A to Z Challenge: F is for Fish

F is for 'fish.'

Now that my travel posts are over, I guess it's back to my life in real time!

Over the weekend I was sent back to California for a business trip, but I certainly made the most of it by hitting my favorite sushi joint ever! If you like traditional nigiri with an inventive twist, look no farther than ICHI Sushi! I've written about them before in this post, so my apologies for being redundant. But this was my third time going and honestly, they just get better and better. I always leave feeling blown away.

Now do you see why F is for fish?

ICHI's really good at keeping their menu seasonal and sustainable and with their high quality fish, each bite is like a sushi lover's dream.

 

 

Can anyone guess which nigiri piece the photo above is? The choices are listed on the menu ;)

An EPIC New Year's

Ringing in 2015 was the best! This year I got to ring it in with my family in SF at the Westin's epic NYE bash. It was definitely hectic heading to the airport after work. There was also a delay in my flight which worried me, but I was able to make it on time thanks to a friend I met on the plane who was heading to the same party (strange coincidence, I know! A story for another post).

When I arrived at the hotel, I quickly got dressed and proceeded to get a selfie with each of my sisters. From oldest to youngest as follows: Emily, Amy, Oanh, and Dao.

Having sisters is the best. It's like having permanent best friends no matter what. Reunited for the holiday, we were determined to have a good time!

 

We seriously danced the night away! The party had cool props and LED lights, and not to mention really great music!

 

 

 

 

 

At midnight, Michael and I used the couple app and had a thumb kiss since we were apart. If you're in a long distance relationship, I recommend the app! We had used it for a time before I moved to Seattle.

 

After that, my sisters and I kept on dancing! It was such a fun and memorable night. I am so glad I came and booked that last minute flight!

 

How did you spend your New Year's? Comment below or make a post on your blog :)

Thanksgiving Week: SF and ICHI Sushi (Part 3)

Last year Michael and I went to SF and stumbled upon an amazing Sushi restaurant called ICHI. It was so amazing and memorable that we decided to venture out there again for it (it may just become a tradition of ours!).

Our reservation was in the evening, but we decided to head into the city early before the traffic hit. We caught lunch at Samovar and then walked around the city.

When it started to get dark, we headed into Press Club for drinks. It's a pretty neat wine bar, a bit on the posh side with the leather seats and underground vibe, but the wine list was great. I ended up doing a flight of bubbles!

Then the time finally came! We headed to ICHI. This year we went to their new location. It was more hip and trendy compared to their previous hidden gem location, which made us slightly apprehensive. Once we got the food, however, our fears quickly fell away. ICHI did not lose their inventive touch. Their balance of flavors really brought out the fish, but also made it a unique and surprising dining experience.

Golden Eye Snapper, one of my faves.

With an attentive staff, and high quality fresh food, the drive was so worth it. I think my face shows it all.

Sushi heaven face.

ICHI continues to be the best place I've ever had sushi. If you are ever fortunate to be in SF, make a trip there. You won't regret it.

Back to Sac (Part 4: Onto SF)

Since we were in California for the week, Michael wanted to spend a day in SF. Surprisingly, being a California native, I had yet to see the Golden Gate Bridge. So the day after Thanksgiving we went. It was our first city getaway and we were welcomed with great weather.

After the Golden Gate Bridge and checking into our hotel, we grabbed lunch at Samovar Tea Lounge, one of Michael's favorite places. After enjoying the meal and tea, I could understand why he like it so much. Everything that touched my lips was phenomenal that we ended up going there the next day for breakfast too.

For the remainder of the day, we strolled the city, trying to avoid black Friday shoppers as we went. Later on we grabbed some wine at ENO, then had sushi for dinner. Let me just say now that I HAD THE BEST SUSHI EVER at ICHI Sushi. The creative fusion of ingredients on top of the impeccable fish and rice seriously made my pannies drop (not really, but you get what I'm saying right?)

Golden Eye Snapper on the bottom right was my fave!

After the amazing sushi and later into the night we met up with some Seattle friends who were also in SF for a drink. All in all, it was a great day.

The next day we went back to Sac and enjoyed what little time we had left with my family. Then we made the long trek back home with a sedated Blaire (my cat).

To note, I did finish my NaNoWriMo project, but never uploaded it to the site. During that week, I made the difficult decision to euthanize my beloved dog, Kiwi. He was nine. One day I'll write a post about him, but right now I just can't. There's nothing I could say right now that would help ease the loss. I can only hope that he's happy now and forgives me, wherever he is...

A last photo of us playing together.