Kang Kang Food Court

This place was always a fall back for us when we lived in nearby Pasadena. You can get all kinds of Asian food here -- their menu is separated by regions of China and Taiwan, among other places. Prices are cheap, and the quality is not bad. The best deal however, is getting a 3 item combo for 5 bucks, and they pile on the ingredients. Only thing is, you have to come at the right time so that you catch the food when it's just come out, or when it has only been sitting there for a few minutes. Otherwise, you risk getting some stuff that's been there for awhile. You can usually tell just by looking, though.

If you don't want to risk it, get their signature dumplings-- just look up at the wall and you will see it -- pan fried & steamed dumplings ... very tasty. They serve boba (so-so) and shaved ice dessert(very good) here as well.

Bed Bath & Beyond

Sort of a specialized department store, it's pretty nice when you get their monthly 20% off one item coupons and head to this store to grab that one towel or kitchen tool you've been wanting for your place. It's kind of fun to wander from section to section and be able to decorate your home for a pretty inexpensive price tag. This location looks the same as the rest of them, but has the advantage of being in a nice, spacious plaza with tons of parking.

Mimi's Cafe

I've heard some bad opinions of this place before, but what I do know is that if you stick to certain things, they are actually pretty good. Their soups and muffins in particular are excellent. The muffins are large and warm, and very tasty. I also ordered the Chicken pot pie, which was a bit heavy, but pretty satisfying. It seems to be pretty popular on weekends, as we went on a Sunday afternoon (around 3pm) and still had a short wait for a table.

Crustacean Restaurant

We used to go to the Crustacean in Beverly Hills once every year or so for special occasions -- it was just one of those places we loved, but was too expensive to go on a regular basis. We loved the chilean sea bass (back in the day when it was ok to eat them, before we knew they were "overfished") -- it was made perfectly, and sat on a bed of jasmine rice so you could also get pretty full eating it. Their signature dishes are the Roast Crab (one whole crab roasted with lots of garlic and spices, comes with a bib and bowls, you have to work a little to eat it) and the garlic noodles.

I didn't think it was as good this time around -- they replaced the chilean sea bass with a regular sea bass, and cooked it a bit differently. It also no longer sat on a bed of rice, so I was a bit disappointed there as well. We also ordered the roast crab -- it was good, but after awhile, you start to feel pretty greasy and towards the end, it gets pretty salty because there is nothing else you can eat while you're working on the crab to take away some of the saltiness (like a noodle or rice).

And with that price tag, hmmm -- I still like the place, but not as much as I did before.

Santa Japanese Restaurant

This place is tucked out of the way, but you can always tell where it is by looking for the crowd waiting outside. The place is small and "hole-in-the-wallish," but everyone's willing to wait up to an hour just to get a little of that delicious ramen. The broth is what makes it so great, and their pork is seasoned perfectly. We didn't get there in time for their most popular dishes (the stewed pork and chicken karaage), but we were more than satisfied with the roast pork in the pork-based broth (you have a choice of either soy, pork, or soybean based broth).

Sushi House

Coming from LA, I was a little spoiled with the likes of Sushi Nozawa (the sushi nazi) and Katsu-Ya, along with the scores of sushi places in west LA and Studio City -- so I'm a little picky with my sushi. This place had good prices, we ordered a lot and still paid reasonable prices. Some of the sushi was good (salmon and the yellowtail), while the others were decidedly not as "melt-in-your-mouth." We also had to wait a long time just to get a seat on a Friday night, and the service was so-so.

Serendipity 3

This place is a NY landmark -- featured in a bunch of movies, we got in to sample some of their great desserts...and were not disappointed! It gets busy on the weekends, but it was worth the wait! The feel is nostalgic, and the atmosphere is bustling.

Fentons Creamery

Indulgence is pretty much the word of the day when you come here -- lots of people crowding to get a table at this eatery that serves ice cream as its specialty. Imagine having to get on a waiting list just to sit down to eat ice cream. I mean what is it made of, gold?

Well whatever it was made of, I'd have to say the wait was worth it, cause I left there feeling mighty full and satisfied.

The ambience is fun and family oriented, even late at night.

Willis Tower Skydeck

The attraction shuts down on windy days, which is pretty often actually -- but when it's up, a lot of tourists flock to get up there. The views are pretty breathtaking, but I'm not sure we got our money's worth, as you can only look out the windows for so long before going back down.

The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel

This place is almost magical-- the views are beautiful, and it's right by the beach, so you can walk down and enjoy it before you go back to the hotel and enjoy the rooms. They have nice touches like the koi pond to relax you even more.