Oh Joy!

{los angeles} top 20 bites of 2012... 9 Jan 2013

With a new family member in tow, 2012 included a lot more casual dining as we attempted to keep meals on the quicker side whenever possible. But I certainly continued to snack {a lot!} and explore the range of foods that L.A. has to offer. Here are my Top 20 Bites of 2012 in Los Angeles {in no particular order}...

1. The Brown Bread and Brown Rice Green Tea ice cream from Scoops {more here}.
Photo by Bonnie Tsang.

2. Crispy Pork &and Shrimp Potstickers with Curry Aioli &and Sweet Soy Reduction from the Asian Cravings truck.

3. Twenty-course omakase from Sushi Nishi-ya.

4. An ice cream sandwich {made with cupcake tops!} from Sprinkles Ice Cream {more here}.
Photo by Bonnie Tsang.

{oh joy eats} breakfast at sqirl... 3 Jan 2013

I've been a fan of Sqirl, the L.A.-based, jam company, since I first tried its delicious canned delights a couple years ago. So I was excited to visit Sqirl's new brick-and-mortar space—a tiny little cafe with an adjacent outdoor area—that serves a twist on cozy morning comforts.

Instead of PB&J, there's brioche topped with chocolate ganache, almond hazelnut butter, and fleur de sel. Instead of oatmeal, Sqirl serves the best sweet rice porridge I've ever had (and what I wish oatmeal tasted like!), topped with jam and roasted hazelnuts. Really, I dream about this porridge! And then (if you're looking for something more savory) there are some dishes inspired by Australian and Filipino flavors like the crispy rice salad topped with cilantro, lime, and a fried egg. Supposedly they have amazing freshly pressed almond milk tea, too. This is my new go-to spot when I need something quick to warm my belly...

Sqirl | 720 N. Virgil Ave. | Los Angeles, CA 90029 | 213.394.6526

{Photos by Bonnie Tsang for Oh Joy. My outfit: StyleMint tee, Lauren Moffatt skirt, vintage belt, Ban.do smooch brooch.}

{oh joy eats} no. 1 noodle house... 11 Dec 2012

One of my favorite places to eat in Philly (my hometown) is Han Dynasty. It's the best Chinese food in the city, in my opinion. And ever since moving to L.A., I've been trying to find similar Szechuan-style food here. Thankfully, out in Rowland Heights (about 40 minutes outside of L.A.), there's a mecca of Chinese food options. I was so happy to come across No.1 Noodle House and find a close-ish match to some of my favorite dishes back in Philly.

I loved the wontons in chili oil and the dan dan noodles. I love things on the spicy side, and there's a Szechuan pepper used in many of the dishes that has an intensely fragrant, citrus-like flavor and produces a tingly, numbing sensation in the mouth.

It's kind of weird, but also really delicious! I could seriously spend the day in Rowland Heights eating up a storm of noodles and other niche foods you can only get out there.

No.1 Noodle House | 18180 Colima Road, #B | Rowland Heights, CA 91748 | 626.839.7093

{Photos by Bonnie Tsang. My outfit: Coat by Crewcuts (a kids size 14 fits a women's size XS/S! or adult size here), eyeglasses c/o Rivet & Sway, corduroys by J.Crew, shoes by Madewell.}

{oh joy eats} c+m... 24 Oct 2012

I love finding hidden spots in this city. Tucked away in the beautiful Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) in Mid-Wilshire, there's a sweet little cafe called C+M (Coffee and Milk) that serves up beautiful and delicious treats.

In between soaking up the lastest exhibits, we took a break to enjoy some tarts, pastries, and mini pies in the beautiful, light-filled space.

My favorite of the bunch was this lemon curd and lavender pop tart. It was just the right mix of sweet and tart...and I'm kind of really into lemon desserts these days. Oh, and C+M has savory bites, too (like brie and pear sandwiches), but the desserts are the real star in my book!

C+M (Coffee and Milk) | 5905 Wilshire Blvd. | Los Angeles, CA 90036 | 323.857.6180

{Photos by Bonnie Tsang for Oh Joy. My outfit: Denim top by Madewell, vintage floral dress (similar), shoes by Liebling from a past season (similar), bag by Madewell.}

{oh joy eats} on the lot la... 1 Oct 2012

I love that LA has such a huge variety of food trucks all over the city. I guess the weather here really makes for easy eating on the fly, hunh? But it can be really hard to track those trucks down, and a lot of them tend to stick to regular locations which are often on the other side of town. So we love it when there's a bunch of food trucks all at one place. A sampling from each truck? Yes, please!

