California Modern

What is PED XING???

Am I just plain bodoh... or have i missed something here ?!

Ohhhhhhh... Some passer-by puts me out of my misery and tells me..

"Pedestrian Crossing"

Ah..! And here i thought I was so SMS lingo savvy... :P


I always save my best post for last. Or at least, my favourite post for last... because.. isn't that just how it is done?

This is La Jolla! One of my TOP 5 places to live, in the whole, wide, world, if I had the choice.. it is LUSH, gorgeous, unpolluted, offers great water-sports (work on that great tan!) and generally is just really really cool.


La Jolla Cove (1100 Coast Boulevard) is a very small beach, tucked between adjacent sandstone cliffs. Due to its extraordinary beauty, La Jolla Cove is one of the most photographed beaches in Southern California. It is within a short walk of the commercial area of the community of La Jolla, but retains a character "all its own."

The north facing La Jolla Cove has unusually coarse sand. Grassy Scripps Park is immediately adjacent and an excellent area for picnicking.

Water visibility at the Cove can sometimes exceed 30 feet, making it a popular location for scuba divers and snorklers.

And apparently popular for the "PAK-TOR" too !


Lifeguards are staffed daily throughout the year. During summer, lifeguard-staffing hours are generally 9:00 a.m. to dusk.The guards look HOT in their red trunks i tell ya ;P


Awww... so cute!! I want to take one home... CAN I??? :P


Looks like someone I know... when waking from sleep.. lol !




La Jolla Cove lies within the San Diego La Jolla Underwater Park Ecological Reserve, which helps to ensure that marine life remains plentiful. This is a look but don't touch area and the possession of game is unlawful.

(So I suppose the answer to that one is " NO, you may not take one home!" ... haha!)


So .. a quick stroll to dinner has us walking past the chocolate factory...


Its amazing the amount of sweet things that Californians eat, and the women still look so fit (especially the ones running round the park) !

How do they do it..


Pass the art gallery, and I know I am not suppose to take photos, but technically, I am not IN the gallery.. and OH... I could not resist it! My favourite childhood book character...

Dr Seuss! "How do you do Sir...? :)"




All this gorgeous scenery and walking around is making us hungry..


Ah... we see it! This is my favourite Contemporary Californian restaurant in La jolla...

Introducing Georges at the Cove!


I have been here before, but the view from the Ocean Terrace never ceases to amaze me. This time we are in time for the sunset, and it is spectacular.

On the Ocean Terrace, you can balance the breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean with a breath of fresh air as you take in the region's best rooftop dining.

White chocolate martinis are a must! No better way to start dinner !


As the saying goes... That's life! And this sure is the life !!

C'est La Veev is an inspiringly refreshing drink made from veev acai spirit, blueberries and cucumber. I really like this one!



Just as the sun goes down over the horizon, they serve the starters... George's signature soup - chicken broccoli! Very, very good!


Fresh mussels follow soon after, and they are nothing short of delicious.


Seared rare tuna served on a bed of soba noodle salad, with wasabi soy vinaigrette. Perfection in a bowl...


Grilled Mexican shrimp on citrus risotto. Flawless.


Cod fish served on a bed of corn... low carb but high in taste... that's what I call a meal! lol...

We take a second to catch our breath.. but as our waiter brings out the dessert menu, our eyes fall on the Snicker Sundae !


How to resist?

Chocolate banana cream pie was the straw that broke the camels back.. and we could not eat another morsel of food.

Satiated.

Filled.


As a parting drink we each had a La Jolla Winter - white Godiva, Chambord, Frangelico, steamed milk, dash of cinnamon, served in a brandy snifter... and was thankful for the experience of dining at such a cool place.





It was with some sadness, that we said goodbye to the beautiful La Jolla, but no matter... we vowed to come back real soon :)

Old Town San Diego

Old Town San Diego is considered the "birthplace" of California. San Diego is the site of the first permanent Spanish settlement in California. It was here in 1769, that Father Junipero Serra came to establish the very first mission in a chain of 21 missions that were to be the cornerstone of California’s colonization. Father Serra’s mission and Presidio were built on a hillside overlooking what is currently known as Old Town San Diego. At the base of the hill in 1820’s, a small Mexican community of adobe buildings was formed and by 1835 had attained the status of El Pueblo de San Diego. In 1846, a U.S. Navy Lieutenant and a Marine Lieutenant, raised the American flag in the Old Town San Diego Plaza.



