tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8841881452552538232024-03-13T08:01:03.050-07:00Tastebud Journeysjoin me as i continue my never ending quest in search of the whole meal experience. here i'll share those places where tasty treats awaken the palate. Each dining experience is an integral part of a journey which us mere mortals know simply as lifesiaodofuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04752335858433376061noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884188145255253823.post-39319508417238640372010-05-11T12:17:00.000-07:002010-06-05T18:17:21.551-07:00Yakyudori Yakitori & Ramen -- passable if you're desperate<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZQKEq5DEBguRITTvqpEtJ15gkkaoSAPsdfun9F1Ep_CJLvZUgVVf8DbCKrdfWg9mMMKfhdmfB5zEg93RZStLF8qgxnSyoSALrlcA0nC0EMdDzgooo7qLFvH3OBh7_WFzIYSp2fE60Fu4/s1600/yakyudori1.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZQKEq5DEBguRITTvqpEtJ15gkkaoSAPsdfun9F1Ep_CJLvZUgVVf8DbCKrdfWg9mMMKfhdmfB5zEg93RZStLF8qgxnSyoSALrlcA0nC0EMdDzgooo7qLFvH3OBh7_WFzIYSp2fE60Fu4/s200/yakyudori1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479462814446609794" border="0" /></a><br /><address class="smaller"> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Yakyudori Yaktori & Ramen</span><br />4898 Convoy St<br />San Diego, CA 92111<br /> <span class="smaller">(858) 268-2888</span> </address> <br /><br />Sometimes I join a group called the Kearny Mesa Lunch Bunch (KMLB) for lunch. The group is based in the Kearny Mesa area in San Diego and lunches include visiting new restaurants or sometimes, just old favorites which need desperately to be revisited. On one such occasion, we came here.<br /><br />The restaurant is really small and the same goes for the menu. There are about 6 types of ramen you can choose from and each comes with a few toppings. Additional toppings range from 50 cents to $2 and the usual stuff such as bamboo, chashu, beansprouts, green onions etc are available.<br /><br />They offer small bowls of ramen and it is confusing on the menu because it is hard to decipher how much a small bowl costs. But actually, it is $1.50 less than whatever regular bowl of ramen costs depending on the style of ramen you want.<br /><br />I also got chicken karaage which was actually quite good. I tasted the takoyaki (octopus balls) which they called fried octopus fritters on the menu..... were meh. I've definitely had much better and these were kinda mass-produced tasting. They also have gyozas which I didn't try, but those who did said it was really good.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcK2owmR2ZehNg2PAaq9Veazd0gNXYBde_53SHXfo6u4BkIa-5uqnbCZoRzfbpi64uBovSEnVTP2bWDKsh5PKrG4jweVuiRk1GNW_oQuQ-iBm-qHZDp9xd8xQzVSGX6ardcRLA9AObWS8/s1600/yakyudori2.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcK2owmR2ZehNg2PAaq9Veazd0gNXYBde_53SHXfo6u4BkIa-5uqnbCZoRzfbpi64uBovSEnVTP2bWDKsh5PKrG4jweVuiRk1GNW_oQuQ-iBm-qHZDp9xd8xQzVSGX6ardcRLA9AObWS8/s200/yakyudori2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479462820191266370" border="0" /></a><br />I ordered a small bowl of nagoya style ramen and a small bowl doesn't come with the soft boiled egg, while the large bowl does. It doesn't make any sense really because the egg costs $1.50 so essentially, it is cheaper to just get the regular bowl of ramen and not eat your extra ramen for the same price.<br /><br />I got additional chashu, beansprouts, egg (since mine didn't come with any) and bamboo. The ramen itself came with a small spoonful of ground pork and some chives. The small bowl also comes with a minuscule amount of broth so the ramen was essentially kinda on the dry side. The regular sized ramen had a decent amount of broth.<br /><br />Flavor-wise the chashu was really good, not too fatty and very tasty. The ramen was just so-so and the broth was on the weak side. I asked for the creamed garlic to add to my broth for additional flavor and it helped some.<br /><br />In the end, when you add this topping and that topping, the price of your ramen can get quite expensive. My bowl of ramen ended up costing about $11 when Santouka ramen's most expensive bowl of ramen costs the same with more pork and more toppings already included. Santouka's broth is also far superior to the one here.<br /><br />For a quick ramen fix this place suffices. It also looks like it is trying to turn itself into an izakaya during dinner time as there were signs stipulating that once they get their liquor license they will be serving yakitori (grilled skewers) along with the alcohol.<br /><br />Yakyudori definitely has potential to become a happening place! <input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>siaodofuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04752335858433376061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884188145255253823.post-35538492926640017702009-06-19T14:46:00.000-07:002010-06-05T18:02:49.250-07:00Duong Son BBQ -- yummy Chinese close to home<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip4QYBNKyYXDwtq46e8_UlDKeFdxK5rZ7FVVqVZs7ZzL1BT3ksSah8FbTnWiELUEVkzo9di0XKGw89JCDFNPt6cFDB-ojS73-NLkmBq4I-9ejM5pzD68iHFgLHzvIvbqV7TXHGKsLTqs0/s1600-h/gailan+with+beef.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip4QYBNKyYXDwtq46e8_UlDKeFdxK5rZ7FVVqVZs7ZzL1BT3ksSah8FbTnWiELUEVkzo9di0XKGw89JCDFNPt6cFDB-ojS73-NLkmBq4I-9ejM5pzD68iHFgLHzvIvbqV7TXHGKsLTqs0/s200/gailan+with+beef.