Here’s how I booked my Thanksgiving trip

Booking flights are stressful, but Google Flights and Hopper made the process so much easier for me. I fly all the time to visit my boyfriend, Carter, in Arizona, so I have a lot of experience with this stuff. The most helpful features on these programs are that they can notify you about the price drops (and spikes) in prices. Hopper will actually tell her whether to “wait” or “book now.” It may seem questionable, but it’s right!

What you need to know:

• Neither app will show past price history or Southwest rates.
• Google Flights is usually faster at sending notifications for price tracking.
• Just to be sure, do your research. For some reason, either of these programs may miss a rate or time slot that you want, so check other websites just to be sure.
• Honestly, just don’t check the prices after you book. You may have gotten the best price, but it doesn’t help to see a lower one after the fact.

I tried the cheapest Michelin Star Restaurant in the US

I was a first timer at Tim Ho Wan last week. We went on a Wednesday at 7pm and were seated immediately. Apparently, this is the cheapest Michelin Star restaurant in the US. As a loyal Chinatown dim sum-goer, I feel a little guilty saying this, but this place is definitely the best dim sum I’ve had (besides the turnip cake). It’s my pet peeve when dim sum tastes like it’s been sitting out for a while, but at Tim Ho Wan, everything was very fresh. You order everything off of a menu, which was nice compared to fighting for a cart-pusher’s attention. Despite the prices being a little higher than normal, we only paid around $15 a person.

Food: 5/5  •  Price: $$  •  Service: 4/5
Parking: Park in the Royal Hawaiian lot, and get validation. It’ll only be $2/hr.
Ambiance: Definitely nicer than a normal Chinese restaurant, but no need to dress up.

What you need to know:

• The Yelp reviews are somehow not too good, but don’t let that deter you!
• Unless you’re interested in paying $729, don’t forget to get your parking ticket validated!

Why you need to go to Ethel’s Grill

Last Saturday, I was a first timer at Ethel’s Grill. This cramped, eccentrically-decorated mom-and-pop lived up to the hype with it’s delicious food and low prices. I tried the taco rice, and our table shared the “Ethel’s Famous Tataki Sashimi.” The taco rice was a bit spicy but super tasty. Although the fish quality wasn’t the best, the sashimi had a great shoyu-sesame oil sauce with savory garlic slices on top. Almost every dish was under $13, and the portions were huge! I especially enjoyed dining next to the butt cheeks of the samurai (you’ll understand if you go); 10/10 would recommend requesting that table.

Tataki Sashimi: $8

Taco Rice: $10.75

Food: 5/5  •  Price: $  •  Service: 3.5/5

Parking: Find street parking in the area.
Ambiance: Aunty doesn’t care what you wear, so go in shorts and slippers.

What you need to know:

• Bring cash! It’s cash only.
• It’s a little hard to miss, so drive slowly.
• Go early. It could’ve been because we went on a Saturday, but there was already a line by 11:30am.
• Remember that it’s only open for lunch and until 2pm.