Visit Seoul: McDonald's

I always enjoy going to McDonald's in other countries to try out the different offerings.

While in Seoul, we tried the following: 

Egg Bulgogi Burger

The Bulgogi with Egg was my favorite - I enjoyed the bulgogi sauce, and the egg made it hearty (you can opt for it without the egg).

McChicken Mozzarella

My next fave was the McChicken Mozzarella, which featured Mozzarella Cheese Sticks and a spicy sauce.

1955 Burger

The 1955 Burger pays homage to the original 1955 burger, made with onions, tomatoes, and lettuce.

The kids also tried a Jejo orange drink and some churros.  

Jeju Hallabong Chiller

 

Churro

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Ululani's Hawaiian Shave Ice opens its first location on Oahu!

 

Ululani's Hawaiian Shave Ice, which is mostly known for being one of must-stops on Maui for their ultra fine, homemade syrups, has finally hit Oahu's shores. They recently celebrated the grand opening of their first location on Oahu, and I visited them that weekend to see why so many people recommend Ululani's when visiting Maui.

Their shave ice is one of the finest I've had. And when you combine that with their homemade syrups made with local ingredients, it's just heavenly. 

Mahalo to owner David for this complimentary bowl of shave ice! It was winnas!! 

The owner brought over a few employees from their Maui shops for the grand opening, which enabled the new establishment to pump out their bowls of shave ice efficiently. 

One of my sons is a purist and will always order a plain strawberry shave ice - no toppings, no ice cream. 

My other son is a little more adventurous in his flavor selection and adding mochi on top (the mochi is really good!).  

You can create your own bowl (two sizes, flavors, ice cream/azuki beans, toppings) or choose from one of their most popular combos. I tried the sunset beach and I would get it again and again and again!!

Customer parking is available (read the signs - some stalls are for a specific tenant). They are currently open 7 days a week!

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ULULANI'S HAWAIIAN SHAVE ICE
909 KAPAHULU AVENUE
808-683-6229

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Visit Maui: Maui Dharma Center Stupa

While walking through Paia, we stumbled upon the Maui Dharma Center Stupa.  Curious, we went to check it out, and discovered it is The Great Paia Lha Bab Peace Stupa, with a prayer wheel inside.

The 27-feet tall structure sits at the entrance to the Maui Dharma Center temple.  It is said that the wheel holds millions of written prayers, and as you turn and spin the prayer wheel, the prayers get disseminated, spreading love and peace throughout the world.  

It was such a special find!

Maui Dharma Center

81 Baldwin Avenue

Paia

 

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Visit Las Vegas: Dominique Ansel Bakery at Caesars Palace

Dominique Ansel Bakery in Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas

As a fan of sweets, I love to seek out bakeries while traveling.  One of my favorite bakeries is by Dominique Ansel, a French pastry chef and the creator of the cronut - half croissant and half donut.  His original bakery is in New York where people would line up for his signature creations like the cronut, cookie shot, and frozen s'more.

His newest location opened last year in Caesar's Palace on the Las Vegas Strip.  Unique to the Las Vegas location is his line of Lucky 7 pastries and also the world's first fully automated cookie shot vending machine.  My favorite pastry is the cronut which flavor changes every month, never repeating which is why I'll be sure to visit every time I make a trip to sin city! 

January's flavor was Mandarin Kumquat & Vanilla

Some of the Lucky 7 pastries include Fortune Cookie and Four Leaf Clover

First ever cookie shot robot!

Dominique Ansel - Las Vegas

MON-SUN 7AM-9PM 

    

   

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Visit Seoul: The 딜딜 Ice Cream

It was another day lost in Seoul, but as luck would have it, I stumbled upon an ice cream shop, The 딜딜 Ice Cream, in the unlikeliest spots - in the middle of the electronics district in Yongsan!

Here you'll find a huge selection of convenience store ice creams - cones, bars, waffles, sandwiches, and more. 

It was an ice cream-lovers dream!

I wish I could try them all!  

In addition to ice cream, they also offer other types of convenience store snacks and drinks.  

The 딜딜 Ice Cream was a welcome sight during another day of getting lost.
 

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Gelatissimo's first Hawai Location!

Mahalo to our sponsor for the complimentary gelato!

Gelatissimo has been around for 20 years, but Hawaii's location is just the second location in the United States, and the first in Hawaii. Known for real ingredients, decadent flavors, and incorporating locally sourced ingredients and flavors unique to the area, Gelatissimo is a great addition to the Waikiki area. 

Located in Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center in a small kiosk right on Kalakaua Avenue, it's hard to miss when you're strolling down Kalakaua Avenue.

Gelato comes in three sizes:  small (one scoop) medium (two scoops), or large. (three scoops). For the medium and large sizes, you can mix or match your flavors.  Waffle cones, toppings, and hot Nutella/fudge are are available for just $1 per add-on. 

Just look at all the colorful and enticing flavors of gelato:

They have locally inspired flavors like guava, Lilikoi, Dragonfruit & lychee, and mango. Some of the flavors are vegan friendly too! And they do change up the flavors periodically. There are a few flavors that are considered "deluxe" and an extra $.50 per scoop.

I decided to get a two scoop cone, and I knew I would be getting the Lilikoi, because I like anything Lilikoi. I had a hard time decided on which flavor to choose as my second, because there were several that I wanted to try -- chocolate dipped strawberries, strawberry, lemon, ube, and even sugar free chocolate. But I ended up choosing the very berry cheesecake, because I love cheesecake and berries! 

The Lilikoi was wonderful - I could really taste the Lilikoi flavor and the black seeds added a nice crunch and authenticity to it. The very berry cheesecake was okay, but I was hoping for more berries in my scoop. The upside is that it felt like I was eating a Lilikoi cheesecake out of a waffle cone. Speaking of which, the waffle cone was nice and crispy, even though the cone was not made fresh to order. 

When you visit Gelatissimo in Waikiki, you'll definitely want to try more than one flavor, and try their flavors that are unique to Hawaii. I really recommend the Lilikoi - it's tart, yet very refreshing! And don't forget to add some extra pizzaz to your gelato with sprinkles and hot fudge!

Current Hours: 10 am - 10 pm daily

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GELATISSIMO WAIKIKI

2201 Kalakaua Avenue 

Royal Hawaiian Center

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Visit California: In-N-Out Burger

I was pretty hungry upon arriving at night in Ontario.  The first place that popped into mind was In-N-Out.  

We went to the location in Pomona, which had a double-lane drive thru only (outdoor seating is available if you wish to eat your food right away, and they even give you placemats whether you want to eat in your car or at the table).  An employee was taking orders on a tablet, which made the process go very fast.

I always get the grilled cheese.  I usually get it animal-style (extra spread + grilled onions), but I got animal-style fries, so decided just get a regular grilled cheese.

Grilled Cheese, Cheeseburger with Chopped Chilis, Double Double

Animal-Style Fries, Fries

It was such a satisfying meal!

In-N-Out Burger
1851 Indian Hill Blvd

Pomona, CA 91767

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