Channel Your Inner Katniss / Geena Davis FREE Saturdays with Pasadena Roving Archers

Saturday and Sunday mornings are sacred.  Usually for Ultimate Non-Morning People like yours truly, it's dedicated to catching up on sleep sorely missed during the hectic work week.

But, some things are worth the sacrifice - mostly involving my favorite four letter words: food and free.  Occasionally, I will make another exception for 'adventure'.

When I first heard about Pasadena Roving Archers (from a fellow diner at Petit Trois) - a volunteer group who offered lessons, including all equipment on loan, for free every Saturday morning, I thought it was too good to be true.

Being both a Geena Davis (fascinated by her achievement beyond acting - a Mensa member, gender in media activist, and Olympic semi-finalist in archery!) and the more obvious Hunger Game fan - I was excited to go check this out with fellow foodie and (way more of an) adventure-lover @jennybawel

Lessons start at 8:30am, but since it's free and space is limited, we heeded others' warnings to get there early - arriving at 7am to stand in line.

Around 8am, they started processing people in small groups of about 7-8. First, we had to sign the requisite waivers.

Then they test for participants' dominant eye before fitting us for equipment.  Apparently, your 'dominant eye' is the one you use to aim - and that has no correlation to whether you are right or left handed.  They test for this by having us hold our palms up and out, thumb and index fingers crossed to form a triangular 'hole', held up to our faces and looking through at the coordinator.  The coordinator then calls out whether each of us are right or left eye dominant, and hands us a red or white casino-style chip accordingly.

We then head to the equipment line, where we are fitted with:

• A small piece of leather with rope (this is for your string pulling hand, to prevent your fingers from getting worn down)
• A padded arm guard, to prevent the bow / string from banging against your arm/elbow
• A quiver to carry your arrows around
• Four arrows (not the sharp, speared head kind intended to do damage - they're round tips for amateur sport)
• A bow that has the arrow rest etc. set up on the side that corresponds to your dominant eye, per your earlier test!

A verbal overview is given so we knew what to expect from our time there.

Apparently the Lower Arroya Seco Park range has 28 targets, set up 'like a golf course'.  The PRA has spread their passion for the sport from this venue since 1935! For the beginner's session, team leaders take their small groups and stay at one station to teach and let us practice.

Our instructor was super patient and informative - after running through basics on parts of the bow and arrow and of course safety rules, we were taught to line our arrows up, aim, and let 'em fly! (Before arriving at the course, I was apprehensive about having such poor aim that I could possibly injure people far off from target - but the boards are pinned on hay bales set with their backs to a hill, so there's no chance of mistakenly shooting someone with an arrow!)

We spent about an hour taking turns shooting in breakout groups.  While at first some of us (ok, mostly me) were so off that arrows rebounded off the headboard - over time everyone improved with tips and adjustments from the instructor.

I liked that you didn't need to be athletic to do this - it's more about form, and controlling your movements.  Also, there is a lot of instinct involved as you can't really just aim the arrow straight at bulls eye - no matter what you do it's going to have a slightly curved trajectory, up, then down and over. So you just have to adjust, mainly lower than you'd expect, hold your bow arm steady while you pull the string back with the other, and gently let go - until you get it to land in the right area.  And once you get it, repeat and try to be consistent.

I felt like a kid on Christmas morning the first time I actually hit a color on the target board - there was something strangely satisfying about the combination of raw energy, alignment of every part of your body, the visceral connection with your bow, arrow and environment, and the feeling, motion and sound of the arrow cutting precisely and swiftly through the air to penetrate your target.

The thing that I also absolutely loved about the experience with PRA - our instructor, like others in the group, a volunteer there just for the sheer love of the sport and desire to share his enthusiasm for it.  In fact, his whole family is part of the club, and his daughter taught another small group at the station right next to ours! 

After our small group lesson, we were taken to the main range, where first we got to see what it feels like to shoot side by side with other archers from other groups.  Of course there are safety measures in place - everyone stands at a chalk line, and no one is allowed to retrieve arrows until the whistle sounds three times!

Just before we end our session, there is a fun contest where volunteers stuff dollar bills in balloons and attach them to target boards.  Then archers line up in groups and attempt to be the first to pop the balloons.  Winners get to keep the money!  (So proud of @jennybawel for winning one - so she was actually 'up' for the day by a $1, ha!)

The instructors are also great sports about helping us take photos after the session was over.  Once you've completed the early morning intro lesson - they hand you a certification card that allows you to come back at later times for other lessons / practice (at 9:30am on Saturdays) - donation encouraged of $5 which includes equipment on loan!!

The Pasadena Roving Archers are a charity organization and do operate with donations only - so please be sure to contribute what you can into their collection box on the picnic tables afterwards!

For those not willing to get up so early on a Saturday morning, even for this fun free activity - there are other companies / organizations around the city that offer archery classes at later start times, and sometimes at a cost.  I haven't tried any of the other ones yet, but I can confirm that what other reviewers have said about PRA is definitely true - nothing beats learning from people who are just purely passionate about the sport and eager to share it with others.

