seafood

Day 237: Grilled Squid

Grilled Squid at Gerry's Grill

Grilled Squid at Gerry’s Grill

It’s been five years since I’ve been to the Philippines and one of the things I miss the most is the inahaw na pusit (grilled squid). Today, my wife and I happened to be in the Artesia area so we had an early dinner at Gerry’s Grill.

Gerry’s is known for its grilled squid and I loved it the Philippines. Their restaurant in Artesia is one of two in the U.S. (the other in Northern California) and I’ve had it bookmarked on Yelp for a while.

The interior reminded me of the Gerry’s I’d been to. We tore into the grilled squid as well as the tuna steak and wolfed down the garlic rice.

The verdict? While not exactly like the Philippines location, it’s close enough in flavor that I’ll be back soon.

I’ve also tentatively started to plan my next trip the mother land.

Day 194: Tacos Ensenada

Fish Tacos at Tacos Ensenada

Fish Tacos at Tacos Ensenada

Any time I’m in Duarte, California, I make a stop at Tacos Ensenada. It’s a small taco shop that serves excellent fish tacos: lightly battered and fried fish served on warm corn tortillas with fresh pico de gallo, cabbage, and crema.

I’ve already raved about Tacos Ensenada on Yelp (read my review here), so I’ll just say here that the tacos de pescado are still muy delicioso.

Day 179: The Jolly Oyster

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I impressed my wife today by showing off my samurai-like oyster-shucking skills. We spent a wonderful day in Ventura at the laid-back The Jolly Oyster, a beachside stand that serves up fresh oysters, clams, and crab claws. Unfortunately, they were out of crab claws, so we stuffed ourselves with raw oysters (shucked them ourselves!) and steamed Manila clams (we had the Jolly Oyster’s kitchen take  care of that).

We ate, we laughed, we played oversized chess and checkers, we ate more, and we walked on the beach. It was one of those perfect summer Sunday afternoons that you don’t want to end, with good food, good music, and good times with the one person in the world who I’d want to be with for a day like this.

Day 103: Still at the Beach

Picnic at the Beach

Picnic at the Beach

Yesterday was another wonderful day at the beach. Today I felt like I was still there, at least mentally. I thought about the good times with family, the amazing food, and the picture-perfect Southern California weather. I laughed when I remembered that I had taken two naps yesterday.

The photo above was taken at the end of our day, after the second of my naps. Just looking at it is making me sleepy again. And hungry.

Day 102: Seafood Sunday

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Fish market

My brother and his wife hosted their annual seafood lunch today. It’s always a fantastic day of eating and relaxing and today was no different. We feasted on steamed snapper, Santa Barbara crabs, Manila clams, Littleneck clams, smoked salmon, and smoked albacore from the fish market. We also brought barbecued chicken, salt and pepper pork, salad, fried rice, steamed rice, and a few desserts to the picnic, so all of the major food groups were covered.

It was a gorgeous day and my wife and I managed to squeeze in a 5K walk along the beach. I definitely needed it after all of the eating and relaxing.

Day 80: Train-ing Day

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Metrolink Train to L.A.

 

I love public transportation, especially in the big city. While Los Angeles is known for its car culture, it has an underrated railway and bus system. The trains and buses run on time and they’re clean (for the most part). Whenever my wife and I decide to go to L.A., we usually take the Metrolink to Union Station, where we then take the Metro Rail (we love the Red and Gold Lines) to explore downtown and beyond.

Today we went to one of our favorite parts of downtown, the revitalized area around 4th and Main. Many moons ago I worked in this neck of the woods and I love seeing how different it is these days; it’s no longer a scuzzy part of town. Now, we can browse in the phenomenal The Last Bookstore, visit historical landmarks, and find great food.

Our lunch today was simply amazing. Or, simple and amazing. At Kazu Nori, you have a few choices of hand rolls, each one made right in front of your eyes. I love the simple menu, the easy ordering system (get in line, mark which combo you want on an order sheet, eat, then pay on your way out), and, most important, the delectable, delicious, and divine sushi. The interior is sleek and modern, the service efficient and prompt.

And that’s exactly why I love taking the train: it’s efficient and prompt. Not to mention that I save money on gas, don’t have to pay parking fees, and suffer no sitting-in-bumper-to-bumper-traffic stress.

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Kazu Nori Salmon Hand Roll.

 

Day 67: Seafood Sunday

Adobong Pusit

Adobong Pusit

I always use my mom’s recipe for adobo and it’s either chicken or pork. After a successful dinner last week from The Adobo Road Cookbook, though, I decided to try its recipe for adobong pusit. My wife and I love squid so cooking it adobo-style would fit right in during Seafood Sunday, which is what I decided to call today.

I’m happy to report that I’m now 2-for-2 in delicious dishes from the cookbook. Kudos to Marvin Gapultos for providing good eats that are easy to make. Although I felt there was a bit too much sauce (mom’s recipe is still the best, obviously, lest I be struck down by lightning), my wife and I were totally happy with the meal. Of course, the real test comes tomorrow, after the flavors have melded overnight. The best adobo always tastes better the next day, so I’m eagerly waiting round two of the meal.