Fukada - Irvine, CA

This review has taken me a long time to write. I'm not sure why because I come here a lot! I love the food here! It is one of my favorite places to eat. It is organic and healthy Japanese fare.

This is what you see when you enter the restaurant. On most nights there is a line. Some nights are longer than others. 

The decor inside is very simple as you can see. The one weird thing about this place is there is a large communal table in the middle of the restaurant. I don't like being seated here because it feels like you are sharing the table with a bunch of other people. I sit here when I have too. Mainly when I don't feel like waiting around for a table. You can also sit at the bar but you still need to put your name down to sit there.

Steamed green beans with a light soy sesame dressing that comes with certain entrees.

Miso soup.

Shrimp and Cucumber salad w/ ponzu dressing. 

Rock Shrimp appetizer in a light tomato broth.

This is the dish I always order...Sansai Udon.

This is a side salad that comes with certain entrees. It's very basic but still tasty.

Sashimi Salad.

Vegetable Curry - the curry here is very good! 

Fukada Restaurant
8683 Irvine Center Drive
Irvine, CA 92618
(949) 341-0111
Closed Mondays

Mimi's Cafe - Irvine, CA

I have to admit that I am not a big breakfast person. I use to skip breakfast all the time and think nothing of it. Now I know that eating breakfast is an important part of leading a healthy lifestyle. I still find it hard to eat breakfast too early in the morning. In fact, I never eat anything on race mornings, not even when I have to run 26.2 miles. I normally take in calories in the form of GUs once I get going.

However, there is just something nice about going out for breakfast on the weekend. Unlike normal people, I often eat breakfast after I get home from my long runs on the weekends. No sleeping in for me, except on Sunday mornings. I think I've mentioned this before but I am pretty lazy when it comes to going out to eat. I normally just go to the closest place I can think of. There are about a handful of places I go to for breakfast and Mimi's Cafe is one of those places. I don't go here because I love the food but because they have good enough food and it isn't too far away. I'm sure if you live in SoCal, you have probably seen Mimi's Cafe at various locations.

This is what one looks like on the inside.

This is one of my favorite muffins in the whole world...Buttermilk Spice!

I like it so much, here is another shot of it. 

On other days, you can normally find me eating this. Two eggs over medium with a side of potatoes.

Honey bran muffin, good but really sweet because of the honey.

Omelet with a side of potatoes. (I didn't eat this, so not sure what kind of omelet it is.)

Waffles, these are just okay. They are really light and airy. 

Side of fruit. 

Sometimes I eat a side of fruit with two eggs over medium. 

I am such an exciting breakfast eater, right? Well, before I became lactose intolerant, I use to get the onion soup here, which is very good. I haven't been here for lunch or dinner yet, but when I do, I will update this review.

Getting Back on the Running Horse is Not Easy

Gawd, I went out for a hilly-ish 5-mile run this morning and realized that I've lost a bit of cardio strength and endurance from being sick these last few weeks. That route is not easy normally but it was especially difficult today. Finishing the Surf City Half Marathon did give me back some running confidence. I was happy to know that I can at least still run, not very fast but that I can still get it done. It's going to be a slow journey back to my regular running pace but I hope that I will be stronger when it comes time to run LA. More running planned for the rest of this week to get my mileage back up.

So Valentine's Day is coming up next Monday. I was looking for some photos to post from last year but I guess we had a quiet V-Day last year. Also, if you haven't made reservations at a restaurant for this coming Monday, just know that you may be out of luck. As I sadly found out. I guess I will be cooking up a gourmet Valentine's Day meal. :D I just need to remember to turn off the smoke detector before I start cooking.

Here are some photos from two years ago. Some lovely flowers for moi!

And this card...I was really into weight lifting at the time. 

I got this on Valentine's Day too, it isn't what you think it is. I was out on a long run and a dog bit me. I spent most of Valentine's Day morning sitting in the emergency clinic. Good news was that it was not rabies.

Ok, I promise that is the last time I will show this dog bite photo. I'll write another post to make up for it.

I'm So Over Being Sick!

Now that the Surf City race has come and gone, time to get down to more important business. Namely, LA Marathon training. I really need to focus and get my act together. Being sick is no fun but knowing that you've signed up to run Spring races and not be able to train because you are laid out with some sort of illness is a terrible feeling.

Here are some photos as of late from various doctors' office I've been in. I hate being sick but I hate doctors' offices even more. 

This just looks unpleasant. I'm so over being sick!

I saw this colorful piece of art in one of the doctors' office and it made me smile on a day when I was feeling awful. 

A random photo of my parents' cat (Meowmie) that I found on my camera being her cute self. 

I am drowning in Girl Scouts cookies. Come visit my office and have some, will you?

