Lemongrass Asian Bistro

Sometimes it feels like you'll never eat anything exceptional again, that you're going to spend loads of cash on mediocre sushi places and never experience what made you fall in love with the stuff in the first place.  Then, sometimes a meal is like all the stars aligning and angels picking up their trumpets and little birds eating out of your hand.  And, it's on someone's else's tab!  Well.  It's like life giving you a high five.

I went to Lemongrass Asian Bistro for GS's sister's birthday.  It was really a family event but luckily the delicious food trumped any awkwardness I felt and soon I was eating off relative strangers' plates.  Well, I did wait for them to offer, first.

What to say about it?  They just got the basics right.  I'm no expert, but I know how Seaweed Salad should taste, and I know how homemade ginger salad dressing should taste, and that's what we got last night.  I got the Tuna Tartar in a Crispy Hand Roll that was admittedly not my favorite of all time (up to the present, I am optimistic enough to forsee many tuna tartar dishes in my future) but only because it was a bit too spicy and I'm a lightweight when it comes that.  I had a salmon roll that had a generous amount of salmon I could actually taste.  Usually those simple rolls just taste like sushi rice and seaweed.  GS and his dad had big sashimi plates and I swear, the white tuna was like butter (Butter!  Like a big stick of butter!)  I dropped a piece of salmon and it took all my willpower not to eat it...I would have, if I had been with friends or my own family.

Everything was beautifully presented and I took several pictures of everything to send to Allegra.  Course, my Samsung doesn't do art photography like her Iphone but, she got the idea.

The place was expensive-ish, but worth it.  Worth the price, worth the drive.  Happy Birthday to me!

Total Wine & More and Obba Sushi

Valentine hosted a wine testing/finger foods party for her significant other last night, so we made a stop at Total Wine & More to pick up some wine to bring.  I know NOTHING about wine and only recently even starting drinking the stuff (I'm a beer kind of girl) so I loved how they clearly describe the wines and mark the top three sellers of each type...it's like school for aspiring alcoholics!  I forget what I bought, it was their #2 Merlot, but it was very tasty, as far as wine goes  (I had to look it up, it was Angeline Merlot, Sonoma County).  I drooled over their beer selection and had to buy something...and the awesome checkout lady (awesome because she was impressed by how young I look, an easy way to get on my good side) told me that they are opening a Total Wine in Dadeland!  The Internets reveal, "They are actually opening a Total Wine across from Dadeland, in the former Linens N Things space, next to Crate and Barrel."  If The Internets say it, it must be true.  Enough proof for me.

I went to Obba Sushi a couple nights ago, totally psyched because it's within walking distance of my current residence.  It could have, and should have been, pure joy but instead it was not much to rave about.  I had their tuna tartar, and it was edible though the least delicious tuna tartar I've had.  The fish was too processed and was mushy, and they overpowered the tuna with excessive amounts of scallions.  Something to hide, hmmm?  The flavor of raw fish is too delicate to mess with.  Less is more, and sashimi is king.  Theirs was ok, FYI.  The portions seemed a bit small, the prices seemed a bit high, and I don't think I'll need to go back.

I'm moving soon, to an apartment in the Silver Bluff/Shenandoah area, and it's like worlds apart from Brickell.  I'm already scoping out the places to eat :)  Looks like http://www.urbanspoon.com/ refers to it as the "Coral Way" area.  Casola's!  Daily Bread!  El Carajo!  Here I come!

DJ Craze @ White Room

The perfect drink schedule for maximum bounce and/or wiggle ability if you're not much of a dancer: pregaming beer at home, overpriced beer in club with subsequent sticker shock, two swallows of Jack in the car with expected gagging/choking, and then three or um, four? beers in the club after you throw caution and your budget to the winds and open a tab. I saw DJ Craze at White Room on Saturday, and learned that I am apparently a huge fan of breakbeats and drum n bass. Who knew?

