Ramen Bar Ichi

Hey Guys! I’m back with a new food post. Ramen Bar Ichi is a Japanese Style Ramen restaurant new to Houston Texas located on 1801 S Dairy Ashford #10
8 Houston TX 77077. Ramen Bar Ichi uses original soup made from scratch with the best ingredients. Ramen Bar Ichi is a limited menu due to newly opening but hope to expand their menu in the future.

I love anything to do with Asian culture and watched more Korean, Taiwanese, Japanese and Vietnamese shows then I can count, so I was looking forward to trying this new restaurant. Ramen Bar Ichi offers a number of items including Ramen, Fried Items which are mostly fried chicken items with different sauces, and salad. They also offer salad, rice bowls and desserts such vanilla Ice cream with Ramen Bar Ichi original sauce and a  selection of toppings including strawberry, mango, matcha, black honey and yuzu.

I ordered the Tonkotsu Ramen which contains pork and chicken soup with green onions, kikurage, mushroom, bamboo, pork chashu, ramen and garlic oil. I also ordered the fried chicken.

My sister ordered the vegetable Ramen which has vegetable soup, green onion, vegetable chips, shredded chili, eringi mushroom, porcini mushroom oil and paprika. along with Fried chicken served with a spicy code & mayonnaise sauce.

Ramen Bar Ichi food is fresh, mouthwatering and bursting in flavor. The ramen was soft and the soup was milky and creamy. The Fried chicken was soft, tender and not greasy at all. The spicy code and mayonnaise was amazing and perfect on the chicken. The chicken was served with spring onions, tomato and cucumber. Plus the slice of orange was perfect for a sweet treat afterwards.

If you are ever in Houston make sure to check out Ramen Bar Ichi for an authentic Japanese meal and hopefully by then they will have added more to the menu selection.

Thanks for reading guys! Like comment and subscribe to stay tuned, and let me know what you think!

Check below for some more pictures:

Christmas Ornaments- Glassblowing

A couple of weeks ago I attended glassblowing class at Juggernaut Glass in Houston TX. And this week I went back for a class in Christmas Ornaments. Juggernaut Glass offers two classes; a one hour class in Icicle ornaments and a two-hour class in hand-blown glass ornaments class. They are offered throughout the week but also on the weekends in the morning/evening.  This Christmas ornament class is offered from November- December.

Compared to the fusing class, this was definitely a glass blowing class. At the Christmas ornament class we used a propane oxygen torch to heat up and melt the glass. Each class has about 4 people, which kept the class small to allow more one-on-one attention. We used googles to see the glass in the hot flame and a glass blowing kernel to make sure the glass doesn’t cool down too quickly which could caused cracks to form.

Hand-Blown Glass Ornament Class- Two-Hour Class

In the two-hour class we created a classic 3D circle ornament, this consists of heating up one end of a glass tube and blowing in the heated tube expanding the glass to create a air bubble, continuously repeating this process to increase the bubble size until…. you have a large sized Christmas ornament. Because this was a beginners’ class, the ornaments were kept small plus it’s actually difficult to expand the glass without cracking or bursting the glass bubble. During this class we used clear glass to allow the glass to heat up more easily, and it made the process of expanding the glass easier.

Icicle Ornaments- One-Hour class

In the one-hour class we created Icicle Ornaments.By melting pieces of glass together we were able to fuse the glass together and twist the glass to create twirls. We first started with clear glass to learn the process and later used transparent colored glass for the final project.

They have backup pieces to make including class snowmen if all else fails.

If you would like to check out Juggernaut Glass check out there website: http://www.juggernautglass.com/index.html

You can also check out more pictures and video below. Thanks for reading guys, comment, like and subscribe and let me know what you guys think….

 

Light Fest- The Light Fest

With the Christmas period coming up there has been a new company called the the Light Fest. The Light Festival is an amazing, magical evening allowing adults, couples and families to make a lifetime memory by making wishes and dreams to the sky by letting go of fears, and embracing your true self to light fire to lanterns. The light Festival is a family friendly event which takes place rain or sun with environmental friendly lanterns made of sustainable materials and will be picked up once the lanterns fall to the ground.

The Light fest does not allow any pet animals at this event. The light Fest is priced depending on available tickets and approximate to event dates. Prices range from $25-$55 and include a lantern, a marker and key chain flashlight inside a swag bag.

I have always wanted to attend a light festival event especially after watching a number of Korean dramas on DramaFever and Viki. So when I saw this event on Facebook, I knew this was a must see and even cancelled an extra credit event for class to attend this event.

The light festival started at 1:30pm with check-in to receive your swag bags and get seats. I wouldn’t really call this a festival because there wasn’t really much to do. They had a couple of stalls providing food from hot dogs, burgers, fries, turkey legs and nachos. Plus a small stage  where they performed some live music by a singer called Mitchell Ferguson. Mitchell Ferguson is a singer born and raised in Dallas Texas for more information on him check him out on YouTube.

We arrived late around 3:00pm which made it a long wait time, so it is important to bring plenty of things to do to entertain yourself. Even better bring food and snacks and make this into a feasting slumber party and even bring a movie or a board game or two. The event truly starts around dark which can vary depending on sunset of the day. We started around 6:30pm and the event was truly beautiful and magical, and one of the best events I’ve ever been to. Throughout all of my adrenaline events just seeing the beauty in the world is by far the best.

If you plan on going to the event check out some of the tips below and make sure you are prepared.

Tips: 

1. Bring your own food, drinks and snacks(A Indian family brought more dishes than I could count and everything smelled and looked amazing.)
2. Bring Blankets and chairs to sit on the floor (make this into a slumber party, relax and keep warm)
3. Bring Books and games for the wait time (there was no internet).
4. Arrive closer to lantern lighting if you don’t want to wait around.
5. Bring cash for parking and food.
6. Bring a large group- the more people the more fun.
7. Buy your tickets early to get the cheapest price.
8. Leave late (parking was extremely bad – couldn’t get out of the parking lot straight away).

Below are some more pictures including a video. Thanks for reading Guys and let me know what you think. Comment, Like and Subscribe.

GlassBlowing- Juggernaut Glass

I have already done pottery and painting next up was to attend a glassblowing class. Thanks to “Juggernaut Glass” I was able to attempt glassblowing.

Juggernaut Glass is a community of glass artists and instructors skilled in a lampworking and flameworking. They create functional art, glass beads, pendants, marbles and more. They are located at Eastworks located at 116 Pleasant St. Suite 58 Easthampton MA and at Heights Art Studios & Gallery at 214 E 27th St. Houston TX. They offer classes as well as custom and wholesale orders for any occasion.

I managed to find them with groupon  where they were offering fusing classes which allowed you to create pendants or square coasters  which could be used for anything.

When you first arrive at the studio the parking is very limited due to the fact the studio is located in the middle of downtown Houston and is surrounded by residential apartments and houses. They limited each class to about 4 customers however they do offer larger private classes by reservation for  to 8-16 people which requires a $50 deposit beforehand. They do require each customer to call 2 weeks beforehand  to ensure they are able to get a full class. The studio was quite warm even though there was air conditioning throughout the studio. This was probably because of the heat coming from the furnace. I would hate to have to take this class in 100 degree Houston weather in the summer.

A table is located in the open area of the studio for each of the customers where they placed paper plates and bowls for the glasses fragments.slow acting glue is applied to make sure the glasses pieces stay on the template. There were also tinters for small pieces of glass and glass cutters to apply pressure on glass to be used on the cutting board.

Although this was advertised as a glassblowing class it was more a glass working class, we were not able to blow the products for a number of reasons such as safety, plus blowing each products takes over 18 hours because of heating and then allowing the glass to cool before heating again.

Glass shrivels when applied with heat so it was recommend to do a least two layers to ensure the coasters maintains it shape. I decided to use a clear glass first, shown in the picture above. And a series of blue glasses for the second layers, shown below in the photo.

