Picture by Mab Graves Instagram @mabgraves

I remember when my friend, Stephanie Takemoto , introduced me to Mab Graves' work. Her big-eyed children, innocent and whimsical, and all painted so small.

We would sit around for hours looking through her work. Some of her works-in-progess would be documented in short 10 second clips.

"Is she really painting with a paint brush that looks like it is one strand thick?"

It appears so and the results are amazing. Seriously I can look at her painting process all day.

What is exciting today is that her first ever Dunny collaboration with Kidrobot drops today! Look how adorable they are. One of the best parts of this collectable: it's flocked!

Now as of 11am Pacific Time, the pink dreamer has been sold out but you can find other outlets to find it. You can go to kidrobot's site and order the more limited edition blue dreamer. 200 of them has been made and you can only get it at the site!


Picture by Mab Graves Instagram @mabgraves
 
Café 86 (not to be confused by 85°C Café just a block away) is a café and dessert spot tucked away in the alleyway, Mills Rd right by the Dog Bakery and across the way from Equator. I've been seeing these ube pastries in Instagram and I knew I had to find my way east from LA to try out their desserts.

Filipino tastes and cuisines have been steadily making an impact in LA and it is beautiful to see those flavors now getting some sort limelight. One of the frustrating things growing up Filipina in a city where we are everywhere is being virtually invisible to mainstream. Places like Café 86 are being unapologetic about introducing our flavors as well as being fearless in experimenting and straying away from traditional standards.
 


 
Take for instance the ube cupcake topped with leche flan. Here you have the melding of two favorite desserts into one bite. Now it does get hard to eat it both at the same time as the flan tends to slide off so I found that going back and forth is easier than trying to eat it all at once.

They have a menu full of coffee drinks but being that it was my first time there, I wanted to try as much ube flavored things as possible. The monster shakes are matcha and ube with Oreo cookie blended in. It is delicious, thick and heavy.
 
The ube cheesecake is just as good- creamy and rich with a cookie crumble on top.

Café 86 is worth the trip and the stay. Enjoy coffee and dessert over a great conversation or bring in your laptop to do some quick work.
 
Café 86
36 W Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91105



Monday
10AM–8PM
Tuesday10AM–8PM
Wednesday10AM–8PM
Thursday10AM–8PM
Friday10AM–10PM
Saturday11AM–10PM
Sunday11AM–7PM
 

 
 

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