It has been a while since I tried a new restaurant because of its ranking. I stopped paying attention to reviews and ranking since the passing of Jonathan Gold. I loved reading his reviews and eagerly awaiting his annual list of LA’s top 101 restaurants (my roadmap to LA’s gastronomic landscape). Adding to this was a financial reset I needed to do, lost friendships, and new beginnings. I stayed away from social media for the most part and I had not posted anything food-related since I went to Dubai in 2018.

Last week, I felt the urge to post photos from my dinner at Napa Rose and I was surprise at the positive response I received from old friends. One of them was excited to see the my food posts were back. I felt nostalgic for times past, but I don’t regret stepping away from social media for a few years, and I certainly don’t regret taking a break from going to so many restaurants. It sounds counterintuitive, but the trust is that I’ve gained a much better appreciation for food after cooking from home more.

Today’s lunch at Vox is a prime example. I was able to identify far more ingredients in the bone-in short rib soup now because I’ve used many of the ingredients countless times. I would have never been able to identify the enoki mushrooms and would have had no clue on where to buy them. The lychee lemonade would have merely been delicious in the past with not much thought as to what lychee could be. Now it’s one of my favorite fruits and I know how to look for good ones when they’re in season.

I’ve been enjoying my last few posts about food—both on here and other social media—and perhaps it is time to start doing this again regularly.