Moom Maam - Torrance

Deep down in the bowels of the mall, a Smorgaburg star sets up a brick-and-mortar. 

It's artisan Thai gelato in every flavor you can imagine and also many you can't. The Special is amazing for sharing. A waffle-cup cradles a scoop of sticky rice, and you can choose up to three scoops as you wish. Mango is a must, black sesame is nutty and rich, and this last white one is a creamy and very interesting tofu. 

The woman behind the counter is incredibly patient, insisting that you try every flavor so you're sure to choose the ones you like. The blue corn with goat milk caramel doesn't make the cut for me as it is so much blander than it sounds, and it's mostly milky with kinda a hint of corn. Uji matcha is good, though, as is the rich Belgian chocolate. and creamy Thai tea. 

Don't come here if you don't have time to wait. Service is incredibly friendly but hardly fast, and seating is limited to a couple of narrow benches. Still, the ice cream is absolutely worth it, pricey but quality, unique and easily the best in the mall.

Paradise Dynasty - Costa Mesa, CA

I've been dreaming of the Specialty Dynasty XLB for years. Eight brightly-colored bao-gems twinkle inside a gleaming bamboo steamer, holding all the promise of flavors both creative and crazy-good. A quick comparison of the menu photos vs mine is clearly Instagram vs reality, but several exceeded my flavor expectations if not the aesthetic ones. 

The original flavor houses a beautiful broth of pork, all sweet simplicity and subtlety, adding up to utter perfection. Black truffle adds the earthy, maximum umami quality, the crab meat with roe adds seafood-sweetness. I didn't expect to like the cheese, but it's absolutely addicting with its mildly salty, creaminess to enhance the tender pork. Garlic is pungent and bold but not so much it dwarfs the soup. Gotta love garlic to love this particular bao. 

Szechuan has that mild chili flavor with a bit of numbing spice, just enough to add the flavor, but not so much it takes from the pleasure. Kimchi is just as nice, but I'm not sure either of these needs to be here. I AM sure BBQ Pork does note. I had hoped it would be chashu but no, it’s the generic American barbecue sauce you get from a grocery-store plastic (not even glass!) bottle, watered down and warm. 

I didn't love all the sampler, but I did love trying all the flavors. I'm glad there's only one of each, though, as most are too rich to have more than one or two, and others not good enough to have even one. 

Everything else is clean, attractive Asian fare. My favorite is the White Shimeji Mushroom tossed with Spicy Garlic Vinaigrette, which has the chef's-kiss sauce of slightly-spicy, sour, sweet, and savory. 

My least favorite is the "special" Fried Calamari, with its barely-detectable seasoning, a sprinkle of seaweed, and a mayo-based sauce that added no salinity.

The Prawn and Korubuta Pork Wonton in Chili Oil has no flaws, but no one can beat Din Tai Fung's amazing sauce. 

The Fried Pork Chop is just so thin and crispy. Great with rice, good enough to eat alone. 

Even the chicken stir fried noodles are great - perfect texture and taste. 

Dessert is a Salted Egg Yolk Custard XLB, which is less salty than I'd want, less eggy than I'd expect, but a lovely, gooey, texture which is pretty hard to hate inside those perfect, paper-thin wrappers. 

Black Sesame Mochi has a subtle sweetness and just the right consistency. It's an apt ending and one that doesn't leave you feeling over-sugared but also hardly a standout. 

I swore I'd try to see Paradise Dynasty as an individual, but the similarities to the world-famous, now SoCal staple Din Tai Fung are not so easy to ignore. Both serve consistently delicious food that's made correctly, and although anything made correctly is made well by default, it also lacks the character of the perfectly imperfect home cooked meals found in the small shops of the SGV. I'd recommend trying the XLB sampler here because you won't find this level of creativity anywhere else, but when I have a choice, I always prefer the mom-and-pop meals that are less crowd-pleasing but much more memorable. 

Mercado Manhattan Beach UPDATE - Manhattan Beach

The original location closed not too long ago, and I can understand why. This food must have taken Santa Monica by storm when it first opened, but these tried-and-true tidbits have given way to a Mexican food movement that encompasses a lot more creativity and a deeper dive into the food of the streets and homes. 

Say what you will about authenticity, but the food here is good, despite feeling a little more sterile. 

Manhattan Beach brings an element of ritz I don't much enjoy, but complain as I might, classics like Guacamole always hit. The avocados are a rich, ripe green without the slightest hint of brown, and the ratio of avo to acid is on point. Perfectly crispy chips dip divinely into both the guac and the smoky salsa. 

A side of Elote is splendid simplicity, just flame-kissed corn with butter and cheese. There's still so much flavor you just keep eating. 

If there's any sign of gentrification, it's this California Burrito. Pastor-marinated chicken is so white and watery and bland, and the lettuce waters it down so it's both soggy AND bland. 

That said, the Dos Gringas are great. Those pastor bits are juicy beneath a hot and crispy crust, and these tacos are so savory they require little else. Even the side of squash is perfectly seasoned and grilled, and the cilantro lime rice is good enough to eat by itself. 

