Believe it or not, I'm always surprised and very grateful when I get a month so busy with events! Next month though, I’ll be traveling again, so another Youtube video will be coming out soon!
1. Astro Doughnuts and Fried Chicken (Los Angeles, CA) - @dogandaduck
I was invited to check out Astro’s seasonal donuts, which included a Cherry Blossom Doughnut, as well as a few other seasonal flavors: The Italian, Chocolate Cornflake, and Purple Haze. I loved the cherry filling in the Cherry Blossom Doughnut and how pretty it was!
2. Gelato Go (Beverly Hills, CA)
Gelato Go invited me to check out their gelato shop in Beverly Hills. The shop was so cute and they had plenty of flavors to choose from, from fruity flavors, to nutty flavors, to sweet/dessert flavors. I got Stracciatella, Raspberry, and Passion Fruit flavors in a cup and I loved how smooth the textures were and how vibrant the colors were.
3. Casa Barilla (Los Angeles, CA) - @1on1pr
I had never tried a carbonara dish before and I was excited to stop by Casa Barilla at the USC Village! We got to see a cooking demo by Chef Alfonso Sanna. His Pasta alla Carbonara was made with spaghetti, bacon, a pasteurized egg yolk, parmigiano and pecorino cheese, cream and black pepper. I was so impressed! During this meal we also got to try some salad, various pizzas and their Panna Cotta Ai Frutti Di Bosco.
4. Panini Kabob Grill (Glendale, CA) - @blndpr
I was invited to check out Panini Kabob Grill. I had not been to a location in a few years and I remembered it used to be called Panini Cafe, and I loved their Charbroiled Chicken Shish Kabob dish! That was what we ordered, along with Tzatziki, Beef Koobideh Kabob, Flat Iron Steak Shish Kabob, Lamb Shish Kabob, and Jumbo Shrimp Kabob! Everything was just as delicious as I remembered and I had fun trying everything!
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5. Luna Grill (Cerritos, CA) - @dogandaduck
We came by to check out the Beyond Burger, which was a plant-based patty that tasted like a beef patty! It was so delicious with the spicy feta on top! We also got the Grass Fed Burger and Hummus to try. I was very impressed with our meal here. It was healthy and delicious at the same time!
6. Pick Up Stix (Pasadena, CA) - @22stirs
I was invited to check out a seasonal item: House Chicken Nachos. I was very impressed with these nachos. I loved that it was made with crispy wonton chips, House Special Chicken, and topped with Sriracha; it was so flavorful and addicting! I also tried a few of their other delicious items, such as the Thai Basil Noodles with Shrimp, Vegetable Egg Rolls, and Cream Cheese Wontons. They also gave me some cute chocolate-dipped fortune cookies in the end!
7. The Dim Sum Co. (Garden Grove, CA) - @foodiemobbb
The last time I visited this place was in December 2016 when it was called Mint Leaf. They recently rebranded and became The Dim Sum Co. I loved that their quality has remained consistent! I tried a little bit of everything, and an item I most looked forward to was the Poke Bun, which was their take on a salted egg yolk bun. The food and the drinks were delicious, and I could always recommend this spot to people who have never had a good experience with supermarket food court dim sum!
8. Paderia Bakehouse (Fountain Valley, CA) - @eatersanonymous @tpham
I was so excited to check out Paderia Bakehouse. I had admired their pastries and was excited to be a part of their one year anniversary celebration by helping them promote their new horchata drink line. I tried the Strawberry Horchata, Citrus Refresher, and enjoyed pastries such as their Coconut and Guava Malasadas; Birthday Cheesecake; and Chocolate Walnut, Peanut Butter Chocolate, and Blueberry Coconut Pecan Cookies.
9. Trejo’s Cantina (Hollywood, CA) - @1on1pr
We got to visit Trejo’s Cantina and to meet Danny Trejo himself as well as Executive Chef Mason Royal. It was a fun way to celebrate Taco Tuesday with their new tacos: Chicken Tikka Masala, Cheeseburger and Mexi Falafel. It was fun enjoying tacos, chips and salsa, margaritas and their “Bread” Pudding, made from Trejo’s donuts. Everything was delicious, and we got to take home a bottle of Trejo’s hot sauce!
10. Wheat Shop (Pasadena, CA)
I was excited to check out a new drink and dessert shop in Pasadena. The shop was so adorable, with so many possible options for taking pictures. I got the Vintage Black Milk Tea, which was dairy-free and sweetened with brown sugar. I loved it! Of their pastries, I enjoyed the cookies and the hazelnut dessert the most!
Other April events/collaborations:
I got to be a part of a Yelp event with Hatch Yakitori to check out their menu before its official opening. All the dishes were unique, fusion, and charcoal themed. Of all the foods we got to try, I enjoyed the Small Snapper Raw Bar Plate, Agedashi Toru, Black Garlic Mushroom Fried Rice, and the Karaage the most! My absolute favorite part was the dessert: Roasted Brownie with Black Sesame Ice Cream and Matcha Syrup. The goodie bag was so cool too. It included Yelp merchandise, such as chopsticks, a bandana, and gloves, as well as Hatch merchandise, like a button, a shot glass and a seasoning sampler!
Check out my Milk and Eggs collaboration from April here!