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349164480924445186" border="0" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Duong Son BBQ</span></i></b></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">9081 Bolsa Avenue</span></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Westminster, CA 92683</span></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">(714) 897-1269</span></i></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">It's been a really long and hard road in trying to find some decent Chinese food in OC and especially a place where the food is reasonably priced as well. Duong Son is run by Vietnamese Chinese folks and their homestyle Chinese cuisine is by far some of the</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> best I've had in the area. It is not fancy, but very hearty, comforting if you will. Something your mama might make at home.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The meal starts with complimentary Chinese soup which changes daily. To me, this is the best part of going for Cantonese food because the soup usually is a great indicator of how the meal will follow. If your soup is bland and watery, your meal won't be much better either.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">We ordered a BBQ combo plate which includes steamed chicken, roasted duck and bbq pork. The latter was very tasty and not too fatty. The duck and chicken were also good, but I don't think I would order those again on subsequent visits since there is just so much offered on</span></div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg09jU4CPOeNZdz1-PoxEixrvXCQtUMMTayTNMXvCMMOJQTrmWrDxp6o_ARBJ1o68ZDDEA5X6SDCX_rLEVd-RkL6HxoDj-iQDZYO58VPpll70z8lgpqiQeG78c6W3S-u_3DvArK1XEZVE0/s200/steamed+rock+cod.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349164485258013282" border="0" /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">the menu to sample.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Steamed rock cod was tender and just what I was craving. I love steamed fish Chinese style with scallion and soy sauce. I did think they needed a tad more soy sauce as it wasn't salty enough, however, the fish was very fresh which made up for whatever was lacking in the sauce.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Fried tofu is absolutely fantastic -- served with a chili soy sauce -- and it was apparent</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> because my son devoured the entire plate on his own minus two pieces which we took. This is definitely a keeper.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Chinese broccoli (gai lan) with beef was perfectly cooked and seasoned. Tender pieces of beef stir fried with gai lan with a hint of garlic and ginger -- highly satisfying.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">We also ordered salted fish and diced chicken fried rice. Ordinarily, this item is very s</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">alty, but for some reason, the version here was just right. You could eat it on its own without fear of having a thirst attack later on.</span></div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKQ5lGu59Rhjd44CDFTKUiVPQ2rxy4jnzkbfzYzu5pxttsRHzuiHcTmwQ_pcupT63oVI7IKTukxmTI0nyOdl-YGghADKTC2RqUyR37ZqgeiUZ5rqxKhyphenhyphenE_mmkNA7DeuBI3ZkZLUAHRCeg/s200/salted+fish+fried+rice.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349164489536981538" border="0" /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">When you're done with your meal, complimentary Chinese dessert is brought to the table. On our visit, it was red bean and sago and in true Chinese tradition, it wasn't super sweet. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Even I, who traditionally stay away from these sorts of things, ended up polishing off my little bowl.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Best of all, the entire meal only set us back around $40 (tip not included) and we still had food leftover to bring home.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">If you're feeling like some non-pretentious Chinese food, definitely give Duong Son a try!!</span></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>siaodofuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04752335858433376061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884188145255253823.post-58487056995195313632009-04-19T14:05:00.000-07:002010-06-05T18:01:43.304-07:00Utopia Cafe -- Claypot rice and more<span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirOrjxhjWe92JU0ksGuZeue4NdUt0NMNXUUKCFkb1roMcWXljgVT0-2s49cMGMdpnAm9RXJ0aFMHZjzQCCqH8vJ8dryS6kus95hdiBEt5txKP0G6QKt1Ei_XxISYPSY8K9iKCwyMxI4BM/s1600-h/Utopia+3.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirOrjxhjWe92JU0ksGuZeue4NdUt0NMNXUUKCFkb1roMcWXljgVT0-2s49cMGMdpnAm9RXJ0aFMHZjzQCCqH8vJ8dryS6kus95hdiBEt5txKP0G6QKt1Ei_XxISYPSY8K9iKCwyMxI4BM/s200/Utopia+3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326514707535527330" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >Utopia Cafe<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">139 Wav</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">e</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">r</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">ly Place</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">San </span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">Francisco, CA 94108</span><br />(415) 956-2902</span><br /><br />Why does Chinese food always taste so much better in San Francisco? I have no clue, but it just does. My absolute favorite thing to eat is clay pot rice (boh jai fan) and Utopia Cafe specializes in it. The last time I was here, I dined alone, so all I could order was the clay pot rice. This time, there were three of us so we were able to order a few more items.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Ground pork pattie with salty fish clay pot rice appeals to all in my family so we ordered that one. We also go</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">t some garlic pea sprouts, salt and pepper tofu cubes, and an order of shrimp and pork wontons.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The wontons were really good -- not as good as what one might find in Hong Kong, but still, very good</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> nonetheless -- in a dried fish broth with a few sprigs of choy sum. Use some of the chili oil they have in the jar on the table if you like spicy stuff as this will enhance the wontons eve more.<br /><br />Salt and pepper tofu cubes were such a hit with all we ate those up very quickly. Garlic pea sprouts were lovely as well, but ask for the garlic cloves instead of minced garlic as they use jarred garlic and not fresh.</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />Clay pot rice take</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">s a while to cook so was the last to arrive. They give you a bowl of their house special soy sauce to drizzle over the rice when it arrives. My favorite part of the rice is the charred, </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW_S4oQvJZElS-Dmee-gDCobl1wcqJa4RGrvZu4wH82vyJmft7OXjqZjnkanyTSyaCu3FhCErrP8QYkr4t1lZbUN0TvowFQYhAXWvfyyfK_s7M1ByuvmLhJqA-yUUDEixRPJsbMcNAHbw/s1600-h/Utopia+1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW_S4oQvJZElS-Dmee-gDCobl1wcqJa4RGrvZu4wH82vyJmft7OXjqZjnkanyTSyaCu3FhCErrP8QYkr4t1lZbUN0TvowFQYhAXWvfyyfK_s7M1ByuvmLhJqA-yUUDEixRPJsbMcNAHbw/s200/Utopia+1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326514703591179106" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">crusty bottom. There is nothing like it in my opinion!<br /><br />Service isn't the best in Chinatown, but the staff are ready to help if you need it, and because I speak the language, they are really nice, especially when hubby praises them on the food. If you spend $30 or more, they will validate your parking at Portsmouth Square G</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">arage for 2 hours.<br /><br />Wish they had something close to this in Orange County!<br /></span><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>siaodofuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04752335858433376061noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884188145255253823.post-85403485927924850792009-03-28T20:56:00.000-07:002010-06-05T18:00:53.982-07:00HK Causeway Bay -- A hankering for Chinese<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjSpXSOmkulFs86Z9u_5WjL0w9pJJwI8W9cBBqTh5oIhKcLNPNVL1epYtBzHXS1IM7LffLwx4Um5upQa5vySTX76oWdLa3kPvjMmntSJ2FJ8yQcppfB90Av4c5tFDgy4kFti-iSY_BW1o/s1600-h/IMG_2182.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjSpXSOmkulFs86Z9u_5WjL0w9pJJwI8W9cBBqTh5oIhKcLNPNVL1epYtBzHXS1IM7LffLwx4Um5upQa5vySTX76oWdLa3kPvjMmntSJ2FJ8yQcppfB90Av4c5tFDgy4kFti-iSY_BW1o/s200/IMG_2182.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318457580953860578" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">HK Causeway Bay</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"><br />111 E 4th Avenue</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">San Mateo, CA 94401</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />(650) 342-8388</span></span><br /><br />In all honesty, even the most mediocre dim sum in the Bay Area is better than the best dim sum in Orange County. Frankly, there isn't a place I'd really go for dim sum in OC when I'm hankering for some. HK Causeway Bay is another example of the tons of dim sum restaurants available in the Bay Area, and in San Mateo alone, there are at least a handful which does the job when you've got that craving for some BBQ pork buns or har gow.</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />I came here with my aunt, uncle and cousins. We ordered quite a few dim sum items as well as some specials including a bamboo pith with Shanghai bok choy in broth with goji berries, steamed tripe served with a special soy sauce and a rice vermecelli with bean sprouts and</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">fried anchovies (they call it silver fish here) and a fried sweet potato dusted with salty egg yolk.</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />Dim sum comprised of the usual offerings: bbq pork buns, har gow, chicken's feet, w</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3upcbF-4qHo4D-s4TLsH5gdvHTTS7ELohhQnSXgtG4nCxKFKxD0IgByAaes4dtRhXlbmfQ-2aiBZ6oK6ENiDkXd0GNKB9EHUEdTJ1y8D3sK2AzERllxFtTHTip25YzjN1-I-H4ZQMiB0/s1600-h/IMG_2173.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3upcbF-4qHo4D-s4TLsH5gdvHTTS7ELohhQnSXgtG4nCxKFKxD0IgByAaes4dtRhXlbmfQ-2aiBZ6oK6ENiDkXd0GNKB9EHUEdTJ1y8D3sK2AzERllxFtTHTip25YzjN1-I-H4ZQMiB0/s200/IMG_2173.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318457565871307122" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">u kok (taro puffs), seen juk guen (tofu sheets wrapped ground pork), mushroom cheung fun,</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> mochi balls (lui sa tong yuen) and steamed sponge cake (ma lai goh).<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I thought the chicken's feet were fantastic, flavorful and off the bone tender. Wu kok was also fabulous, so light on the outside and nice and mushy on the inside. The only thing</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> I had a problem with was the rice noodles which were too thick and not delicate enough, and th</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">e wrappers for the har gow which uses the same rice flour as the cheung fun. Everything else wasn't bad.<br /><br />Service is really awful at times even when you shout out in Cantonese to them. I think the bus boys were better at getting your tea or water refilled if you were lucky to flag one of them down. You can pretty much get an above average meal here if you know what to order.