or even at their own house!
I was skeptical about my first pop-up experience, which I found via a link on Facebook from a foodie friend of mine, called Kali Dining. It was very vague, non-descript, and secretive. The pictures of the food looked amazing, but the cost was $65 + tip, and no one I knew ever heard of it. So I figured why don’t we be a little adventurous and check it out!
So I grabbed a group of friends and made a reservation via email for this intimate pop-up dining experience.
Needless to say, it was a pleasant surprise & experience!
When we arrived at the location, we entered through the backyard/alleyway. We were warmly greeted by a woman who poured us glasses of wine and freshly cooked tortilla chips.
Then when the table was set, we all sat down and had a waiter/server bring out all the dishes. It was a great intimate dining experience. Each dish was creatively presented and tasted quite delicious!
Chef Kevin Meehan was the creator of all the dishes this evening and it was wonderful! He even came out after each dish/course was presented to explain what it was and asked how we liked it. He also spent time chatting with us about his career, background, and culinary adventures.
I loved this experience so much that I did another one in September and plan on doing another one soon!
Enjoy the pictures! 
Kali Dining Menu
Plant
Chicken egg scramble / chantilly
Rosemary Bread
Octopus
Agnolotti
Scallop
Scallop
Beef Fillet
Market berries
Market berries
Market berries
Moscato
If you want authentic, home-made Thai food that you can get when you’re in Thailand, you need to check this place out!
It’s a hole-in-the-wall, Thai restaurant located in Pico Rivera (yes, a hidden gem in a mainly Hispanic community)! It’s owned by the cutest, elderly Thai couple.
The decor isn’t great.. but definitely feels like I’m dining at their home. The lady is really friendly and has a cute smile. Her husband is the chef.
I was fortunate to have been introduced to this amazing place by my friend who brought along her Thai friend who ordered these special, off-the-menu, dishes for us! 
Chicken Fried Rice
Chicken Fried Rice – Really tasty! It’s nicely flavored and seasoned. Doesn’t taste like Chinese fried rice.
Chicken Peppercorn Dish
Chicken Peppercorn Dish – Really tasty! A bit spicy, with a nice bold flavor.
Kai Jiew Moo Saap – Egg dish
Egg dish – Delicious! Pan-fried egg omelette.. filled with pieces of chicken and other yummy things
Ho Mok – Steamed Fish Curry
Ho Mok – The BEST dish of all! It’s basically chunks of fish steamed in this Thai red curry “custard” with basil leaves.. all wrapped in banana leaf! Apparently, this dish needs to be ordered about 1-2 days in advance so they can gather all the ingredients and prepare it in time when you get there. SO GOOD!!
Tofu and vegetable dish
Tofu and vegetable dish – simple but good! I think it’s fried tofu or beancurd.. not sure what it was.. on top of slices of Chinese broccoli
I am definitely coming back to this place and support this local business! I can’t wait to try one of their noodle soups!
Yelp Reviews
Address: 9532 Whittier Blvd, Pico Rivera, CA 90660
This is one of my favorite spots in San Gabriel! Best part is that it’s close to home.
Ambiance:
-Very casual and relaxing. Feels like a restaurant that you’d expect to see in West LA. As soon as you walk in, you are greeted with a tiny organic market that has produce/products for sale. Then you’ll see the tables and seating to your left. And the decor is really nice!
Service:
-Great service! All the waiters are friendly and nice. It’s definitely a more Americanized Chinese restaurant.
Food:
-Salmon triangles: Delicious! It’s like triangle-shaped wontons (flaky, and crunchy) filled with salmon filling. Comes with a dipping sauce too.
-Hainan chicken: Delicious! Must try! You get a mound of boneless, strips of juicy chicken on top of rice. You also get the 3 sauces (soy sauce, chili sauce, and green onions) to mix and add to your rice. The chicken tastes really fresh. The rice is amazing!
-Grilled pork chops: Very good! The pork chop was juicy, and not dry or tough at all. The grilled flavor was nicely done. Pretty good portion size.
Drink:
-Passionfruit iced tea: Yummy! Nice, refreshing drink that’s not too sweet. They also give free refills!!
Parking:
-It’s located in a plaza with a very tiny parking lot. Parking can be difficult to find, so you may have to try to park on the street or even park in the bigger supermarket lot next to it.
I really like coming here! The friends that I’ve brought back with me agreed and enjoyed eating at this place too.
Address: 534 E Valley Blvd, San Gabriel, CA 91776
Yelp: Reviews
This was my first experience at an apple orchard! This place is kind of hidden down See Canyon Road. Just follow the little apple signs, cross over this narrow metal bridge, and you’ll see the lush apple trees! So many apple trees – all different colors! As soon as you pull up the driveway, you’ll meet an older gentleman and his daughter who own the place. They’ll handpick fresh apples from their trees. Apparently, they have over 60 different varieties based on the season. That day, they had Jonagold, Golden Delicious, Fuji, and Braeburn. They were really generous and actually let us sample all the apples! Several slices each! They also let us sample their famous apple cider (Moonshine blend) and it was TASTY! Apparently, their cider blend also changes based off the apples of the season. It was $4 for half gallon, or $8 for the whole gallon. The apples were $1.50/lb, and they also had $20 bags. The apples were really yummy and fresh! The owners were really friendly and funny. You’ll see their cute dogs roaming around. It was a really cute, friendly place to stop by. I highly recommend that you check it out if you’re ever in the area!
Address: 1691 See Canyon Road, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405
Taco Sampler Plate!!! If you’re like me and like to try and sample a little of everything, you need to try this!
6 yummy tacos for only $6.99
Homemade corn tortillas… topped with:
-Chicharron En Salsa: soft, fried pork skin with avocado
-Chicken Mole Poblano: Loved the pumpkin seeds on top with cream and red onion.
-Cochinita Pibil: pulled pork
-Chuleta de Puerco: pork on top of blackbeans with guacamole
-Bistek en Salsa Roja: a bit spicy
- Tinga De Pollo: spicy chicken with avocado
Taco Sampler
Restaurant: Menu
Yelp: Reviews
Address: 2100 E Cesar Chavez Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90033
My first visit to Bouchon was during DineLA for lunch! Very nice restaurant. Nice ambiance.
Appetizer: Salmon tartare – pretty good! It came with a plate of mini toasted croutons.
Entree: Quiche Florentine w/ mixed greens – pretty good!
Dessert: Pot de creme – delicious! Had a hint of tartness of the orange layer on top of the vanilla custard.. and came with two shortbread cookies
Service: Excellent! Our waiter looked like Ryan Reynolds 
Parking: If you park at Bouchon, there is free 2 hour parking
Salmon Tartare
Toasted croutons for the tartare
Quiche Florentine with mixed greens
Pot de Creme
Restaurant Website: Menu
Yelp: Reviews
Address: 235 N Canon Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
