Fugetsu-Do Sweet Shop

The intrinsic beauty that can enhance a truly pleasurable dessert experience has not gone lost at this long-time sweet shop in Little Tokyo. Rather than the overdone American candy in their tacky wraps or boringly common cookies and desserts that make us reminisce of the predictable flavors, these Japanese treats are a beautiful and refreshing twist to the ordinary. The usage of bright and vibrant but soft colors put you in a whimsical mood. I grew up eating mochi, but I didn't appreciate its aesthetics until later in life. For one thing, they're weren't as lovely as these, but even people who are weirded out by new things become curious and entranced by its simplicity and attraction. Something about how it's presentation is undeniably appealing that people gravitate towards it.

Fugetsu-Do's signature desserts are mochi. They're Japanese sweet sticky rice cakes, chewy and decadent. They're soft and often times filled with sweetened beans, also known as adzuki beans. People who don't like tapioca pearls because of their soft texture may not appreciate mochi, but they're so beautiful. I think they're such a great treat especially to give as gifts. It's beautiful, affordable, and an ideal gift for someone you don't know very well and prefer not to spend a lot of money on who's curious and open to new things. It's also a great non-committal gift, so giving it to someone you just meant is a thoughtful and considerate gesture. On the other hand, it's also appropriate for a friend who has everything. This isn't high school anymore. It's not about how much money is spent. It's about what you can afford, what you can offer, and being a gracious gift receiver. I love grabbing these before meeting up with a group of friends I haven't seen in a while. These are also great "I'm thinking of you," or "feel better" gifts. The store also carries a generous selection of authentic packaged Japanese candies. They're not the run-of-the-mill Pocky sticks found at your local Von's or Ralphs. Then again, you can probably find quite a bit of these candies at an Asian grocery store. Nonetheless, the selection is suitable for this kind of shop and abundant. I highly recommend anyone in the area to check this store out. You can choose between a six, eight, ten, or twelve pack selection of mochi. You pick the flavors, and they're beautifully packaged and wrapped, free gift of charge. Stop by a tea shop, pick up some green tea, invite some friends other, present the treats, and you now have an affordable but unique tea time or late night snacks.

315 E. First St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 625-8585
www.fugetsu-do.com

Restaurants in Pasadena

I was surprised when I talked to someone who complained that there are no restaurants in Pasadena. Not only are there a lot of restaurants, but some of Pasadena's selection is unique to all of Southern California or LA County. For example, the only restaurant that serves Himalayan food in all of Southern California is located in Pasadena. She and other people have mentioned that all of the good restaurants are in Monrovia, but each person I talked to can only recall Applebee's. A chain, that's it? Well, anyways, I want to make a list of restaurants in Pasadena. I'll provide detailed reviews in another entry, but I find it to be an extensive list. What do you think? Keep in mind that Pasadena is considered one of the smaller cities in Los Angeles County. With that said, Pasadena is still one of the larger small cities, if that makes sense. I hope this guide serves someone well.

All India Cafe
39 S. Fair Oaks Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91105
(626) 440-0309
www.allindiacafe.com
Indian Cuisine

Amigo's
1076 E. Colorado Blvd.
Pasadena, CA
(626) 577-1307
Mexican Food

Ami's
245 E. Colorado Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91101
(626) 744-1822
Japanese/Sushi

Andy's Cafe
1234 E. Colorado Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91106
(626) 793-0825
Diner Food

Big Mama's and Papa's
1722 E. Colorado Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91106
(626) 397-2727
www.36pizza.com
Pizza

Cafe Bizou
91 N. Raymond Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91103
(626) 792-9923
www.cafebizou.com
French Cuisine

Cafe Verde
961 E. Green St.
Pasadena, CA
(626) 356-9811
www.cafeverdepasadena.com
Mexican

Cheesecake Factory
2 W. Colorado Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91105
(626) 584-6000
www.cheesecakefactory.com

CoCo's
77 N. Lake Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91101
(626) 449-3156
www.cocosbakery.com

Corner Bakery Cafe
345 S. Lake Ave. #107
Pasadena, CA 91101
(626) 578-1281
www.cornerbakerycafe.com

Daisy Mint
1218 E. Colorado Blvd.
Pasadena, CA
(626) 792-2999
www.daisymint.com
Oriental Cuisine

Fredo's
950 E. Colorado Blvd. #203
Pasadena, CA 91106
(626) 568-0505
Pizza

Gale's
452 S. Fair Oaks Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91105
(626) 432-6705
www.galesrestaurant.com
Italian Cuisine