</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> We came back for dinner another night and again some of the dishes were hit and miss.</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><br />During our dinner visit, we had the snow crab done two ways: with scallion and ginger sau</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrMRIoq9NNtv7sIxO_uBNjMEXeRK1BOX-AsDrZQAXwUgBx3WtsRu6G2lS6ceiLwZU-gUzuZe6SD2x4n1aKqLLUjZrcLb_UOndTKuHcDoZGfsigw89QeYk14X59YNueM8k6dMLR29qcCI8/s1600-h/IMG_2336.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrMRIoq9NNtv7sIxO_uBNjMEXeRK1BOX-AsDrZQAXwUgBx3WtsRu6G2lS6ceiLwZU-gUzuZe6SD2x4n1aKqLLUjZrcLb_UOndTKuHcDoZGfsigw89QeYk14X59YNueM8k6dMLR29qcCI8/s200/IMG_2336.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318459845811088738" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ce as well as the legs steamed with vermecelli, string beans, salt and peppered pork chops, yuk tze tofu with a mushroom medley, steamed fish, stir fried gai lan in a wine sauce, sticky rice to finish. Most of the dishes were okay except the pork chops which had an over abu</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ndance of soda powder (generally used to tenderize the meat) which gave the pork a 'fatty' texture. I hate this texture because it causes the pork to not resemble meat anymore.<br /><br />The yuk tze tofu was really good as was the sticky rice. The snow crab wasn't too bad and the fish was good too. Eating with a group means you can try more dishes and that's exactly </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">what we did -- eight adults did some major damage, but without hurting the pocketbook too much!<br /></span><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>siaodofuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04752335858433376061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884188145255253823.post-1839603639381926752009-02-28T02:15:00.000-08:002010-06-05T18:00:30.537-07:00Ambrosia -- An elixir of the cyanide kind<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpajd_XaSFxpNijYzCZ06t79dMkWlyfwGe9VkOoiNjPTJrE4jQwu4ZW4n4j7KGmAJ_1ess9mmttBch2EHKL58IvEeqofMpLjPekiEZ6lmhodzIgY7XGCQYiPdADZzKC6ACZiTalL0_uaM/s1600-h/IMG_1798.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpajd_XaSFxpNijYzCZ06t79dMkWlyfwGe9VkOoiNjPTJrE4jQwu4ZW4n4j7KGmAJ_1ess9mmttBch2EHKL58IvEeqofMpLjPekiEZ6lmhodzIgY7XGCQYiPdADZzKC6ACZiTalL0_uaM/s200/IMG_1798.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307942605817090050" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><br />Ambrosia<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">801 N Main St</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Santa Ana, CA 92701</span><br />Tel: (714) 550-0811</span><br /><br />It was supposed to be a happy evening spent with friends in celebration of a birthday. What transpired was not only bizarre, but an experience I had never encountered, until tonight, in 15+ years as a professional food writer, cookbook author and now, blogger.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">As soon as we walked in, we knew it was going to be an interesting evening. The dining room was kitschy like one would find in a 70s restaurant, complete with lounge singer and another accompanying on the piano and synthesizer. The plastic foliage should have been a dead giveaway, but we were marveling at how a restaurant only 3 years old could be so dated in every possible way. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Our server Cesar was the start and end to our problems. The minute he offered us water -- sparkling or still -- </span><del style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"></del><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">and heard we were fine with tap, was the start to the ill-treatment we received. His immediate response was to remove all the wine glasses from the table before we’d even had a chance to peruse the menu or wine list for that matter. Such pre-conceived notions perhaps that maybe, people who like to drink tap water are somehow too gauche to want wine with their dinner is why he removed the wine glasses in the first place?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">With the wine glasses, he also promptly removed the a la carte menu leaving us with only the prix fixe version. He then informed us that we all had to order the prix fixe or the a la carte menu—there was no mixing and matching allowed, but if we were to order the prix fixe, then side selections from the a la carte were acceptable.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">He started with me when he took the orders and after I had selected my appetizer and entree, proceeded to ask what I would like for my dessert off the prix fixe. I asked him if I had to tell him right now and his answer? </span><span class="caps" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ABSOLUTELY YES</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">! I sighed and gave him my response.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Our appetizers of flambed shrimp and beet salad were so-so. It didn’t blow us away, but they were just average. The general manager who flamed our shrimp is an eccentric Frenchmen who actually gave a damn about our dining experience. He was pleasant and inquired about our meal a couple of times throughout the evening.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">However, when our entrees arrived, we realized that every one of our meals were cold. The plates they were served on were cold. Not only that, but the steak frites was ordered medium and arrived rare. The most bizarre thing was that the meat tasted off. It had the gameyness of unfresh meat. I immediately spat it out. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Incredibly, the braised Colorado lamb was not gamey at all, but I was surprised that it arrived like a ragout served with undercooked pappardelle which only needed a minute more in the water for it to have been perfect. Such a waste of homemade pasta too.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I found it strange that seabass could be overcooked since it’s such an oily fish. I cook it all the time at home and never have I found seabass to turn out dry. But there is always the first time for everything. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">When a busboy inquired about our meal we informed him that the steak was not edible. His immediate response was an apology, followed by a ‘what would you like me to do’, and then ending with the shirking of responsibility off to the kitchen stating he took no part in preparing the meal. He did say he would send a manager over.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">What we got was Cesar who says to my friend “I see you’re going to take your dinner home”. My friend with the steak shook her head and told him no. He then replied “that’s good news since we’ve run out of ‘to-go’ boxes and I was going to suggest you finish it since you won’t be able to take it home”.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Perhaps it was just as well that my friend didn’t understand his sarcasm but it wasn’t lost on the birthday girl who was quietly seething away. We didn’t even know how angry she was until the general manager stopped by before she let loose her contempt for Cesar.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Not having a good meal happens sometimes. Kitchens have bad nights, it’s totally understandable. But if you’re working at the front of the house, it’s your job to make sure your diners are having a good time regardless of how the food is. Not only did we have a subpar meal, but the blatantly rude behavior of Cesar just pushed us over the top.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Although the GM ended up comping out meal, it was too little too late. The birthday celebration was ruined. The birthday girl was devastated, and birthdays only come around once a year!<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">*I have never been so distracted that I didn't even feel like taking photos, but as you can see there is only one photo to accompany this entry and a shoddy one at that*</span><br /></span><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>siaodofuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04752335858433376061noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884188145255253823.post-33352477958485705232009-02-16T14:08:00.000-08:002010-06-05T17:59:40.930-07:00Pizzeria Ortica -- molto bellissimo<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh66IP5aFDqy5N936VF_sLjU9HS46HbY1IZW7ANCifmQT7aAKerBdJZma0L_P1ox_vwaynCi-JL1rzQ1il7Z16MXvJdTz81gjJm3IdYWr7Gk2PfTNh-UVFrf8UjkQxgZZklashF3jOhPRI/s1600-h/Ortica+3.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh66IP5aFDqy5N936VF_sLjU9HS46HbY1IZW7ANCifmQT7aAKerBdJZma0L_P1ox_vwaynCi-JL1rzQ1il7Z16MXvJdTz81gjJm3IdYWr7Gk2PfTNh-UVFrf8UjkQxgZZklashF3jOhPRI/s200/Ortica+3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303527313573735170" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pizzeria Ortica</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">650 Anton Blvd</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><br />Costa Mesa, CA 92626</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">(714) 445-4900</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">www.pizzeriaortica.com</span></span><br /><br />I had driven by this place several times and often wondered what it was all about, so when my son wanted pizza today, I suggested we try this place out since it seems to be a pizzeria by its name.<br /><br />Upon entry, I immediately took to the long dining room, something one hardly sees out here in southern California, but quite prevalent in New York City restaura</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">nts. Our server was a really lovely gal named Justene who was knowledgeable about the menu and was pleasant throughout our entire meal.</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />We ordered <span style="font-style: italic;">salsiccia e finnocchio</span> pizza, Angelino panini and two starters, <span style="font-style: italic;">polipo e patate</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">verdure al forno con burrata</span> to share. Foccaccia is brought to the table with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. My son immediately loved the olive oil. He said it was good olive oil and he would know since we've been to other Italian restaurants where he's said the olive oil was gross. The balsamic wasn't as aged as it could've been since it was a little too tart on the palate.<br /><br />Our appetizers arrived shortly. The <span style="font-style: italic;">polipo e patate</span>, or charred Mediterranean octopus served with Yukon potatoes, capers and celery hearts didn't look pretty but it sure tasted good. We loved the tartness of the dressing and the chewiness of the octopus. The </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8A3kYdABMDLBFCQf_XvfDThCMUYaDOGCjb7g7zK6fs8kakdG7ovrNkG8Doa4rl9FtSuqkQbCi9SAz5cXq406vPyyNZzGemjtOTn64ksGj1_3uzrlzEjlZDixCZicg5NAfVv_1-YZoRIM/s1600-h/Ortica+2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8A3kYdABMDLBFCQf_XvfDThCMUYaDOGCjb7g7zK6fs8kakdG7ovrNkG8Doa4rl9FtSuqkQbCi9SAz5cXq406vPyyNZzGemjtOTn64ksGj1_3uzrlzEjlZDixCZicg5NAfVv_1-YZoRIM/s200/Ortica+2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303527315420821618" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">grilled vegetables with <span style="font-style: italic;">burrata</span> comprised of zucchini, red peppers, sweet peppers and <span style="font-style: italic;">ci</span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;">ppolini</span> onions and a nice lump of burrata. We loved this immensely.