Izakaya + Sushi Night At Home
I bought a mix of shishito + other Japanese peppers along with potatoes from Weiser Family Farms at the Santa Monica Farmers Market on a Saturday earlier this month. I was trying to figure out what to make for dinner when my friend told me about a sushi night she had at home with her partner so we decided to combine the two for a little izakaya inspired dinner.
The potatoes were sliced + sauteed over cast iron with neutral oil, salt, cracked black pepper and garlic powder until the potatoes were fork tender. We charred the peppers + mushrooms and finished them with salt and a squeeze of lemon. We made fresh sticky rice + mixed in rice vinegar and sugar to taste for our sushi rice. It was my first time making nigiri so I did my best to get the cleanest slices of salmon I possibly could + to shape the sushi rice together for the base. After making nigiri, we grilled the leftover salmon with some teriyaki sauce to eat with rice and seaweed. I highly recommend doing this at home! It’s simple to do, budget-friendly and really delicious. It was probably one of the best meals my partner and I had at home this month.
Budget Tip: Buy your salmon at Trader Joe’s, Costco or your local Korean Market
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Quarter Sheets
One of my essential spots in LA. Quarter Sheets is a pizza genius. There’s usually always a line so I’d recommend ordering takeout or telling the host you want to eat outside + eat your pizza fresh right out the doors at their standing bars. They have their staples slices like cheese, pepperoni and tomato as well as rotating slices so my boyfriend and I’ll get around 4-5 slices and share so that we can try everything!
Menu Recs: Tomato Slice + their rotating Silician Corners for the sesame crusts
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Collaborations
Super thankful for all the amazing people I was able to work with this month as well as for all of you that showed up to the popups!
Kin Bakeshop + Tommy
Dasu Studios X Urban Oasis Tea House + MJ + David + Val
Mandarin Coffee + Sherry
Lady & Larder + Philip + the whole team
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Tomato Sandwich @ Canyon Coffee
Caught up with a couple friends over food and drinks at Canyon Coffee. I didn’t have any expectations but their tomato sandwich on Bub and Grandma’s Focaccia was a hit. For drinks, I got a decaf cappuccino and my friends got matcha lattes— both were really great. It can get really crowded here on the weekends but I’d definitely go back on a slower day during the week and have a solo coffee date.
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Mayumi Market by Kat Matutina
One of the best markets in LA right now with a diverse curation of vendors. I love being a part of this market whenever I can whether I’m popping up or attending. Plus, Kat is the most caring and attentive host I’ve ever worked with. She’s so supportive of all of us AAPI vendors and really looks out for us during the event. They’re having a holiday market on 11/26 from 12-6pm at Common Space Brewery so go support if you’re in town!
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Iki Ramen
One of my essential spots in Koreatown. Amazing food and the nicest servers. Just go, you won’t regret it.
Menu Recs: yellowtail carpaccio, iki sushi set, mentaiko mazemen, tonkotsu ramen
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Fruit Stand
I’ve been obsessed with fruit stands lately. I grew up eating Mexican candy + snacks so that salty sweet flavor is super nostalgic for me. I love going on a quick run around the Silverlake Reservoir and ending my run at the fruit stand. He’s usually at 1857 Silverlake Blvd!
Menu Recs: watermelon, mango, pineapple with chamoy + tajin + lime
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Favorite Products
Please keep in mind that these links are affiliate links that help further support my work!
Matcha from Ippudo Tea— I’m sensitive to caffeine so I only drink decaf coffee now but lately, I’ve felt like coffee itself still irritates my body. Flavor wise: I've always been a coffee over matcha person but this matcha changed that for me. It gives me a gradual energy boost that doesn’t make me feel crazy. It tastes earthy + balanced and is really great quality especially for the price. They also have a range of different matchas depending on your taste preference. There’s a quiz you can take on their site as well that’ll match you with different products.
Mushroom Desk Lamp w/ Temperature Control— I love that this lamp has three different color temperatures as well as the option to dim or brighten as needed. It’s also cordless but re-chargeable to keep your desk or nightstand area looking clean.
Bread and Roses Cookbook by Rose Wilde— Rose gifted me her new cookbook and I’ve been loving reading through and learning from it. It takes you through parts of the world from the perspective of various grains as well as other cultural ingredients that she delves into. I’ve been feeling very inspired by Rose’s creativity + depth of knowledge in this book and I can’t wait to try out some of her recipes! Her book’s running low on Amazon right now so check out Now Serving to get yours.
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JIYOON