Okay, not so much the world, but a dinner party inspired by a few places in Asia and the city of Los Angeles!
Picture this: thereās this girl who loves to cook and loves a dinner party. She has the perfect occasion (excuse) to host: sheās turning 22, and itās her last month living in LA for the very foreseeable future. Problem: her apartment has one communal space: the kitchen that is essentially an alley, with room only for a 3x3 table with two foldable chairs.
Luckily, I am this girl, and I was up for this challenge!
Between May and June, I got to visit Tokyo (May 22-25), Seoul (for a USC Maymester between May 25-June 7), Hong Kong (June 7-14), and finally Bangkok (June 14-18). My birthday was quickly approaching following my return, and even though I hadnāt thrown a party in quite a few years, I figured there was no time like my last birthday in LA to finally do so. Also, my best friend and roommate had already moved out, so she let me use her room to make my vision come true (even though the party wouldāve been so much fun with her).
I knew I wanted this to be a dinner party, but I also wanted it to be an homage to my trip. Thus, I made a presentation to guide me through some activities and photo sharing throughout the night! I had to do a food recap of each city, of course: my first meal, my top 3 meals, my best bang for buck, my meal I had on repeat, and then my final meal. I also did a bit of trip trivia, drawing on some of my most fun lore from the trip.
I did my shopping at Galleria Market and Trader Joeās. I thought Galleria would be helpful to secure the Asian ingredients I needed, but Iāll do a breakdown of the ingredients I acquired for each course.
Salmon Sashimi, White Rice, Seaweed
The first course was inspired by my first leg of the trip: Tokyo! This was my briefest leg of the trip, and it mainly served as my way into the continent of Asia. Tokyo has a lot more direct flights from Los Angeles, so it was a bit more affordable to fly in and then peruse for a few days. It was also just an opportunity to visit Japan for the first time, so I was very excited to be able to do so.
For ease and lightness of fare, I decided to make a sashimi platter and some white rice to go with. Actually, my friend Tiffany spearheaded the plating for this one, and I would say she did quite the show-stopping job. Shoutout to my friend Ethan for lending me this stunning heavy gold-colored platter too :D
The hope was for this course was just to open up peopleās stomachs for the courses to come!
Pajeon, Kimchi
This next course was inspired by the heart (and Seoul) of this trip: Seoul! As this was the biggest reason I was in Asia this summer, I knew this course would have to be extra special. Luckily, Iād been an avid consumer of the Trader Joeās pajeon and already knew theyād be delicious āĀ itās really hard to beat Trader Joeās frozen foods and their pricing, so even if not the most authentic, it was a great fit for a party full of multiple courses.
I hope my two Seoul besties, Amor and Tiffany, enjoyed this homage to our two weeks together.
Laab Gai, Sticky Rice, Lettuce and Carrots
As much as I wanted the courses to be in order of when I visited them, I couldnāt find a Hong Kong main dish that I thought would be simple enough to prepare, plus I had the perfect dessert to represent Hong Kong. Thus, the third course was left to be Thai, and luckily for me, there were so many delicious options to choose from. Ultimately, I went with laab gai, a sort of ground chicken salad, that was so easy to make! The only cooking it required was the chicken, and then we mixed in some herbs and shallots to complete it. This was such a hit, and the roasted rice powder is the star flavoring agent of the dish. If youāve never had this powder, youāre in for such a special treat āĀ it will seriously elevate anything you sprinkle it on.
I used this recipe from the recipe book I got from the cooking class I went to in Bangkok! Shoutout to Silom Thai Cooking School for the best cooking class experience! When I finally make my Asia recap, theyāll be getting a whole feature!
Gai Dan Jai, Ice Cream, Strawberries
This is one of my favorite desserts, so when I saw that Trader Joeās made these mini versions (and they were actually TOO GOOD), I was thrilled. This was me and my roommateās fixation for summer 2024, and they were unfortunately limited time only. They thankfully returned for summer 2025, and Iām happy to report I now see them pretty consistently at my own local Trader Joeās.
These have a mochi-like texture and is a great balance of chewy and crispy. I cannot spread the gospel enough, because I need these to stay at Trader Joeās for as long as possible.
Served with vanilla ice cream and chopped strawberries, gai dan jai made for an ideal (co-) finale for this dinner party!
Strawberry Tres Leches Cake from Phoenix Bakery
If thereās two things that have been consistent about the last four birthdays, they would be that Iāve spent them in LA and that Iāve gotten this beautiful cake from Phoenix Bakery. Now in their 88th year of operation, this bakery means so much to Chinatown. I am so glad I got to support them for four years in a row. I couldnāt imagine spending my last birthday in LA without this cake. What a special way to ring in 22 and say goodbye š„ŗ
I love hosting a little dinner party, and Iām so grateful I was able to do so for my final birthday in LA.
Also, this would not have been made possible without my extraordinary sous chef, Emily!
Thanks to all who were able to make it and celebrate my time in Asia with me āŗļø
See you soon,
Carissa š