Churro Ice Cream is accurate, but I don't know if I'd get it again. I think I'd rather just have a freshly-fried churro.

Flan is fantastic, super creamy, exactly right. 

Nothing I haven't had, but sometimes you want to know exactly what you're going to get. Mercado isn't all that exciting but it is solidly reliable and quite delicious.

Okane Umi UPDATE - Lomita

A solid sushi place, good quality, lunch deals are nice. 

We were able to snag a weekday lunch special on a weekend for reasons unknown. The server assured us that they started offering the same deal every day, and the Sushi & Sashimi Story was a steal for $30. It comes in a beautiful bento with salad, and a soup. Gang's all here: salmon, tuna, yellowtail, shrimp, and egg. No novelty, but it's all your favorites, fresh and truly delicious. 

Rolls are pretty, great for sharing. Love the Yellowtail Cilantro for the balance between cold and heat. The fish is so creamy, and the slice of serrano pepper adds a flash of heat for contrast. 

Here's where the happy ends. We brought some colleagues who found the food a little bit pricey in the past, promising the great lunch specials that they started extending to weekends. Imagine our embarrassment upon being told that there is no such thing and that they have never offered this deal on weekends. Our server did his best and even comped us a lovely Rattlesnake Roll to make up for the confusion, but being told that something never happened when you have a time-stamped photo is one of those very bad experiences that turns you off a place, possibly permanently. 

A shame, because the Salmon Lover Box was very good. All fresh salmon, beautiful, sweet, and slick, served every way. Do not order if you're not super into salmon. There's sushi, there's sashimi, and there's even a roll that could go a little less on the rice. 

For upper-middle sushi, Okane Umi is one of the South Bay's hidden gems. Unfortunately, they seem to be going through some management changes or growing pains that will keep me away for at least a while. The location isn't extremely convenient so I'm not about to go out of my way to be treated like that.

Orange Tokki - Torrance

Cute name, fun concept. 

Deep fried corn dogs so filling you can get full on a single one. I love the Potato Mozza Dog, which is studded with crispy cubes of carb, full of stringy melted mozza. Regular hot dogs are great as well, and my friend raves about Takis as toppings. 

Bulgogi Egg Toast is alright, but I've had better. There are much fluffier eggs and significantly better butter-bread at Egg Tuck, but theirs isn't bad.  

The Tteok-bokki will do as well. The chili ooze could cling more to the long cylinders, but the texture is fine, and it'll work if you're craving. 

Not the strongest stall in Mitsuwa's food court, but fun all the same. Best to stick to the dogs, and it seems the hot dog and mozza sticks are equally good. Great veggie options, good for meat-eaters as well. Wish they came with beer. 

Dublin 8/7 - Day 14

It's up and out, straight to the airport. It's a bittersweet goodbye to this wonderful city - we fell for it hard and fast. It's surprisingly Europe's most expensive city if the guy from the sweater shop is to be believed, but it seems like a lovely place to live. There's a bustle and a buzz as non-tourists take brisk and purposeful steps to work, but there's an overarching feeling of contented chill, and we love the laid-back vibe. There's no tension where we are, and the buildings are sweet and subtle with varied architecture, a juxtaposition of old and new. It's been an adventure travelling with two young kids, and there's a lot more I wish we'd done, but I'm grateful for all we did. We're so sad to be leaving but eager to get home as well. There are already talks of a return trip, maybe in a year or two, and we fully plan to explore this city and country a whole lot more. 

Kerala Kitchen - Dublin, Ireland

Do you remember that moment in The Wizard of Oz when Dorothy steps out of the black-and-white into a technicolor world of bright lights and beautiful blooms onto a road of golden bricks?

That's what our last meal in Dublin was like - the food at Kerala, for the first time since entering Europe, makes me feel alive.  

FIL goes for a coconut curry chicken concoction - I think it was their special. It has a bright, almost tangy notes with an uplifting finish, almost fruity with fabulously flavorful bone-in meat. 

Even the House Black Dal is thick and hearty with smooth, warm spices.

My Lamb Chettinad is just incredible. A full game, peppery curry, bold and spicy with a bit of coconut to keep it smooth. 

My kids can't say enough about the bread. There's not a single piece of naan uneaten, and even the roti is happily noshed by a kid that won't try anything new. 

The food is delicious, and the restaurant itself is also just so beautiful. The dining room is done in a rustic farmhouse style, with long tables and bench seats, perfect for a family to sit and share. If a random pick is this good, I can't wait to see what Dublin's "best" restaurants are like next time. 

Boeuf & Coq - Dublin, Ireland

People were hungry, and we had to just sit down somewhere. They have outdoor seating and a tourist & express lunch menu which seems like a fair deal, and it's all very appropriate for our situation. 

The food on that menu is fair, but I would avoid the Fresh Mussels & Frites. They're about as fresh as you'd expect; not bad but but you want better. The cream sauce is decent, though. 

Steak & Frites comes with a striploin that's on the tougher side, but nothing a steak knife and a full set of teeth can't hack. There's a brandy peppercorn sauce that's not half bad. 