Almost every Monday night, Bob, Ruby and I head to Los Feliz for a weekly gathering of food trucks called On the Lot. They have different areas of LA they set up at on different nights, but on Monday nights On the Lot is in Los Feliz—which is the neighborhood next door to us. Eating there has become a weekly ritual, and we love meeting up with friends there, too. They announce their weekly lineup on Twitter, so it's fun to see what new trucks are coming each week.

Here are a few of my favorites from past visits...

These Crispy Pork & Shrimp Potstickers with Curry Aioli & Sweet Soy Reduction from the Asian Cravings truck...

Lobster Tacos from Cousins Main Lobster...totally the California version of a Lobster Roll!

Strawberry shaved ice with blue honey boba and drizzled with condensed milk from the Fluff Ice truck...

...and the crazy awesome variety of boba milk tea drinks from the Boba Truck. I get a decaf almond milk tea so that I'm not wide awake that night and take home a jasmine milk tea for the next day's treat. While there are some weekly regulars, most of the trucks change every week, so we've been able to try so many new ones. Do you guys have food truck nights like this where you live? It's seriously one of my favorite things to do in LA! 

On the Lot LA | 2060 N. Vermont Ave. | Los Angeles, CA 90027 | 5:30-9pm

{First and bottom two photos by Bonnie Tsang for Oh Joy. All others are Instagram photos by me. My outfit: StyleMint tee, necklace c/o A-Thread. }

currently snacking on... 29 Aug 2012

Have you guys ever had a canelé? While I've seen photos of them for a long time, I only first tried one earlier this year after my friend Mari introduced me to them. This petite French pastry has a custard batter that's baked inside the prettiest mold.

The result is a caramelized crust and custard-like inside. It has my favorite kind of texture—a mix of firm, with bite on the outside, and soft and chewy on the inside. It's how I love my cookies too. You might think I was fancy and made these, but I avoid baking French desserts at all costs. There are people who go to school for years for that kind of thing! I got this one at my favorite bakery in LA, Proof, and will happily let them be the experts at making them while I'll be the expert at eating them... — Joy

{photos by Oh Joy. spoons from Sucre Shop}

oh joy + anthro petites in {newport beach}... 6 Aug 2012

As someone who is 5'2", one of my never-ending struggles when shopping has been having to alter the length of everything—whether skirts, pants, or straps on tops. So, when I heard that Anthropologie was launching a Petites Collection, I was thrilled to say the least...no more endless alteration bills for some of my favorite styles.

To help celebrate the new Petites Collection, I've partnered with Anthropologie to host a Petite Style event at their Newport Beach store on August 16th. So for those of you in Southern California, it will be a fun night to shop and try on the full collection {which is normally only available online}. And, I'll be there to help give any styling advice that I can! To RSVP, click here or on the image above. I hope to see some of you there {Oh, and you don't have to be petite to attend!}  — Joy

love these... 2 Aug 2012

...such a great take on city prints {I love the patterns and use of negative space} by J.Hill Design... — Joy

{oh joy eats} duff's cakemix in west hollywood... 1 Aug 2012

I don't know about you, but I was a total Ace of Cakes fan back in the day when the show was on. I loved how real and quirky everyone was...not what you'd typically imagine of cake decorators. So, when I heard that Duff Goldman had opened a new shop in LA, called Duff's CakeMix—where you can decorate your own cake—I was there in a heartbeat. And this time, I had to bring Bonnie's daughter, Venise, because what 8-year-old wouldn't love this {you might remember Venise from our Sprinkles ATM adventure}. When you walk into CakeMix, it feels like a open air workshop with tables and stations all set up for decorating either cupcakes or a cake.

Venise wanted to decorate 4 cupcakes, while I opted for a mini cake. You can choose your cake flavor, filling flavor, icing colors, and even create your own colors of fondant with food coloring. I was in a blue/green mood that day...

15 courses of sushi heaven in {glendale}... 24 Jul 2012

A few weeks ago, we bid farewell to my friend Autumn and her family as they head to Hawaii for work. Since we both had babies within the last year or so, we're still catching up on all the sushi we missed during our pregnancy and decided to visit Sushi Nishi-ya in Glendale for omakase-style sushi. If you've never had omakase before, it basically means "chef's choice" and each course comes out based on what the chef thinks you'd enjoy. While they'll take into account if there's anything you don't eat, they make it clear that the more you're open to, the better your experience will be. We eat pretty much everything, and I love being able to leave the decision-making up to someone else. You also get to decide when to stop. So you could have 4 courses or 30. Here's a little sampling of 9 of the 15 courses we had. I was so, so full, but really so content afterwards. It's such a fun meal to enjoy with friends as you delight in what will come next... — Joy

{iphone photos by Oh Joy}