I was trying to create more of a seaside sunset coaster so I selected several glass fragments and layered them.

Here is the final piece before the coasters was fired in the furnace.

Now that the pieces were done, I left my pieces behind to be placed in the furnace and went back to collect it a week later.

Overall Experience 

I loved this class despite it not really being a glassblowing class,in the end it was still worth it to me. The instructor was informative and made sure everyone worked in a safe environment and knee what you were doing. They answered all your questions and even advised which glasses to use for a better finished product. I would definitely recommend Juggernaut Glass and hope you try them out.

With the Christmas season coming up they have a series of holiday ornaments class which will hopefully have some firing which I will be blogged about in the future.

Thanks for reading guys and see you soon in my next blog post. Comment below and let me know what you think.

 

 

Enchanted Rock- Central Texas

Hey Guys! I am back with yet another adventure blog post. There is nothing I love more than getting out and having an eventful weekend. This week I went to a state park in Texas called the “Enchanted Rock” for a geology university trip.

Background

Enchanted Rock State Natural Area is located in  the hill country of Llano Uplift approximately 17 miles north of Fredricksburg Texas. Enchanted Rock is a massive pink granite dome spanning 640 acres and rises 425 feet above the surrounding area to an elevation exceeding 1825 feet above sea level. Enchanted Rock is the largest pink granite mountain in the United States.

There are a number of amenities available including a Park store, Hot Showers, Stargazing, Technical climbing and of course Hiking Trails. There are also campsites available upon request and reservation located near the shower building, where you can use the grills, lantern holders, tent pads and picnic tables. However there are no areas available for RV or vehicle camping. Reservation are required for overnight stays specially for Fridays-Sunday.

Enchanted Rock is open from 8am-10pm, (10pm for day time visitors) and costs $7 per person per day and is free for children 12 years and below. Peak visitors time are September-May and Holiday weekends. When the parking lot is full the park will limit the number of visitors allowed in the park and may even turn you away, so make sure to call ahead and arrive early.

Personal Experience 

I have never really hiked before so this was a new experience for me. Once I got started I didn’t want to stop. I guess the will power to reach the top is a powerful motivation. Thankfully the weather was perfect with clear skies without a single cloud to be seen. It was sunny but breezy which was a blessing with Houston weather. The hike to the top was difficult with no clear hiking trail and a deep incline it was without a doubt a struggle but once you get the hang of it, it becomes almost second nature.

Once you reach the top you are met with 360 breathtaking scenery on top of a pink granite dome, I describe it as “baron but beautiful”.

I don’t know where you could find better views.

 

 

The return trip is no joke. I am not sure which is harder the way up or the return trip back down. Due to the extreme decline, going down can  be a tricky but the trick is to go slowly and watch every single step you taking.

Tips:

• Make sure to call ahead or leave early during peak season (September-May and Holiday weekends)
• Make sure to bring cash but they also accept cards
• Make sure to bring plenty of water.

If you are ever in Texas try to check out the Enchanted Rock, you won’t regret it. That’s it for this weeks blog. Hope you enjoyed it and let me know what you think. Know anymore amazing places in Texas? let me know in the comments below! Thanks for taking the time to read my blog.

Tokyo Steak & Sushi

This week I went to try a new restaurant called Tokyo Steak & Sushi with my family. Tokyo Steak & Sushi serves hibachi grill,steak house, and sushi cuisine. They have happy hour,full bar,sushi bar, kids menu ,carry out , online ordering , private party room and great for birthday parties, anniversaries or any celebration.

They have a variety of drinks including Japanese Specials; we ordered the Tokyo Express, containing Dark Rum, Peach Schnapps, Grenadine, Sour Mix & Orange Juice. I personally do not drink only because I do not like the taste of most alcohols except milk Baileys.

