I just got back from attending my ex-roomie’s wedding in San Diego, California! The bf + I both claim that we brought these two together. Dom was his college buddy and Aileen was my roommate back when I lived in Irvine. They met several New Year’s ago when I invited my new roommate to our friend’s New Year’s party in Manhattan Beach! Congrats Aileen + Dom!
Well if you have ever traveled with me, no trip is ever complete without eating some great meals. Thank goodness my bf loves to eat as much as I do + it’s also a bonus to have great foodie friends!
Here’s where/what we ate!
TOKYO TABLE // IRVINE, CA We had lunch with the bf’s team… this place is best known for its bento boxes + sushi pizza.
{Lobster Bomb Sushi Pizza // A deconstructed sushi roll on a bed of crunchy rice}
{Citrus Salmon Summer Roll // A refreshing roll that tasted similar to a Vietnamese spring roll}
{Hot Strong Sukiyaki Bimbimbap // A traditional Korean rice dish mixed with beef, kimchi, bean sprouts, garlic chives served in a sizzling hot stone bowl… their take was a bit bland for me {I love the bimbimbap @ Anjin’s!}}
PHO LA JOLLA // LA JOLLA / SAN DIEGO, CAOn Saturday morning, we dropped by Pho La Jolla after the wedding ceremony for fresh dripped iced coffee + an appetizer before going furniture shopping + eating brunch with the bf’s family.
{Fresh Iced Vietnamese Coffee // Slowly dripped coffee with condensed milk as a sweetner}
{Egg Rolls // Pipping hot egg rolls filled with pork, vermicelli noodles + veges and eaten with nuoc mam sauce}
WHISKNLADLE // LA JOLLA / SAN DIEGO, CAWe had brunch with the bf’s family in beautiful, quaint La Jolla.
{The Brunch Menu}
{London’s Burning + Red Sangria // It was so hot so we decided to cool down with drinks… London’s Burning: an interesting mix of gin, jalapeno, avocado lime {imo…it tasted like salsa!} + your typical sangria…both refreshing!}
{Summer Salad // A delicious mix of argula, avocado, chino white corn, grapefruit, hearts of palm + balsamic}
{Niman Ranch Pork Sugo // A light pasta dish with papparadelle, ground pork and finished with parmigiano reggiano + parsley}
{Roasted Chicken Leg // Chicken sous vide (a bit on the pink side for me…) with grilled chino squash + piquello pepper confit}
EXTRAORDINARY DESSERTS // LITTLE ITALY / SAN DIEGO, CANo San Diego trip is complete without a stop at Extraordinary Desserts for their delicious Viennese coffee + beautifully presented desserts! And yes, I did enjoy these desserts on the floor outside of our hotel room when we got locked out and the bf had to go to the lobby to get our hotel key reprogrammed. I could not wait! lol
{White Chocolate Cheesecake // Made of white chocolate, layered on a bed of fresh raspberries, dark chocolate genoise, shaved chocolate + finished with whipped cream}
{Chocolate Croissant // Filled with dark chocolate + almond paste + finished off with chocolate shavings, edible flowers }
JIMMY’S FAMOUS AMERICAN TAVERN // SAN DIEGO, CAWe met up with our good friends for brunch before heading home to Orange County. We loved the atmosphere. It’s located right next to the harbor!
{Bottomless Mimosas // $10 well spent}
{Creme Brulee French Toast // A very decadent dish that we shared as an appetizer… topped with bananas foster sauce, bananas with a side of applewood smoked bacon}
{Famous Buttermilk + Beer Battered Onion Rings // Very crispy onion rings served with their popular housemade chipotle ketchup}
{Southern Egg Benedict // Housemade buttermilk biscuits, topped with sausage gravy + poached eggs with a generous side of tater tots}
{Cowboy Burger // A delicious burger arranged with cheddar, green chiles, applewood smoked bacon, an onion ring + bbq sauce… comes with your choice of coleslaw, fries, simple greens, or tator tots}
SENOR MANGO’S // SAN DIEGO, CAAfter a night of drinking, we had to make a pit stop at Senor Mango’s for a fresh drink.
{Papaya + Mango Smoothie // A refreshing blend of fresh papaya + mangoes}
{Fruit Mix // A mix of freshly cut papaya, mangoes, watermelon + strawberries topped with yogurt + granola}
NEWPORT SEAFOOD // WESTMINSTER, CAAs if I didn’t have enough lobster at the wedding… I had to get my lobster fix before heading back to Dallas!
{Fresh Prawns // The prawns were still swimming in the tank…best prepared steamed… pricey but so delicious!}
{Canh Chua // Vietnamese sweet + sour soup with fish + veges}
{Beef with Asian Snow Pea Shoots // Our first time ordering this dish + we loved it!}
{House Special Lobster // The main reason we came here… for the fresh lobster goodness, the eggs are the best part!}
And that completes my San Diego / Orange County food tour this past weekend!
Have ya’ll been to San Diego? What are your favorite spots?
Tiff
{All photos taken on my state-of-the-art iPhone :)}