Being off for the summer allows for so much more time and flexibility, even with something as simple as going out for dinner mid-week. I do not have to worry about how late we stay out or whether I will have time to shower, pack our lunches, and get things ready for the next day. So last night, Taro and I were able to enjoy eating out with no restrictions – we didn’t have to worry about how far it was, whether we would be pressed for time, nothing whatsoever! We did not pick a place too far and based our choice off the recent LA Weekly Magazine, which described and rated noteworthy restaurants in Los Angeles. Our choice for this Wednesday evening was Mo-Chica, a contemporary Peruvian restaurant.
Mo-Chica is located in an open area, surrounded by stores and other places to grab a bite. We sat down and immediately decided that we had to try the Ceviche Del Dia – seabass with seaweed, Peruvian corn, and leche de tigre, Causa Del Dia (Peruvian potato salad of the day) – purple potato with crab, and Lomo Saltado (Taro’s favorite) – prime beef fillet, french fries, red onions, and roman tomatoes. To drink I had a Chicha Morada – purple corn tea – and Taro had a Cebada – barley iced tea with herbs and ginger root. When the food arrived, it was beautifully presented. And then we sunk our knives and forks into it, tasted the ceviche and potato salad, and melted. Both had great texture and flavor to it. Since Taro was not there when I ordered the ceviche, he was pleasantly surprised that it was seabass. When the Lomo Saltado came out, it, too, was presented well – beef, onions, and tomatoes on the bottom of the plate and french fries stacked neatly on top. It was definitely a fancier lomo saltado, but we devoured it and it had a lot of flavor in it.
You know when a place is good when crazy thoughts cross your mind like, “Should we order something to go?” in order to have it for lunch tomorrow. However, I told Taro that we would come back to try the Arroz Con Pollo and Oxtail Risotto – along with the Ceviche Del Dia AND Causa Del Dia. I cannot wait and neither can my stomach!
Ceviche Del Dia (left) and Causa Del Dia (right):
Lomo Saltado:
Sudesh, Taro’s coworker, invited us to his wedding and what a treat it was. It was the first Indian wedding I have ever attended and I was intrigued by everything – from the grand entrance with Sudesh on horseback, the elaborate and beautiful saris, the wedding rituals and practices, and the delicious food served! It was unlike any other wedding and I am glad that my world was opened to a different culture.
It all started with the horse. Sudesh came down the path on top of of an ornately decorated, white horse. His groomsmen danced in front and the sound of a drum was heard in the background. This began the rituals – arrival of the “Jaan” - and the Hindu marriage ceremony. There was the washing of feet with milk and water, purifying Sudesh and Sapna for their new lives ahead of them. It was beautiful and intricate during the Hasta Melap (Joining of Hands) when the priest recited holy verses while placing a betel leaf and rice on the palm of their right hands. After this a varmala was placed around the shoulders of the couple; the white cotton threads bind Sudesh and Sapna together in a strong bond as partners in life. Another interesting aspect of the ceremony was the Mangal Fera – four times around the sacred fire. According to the description in the wedding program, “Fire signifies the purest form of the Lord who leads us from darkness and ignorance, to light and knowledge. Only fire can separate this holy bond of unity between Sapna and Sudesh.” Walking around the fire pays homage to God and signifies the four stages of life – childhood, youth, middle age, and old age. The Seven Steps follow the walk around the fire, which is essentially the vows between the couple. The last ritual was Sapna putting red kumkum or sindhur on the parting of her hair. Overall, the “Hindu Marriage is one of the most important Sanskar which brings together two individuals, a man and a woman, into perfect union spiritually, mentally, and physically through the sacred bond.” It was a beautiful ceremony and for me, I felt like I experienced so much witnessing the marriage of Sudesh and Sapna and I am grateful that they allowed me to share in their marriage.
Following the ceremony, there were cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. The food was amazing and people could not stop eating, especially the samosas. They were so delicious that we wanted to save some for later! If we thought the hors d’oeuvres were fantastic, the dinner itself was nothing short of stellar. Like I mentioned, everything was a treat at this wedding and it didn’t stop after dinner. There was dancing until midnight and everyone was having a good time.
Sudesh and Sapna, congratulations on your marriage! Taro and I were honored to be guests at your wedding and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We wish you a happy marriage!
Between the Edmunds family portraits and the Fong family portraits, we had lunch at Marmalade Cafe with the Fongs. It is a restaurant that Amy has enjoyed previously and she wanted to share it with us (since she knows how much we love food). Upon sitting down, Amy ordered calamari; I love that I can count on her to order that because I love calamari! Taro and I decided to share a burger and a cup of soup while Kaitlyn had pancakes and Amy ordered pasta (I can’t seem to remember what Andy ordered). Overall, there were mixed reviews on the lunch. The calamari was over salted while Amy’s pasta was underseasoned. Regardless, we enjoyed the company of each other. Afterward, we walked over to Pinkberry to enjoy some frozen yogurt before the portrait session. And to make the day complete, we also had dinner with the Fongs and it was fantastic – asparagus and lobster…two lobsters which weighed four pounds each!
We cannot wait to hang out again – July, when we take more photos!
What a silly goose!
Lobster dinner, which Andy prepared – delicious! Look at how enormous the claw was on that lobster! There was so much meat left that Andy made lobster sandwiches for lunch the next day.
Some of the beauty in Orange County:
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