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">We came for the pizza and when it arrived we were not disappointed. This is the type of pizza I like, with a nice crust and not too much toppings. I really dislike American pizza because the toppings overflow and the pizza is greasy as hell. Here, the toppings a</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">re used sparingly like they do in Italy, just enough to flavor without overkill. The house made sausage was nicely flavored, but what I loved most about this particular pizza was the caramelised fennel.<br /><br />Angelino panini comprised of a very moist piece of chicken breast with oven roasted tomatoes and crispy pancetta. I thought the panini bread was too soft which resulted in the sandwich becoming soggy too quickly. The bread was also too thick which made it hard to bite into the entire sandwich. Other than that, it tasted delicious. If they could figure out a way to keep the bread intact, this would have been an almost perfect sandwich.<br /><br />We were even tempted enough to have some dessert -- ricotta al forno -- ricotta cheese cake topped with berries and served in a fig sauce reduction. The first thing which struck me about this was that it wasn't sweet at all. I would've loved it had the ricotta cake been softer and moister. Ricotta is on the dry side so without adding anything else to it would mean that it had a crumbled texture rather than a smooth texture. I like how they were true to using only ricotta, but texturally, it wasn't to my liking.</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzGc20og31N4ARrpda4Gjfq3NsdzX9PsH02BdTTJ-qFBUaI9WMqGdZoyEnh7YyAPPbXO4YA7IHuHRjOnRvhGbsy3o9zZwhPKaVvtClFqMBhgNLSZnYLJttruag5zreu88CJl4QLwm9x9E/s1600-h/Ortica+4.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzGc20og31N4ARrpda4Gjfq3NsdzX9PsH02BdTTJ-qFBUaI9WMqGdZoyEnh7YyAPPbXO4YA7IHuHRjOnRvhGbsy3o9zZwhPKaVvtClFqMBhgNLSZnYLJttruag5zreu88CJl4QLwm9x9E/s200/Ortica+4.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303527318490239522" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />Service was great. I really liked Justene and I hope when we return again, we'll have her serve us or have someone equally good. There is validated parking in the back as well so it makes it convenient for diners not to have to circle around trying to find street parking. The portions are European-style, which means you're not going to get gargantuan proportions, but it also means that your final tab might be slightly higher than you anticipated. However, we thoroughly enjoyed our meal here and we'll definitely be back to try some other things on the menu.<br /><br /><br /></span><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>siaodofuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04752335858433376061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884188145255253823.post-50979487697897044822009-02-12T11:08:00.000-08:002010-06-05T17:59:10.737-07:00Lotus Chinese Eatery -- a different kind of Chinese<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS7KxcYzcDdU7CpGBh9FaTYePAIONPuGiJNcndhmHmD9SURrcSo07WMzaOzCJirm_Ec-9PcI4w7s1G01YSH2QebMMsfBB2o3cap1Ue9qe7ZxcyQtq1-9tdqkYLDzj5wHE3WDatCf-hsqo/s1600-h/tendon.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS7KxcYzcDdU7CpGBh9FaTYePAIONPuGiJNcndhmHmD9SURrcSo07WMzaOzCJirm_Ec-9PcI4w7s1G01YSH2QebMMsfBB2o3cap1Ue9qe7ZxcyQtq1-9tdqkYLDzj5wHE3WDatCf-hsqo/s200/tendon.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301995153512652946" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><br />Lotus Chinese Eatery<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">16883 Beach Blvd</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Huntington Beach, CA 92648</span><br />Tel: (714) 848-4940</span><br /><br />In China there is a small population of people who are Muslim and this means they don't eat pork or pork by-products. This means, lots of beef and of course, lamb! Naturally, t</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">he cuisine is highly reflective of the region and its people.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">It took us a long time to find a favorite place for Muslim-style (halal) Chinese food after moving to southern California. We used to eat it a lot when we lived up north so after eating a lot of uninspiring halal Chinese, we finally found a place which has consistently served u</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">s great food.</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />Lotus Chinese Eatery is interesting in that they have the authentic dishes along with the regular "American-friendly" dishes for those who might not want to venture into unknown territory.<br /><br />Our favorite items to order at the spicy beef tendon or the beef tripe. It is nice and spicy here and utilizes a seasoning using Sichuan peppercorns. In fact, we try to order a lot of the spicier items on the menu except for the braised tofu with vegetables which we always order because our son loves it.<br /><br />They also do a sesame scallion bread which takes a little while to prepare, so if you're interested in ordering this dish, make sure you do it the minute you sit down, even before you order your dishes because otherwise, your bread will come out at the end of the meal rather than with your meal. We like the thin version -- which isn't thin at all! It's still about an inch thick.<br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyi4pYFCKAyRU-wo26NPgio1-s-Cwnjo4qdhG0o7lsAFG_h1ihoycp8yM6lbCk_hq6xdbJrYhc6bPPH995K4hPtY6gs64XBYP8cQYLWiXCxROnDfrWQXgwTekbdQWvEdIo6AwqGebsr0E/s1600-h/scallion+pancake.