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.

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.

Korean Pancake 한국어 팬케이크 (Pajeon)

 

I adore Korean food.  Besides the famous Korean BBQ, their pancakes are definitely on top of my list as well.  Today, I’ll show you how to make this simple Korean Pancake 파전 (Pajeon).  Pajeon is a savory pancake, usually made with green onions.  The pancake batter usually consists of eggs, flour, rice flour, green onions, and often other additional ingredients depending on the variety.  Usually beef, bork, kimchi, or seafood are commonly used.  Today, I used the imitation crab meat, which is a very popular companion to the Asian ramen. 

 

Compare to the Chinese Green Onion Pancakes, Pajeon is less dense in texture and is not made from a dough, but a batter instead.  I’ve been making these Korean Pancakes quite often.  Sometimes, I add a tablespoon of Korean Chili Paste in the batter for more flavors and a little spiciness.  For the kids’, I usually leave it out.  If you love spicy food, definitely give the chili paste a try.  It’s not too spicy and it adds a depth of umami flavor to the pancake.  I serve it with a soy sauce based dipping sauce and it’s the  perfect company for these pancakes.  Want to see how I made it, check out the video tutorial below.

I hope you enjoyed watching my video tutorial.  If you haven’t done so, please subscribe to my YouTube channel here.  You’ll be the first to know when I have new video tutorials published.  

What is your quick and easy go-to meals?  Please share your recipe or ideas in the comment below.  I would love to hear from you!  Thank you for stopping by today.  Stay tuned for more easy and fun recipes to come.

Ingredients used:

Korean Chili Paste (Click here for more information)
Rice Vinegar (Click here for more information)

Din Tai Fung Restaurant Review

Still remember my Little Boy with the Din Tai Fung statue picture above?  Yes, as I promised, here goes my Din Tai Fung restaurant review.  The very first time I dined at Din Tai Fung was back in my college days, when I travelled to Taiwan with a few good friends and my Brother.  My friend’s Aunt who lived in Taiwan at the time took us around for sight seeing, shopping, and food tasting (I’m forever grateful for the hospitality!)  The day before we visited Din Tai Fung for lunch, we were “warned” about the long lines and be sure to get there early, otherwise some items would be sold out way before noon.  I didn’t know what the fuzz was all about until I tried my very first Juicy Pork Dumpling (小籠包)!  My world was never the same again!  No exaggeration, by the way.



The picture above shows the famous Juicy Pork Dumpling from Din Tai Fung.  I know, they might not look like much, nor anything spectacular from the picture.  (Sorry, the pictures from this post were taken from my Android Phone, not my regular camera.  So the picture didn’t do justice for these Juicy Pork Dumplings at all!)  But I assure you, go try them when you get a chance.  They are truly an art in every little package and I’m going to tell you why in just a minute.  And yes, there’s always a line at this restaurant, and the wait could be long if you don’t arrive early.  But then, these Juicy Pork Dumplings are totally worth the wait.




Before we get into the details of these dumplings, here’s picture that shows you the people waiting for seats outside of Din Tai Fung.  Yup, a pretty nice outdoor waiting area and it’s always packed too.  There are two locations in Arcadia, California and they are right across the street from each other.  After discovering the new location, I’ve always go to the newer one for easier parking.  Click here for the address and hours.  The new location closes from 3 pm to 5 pm for a break between lunch and dinner.  I always make sure to arrive before 5:30pm to avoid a long wait.  Yes, the seats do get filled up that fast!



Now back to the dumplings!  Each dumpling has a thin and tender dough wrapping the juicy minced pork filling inside.  There’s a small dish of fresh ginger, julienned, for each person.  You simply pour the black vinegar over the ginger and that’s your dipping sauce.  A very simple sauce, yet it compliments perfectly with these rich and juicy dumplings.




See how thin the dough/skin is (look at the picture below).  And if you look closer, you’ll also see the “soup” inside.  Yes, that’s how juicy these dumplings are.  And it’s not easy to make the dough so thin and tender, yet the soup stay intact even when you pick the dumplings up with a pair of chopsticks.  This is why I said earlier that each dumpling is really a work of art!  When you bite into these dumplings, the soup inside will burst inside your mouth.  So, be careful not to eat them when they’re still piping hot.  These Juicy Pork Dumplings are really succulent treats.



I must be too busy eating and didn’t take a picture when I pick up my dumplings with the chopsticks.  But look at this picture below, it’s a picture from the brochure/menu of  the restaurant.  So now, you’ve got the idea.  And yes, I did pick up each dumplings with my chopsticks  and transfer them onto my spoon/bowl.  And you guessed it right, they didn’t break at all during the transfer!  We always place two orders for these dumplings along with other dishes as my Baby Girl can finish 5 of these juicy dumplings on her own, plus noodles, and other things we order.  These dumplings are 'must-try' when you visit.  Din Tai Fung also offers a varieties of dumplings besides the pork ones; such as Juicy Pork & Crab Dumplings (another one of my favorite), Shrimp & Pork Dumplings, Fish Dumplings, Chicken Dumplings, and Vegetarian Dumplings.



The one item that got sold out all the time is the Small Dumplings with Soup.  It’s only served on weekends for limited quantities.  I’ve only tasted them back in Taiwan but not in the L.A. branches.  You know I’m not a morning person, right? 

Besides dumplings, we also ordered Shrimp Noodle Soup, see picture below.  That’s my Little Boy’s favorite and he would asks for this every time when we visit.



The picture below shows the House Beef Noodle Soup.  This is the first time we tried this one and it’s pretty good, especially if you want something lighter in taste and not as heavy.  We usually order A Braised Beef Noodle Soup that is in a deep brown flavorful soup base that is slightly spicy.  So, this clear soup version was a nice change.  The beef is very tender and the soup is very soothing.



This one below is the Pork Chop Fried Rice.  We’ve ordered this one many times and it’s one of our favorites as well.  We’ve also tried the Shrimp Fried Rice before but didn’t order that this time because we already have the Shrimp Noodle Soup.  But all their fried rice are nicely done.  Besides a variety of dumplings, soup, noodle soup, and fried rice, Din Tai Fung also offers Noodles with sauces, fried noodles, a varieties of sautéed vegetables, vegetarian dishes, and desserts.  The only thing that is considered somewhat negative is their portion, they tend to be smaller compared to most Chinese restaurants.  The good news is, you can try a varieties of dishes this way.    You would want to try everything when you’re there.  And so far, I haven’t tasted anything that I don’t like with all my visits.




Hope you’ll give Din Tai Fung a try if you’re in the area or plan to visit soon.  Below is their contact information and link to their website for your reference.





P.S.:  My first "unofficial" lunch date with my Hubby was at Din Tai Fung, back in 2002.  Talk about life changing dumplings!  Maybe that's why, these little Juicy Dumplings are always so special to me.


Click here to Din Tai Fung’s Website

Location #1:
Address: 1108 S. Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia, CA 91007
Tel: 626-574-7068
Location #2:
Address: 1088 S. Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia, CA 91007
Tel: 626-446-8588

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.