Bazaar Del Mundo Shops, a warren of mostly Latin-themed gift stores, operates this Mexican restaurant situated a block away from Old Town State Historic Park.




Not only is Casa Guadalajara better than what you'll find in the park, it's often less crowded than its counterparts (though waits of 30 min. or more are not unusual here Fri-Sat).

Mariachi tunes played by strolling musicians enliven the room nightly, and you can also dine alfresco, in a picturesque courtyard occupied by a 200-year-old pepper tree. Birdbath-size margaritas start most meals, while dining ranges from simple south-of-the-border fare to more gourmet items like tequila lime shrimp and mango chipotle chicken -- but the extensive menu features all the fajita and combo plates most people expect.

Though Casa Guadalajara is suppose to be less busy, the place was still PACKED when we arrived!

Begin with an appetizer or three, especially the nachos supreme done with crispy blue corn, yellow corn and chipotle tortilla chips and the special nacho sauce; the chipotle chicken taquitos and some of the best guacamole dip in town.

You can order tacos, burritos, enchiladas, tamales and chile relleno a la carte, but the combinations served with rice and beans and specialty dishes lure you to Casa Guadalajara.

Breakfast is also served on weekends. This place (like the Bazaar) is touristy, but out-of-towners looking for old California ambience and reliable Mexican food will find it here.

First time all week, we had respectably HOT and SPICY chilli and so I was pretty happy with the meal! However, Mexican is rather heavy and I doubt that this would be the kind of cuisine I would look for on a regular basis! A nice experience all in all!

Dance lil lady dance...

Downtown San Diego.. on a Saturday night...

Any place worth entering....


Has a massive, massive queue...


Being too lazy to queue... we decided to have drinks 1st .. at a bar nearby...


mmmmmmm.... nothing hits the spot like the 1st beer of the day...


finally... time to hit NOBU for dinner...


The blue electric guitar on the wall, tell us.. we have arrived!


Sony moment.. !!!

the party crew... PRE boogie.... cool, calm and composed... :D


I love NOBU... it's tres chi chi:)

Nobu is renown for its fusion cuisine... which blends traditional Japanese dishes with western ingredients. Its signature dish is black cod in so. Nobu is also famous for its soft shell crab and shrimp tempura rolls. The success of Nobu New York spawned several similarly themed restaurants is various parts of the US, London, Melbourne, Hong Kong and Tokyo !

So.. here we are at Nobu Hard Rock San Diego.. it's packed to the gills i tell ya..

After dinner, we decide to visit another bar.. before we hit the clubs...



here is STINGAREE...


Here are our SHOTS ... pretty maids, all in a row...
Prepare to meet thy maker.. lol :P


Cheers honey... do it fast... it's less painful that way!


After the shots.. we leg it down to... the PARTY!!!

By the time we get there.. the place is rocking...



And more impressively they have my favourite movie, the FIFTH ELEMENT playing on the flat screens.... oo yeah... that's what i am talking about!


As the night progressed .... it got messier for some... !




Yet another Sony moment !



After 2 hours of boogie-ing.. i had enough.. and my stomach was growling again...

Aiiyo.. no mamak in the states.. so how???

Well, we chanced upon the next best thing....

ATM PIZZA!!



Gawd.. you've got to love this country, you do!!

"Aortic Aneurysm by the slice"... no better way to go ... lol:)


Gorgeous, creamy, cheezy, greasy, hot off the oven pizza....

Just the thing to neutralize an alcoholic stomach!

Fantastic end to the night...
.
.
.

Oh wait a minute, our "rent a car" was low on gas....




yes, yes.. isn't it cute??? we rented the cutest Chrysler i tell ya... and it was zippy, economical, and i could actually PARK it... so there u go!

AH.. there's the gas station..

We loaded up on unleaded (because that's all they had... being sooooo eco friendly and all)...


and headed on home...



the view on the bridge of the city, reminded me why... I love city life... Having said that, a part of me was already starting to miss the chaos that is KL as well as the late night mamaks ...

hmmmm... the 1st signs of homesick hitting me ... me thinks...

( oh well.. nothing a good shopping spree can't fix.. haha!)