Our hunger didn't simmer, for we ate like royalty!…read more Andy P organized a fun foodie family-style UYE at Simmer Huang in Temple City, the first ever Simmer Huang in the United States. The lucky few who were fortunate enough to attend were greeted to feasting as befitting an emperor. 1/2 of my fellow gourmand tablemates (Pam & Dora)- https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/uye-fit-for-an-emperor-temple-city?select=EtRjJCxmAuSWQ7HRmU9XJg The first course came by way of palate-pleasing appetizers. Spicy noodle salad- https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/uye-fit-for-an-emperor-temple-city?select=jczETJProapaAGc4RrsA9w Sweet, spicy & slippery in my palate, these were great to start. Steamed yam with blueberry compote- https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/uye-fit-for-an-emperor-temple-city?select=DPdAab9Rghz5OgwYwRI0jA This dish seemed more apropos as dessert, as both the sweetness of the yam & especially the blueberry greatly juxtaposed the savoriness of the spicy noodle salad. Second course was the star of the show, the assorted meat & seafood simmer pot. Shrimp, beef & basa filet chunks on top of 10 vegetables. I wished the shrimp were brought out whole, as the head provides a ton of flavor. Not to mention, all those brains & head fat make for some good eating- https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/uye-fit-for-an-emperor-temple-city?select=JF7uX9drFGuUBqspSFON4A Place the lid on top, and watch that baby simmer! https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/uye-fit-for-an-emperor-temple-city?select=3tWPn0l85MR4xwXYE6ufmQ Jojo was our chef par excellence, mixing the Simmer Huang sauce, which she then masterfully applied to our boiling cauldron of culinary excellence. https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/uye-fit-for-an-emperor-temple-city?select=pyqd4UkWeHVaQxBTHv-cqQ https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/uye-fit-for-an-emperor-temple-city?select=L0rtN11wGOYQ5bE_aHS-Pg Noodles were brought out for us to zush into our simmer pots. My table asked for an extra serving, because we're pigs..........er, I mean, because we wanted to enhance the experience of enjoying Simmer Huang's assorted meat & seafood. https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/uye-fit-for-an-emperor-temple-city?select=4hElzKJDJFeqY5uAVQmEsg After eating awhile, more veggies were brought out, including broth, to transform our simmer pots into cauldrons of piping hot soup. https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/uye-fit-for-an-emperor-temple-city?select=mcS-qxLJhvuwFwNAItNkYg https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/uye-fit-for-an-emperor-temple-city?select=0XMIqJ4dw5evqBwApmATEQ https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/uye-fit-for-an-emperor-temple-city?select=QrdwaW9nJxps1GZwUqUMBw The soup was soothing & nourishing on a cold night. But, of the two preparations, I prefer the simmer pot, as adding broth diluted the strong flavors that came from the 10 vegetables & other ingredients. Congrats to the social media contest winners! Jubilant Gizelle with main man at Simmer Huang Temple City, Tongxin- https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/uye-fit-for-an-emperor-temple-city?select=TDE5JP5mGjvu08GXDohV3g Another winner, who I forgot, won a prize for guessing which 10 vegetables went into our simmer pots. However, we all went home winners with coupons for a future visit to Simmer Huang. Unfortunately, I forgot mine on my table. Thanks to Tongxin & the entire staff at Simmer Huang. The quality of the food we were treated to was surpassed only by the excellent service we received by the employees And, thanks to Andy P. for organizing this event. I eagerly anticipate the next one. https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/uye-fit-for-an-emperor-temple-city?select=LSompeXnRAWYdl460E5ZUg Excelsior!

Awesome Happy Humpy Hour @ La Costa Mexican Restaurant!…read more *FLASH!* UYE Whenever three (3) or more Yelpers converge on a spot together - such as special non-Yelp events, or casual *spontaneous* in-the-moment unbilled Unofficial Yelp Events (UYEs) - you got yourself a *Flash* UYE! SITREP Tonight was a post-training decompression de-angsting treat for a dozen of us in Monterey Park- getting off work, and out of training, and so we headed over to La Costa to take advantage of the Happy Hour specials they had going on. MARGARITAS! Their classic margaritas on the rocks were 2-4-1 and dam refreshing - and I didn't share! I drank BOTH of my margaritas! THE FOOD However, the deep-fried calamari and the chicken quesadillas I DID share with my friends and colleagues, and they were so delicious. THE LOWDOWN Great people, refreshing drinks, and delicious food are a fantastic incentive for us to get together and share these things we enjoy together - La Costa proved to be a fun place to have a fantastic Happy Humpy Hour.

