Crafterateur

My trip to the Palm Springs area was for business and for pleasure. I conveniently scheduled a work project meeting for the day before my cousin was to get married. Sneaky, sneaky! All the food adventures below plus links to all my reviews.

THURSDAY
I flew into the Palm Springs airport on Thursday evening and headed straight to food with my co-worker.

Rooster and the Pig / pickled okra / green papaya salad / shrimp spring roll / panko-crusted rice ball with yellow curry
Long wait, hole-in-the-wall feel in a strip mall. I’m liking my dinner choice! And once inside, a culinary experience. Dishes are easy to share; my fave was the pickled okra, but check out that rice ball on top of the yellow curry. Unique finds! If I wasn’t there during the work part of my trip, I would have tried a fancy adult bevvie. Regardless, my foodchella experience was off to a great start.

FRIDAY
Friday was the day of my work meeting so instead of trying a breakfast hotspot in the morning, I packed some peanut butter sandwiches for a quick meal. Lunch, second lunch, and dinner finds below…

Haus of Poke / small plate with salad, ahi tuna, shrimp, edamame, cucumber, mango, Haus special sauce, ponzu, pickled ginger, spicy tuna, masago, avocado, and crispy garlic and onion / Jasmine green tea with lychee coconut jelly
Hands down this was the freshest most flavor-balanced poke bowl I’ve ever had, and I look forward to another visit. Also, look how fancy with the orchid and this fork-chopstick utensil. My new work friends must have thought ‘strange lady’ as I took photos of all the things. Their lychee coconut jellies are not to be missed either.

Tommy Bahama / macadamia-crusted goat cheese / blackened fish tacos / world famous coconut shrimp / bread + fancy buttah / lemonade
‘A classic Palm Springs experience’ my friend said. It did not disappoint. We enjoyed happy hour menu items on the patio. We weren’t even that hungry yet (lunch was so filling!) but we had to try it all. Plates here are also perfect for sharing. Lots of bright flavors and food textures, play on salty and sweet, and crunchy and creamy.

King Taco / carne asada and chicken tacos / carne asada nachos / pork and beef tamales
I know what you’re thinking – King Taco is not in Palm Springs! My hubby joined in for the vacation part of my trip but his flight from San Francisco to Palm Springs got cancelled due to weather, so we rerouted him to fly from Oakland to Ontario, which meant a short road trip for me. My sister kept me company on the road to Ontario (which was crazy windy!) and we rewarded ourselves with a late night meal a la King Taco near the airport! Nothing like late night street tacos and cheesy nachos with my favorites.

SATURDAY
Good morning! For breakfast I ate half a King Taco tamale and then I was good to go for our Joshua Tree adventure hike!

the Natural Sisters Cafe / Orange Ya Glad smoothie (orange juice, mango, and vanilla yogurt)
Post-hike we all got smoothies at the Natural Sisters Cafe. Refreshing! We also checked out a nearby farmers market. Smoothie cheers!

Domo Sushi / bento special with spicy tuna, mixed tempura, and gyoza / fried rice / teriyaki beef / Palm Spring roll
And for lunch Hubby and I picked up some Japanese to go so we could snack and get ready for the wedding that afternoon. I loved Domo’s space – tiny and cozy. As we were waiting for our food I watched all the beautifully plated dishes come out. My faves from our meal – the cabbage slaw and the oniony sauce from the teriyaki beef dish. I want to go back and enjoy the in-restaurant service. Yelp tells me they have the cutest fruit art post-meal.

Wedding Foods / assorted pastas, pizzas, salads, and desserts
That afternoon we attended my cousin’s wedding at the Lautner Compound. What a lovely space – simple and elegant decor. The wedding menu had pastas, pizzas, and salads, plus special treats throughout the evening, including a liquid nitrogen ice cream stand and on-the-spot churros, plus a bourbon and cigar station. It was also a particularly windy evening so I’m sure I ate my serving of desert dust, too. 😉

SUNDAY
Our last day of adventures, and for breakfast I ate the gift that keeps on giving, another King Taco tamale! So good! This gave me energy to pack up and check out, then get ourselves to lunch! 🙂

Fernanda’s Salvadorian Food / desayuno rapido (two pupusas, a fried plantain, beans, and cream) / yucca con chicharrones / plantain split
We had a family lunch and we celebrated my birthday! Everyone enjoyed their dish; I particularly loved my pupusas of choice. I had the revueltas and the queso y loroco. Yum! And in true parent fashion, my Dad told the staff it was my birthday so I got a special treat – a fried plantain split. So good! Forget banana splits, plantains are where it’s at! Fernanda’s is worth the drive if you’re in the Palm Springs area.

Koffi South / blended chai
After fun times at the Cabazon Dinosaurs and the Moorten Botanical Garden, Hubby and I cooled off at Koffi South with cold beverages and air conditioning. This wasn’t my favorite drink, but it definitely was my favorite company.

Native Foods / Buddha Bowl (teriyaki sweet potatoes, avocado, shiitake mushrooms, daikon sprouts, corn, and cilantro Jasmine rice)
Oh whoops sorry no photo. We ordered some snacks from Native Foods to-go for the airport wait / plane ride. The restaurant itself has a chill cafe, beach town feel. We wish we could have hung out. Next time, we’ll have to visit and try more of these yummy-sounding menu items.

Vacationed lately? Share your latest food finds below!