I had friggin blast (damn you, Jersey Shore, I hear your voices everywhere) and left the place like at 4am. Some random cute hipster guy started to grind up on me and of course I was in heaven. Justin danced with me in that cool, remote way they do nowadays and then just quietly faded in the night. Cute!

Well, I'm supposed to be keeping costs down but it was an expensive night. The cover to get in alone was $15, and the first beer I had, along with Wendy's Jack and Coke, came out to $17. One good way to economize is to go with a very good friend (Wendy) who, out of her appreciative and generous nature repaid me for not bailing on her on one of the coldest nights eva by buying my drinks and sharing her flask. I only paid my cover and then gave Wendy my remaining $5, which barely made a dent in the drink bill I'm sure (shudder!).

When we were driving up to White Room I remembered the scene from Knocked Up where the pregnant chick and her older sister tried to get into the club and the bouncer wouldn't let them in.

Doorman: I know... you're right. I'm so sorry, I fuckin' hate this job. I don't want to be the one to pass judgement, decide who gets in. Shit makes me sick to my stomach, I get the runs from the stress. It's not cause you're not hot, I would love to tap that ass. I would tear that ass up. I can't let you in cause you're old as fuck. For this club, you know, not for the earth.
Debbie: What?
Doorman: You old, she pregnant. Can't have a bunch of old pregnant bitches running around.

Well, Wendy is not pregnant but I'm definitely getting, um, up there in the years. One of these days I fear this is going to happen to me, but until then...I will accompany my much younger friends to the ends of the earth for such a good time. Or, at least, Wendy.

Speaking of Knocked Up, I saw Zack and Miri Make a Porno. Omigod, hilarious! It was so funny I made my friend stop the movie and restart it, halfway through, cause I talk during movies and I was sure I missed some funny lines. I even texted myself some of the best lines for future use. Really, with my annoying habits, it's a wonder I find anyone to spend time with me lol

Mystic Water Kava Bar

I rounded up a motley crew of public servants to try kava kava at the recently opened Mystic Water Kava Bar.  The extremely cute proprietress gave an excellent spiel and the presentation was all that...but unfortunately, we didn't feel much of the sedative effects kava kava is reported to have.  The staff there cleverly informed us that the body needs to built up enzymes to properly utilize kava kava and with repeated ingestion, blah blah blah...so, of course, we are expected to keep returning, swilling expensive, chalky pond water in the hope that someday, SOMEDAY, we will feel SOMETHING.

We skipped out after $80 worth of kava kava and intelligently decided to turn to more reliable forms of intoxication.  We went to Hollywood Vine where we were joined by JC, who entertained us all with his special brand of social adeptness, peculiar to those in the sales field.  We government employees have far more subtle social skills; we gleam more than shine.  JC is like a search light.  The place is sophisticated, pretty, and has bathrooms up to par for those who have phobias about public restrooms (Evil G has a tortured soul).

After that, a few stragglers went to PRL Euro Cafe  for one last fancy pants beer.  Lately I like for people to order for me, and I gave JC free rein to choose my beers since he knows more about beer than anyone should.  We offered up a dollar bill to the wall of decorated money to immortalize another boozy night.

I've been using Annie's Organic Buying Club for my fresh, organic produce for about two months now. I prefer them to Farm Fresh Miami because Annie's doesn't force you to pay registration fees; you pay as you go along. I'm getting a half share every two weeks for $36.50. I like it because, since you don't choose what is in your box, it forces you to try new things and get outside your culinary comfort zone. Of course, I still am perplexed by that watermelon radish, lying in my produce drawer. And I realize I hate arugula. But hey, I kind of like having choices taken away from me (which is probably why I like people to order for me, as I previously mentioned). I've even turned on a couple friends to Annie's. As a compensation for this, I'd like to request no more arugula. Ever. That's all.