One of my guy friends told me that dating is like throwing a net to catch fish - it shouldn't be…read morelike spear fishing! So, that's what I did for this UYE - I sent out a ton of messages to Yelpers in the LA area to see who would want to meet in real life. Based on the premise that Yelpers are the best people in the world - adventurous, positive, open-minded, etc., these are the ones who were able to attend: New faces: Czarina Robert P. and his lovely wife Van D. Yuri "Old friends": Alana Carrie Dana Jennica Jennifer N. Kenzie Steve M. Stevo Tim C. Because of Van D.'s review of Media Noche, this restaurant was selected as the venue. We all were looking forward to the reasonably priced Sunday buffet ($16) and other items that we could order from the menu. I called from Hawaii to make our reservation, but somehow, they had forgotten and were scrambling to set up enough tables and chairs for us! Hahaha! It all worked out, eventually, and we all had a fantastic time! The food was yummy and the live music was festive! We didn't want it to end, so we continued on at Boba Tea Lounge, aka Da Aftah Pahtee... I just figured that everyone in LA has met each other already, but it seems like distance and life get in the way at times. Fate is an unusual thing. So, I was extra glad that LA Yeeps had a chance to meet each other, too! Bonus!! We have the same friends! If it's meant to be... Some day, our paths will cross and if we have not met yet, it may happen sooner than you think! On this Thanksgiving Eve, I am counting my blessings - one of them is Yelp, and another one is you!!! Mahalo for reading! Have a wonderful holiday season! Review #500

Aloha Media Noche!! Our favorite Hawaiian Yelper Nadine is in town and she came with much love!! It…read morewas like a hybrid of Halloween and Christmas because she gave us Hawaiian totes to fill with goodies!! Her luggage was as bottomless as Santa's magical sack! She spoiled us with seashell necklaces and flower clips in our hairs... not to mention fancy Aloha name tags that were RED!! Yay for Yelp colors!! Speaking of Yelp, she also gave us some Yelp gear O_O' This UYE felt like a close imitation of the real stuff :) Media Noche could have done better, but we did not let their insufficient management ruin our fun. Once tables and chairs were maneuvered all over the restaurant for us, we finally go about 4 tables put together for our group of foodies. The $16 brunch was great, aside from that inedible pork and the bitter tasting sad flan. I often find buffets to be so disappointing. I recommend their dinner over their brunch. So we after taking a bite of everything for the sake of our yelp reviews, we went off and took a million selfies. And some of us (not me) even pulled the waiter over for some selfies too! Always a good time with good company!! After Media Noche, a majority of the group went to Boba Tea Lounge where we took pictures of our drinks and attempted to fill a buy 10 get 1 free stamp card so Nadine can have a free drink from the group. XOXO!! And of course more selfies!! So good to fiiiiiiiiinally meet my favorite Hawaiian Yelper!! Saw some old yelp friends, finally met some long time yelp friends and lovely to meet those Yelpers you've heard of all the time but FINALLY met... Lol so complicated O_O Shout outs to **insert your name here** XOXO!!

best bartenders…read more forgot to ask there names but they were cutie and nice gave me recommendations two girl bartender pool and beer come here !

I was denied entry at Mr Furley's on Magnolia because the doorman (Charlie) stated I needed…read more"paperwork" for my service animal. For clarity, my dog is a trained service animal. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, businesses are not allowed to require documentation or certification--only two specific questions are permitted. This was an unfortunate and avoidable situation that reflects a lack of proper staff training on service animal laws. I've reached out to management and hope they address this so it doesn't happen to others.

The ribs were better-than-expected the sauce was sweet but overall I like them, the sandwich didn't…read morelook very appetizing, it looked more like a burger but who am I to judge? The chicken strips were really good, the buffalo flavor was just perfect.

