Tag: food

Ramen and Café

, , , , Food, Slice of LifeLeave a Comment on Ramen and Café
Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/120 sec, ISO160
 “Kitakata Ramen” Torrance, 2025

I treated myself to a solo lunch at Kitakata Ramen today, and it was excellent. I ordered their signature ramen, which surprised me in the best way. The flavor was light and subtle, but still deeply satisfying. I enjoyed every bite. I also added an order of gyoza, and it paired perfectly with the ramen.

After lunch, I drove over to a nearby café and ordered a Lavender Matcha Latte. With drink in hand, I spent some time catching up on the blog, tapping away and enjoying the calm atmosphere. All in all, it was a really nice, relaxing afternoon.

Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 2.2200000286119mm, f/2.2, 1/180 sec, ISO40
 “Lavender Matcha” Torrance, 2025
Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/120 sec, ISO64
 “Café Catchup” Torrance, 2025

Dat Moi Market

, , , Food, Slice of LifeLeave a Comment on Dat Moi Market
Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/60 sec, ISO125
 “Pickapeppas” Gardena, 2025

Today my mom and I went on a mission to find Pickapeppa sauce. It has been weirdly hard to track down lately, both in SoCal and back in Texas. One of my mom’s neighbors suggested we try Dat Moi Market in Gardena, and thank goodness we did. They had Pickapeppa! Success!

Even better, the shelves were packed with all kinds of interesting Caribbean ingredients, and we spent a good while just looking around and discovering new things. Of course, we could not leave without grabbing a couple of beef patties too. Absolutely worth the stop.

Dat Moi’s website says it is “your source for African, Asian, Caribbean, Hispanic & Polynesian products,” and yep, that checks out. Highly recommend if you are looking for something a little harder to find.

Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/3200 sec, ISO80
 “Beef Pattie” Torrance, 2025

More Mexican Food

, , Food, Slice of LifeLeave a Comment on More Mexican Food
Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/60 sec, ISO250
 “Mexican Dinner” Lomita, 2025

We rolled into SoCal right around dinner time and made a beeline for Alfredo’s, a place we visit often and for good reason. The carnitas here is excellent. Tonight I mixed things up and swapped the usual rice for fries, and wow, that was a great call. I would absolutely do that again.

Also in the photo are the Chile Verde, Carnitas Burrito, and Carne Asada Burrito. Only Koa was able to finish his meal. He’s only in his 20s so he can still eat a huge meal without skipping a beat

The portions are massive, so I ended up taking more than half of my meal home. That means I have at least one more delicious lunch waiting for me!

Dinner in New Mexico

, , Food, Slice of LifeLeave a Comment on Dinner in New Mexico
Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/40 sec, ISO800
 “Combo Plate” Lordsburg, 2025

Koa and I kicked off our road trip from Texas to California today and put in a solid 10 hours on the road. We rolled into Lordsburg, New Mexico, checked into our hotel, and then headed straight to Ramona’s for dinner. I stuck with the old standby, Combination 1, which comes with a taco, enchilada, and tamale. It hit the spot after a long day of driving. Tasty, comforting, and definitely something I would order again. 😆

May and the Chicken

, , , , Food, Slice of LifeLeave a Comment on May and the Chicken
Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/60 sec, ISO400
 “May and Chicken” Cedar Park, 2025

Mariko had some guests over for lunch today, and one of them brought their dog, May, along. She was very interested in the karaage and kept a close eye on it the whole time. Watching her was such a flashback, she reminded me so much of Lani.