Wednesday Dinner 7/21/10

Good Morning Dolls!!!! Its Thursday, the weekend has officially begun so let's gooooooo! I am so excited my birthday is in exactly one week. I will be 28 on the 29th and I feel so blessed and I am truly in love with my life, thanks to everyone who has been a part of my journey this far!!! This weeks "Wednesday Dinner" was at one of my favorite sushi places. I experienced the taste of sushi 10 years ago when I was a senior in high school, although I can't remember the name of the place I do remember that I tried the world famous "California Roll" and fell in love with it. Since then I've loved sushi and have eaten it a few places but my all time favorite place for sushi is "Kabuki" (http://www.kabukirestaurants.com/), I always go to the "Kabuki" in Los Angeles located at the Howard Hughes Bridge and I have always had great service and have never been disappointed with my food and yesterday was no different, well let me hold that thought! I was happy to know that "Kabuki" now has Happy Hour (Mon-Fri. from 3pm-6pm), in my opinion that is huge for this restaurant. It appears that a lot of restaurants are following this Happy Hour trend and it seems to be working. I also appreciate the fact that you can enjoy the benefits of Happy Hour with out dining at the bar. The Happy Hour at "Kabuki" is pretty dope with menu selections starting as low as $2.95 and nothing over $5.95 and with alcoholic beverages starting as low as $1.95 and nothing over $6.75 which is pretty damn good. Yesterday I ate alone and I am really starting to dig this solo dining thing, its pretty fun. I went to "Kabuki" right when I got off work because I didn't want to mess around and miss Happy Hour, I arrived around 4:30pm and it was clear that there were plenty of folks there enjoying the benefits of Happy Hour. I didn't have to wait I was seated as soon as I got in the door, it was funny because I sat in the exact same place I sat when I was there with my sisters 2 weekends ago (coincidence? maybe). When I sat down I viewed the menu and I was ready to order. "Kabuki" gives you the option to fill out your sushi order slip however I couldn't because I didn't have a pen. It took about 8 minutes for someone to come over and get my drink and food order and I was shocked because I've always received prompt service at "Kabuki" but in their defense they were pretty crowded. So it was time to order and here is what I ate:


BBQ Beef Rib Appetizer
Spicy Tuna Roll
Philadelphia Roll
Tempura California Roll
Water with Lemon

Ok, I know that's a lot of food but if you know me you know that I didn't finish all my food, my eyes have always been bigger than my stomach and I really just like to taste a variety of food. While I was waiting for my food my server brought out some Edamame (I think their Japanese peas). However they are so good and if you’re not careful you can eat the whole dish before your food comes (I almost did). First my BBQ Beef Ribs came out, nice and hot over an arugula spring mix. These ribs are one of my favorite things to order, they were very tender and not over saturated with bbq sauce, the right amount of everything they are really DELISH-IS! Next my sushi came and that’s when it was really time to get excited! On one dish the spicy tuna and philadelphia roll and on the other dish was the tempura california roll. OMG that was a lot of food at a table for one person but hey I wasn't trippin. The spicy tuna was on point, very fresh and spicy, the philadelphia roll was amazing also the salmon was fresh and the tempura california roll was also amazing I was so pleased and stuffed. Over dinner I noticed I have a serious problem! I have a tendency to stare at people; I guess I can officially call myself a people watcher (ha-ha). But there was a lot of interesting sights in "Kabuki" yesterday. My total for my food came up to $20.63 and here is the break down (BBQ Beef Appetizer $7.95, Spicy Tuna Roll $2.95, Philadelphia Roll $2.95, Tempura California Roll $4.95, and $1.83 for tax). Now had I not gone to Happy Hour my total would have been $26.23 (tax included) so I saved about $5.60 which is pretty good. I was totally stuffed when I left "Kabuki" I definitely had a food baby in my belly. My food was DELISH-IS and well worth it!!! If you are not familiar with "Kabuki" get familiar it’s such a cute little place for dates, group gatherings, etc. and its one of my favorite sushi places. If you would like to get on the "Wednesday Dinner" drill team drop me a line wednesdaydinnerwithash@yahoo.com and follow me on Twitter www.twitter.com/wednesdaydinner. In closing I would like to leave you with this “I don't mind living in a man's world as long as I can be a woman in it" until next week love always Ashley

