Let's start at the airport. No lounge this time, but I got to hang out a bit with Mark before the flight and we opted for some pre-flight Macca's. Good old Georgie Pie!
I've mentioned it before, but I'll mention it again: I really do appreciate this little detail.
Spicy Asian Chicken. Nothing spectacular, but tasted okay and sounded like a better option than "beef pasta". Best part of the meal had to be the Kapiti Black Doris Plum ice cream.
Back at SFO and, of course, enjoying their interesting and engaging exhibits. This one depicted United's close ties to Hawaii throughout its history of flying.
After a sleepless night in a tent in Los Padres National Forest (no thanks to wandering animal sounds), Grant & I set off to look for signs of wild pig in the pre-dawn light. We saw lots of coyote poo and a couple deer, but no signs of the specific animals we sought.
We covered a few miles and several hundred feet of elevation with no luck. Once the sun got high enough, the temperatures soared and we took a break for food and to seek shade. Around mid-afternoon, we set off again to search one last pre-determined area. When we found no recent signs of potential pig activity, we made the call to pack up and head back to civilization (i.e. LA). Our first hunt may not have resulted in success, but we learned a lot and will apply the knowledge towards future hunts.
Pre-dawn LA from Angeles National Forest. We went deer spotting with much greater success than we had in Los Padres. Mercifully cooler weather, but swarms of Canyon flies really reduced the level of enjoyment. Good, preliminary reconnaissance prior to the start of deer season.
Being back in civilization, we decided to make the most of the weekend and met up with Judy and some friends for lunch in Little Tokyo. I opted for the Ikura (salmon roe) cold udon from Marugame Monzo. Simple and flavorful. Not pictured, the delicious tempura soft-boiled egg I ordered as a side.
Next up, Black sesame mochi ice cream from Mikawaya (the brand who popularized mochi ice cream). So yummy.
Then, I got a "Koko Churro" roll from Dulce. Based on their popular Tapioca Roll (crusty exterior, soft/chewy interior), this adds coconut sugar and cinnamon to give it that extra sweetness. Really yummy and something just a bit different.
And finally (at least during our Little Tokyo eating spree), Hojicha soft serve from Midori Matcha Cafe. Pretty legit if you ask me. Their Matcha soft serve tasted amazing too, but I'll give bonus points for the Hojicha variant being less commonly available (*spoiler* foreshadowing).
Later that evening, Grant, Judy & I had a lovely dinner at Bone Kettle in Pasadena. Amazing broth, flavorful meats and generally good food with friendly service. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pics. I did, however, get a picture of our post-dinner dessert from the neighborhood favorite: 21 Choices. I went with their Organic Peanut Butter flavor. Simple and tasty. I'm not overly sentimental about LA, but I've missed 21 Choices so much!
On Monday morning, after a quick bit of archery practice at the range, Grant dropped me off at BUR for the flight back up to SFO. Just before checking in, I managed to grab a quick bite and chat with Traci. So glad we could catch up since it has been such a long time since our last! Oh, and if you happen to like comics and podcasts, check out her great podcast: Comic Potluck!
Back in SF again, I met up with Sue & Ant at the Ferry Building before embarking on a quick, afternoon tour of some of the city's landmarks. After a drive down Lombard Street, we made it to the Painted Ladies. You may recognize them from the opening credits of Full House.
Seeking something different for Sue & Ant to try, we first attempted to go to Burma Superstar on Clement St, but faced a 45+ minute wait (not something us hungry people fancied). Instead, we ended up around the corner at Cajun House for some good old fashioned seafood boil. House fried rice, Cajun shrimp and Lemon butter Crab legs. Yum.
The next day began with a stop at Tartine. While there, I had to indulge in a Morning Bun. Incredible.
On our drive down to Facebook for lunch, Sue and Ant got a hold of my phone and changed my wallpaper to this. Charming. :-) After an intensely filling meal, we visited Stanford for a quick campus tour including stops at the Rodin Sculpture Garden and the Memorial Church.
That evening, I met up with Jason, Susanna and Ed for dinner in San Mateo. After discovering (to our disappointment) that Bonchon doesn't open on Tuesday nights (yeah, really), we ended up at Koja Kitchen for their Asian fusion fare. Again, good food and great company.
The next day, I took the BART out to Berkeley for an awesome breakfast and catch up with Brent. I wish we had more time to chat, but he had a busy day and I'm glad he set aside a bit to spend with me. Anyways, after that I met up with Deryck and Kevin for some lunch and we ended up choosing to go to the Tartine Manufactory. Man, their baked stuff tastes amazing.
For dessert, I picked out a slice of their Tres Leches cake (since I already had a morning bun the day before). It did not disappoint. Oh, and we ate this before actual lunch since they served it to us first. Oops.
