San Francisco: Union Square and the Duck Fried Rice

And the main reason for our San Francisco trip--- Bangkok Noodles' Duck Fried Rice!! ;)

Haha my mom has been raving about this AND craving for this since 2006. She ate there everyday during her last US trip and couldn't get enough of this Duck Fried Rice. We even booked our hotel in Powell Street because it was close to this restaurant! hahaha

Check out their website here.

I LOVE rice, and Thai food is my favorite! So for me, this was perfect!

Afterwards, we headed straight to Union Square for a quick shopping trip before meeting some friends. 

The heart installations in Union Square immediately caught my eye. They are art works made for the benefit of the San Francisco General Hospital Foundation. Over 130 artists were commissioned to turn the hearts into their own works of art. The other installations are scattered all over San Francisco. 

And of course, no one can miss San Francisco's cable cars. I wish we had the chance to ride this! I will definitely make it a point to try this the next time I'm back in San Francisco! haha -- Just so I can say I've experienced it.

Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco

When in San Francisco, one of the places that you have to visit is Fisherman's Wharf! 

Shops and restaurants line the street and you have a great view of the ocean!

One of the restaurants that we went to check was Bistro Boudin. They have been around since 1849, and their flagship store is the one at the Wharf! They are best known for their Sour Dough bread which is freshly baked daily.

They also have a museum and hold bakery tours in their Wharf bistro.

Another thing they are known for is their  sculpted bread which is almost too precious to eat!

Next stop was Ghirardelli Square which is on the west side of Fisherman's Wharf! My favorite part of our tour! :) 

Ghirardelli Square used to be a chocolate factory, however, it has been sold and is now filled with shops and restaurants. 

Of course the moment we got here, I went straight to the Ghirardelli Ice Cream Shop!

Oh my... It's heaven! :)

The Sea Salt Escape is to die for! It's sweet and just a little bit salty. The best combination! YUM!

The original chocolate-making equipment is on display at the corner of the Ice Cream Shop.

Now I know how Augustus felt when he started to drink from Willy Wonka's Chocolate Lake! hahaha

These are definitely great places to visit in San Francisco! :)

San Francisco: Ferry Building Marketplace

Our last stop for this US trip is one of my favorite states-- San Francisco! 

Mom's friend picked us up from the airport and took us straight to the Ferry Building Marketplace for lunch! 

The Ferry Building is a beautiful, historical structure which they have converted into, as its name suggests, a marketplace wherein you can find all types of gourmet products. It is a foodie's dream. Really.  

You can find a list of their merchants here. 

We tried the coffee at Blue Bottle Coffee Co. We got intrigued because people were really lining up for it. I am in love with their logo. :)

I love the presentation, that leaf is really beautiful! Haha, however, I'm not such a fan of the coffee. I don't know if I ordered the wrong kind or if my palate is  just used to coffee that's really sweet.

Another store that caught my eye was Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker. They sell all types of chocolates from baking products to candies. Each bite of their chocolate is REALLY rich! I bought some to give as pasalubong to friends. 

  

This store caught my eye because of the logo. I love the font too! Didn't get the chance to go inside and check their products, but they sell artisan cheese. My dad would have loved this store!

Took a photo of this chalk board. It is my dream to become a well known chalkboard artist. :)

Stonehouse California Olive Oil offers different flavors of olive oils such as Lisbon Lemon, Roasted Garlic, Blood Orange, etc. Interesting, right? They also sell Balsamic Vinegar! The packaging is also lovely!

And my favorite store of all, Far West Fungi!! Truffle Lovers MUST visit this store! I bought a bottle of truffle salt, which I love! I regret not buying a bottle of truffle oil. They also have truffle pates and mustard. 

I wish we had this here in the Philippines! Food always tastes better with truffle! Haha

Get your tummies ready and make sure to check they Ferry Building Marketplace next time you're in San Francisco! :)

Legoland California!