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyi4pYFCKAyRU-wo26NPgio1-s-Cwnjo4qdhG0o7lsAFG_h1ihoycp8yM6lbCk_hq6xdbJrYhc6bPPH995K4hPtY6gs64XBYP8cQYLWiXCxROnDfrWQXgwTekbdQWvEdIo6AwqGebsr0E/s200/scallion+pancake.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301995154394447746" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I suggest ordering any lamb dishes is the way to go. We love the lamb with leek or lamb with green onions.</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> However, if you're not a fan of lamb, you can have them substitute any lamb item with beef. They're happy to do it! You won't get the gorgeous aromas that lamb gives off, but it'll suffice.<br /><br />It is of course best if you go with a group of six or more so you can order more items to share. On one occasion when I've come here with friends, they've ordered this tofu omelette dish which comprised of soft tofu in a brown sauce topped with an omelette. I liked their combined textures but I am not sure it's my favorite dish here.<br /><br />Once the sesame scallion bread arrives, our son likes to use it like bread in a sandwich. He'll take any of the dishes we've ordered and put it in between the slice and eat -- quite innovative for an 8-year-old if you ask me!<br /><br />Don't expect excellent service, after all, it IS a Chinese restaurant. However, I've never received bad service here. The ladies are hilarious since they speak Cantonese to me and love to come o</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0urvh4bRphbnhOdWZEfVlqfpLA7R4N13rujgZW3bEidpAJVWWX_50Hqwub8YvXaE1cDnD6KcEciNiMcgHSaJCjixeCNdI-AA8m51nlq7LsTXU5Um4-Y_tSSC5WP9XkNlwp-dzvEkP_0E/s1600-h/beef+with+green+onion.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0urvh4bRphbnhOdWZEfVlqfpLA7R4N13rujgZW3bEidpAJVWWX_50Hqwub8YvXaE1cDnD6KcEciNiMcgHSaJCjixeCNdI-AA8m51nlq7LsTXU5Um4-Y_tSSC5WP9XkNlwp-dzvEkP_0E/s200/beef+with+green+onion.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301995155840070274" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ver for a chat. They are also quite quick to help us order, often suggesting new items we've never tried before.<br /><br />Another thin</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">g </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">that's different about this place is that you'll notice that apart from the Chinese diners, there will be a lot of diners of other backgrounds enjoying this fare. After all, your regular Muslim clientele can't well walk into any Chinese restaurant for a meal. Oh no! Pork is one of the largest staple of Chinese food and that would be a huge no-no for a devout Muslim to consume. Here, at Lotus Chinese Eatery, they can indulge in tasty Chinese food without worrying about the possibility of cross contamination!<br /><br />If you've never tried it, give it a go. It's positively delicious!<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></span><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>siaodofuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04752335858433376061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884188145255253823.post-43562228729749665092009-02-05T10:23:00.000-08:002010-06-05T17:53:45.201-07:00Mariscos Puerto Esperanza -- marvelous-o<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrypOS9CPLR-JhOpWvbS9O76Dh8NZtzcVrlNWdUPOSC2TxgSmM-sLKPfVn-SeQElyXfYrPNQbNveep2UvsIq3lmy-UmuQRcgB7do65FtiB90ck9ICwgZRaRq864MeA9TKjU71mlfHC8-w/s1600-h/Esperanza+--+ensalada+fiesta+3--R.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrypOS9CPLR-JhOpWvbS9O76Dh8NZtzcVrlNWdUPOSC2TxgSmM-sLKPfVn-SeQElyXfYrPNQbNveep2UvsIq3lmy-UmuQRcgB7do65FtiB90ck9ICwgZRaRq864MeA9TKjU71mlfHC8-w/s200/Esperanza+--+ensalada+fiesta+3--R.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299389985807787154" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><br />Mariscos</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Puerto</span> Esperanza<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1724 N <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Tustin</span> St</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Orange, CA 92856</span><br />(714) 998-3599</span><br /><br />I never thought I was going to say this, but this is a Mexican restaurant like no any other I've ever experienced. The decor was wonderfully festive with vibrant colors and the warm welcome we received from the server added to the experience. This place specializes in seafood but they offer meat dishes as well.<br /><br />Chips and salsa are brought out quickly as well as drinks if you're having them. The salsa is smokey and flavorful with a good kick to it. We had to get this refilled three times, that's</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> how good it was.<br /><br />Since a friend of mine steered me towards this place, I went ahead and ordered something she recommended -- the <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">bistec</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">encebollado</span></span> -- for my son since he's not a fan of seafood</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. Hubby and I got fish -- him, <span style="font-style: italic;">Salmon Yucatan</span>, me, <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Pescado</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Zarandeado</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Robalo</span></span> (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">str</span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQUjKvz6-jgaB95o4-8ZLB8t5xcd2xkwx2PumrtB4uFJ5s-tdBWlz_8p-v6C7mpgb75qREY7ctMoWzgrCF-amKVnD0eA8ju3ewiAm153ar2mklf4kr-soWkppWxMPBZiklLfyJZ_K1Ew8/s1600-h/Esperanza+--+bistec+2--R.