Well start the check list of foods and restaurants that we get to check off! Part of the 10 day fast was to have fun on what are next meal was going to be and partly since we come from such a food family, food background, food is our life mentality it was nice to take a break from preparing and shopping for food all the time. I spend and an hour a day cooking and preparing food almost everyday and over time that’s a lot. I love it but it was one of the bright spots on the fast.

So here we go so we got my sister Angela and her hubby David Allan Peters..who recently was featured in Art In America (april) and had a huge show in NYC where he sold out all his paintings ..I think it was 32 paintings..u know how rad that is and he’s starting to make bank on his creations and I know for sure that he’s hired someone to help him to do the sanding which is a homeless guy that lives in and around the alley where his art shop is…super stoked on this……..and my Mom Kathryn came as well which was super sweet to see her get out with us and take about an hour drive to get to Arcadia from the westside of Santa Monica….So the 1st big meal we went to on our list was Din Tai Fung and when we got there at 5pm there was a 40 min wait list to get in and my stomach was aching..I purposely juiced and had just an avocado for a snack and I also worked out (i’ve been getting into my own personal crossfit…I do about 5 different weight lifting exercises..sorta a circuit and between each set I do a different type of core/crunch exercise and I also jump rope for 60 seconds after each round…It takes me about 40 minutes and I’m attacked..my body is thriving and hungry for hours after…I have that pulsing, driving feeling in my spirit. I forgot how much fun it is to lift weights and do this aggressive new way to circuit train…it’s been almost 20 years since I lifted regularly..wtf was I doing? Glad, I’m back into it…my body is happy.
So, after talking to every one in line and meeting new friends..we got in and we gorged, we pillaged, we attacked this dumpling shop like we haven’t eaten in 10 days :))) We ordered 11 items for 5 people and we ate them all…and my brother and i were violated by the food assault that we took on and to be honest I think we messed up by eating so much it actually took away from the meal..we should’ve ordered things instead!!
Would I go back to Din Tai Fung..yep but i would order this and exactly this
1. Pork Bao (Steamed Bun with a Pork Sausage ball with broth inside) absolutely unique, simple and the broth and sausage w the steamed bun was yumzilla chaka
2. Won Ton (Shrimp & Pork) w spicy sauce….delicate flavorful yesssss
3. Fried Pork Chop (I’m still eating it right now..that kind of food that you think about it and you start to salivate) this gets the Rad Yumnessss award
4. Bok Choy w Garlic…healthy and when you put this in the Won Ton Spicy Sauce…Forget About It & Call Me Tai Fung Rad!!!!
5. Shrimp & Pork Shao Mai……the bottom of these little packages of complete yessness…gave of this extra tank of warm broth sauce explosion of flavor that had your taste buds..thank you!!!!!
6. Pork Shao Mai w Soup aka (Soup Dumplings)…….this was one of the sad things about the foodtrip….they where sold out of their famous soup dumplings but they had the dumplings but not the soup and the mini dumplings that go with this meal but these dumplings we had where super good but I wouldn’t drive an hour just for them ;( but with the soup..I might :))

That’s what I will get next time…..after I go for a hike at Sturdivant Falls in the Angeles Crest Mtn’s..which is 10 minutes from Din Tai Fung Radness.
In short though I have to be honest I think we over ordered and a lot of what we ordered wasn’t that good…what I stated above I would go again but we ate too much we had an additional 6 items…we got caught like deers in headlights once we got in the doors of the restaurant..we wanted everything on the menu and we came close to ordering it!!!
Our next family food adventure will probably be Los 5 Puntos (a meat market that makes fresh tortillas in east la) or back to Pa Ord for some of the best Thai Food this side of Chiang Mai (north thailand)
It was great to eat and spend time with the family. It was great to hang with my mom in the back seat with my younger brother a family sandwich..some good family laughs and on the way my sister shared her yearly review from her work and I got to read it and have fun with the reading of it making fun of all the different codes for every different sub subject..that’s family. It takes all of us to make the whole “Rad” party.