Wednesday Dinner 7/14/10

Good Morning!!! I hope you all are well and doing wonderful positive things in this life. I have to be honest; this week has gotten the best of me. I found out that one of my friends lost her grandfather and dad in a matter of days, so my prayers are with her and her family during this time. Other than that I've been going through something’s personally, but as of today everything is on the up and up, so let the "Wednesday Dinner" story begin. Yesterday I was on another solo mission, I am not sure if you know this about me or not; but my mother is part Jamaican. My grandmother was born and raised in Jamaica, she came to the US when she was 19 and has lived here since. Neither my mom nor my grandmother has a Jamaican accent and we weren't really raised on Jamaican food however we do eat a few Jamaican items. So yesterday I traveled to "The Jerk Shack" (http://www.jamaicanbbqjerk.com/). "The Jerk Shack" is located at the Bridge at Howard Hughes; if you live in L.A. you know where it’s at. I went straight from work, and to my surprise I was the only person in that joint. I noticed that their menu is pretty simple and straight to the point; however they threw me for a loop with some of the other menu selections (pasta, egg cream cheese sandwhich, and tacos). When I walked in I noticed the restaurant was very clean and empty, I mean not a soul was in that place. The menu was simple and so I decided to order two meals. I know I know my inner fat child was released and so here is what I ordered:


#1 Kingston Special- Jerk Chicken, Rice & Beans, Plantain, & Cabbage
#5 Lunch Curry Bowl- Yellow Curry Chicken & Coconut Rice

It took about 10 minutes for my food to be prepared, I thought I told the cashier that I wanted my food for "here" but apparently she heard "to go" and bagged me up. I was a little shocked that "The Jerk Shack" does not have a restroom for their guest, because I had to piss like nobodies business (excuse my french) but I had to go bad. Once my food came out I was ready to eat, I started with the Kingston Special; the jerk chicken was a leg and thigh quarter, it was saucy, tender and very SPICY!!!!!!!!!! The rice and beans was alright, I was expecting more from the rice and beans. The cabbage was DELISH (I love cabbage), this cabbage was very SPICY also, and then there was the plantains (OMG DELISH!!!!), I have fallen in love with plantains. This Kingston special was ok, it had a little too much spice for me, I think the menu should reflect that this dish is spicy. I've had jerk chicken before but I remember it being more like bbq. The meal would have been great minus the spiciness and the rice & beans. Next was the curry chicken bowl with coconut rice, this was an interesting taste. I expected the curry to be a little more yellow and thicker and the rice had actual coconut shaving in it (???). The curry chicken had peas, carrots and potatoes in it, this wasn't spicy although it was missing something, I can't put my finger on it but some kind of seasoning was missing. The total for both meals was $15.35, I don't think I'll be going back to the "The Jerk Shack" anytime soon; my dinner was quick because I had to use the ladies room. I am sure there are better Jamaican restaurants in Cali so someone please let me know. Of course I didn’t finish all that food I ordered, but I just couldn’t decide on what to get. If you would like to get on the "Wednesday Dinner" red bean team drop me a line wednesdaydinnerwithash@yahoo.com and follow me on Twitter www.twitter.com/wednesdaydinner. In closing I would like to leave you with this “The only thing that intimidates good is great" until next week live, laugh and love- Ashley

