wearing > summer romper

Happy Sunday, friends! I’m all about the adult onesie lately. While I’m currently averaging ~2 jumpsuits or rompers per week the one I’m sharing today is one of my faves. Who am I kidding, I love ’em all but need to start somewhere.

I nabbed this one during a recent Vegas trip. The material is very lightweight and kinda sheer so I paired it with some black boy shorts, a black cami, and a strappy black bralette.

Even with the underclothes, this thing is so comfy for summer. For the onesie-averse specifically due to the bathroom situation, this one is particularly easy to get out of (just undo 2-3 buttons) and since you’re wearing underclothes you are not full-on nekkie in the bathroom.

This is pretty short (most of the reviews on the website cite the short inseam which makes it not so workable for tall girls) but the back does fall longer so no cheek-spillage happening there.

Ecote Allie babydoll romper (Urban Outfitters) | Blowfish Granola sandal in black (Amazon) | Lulu’s strappy bralette (old, similar) | Wetseal boy shorts (old, similar at Target)

wearing > dolan dress remix

When in doubt, throw some chambray over it.

You might remember this dress from way back when. I threw a darker fitted chambray top over it to make it work-safe. Chambray really does save the day sometimes.

This entire outfit is stuff I had sitting around in the closet and threw together to wear differently. Hope it gets you to shop in your own closet. 🙂

LOFT chambray | Dolan Left Coast dress | Coach bronze heels | LV Neverfull MM

eating > boba bar, san diego

I am still thinking about this dessert 2 weeks later.

An egg waffle (crispy, not too sweet) shaped into a makeshift cone, Dole whip and vanilla custard swirl (soooooooooooooo good), strawberries, mangos (a bit overripe), and bananas with a drizzle of honey (perfect). This is the paradise puffle from Boba Bar. It’ll set you back $8.50 but it is so worth it. I honestly considered going back twice in one day.

This place is super cute but is next to the super busy Shanghai Saloon/Dumpling Inn so parking can be a bit of a mess. There’s a new parking structure nearby which is pretty cheap (like $1 an hour or something) so save yourself the headache and park there.

Sadly, while the egg waffles in the Bay Area are pretty good the Dole whip/vanilla combo with honey continues to allude me.

Boba Bar: 4618 Convoy St, San Diego, CA 92111

eating > republique, la

You guys, Beyonce eats here.

SO CUTE.

It’s like this place was built for Instagram. The photogenic dining area. The natural light. The fake old world charm. The vanilla almond milk latte art.

This place is very delicious and well deserving of all of the hype.

LOOK AT THOSE KOUIGN AMANN LAYERS. I got the pistachio raspberry one sooooooo perfect. You get that traditional caramel-y bottom and croissant-like layers with the added bonus of tart fruit and crunchy nuts. YAY.

I also had the mushroom toast with the hollandaise on the side. Fluffy scrambled eggs, earthy mushrooms in a red wine sauce, thin slices of (Parma?) ham, and wilted spinach. All on a crusty slice of bread. Perfect weekend food.

This place is beautiful and delicious but also expensive and popular. We waited in line for close to 30 minutes at 8ish on a Sunday and I paid $28 (+tip) for the 3 things above. My face at the register: O_O.

Still, I’d do it again. I really enjoyed it.

Also, good luck trying to get past this and not picking up a pastry or two.

Republique: 624 S. La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA

 

eating > hudson house, redondo beach

I’m feeling extra smug for eating at this place given the famous-factor of the chef. This meal topped off an absolutely gluttonous day in LA. #yolo #pantsdontfit

I really enjoyed everything we ordered this night. Not a strike out in sight.

These brown sugar pork ribs were perfectly sweet and savory and fall of the bone tender.

Cheesy truffle fries with perfectly cooked and perfectly seasoned hanger steak.

This was probably my least favorite of the bunch but only because I think mussels and I are just not good friends. The clams, sauce, and block of bread were so so good.

Wowzas the spice on this hot chicken sandwich is no joke but I LOVED IT. Crispy chicken that will burn your throat and sweet soft bread with some pickles.

Not pictured but also ordered: kale grit fritters (fake healthy fried things – yay), edamame shishito peppers (couldn’t stop eating ’em), and chocolate chip cookies (perfectly chewy with some bourbon milk on the side).

Hudson House has a very extensive drinks menu (it’s actually also a bar) and I enjoyed some Maui pineapple beer with my meal while my friends had some whisky based cocktails. We arrived around 7pm on Saturday and there was no wait for 4 people. There’s a cut chalkboard on the wall if they’re busier.

Hudson House: 514 N Pacific Coast Hwy, Redondo Beach, CA

 

eating > eatalian, gardena

Next up on our day of gluttony in Socal: Eatalian.

