Palm Springs EATS

Palm Springs, also known as "the desert," surprisingly has a few pretty good restaurants to eat at. Three fabulous ones that stood out to me were walking distance from the cute, modern hotel called Alcazar which I stayed at.

I was told that Tyler's has the best burgers ever! They also had the best chicken salad sandwich ever! It came with a berry jam that is to-die-for!

Tyler's cheese burger slider - only $3 - the beef is delivered fresh daily from an organic farm nearby

Birba, a cute, dim-light, fancy pizzeria was right downstairs of the hotel. The burrata plate was amazing & came with an eggplant tapenade spread.

cheesy breadcrumb goodness stuffed artichoke 

prosciutto pizza

berry tart with vanilla ice cream

Cheeky's, also right downstairs of the hotel had amazing morning drinks - bloody mary in a boot glass & different flavors of mimosas (mango & tangerine)

from L to R - truffle hash browns, bacon flight, cheese scramble, cheese biscuit, maple sausage, orange waffles

bacon flight consisted of 5 different flavors of bacon, such as apple, maple, & jalapeno

swan oyster depot

Swan Oyster Depot is known for their daily variety of fresh seafood from lobster, scallops, and even live uni! WHAT WHAT! The hole-in-the-wall is made up of one long countertop that can fit about 20-25 guests, showcasing in the window all of their seafood for the day. The line is always long and if you go on a Saturday, the wait is probably atleast an hour, but it is definitely worth it! You are allowed to have a drink (or bottle for that matter) while standing in line. The staff is all super friendly. Hurry - GO!

door to heaven

fresh clam chowder - you could literally taste the clam juices

sicilian sashimi - salmon, scallops, and hamachi with olive oil, capers, onions, & cracked pepper

combination seafood salad with dungenous crab, large & small shrimp - served with a louie dressing

3 different kinds of oysters (they have a lot more to choose from!)

Caribbean Crown Princess cruise food!

Here are some of my favs & unique foods from Miami to Fort Lauderdale, Florida to the Caribbean Crown Princess cruise:

This is in Miami, Florida @ Puerto Sagua - oxtail stew, black beans, plantains, & rice

empanadas in Miami

Cuban sandwich

on Miss Crown Princess - bangers & mash, an English lunch

I had a cheese plate everyday on board!

and we had this pretty much everyday for breakfast too - lox, cream cheese bagel

conch in Roatan, Honduras - texture super chewy, made with garlic/butter sauce

most unique/weird thing eaten - WILD IGUANA - made pulled/shredded style & didn't have much taste since iguanas are vegetarians

Thanksgiving lobster dinner on board

veal with mushrooms, gravy, & truffle mash at Sabastini's on board

more cheese!

mixed plate - locals eat stewed chicken in Belize, really good!

House 530

House 530 is my friend, Por Phol Meeriyagerd's newest upscale Thai fusion restaurant in the Mission district of San Francisco. It is the sister of Thai House Express, owned by his parents. Turned from laundromat to a very classy, sexy, modern vibe restaurant, House 530 is where it's happenin' - from the interesting decor and unique glassware to of course, the delicious food. "Kin mak!"

This is one of the specialty drinks in a crooked glass. My fav drink is the sangria with lychee & passion fruit flavors (not pictured).

Infamous salmon wrapped with banana leaves, served with a to-die-for garlicy cilantro sauce.

Dungenous crab pad thai.

Spicy eggplant.

Linguini prawns served with parmesan cheese & scallops

My own 7x7 List!

7x7 is the "insider's guide to the best of San Francisco." Every year, they come up with a list of 100 best things to eat at specific restaurants within the 7 mile radius of the city. As my journey in San Francisco comes to an end, I have decided to create my own list of my top 100 things to eat here (in no particular order)...

