Hope 2024 has been treating everyone well! It has been a busy first few months for me as I moved recently. Here are some of the cool spots I got to check out!
1) I Got My Sound Chicken (Fullerton, CA) - @sliquemedia
I was invited to check out some of the food from the I Got My Sound Chicken x School Food collaboration. This included the Apple Toboki, Donut Chicken, Mozzarella Spam Egg Mari, and Jang Bubi Bap. The staff also had us try the Strawberry Yogurt Sparkling and Blueberry Sparkling drinks. I loved the vibe and fun decor here; there were record covers and radios along the wall, neon signs, and a disco ball. So fun!
2) Nep Cafe (Irvine, CA) - @the00agency
Nep Cafe is finally rolling out a dinner menu! Nep has been known for their brunch, and now they have extended their hours and launched a new dinner menu at their Irvine location. It was so cool to watch the website get updated to the dinner menu right at 5 PM. The menu featured a lot of the same food and coffee items from brunch, but with more! We tried the Em Ơi! and Calamansi Paloma cocktails, Vietnamese Pate Mousse, Vietnamese Shrimp Salad, Pho Cuon, Pork Tomahawk, Chapter II and Little Saigon cocktails, and Mango Sticky Rice. It was an elevated experience and I can’t wait for them to bring this concept to the Fountain Valley location! I was also given a bottle, a tote bag, and a red envelope with a coupon scratcher!
3) Sushi Fire (Duarte, CA)
Sushi Fire reached out to me to check out their food. I had no idea that’s been around for 10 years! We got Hot Sake, Salmon Carpaccio, Sashimi, Soft Shell Crab, Seaweed Salad, Nigiri, Angel Roll, SOB Roll, and Tataki Roll. I loved the Soft Shell Crab, and I’m a big fan of salmon rolls and they did not disappoint!
4) Lost Parrot Cafe (South Pasadena, CA)
I’m already a big fan of the coffee items at Lost Parrot Cafe and when they invited me to check out their Taco Tuesday, I was more than happy to stop by! This was my first time visiting it in the evening, and I heard they had live music in the evenings occasionally. I got to try the Asada, Chicken Tinga, Carnitas, and Jackfruit Tacos, Pineapple Margarita, and a Dipping Flight. The taco station was so fun and the Dipping Flight was awesome; it included queso, esquites, guacamole, salsa, and chips!