I ordered the Bento Box which is served with miso soup, House salad, steam rice, shrimp shumai appetizers, Fruit with a choice of two main items: California Roll and Tonkatsu (pork). I had been dying to try the Bento Box after see anyway too much Korean and Japanese shows/movies, Although I would have liked it to come in a actual bento instead, to have the full experience.

Everyone else ordered Hibachi Dinner’s : Steak & Salmon or Red Snapper, Chicken and Giant Scallop & Jumbo Shrimp. All the hibachi dinners are served with miso soup, salad, vegetables, shrimp appetizer and steam or Fried Rice.The Hibachi Dinner’s were amazing and I love to try other peoples food, which personally I think makes eating with other so much better.

I have to say this restaurant was amazing. Our Hibachi chef was entertaining and funny, making jokes and keeping the night lively. He was one of the chef who enjoys using rude funny jokes that sometimes hit close to heart. If you are ever interested in trying something new, check out Tokyo Steak and Sushi.

Check out the Tokyo Steak and Sushi website for more information: http://tokyosteaksushikaty.com/

Thanks guys for reading, let me know what you think, like, comment and follow and don’t forget to check out my photo below before you go.

Cafe Eccell

Cafe Eccell
Hey guys! And welcome to another Beauty In A Blemish food blog post.

As you all know I went going to Flying Trapeze with my sister (Brenda) then hit Cafe Eccell to get something to eat after.

Cafe Eccell opened in August 1989 in College Station Bryan Texas, introducing wood fired pizzas and new culinary meals to Houston. All pizzas and dishes are made by hand and use the freshest of ingredients. Cafe Eccell serves pizza, salad, soup, taco and more, not including either the Brunch or dessert menu.
Cafe Eccell has a quiet and warm atmosphere and is extremely inviting, If you are a drinker, this is the place for you with a variety of white wines (Dry – Light Body, Sweet/Fruit – Medium Body and Fuller Body), Sparkling Wines, Dessert Wines, Red Wines, beers and margaritas. With so many options you are never out of choices.
Me and my sister ordered the Queso Blanco served with limitless handmade fresh tortilla chips followed by My Big Fat Greek pizza with spinach, premium mozzarella cheese, roasted bell peppers, tomato, feta, kalamata and chopped lamb.

Lastly we finished off with two desserts, the first a fresh seasonal tart with Belgian chocolate, almond cookie shells and coconut milk pastry cream topped with mango and strawberries decorated with chocolate syrup and powder sugar. The second dessert was another tart with dark Belgian chocolate, almond cookie shell and chocolate pastry cream again served with strawberries and decorated with chocolate syrup.

Although we both got tarts they also have chocolate amaretto mousse key lime pie and Creme Brulees such as Kentucky and cinnamon toast s’mores plus bread pudding.

I love a restaurants who knows how to serve desserts, the one thing I can’t stand is a restaurants that doesn’t have a really dessert and instead serve ice cream or fruit (noooo thanks)
If you want to check out restaurant get more information and check out their website:

http://cafeeccellbryantx.com/about/

Here are more some of the pictures.

Thanks for reading guys. Comment, like and subscribe and let me know what you think.

 

Lone Star Trapeze Academy

After taking a couple of art classes I thought it was about time to try an outdoor activitie. I love nothing more than ticking off items on a list and to take “Fly Trapeze” off my bucket list was no exception.
Now I was supposed to be going with a group of people but they backed out last minute and I was not going to waste a perfect Saturday sitting at home so I set my GPS to Lone Star Trapeze Academy and began my 2 hour journey.

Lone Star Trapeze Academy is located in Bryan College Station Texas by a little league baseball stadium their are three instructors, Chad Davis, Rhys Challicombe and Stacy Majors totaling 25 years of experience between them. Bryan College Station is two hours away but it was worth the drive. Although I trapezed alone, my sister came for moral support.

Luckily in Houston this year the September heat wasn’t so bad, also it was extremely windy, which is a blessing for those who knows how cruel the Texas heat can be.