Hurry Curry
37 S. Fair Oaks Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91105
(626) 792-8474
www.hurrycurryoftokyo.com
Japanese

Il Capo
1001 E. Green St.
Pasadena, CA 91106
(626) 683-0550

Islands
330 E. Colorado Blvd.
Pasadena, CA
(626) 304-9050
Burgers

Italian Kitchen
3537 E. Foothill Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91107
(626) 351-2080
www.mariasitaliankitchen.com
Italian Cuisine (Best Pizza in Pasadena)

Marie Callender's
2300 E. Foothill Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91107
(626) 792-3109
www.mcpies.com
Italian Cuisine

Matsuri
1065 E. Green St.
Pasadena, CA 91106
(626) 844-2900
Japanese/Sushi

Mi Piace
25 E. Colorado Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91105
(626) 795-3100
www.mipiace.com
Italian Cuisine

Noodle World
24 W. Colorado Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91105
(626) 585-5885
www.noodleworld.com
Oriental Cuisine

Pataya Cafe
1525 E. Colorado Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91106
(626) 356-0404
Thai Cuisine

President's Thai
498 S. Rosemead Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91107
(626) 578-9814
www.president-thai.com
Thai Cuisine

President's Two
950 E. Colorado Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91106
(626) 795-9826
Thai Cuisine

Red Brick Pizza
345 S. Lake Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91101
(626) 585-1600
www.redbrickpizza.com
Pizza

Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles
830 N. Lake Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91104
(626) 791-4890
www.roscoeschickenandwaffles.com
Soul Food

Salaadang
363 S. Fair Oaks Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91105
(626) 793-8123
Thai Cuisine

Scarlet Tea Room
18 W. Green St.
Pasadena, CA 91105
(626) 577-0051
www.scarlettearoom.com

Sorriso's
168 W. Colorado Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91105
(626) 793-8008
www.sorrisopasadena.com
Italian Cuisine

Sushi of Naples
735 E. Green St.
Pasadena, CA 91101
(626) 578-1123
www.sushiofnaples.com
Japanese Sushi

Tibet Nepal
36 E. Holly St.
Pasadena, CA
(626) 585-0955
www.tibetnepalhouse.com
Himalayan Cuisine

Tommy's
170 N. Hill Ave.
Pasadena, CA
(626) 792-5971
www.originaltommys.com
Diner Food

Twin Palm's
101 W. Green St.
Pasadena, CA 91105
(626) 577-2567
www.twin-palms.com
Thai Cuisine

Wild Thyme
805 Fair Oaks Ave.
South Pasadena, CA 91030
(626) 799-4169
www.wildthymerestaurant.net

Wokcano Cafe
33 S. Fair Oaks Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91105
(626) 578-1818
www.wokcanocafe.com
Oriental Cuisine

Frederico's Bakery

I imagine this is a family-operated business. This is a delicious bakery that serves an array of cookies and other edible delights. Their bakery's signature flavor is SUPER SWEET! I'm a fan, but if you're looking for something with subtler flavor dimensions, I would say seek elsewhere. Their cakes are well-priced, to the best of my knowledge, for the features offered. Then again, I'm not an expert with bakery prices. You be the judge. For $29.99, you get a round or rectangular cake of average size. Your flavor choices are: lemon, chocolate, or marble. Some designs are included with the price, as well. Such is the case with the flowers in the photo. A maximum of five words are complimentary. The first time I went there, I bought an outrageous amount of 9 8 x 8 x 2 inch square cakes. It was worth over $100, so I was given a 10% discount. The woman taking my order wasn't sure if she had an 8 x 8 cake pan and made a phone call to make sure before placing my order. I was also offered complimentary desserts. When I came to pick the cake up, they were exactly as I asked: plain, chocolate cake. The bakery opens early, takes my order efficiently, charges me as I should, has my cake ready when they specify, and it looks exactly as it should. I've read many negative reviews about their wedding cakes, that their skills can't master the more advanced desserts. I've never purchased anything elaborate, but it doesn't surprise me. If you walk into the bakery, you'll notice how standard this bakery is. Their photos don't suggest that they can master anything beyond birthday and corporate cakes. To me, I associated the outdated look with the heavy sugary flavor. I'm actually rather surprised that people were shocked by the typical heavy flavor that a lot of traditional bakeries offer. As much as I like this bakery, I want people to get the kind of desserts they want. So, let me warn you that this bakery is sweet and basic. If you're looking for something lighter, more modern, or advanced, seek elsewhere. Now, on the other hand, if you're seeking a basic bakery with the traditional sweets, check this place out. The desserts displayed give an accurate intensity in sweetness, so I would recommend taste testing it before spending money on a customized cake. If you find the dessert too sweet, the same reaction will probably apply to the cake. I love the German cake!

