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About fabliss

Food lover. Photography obsessor. Flower lover. iBanker. Starbucks addict. Pinterest junkie. Competitive football fantasy participant. Yelper. Dessert fiend. Wife. Daughter. Friend. Life is hectic but definitely good.

Island Vintage Coffee | Honolulu, HI

we were uber lucky when i had to take a quick work trip to honolulu! even more lucky that it just so happened to land on a 3 day weekend! we have both been maui and kauai together… but kyle had never been to oahu! you know what that means! food adventures!

ok. this will be quick and very simple. we fell in love with island vintage coffee.

best taro smoothie. ever.
best acai bowl. ever.

we probably walked the main strip back and forth about eight times and kept debating whether or not to get a coffee here. thank goodness we did.

i am usually not one to eat an acai bowl for breakfast… 1. because i am always hungry. 2. i don’t do healthy for breakfast. …but this is life changing.

acai bowl – think acai smoothie topped with fresh fruits, granola and honey. i’d eat this every day.
taro smoothie – delicious. not too sweet. tastes like heaven.

there’s seating inside and outside. warning: this gem gets crowded.

ever since we came back from honolulu, we have been on the search for these two things in los angeles. obviously i would highly recommend this to anyone visiting honolulu!

Island Vintage Coffee
2301 Kalakaua Ave
Honolulu, HI 96815

By fabliss | February 20th, 2014 | Coffee, Tea, & Bakeries, Food, Hawaii, Travel | 1 Comment

King’s Mongolian Bar-B-Q | Reseda, CA

king’s mongolian bbq…

hole in the wall.
teal booths with pink table clothes.
fluorescent lighting.
family owned.
cheap and always hits the spot. (and by hits the spot i mean mandatory nap time after your meal)

kyle and his family have been coming here since he was 10 years old… all thanks to those good ol’ entertainment books that had a coupon for this place. (remember those?) lunch time differs from dinner time. prices are cheaper at lunch but the meat isnt available in the buffet line.

i always get combination b ($7.95), one bowl of monogolian bbq, a sesame pocket, and a wonton. kyle opts for the all you can eat option. for $9.95, all you can eat noodles and meat, a sesame pocket, an egg roll, and soup. to be honest, he maxes out at one bowl.

so at lunch time, you tell the lovely waitress what kind of meat you want. i went for the beef and pork. yeah, they don’t skimp out on the meat here.

since i only get one bowl, i pile mine prettttty high. it’s called skills. for sauce, i go for the spicy combination: 5 of sauce A (spicy), 2 spoons of sauce C (ginger), 2 spoons of chili and half a spoon of oil. i like to also top mine off with curry powder. …ta da!

i like to add sweet and sour sauce to my noodles…in addition to sriracha! yum!

parking: parking lot never too full. never any issues.
service: two amazingly nice and friendly ladies own this place… have owned this place. they are awesome!
ambience: nothing fancy or modern… just think hole in the wall.
overall: we love coming here for lunch when we are in the area. don’t let the exterior / interior of this place fool you. sometimes it’s the hole in the walls that blow you away. food is yummy, cheap, fast, and customizable. tip: don’t skimp out on the sauces. remember that it is diluted with all the veggies you choose and by the water they spray on your noodles while cooking it.

King’s Mongolian Bar-B-Q
19652 Vanowen St
Reseda, CA 91335

By fabliss | February 18th, 2014 | Food, Photography, Restaurants | 0 Comments

Brian’s Shave Ice | Tarzana, CA

brian’s shaved ice is one of two of our favorite shave ice joints in los angeles (get shaved is the other one). the original location is in west la. but great news for all of us valley folk! one popped up in tarzana!

so, we love brian’s shave ice! (my hubby is obsessed) our go-tos:

flavors: tiger’s blood, POG, coconut, pineapple, lychee, mango
filling: i always get azuki beans (sweet red beans) because i love red beans. kyle always goes for ice cream (macadamia nut or taro if available)
topping: snow cap (condensed milk). always get this…it make your shave ice creamy and delicious!

a tip: go with tropical flavors, always. it’s hawaii in a little colorful flower shaped cup! btw, we found this place because there was a groupon for it. thanks for the introduction, groupon!

tip #2: we got the dole whip before… and probably will not get it again. don’t get me wrong. i love the dole whip at disneyland in pineapple juice…buuuut the whip didn’t really jive with my flavors (it was a little sour).

parking: both locations have ample parking in plazas.
atmosphere: the tarzana location is slightly smaller than the one in west la. both are clean!
note on the staff: they are awesome, friendly and helpful.
overall: give this place a shot whether you are in west la or the valley!

Brian’s Shave Ice & Boba
19572 Ventura Blvd
Tarzana, CA 91356

11301 W Olympic Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90064

By fabliss | February 16th, 2014 | Coffee, Tea, & Bakeries, Dessert | 0 Comments

Firehouse Restaurant | Tarzana, CA

for those of us who live/lived in the valley, firehouse is sort of a gem…just sayin’. so, i’ll keep this short and sweet. small restaurant that sits on victory blvd. nothing fancy. just great gyros!

food: we go here when we need a gyro fix. tzatziki is delicious (i can drink this stuff)! also, portions are a good size and meat is always moist and full of flavor. note that we have only ordered the gyros here so cannot speak for the rest of the menu.
parking: there is a small lot next to the restaurant. we never have issues.
service: owner/staff are super friendly. fast service.
ambience: there’s a lot going on with regards to decor. murals, sculptures, etc in a relatively small spot.
overall: this place rocks and is definitely one of the favorites in the valley.

Firehouse Restaurant
18450 Victory Blvd
Tarzana, CA 91335
Neighborhood: Tarzana

By fabliss | February 6th, 2014 | Food, Photography, Restaurants | 0 Comments

Hy Mart Sandwiches | North Hollywood, CA

if you ask me, hy mart has some sexy sandwiches. how lucky are we that this is in our neighborhood?!

this place is pretty low profile… but do not underestimate the very simple menu and simple decor.

we always go for ben’s pastrami (aka pastrami ben’s way). get ready for pastrami, provolone, jalapenos, basil, and ben’s sauce (which they claim is spicy but i did not find this spicy at all). ben (the owner we assume) knows his sandwiches. sauce is a winner but the bread is an even bigger winner. crunchy and doesnt fall apart while you eat it. #winning

a weird side note: i do wish that i tasted more basil but it is still great, every time.

food: we love getting sandwiches here! we always want to branch out but we always just order the same thing.
parking: small, shared lot. we haven’t had any problems when we come here for lunch.
ambience: casual. not too many seats available but we have never had a problem finding a place to sit since people are usually in and out of here.
service: owner is super friendly! this is the type of place where you order, pay and wait for someone to bring your food out to you. sandwiches come out pretty quickly!
overall: if you are looking for a quick, delicious lunch spot, head to hy mart! sandwiches are bomb. bread is perfectly crunchy and the sauce (not too spicy) will leave you happy!

Hy Mart Sandwiches
4795 Vineland Ave
North Hollywood, CA 91602
Neighborhood: North Hollywood

By fabliss | February 6th, 2014 | Food, Photography, Restaurants | 0 Comments

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