Before hitting the flying Trapeze set, you are given a quick safety course and then some practice then quickly pushed on to flying trapeze (not literally). After previously doing some high altitude activities I am slightly scared of heights but that was not going to stop me.

Now when you start they give you a routine to attempt and once you have mastered it, they add a new skill. Here are the steps:

1. You first start off with holding onto bar and swinging off a platform
2. hooking your legs onto the bar and releasing your hands from the bar
3. Swinging stretch
4. Holding on to the bar with your hands and unhooking your legs
5. Swinging your legs back and fourth in quick motion to do a back-flip
6. Dropped down onto a net

If you are able to master everything, you are able to perform a catch by performing the swinging stretch to be grabbed by an instructor. (I wasn’t able to do this one)

Now before you get worried, everything is done with a safety line which was the first question I was asked before starting.

The first attempt is able about overcoming your fears which i know did by screaming ( which I was the only one to do so) after that its all about remembering to listen to instructor and positioning your body correctly throughout each attempt.

Well that is the end of my Trapeze experience but it was not the end of the day.I went to Cafe Eccell. If you want to hear about it …. you are going to have to wait until next week. 🙂

Lucy Ethiopian&Snow Bubble Hut Snow Ice And Bubble Tea

Lucy Ethiopian&Snow Bubble Hut Snow Ice And Bubble Tea

This week I decided to try a Ethiopian restaurant, I have never had Ethiopian before and I had heard of the highly Lucy Ethiopian. Lucy Ethiopian is a family owned restaurant located in Houston Texas on Southwest Freeway and has been in the Houstonia Magazine and was named one of Houston’s top 50 restaurants in Houston in 2013.

I was really looking forwards to trying this restaurant, they require a reservation which can be done online or over the phone, which I did. However after arriving Saturday evening the place was practically empty apart from a few people (about 5 tables) in the lounge area of the restaurant and a couple of people at the bar.

The Manager

We were seated right away in the front of the restaurants and given a menu by the manager. Although the restaurant was empty, people by the bar were very loud and were acquaintances of the owner, which gave more of a guys hang out site feel than a restaurant.

Environment 

First appearances of the restaurant; the room was very dimly lit and dark with only a couple of lights on at the restaurant. My sister said it was romantic however I think it just made it difficult to see anything. The furniture was quite worn out with several holes in the diner booth. The diner booths were too low compared to the tables which made it uncomfortable while eating. However they did have Ethiopian culture ornaments such as photos, painting and cloths which I enjoyed and gave a cultured feel.

Waiters and Service 

There were only 5 tables and there was also only one waiter, with so many tables the waiter was in a rush trying to service all the tables alone. Because the waiter was so busy they did not take our orders for drink and instead just provided us with water. (Which I personally didn’t mind afterwards). Once the waiter took our order he then had to rush off again which did not give us much time to ask questions about the menu. Later during the night several more waiters started to arrive who I asked if i could get a knife. However instead of getting the knife she sat down in the corner of the restaurant and was talking to other employees. (After asking another waiter I was able to get my knife)

Food

The experience and atmosphere of the restaurant wasn’t very good but the food was very good. We first shared an appetizer called  Sambusa, a pastry filled with onions, green peppers, lentils or beef served with sweet chili sauce. I ordered the golden ribs which is  Short ribs cooked with onions, jalapñeo peppers, tomatoes and seasoned butter served with awaze, entrees also came with rice, salad and a Ethiopian bread called Injera. I have to admit the Golden Ribs was very dry but they did mention it beforehand. My sister ordered the Lega Tibs which is Cubed lamb, marinated and cooked with tomatoes, jalapeños, garlic berbere sauce served with rice and salad. My sisters food was delicious, moist and soft. I liked my sister food more and she liked mine which was a good because we were able to share. The food was different to the photos posted online and the menu prices online were cheaper than the menu price at the restaurant.

Overall Experience

My overall experience was good only because of the food which was delicious however the service and environment wasn’t the best. I would still recommend the restaurant if you can overlook everything else, so try it out and let me know what you think.

