5th Anniversary

Just getting back from Kauai, we decided to have a really simple anniversary dinner at Cho Dang's. Sometimes the simplest foods make the best meals!

 

Kauai Babymoon

We stayed at the Koa Kea Resort in Poipu and had a really relaxing time!

 

Elmer hiked the Kalalau trail while I stayed at the beach.



Hanalei Taro Fields



King Kong Rock



Na Pali Coast



Waimea Canyon



Island of Niihau

 

Blow hole

 

Now, onto the food!

Best. Poke. Ever. @ Pona Fish Market in Kapaa. I had to have a few pieces!



Awesome shave ice from Ono Family Restaurant in Kapaa. I think it was only $3, including the snow cap. $1 more for a scoop of ice cream at the bottom. I really liked how they had sour flavors! Owner was super nice too! Better than the Original Jo Jo's.



This is Jo Jo's

 

Dinner at Roy's



Shrimp Shack

 

Hamura's Saimin with their famous lilikoi chiffon pie. Pie was good. Saimin was overrated.

 

McDonald's breakfast-instead of pancakes and sausaage, you get rice, spam, and Portuguese sausage! They even have taro pie instead of apple pie!

 

Cocoa Bean

We have a little cocoa bean on the way! EDD 8/16/11.

Vegas Again

Elmer and I went on a short trip to Las Vegas, mainly to try out Raku and to get away before Elmer started his new job at Kaiser.

We arrived very late in the evening/early morning at Planet Hollywood, and since they were all booked we were given a complimentary upgrade to a large suite. There was a huge living room with a pool table and foosball table. We even had a view of The Strip.



I guess we're spoiled because the Planet Hollywood suite felt gross and dirty, so the next morning we headed to The Wynn to gamble all our money away!



The highlight of the trip, at least for me, was the uni at Raku. AMAZING.

Sea World

The Genuinos took a family trip to Sea World!



My fav, the sea otter!



Shamu and Friends!

JM @ HB

Brian, once again, kindly treated me to John Mayer's concert at the Hollywood Bowl. We got awesome seats and it was a great way to celebrate my birthday!



Set List
Wind Cries Mary (w/Brad Mehldau)
Can't Find My Way Home (w/Brad Mehldau)
Going To California > Stop This Train (w/Brad Mehldau)
Bittersweet Symphony (w/Brad Mehldau)
Chest Fever > Vultures
Clarity
Why Georgia
Ain't No Sunshine
Perfectly Lonely
I Don't Trust Myself (With Loving You)
Heartbreak Warfare
Gravity
Who Says
Waiting on the World to Change
Do You Know Me
Half of My Heart > Don't Stop Believing

Encore
Edge of Desire

UCLA

Elmer and I, along with a few TMMC UCLA alumni took a little trip to the UCLA campus and Westwood to reminisce.



This is where we met, Sunset Dorms, Canyon Point, A1, in the study lounge!


Last stop, Diddy Riese! This was the first visit that I actually ordered their ice cream cookie sandwich.

Back to Back

*Love the allusion to the Beatles*

Diversion

Work has been pretty slow lately, so I decided to take a few days off and accept Brian's invitation to join him and Angie on their Vegas trip.

We stopped at Baker for a little break. This was my first time stopping here, ever, on the countless trips to Vegas I've taken!


This was also my first time taking a pic of the "Welcome to Las Vegas" sign. Horrible shot from inside a moving car!


We stayed at the Wynn, like Elmer and I did last summer.


We watched the "new and improved" volcano show at The Mirage.


Brian and Angie were super excited to visit the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop, made famous from the History Channel's show Pawn Stars. Even though they were filming in the store that day, it was kind of a bust. It was super crowded, but we did get a glimpse of Rick.


Hot Shot was our favorite slot machine game. Brian and Angie won quite a bit of $$ from the machines, so much so that Brian treated us to watch Cirque du Soleil's LOVE.


I have to say that LOVE was disappointing. So many people had told me that it was amazing. I wish they had told me the complete truth, which was that it was just a bunch of dancing. I was expecting classic Cirque acrobatics, but that was absent from the show. The music was amazing, of course! Love the Beatles!


A highlight of the trip was finding a Thai restaurant off the Strip with amazing Pad See Ew (sp?), Thai iced tea, great customer service, and great prices! I think the Pad See Ew was $6.75 and the Thai iced tea was $1.75. Now I have a go-to spot for food the next time I'm in Vegas.

Alas, can't beat the cotton candy at Treasure Island!


**Here's a picture of Andrea and I at the Treasure Island buffet, cotton candy in hand, back in 2006 during her bachelorette weekend.** Good times!

Kaisen!

I went to Kaisen again, for the fourth time, and for the second time with Iris. These photos remind me of how good the sushi is there. I must find some place closer!

99 cent seaweed salad


Amaebi-always sweet and crunchy


Salmon sushi is always excellent and fresh


Tuna sushi-I never really eat this, but it looked fresh so we thought we'd give it a try. It was fine. I prefer a spicy tuna roll!


Softshell crab hand roll. Surprisingly good. I'd get this again.


Spicy scallop hand roll. I must say that this wasn't so good. The scallop were void of any taste. I've had it before and the scallop were sweet.


Oysters were alright. Nice briny flavor. Not bad at $2.75 for 2.


Hamachi was good.


Salmon sashimi (can't get enough!), ika sashimi (yum!), and a blob of uni (yum again!). I got Iris hooked on uni!!!


Green tea ice cream for dessert. It was good, and only $1.25!


Now I can't wait to go to Ojiya in Chino Hills for our next sushi outing, plus Eclipse!