We ordered off a menu designed to chew through tourists who want to chew through their food fast so they can continue touristing, and we got exactly that. The real menu looks alright, and you're not pressed for time and still insist on sitting here, I recommend perusing that instead. That said, I can't recommend this place based on what we ate.

O’Brien’s Sandwich Cafe - Dublin, Ireland

Breakfast is random selection as hubby arbitrarily chooses to sit at this nondescript chain. 

The Cappuccino is a nice one so as long as I have that I'm happy. 

The Breakfast Toastie is really quite Irish, I think, thin slices of bread sandwiching bacon and sausage with a smear of relish and tomato to cut the fat.

The Egg Works bagel sandwich has scrambled eggs with bacon bits that are less fluffy than I'm used to but quite filling and very fueling. 

It's not an impressive breakfast but it's a solid one for another long day of walking.

Dublin- 8/6 - Day 13

Last day of vacation, and we spend it shopping, revisiting the stores we bypassed during our first day of recon. 

Lots of ice cream breaks for the big girl, and we even squeeze in a tasting at the Irish Whiskey Museum. 

The 4 Style Flight is the most comprehensive so we share it together while the big girl enjoys a Kit Kat. The Teeling Single Grain is a sweet, caramely liquor, while the Kappogue Castle has little sweetness but finishes smooth. Powers Three Swallow Release is a bit more spicy, almost medicinal IMO, and the Connemara Original has some smoke. 

I didn't fall in love with any of these, but I'm glad we got to try them. We do some damage at the gift shop and leave with a few sampler packs of stuff we can't easily get in the states so we can try them at home at our leisure.  

We return to the hotel to find the missing car seats delivered and unharmed. It's a good end to a great day, and we rest up for the next day's very long flight. 

Four Seasons Pavilion - Dublin, Ireland

When I booked this rather ritzy hotel, I never would have imagined finding an authentic Chinese restaurant three doors down, but here it is. All traditional decor, this cozy spot even has a glass window with hanging ducks to separate the kitchen from the dining area, a sight that's been disappearing from American Chinatowns, and very much a sight for my sore eyes. 

Colorful posters boast of their roast duck, and they have every right to brag. It's sweet and soy-saucy, salty and savory, fragrant and so tender it melts in your mouth...except for the layer of crispy skin that crackles before it dissolves. 

Switch off with a gooey Soy Okra soaked in a garlic lagoon. 

Prawn Toast is a crispy, sesame seed-crusted delight, a bit heavily fried so it's perfect for sharing.

The Signature Braised Pork Belly has soy sauce that's soaked all the way through and finishes sweet with some caramelization on the edges. The fat is juicy, the lean meat is tender, and it's impressively well-balanced for a dish that's meant to hit hard. 

You can't eat all this meat without a good vegetable, and the Dry-Fried Green Beans are just that. Wok-kissed and so savory thanks to a smattering of ground pork, this dish is far better than just a side. 

Cumin Lamb has crisped-up edges with centers full of gamey juice, juxtaposed with perky peppers. 

Fantastic food and shockingly affordable for three hungry grown-ups who went all out. The chef here must have worked hard at their training because everything they serve is textbook. Amazing meal, so good we actually almost returned the following night.

Boojum - Dublin, Ireland

Dublin's answer to America's Chipotle, Boojum burrito bar is a fast-casual counter serving up big, floppy tortillas filled with your selections of whatever veggies and meat.

The Barbacoa is bland and dry, but everything else is alright. Fajita veggies are a bit undercooked but there's truly nothing offensive about them.

The Carnitas are amazing actually, everything the barbacoa is not. Juicy, a bit punchy, and quite seasoned and spiced compared to most things we encountered in the UK. The rice is good, and the beans are a better than the veg. 

It's not quite Chipotle, but it's cool to find something close enough on the other side of the pond. I'm pleased that Mexican-style food has made it this far, and I'm excited to see what else this cosmopolitan city is cooking up.

Il Valentino - Dublin, Ireland

It's our first real coffee shop of the trip, and we get our first real cup of crafted coffee. 

The cappuccino sips well with a caramel-filled Cruffin and a perfect chewy Croissant

The Pear Danish is also pretty. Crusty and not too sweet. 

Breakfast fuels us for a long day of walking, and we're off to greener pastures feeling both satisfied and energized.

Dublin - 8/5 - Day 12

8 years of marriage today, and we're feeling very much like us. It's all about footsteps and food, as we spend our day exploring the city's major sights. 

Our first stop is St Stephen's Green, a gorgeous park full of greenery and history. 

There's grass and fountains and trees, and a nice park for kids to play. 

There's a sprawling pond with so many ducks and even a pair of mated swans. 

The famine statue is quite moving, 

and Lord Ardilaun sits serenely on the western side, satisfied with his decision to dedicate the green to Dublin. 

Of particular interest to me is the RCSI building across the street as it houses Dublin's medical school, from which I know a few graduates. 

Merrion Square is pretty as well,

and the playground treehouse is epic. 

We walk by Trinity College too, and finish the day by shopping.