Wednesday Dinner 7/7/10

Good Morning my loves and happy Thursday!!!!!!!! And so we have all made it to the end of another week! Thank you so very much for tuning into another one of my blogs!! If you have been following me from the beginning then you know that today marks my 1 year anniversary of blogging! I want to take this time to sincerely thank everyone who has been a part of "Wednesday Dinner with Ash" from the restaurants, to my quest, to everyone who reads my blog ,I want to say "Thank you, thank you, you’re far to kind". Now with that being said, let the "Wednesday Dinner" story begin, yesterday I was on a solo mission I was feeling a little excited and tired at the same time. Excited because I can't believe I've been at this blogging thing for a year and tired because I got some not so good news yesterday but the day turned so big ups to the universe for looking out for me! So I decided I wanted to go some place new that maybe just opened or hadn't been open that long because there was a sense of relatedness there with a new food place and my blog. I remember my 1st blog entry (http://wednesdaydinnerwithash.blogspot.com/2009/07/wednesday-dinner-7809.html) I remember having so much to say and being so hyped that I was pushing myself to be this "self proclaimed food critic" and now 51 blogs later I am still eating and blogging. I had been to "Kalbi Burger" (http://kalbiburger.com/) a few weeks ago and really enjoyed it, I actually blogged about it on my 2 other blogs (http://weareallovercali.blogspot.com/) and (http://www.allashleymarie.blogspot.com/). I decided I would go back again. Located in Korea Town off of Wilshire, "Kalbi Burger" is a cute little burger place with a Korean twist on an American classic. With its cute and posh decor inside you can't help but to be attracted to the oar inside. With menu options from burgers to hot dogs, there is something for everyone. On "Kalbi Burger's" website they advertise that they are known for their "Lulu Burger" so here is what I had:


Lulu Burger Combo

The Lulu Burger was topped with swiss cheese, bacon, pineapple, lettuce, tomato and Lulu sauce, in my opinion a very Korean-esc spin on a hamburger. It came with french fries and a drink, on the website "Kalbi Burger" also has a 10% off coupon if you sign up for email notifications you get the coupon. So of course I did and I presented my coupon, my total was $8.95-.89=$8.06+tax for a total of $8.84 which wasn't bad. Yesterday "Kalbi Burger" wasn't as crowded as it was the first time I had been there. It took about 7 minutes for my food to come out and it was freshly prepared. "Kalbi Burger" prepares all their burgers medium well unless instructed otherwise. The Lulu burger was pretty big, I didn't realize how hungry I was until I looked up and I was on my last bite. This was a good combination of flavor from the patty to the bacon, to the swiss cheese oozing out of the sides to the pineapple giving it that fresh taste. Although the Lulu sauce was hidden somewhere in the burger, I had to ask for a side of it to get the flavor. It taste like a brown sugar soy sauce mix, extremely thin and in my opinion should be a lot thicker in order to stick to the burger and really get what the Lulu sauce is all about. The french fries where average not seasoning just your regular order of fries, for what I paid I got more than enough food because when I was done eating I was stuffed. I highly recommend "Kalbi Burger" it’s a cute date spot or just a place to go and grab a quick bite to eat and the service is good too! Over dinner I took a moment to reflect on all my blogs and my life as a blogger (hahahaha) and I really enjoy what I am doing and I will continue. Once again thank you for reading my blog and Happy Anniversary baby we did it!!!! (hahaha). If you would like to join the "Wednesday Dinner" celebration drop me a line wednesdaydinnerwithash@yahoo.com and follow me on Twitter www.twitter.com/wednesdaydinner. In closing I would like to leave you with this "Stop yappin and make it happen" until next week xoxoxoxoxox- Ashley

Wednesday Dinner 6/30/10

Good Morning, I wish this summer gloom would be gone already!!! SHEESH!! Well it’s the 1st of the month and the second month of the summer (WOOHOO). I hope you all are going to be doing something fun this 4th of July weekend! Just remember to be safe and don't drink and drive. Now let the "Wednesday Dinner" story begin. Last night I had dinner with my dear friend Erica Flowers and her daughter, Erica and I haven't been since last year I believe (http://wednesdaydinnerwithash.blogspot.com/2009/10/wednesday-dinner-101409.html) at Truxton's. Anyway Erica and I have been friends since I we were 3 and 4 years old, we go way back. It's so funny seeing Erica with her daughter because her daughter looks just like Erica did when she was little. I want to take a minute to shout out Erica because she is doing her THANG! She is a LV at USC Hospital and she recently purchased a condo (GO GIRL)!! I am so proud of you and glad to call you my friend! So last night Erica, her daughter and I met up at "The Gardens of Taxaco" (http://www.gardensoftaxco.com/) "The Gardens of Taxaco" is located in West Hollywood off of Harper Ave. Harper is a side street so if you’re driving to fast you will miss it. I had been to "The Gardens of Taxaco" years ago with my family we were celebrating a birthday. I decided to pick "The Gardens of Taxaco" because on their website they have a coupon where you can get a 5 course meal for $14.95 (http://gardensoftaxco.com/popDiscount.html). So here's the thing with "The Gardens of Taxaco" they don't have any menus online or in the restaurant. So let me set the seen for you. Like I said its located on Harper a side small street, its decorated inside like a classic authentic Mexican restaurant, with about 10-15 male waiters, very clean but the lighting is extremely dim inside a little romantic kind of. Our waiter came over and only explained the dinner selections to us, which were about 5 chicken items, 5 beef items, 2 meat combination items and 3 seafood selections. It was interesting trying to pick our dinner selection because the waiter was so animated and it was hard to make out everything he was saying but Erica and I decided to go with a beef and shrimp combination. Now keep in mind that we were getting 5 courses, now the other 4 courses were not mentioned they were just brought out to us. While we were waiting for our food the usual chips and salsa was brought out along with some veggie medley that consisted of cauliflower, carrots, and celery it was pretty strange looking. The chips and salsa were delish!!! The chips were fresh and salsa wasn't too spicy or bland it was right in the middle. So now it was time to start eating and here is what was brought to us:

