Food: Banh Xeo

Banh Xeo or Vietnamese Crepes, by far is one of my favorite Vietnamese food to eat (besides pho). It is extremely fresh when wrapped around fresh herbs and lettuce. I can eat this dish for days...oh wait..I did eat it for four days.... The thought of this still makes me salivate. Did I mention all this for under 25$?..So cheeep.

The ingredients are so simple: pork belly, shrimp, white onions, and mung beans. I marinaded the pork belly the night before with garlic, dash of salt and pepper and nuoc mam (fish sauce). I cooked the pork until the fish sauce carmelized on the outside, and cut it into thin slices. The shrimp was also marinaded with the same ingredients and cooked beforehand, but was not thoroughly cooked to avoid overcooking when placed in the crepe.

Thankfully, my mom told me to avoid buying the pre-made banh xeo packages at the oriental markets since they tend to mix potato starch with the rice flour. This makes the crepes less crispy. Try making your own by buying pure rice flour and add a teaspoon of turmeric, coconut milk, and thinly sliced scallions! I didn't even need to add beer or baking powder to make this crispy. Unlike the pre-made mix, the crepes were thinner and crispier.

With the help of my two roommates, we prepared this entire meal under 1.5 hours. Go teamwork! Don't forget the classic newspapers for easy clean up.

Thai chili is the cherry on top.

A Hike to the Hollywood Sign

Last weekend, my roommates and I hiked to the very top of the Hollywood sign. If you pace yourself, it is a 45 minute hike uphill from the Griffith Observatory...

We meandered along the mountainside...You can clearly see how polluted LA is from here. It's pretty disgusting and sad to know that I am breathing this air...:X

"She'll be comin round the mountain here she comes..."

Since there aren't that many annual trees around my apartment, it's nice to see signs of Spring here. It's always nice to see changes around you. It makes you appreciate the smallest things.

In a few months, these plants will dry up so fast to await the fire season to regenerate!

Beautiful tree trunk...The vegetation is so sparse here that I was literally thanking every tree for shade!

More hauntingly beautiful trees. There's something about bare naked trees that I absolutely loveeee. You can almost paint this tree.

You can slightly see the smog in this picture through the gradient in the sky...

"She'll be driving six white (brown) horses when she comes..."

Can I have a lift? It's quite awful smelling your crap while hiking uphill.

The closest we could get to the sign. Look ..the state flower..California Poppy!

Ah Ha! After a million huffing and puffing uphill under the blazing hot sun, we finally made it to the top. --African Savannah anyone?

I knew I should have rented out that Nikkor wide angle lens from Bel-Air Camera! :( I guess I'll take part of the sign...

Yup, no trespassing...Not gonna lie. I am so out of shape...
The "wood" in Holywood.

Rain, rain, go away...

Ruh roh...on PCH to Quality Seafood and it's raining cats and dawgs.

Lucky us, twas beautiful by the time we got here. Thank you LA traffic?

 Fishing boats to catch all the fresh 'quality seafood'

"Hello ladies, you guys wanted two sea urchins?".."No sir, we would like four of em"

 Hey look its for sale!

 Look at the clams opening their mouth to lick the lemon juice.. :)

Hello Urchin, It was painful stepping on your close relative in Hawaii. To be honest, I think I was the only one salivating to see a whole bunch of your cousins at the CA Science Academy. Sorry for making you squirm after squirting lemon juice on you...You are so sweet. <3

 Hello Tua Tua clams, You are delicious raw.

After those silly fishermen got rid of your predators, the Sea Otters, from SoCal, your population exploded and nearly collapsed the Kelp forests! Yummy for me, but so sad for the entire ecosystem...oh and those silly fishermen who eventually lost their catch...

 Time for the authentic Hue Banh Beo. I've never had it served this way. The rice pads were like suction cups on the dish! So coooool...

 More lemon, shrimp paste, and chili please.

And this is the reason why I am still up at 5 AM writing this entry. Ended the night with the Crimson Peach iced tea at Tebo Tebo Tea Lounge...The pearls are cooked to perfection! 

UCLA: South Campus

A few weeks ago, my supervisor assigned me a list of over 50 campus locations to snap photos of for UCLA's campus map. After neglecting taking pictures of S. Campus for so long, I finally came and found this interesting hallway/ balcony...My coworker commented how this looks like it was taken in North Korea.

Fashion: "Kill-her" Shoes

Yes. I am a little obsessed with the stilettos...I don't know why I tend to gravitate towards the same styles and colors. I guess you can never get away with the versatility of black and nude heels!

A bit dangerous, but worth it...:)

Things at the Rosebowl Flea Market

Admission tickets were 8$, which is expensive in comparison to NorCal's Berryessa and the Capitol Flea Market. However, the Rosebowl is definitely trendier...

Spotted tons of Ferragamo flats for about 30-40$. Of course there's always room for haggling...

An array of designer vintage and vintage-inspired eyewear...

This is the place to find vintage soda bottles and glass jars...Terrariums anyone? 

The owner of this booth sold his empty seltzer bottles. Since 1980's, he's been delivering seltzer and soda pops to homes and restaurants for Angelenos. The bottles look like they're congregating...

Old school YSL...Velvet is coming back....

 Collections of old hardcover books...Many interior designers go here to find home goodies and small antique decorations..

My Favorite! Terrariums!

I found my childhood friend here...

Jean bought this for 15$.

I wonder if the home that house this chandelier would be as beautiful as this.

Goodies!!

& this is the aftermath. :(. Note to self: Slap on layers of sunblock, wear a hat, and cover the shoulders... -_-