After Deryck returned to work, Kevin and I met up with Jason for an early afternoon scoop at Mr & Mrs Miscellaneous. I tried their fantastic black sesame. Very nice.
And then, Kevin and I finished the afternoon at Urban Putt (indoor mini putt). We completed the "Pink Putter Challenge" by playing the course with their shortest available putter (the pink one) and got our photo taken to be put up on the wall. Gangsta.
And at the end of the day, I had dinner with the F&P gang (and those associated) at Fish in Sausalito. We managed to split the Kiwis on the left and the Americans on the right. Good times all around.
The next day began with a Ham & Cheese croissant from the amazing Arsicault Bakery. Legit.
Then, I went back to my old 'hood for lunch at Los Gallos with the old work crew. Al Pastor tortas = yum. Great seeing all the Abbott folks even if just for a little bit.
After that, I spent a bit of time hanging out with Nick at the local Starbucks talking story before heading back to the City. Then, onward to dinner at old favorite Izakaya Sozai with Deryck. Get ready for some food pics. We started with the Agedashi tofu. Delicious.
Next, we got the Shishito peppers. Always a nice dish, and one I haven't had in a while!
Then, grilled skewers! Pork jowl on the left, chicken meatball on the right. Tasty.
My main dish: Salmon Sashimi, Ikura and Okra Ochazuke (rice with tea). Very yummy. I just wish I had a slightly bigger portion.
Finally, dessert: fried mochi, azuki (red) beans and vanilla ice cream. They ran out of their Jasmine tea ice cream (supposedly good), so I'll have to try that next time!
We made it to Friday! Deryck and I decided to check out ‘āina for some local kine food in California. We started with their housemade "Spam" musubi. Safe to say, the fanciest version I've ever had.
Next up, Guava jelly filled malasadas. Pretty damn good, I must say. And super visually appealing.
Deryck chose the Chicken katsu with udon "mac" salad and an omelette as his main dish.
I went for the Short Rib "Loco Moco" with a rich mushroom gravy. Supa ono!
After lunch, Deryck headed back to the office and I went to check out the SFMOMA (my first visit since their major renovation). A few of the things that caught my eye included this installation, "Gutter Corner Splash: Night Shift" by Richard Serra.
And of course, I enjoyed seeing a couple of Wayne Thiebaud's paintings which I hadn't seen before ("Canyon Mountains" on top, "Flatland River" below).
That afternoon, Liz, Sue, Ant and I headed to AT&T Park to see the Giants take on the Cardinals. On Star Trek Night no less (bonus points if you can spot Locutus in this picture).
All smiles early when the Giants had the lead. And, of course, rocking the appropriate color on Orange Friday.
Obligatory Gordon Biersch Garlic Fries while at AT&T.
Pre-wedding Tacos at Nopalito in the Inner Richmond with Sue & Ant. I opted for the Tacos de Pescado al Pastor (and a Horchata, because why not). Nom nom nom.
The F&P gang back together again to celebrate Jess & Mark's nuptials. The Barn made for a stunning reception location!
The First Dance. Congrats you guys!!!!!
The OG Flatmates (i.e. Me & the Sisticles: Angela and Jess). What an awesome night!
Since I'm here in the Bay, my trip would not be complete without seeing my various Hānai Families. That started earlier in the day with a lunchtime visit with the Inouye/Lees and the Inouye/Wongs. So glad I got to see everyone (and meet Benji)! Then, a quick catch up with some old former Abbott folks, Chrysbe, Harman, Nic (+ Justin & Reilly). Finally, dinner with T, Amy, Troy, Evan, Sonya, Lori, Bernie, L, Cindy, and Brooks (oh, and how can I forget Buster at the bottom center). Miss you all so very much!!!
NZ spoils me with some seriously delicious ice cream, but I still miss the homemade amazingness of Cindy's ice cream. Hojicha (!), Green Tea, and Strawberry this time around. So good. Thank you so much for the ice cream (and whisky cake) Cindy!
All good things must come to an end. The last day came and went so quickly that I apparently didn't take any photos. I had breakfast/lunch & boba with Deryck, Brad & Patti at the surprisingly tasty Burmese restaurant Mingalaba in Burlingame. Then, dinner with Deryck, Sue, Ant, Nick, Jessie, and Evelyn at our favorite, Fat Wong's in San Bruno. Afterwards, Deryck, Sue, Ant & I went to the airport where I did a bit of luggage reshuffling, farewelled my brother, and chilled with Sue & Ant before running to my gate to make my flight. Then, back to NZ I went...
Thanks so much to everyone who spent a bit of time with me on this trip, particularly Deryck, Grant & Judy for the accommodation. Much Love and Aloha. See you all again soon.
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