Tranquil Tea Lounge (Fullerton, CA)

Katie and I wanted to meet somewhere in between our houses--a place where we could sit and chat for awhile. I'd been to Tranquil Tea Lounge once or twice, but I'd only had tea. We got there at 3:30 and were surprised at how crowded it was. A large group of Asian high schoolers had the corner lounge couches, but we were able to get a small table, though we were uncomfortably close to the table next to us.

The cafe is run by a brother and sister, so when things got busy, the service was slow. I actually had to go ask for menus, and then the food and drinks took a long time. Fortunately, we weren't really in a rush. And they're both really friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable (and attentive when it's not crowded), especially when it comes to the different teas.

Located near Wilshire and Harbor in the middle of Fullerton's trendy downtown, Tranquil tea lounge is very comfortable and chic. There's usually plenty of seating, convenient power plugs, and they encourage you to hang out and use Downtown Fullerton's free wi-fi.

I hadn't eaten anything all day, so I ordered the "Tranquil Tea Trio": half of a prosciutto sandwich, a caesar salad, and the "Juicy Watermelon" herbal tea. The sandwich had prosciutto, mozzarella, arugula, and sun-dried tomato pesto; it wasn't the best I've had, but it was still satisfying.

Katie got the macaroons (Earl Grey, green tea, and chocolate) and the Mauna Loa, a strange combination of white chocolate, almonds, macadamias, pistachios, and tea--a little too nutty for my tastes. It was my first time trying macaroons, and Katie's too.

They told us that they actually make the macaroons themselves, but we didn't really know what to expect. Their texture is similar to that of the meringue cookies that Katie made; the texture is a little bit sticky. Inside, there's a little bit of creamy filling too. I liked the subtle Earl Grey, and Katie favored the chocolate (which I didn't try). The green tea was nice too, but a little stronger flavored.

As far as teas go, I love loose leaf tea, and the option to smell all of their different options. They have a massive tea list, so it's a little bit of a challenge to decide which tea you want to try. I've had the Geisha's Kiss and the Lotus Blossom, which were both really good. The tea is a little pricier than a drink at a boba shop, but they give you a tall glass and another small carafe. Overall, Katie and I enjoyed our time together, and I always love good tea.

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Tranquil Tea Lounge

106 W. Wilshire Ave.

Fullerton, CA 92832

(714) 869-3577

www.tranquiltealounge.com

M-Sat: 9am-9pm

Sun: 11am-6pm

Shin Sen Gumi (Fountain Valley, CA)

Shin Sen Gumi is one of my favorite ramen joints, but their restaurant has very limited seating so I don't go there very often. But Diana and I had time to kill after our women's fellowship meeting at church. Diana hadn't been there since 2006 (or something ridiculous like that), so we were both really excited to go for lunch.

We got there at 1, meaning we missed the crazy long wait that happens around the lunch rush. Usually you sign your name on their list and then wait outside, but we only waited a minute or two. They seated us at the counter on the yakitori side of the restaurant. I love how they yell at you when you come in and leave the restaurant, and I love that they only really serve ramen (as opposed to most Japanese restaurants in the U.S., where they serve a little bit of everything).

Anyways, I don't like their broth quite as much as some other ramen places, but their noodles are definitely my favorite. You can order the hakata ramen with soft, regular, or hard noodles, and they have the best consistency out of all the ramen noodles I've had. I'm never disappointed when I go to Shin Sen Gumi.

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Shin Sen Gumi Ramen

18315 Brookhurst St
Fountain Valley, CA 92708

(714) 962-8952

Pasta de Waraku (Rowland Heights, CA)

One of my favorite restaurants in California is a Japanese yoshoku restaurant that serves things like mushroom spaghetti, hayashi rice, curry rice, hamburger steak, and other Japanese western dishes. So when I heard about the new Japanese pasta restaurant opening in our area, I was really excited to try it.

Pasta de Waraku is actually a Singaporean restaurant popular in Asia, but they've opened their first U.S. restaurant in Rowland Heights, in the Four Seasons plaza off Gale--the same plaza as J.J. Bakery and Cafe, Red Mango, and Tea Station. After much pestering, I was able to drag my parents with me to try it.

The restaurant itself is very stylish and modern-looking. We were originally seated at a table right in the middle, but the sun was directly in my eyes, and the waiters didn't argue when we requested another table, even though they were moderately busy. The service is excellent--a staff of mostly young 20-somethings, diverse (meaning not all Asian, and not all Chinese-speaking), and eager to please. They are very intentional about asking for customer feedback, which is a good sign.

The menu is huge, so we had a really difficult time deciding what to order. I think from the beginning, my parents were uncomfortable because it was a lot pricier for lunch than we're used to. Since we were trying a new restaurant though, we decided to go ahead an order a few different things.

Dad got the baked scallop rice (I can't remember the exact name at the moment). They only gave him two or three really small scallops, and he said they were undercooked. Usually my dad really likes the au gratin-type dishes, so he seemed really disappointed.

On the other hand, I was really pleased with the chicken and mushroom soup spaghetti that I ordered. I wasn't sure if I'd like having the soup, but I was surprised at how good it was. The noodles are kind of like ramen noodles, and the soup is not too thick, not too thin. It's actually similar consistency to the creamy nanchatte ramen soup at Foo Foo Tei. It was a little bit spicy, which means it was very spicy for my mom and not very spicy for me, but had a really nice flavor. My only gripe is that I would have liked more mushrooms. Mom ordered the bruschetta and stole a little from Dad and me. The bruschetta was good but nothing special.