I was fortunate enough to get a chance to stop by the Farmers Market this past weekend. I purchased some of these tomatoes. Can't wait to enjoy in a lovely tomato salad.

Citrus season is still going strong. Go and get some blood oranges and Meyer lemons. They are at their yummy peaks.

That's it for now. I should be back to my normal blogging frequency now that I am feeling more like myself again.

The Hungry Runner Girl is hosting a giveaway that I actually want. Check it out!

2011 Surf City Half Marathon - Race Recap

Date: February 6, 2011
Location: Huntington Beach, CA
Start: 7:45am (wave start)
Finish: 02:01:22

Pre-race commentary: This will be my 4th year running this race. I am a legacy runner which only means I get a little trinket every year I continuously run this race. That's not the reason I keep coming back year after year. Here is the reason...

Well, also the course is relatively flat and you get to run on the PCH which may or may not be interesting at times. It was interesting when I ran it during a heavy rain storm one year, not so much on other years when you are essentially running a straight out-and-back.

Post race commentary: Well, I did it! Despite just coming back from the flu, I went out there to run the Surf City Half Marathon for the 4th year in a row. I felt weird the entire time as I was hopped up on cough syrup. I can't say that I am proud of my time but it was good enough for not having ran much these past 3 weeks or so. It was a great day for a race though. It was nice and cool and overcast for most of the course. The race organizers were really organized this year and for me at least, everything went so smoothly. I wished that I was feeling better because it was definitely PR conditions. Oh well, maybe next year. So here are some photos to recap my weekend.

Here I am at the Expo on Saturday to pick up my bib.

Here is this year's design for the reusable tote they handed out along with your bib and race shirt.

To the left is the half marathon race shirt design and to the right is the Longboard Legacy Club shirt they hand out each year if you are a legacy runner (having ran 3 Surf City Half or Fulls consecutively)

They also give you this small sticker to attach to your medal. 

I partook in some retail therapy. I didn't buy anything though. :)

And you know I wanted too...

But I did walk pass this booth and saw these...

And then I did the unspeakable and signed up for this... 

Here's Teddy and the little sign he used to cheer me on. 

Here I am on race morning. I got there around 6:30am, used the beach restroom and then played video games while I waited in the car for the race to start. It was awesome! I was in the third wave so I had to make my way pass many many people but even that went pretty smoothly. For being such a large race, it was so smooth! You Surf City organizers rock! The volunteers ROCKED as well! Thank you Volunteers! You were amazing! So quick and friendly. There was water, sports drinks, and Sharkies ready to be handed out.

Post race snacks. Already packaged to be handed out. Quick! I love it! There was also a fig newton packet in there but I ate it! :)

Teddy says that running is hard work! That's why he is a model only. 

This was the only photo I could find that even shows me at all. Brightroom, you failed!

Oh It's Going to Be An Interesting Weekend

Hello Friends! I've been absent from the blog world for a little bit. I hope you noticed but I'm sure you didn't. I've been terribly sick! 

I'm on the mends but that bout of sickness really took it out on me. I had the flu for one week straight and then a cough that just won't quit. Today is the first day in a couple of weeks where I have not felt like death. It's a good thing too because I have to do this race this Sunday! This will be interesting.

I'm probably going to run pretty slow because I am still recovering from being sick but I am excited to add another surf board medal to my collection. 

So wish me luck...I'm going to need it! Be back next week for the race recap.

Happy New Year...Again!

If you follow the Lunar calendar like I do, then tomorrow is a very special day to you. Heck, today is special too. Why? Because tomorrow is the Lunar New Year otherwise known as Chinese New Year or Tet (if you are Vietnamese - which I am also - I'm a mix bag), which makes today New Years' Eve. Yes, I celebrate two New Years...every year. The one on January 1 and the Lunar one (the date moves around from year to year based on the lunar positioning). The calendar year 2011 is Lunar year 4709. This year the Lunar New Year falls on February 3rd and is the Year of the Rabbit. If you were born in 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999 or 2011, you were born under the sign of the rabbit.

Followers of the Chinese Zodiac believe that people born under the signs of the 12 Zodiac animals tend to take on the traits of those animals. Those born under the sign of the Rabbit is said to be timid, even tempered, obedient, quiet, with a sweet deposition. The Rabbit is a favorable sign to be born under. I'm sure most parents would not mind having an obedient child.

Did you know that Albert Einstein, Frank Sinatra, Pope Benedict XVI, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp and David Beckman were all born under the sign of the Rabbit?

I thought it was appropriate to write this post because another trait of the Rabbit is that they run really fast. And with that I just wanted to wish those of you who follow the Lunar calendar a very Happy New Year!