1. Breakfast Sandwich @ Lou’s Café
2. Dungenous Crab Eggs Benedict @ Zazie’s
3. Longanisa @ Mercury Lounge
4. Crawfish Beignets @ Brenda’s French Soul Food
5. Truffle Lobster Mac & Cheese @ Circa
6. Porchetta Sandwich @ Roli Roti Stand Ferry Building Farmer’s Market
7. Egg Salad Sandwich Crepe @ Sophie’s Crepes
8. Homemade Udon @ Sanuki Udon
9. Chicken Sandwich @ Saigon Sandwich
10. Shanghai Dumplings @ Shanghai Dumpling King
11. Pho Ga @ Turtle Tower
12. Prime Rib @ House of Prime Rib
13. Sashimi Platter @ Tekka
14. Bakudan Roll @ Ebisu
15. Cheese & Salumi Platter @ Amelie
16. Soondubu @ My Tofu House
17. Chan Pad Poo @ Marnee Thai
18. Tonkotsu Ramen @ Izakaya Sozai
19. Garlic noodles & roasted crab @ Thanh Long
20. Grass-fed Burger @ Nopa
21. Dungenous Crab Risotto @ Ducca
22. 7 Courses of Beef @ Anh Hong
23. Garlic Basa @ Marnee Thai
24. Rotisserie Chicken @ Limon Rotisserie
25. Home-made Tofu @ Eiji
26. Shio Ramen @ Santouka
27. Orenchi Ramen @ Orenchi
28. Kobe Beef Shabu Shabu @ Shabuway
29. Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Tomato Bisque @ Sauce
30. Flatbread Pizza @ Nopa
31. Raw Oysters @ Elite Café
32. Burrata @ Pizzeria Delfina
33. Spicy Chive & Pork Dumplings @ Shanghai Dumpling King
34. Cheese Grits @ Brenda’s French Soul Food
35. Mushroom Truffle Eggs Benedict @ Mission Beach Café
36. Short Ribs @ Hukilau
37. Short Ribs Hash @ Mission Beach Café
38. Pho Bo Kho @ Golden King Vietnamese Restaurant
39. Caesar Salad @ Butterfly
40. Short Ribs @ Butterfly
41. Roasted Bone Marrow @ Chez Papa Bistrot
42. Mac & Cheese @ Mission Cheese
43. Smoke Bomb @ Ace Wasabi
44. Aged Gouda @ Cowgirl Creamery
45. Biscuits @ Elite Café
46. Pot Roast @ Park Chow
47. Lemon Cookie Ice Cream @ Three Twins
48. Grasshopper Ice Cream @ Mitchell’s
49. Korean Tacos @ Hukilau
50. Crab Sandwich @ Crazy Crab’z Stand Giant’s Stadium
51. Clam Chowder @ Beach Chalet
52. Menage A Trois Sandwich @ Ike’s
53. BBQ Ribs @ Gorilla BBQ
54. Brisket @ Tommy’s
55. Salmon @ Thai House Express
56. Artichoke Bisque @ Caprice
57. Mussels @ Catch
58. Tri-Tip Sandwich @ Buckhorn Grill
59. Clam Chowder Bread Bowl @ Boudin
60. Burger @ Namu
61. Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict @ The Butler & The Chef Bistro
62. Natural Viagra @ Yamasho
63. Spoonful of Happiness @ Koo
64. Beef Tongue @ Halu
65. Chicken Eggs Benedict @ Ella’s
66. Prosciutto Pie Pizza @ Pizzeria Delfina
67. White Wave Walu @ Rocketfish
68. Meatballs @ Vin Club
69. Dave’s Legacy Roll @ Sushi Bistro
70. Deviled Eggs @ Elite Café
71. Crab Cream Croquettes @ Izakaya Sozai
72. Potato Leek Soup @ Bushi-Tei
73. Filo Dough Specialty @ La Mediterranee  
74. Lobster Roll @ Woodhouse Fish Company
75. Mac & Cheese @ Delessio Market & Bakery
76. Vegetarian Sandwich @ Caffe Trieste
77. Uni Rissoto @ Ozumo
78. Brazillian BBQ @ Espetus Churrascaria
79. Hamachi Mango Roll @ Ariake Japanese Restaurant
80. Sisig Nachos @ Mercury
81. Murghi Korma Shahi @ Shalimar
82. Naked Lobster Roll @ Old Port Lobster Shack
83. Pho Bo Kho @ Pho Huynh Hiep 2
84. Chicken Katsu Curry with Cheese @ Volcano
85. Greek Plate @ Café Francisco
86. Miso Ramen @ Sapporo-Ya
87. Carne Asada Pie @ Chile Pies & Ice Cream
88. Galbi @ Muguboka Restaurant
89. Coconut Pudding @ Purple Kow
90. Cauliflower Truffle Crème Brule @ Twenty Five Lusk
91. Spicy Beef Pho @ Darren’s Café
92. Mussels @ Cha Cha Cha’s
93. Duck Fried Rice @ King of Thai
94. House Noodles @ Craw Station
95. The Stage Coach @ Fondue Cowboy
96. Shrimp With Garlic Butter @ Craw Station
97. Shrimp @ Cha Cha Cha’s
98. Dry Fried Chicken Wings @ San Tung
99. Tatter Tots @ Butter
100. Live Scallop @ Ebisu