1st course- Cheese Quesadilla topped with guacamole
2nd course- Meatball Soup
3rd course- Chicken Enchilada topped with cheese sauce and a black olive
4th course- Dinner -Beef and Shrimp combination
5th course- Dessert - Banana Pudding

The 1st course the cheese quesadilla was so yummy, it was sooooo cheesy and the guacamole was good too! It was just a slice of a quesadilla but it was just the right size.

The 2nd course was the meatball soup, this was my 1st time eating meatball soup and surprisingly I liked it; I don't think its something I could eat all the time. It was piping out served in a beef broth with a lot of veggies like carrots, celery and onions. There was only one meatball in the soup but that was just enough. It was served in a standard size soup cup and it was seasoned very well. I enjoyed it!

The 3rd course was a chicken enchilada topped with cheese sauce and a black olive this was my favorite! The enchilada was small enough for one person and it was a corn tortilla stuffed with chicken and topped with this amazing cheese sauce and a black olive. I totally wish I could've gotten another one of those enchiladas. All the flavors worked together and it melted in my mouth. 2 thumbs up!

The 4th course was DINNER! I am not sure what the name of this dish is but it was beef smothered in a tomato sauce with onions and bell peppers and the shrimp was sautéed in a cilantro cream sauce it was served with rice and beans and flour tortillas. This was a pretty good combination; the beef was good it was pretty tender and well seasoned. The tomato sauce was a great way to serve the beef and cilantro cream sauce was great for the shrimp. I wasn't able to finish all my dinner so I have left over’s for lunch today.

The 5th course was dessert; dessert is my favorite meal of the day! (Hahaha). This dessert was somewhere in between a pudding and a flan. I believe it was a vanilla based cream with bananas at the bottom and topped with a cherry. At first bite this dessert is extremely sweet but its also refreshing it was served in a small dish and I was actually please. Erica thought it was too sweet and her daughter gave this priceless reaction to hers (it was too sweet for her taste also).

Over dinner Erica and I caught up on girl talk, our dating lives! This is always funny because we are so much alike with our dating stories! Erica and her daughter shared the dinner, Erica kept the beef and her daughter got the shirmp. Erica’s daughter is so cute and so well behaved, I would go out to dinner with them anytime. “The Gardens of Taxaco” wasn’t crowded when we first got there but by the time we left it was pretty packed. All in all dinner was GREAT and like I said we got all of that for $14.95 per person which is an extreme deal. The total for dinner without the coupon would have been $53.02 but with the coupon it was $35.02 which saved us about $18.00!!!!!!!!!! I highly recommend "The Gardens of Taxaco" especially if you like Mexican food, it’s a cute place for dates and group outings. They do serve alcohol, wine based margaritas and sangria. If you would like to get on the "Wednesday Dinner" squad drop me a line at wednesdaydinnerwithash@yahoo.com and follow me on Twitter www.twitter.com/wednesdaydinner. In closing I would like to leave you with this "Neither success or failure is permanent". Until next week -Ashley