Takeout Thursdays

Every Thursday, my fiance and I would select a local business to order takeout. We started this tradition at the beginning of lockdown to support local restaurants. After a year of lockdown, here are my favorite takeout restaurants in the LA area (mostly Westside):

Cha Cha Chicken (Caribbean): It is challenging to find decent Caribbean food in Los Angeles. Cha Cha Chicken hits the spot when when I get a craving.

• Must eats – cha cha chicken (their take on jerk chicken), coconut fried chicken, ropa vieja

Buna (Ethiopian): Located in Little Ethiopia, this is the furthest we have ventured out of Westside for a takeout meal. No regrets, even when we get caught in LA traffic.

• Must eats – fish (with the veggie combo), meat combo, zil zil tibese, doro wet

A.O.C. (California French small plates): By far, this is the fanciest (a.k.a. priciest) on my list. We decided to get their DineLA takeout special last fall to treat ourselves. Our wallets hurt but our stomachs were happy.

• Must eats – farmer’s plate (I don’t know how they could make veggies taste so good.), roasted eggplant focaccia, hangar steak, chocolate torta

Ekkamai (Thai): This is one of our family classics. When we don’t know where to go, we often end up here.

• Must eats – spicy crispy pork, pad ekkamai, panang curry, mango sticky rice

Rutt’s Cafe (Hawaiian): Our other family classic. Always fills us up, always comforting. And plenty of leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch.

• Must eats – Hawaiian royale (The only thing I order but I hear the french toast, saimin, loco moco, kalua pork are all good.)

Simpang Asia (Indonesian): Of the restaurants listed, this is our favorite. Everything we have tried was delicious…I feel drool pooling at the corner of my mouth.

• Must eats – nasi bungkus, rames, nasi kuning, uduk jakarta (all tasty plates to start with if you want a sample of multiple dishes)

What are some of your takeout restaurants? I would love to hear your recommendations!

Cat Person

I used to be wary of cats. They seem so difficult to gauge. With a dog, you always knew where you stood. With cats, one moment they are cuddling up next to you and then scratching you the next.

When I first started dating my partner, I was doubtful if his cat Ushi and I could get along. Ushi was territorial and jealous when we first met. He would always keep me at a distance, glaring at me from afar. When I wasn’t paying attention, he would jump up onto the couch to bite me before running away. He made his displeasure about my intrusion into his life clear. With time (and lots of bribery with treats), we gradually came to an understanding that we were both here to stay.

Favorite Books of 2020

To be honest, I struggled to read in 2020. Reading used to be an activity I did on my Metro commute to and from work. Once we started working from home due to the pandemic, I found that my mind struggled to focus. (I also struggled with writing as you can see from the date of my last post.) Words seemed to go in one eye and out the other. I would understand each word but fail to grasp their ideas once strung together. I had to work on my mental well-being before I could sit down with a book again. Once I rediscovered it, I remembered how much I loved it, how it centered me, transported me away. Here are the top books that helped me get through 2020 followed by a quote to get you interested:

I donated to People’s City Council – Los Angeles in solidarity with Black Lives Matter. If you have the means, please join me in donating to an organization or fundraiser that support protesters and BLM.

To support People’s City Council – Los Angeles, please go here: https://gf.me/u/x5k84b

“Race and racism is a reality that so many of us grow up learning to just deal with. But if we ever hope to move past it, it can’t just be on people of colour to deal with it. It’s up to all of us – Black, white, everyone – no matter how well-meaning we think we might be, to do the honest, uncomfortable work of rooting it out. It starts with self-examination and listening to those whose lives are different from our own. It ends with justice, compassion, and empathy that manifests in our lives and on our streets.”

– Michelle Obama

The Art of the Short Story

“A short story is a love affair, a novel is a marriage.” – Lorrie Moore, author

I used to hate short stories. I felt like the characters were never fully developed compared to novels, things were rushed, and I just never felt invested in the story.

Love in the Time of Coronavirus

Written on Day 3 of Safer at Home

It is only Day 3 of quarantine with my partner.

By the end of this, I will know with confidence if I want to grow old with my boyfriend or if I want to kill him. So far, I am leaning towards the latter. Just kidding. Kinda. 

Decade in Review: 2010 – 2019

Happy 2020 everyone! I cannot believe that we are now entering a new decade. Where did the last 10 years go?! In honor of the new year, here’s a look back at the last 10 years of my life: (Please note that I cannot find any photos of my life before 2013, so I was creative with some of them LOL.)

Brotherly Love

My relationship with my brother has always been trying. When my mom was pregnant with my brother, she was worried. He is 6 years younger, born in the year of the pig, mortal enemies with my snake self. She feared that our relationship would be tumultuous. Unfortunately, the beginning of oursibling relationship was as rough as she predicted.

Favorite Books of 2018

Happy New Year, everyone! In 2018, I read 38 books according to my Goodreads Challenge. Hurray for literacy! Of those 38 books, here are my favorites in no particular order as well as how I would sum up the book in one word:

2018 in Review

If you asked me on January 1st how I thought 2018 would play out, I wouldn’t expect it to be like this. It has been a year of many changes for me, changes I am still getting used to. It started off as a year of uncertainty but has since turned into a year of adjustment. Here are my major life shifts of 2018: