Garza Blanca Resort Suite Tour- Summer Vacation 2017 @Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

First of all, sorry for not posting anything last week.  It was the Labor Day long weekend in the States, we're back on track with school schedules, and I’m still daydreaming about our summer vacation, whenever I'm alone!  When I'm not daydreaming, I was actually busy processing the videos and pictures that we took during our summer vacation in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

(Lobby of Garza Blanca Resort)

Second of all, this is NOT a sponsored post!  We paid for this entire trip out of our own pocket!

Now that the disclaimer is done, if you still haven’t check out my video above, be sure to watch it.  In this video, I’ll give you a virtual tour of our 2 bedroom suite at the Garza Blanca, a beautiful resort where we stayed for 5 nights during our summer vacation.   I also included some of our daily activities and food that we enjoyed.   Although we did experienced some thunder storms (mostly at night), overall, we had fantastic and awesome experience for our stay. 

(Click on the images to enlarge)

Besides the beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean by the beach, the infinity pools at this resort are just as gorgeous.  We signed up for the all-inclusive package and the non-motor sports activities at the hotel beach area are all included as well.  For the majority of time, we stayed in our resort, hung out at the beach and pool side.  My Kids declared that it was the most amazing vacation ever!  Honestly, I guess it’ll be quite hard to beat this one though.  No pressure on the person who will be researching and booking our next vacation destination though (a.k.a. my Husband)!

(Berry Blush Cocktail)

(Grilled Mushroom – Side dish from the Steakhouse)

(Sauces for the Steaks)

(Veal Chop)

(Dessert Tree from the Steakhouse - Assorted Desserts)

There are 3 major restaurants in this resort, unfortunately one of them (Italian theme) was under renovation during our stay.  So we only dined in the remaining 2 of them, they are Blanca Blue (Mexican theme) and Bocados STK (modern steakhouse).  The food and service in both restaurants were exceptional!  Be sure to check out more food videos and pictures from my video tour above.  The presentation of the dishes from Blanca Blue were fabulous!

(Lobby of Hotel Mousai)

(Pressure Massage Shower – one of the Hydrotherapy Circuit at Spa Imagine)

The sister resort of Garza Blanca called Hotel Mousai is for adults only.  They do have 2 other restaurants but we didn’t get to try them this time.  However, I did get a chance to visit Spa Imagine, which is located in the Hotel Mousai, and enjoyed a relaxing massage as well as their Hydrotherapy services.  That facility and services were just as wonderful as the rest of the resort.  Everyone was very attentive and courteous.   They would go above and beyond to make sure that you are happy and satisfy.  I did had a relax afternoon at the spa and felt rejuvenated when I left!  Thanks to my Honey for watching the Kids!

(Room Service Food)

(Mojito from Pool Side Service)

(Snack from Pool Side Service)

(Seafood Ceviche from Pool Side Service)

As I mentioned before, we opt for the all-inclusive package for our stay.  Therefore, all of our food including room service and pool side snacks and bars were all included.   But I have to say, the room service food was just so-so.  On the other hand, the pool side snacks and drinks were surprisingly delicious!  Overall, we had an awesome vacation and spent some quality time together as a family.  We sure made some unforgettable memories and something to look forward to in the future.  We sure hope to have a chance to be back some day…..but for now, I need to work hard for our next vacation! 

Just in case, below is the hotel website and information if you’re interested to check it out. 

Garza Blanca Preserve, Resort & Spa
Website: http://www.garzablancaresort.com/ Resort Phone: +52 (322) 176 0718
Address: Carretera a Barra de Navidad Km. 7.5 Puerto Vallarta , JAL. ,48390, Mexico.

Disclaimers
uTry.it hotel reviews are solely based on our experience at each hotel or resort we visit.   They were just our opinions. Unless otherwise stated, uTry.it and its owner were not compensated in any way to stay at these hotels nor to write reviews.  We have no control over your lodging experience at any given hotel. Your experience will depend on the staff working that evening, the time of day, the cycles of the moon and many other things beyond our powers to influence.

Spring Break 2017–Time Lapse Video of 8 Hours Overnight in 49 Seconds!

This week, we’re on Spring Break!  The video above is a time lapse video that we took at the window of our hotel room to show you what happened for 8 hours overnight in just 49 seconds!  Make sure you watch it until the end as the clouds movements were so gorgeous and mesmerizing!  If you follow me on Instagram, you can see other videos and pictures of our Spring Break as well. 



We stayed in JW Marriott, Las Vegas this time and loved it so much!  When we visit Las Vegas, we usually stay in hotels on the L.V. Strip but it's nice to get off the beaten path for a change.  Our Family definitely enjoyed the nice and quiet + gorgeous view, and much less traffic in the area.



During the trip, we watched the “Michael Jackson One” show by Cirque de Soleil.  Although I’m not an Michael Jackson fan, I think the show was quite nice and enjoyed it a lot.  The picture above was taken before the show starts. 



On our way home from Las Vegas back to Los Angeles, we stopped by the Seven Magic Mountains for pictures.  It was so windy that we couldn’t stay long.  Maybe that was the reason why there were not that many people there when we took pictures!  The art work will be there until May 2018.  So if you’re planning to visit Las Vegas, you can stop by quickly for a few shots.



We also took the Kids to the “Happiest Place on Earth”, a.k.a. Disneyland!  After the parks, we went to Napa Rose for dinner.  You can check out my previous restaurant review by clicking here!  Apparently, they changed the menu, but the food was just as delicious!

 Smiling Tiger Salad - with Tempura-fried Lobster, Spicy Beef, Asian Greens, and Coconut-Lime Vinaigrette

Seared Duck Breast

Kids Dessert – Chocolate Brownie with Vanilla Ice Cream and caramel sauce.

Valrhona Chocolate Tart with Chocolate Stout Ice Cream

That concludes our Spring Break for now.  The regular recipe and video tutorial will resume next week!  Stay tuned for more yummy Spring time recipes!

Omakase at Sushi Noguchi – Restaurant Review and Happy Mother’s Day

A few months ago, my Hubby and I celebrated our 11th Wedding Anniversary at Sushi Noguchi.  Boy oh boy, how time flies!



We tried the Hiro’s Omakase (Chef’s choice - literally means 'I'll leave it up to you') at Sushi Noguchi.  This restaurant became one of our favorite Japanese restaurants in the Orange County.  Have you check out the video above yet?  You can watch Chef Min in action while he prepared the Omakase dishes!






We started our meal with Sake Sampler.  You can definitely taste the different notes and aromas in each one.  Cheers!



Our very first course (picture above) was this amazing appetizer with Japanese Yam (the white strands) along with seaweed soaked in dashi broth; it’s topped with uni (sea urchin) and salmon’s eggs, served chilled. This appetizer was so refreshing.  I love the natural sweetness from the uni that contrasted perfectly with the savory dashi and salmon eggs. 



The next course consisted of quite a few component. Each one is unique and amazing.  From yellow tail sashimi, tuna, to abalone.  All fresh and amazingly prepared that matched with different sauces and seasonings.  When you enjoy the omakese, the sashimi and sushi are often seasoned and the chef would recommend you to enjoy them without dipping into soy sauce or wasabi.  If you’re not sure, it’s okay to ask the chef.



This picture above is the sweet shrimp.  The shrimps were super fresh!  Actually, the 'antennas' of the shrimp were still moving as it sat on the plate (2 pictures above).  You might see that in the video if you pay close attention while Chef Min prepared that dish! 



For the shrimp head, you can choose to have it deep fried, or to prepare a miso soup with it!  We couldn’t decide which one to pick so we tried both!






This Omakase dinner surely was one of the top 5 dining experience I’ve ever had!  (To check out the others, please click here, here, here, and here.)  In addition to the great food quality and presentation, their services were also top notch.  For example, I have never had a omakase chef asked me if there’s something we want to include or avoid in our omakase.  Yet, the chefs at Sushi Noguchi demonstrated the attention to details by asking such a simple, but important, question!  This is definitely a wonderful personal touch.



This asparagus with pouch egg dish (picture above) was the only one dish that I didn’t care for at all.  Maybe because my face look puzzled, Chef Min explained that this is a complimentary dish from the kitchen!  It tasted alright, but I just wished that it would be a traditional Japanese dish rather than an European/American dish that didn't quite match with the rest of our dishes.





You can definitely taste the freshness from each sushi.  In my humble opinion, they have the best sushi in town, no exaggeration!






This one above is one of my favorite!  Snow crab meat topped with Uni!  It had all the ingredients that I love.



Scallop sushi topped with yuzu!  Super refreshing.







Yes, we had quite many dishes!  They were all so succulent that we simply didn’t want it to end! 



As much as you wish you can eat these artistically crafted sushi all night long, when your tummy tells you that it's time to stop, you can simply tell the Chef and he’ll stop serving you. Otherwise, the food will just keep on coming (with additional charges).




Last but not least, we ended our meal with this delicious Mille Crepe Cake.  It’s wonderful and not overly sweet.  If you plan to visit North Orange County region, or do live around the area, I highly recommend this restaurant to you.  Be sure to call for reservation as the seating at the sushi bar is limited.

I want to take this opportunity to wish you all a wonderful Mother’s Day!  Go celebrate with your Grandmother, Mom, or Mother-in-Law!  Give them a big hug and don’t forget to thank them for what they did.  I’m truly grateful for all the mother figures in my life.  Until next time, please take care and have a wonderful week!


Sushi Noguchi
Address: 18507 Yorba Linda BLVD. Yorba Linda, CA 92886
Phone: (714)-777-6789
Web Page: www.sushinoguchi.com


Restaurant Reviews:
uTry.it restaurant reviews are solely based on our experience at each restaurant we visit.   They were just our opinions.  Unless otherwise stated, uTry.it and its owner were not compensated in any way to dine at these restaurants nor to write reviews.  We have no control over your dining experience at any given restaurant. Your experience will depend on the staff working that evening, the time of day, the cycles of the moon and many other things beyond our powers to influence.

Sushi Yosuke Restaurant Review

Chirashi Lunch Box

After this post here, and that one, oh, and this one as well, I’m sure you probably know that I love Japanese food!  Today, I want to take you to one of my favorite Japanese restaurants in town.  It sure is a hidden gem for authentic Japanese good in the neck of my wood.  Our family usually go there a few times a month.  As little as we dine out, this got to be the restaurant that we frequent the most! 

Delux Lunch Box includes Matcha ice cream 

The pictures in this post are a collection of many visits to this restaurant.  We tried many different items from the menu and there are always a couple of them that we would order again!  The Deluxe Lunch Box (see picture above) is one of them.   The lunch set also comes with a bowl of steam rice and miso soup, as well as a Matcha ice cream (see picture below).  They charge this lunch set for a little less than $16!  I say, it’s great value.  Plus, the food they served is always fresh.

Matcha Ice Cream

Sushi Yosuke also offers combination lunch boxes, such as the one below.

Combination Lunch Box with Teriyaki Beef and Sashimi

My kids love the udon from this place (see picture below).  This is one item that they always order when we dine here. 

Hot Udon with Vegetable Tempura

For a light lunch, a sashimi salad would be a wonderful choice. 

Sashimi Salad

Lunch Combination with Shrimp Tempura and Yellow Tail Sashimi

The service at this restaurant is always wonderful. Servers and the sushi bar chefs are always friendly with a wonderful smile and ready to serve you.  Since the price of this restaurant is considered reasonable along with great food quality, there’s often a line during busy lunch and dinner hours.  So, I suggest that you might want to visit early to avoid a long wait.

Lunch Combination with Shrimp Tempura and Sashimi Salad

Please also note that the lunch menu and dinner menu is quite different.  There are more selections for dinner compared to lunch.  When we dine here for dinner, we always start our meal with the Oyster Shoot as an appetizer.  The raw oysters in it are always sweet and fresh!  There’s also a raw quail egg yolk in it for some richness.  This oyster shoot is a little briny, a little spicy, and perfect with the boozy sake.  It’s garnish with a spire of asparagus and carrot.  Very refreshing and satisfying.  

Oyster Shoot

Tuna Rose wrap with scallops is another appetizer that we love.

Tuna Rose wrap with Scallops

Delux Sushi Dinner Set

Combination Dinner with Oyster Katsu and Sashimi

I’m happy to report, so far, we love all the food that we’ve tried at this place.  If you happen to be in the area, you’ve got to give this place a try.  Last but not least, the Deluxe Dinner Chirashi (see picture below) is our favorite item to order for dinner.  The box on the left consists of sushi rice topped with imitation crab salad, some marinated mushrooms and pickles.  The box on the right consists of assorted sashimi, and they are always fresh.

Delux Dinner Chirashi

Information of Yosuke Sushi:

Address: 136 South Fairmont Boulevard, Anaheim, CA 92808
Phone: (714) 921-4002

Please visit their Facebook page for operating hours:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Yosuke-Sushi/172056599493647?sk=info&tab=page_info

Thank you so much for reading and I can't wait to share more of my favorite restaurants with you in the near future.

Restaurant Review Disclaimer: uTry.it restaurant reviews are solely based on our experience at each restaurant we visit.   They were just our opinions.  uTry.it and its owner were not compensated in any way to dine at these restaurants nor to write reviews.