Thanks PRA for an amazing time - I'm adding you to my list of reasons to love LA - I'll definitely be back soon to practice!!

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Pasadena Roving Archers
Lower Arroyo Seco Park
415 South Arroyo Blvd., Pasadena California

Website: rovingarchers.com

Parking: free in open air lot inside park
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Songkran Thai New Year Festival Part 2: Wat Thai in NoHo!

Last weekend was landmark for most people as the last few days before tax returns were due. But for my friend 'Designer' and I, it was a chance to experience another Songkran (Thai New Year) Festival in a lesser known venue outside of Thai Town.

Deep in the San Fernando Valley, springs the Wat Thai (which literally translates to "Thai temple") - like an unexpected dollop of Sriracha in the oatmeal of suburbia. 

Designer had heard about it from an actual Thai friend (versus me who read about the Thai Town Songkran fest in the Hollywood Patch :P) and I'm glad it was in time for us to make it - the festival was amazing (and yes, made us feel like we were on vacation).

From the moment we set foot in the temple space, we found ourselves wandering wide-eyed, excited to take it all in.  There were the gorgeous temple exteriors, with its ornate guardian statues...

...Awesome food vendors selling all kinds of authentic street foods from meats on a stick, rolls, noodles and pancakes (which unfortunately we skipped as that was the fateful night of the epic fail (in terms of access to food) known as 626 Night Market in Pasadena - where we expected to be able to gorge on all kinds of fantastic pan-asian street foods...great expectations dashed...in retrospect we wish we gorged at Wat Thai!)  

There was a marketplace of vendors selling everything from Thai paper umbrellas (I knew I didn't need one, but really wanted one!!), to canvas shoulder bags (I picked up a cute one for $7!!!), to all sorts of jewelry - and even hi-fis (not sure who their intended customers were - hipsters??!). 

And then we wandered to the back area where there seemed to be some sort of live entertainment...and found that they had the dance performances I had so missed at the Thai Town fest!!  LOVED the beautiful, graceful traditional dancing backed by classic Thai instruments. (And loved that most people in the audience were from the Thai community, out to support!)

Aside from traditional dance they also had a more playful choreographed dance/skit with dancers dressed in school uniform. I think this was a nod to the portion of the temple dedicated to Thai school, where kids can come to learn their language and culture. There was also of course, like the Thai Town fest, a beauty pageant.  The ladies were in gorgeous traditional garb, a sight to behold. Pretty much all of the MC and live entertainment (except where pageant contestants answered in English) was done in Thai, so we weren't entirely sure what everything was about, but loved every minute of it.  

Designer was so into it, she was a bit sad when I dragged her away to explore the rest of the grounds - she needed to know who won the pageant!  

There was a lot more to look at, at Wat Thai versus the Thai Town Songkran fest, understandably as Wat Thai already had all its structures and lovely statues and displays in place.  Wat Thai also had an area set up for people to take potted 'money trees' and sand by small buckets and place them around a buddha statue for good luck.

You don't have to be buddhist, or Thai, to enjoy an immersive afternoon in the culture at Wat Thai.  We felt transported from LA for the hour or two that we were there.  I was excited to learn that their food marketplace at the temple actually takes place every weekend.  Will have to confirm that asap and will let you guys know!

Til then: I have my calendar marked for next year's Songkran (April 13 & 14, 2013) and I'm definitely celebrating it at Wat Thai!!!

[For more photos from Wat Thai Songkran Festival 2012 and other cultural festivals around LA, check out my photo album on Facebook]

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Songkran Thai New Year Festival
April 14th & 15th, 2012 9am-6pm
8225 Coldwater Canyon Ave., North Hollywood, CA 91605
Ph: 818.780.4200 x45
Free Admission

Website: watthaiusa.org      
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Songkran Thai New Year Festival - Thai Town LA

One of the great things about LA is its cultural diversity.  It may be more of a proverbial salad than a melting pot, but those interested will find an abundance of ethnicities to explore, often conveniently concentrated in neighborhoods that offer keys in form of good eats, and cultural festivals and celebrations - such as Thai Town, and their Songkran (New Year) celebrations held this past weekend.

Songkran (literally "astrological passage") is celebrated in Thailand as New Year April 13-15. There are spiritual and religious associations with it - a time for cleansing and renewal (one of the ways this is expressed is in the symbolic throwing of water on family, friends and strangers to wash the bad away), to pay respects to elders, family and/or monks (national religion is Buddhist), and in many places the celebration of beauty via pageants.

In LA's Thai Town, everyone gathered to celebrate with dance, music, entertainment and of course, food!  The dancing was on a smaller scale compared to other culture fests round the city like Brazilian Day (at least from what we saw - it's possible we missed earlier larger scale performances), but was still interesting to see the all male crew working it on stage in traditional garb.