Frederico's Bakery
1810 E. Colorado Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91107
(626) 795-5651

Daisy Mint Restaurant

Good food, good prices, good service, and convenient locations are what every starving college student seeks. By Pasadena City College, a semi-new restaurant called Daisy Mint delivers just that. It's not a 5-star restaurant, but the food is more than just edible. It's not the kind of food you stay open-minded about because you're so broke, and when you consider the alternatives...it's not so bad. This place is actually pretty decent. They offer an eclectic mix of Asian cuisine, primarily focused on Thai style in an Americanized sort of way. That's actually a good thing because I think it meets the demands of the demographic.

My favorite and standard dish here is the Panang curry. It's a Thai-style curry with pumpkins, carrots, potatoes, and my choice of meat: pork served with a choice of white or brown rice. This generously portioned dish is served for a measly $7.50 and can be stretched into two meals. As you can see in the photo, the serving platter the curry comes in is a really deep and wide dish. Measure the size of the platter to the paper placemat. I rarely come across such a generous portion, even when it's twice the price of what Daisy Mint offers. The third photo is a cooked salmon dish in a creamy cilantro sauce with a serving of brown rice and a salad. I believe it was worth $8.50. That's a lot more costly than what most college students can afford, but as far as seafood dishes go, this is a good price for the amount.

Plus, it's about three blocks away from PCC (Pasadena City College). The service is efficient, the food arrives quickly, customers aren't rushed out, and the environment is ideal for studying or just hanging out with your friends. It's quiet enough to study, but it's not dead quiet, either. It's a very comfortable ambiance. The decor is quietly eclectic with frames from the vintage era occupying the wall.

But MY ABSOLUTE favorite about this restaurant is their listening skills. It's a top priority for them to be well-informed, conscientious of the menu, and make sure to exclude specific ingredients customers request. Not only that but the menu has a courtesy note reminding customers to let their servers know of any food allergies such as onions. I can't tell you how ecstatic that makes me because I HATE ONIONS with a passion. Too many times I've specifically requested no onions on a dish, and it was plastered with it. So, it was a refreshing treat to see servers competently take my order and find that the chef also followed those instructions. You wouldn't think that it's a difficult challenge to request no onions, but I eat out a lot. And, sadly, quite a bit of restaurants fail to get my order right. I'm not allergic to onions, but, as a customer, I feel that I have a right to get what I ordered. I don't enjoy being the customer who tries to get my order corrected from the same people who made the mistake in the first place, waiting on an empty stomach, in hopes that they'll get it right this time. I can't express enough how much I hate onions. I'm allergic to seafood, and I develop rashes. I used to be dangerously allergic to chocolate with symptoms characterized by dizziness, excruciating headaches, and hives. Yet, I've always tolerated seafood and chocolate much better than onions. I don't like being tempted to claim that I'm allergic just to ensure that I don't get onions in my food. Half the time my deceit and compromised karma was for nothing. So, I'm proud to say that this restaurant has become a staple for me. Check it out for yourself! If you don't like it, you haven't spent too much money. But it's definitely worth checking out.

1218 E. Colorado Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91106

UPDATE: I want to be objective and open with my reviews. I've ordered the Panang curry several times already, and, for the most part, I'm satisfied with the results. Recently, though, I've found some of the pumpkin to be undercooked. It was still edible, but I did want to warn others. I did find the salmon a little undercooked. The color inside was a different shade from the outside. It still tasted delicious, and the quality of the salmon wasn't that bad. Personally, I prefer raw salmon, so I liked the dish better because it was slightly undercooked. But I did want people to be aware of that. After all, the salmon is supposed to be cooked. FYI: The creamy cilantro dish contains onions.

Great Finds

The term "great finds" is such a broad and yet extensive definition. I consider great finds to be things that are unique and rare, hidden gems that compliment your personality and speak to you, objects that define your personality. Sometimes they don't serve a purpose and just look pretty or are simply intended to create a color scheme and design style that identifies what you're all about. Other times great finds are solution solvers, functional, versatile, and pragmatic. Great finds can be frivolous but satisfying or an end to a lifelong search for something special with deep meaning and value. It can be home decor, can't put it down books, the doctor who really listens, the perfect black dress, even a toilet. We all have different ideas of what great finds are depending on our lifestyle, interests, and what we're seeking. I'm here to share with you what I consider are great finds.