Eat. Travel. Eat!

(pictures taken with a HTC Surround) Replacing what used to be Noodle House, a steam tray Chinese restaurant that offered excellent deals (for example, three entree dishes and rice for 10 USD), Daikokuya was a somewhat surprising addition to the President Square Food Court. Its operation is quite similar to that of other ramen outlets, such as Santouka : one orders at the counter and can get plenty of condiments and water to the side. Daikokuya offers a wide variety of sauces and toppings like pickled ginger (the blurry red box in the picture), more so than any other food court restaurant that I have seen.

The lone Chinese outlet in the Costa Mesa Mitsuwa Marketplace food court, Sky Express holds a special position in the primarily Japanese food court (the only other option that is not Japanese in the food court is The Loft Hawaiian). Selling boba, dim sum, and Cantonese cuisine, Sky Express offers a vast menu. What one will see though coming out of Sky Express are boba and regular entrees; dim sum is not as popular.

Young Dong Garden is back again, after a long renovation. The changes are quite major: a repaint of the interior and the exterior, a freshening of the interior with higher quality furnishings, installation of televisions, system controlled air conditioning units, and barbeque cooking platforms at the tables, and a refreshed menu. Some say the owner has changed as well, but I can not confirm that; it does seem to be family owned however, with some locals recognizing the owner on our last visit.

About a year ago, Golden Deli opened up in Temple City, replacing Alpha Science, an education center that has since relocated to Monrovia nearby Shanghai Bamboo House . We have been coming to this location ever since it opened, after having a good first experience and satisfactory return experiences. (Condiments and Utensils) The restaurant actually runs quite similarly to that of a fast-casual restaurant (or "express style"); the customer gets to pick the table, holds the table number so that the employees can send over the food to the table, and gets to pick up drinks like tea, water, and soft drinks by themselves. Likewise, the interior is modern, like those of fast-casual restaurants. However, I find the food quality similar, if not the same, to that of the Golden Deli in San Gabriel ; management seems to agree, having stripped the "express" part from the restaurant name. This fast-casual aspect makes Golden Deli a great place for newcomers to try Vietna...

The Grand Hyatt San Francisco was our pick for the Bay Area trip we took in early April. At the time, the hotel was still under renovation, and recent reviews on the hotel were average. The rates however, were much better compared to the other Hyatts in the area. This was surprising since this hotel has the "Grand Hyatt" branding, yet companies like Zagat rate this hotel below the other Hyatt properties in the area, which include the Hyatt at Fisherman'sWharf and the Hyatt Regency. (Check-In Area) (Elevators) (Information) The lobby was quite dark when we arrived, and everything had a yellow tint. However, during the day, sunlight flowed through the windows and created a much brighter environment. (Concierge) Our check in experience was fine; the employees were friendly, if not as professional as in some other hotels. Joanna Husk, the concierge (also part of Les Clefs d'Or Concierge) which helped us later during our stay, was really helpful in providing...