In terms of live entertainment, there was also an al fresco ring where fighters competed for the honor of the festival Muay Thai champion title.  (And yes, pop culture/ reality TV junkies, Muay Thai is that full contact combat sport (similar to kickboxing) that you last saw on an episode of The Bachelorette.)  In fact the name apparent roughly means "Art of Eight Limbs" because you engage with fists, elbows, legs and knees (eight points of contact). Festival attendees gathered to look on as the 'streetfighters' battled it out in the ring.

Just when we thought the male fighters were going 'all-in', then came the women competitors - who seemed to us, judging by the visuals and sounds of contact, to strike with even more ferocity! Go ladies!

A cool thing about the festival, from a female point of view, is that yes, though there was the traditional beauty pageant - that they showed both sides - girls can kick ass in the boxing ring, and they can also be the epitome of beauty and grace, celebrating the arrival of a new year while paying tribute to tradition in gorgeous Thai gowns and crowns.

As part of the street fest, there were vendors selling handpainted Thai paper umbrellas, dresses and knick knacks, and of course plenty of food booths offering all kinds of Thai food, snacks and beverages.

I picked up a bag each of fried potato balls and banana chips (both for $5 total) - but rice crisps also seemed to be popular.

Singha being a key sponsor, of course they had the requisite beer garden, which we skipped as there were so many other options there were more interesting to us outside! I went for the fresh young coconut - possibly my favorite drink in the world for its pristine, clean flavor (but which I'm too nervous to hack open myself at home - for fear of chopping off fingers instead of shell - I took advantage of having seasoned event vendors there to crack them open like they were cutting through butter).  My friend 'Curses' went for the sweet and refreshing Thai Iced Tea. Also on offer, that we didn't try, were bottled chrysanthemum tea and coconut palm juice (I figured we can get these from a local market in Thai Town another day).

Since we had just had a full brunch earlier that day, we didn't go for all the delicious foods being cooked in open kitchens and booths - from pad thai to various curries. The critically acclaimed Jitlada restaurant was there to represent as well - but I knew from a Gold Standard event sample that their dishes like Crying Tiger Beef were aptly named and way too much spice for me to handle.  Will definitely have to come back to Thai Town another day for a lunch of more manageable fare.

We did stroll around checking out all the street food though and there were several stalls serving up meats on skewers.  One item I hadn't seen or tried before was Lobster Balls - no, they're not gonads, just meatballs made of lobster - and they were only $3 each or 2 skewers for $5! So grabbed these as a snack - they had nice texture and lobster taste, but curiously didn't have the bold flavors that are so iconic to Thai food...was glad we got to try them though.

Packaged food manufacturers also had stalls where they peddled their wares via free samples - from rice mixes to Thai barbecue chicken marinades and hot sauces. 

In line with tradition, monks were also on hand (and had their own stall) for guests to pay respects, make donations and get their blessings.   

We didn't get to see any parade they might have had, nor the water throwing ceremony - but had a nice hour or so strolling through the vendors.

All in all, Songkran street fest was a smaller scale, festive free event that would be fun to check out next year if you're already in the area.

In the meantime: suk san wan songkran (Happy Songkran Day!)

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Songkran Thai New Year Festival
April 1st 9am-6pm
Hollywood Blvd. between Normandie and Western, Los Angeles, CA

Free Admission

Website: thainewyear.com      
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Brazilian Day LA - Mid-town "Daycation"

Many, many years ago I had a roommate who was a huge fan of Capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian art form that combines martial arts, music and dance.  I remembered finding it fascinating to watch, but because I lacked even basic motor skills (hard enough to put one foot in front of the other without falling over most days) I never really got into it myself.  This past weekend, when I heard about the Brazilian Day celebrations next to LACMA, my interest in Capoeira and all things Brazilian was rekindled.  And when I saw the event was free, I knew I had to be there.

The festivities are the LA outpost of an event that originated in New York in the 80s - immigrants in the neighborhood of Little Brazil gathered to celebrate Brazil's Independence Day and to share their culture with neighbors and friends. Since then, the celebration has caught on with major cities nationwide, and grown to attract over1.5 million people in 2010 in NYC alone.


This year's LA event was held at Hancock Park, behind the La Brea Tar Pits next to LACMA.

I was excited about all the components of the event: Brazilian food, products, capoeira, samba, and a Rio-style parade (put on by the SambaLá Samba School of Long Beach), followed by a "Trio-Electrico" parade.

It was a bright, sunny day (love LA, it's pretty much always that way with the exception of a few weeks in the year), and you could feel almost an electric energy in the air of people strolling from tent to tent, checking out good eats, tourism board brochures and Brazilian gifts from flag-colored soccer ball to t-shirts and onesies etc. while enjoying the great weather.

A crowd had gathered near the back of the park, so naturally that's where I headed - and found Samba dancers at a makeshift stage.

Apparently I had just caught the end of the dance, as a few minutes later a new group stepped up, (Amen Santos and Capoeira Batuque) to offer a Capoeira demo.  Capoeira is fantastically fun to watch, and rather than try to describe it I thought I'd post a video so you can see for yourself!