I really, really loved this meal. The restaurant is in a kind of industrial area which is a bit random but the inside is really nice and airy while still being casual.

Flaky, chewy thin crust pizza with spicy salami. So perfect.

We also shared a salad of cabbage, onions, kalamata olives, oranges, and olive oil. I’m totally going to recreate this at home. It makes for a very light and refreshing salad.

And, because we have no shame, we also had the tagliatelle with ragu. Rich and savory meat sauce and toothsome pasta.

This was good for two hungry adults that eat their feelings. 😀

Eatalian: 15500 S. Broadway St, Gardena, CA

eating > eggslut, los angeles

Happy Saturday, friends! After a super long week at work I’ve been in slug mode ALL DAY TODAY. I figured I should do something productive so here we are churning out some blog posts from my trip to LA last week.

I’ve wanted to try this place for ages and my godson is an early riser so me and his parents used our toddler alarm clock as an opportunity to trek over to Eggslut when it opened at 8am. There was already a considerable line which took 30 minutes to get through.

I ordered the sausage breakfast sandwich and it was…

… good.

Probably not wait-in-line-for-30-minutes good or hey-let’s-have-that-again good, but still good. The brioche bread is nice and soft. The sausage is fine but could use for some extra herbs and spices.

My egg was nicely runny but really poorly placed on the very bottom edge of the sandwich so I was just eating egg white for most of it. When I did get there, the yolk burst and I made a huge mess all over myself. #usererror.

IMO, not quite naughty enough to live up to the name.

Eggslut: 317 S. Broadway Stall D-1, Los Angeles, CA

eating > ipoh garden, millbrae

This Malaysian food has received the stamp of approval from 5 ex-Singapore expats. [mic drop]

I’m lucky enough that a few times a year I’m able to reconnect with the old friends I made during my 2 year stint in Singapore. What results in meeting up with them is always fun, often loud, and sometimes delicious. For this round us Bay Area peeps (your faithful narrator, Jek, and Jeanie) were joined by Therese (from NYC via Manila) and Pat (from Tokyo via Bangkok).

Going to a Southeast Asian restaurant is always tricky since we’re a tough crowd! Luckily Ipoh Garden delivered on our nostalgic craving.

Here’s what we ordered:

char kway teow (above, foreground): Legit! It’s sans cockles but those are a bit weird anyway.

chicken and beef satay (above, middle): I didn’t have this since I’m not a huge satay fan but given here were a few bites left it was probably just so-so.

fried calamari (above, background): Very yummy. Super crisp on the outside and tender on the inside with lots of salt and pepper.

nasi lemak (below): Such a pretty plate. Chicken curry was meh, everyone inhaled the peanuts, the wings met their demise, but the other veggie sides were barely nibbled.

roti canai (not pictured): Bomb. I wanted an extra order of this but refrained from going overboard.

Hainese chicken rice (not pictured): Pretty good, very gingery. Wish they had the thick soy sauce though. I can’t have my chicken rice without ALLLLL of the dipping sauces available.

kangkung belachan: SO GOOD. You can really taste the smoky flavor from the wok and the salty funk of the belachan. We were all raving about this one: “SO GOOD LAH!” “QUITE TASTY AH!” You know it’s real when we all start sounding like we’re back in Singapore again.

The service is typical for Asian restaurants – a bit rushed, requires some proactiveness on your part, but generally nice. Parking is horrific (aka street parking only) and the place was super busy on a Friday night at 7pm so make a reservation if you go.

Ipoh Garden: 100 El Camino Real, Millbrae, CA 94030

reading > tokyo on foot

I’m planning a trip to Japan this year and have found so many cool travel guides.

This one is not quite a travel guide since the author had actually moved to Tokyo when his partner got a job there. I think this one won me over with the hand drawn maps. I could stare at them for aaaaaaaages trying to take in each detail.

There are also people posts.

And landscapes. And food. And room cutaways (another favorite of mine).

So fun to read and gives you another view of the place that you won’t get from glossy travel books.

Tokyo on Foot: Travels in the City’s Most Colorful Neighborhoods by Flourent Chavouet (Amazon)

wearing > grana silk pants & tee

The rainy weather is really ruining my wannabe all-silk style.

These look like fancy hospital scrubs or emo pajamas and I love them. The all black is tres chic and makes a perfect palette for crazy bold lipstick and/or jewelry.

This was my first time trying Grana and I will definitely be going back for more (I’m eyeing those silk pajamas forreal). The material has a nice weight and feels so luxe. The short length required no hemming and the price is very reasonable for 100% silk.

I grabbed this Baublebar necklace because I was looking for a Dylan Lex-ish piece without the insane price tag. Score.

Grana silk tee | Grana silk ankle pants | Vince Camuto Lilliana flats (Amazon) | Baublebar Amazon bib necklace (sold out, similar)