California Food Diary 📓

Recent eats from wandering around SoCal (and beyond) — a delicious, honest round‑up. 📍 Irvine 🍛 Hanuman Thai Eatery Went after visiting Laguna’s Christmas lights — recommend booking via Yelp. Flavors stood out with unique, bold Thai touches. 📍 Los Angeles 🥐 Republique • Bakery picks: Basque cheesecake, Danish (apple & ube were layered and lovely), croissants. • Savory: BLT Benedict, Kimchi Fried Rice, and Granola all solid. • Skip: Potato pancake (salmon too salty) & mushroom toast (greasy). • Drinks: Black Sesame Latte and Ube‑Coconut Matcha Latte beat their regular coffee. 🍷 Barra Santos A cozy bistro that exceeded expectations. Loved: • Tuna Crudo • Head‑on Prawns • Seared Hokkaido Scallops • Piri Piri Chicken Also tried their arroz — simple but satisfying. 🍽️ Manuela Nothing particularly memorable — biscuits were quite oily. 🍣 Osawa (Pasadena) The surprise favorite! Highlights: Botan Ebi Sushi, Chutoro, Scallop, Wagyu. The sweet shrimp was exceptional — they fry the head afterward. Next time I’m trying their tamago. 📍 Las Vegas 🌊 Mizumi Priced for the view, not the food. Overrated for true foodies. 📍 Napa Valley 🇫🇷 Bouchon A reliable, well‑executed French bistro experience — rare to find in the US! • Plateau de Fruits de Mer was fresh and generous (mussels clean, clams slightly briny). • Steak Bouchon (Wagyu rib eye) — tender and flavorful. • Saumon Poêlé — Scottish salmon with root veggies, perfectly balanced. • Escargot in puff pastry + desserts (complimentary bouchons & Profiteroles) were wins. Planning to organize more food notes from recent years — because good meals deserve to be remembered. 🍴✨ #LosAngeles #CaliforniaEats #FoodDiary #LAFoodScene #TravelBites #EatLocal #FoodRecap #HiddenGems #WestCoastDining #TastyMemories #EatWellTravelOften