Two out of our three dishes were pretty good, but I think the thing what's really prevented us from going back is that it's quite pricey. I think it'll be a good place to go back with some of my girlfriends, and we can split a dish or two. They have some unusual offerings, like their unagi teriyaki or potato mentai pizza, which I might be interested in trying.

Overall, a rather disappointing experience (for my dad especially) in light of my prior excitement. I hope they improve so that I can continue to try their different Japanese pasta dishes.

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Pasta de Waraku

18508 Gale Ave Unit A

City of Industry, CA 91748

Little Malaysia Restaurant (El Monte, CA)

This post should have been done long ago, but the photos were tricky to get off my dad's blackberry. For some reason, my mac hates Dad's phone; they cannot communicate. So I have to bluetooth the photos from his phone to mine, THEN to my computer. It was way too much work.

Anyways, I work in Koreatown LA, and I always see the signs for El Monte on my way there and back. I've been searching for Malaysian restaurants in Southern California for a long time, and I'd been wanting to try this place. Little Malaysia Restaurant is located just north of the 10 freeway, a few blocks past the El Monte Shopping Center. My parents sometimes like to come to LA with me, so they were with me when I decided to try out this restaurant.

We had a little trouble finding it because it was tucked away in the back corner of a dark, small, sketchy-looking strip mall with stores, a dim sum restaurant, and a few little sleepy to-go joints. Little Malaysia Restaurant, on the other hand, has colorful, tropical-themed decor, Asian artwork, and wooden folding chairs--you can tell they're trying to re-create a typical, small town Malaysian cafe.

There was only one pair of customers when we arrived, so we had our pick of the tables. I already know that nothing in Southern California will be comparable to what I had in Penang, but I still crave anything I can get that's close. I think I surprised the waitress because I knew pretty quickly what I wanted to eat.

We ordered roti canai, char kway teow, and seafood noodle soup. I also asked for a teh ice, which it basically cold teh tarik (sweetened, pulled tea). The roti canai was the best I've had so far State-side; it has a nice crispy texture and has the savory sauce on the side.

Mom ate the noodle soup, which was spicy even by my standards. It had really good flavor (not too fishy), and they didn't skimp on the shrimp, fish, and other seafood. The char kway teow was pretty good, too, and definitely better than what we had at the Penang Malaysian Cuisine (see my post on that here). It's such a standard Malaysian dish. The flat noodles are my favorite; it's like a more flavorful, colorful pad see ew at Thai restaurants. The rest of their dishes we couldn't really compare, since we didn't order the same things. But Dad and I can't stand bland food, so we enjoyed everything we ate here.

They give large portions, so we were thankful we didn't order too much. Even with just two dishes and an appetizer, we had way more than enough for three people. The service is friendly, albeit a little slow, especially considering that there were only two tables of customers. I can't wait until I get the chance to go back to Penang to eat my fill of Malaysian food, but this will have to do for now. It was quite awhile ago, but I do remember leaving the restaurant pretty satisfied. Or at least my stomach was.

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Little Malaysia Restaurant

3944 Peck Road, Ste 8

El Monte, CA 91732

(626) 401-3188

Eclipse Chocolat (San Diego, CA)

Every year after Christmas, our church high school and college groups head down to Pine Valley for a few short days of rest, relaxation, and reflection (eww, alliteration). On the way home, my fellow counsellor--and also our driver--Diana suggested that we stop in San Diego to try the dessert platter at Eclipse Chocolat.The cafe is a little difficult to spot; we passed it the first time and had to turn around to find street meter parking. When we walked in, we were impressed with the decor--sea foam green walls, comfy couches, stylish menu signs. The smell made us want to order EVERYTHING. In an attempt to exercise some self-control, we tried to limit how much we ordered.

My friend Emily ordered a vanilla bean latte (I think) that tasted pretty much like melted vanilla ice cream. I bought my younger brother an azeteca cinnamon roll and got an iced tahitan tangerine tea for myself. And Diana ordered a chocolate Kentucky bourbon caramel cupcake and a seasonal dessert tasting platter (we chose grilled masala chai banana bread, azteca cinnamon roll bread pudding, grilled white chocolate fig bar, and grilled white chocolate apple-cinnamon cake).

We each had our favorites; I really loved the azteca cinnamon roll bread pudding and the Kentucky bourbon caramel cupcake. The bread pudding was not too heavy, and it was sweet with a nice kick to it--cayenne pepper maybe. The cupcake was yellow cake, and had a layer of bourbon-flavored caramel underneath a coat of chocolate icing, topped off with a couple pecans. By the end, I had gone far above and beyond my sugar quota for the week (or maybe the month).

The cafe is a little pricy for dessert, especially compared to your average yogurt shop, but if you're a chocolate fan in the San Diego area, then you should definitely drop by Eclipse Chocolat. The cafe takes an unusual, creative approach to chocolate, and even boasts special events, such as their once-a-month course meals where they cook each dish with some sort of chocolate. If you're not interested in dinner, you can always come in and read or do work; they offer free wi-fi for their customers. The service is prompt, attentive, and helpful in explaining each of the chocolate offerings.

I don't have much of a sweet tooth, but this place is perfect for chocolate lovers or anyone craving something sweet and sophisticated.

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Eclipse Chocolat

2121 El Cajon Blvd.

San Diego, CA 92104

(619) 578-2984

www.eclipsechocolat.com