Chi Flat Iron

Hello there - It's been two weeks since I've had a blog update. Life has been busy but I believe it should be winding down now. Back to some normalcy!

Anyhoo - I was at Target over the weekend and ended up picking a Chi flat iron. I've had a Remmington flat iron for a few years now and it was time for an upgrade. The husband was with me and saw me eyeing the Chi. He told me to just get it as I was debating on another cheaper one but in the end - I got suckered in. I hope this is a good one since I did not do any research on the product.

Taps Makes Me Wanna Laugh

And not in a good way.

Taps Fish House & Brewery

101 E Imperial Hwy

Brea, CA 92821

(714) 257-0101

This was the first restaurant The Husband and I tried during OC Restaurant Week. Our reservation was at 8:30 p.m. on a Wednesday night. We arrived at the restaurant about 30 minutes early and the hostess told us that it would be closer to 8:30 p.m. before she could seat us. We were o.k. with that since we were early. Although I would not have mind being seated earlier. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the restaurant was pretty busy given it being a weekday and also with the current economy in such a rut.

Anyhoo...Taps reminds me of BJ's meets Cheesecake Factory meets Chris Ruth's all combined into one. The first two being my least favorite picks. Why do I say all three restaurants? Well...let's take a step back and analyze this a bit. I say BJ's because Taps is a brewery was a vast beer selection but I don't drink beer so I don't really care how many types of beer are at this restaurant. BJ's Restaurant is known for the casual hang-out with quite a selection of beer. Why does Taps remind me of Cheesecake Factory? Well...in my original post here, I went through the trouble of explaining why I do not like Cheesecake Factory. Taps portions are HUGE!!! And the food..well...it's mediocre. Sad. So much food but not so tasty. The ambiance of Taps is a bit like Chris Ruth's in that the dining restaurant is dark. Too dark for this type of food. Makes me wonder what they are trying to hide. Maybe they do not want me to really examine my dinner.

Generally, I am a person who enters a restaurant wanting to like the place. Whether it's a hole in the wall or some five star name, I just really want to enjoy my time. It's that simple. I want to enjoy the experience and my food. So it is sad when my tastebuds, my mind and heart do not like a place. Unfortunately, I do not like TAPS but I must elaborate. It was not only the food but also the customer service that perturbed me.

So back to the beginning, we were seated at close to 8:30 p.m., maybe a little earlier. The waitress brought the menus to us and I asked her about the OC Restaurant Week menu. The minute I mentioned OC Restaurant Week to the waitress, I was under the impression she was not happy that we were ordering from that menu and it was just from her vibe. Maybe I was thinking too much into it. However, the menu was $ 20 a person so it was not like it was the cheapest menu. At $ 20 a person times 2 people plus drinks, the bill would have come to easily $ 50 to $ 60. I don't know what she would be unhappy about. So after a few minutes, she came back and took our order. For the starter, I ordered a Caesar salad and the husband got New England Clam Chowder. Unfortunately, I did not think my starter was worthy of a picture and I did not bother to take the Husband's clam chowder. Out of the two, the chowder was definitely 100% better than the salad.

For my entree - I ordered 1/2 Roasted Chicken. Here is the before picture. Looks pretty appealing doesn't it? (Well, don't mind the crappy photo. Not enough lighting will do that to a photo. Oh well.)

Here is the after picture. Does it look like I touched my food? Really...I did...I promise. It's just that it was HALF A CHICKEN! I think I ate about 1/4 of the half of a chicken. What does that make it? Hmm...I think 1/8. I think they should have used baby carrots as those are sweeter than the ones they have in the pictures. The carrots were a bit on the bland side. The chiken was o.k. It was roasted chicken...how can you go wrong with chicken? It was just not very memorable. Oh - so here is the killer. I asked for a box for my food because...frankly, I could not finish my food. The waitress looked at me like she couldn't believe I was boxing my food. She even stated, "You want this togo?!" I said, "yes," but I was thinking..um...well..even if I didn't really like it that much...should I have thrown away the whole dish since I only ate 25% of my plate??

The husband ordered Fish and Chips. It was one of those days where he could not eat meat. The Husband does not follow religion, except, every once in a blue moon, he decides to follow lent. Strange. I never understand that. Then again, sometimes I eat vegetarian because my parents tell me I should on a given day under the astrological calendar. I never get that either yet I follow it once in awhile. Go figures. Anyhoo....picture taken by the Husband with the flash on. (Much better than my no flash pictures but I really do not like using flash in these dark restaurants. I have yet to master my comfort level with photographing my food in restaurants.) He had leftovers that he took home and ate the next night. I believe he also ate my leftovers the night after that. :P

For our desserts - I ordered Chocolate Souffle. It is chocolate. Enough said. The husband ordered Fresh Fruit Sorbet - I think he rathered enjoyed his dessert. I would have to say the only time I felt our waitress was happy was when we were close to finishing our dinner and she came to ask us if there was anything else we wanted. Great service huh? Then the check came. And she messed up the bill. I want to say that it was accidental but given everything that preceded the bill - I hate to say it but I think it was intentional. BUT...I will give her the benefit of the doubt and consider it accidental. Aside from the OC Restaurant Week menu which goes for $ 20, Taps also has an in-house menu that has three items (starter, entree and dessert) that goes for $ 24.95. The difference? Taps in-house menu has a few more selections than that of OC Restaurant Week. She charged us the $ 24.95 menu. Did she think that we were not going to look at our bill? Of course, when confronted, she simply said she made a mistake and re-ran our bill.

Unfortunately - the damage has been done and I will not return to Taps. A combination of mediocre food and bad customer service has left a sour taste in my mouth.

Are You Feeling Old?

Because I am.

This year has started off to me feeling tired and old. It is mostly due to the fact that I started a new job at the end of last year and working on our investment project. Of course, the new job comes with new hopes, expectations and dreams. On the flip side, it also comes with expectations, uncertainty and a learning curve. Yes, expectations can be both positive and negative...depending on what side you are on...

Either I am getting old or I've formed habits because the learning curve combined with the uncertainty have worned me out. It is probably a combination of everything.

Now I know why it is easier for a fresh out of school college graduate to put in 50 hours plus a week versus someone with some years experience. A recent college graduate does not have all the other "responsibilities" that come with age. :(

I Think

I think I am going to start hating my job if I continue to work with a bunch of "experts" but there is no final resolution to my projects because the "experts" cannot agree...

I am Sad

I am sad. I try really hard not to listen to the news......but......IT SUCKS!!! We are obviously trying to beat the metrics...in the bear market. Sighed.

Kimera - Trendy and Stylish

Restaurant # 2 on our list for OC Restaurant Week was:

Kimera Restaurant and Lounge

19530 Jamboree Road

Irvine, CA 92612

Kimera is situated in corporate Irvine. The restaurant can easily be overlooked when you drive down Jamboree Road as it is tucked in between several office buildings. Parking can be by valet, which will cost you, or you can park yourself and have your parking ticket validated by the restaurant. As you walk into this restaurant, you will be reminded of your clubbing days. Bright red walls and modern paintings will greet you. The lounge is located to the right and the restaurant is located to the left. There is also a private lounge area perfect for the special occasion. Since we were here to dine rather than get drunk, our hostess steered us to the left. The dining area is one big room with plush couches and private tables that offer seclusion for a romantic evening. Remember to look up and admire the bamboo ceiling. It is absolutely marvelous! This restaurant is definitely trendy with its contemporay art decor and use of straight lines. The crowd tends to be young, vibrant and dress to impress, although, we were dressed casually for this evening.

The husband and I ordered the $ 30 menu. I started the evening with the organic greens salad with baby tomato draped with balsamic vinaigrette. The leaves were fresh but the salad was plain and SOUR! I felt like I was dipping my salad in vinegar.

The husband ordered the soup du jour AKA soup of the day. The day's soup was French Onion Soup. The husband thought the soup was fine. We have had better FOS so we can compare. Although, to be honest, we both don't really care for French Onion Soup. For the most part, most FOS will have cheese, sweet onions, croutons and the broth will usually be slightly on the sweet side. Kimera's FOS has some type of herb in there (see the green). The soup was not memorable.My entree - London sirloin over gorgonzola potato fondue, asparagus and pesto. This entree was tasty! The sirloin was tender and I ordered "medium well!" The asparagus had just the right firmness and the potato fondue had a tint of garlic with gorgonzola on top (not my favorite but that is simply because I do not like cheese). On the outskirt of the plate, there is pesto perfect for your sirloin.

The husband order - Atlantic salmon, baby bok choy, wilted spinach and soy shiitake mushrooms. Both entrees were beautifully displayed. The husband enjoyed his plate but he always enjoys his food! I did get to try a piece and the salmon was delicious, the bok choy was a perfect mix to the tasty dish.

My dessert - Warm flourless chocolate torte with toasted almond gelato and ice cream. I love the presentation of desserts. They are always so appealing to look at. Chocolate is chocolate is chocolate wherever you go. I have tried so many chocolate desserts and to be honest - it is just another chocolate dessert. Nevertheless, it is still yummy. The husband's dessert - Ice cream with fresh berries. Vanilla ice cream to be exact and the berries are submerged in some type of alcohol. I have no clue since I did not try it. Yes, the husband mentioned what type of alcohol but I don't remember what he said. ;P Probably rum. It is usually rum in these desserts.

Overall - the starters were uneventful, the entrees were tasty and the desserts were fine. Would we go back? Maybe. We feel young and cool dining at this establishment. The menu prices are reasonable with entrees going for about $ 10 to $ 20 a plate.

The Bachelor

Somebody shoot me. Guy goes on show to find wife. Guy proposes to girl A. Guy decides she's not the one and takes back the proposal. Guy then decides that he wants to try with girl B.

All through this - girl A is pissed and throws hate words at guy. Leaves. Then in the limo - it seems she has a change of heart in terms of how much she hates guy. She doesn't hate him and that she's learn from the experience. Blah Blah Blah....

Give me a freaking break.....I just want to gag right now. Why? Why? Why? Do I put myself through this torture and watch this mind numbing show right now?

OMG...guy cries!!!!!!! How can anyone fall in love with someone who goes on a show and kissed 20-something other girls? EWWWW!!!!!!!!!!

Mozambique - Africa meets Portugal

Courtesy of OC Restaurant Week, the husband and I ventured out to town to try several new restaurants. We tried three restaurants: Taps in Brea, Kimera in Irvine and Mozambique in Laguna Beach. Our favorite:

Mozambique Steakhouse and Coastal Lounge

1740 South Coast Highway

Laguna Beach, CA 92651

Mozambique (pronounced Moe-zahm-beek) is situated on PCH in Laguna Beach. Driving down this stretch of PCH, you will discover the delightful fragrance of the sea mixed with floral. On this particular evening - the scent I identified in the air was tuberose. Aside from what is the air, there is much to see. Art galleries can be found on both sides of the street as local artists proudly display their work. Sometimes, Laguna Beach reminds me of SoHo. Anyway, enough about Laguna Beach. If you have time, do venture down to Laguna Beach one of these days. Just be patience as with any beach city - parking can be a pain and the streets can get crowded.

Back to Mozambique - As you walk up to the entrance, the right side displays a patio with an inviting outside fireplace. To your left, you will be pleasantly greeted by three exotic friends. They will peek at you curiously and bid you an enjoyable evening and resume back to what they were doing before.
Stepping into the restaurant, you will brought to a Spanish influence fixed with African art dining area. The cusine is Africa meets Portugal. The husband ordered a mojito drink. I don't remember the specific name. I was pleasantly surprised by this drink. Not much of an alcoholic, I have occasional taken a few sips here and there of other mojitos and have always disliked the drink with its strong mint and rum taste. This motijo had a hint of mint and rum.
The husband and I had the $ 30 dinner menu. That included a starter, entree and dessert. The husband and I both ordered the Mediterranean salad. By far, out of the three restaurants we tried during OC Restaurant Week, this was our favorite salad! Calamata olives, grape tomatoes, feta cheese, artichoke hearts, sundried tomato croutons, half a boiled egg over mixed greens draped with Grecian dressing. Just enough salad to call it a starter and enough to leave you looking forward to your entree. The husband ordered the Peri Peri Rotisserie Chicken and Garlic Prawns with toasted basmatic rice and tropical mango salsa. He really enjoyed his dinner, finished the chicken, prawns and mango salsa.

I ordered the Durban Lamb Curry. Let me just say one word, "YUMMY!" Add some chutney to the piece of lamb and taste the sweet and savory in your mouth. The husband ordered Signature Warm Bread Pudding for dessert.

I ordered warm potted chocolate cake with coconut ice cream. I couldn't really taste the coconut but that is fine with me. As we walked to our car, this is what we saw on a corner street: