Shrimp Coctails!

I’m typing up this note on my Compaq Evo N610c going 70mph in the passenger seat of the Pathfinder passing <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Long Beach</st1:place></st1:city> with Kai-wen driving and Sue-quay holding Kyle’s hand in the backseat.

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We just got done having a rather uninspiring lunch at the Café Westminister (open 24 hours no doubt desperate to catch unwarily travelers caught in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Orange</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">County</st1:placetype></st1:place> after dark). Basically assume it tasted like Denny’s combined with the uneasy décor of a diner last updated in 50’s Hawaiian tropical themes.

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The In-And-Out that shares the parking lot was our first choice, but so was it everyone’s elses’.

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All of this is disappointing when compared to the absolutely stunning dinner we enjoyed at a restaurant named Mahi-Mahi in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Ensenada</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">Baja California</st1:state></st1:place> about 21 hours earlier.

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At the Mahi-Mahi restaurant (just off the <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Transpenninsular Highway</st1:address></st1:street> at the Y of downtown <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Ensenada</st1:place></st1:city> within walking distance of Hussong’s and Papas&Beer) we started off with a gorgeous large sized shrimp cocktail. The shrimp were swimming in a freshly made cocktail of onions, avocado, lime, and tomatoes. We also had a deep-fried Marlin taco – delicately fried with a rich, tomotoe-taste. We sampled a generously sized fish soup as well with a complex, rich broth of deep red tomotoe based flavor with balck olives. Excellent.

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Our main entrees were all incredible, I had the Mahi-Mahi in a garlic and butter sauce, and Sue-Quay had the same but with shrimp. Kai-wen had a shrimp with spinach in a cream sauce. I also enjoyed two Dos Equis Special Lager beers each for a $1.5. Total bill including two deserts (extremely tasty cheesecake) came to a total of $49 for four people. Kyle enjoyed a child’s meal of delicately breaded Halibut.

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We were in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Ensenada</st1:place></st1:city> as a quick get-away, myself from work at Taldren and for Kai-wen and Sue-quay to have something fun to do.

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Outside of eating the highlight of the trip to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Ensenada</st1:place></st1:city> was the four-hour long whale-watching trip. We saw a grey whale breach twice at about 1000 yards as well as closely follow a group of three from the distance of about 30 feet for about a half-an hour. I was struck by the hydrodynamic position of the nose far back on the back of the whale and spent a considerable amount of time day-dreaming about how during the evolution of the grey-whale the nose would have made an amusing travel across the head of the animal.

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So <st1:city w:st="on">Ensenada</st1:city> turns out to be just three hours away from <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Laguna Beach</st1:place></st1:city>! Closer than <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">LV</st1:place></st1:city> with far better scenery along the way. We stayed just a short stay and it looks like it will be a great place for years to come to explore with a kayak. Boats may be hired for $150 a day, could take us out to the Todos de Santos islands.

Originally posted on LiveJournal