Snow Bubble Hut Snow Ice And Bubble Tea 

After going to the restaurant, me and my sister decided to stop for dessert at Snow Bubble Hut Snow Ice And Bubble Tea. Snow Bubble Hut Snow Ice And Bubble Tea is small restaurant in Katy TX which serves desserts such as Snow ice which is also known as Shaved Ice Cream, they have a variety of flavors, sauces and toppings. They also serve sandwiches, smoothies and much more.

My sister ordered the mango flavored shaved ice ream with condensed milk and strawberries while i ordered the taro flavored shaved ice cream with caramel sauce and chopped strawberries. This restaurant was amazing and was a light dessert anyone could love. They have a variety of sizes which are reasonably priced.

Check out the restaurants yourself:

Here’s the link for Lucy Ethiopian: http://www.lucyhouston.com/

Unfortunately Snow Bubble Hut Snow Ice And Bubble Tea don’t have a website up but you should still check it out.

Anyways that’s it for my Lucy Ethiopian and Snow Bubble Hut Snow Ice And Bubble Tea Blog. Thanks for reading, comment, share and subscribe and let me know what you think.

 

 

 

Hamilton Reserve

Hamilton Reserve

This week I went another road trip to Dripping Springs  Texas, 30 minutes outside of downtown Austin, in the “countryside” of Austin. Hamilton pool reserve is natural water pool created through a collapsed underground river with a jaded green pool with a 50 ft water fall flows. In addition to the water pool there are over 232 acres of land available to hike through as well as a open cave to protect yourself the sun.

Hamilton reserve has become a very popular destination for many Houston, Austin and Texas residents, due to this the park has limited visitors by requiring reservations for either the morning 9am-1pm or afternoon from 2pm-6pm for weekends and weekdays from April-October. The reservation fee is paid online and cost $10 for each time period.there is also a park fee in order to enter the park which is $15 for each time period. Reservation and park fees are based on per vehicle so the more people in vehicle, at a cheaper cost.

To get to the pool reserve there is a small 10 minute hike which is downhill and very rocky. They do provide walking sticks which actually make the hike easier especially going back up. Once you reach the reserve the surrounding area is very rough and I recommend you bring a thick material to lay down and sit on or a floaty but also a pair of slippers to swim and walk around in.

I went to the reserve with a meetup member as well as my sister in September. We spent the whole day there and took both the morning and afternoon reservation. The weather was still hot during the afternoon but in the morning it was quite cloudy and cool. Even as the day heated up the water was very cold which meant there was no swimming for me today. There is no cell phone service which meant no Instagram, Facebook or communication. This was extremely relaxing and it was peaceful being cut off from the outside world in such a beautiful area. I spent most of the day napping on the beach side making it a day well spent in my opinion.

They also have a hiking trail which is about 1 mile long, I was unable to try the hike as they close it early for both reservation times, plus we wanted to drop off our bags back to the car.

Now here are some tips:

Tips:

1. Use the walking sticks during the hike
2. Bring a thick material to lay down on or a inflatable floaty for each person
3. Bring drinks and food (can’t buy anything there)
4. Bring slippers to swim and walk around in.
5. Little shade so arrive early to get a good spot
6. Don’t mind coolers or chairs because of the hike (pack light, don’t bring any heavy items)
7. Try going during hotter weather (water was actually quite cold)
8. You have to leave 30 minutes before the reservation times at 12:30pm and 5:30pm
9. If you go hiking, make sure not to bring any bags, only water.
10. If you do both the morning and afternoon reservation, show your entry pass to the park ranger from the morning reservation and let them know you didn’t know you have to pay twice and they might give you a discounted price for the afternoon reservation.

Note: If you do both the morning and afternoon reservation, it is important to know that they close for a hour from 1pm-2pm which means you have to leave the park and come back if you have both reservation.

Anyways that’s it for my Hamilton Reserve blog post. Thanks for checking out my blog. Comment, Share, Like and subscribe and let me know what you think.