There was of course also no shortage of ways to sample Brazilian culture through food. 

Several stands served fresh off the grill Brazilian barbecue skewers, from steak to chicken and shrimp.  Though bbq is a Brazilian staple, and what most people think of first when they think of Brazilian food - and the sizzling meat on the grill was nearly irresistible - I went in search of dishes I had not experienced before.  I've had plenty of churrascaria fare, and afterall, the fun of cultural festivals is learning - and tasting - new things!

(Well, I made an exception for coxinha - Brazilian croquettes $5 for 3 - which I've had before. I enjoy the shredded chicken with 'secret' cheese sauce deep fried in dough - and they were small pieces so that I woudn't fill up just on those)

I had to have a can of Ubatuba Guarana ($2), a soda made from the fruit of a flowering plant from the Amazon, which contains twice the amount of caffeine in a coffee bean.  It tasted to me like apple soda, but not too sweet - light, refreshing and great for a hot day.  More caffeine than a cup of coffee, to provide a jolt of energy, without the bitter taste.


I was really excited to find the Sabor da Bahia stall, which offered four key dishes that I'd never heard of:

*Moqueca de Peixe - Bahian style fish stew with tilapia fillet in a special coconut sauce, served with rice and toasted yucca flour

*Moqueca de Camarao - Bahian style shrimp stew - same ingredients as above, but made with shrimp

*Acaraje - Brazilian falafel - deep fried black-eyed peas cake, stuffed with vatapa (Brazilian bread crumbs puree), tomato salad and homemade hot sauce

*Abara - Brazilian tamale - Steamed blackeye peas dough in the banana leaf, stuffed with vatapa, tomato salad and hot sauce

I wish I had enough stomach space to try them all!  But ultimately went with the fish stew ($15) - from the northern coast of Brazil - and loved everything on the plate!

Perhaps it was the coconut sauce, but the flavors of the fish stew reminded me of Thai food, but without the strong accents of lemongrass or basil.  Milder and slightly sweeter, with slivers of bell peppers for veggies.  The toasted yucca flour added great textural contrast and slight crunch to the coconut sauce soaked rice.  Seems like black-eyed peas are a staple of the cuisine as well - there was a salad of them offered on the side.  Delicious.

In the early afternoon, the eagerly anticipated Street Carnaval kicked off, featuring a Rio-style parade of dancers with vibrant and elaborate feather headdresses and fantastic clothing. 

Event organizers describe this parade as "part opera, part party, and part circus" which I thought was fairly spot on.  It wasn't of course full-scale as in the real Rio parade, but was a fun lil taste of Carnaval. 

Though I had filled up on hot foods earlier, I was drawn to the grocery stall - with wire racks packed with Brazilian snacks, candy and drinks.  Cheesy Bread, or "Pan de Queso" seemed to be a featured item, along with cookies and lots of guarana and cool fruit juice drinks from maracuja (Brazilian passionfruit), to goiaba (guava) to acai-coconut. Lots of fun to browse, though I didn't want to carry my purchases around, so made a note to myself to find and pay a visit to a Brazilian market soon.

The second parade of the afternoon was a "Trio-Electrico" parade, which turned out to involve a truck tricked out with speakers, blasting music while street dancers, singers and drummers lead a procession inviting guests to dance and sing along on the parade path behind them.  This one is described as "equivalent of Brazil's Spring break".  I loved that lots of people were game, and danced along with abandon (nice to see a total absence of 'fronting' or image-consciousness unfortunately too often associated with Los Angelenos)!

Throughout the event, the MC had called for entries into the raffle for two roundtrip tickets to Brazil - tickets were only $1 each!  Being a hopeless optimist, I went and bought a ticket but of course wasn't so lucky.  The two winners both turned out to be from Brazil, so they got their tickets home for free!

After hours of gorging, it was nice to lay back on the grassy knoll and lazily watch the activity below.  Kids were in their own world, amusing themselves alternately rolling down or running up the hill.  Normally, rowdy kids annoy me (I know, I know, all I'm missing are a dozen or so cats in order to turn into a grouchy old cat lady) but at this event, for some reason, they added to the idyllic setting - and most I thought were adorable, having a great time outdoors with their parents dancing or playing.

Another thing I loved about the venue is that, if you're a LACMA member, you can pop over to wander the museum (excluding special exhibits that require admission fees) free, or check out Ray's and Stark Bar on the plaza if you still have room for food/drink.

All in all, Brazilian Day LA was a fun, festive, fabulous free event that I look forward to making an annual outing to (I hope they have it next year at the same venue)!

[For more photos of the event, check out my album on Facebook]
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Brazilian Day LA
September 10th noon-6pm
La Brea Tar Pits / Hancock Park

Free Admission

Website: braziliandayla.org      
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Nisei Week - Big Celebration in Little Tokyo

When thinking of Nisei Week Japanese Festival (August 13-21 this year), some might first think of the Nisei Week Queen pageant. At least, everyone I told about the event did.

If you thought that was the extent of it, you'd have missed out on one of the best cultural events in LA. Nisei Week Japanese Festival is so much more than just the pageant (which incidentally, I have absolutely no interest in.  At all.)  The Nisei Week Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the Japanese and Japanese American heritage throughout southern California - and Nisei Week J Festival is one weeklong cultural celebration smack in the epicenter of Little Tokyo. 

The event is spread out over several complexes in the area, and last weekend I decided to start with the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center, first getting the expected out of the way - a karate demo, a traditional tea ceremony demo with women in kimonos in a sample teahouse at the top of the JACCC.  Next I ventured over to the complex I actually know best in the area, Japanese Village Plaza.

On any given day, it's a treat to stroll through Japanese Village Plaza, a lovely collection of boutique shops and mostly mom & pop style restaurants centered around a Japanese market.  A diverting mix of classic and modern architecture, traditional, more refined goods like proper tea sets and bonsai trees strewn among the latest in anime dolls and quirky headwear, and even a sushi parlor slash dance hall - the complex is lots of fun to explore even on a regular day. 

During Nisei Week, vendors pile onto the aisles out into the sunny SoCal summer to promote their wares - and the energy and excitement of the crowds, who come to visit old friends or make new discoveries, is palpable.

And the visitors themselves become a point of interest - part of what I love bout this event is that it is as much for local Nisei, some of whom celebrate their heritage by turning up in beautiful kimonos, as tourists, or just Angelenos looking for a fun and unique outdoor activity. The event also provides an unwritten invite for fans of cosplay to show up in their most elaborate and creative costumes. 

The vibe is very much like a street fest - but one that has absolutely no rules, and makes you feel like you're on vacation because everywhere you look you're presented with something that you don't see every day. 

A few groups showed up in what looks like modern takes on regional garb - these were really in demand by other visitors for photo opps!
Another cause of whiplash is of course, the good eats spread throughout the event venues.  From stalls with drool-inducing street food like takoyaki (spherical savory pancake with grilled octopus inside) and yakitori (grilled chicken skewers) to dorayaki (red bean cake), I had no hope of leaving there without a massive midriff portrusion.

Wandering from Japanese Village Plaza to the Japanese American National Museum, I found a stage with rotating performances from traditional almost operatic sounding Japanese singers to J-pop star wannabes, to fashion shows by local designers.  In the back parking lot, there were a row of tents set up with more Japanese street food - and each was a great discovery.

I made a beeline for the Takoyaki Tanota booth after reading a tweet that said they had jalapeno mayo on their specialty grilled octopus balls (as in the dumplings, dirty!, not the gonads).  The fresh-off-the-grill dough balls with octopus center were a steal at $5 a tray of 7 pieces, topped with bonito flakes and jalapeno mayo.  Down the row were soba noodles, shaved ice and handmade, fresh mochi and yakimochi from Fugetsu-Do, whose booth touts its history in Little Tokyo dating back to 1903.

The entire back area behind Japanese American National Museum was in celebration of the Tanabata Festival - which as I learned from a pamphlet and a lady at the JANM booth who explained the festival to me - was inspired by the Chinese fable of star-crossed lovers who only get to meet but once a year.  Which fable in itself was inspired by ancient people gazing up into the night sky, and creating stories to explain what they see. 

As the fable goes (explaining two bright stars on either side of the Milky Way) Cow Herder, a mortal, falls in love with Weaver Girl on a unsanctioned visit from her heavenly home. They marry, have kids and settle in to a simple but loving life on earth - until Weaver Girl's mother, a Goddess, discovers her 'betrayal', and orders her back to heaven.  Cow Herder is left behind.  One day, his ox starts talking and tells him that if Cow Herder sacrifices him, takes his hide and wears it - he can ascend to heaven to see Weaver Girl once again.  Heartbroken, Cow Herder takes the ox up on his offer and makes his way to the sky with kids in tow - only for Goddess to be alerted to his plans.  To keep the lovers apart, Goddess takes a hairpin and draws a line between them - which forms the Milky Way - and forever separates the two.

Over the years, magpies take pity on the separated lovers, and once a year they form a bridge to allow the lovers to cross and spend a day together.  This happens on July 7th of the lunar calendar, and is the day that the Tanabata Festival is celebrated.
   

One of the traditions of the festival is for people to weave elaborate, giant decorative streaming ornaments called 'kazari' in remembrance of loved ones.  At the JANM event, the whole back area was strung with row upon row of beautiful kazari sponsored and created by local organizations.  The ornaments, fluttering in the wind, were festive and gorgeous.

Under these amazing ornaments, event organizers decided to host a samurai demonstration, with a group of about 13 samurai and ninjas gathering first for photos - then for a 'street fight' with guests. 

Watching tiny kids get the chance to engage 'ancient' samurai in a sword fight - and 'win' despite their initial fear - was adorable and definitely one of the highlights of the event.

The first weekend of Nisei Week closed out with the Grand Parade - which didn't have over-the-top floats like neighboring Pasadena famously does for its famous yearly event - but had again that perfect balance of tradition with modern day fun that is infused throughout Little Tokyo.  The parade started with marching flag-holders and band, followed by Japanese American heros who fought in WWII.  It was great to see both men and women veterans, some of whom may look elderly, but have definitely not lost their sense of fun - several 'grandpa' vets gave 'shaka' hand gestures and winked mischievously at ladies in the audience, and one actually pretended (in obvious jest) to machine gun the crowd from the back of a military Jeep, complete with verbal sound effects.  They were followed by a handful of floats with Taiko drummers, random interactive basketball one inviting guests to shoot hoops on the float, and of course the requisite Nisei Week pageantry float.

All in all, there was something for everyone and you are sure to be entertained, and might even learn something new in the process.  One of my favorite events of the year, and it was free!  To top it all off, the festivities are pretty much right across the street from Aburiya Toranoko (who were serving special skewers and SnoBar sno cones from a table on the patio) and Lazy Oz Canteen - so you can 'play' all day, then settle down for an awesome, full meal and a cocktail or two if so inclined.

Nisei Week continues through this weekend (August 21st) - so you still have a chance to check it out!  See website for full schedule.

[For more pics from Nisei Week, see my photo album on Facebook!]

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Nisei Week Japanese Festival
August 13-21, 2011

Various locations, Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, CA (check website for details)

Parking:  $10 all day in lot next to Sakura Crossing

Event Website: niseiweek.org
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Eat Real Fest - OFF (Organized, Free, Fun) the Hook!

'Carmageddon' turned out to be the best thing to ever happen to people who like to be out and about in Los Angeles - regardless of 'little' obstacles like possible doomsday style traffic congestion.  As warnings for the masses to keep their vehicles off the streets last weekend worked their magic on most of Los Angeles - those of us ready to pursue good eats, and great fun, no matter what it took, lucked out with a utopic state of free reign over the city's uncharacteristically clear roadways.

Although the closure of the 405 freeway should have impacted us San Fernando Valley dwellers the most - especially when trying to get to the Westside - emboldened by the clear streets on Saturday and armed with my handy free Waze app, I decided to take a chance Sunday and head down to Culver City for the Eat Real Fest.

It was the least traffic I have ever encountered during normal waking hours. And everything ran perfectly from there.  I was impressed immediately with how well the event was organized, especially for its inaugural year in LA. There were clearly marked maps of parking lots, and school buses serving as shuttles with frequent pickups throughout Culver City. At stops clearly marked with ERF signage. And all info was posted on the site for easy access well before the event date. All this for a festival that is FREE to attend - yes, FREE - and food for purchase at $5 a plate.

I had been excited about this event from the minute I first read about it  - it was to be a celebration of food in all the glorious ways that we interact with it, bucketed into 4 key categories: Eat, Drink, Make and See.  Not only were there gourmet food trucks (which are ubiquitous nowadays) but DIY workshops, talks and demos where you can learn everything from how to raise your own bees and chickens, growing your own mushrooms, making your own kimchi, to how to butcher whole pigs and smoke them at home.  It sounded like a fun weekend of tasting and learning - and as you'll see below it by far exceeded all my expectations!

EAT/DRINK: Since I had the Extravaganza for the Senses event to go to Saturday, that left Sunday for ERF.  My friend 'Designer' lives within walking distance of Culver City, spent all day Saturday at ERF - and liked it so much that she wanted to go back Sunday.  So she became a great tour guide for our group, making sure we took a strategic approach to maximize our experience: like hitting the Carlsbad Aquarium booth before they run out of their fresh shucked Luna oysters.  We only felt the slightest tinge of guilt, for all the shucking the owners had to do, when we ordered a dozen oysters EACH (3 for $5, 8 for $10, 12 for $18. So I guess the $5/plate price was the 'starting' price, which makes sense.  Still a great deal).  We got over the guilt quickly though as we tasted the incredibly fresh oysters - which one owner described as 'more briny than other oysters, with a bit of melon-like flavor'.  The first part was definitely spot on, but personally we could not really taste anything that resembled melon (which was good, we didn't really want any sweet flavors with our oysters).

It probably took the owners 10 minutes to shuck two dozen oysters for us, and about 2 minutes for us to scarf the plate down whole.
   
The ERF was spread throughout the Helms Bakery space, and had a great flow where sections were broken up into digestible bites.  So after oysters, we walked around the stalls in the immediate indoor space, checking out all the cool small batch, local producers - everything from spicy pickles to infused kombucha (fermented tea that tastes vinegary) to Jamaican Jerk sauce. 

In the outdoor sections were gourmet food trucks, beer gardens, a farmers market style stand offering stone fruit (bought some amazing pluots!) and stages with various musical performances or food demos, with giant haybales for seats.  At around 11am, at the Main Stage they had burlesque and salsa dancers - it was an unexpected thing to do so early Sunday morning, which sort of added to the charm of the performance and the randomness made it all the more fun and amusing!

One of my favorite outdoor demos was from Olio Pizzeria's Bradford Kent, who brought a mobile wood-burning oven (yes, you read that right), and demonstrated how to make pizza from scratch - offering of course then his fresh from the oven margherita pizza for guests to sample.  He also generously offered a home-cook version of his dough recipe to anyone who was interested - I can't wait to try both the recipe, and other pizzas at the restaurant!

MAKE:  Which brings us to another key bucket of activity at ERF: DIY workshops. The ones we attended were tons of fun - starting with the Watermelon Rind Pickling workshop - where we got hands-on to create jars we could take home.  Ours turned out pretty gorgeous, if we do say so ourselves. 

I will share the recipe in a separate post, to prevent this one from going novel-length!

There was also a pesto-making class, but I figured that would just be a lot of chopping, so we skipped in favor of seeking other eats.  Later in the afternoon, we checked out the Bitters class and learned about their history, how to make them at home, and of course had some handcrafted samples from our 'trainer'.  I thought the class was interesting, though I didn't have the taste buds to appreciate bitters outside of cocktails - it all tasted a bit medicinal, and um, bitter (duh!) to me.

SEE: Two really intriguing cooking demos were the pig butchery (which I'd already seen at a previous Artisanal LA show, really cool) and noodle-pulling (where a chef demonstrated techniques from 'knife flick' to 'handpull', then let us sample each so we can tell the textural difference).  There was also a 'how to smoke meat in your garbage can' demo, which we didn't attend but reaped the benefits of hours later, when a huge leg? of pork was rolled out  in its roasting box - and the chef carved out big slices for the crowd.  That pork was so juicy and full of natural flavor, that we shamelessly went back for third helpings (hey, there was a huge hind of pork and they weren't going to take it home!)

Other sights to see were cute farm animals from ducks to chickens to piglets, and various herbs and veggies planted in the display gardens. Oh, and live bands on two stages throughout both days!

Last thing I want to mention:  I really have to say event organizers did a stellar job with infusing every element of the event with a consistent message:  support the local, sustainable, green and eco-friendly.  There were the suggestions and incentives for alternative transportation, like bike valets and free shuttles.  There was a 'Zero Waste Zone' and recycling stations everywhere you turned.  Not only were the recycling stations split by compostables, landfill items and recyclables - there were volunteers manning each station to tell you which bin to put each type of trash in - so that it became a point of interactive learning as well. The event not only promoted a 'nose to tail' philosophy, but walked the walk with a 'farm to finish' approach to the experience as well as sort of educating people about how they could go green at the event.

All in all, one of my favorite events of the year and by far my favorite FREE event.  I loved that they had guest relations people on site taking surveys to get an immediate read on people's experience of the event, and asking questions about improvements they'd like to see - mad respect for that approach!  My answer to the improvement question: have more beverage sampler stations (to mirror the amount of food being sampled) and to hold this event more often!!!

ERF, hope we'll see you again very soon!!!

[See more pics from the Eat Real Fest in my photo album on Facebook!]

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Eat Real Fest
Saturday July 16 10:30am-9pm & Sunday July 17 10:30am-5pm

Historic Helms Bakery District
8800 Venice Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90034
Event Website: eatrealfest.com
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Yamashiro Farmers' Market: Free Fun Fusion Thursdays

Yamashiro is one of those LA landmarks that I've somehow never made it to in my 15 years here.  Though I'd heard of its legendary views in the hills above Hollywood, its prices were of an unreachable altitude for me as a student, and then when I started working there were so many other places which had more irresistible appeal to my inner foodie, and I had to pick and choose based on budget.

But I am a fan of farmers' markets, and when I found out about the one Yamashiro hosts Thursday nights (April to September) - albeit a year late, this is their second year - I invited 'Designer' to check it out with me. 

There were several things to love about Yamashiro's Farmers' Market, even before we ever set foot on the property:

It's one of the few NIGHT markets  - running 5-9pm, the timing is convenient for those who want  to access fresh produce during the week but have day jobs (I have yet to make it to Santa Monica's Wednesday Farmers' Market).  There's always the original Farmers' Market on 3rd and Fairfax, but strolling through the permanent structure just doesn't feel the same as your weekly 'event' markets.

FREE parking and shuttle the word "Hollywood" usually conjures thoughts of "parking nightmare" - and Yamashiro is conscious of this as well as challenges with access to its hilltop location.  So they offer free parking in a lot just off Hollywood and La Brea (at 7107 Hollywood Blvd), with free shuttle service up & down the hill.  This past Thursday, the lot was full as I drove past, but I easily found meter parking a block south on La Brea (free after 6pm).  It was then just a short walk to the lot to catch the shuttle. 

'Designer' overheard the best description of the journey up the tree-lined, winding road to the market from a fellow rider - it felt like a 'field trip'!

We loved the street / food fest vibe of the market - with its 20s/30s crowd milling about, getting wine & beer while perusing the produce and food offerings - bonding easily with strangers over their finds or shared seating at the makeshift tables and chairs lining the length of the terrace overlooking the city. 

We'd heard about the awesome food, with a well-curated collection of vendors and food trucks (including Heirloom LA and Coolhaus last Thursday!) but were most excited to try Yamashiro exec chef  Brock Kleweno's offerings at street food prices. Yamashiro's Market Grill menu had us drooling on sight - it was all we could do to restrain ourselves from ordering the entire list!

Since short rib is now ubiquitous though, we decided to go with the more unique sounding fusion tacos: Black Cod with miso sake marinade ($6) and Duck Confit with blood orange and agave salsa ($5).  You could watch the chefs - including Chef Brock - prepare your food from the open grill at the tent.  Both fusion tacos were amazing, tender, juicy and flavorful, each served with crazy addictive (and free!) sides of Wasabi Guacamole and Pickled Shishito Peppers.  Easily my favorite fusion street tacos. 

I LOVED the wasabi guacamole while Designer was a huge fan of the peppers.  We could have had a meal just of these!  We hustled back to the taco stand before they closed for second rounds of the cod tacos, and when I told Chef Brock how much I loved the guac he was nice enough to give us extra dollops!

Had the guac been for sale I would have bought a bucket full - and was thrilled when Chef Brock said they are thinking about starting to offer it for sale!!!!

We were so obsessed with Yamashiro's food that we didn't really get to peruse of the other stalls after we started in on the food - but they had some fun ones from jewelry to loofah vendors.

Which brings me to the other cool thing about Yamashiro Farmers' Market - the element of the unexpected.  That day they had tweeted an invite for people to "check out the Wolves" and to "Hang out with them above the Pagoda Bar".  I and some other folks at the market thought they were talking about a live band.  When we found out they meant actual, live animals we could pet and play with in the terraces above the market, we had to make a stop there!

Though we weren't entirely sure of the thematic connection...could it be to spark thoughts of being "hungry like a wolf"?...it was for a good cause, their special appearance was in support of a wolf sanctuary to raise awareness and funds.  And I had been trying to train myself recently to stop looking for reason and logic in everything, to stop living in my head so much and just to go with the flow - live in the present to enjoy it. This was one great example of that.  The wolves were beautiful, gentle and adorable. One sleepyhead snuggled against its trainer, while another named "Maya" was at first shy, but when encouraged by her trainer turned friendly and came up to us for head rubs.  We had a fab time playing with and taking pics of the wolves, who were sweet as puppies - loved them!

And last but not least, Yamashiro ("Mountain Palace" in Japanese) is known for its spectacular views, which didn't disappoint.  We sat down at the benches to admire the view at dusk, with lights glowing from buildings below.  Couldn't believe it took us this long to 'discover' this place!

Peaceful and relaxing, it almost felt like we were on vacation - though we should have brought warmer clothes as it got a bit cold once it started getting dark. 

With all the cool/fun stuff happening, I actually forgot about fruit / veggie shopping! D'oh! I do remember the prices, at quick glance, being comparable to other farmers' markets - a bucket of cherries for example was $5, same as at Studio City Farmers' Market.

Before leaving (last shuttle leaves at 10pm) we wandered into the restaurant to check it out.  Built by German brothers in 1914 as a private estate to house their finds from "the orient", which has since evolved to restaurant and public gardens - it definitely doesn't give off the same aura of authenticity (as much as you can get in LA) that Gonpachi boasts of in terms of architecture / decor / vibe, but if you take it for what it is - a historic tourist attraction, that does offer a very LA experience for those who want to sip asian-inspired cocktails with respectively themed names and typography, or enjoy CalAsian fare over amazing views, Yamashiro is a great venue for a night out with friends, private events, or a date depending on who you're with.

For those who want to experience Yamashiro without paying Michelin-star prices - Farmers' Market, which just got named one of the World's Top Night Markets by Travel+Leisure, is a must every Thursday 5-9pm now through September.  Be sure to stop by the ATM first though as the Yamashiro Market Grill is cash only.  I know I'll definitely be back for those tacos and wasabi guac/or just for a refreshing local getaway for a few hours during the week!

On a 7 point scale:
Flavor - 6 bites
Presentation - 6 bites
Originality - 6 bites
Ambience - 6 stars
Service - 6 stars
Overall experience - 6 bites
Price - $ (1 bite mark Yamashiro Farmers' Market Grill menu)
Probability of return visit - 100% 

[See more photos from Yamashiro Farmers' Market at my Facebook page]
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Yamashiro Farmers' Market
Thursdays 5-9pm
1999 N. Sycamore Ave., Hollywood, CA 90068
Ph: 323.466.5125

Parking: Free in lot at 7107 Hollywood Blvd, with free shuttle service to market. Also free meter parking after 6pm on La Brea.

Website: yamashirorestaurant.com
Twitter: twitter.com/YamashiroLA
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