A fun event highlighted by visits to five fabulous taco restaurants, including four in the city of…read moreWhittier and concluding in Hawaiian Gardens, promised a lot of good eating and a variety of excellent choices for all. The delicious tacos delivered as expected. The turnout of a fun, lively group was certainly a huge plus and made the event even more enjoyable. We dined at the following taco gems in order: #1 Arturo's Puffy Taco - Whittier, CA: http://www.yelp.com/biz/arturos-puffy-taco-whittier #2 Tacos Baja - Whittier, CA: http://www.yelp.com/biz/tacos-baja-whittier #3 La Victoria Taqueria - Whittier, CA: http://www.yelp.com/biz/la-victoria-taqueria-whittier #4 Chema's Tacos - Whittier, CA: http://www.yelp.com/biz/chemas-tacos-whittier #5 Tacos San Pedro - Hawaiian Gardens, CA: http://www.yelp.com/biz/tacos-san-pedro-hawaiian-gardens All offered very tasty and a unique variety of choices of tacos. I believe the consensus favorite was the fish tacos from Tacos Baja, followed by the puffy tacos from Arturo's Puffy Taco and then the chicharron taco at La Victoria Taqueria. The idea to pick locations showcasing some of the most popular taco joints in Whittier, it appears, was a good choice. We thank Sarah A. for coming up with the idea and initially planning this event. My first one last year was much smaller but just as fun: http://www.yelp.com/biz/andrew-ks-taco-crawl-whittier#hrid:vWvfz3Lf_K8mTpCnejCHqA/src:self. But the combination of our two networks made for a bigger turnout. Friends who could not make it out this evening really missed out. And I encourage others to try out all five taco establishments and come with high expectations. They are some of the very best around. You just might one to try them one at a time.

This was a much needed night of socializing and good company! Five taco locations in a few…read morehours...can it really be done? If Sarah A. and Andrew K. are organizing this, then hell yeah! I've never really explored Whittier but the first four stops helped me get to know this town. One thing that I did not consider was the authenticity of these taco places. Thank goodness for Tacos Baja (taco stop #2) for having lardless beans! You meateaters make fun of me all you want, those beans paired with fresh avocado were damn delicious and quite filling :) Since my experience of this crawl is skewed from the norm, here's what I remember most about each stop: #1 - Arturo's Puffy Taco The meateater BF's friends saw his check in online and suspected that he was at a nudie bar. #2 - Tacos Baja Tasty free chiles that sneak up on you with its spiciness...YIKES! I had to eat a bunch of free radishes to cool down my burning mouth! Yummy beans :) #3 - La Victoria Taqueria Whoa, there's a lot of ambulances stopping next door! There's also a funny mural on the wall where a pig is cooking a chef. This is also where I took some very incriminating photos of Vince V. kissing a taco! #4 - Chema's Tacos I love all the optical illusions artwork on the wall including works by Octavio Ocampo. But dammit, this empty toy dispenser took 50 cents from my baller BF! Boo! http://bit.ly/KTHQfV Our last stop was a small trek down the 605 toward Hawaiian Gardens... #5 - Tacos San Pedro Yummy tamarindo! Free pickled carrots :) Ok, so maybe I wasn't as comatose full as the rest of you, but I was full! A vegan knows how to forage :) Besides, like I said before, I was there to socialize and it was nice to make new friends and catch up with friends I haven't seen in a while. A lot of great laughs were shared. So much so that I haven't laughed as hard as I did last night in a long time! You yelpers are fun people :) Thanks Sarah and Andrew for organizing this event and inviting us out for a fun night!

Let's be honest (and nice) here. This is the FIRST EVER Cookie Con! Like all "firsts", it's…read moreawkward, not perfect, slightly unorganized, and has TONS of room for improvement! But like all firsts, it was as good as it can be! I'm pretty much cookie wasted from the day! My suggestion to guests would be to get here later in the day...for example at 1:30pm since the crowd dies down around that time and there's still plenty of samples going around. I was lucky that I got there at 2pm with a good 3 hours to walk around (with ample space) and taste. All the vendors were adorable, creative, super friendly, and had great treats! There were shows, lessons, kits, accessories, photobooths, tons of samples, etc. Overall, I had a really fun time here! I'm definitely heading over to LA Cookie Con 2016 if they do it again next year....and i REALLY hope they do!! Hopefully they'll have it a bit more organized than this one. I also hope they could extend the hours as well as use more than 1 hall...more walking space would reduce the risk of fire hazards and accidents.

My first time at LA Cookie Con and I had a great experience. I came on Superbowl Sunday and the…read morelines weren't too bad overall. My friend and I were thankful for VIP tickets, which allowed us to get in 1 hour before general admission doors opened. However, VIP lines were already formed by the time we arrived. Although long, it moved quickly and we perused around all the booths. She's a veteran to the LA Cookie Con and knew exactly what to get in line for first, which was the ice cream/cookie truck. I was able to get 1/2 a cookie with a small sampling of ice cream. I actually got full from eating lots of sample from various booths. My top favorite would be the balloon lady, she took requests and made whatever balloon animal or thing you wanted. I requested for a cupcake headband. This was probably the longest wait, but so worth it! My other favorites included the tamales booth and the organic raw milk. $15 to park at the LA Convention parking structure. Overall, I had a great time!