I was so excited for our San Diego trip since it would be my first time to visit the city! I was especially excited because I knew we would be going to Legoland! Yes. I am still a child inside. haha

The ticket for a one day pass costs USD 75.00 for adults and USD 65.00 for children. 

If you're looking for fun, scary rides, then Legoland isn't for you! But if you're a huge fan of Lego like I am, then you would be in wonderland! Haha!

 Most of the rides are for children, so if you would want to make the most out of your money, then I suggest you go with your family. I was lucky that I went with my friend and her son, and he really enjoyed! Also, make sure to bring swimwear for the kids! There's a fun water park which I'm sure they would love!

It's Hagrid!!! I am such a Harry Potter fan!! I've been eyeing the Hogwarts Lego set for years, but it's so expensive!!! haha

 These huge Lego installations are really amazing!

Now my favorite part, Miniland USA! They have miniature lego structures of the different states! 

And Star Wars fans, prepare to drool! Haha, There's also a Star Wars Miniland, with miniature scenes from the movie!

Planning a trip? Visit the Legoland Website at http://california.legoland.com/en/ :) Enjoy!

New York, New York!

It has been exactly 10 years since I last visited New York, but it has always remained as one of my favorite places in the world! I love cities and it just feels like New York is the mother of all cities! Har har! :)  Shopping is also good but quite expensive. 

Here are just some of the things we did here. 6 days is just too short! 

1. Outlet shopping in Woodbury Common

With over 220 Outlet Stores, this is probably the best place to go shopping in New York! You can find everything here from the most casual brand such as Nike, to the expensive luxury brands such as Gucci and Valentino! 

From a 24 hour flight (and with hardly any sleep), we went straight to Woodbury Common. That's how good it is. 

2. Take a walk around Central Park.

Oh you will need more than a day for this! There's so much to see and do in Central Park! What we did was we took a map, figured out where we were, and chose an area to visit. 

My friend chose the Strawberry Fields--the memorial to John Lennon. I know close to nothing about music, and I really thought we were heading to a field of strawberries! haha

We walked a bit and saw the lake. Would've loved to take a boat ride here!

3. Take the subway.

Hah! I felt like a real New Yorker after I figured how to get from one place to another in a Subway. hahaha It's not scary at all, though I don't think I would want to ride one late at night! 

4. Don't miss Times Square!

Well it would be pretty hard to miss, as this is usually the first stop for tourists! All the big stores are here!!

There's a big M&M's World store in Times Square!

You can customize your M&Ms from the color to the print!

Right across M&M's World is a Hershey's store! So cute, I bought a Reese's Peanut Butter Ice Cream syrup! Yum!!!

We also went inside the Disney Store and Toys R Us. I LOVE ALL THINGS CUTE!!! Gaahhhh I especially wanted everything inside the Disney store! 

I went slightly crazy when I saw the HUGE Forever 21 store that I didn't even bother taking pictures! haha 

5. Watch a Broadway show

This is really a must! We watched Wicked, and it is SO nice!!! It's a little expensive but it really is worth it. 

6. Take a walk from Times Square to 5th Avenue

It isn't that far from each other, and you would see quite a lot on the way! 

We passed by Rockefeller Center on the way to 5th Avenue. I would love to see this place around Christmas time. I'm sure it would be beautiful!

7. Visit Grand Central Station

We took the subway going here. It is really beautiful, and... well... grand! hahaha There's an old American vibe to the place. I love it!

And there's an Apple Store inside! haha

And there's that suspicious looking lady. No, I am not trying to take your photo. You are just in the way! haha

8. Try the cupcakes! Crumbs, Magnolia... What else is there?

My favorite is definitely Crumbs cupcakes. The Sea Salt Caramel is a must try! It's fudgy, chocolate-y, sweet and just a little bit salty! So good-- I'm drooling just thinking about it! 

Gaaahhh I LOVE NEW YORK!!! There's just so much to do in this city! 6 days is definitely not enough!