Craw Station

Craw Station is known for their Vietnamese / NOLA style seafood boils, consisting of crawfish, dungenous crab, shrimp, clams, corn, potatoes, and their infamous house noodles. You get to choose what type of seafood you want, with what sauce (cajun, no spice, garlic butter, or lemon pepper), and what spiciness (none, mild, medium, dangerous).

house noodles - garlic, butter, topped with tobiko

1 lb each of crawfish, shrim, and clams - technically you're suppose to pour it all out on the table, but we decided to leave it in the bags

crawfish - cajun sauce, mild

shrimp - lemon pepper sauce, mild

clams - garlic butter sauce, mild

25 Lusk

25 Lusk is one of the newest hip restaurants/bars in the city. They are known for their sophisticated architecture and ambiance. You feel like you are a princess dining there. Over the past few months, they've been awarded Top Ten Local Hot Spots, Best New Restaurant, and one of the Top Hot Spot Restaurants in the United States. They have esquisite, top-notch food & wine, and I feel honored to have been able to dine at a place like this.

ahi sashimi appetizer

lobster with caviar

pork belly on sweet mashed potato

cheese & onion ravioli

scallop

wagyu ribeye - todiefor!

salmon

prawns

cauliflower & truffles creme brulee - one of my favorite dishes

japanese pepper grits

complimentary chocolate strawberries

cheese plate

dessert sampler

San Diego eats!

I'm pretty impressed that San Diego has so many unique eateries that I haven't tried before. In over 3 days, I ate some of the greatest things of my life.

Trail's Eatery - Heard about this place through the tv show called Restaurant Impossible. I was impressed - the food was great & so was the service! The pulled pork sando was delish. Homemade poppy seed dressing & croutons on salad were phenom!

Phil's BBQ - One of the most popular restaurants in SD! If you go during prime time, the wait is atleast an hour to order. They have the best fall off the bone baby back ribs in the city! Your meal comes with 2 sides - we picked fries & beans.

And the onion rings are so huge & to-die-for! They are served with buttermilk sauce.

Basic - It's a bar that serves pizza...REALLY good thin crust pizza! This was one of my favs & the best pizza I ever had in my life! The right side has mashed potatoes & bacon on it with a garlic, parmesan white sauce. I want to go back to SD just for this!

San Diego, home of carne asada fries. Topped with everything you can think of from beans to sour cream to salsa to meat & cheese. This one is from Fresh MXN Foods.

And last but not least, this BLT thin bagel sando is from Einstein Bros Bagels, a popular bagel chain. I wish they had a place like this in SF.