Miss Yip Chinese Cafe

Ate here on New Year's Eve, suffering under the miasma of PMS and end-of-year reflections. I should really have picked a better place to get some lunch, considering my mood. We ended up with small, overpriced, underflavored portions. They offered us Snapple when we asked for tea, for crissake.
I mean, my local Canton is a better deal and dining experience, and they don't even have the benefit of hipster decor and bored, handsome, wait staff. Eh. I won't go back there. I'm too broke (even when it's someone else's money) to waste money on mediocre food and dining experiences. Luckily the day was salvaged by my late night ingestion of an entire bottle of sparkling white wine (let's not elevate it by calling it champagne) and twelves grapes at midnight. Twelves wishes, anyone?

Merry Freaking Christmas

The shame. I've neglected my non-existent audience. Ah, fickle Gemini. You lack stick-to-it-ness.

I ate at Little Saigon on Christmas Eve. Little Saigon is this hole-in-the-wall Vietnamese restaurant in North Miami Beach where the wait staff treats you with the impatience and affectionate contempt they shower on their exasperating Americanized grandchildren. It's cheap (cash or check only!) and the menu is good reading. You know, chicken feet and stuff like that. I like how clean, light and fresh the flavors are in this type of cuisine. Growing up only knowing Asian food through disasters like heavily breaded chicken doused in honey sauce, it's been quite a revelation. I definitely need to get a Thai or Vietnamese wife, so she can cook for me and walk on my back with her tiny feet.

Dinner was good but I really missed having the typical Noche Buena dinner: roast pork made in the Caja China, black beans and rice, yuca, flan, etc., etc. I even miss having that pathetic little pig defrosting in the tub for days, and watching the old folks fight over pig ears and brains.

A good antidote to missing being part of a Cuban family (and the food is the only part I miss) is having American Friends to teach about the highlights of Cuban cuisine. Like El Rey De Las Fritas. GS and I had: Fritas Originales, I had a batido de trigo (which kind of blew his mind...Honey Smacks, in a shake???) and he had a batido de mango. A frita is one of the two things I'd want to eat as my last meal on death row. But the frita would have to be from there. They are the king, after all.

I'm in the mood lately (which can change unexpectedly-without warning...know thyself) to give consumable gifts lately, rather than clutter up the lives of my loved ones with more, you know. Clutter. I went to Robert is Here to get my mom some edibles for Christmas, and for some other people...and for me, too, of course. Like I'd leave myself out. Robert is Here sells all types of jams, jellies, preserves, pickles, sauces, chutneys...depending on how adventurous your taste buds are you can stick with the safe choices (berries) or try fun stuff like fig preserves with ginger or pickled garlic. They also sell fresh fruits and vegetables at good prices, as well as awesome milkshakes that are worth the drive alone (I got chocolate and cantalope) and they have a little farm area with animals that probably eat better than I do.

What else was good? Try the Iced Green Tea at Shibui...

Farm Fresh Miami

Local, organic produce. The words send virtuous shivers through me. I joined Farm Fresh Miami, an organic buying group, just this week and will receive my first share next Thursday. It's like a Christmas present! Well, one that I bought myself. Yet, still a surprise! You get what's available, what's in season...it's a surpresent! Trying to do the right thing, both health-wise and environmentally, seems like a herculean goal. Baby steps!

What's better than eating something super yummy? Introducing a super yummy food to someone who's never had it! Went with GS to eat ceviche at El Rincon de Chabuca (though like I've said, any of a number of inexpensive Peruvian places on the beach would have done as well), and...he liked it! They did the plate up fancy shmancy, which I don't care for. The ceviche marinade was orange (sour orange juice, perhaps?) which I haven't seen before but it was still tasty. He liked it!

Went to Zoo Bar a couple weeks ago to hear some Irish punk band or something, which was a total bust. The band had canceled and the place was dead. On the positive note, the bartender and my friend got along famously, I got some insight into the male psyche, and we got to watch Coraline in 3D when the bartender put it on. Showing remarkably good taste, the bartender kept on flirting with me. Even though Shawn at Harvey's is my favorite, he has that whole engaged issue that keeps him so dreadfully well behaved.