Sunday was a beautiful day to go out and shoot photos and what better place to practice than The Huntington Library. Already our membership has come to good use and because we do not have to rush through it, we can leisurely walk through the grounds and have a closer look at individual gardens. For this particular Sunday, we decided to go to the Chinese Garden. Along the way, we detoured to the Conservatory. There you can find a Rain Forest, which houses the Amorphophallus titanum, the infamous “Corpse Flower,” and a Cloud Forest. Both are fascinating with the climate and plant life. You can also visit the Bog and see Venus flytraps, which we found pretty interesting. If you plan to visit the Conservatory, be prepared for the humidity inside the Rain Forest; the climate alone made me want to run out into the fresh air so I cannot imagine what it is going to be like in June when the “Corpse Flower” is in bloom. It is probably going to be stinky, but beautiful and intriguing, in there!
After the Conservatory, we headed to the Chinese Garden. Although we both photographed aspects of the garden, the main focus was to practice shooting individuals, specifically Taro taking photos of me and vice versa. It is definitely not an easy task – the hard lighting at 2 p.m., people strolling around and getting into the frame, deciding where to take the photo and how to position an individual, and grasping the photojournalistic approach while also having posed shots. At times I felt discouraged, questioning whether I could really do it. I know I can, but I am my own worst enemy and so critical of what I produce. I have to believe and trust that I have the potential to do something amazing.
It was a lovely afternoon spent at The Huntington Library once again. I cannot wait to visit again, to check out a different garden, but also practice, practice, practice. Only then can I grow.
I love Los Angeles. It is one of those places where different cultures and ethnicities melt together and produce what we know and love. In one area, you can find some of the best Chinese food around; take a five to ten minute drive, and you will find great sushi. Drive a little further and there is K-town, Little Ethiopia, and a world where French meets American cuisine. Some of these places have been around for ages while others are new, sprouting up all over LA because good food is a growing phenomenon. Luckily, we do not always have to travel too far to experience something new and this past weekend we finally were able to try Radhika.
Radhika was originally located on Shoppers Lane next to Green Street. I always saw it when I ate at Green Street, but never ventured to it. However, one day Taro and I decided to go try it, but we were surprised that it was replaced by The Counter. Radhika was there for quite a long time and we were thoroughly disappointed that we could not have some Indian cuisine, but willingingly settled for a burger instead (which was delicious). A few weeks ago, while driving back from Trader Joe’s, I pointed out that a new restaurant finally opened in South Pasadena where 750ml used to be and was pleasantly surprised that it was not an American restaurant. We couldn’t figure out what exactly they served, but there were tons of people waiting and the restaurant itself was packed. So on Saturday, after the Silverlake Jubilee, we decided to try this new South Pasadena restaurant and discovered that it was Radhika, the same restaurant from Pasadena with the same owner. We were ecstatic and looked forward to some potentially mouthwatering food!
I have really learned to love Indian food and the spices that are present in all the dishes. Sometimes it can be a bit too spicy, but I enjoy sloshing a piece of naan into curry and picking up pieces of chicken and lamb with rice with my fingers. Looking back, I cannot believe that I didn’t like Indian food coming out of high school; I now realize that my palate has opened up and that I am so much more open to all types of food. The foodie and adventurer in me is out and I love it.
At Radhika, we ordered Chana Samosa – crispy turnover stuffed with seasoned potatoes, peas, cilantro, and red onions, Chicken Tikka Masala – marinated boneless chicken breast cooked in a clay oven simmered in tomato yogurt sauce – which is one of Taro’s favorite Indian dishes, and Lamb Shank Kashmiri – spiced with asofoetida, cinnamon, fennel, and dry ginger served with parsley naan. I am a huge fan of lamb – the “gamey” taste does not even affect me – and am so glad that Taro now appreciates the flavor of lamb – to the point where we almost always get it when it is offered! Overall, the food was pretty good at Radhika. The samosa was hearty and the cilantro sauce and other sauce on the plate, which was a bit sweeter, had a lot of flavor. I thought the lamb was far better than the chicken tikka masala, which was a bit more on the dry side despite the curry having a lot of spice and flavor to it. The food was good, but it definitely does not compare to the Indian restaurant close to Taro’s work.
For a restaurant that is nearby and local, we definitely would go again. The prices are a bit higher than most Indian restaurants, but that is what you get when you are eating in South Pasadena, especially since there is no other Indian place close-by (unless you go to Old Town). I would definitely go back to try the Tandoori Chicken and if anybody is free, I would also definitely go take advantage of the lunch special at Radhika. With a mango lassi, which was very good here, you will definitely have something to cool the spice and fire in your mouth after dining here.
I saw these flowers as we were walking to Radhika and had to snap a photo of them. Taro also took the camera from me and caught me smiling and laughing before dinner – well before I was completely stuffed.
We heard about the Silverlake Jubilee a while ago, but never had the chance to swing by it. However, this was our first free weekend – no prior commitments, bbq, birthday party, etc. – and we decided to take full advantage of it. To make it more of an adventure, we took the Gold Line to Union Station, followed by the Red Line, in order to walk to Myra Street. Once we arrived, there was already a local band playing on the stage and vendors set up selling original silkscreen t-shirts, artwork, books, and accessories (headbands, jewlery, and other funky, cool items). And then there were the food vendors, or “taco” trucks. It was not as overwhelming as I thought it would be, but there was a variety to choose from.
We actually chose three trucks to try. The first was Buttermilk, which serves homemade breakfast items. Initially I was only going to get the Hawaiian Bread Breakfast Sliders – Portuguese Sausage, Sauteed Onions, and Shoyu Scrambled Eggs on Hawaiian Bread, but then I heard a couple people raving about the Buttermilk Pancake Bites. The Breakfast Sliders were pretty good, especially the bread, and I always love portuguese sausage. The Buttermilk Pancake Bites were something else. They were Red Velvet Chocolate Chip and quite rich; I personally would have settled just for red velvet alone. They were definitely different, but if you are planning on trying some, I would just share with a friend. It is an order of six and after two, it becomes a bit too sweet. For a late night snack after a night in Downtown LA, this would probably be a fun choice, especially if you want something closer to breakfast.
The next truck we tried was Frysmith, a truck solely based off of french fries and what you can put on top of it. They have the classic chili cheese fries, but also have unique plates like kimchi fries and chicken sweet potato. We tried the Rajas Fries – Fire-Roasted Poblano Chiles, Caramelized Onions, and Shawarma-marinated Steak with Jack Cheese. The steak was actually very flavorful and tender and I enjoyed the chiles and onions with it. The french fries themselves were just mediocre. They were also a bit too greasy for my taste and with all the other trucks there, we didn’t want to fill ourselves on french fries alone.
The last truck we tried was Lomo Arigato, which is Peruvian and Japanese Fusion. We tried the Lomo Saltado, which was excellent. This was by far the best thing we had amongst the three trucks. The meat was tender and mixing it with the onions, fries, and cilantro sauce made for a sweet and spicy dish. I would definitely have this again and it seemed like the people around us were also enjoying the food from Lomo Arigato.
Overall, the experience at the Silverlake Jubilee was fun and it was also great running into friends while we were browsing around. If you have a chance, check it out, especially if you have been meaning to try some of those trucks roaming around Los Angeles!
Hawaiian Bread Breakfast Sliders and Pancake Bites from Buttermilk:
Rajas Fries from Frysmith:
Rajas Fries (left) and Lomo Saltado from Lomo Arigato (right):
There was an interesting “bubblegum” machine with Seed Bombs and this adorable dog just hanging out while his owner grubbed on food from Lomo Arigato.
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