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQUjKvz6-jgaB95o4-8ZLB8t5xcd2xkwx2PumrtB4uFJ5s-tdBWlz_8p-v6C7mpgb75qREY7ctMoWzgrCF-amKVnD0eA8ju3ewiAm153ar2mklf4kr-soWkppWxMPBZiklLfyJZ_K1Ew8/s200/Esperanza+--+bistec+2--R.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299389990530699202" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">iped</span> bass). Both fish dishes are cooked on banana leaves which not only makes for wonderful presentation, but also, an aroma that enhances the dish further.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">We started off with <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">ensalada</span> fiesta</span>, a simple salad comprising of romaine lettuce, julienned carrots and <span style="font-style: italic;" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">jicama</span>, tomato wedges, and the main attraction -- grilled <span style="font-style: italic;" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">nopales</span> or cactus. The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">citrusy</span> dressing was outstanding. It was simple and that's what makes it so special.... nothing too complicated or heavy. Just some olive oil with some citrus and jalapeno.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">It took a while for our entrees to arrive and we knew they were cooking it with care. We could see them doing it at the open kitchen, the two chefs giving the food their loving</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> touch. When our entrees arrived we were first blown away by how lovely the dishes looked. This is new for us since we usually go to hole-in-the-wall Mexican establishments where food tastes good but may not be as appealing on the eye. But none of that here. Everything was beautiful and tasted just as delicious if not better. <span style="font-style: italic;" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Bistec</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic;" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">encebollado</span> was grilled to perfection. A</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">n ample piece of pounded steak topped with sauteed onions, peppers and <span style="font-style: italic;">salsa </span><span style="font-style: italic;" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">fresca</span> served with your choice of rice -- and there are two types -- or black beans and grilled vegetables.<br /><br />My striped bass was huge. In fact, it was enough for two. This isn't a cheap dish at $15</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJGpqS8Uhxi-Y3Piw7hu0LzoAybipj0PCQ0EFIoDQpbhkr_marIfwUuxqZ2N2mgGUz_EFDpSUg5opMzHQw6po5nxAiTywSF0WTPNdbMPIyEztDdoLojNCMb2PB1UrKVKwe23pbnCCPXU/s1600-h/Esperanza+--+salmon+2--R.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJGpqS8Uhxi-Y3Piw7hu0LzoAybipj0PCQ0EFIoDQpbhkr_marIfwUuxqZ2N2mgGUz_EFDpSUg5opMzHQw6po5nxAiTywSF0WTPNdbMPIyEztDdoLojNCMb2PB1UrKVKwe23pbnCCPXU/s200/Esperanza+--+salmon+2--R.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299389995544091314" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">/lb</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> and my fish alone was $25, but it was well worth it. The orange sauce was tart, sweet, salty, the perfect accompaniment. Served with <span style="font-style: italic;">salsa </span><span style="font-style: italic;" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">fresca</span> and pickled onions and carrots with sliced avocados, the mix of all the flavors come t</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">ogether</span> like a burst on your palate.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I'm not a fan of salmon so I did not enjoy hubby's dish as much, but then again, I <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">wou</span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">ld</span> never order salmon so it doesn't matter anyway. His dish was a little sweet since it was topped</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> with a roasted corn and grilled cactus relish but he enjoyed it very much.<br /><br />The server brought out a separate dish of sides for us to share -- I thought that was the nicest gesture! The portions were huge so we couldn't finish everything. But one thing's for sure.... this is on my top three places for Mexican food!</span><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>siaodofuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04752335858433376061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884188145255253823.post-68693176823445696212009-01-31T23:03:00.000-08:002010-06-05T17:52:55.434-07:00Manhattan Supper Club -- money not quite well spent<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG_U6rAhMCq0r0qEpJvJ3C4SPLg2FMf1AOmlZvrJJb_KFhJt0NUeCkMpKs-fjmPxb240lGoADyHz05MbZPQs_lZEB9m3UViVISXpJCLyOTfxyvgc_v_G5D3QOTdMkoL93lalPhDuxOcIg/s1600-h/Manhattan+--+sesame+ahi--R.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG_U6rAhMCq0r0qEpJvJ3C4SPLg2FMf1AOmlZvrJJb_KFhJt0NUeCkMpKs-fjmPxb240lGoADyHz05MbZPQs_lZEB9m3UViVISXpJCLyOTfxyvgc_v_G5D3QOTdMkoL93lalPhDuxOcIg/s200/Manhattan+--+sesame+ahi--R.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297730297534697618" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><br />Manhattan Supper Club<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">202 S Main Street</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br />Orange, CA 92868</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br />(714) 978-6161</span><br />www.manhattansupperclub.com</span><br /><br />If you're tired of restaurants in strip malls or restaurants in big malls, then try this place. It's definitely not in a mall. In fact, it is housed in its own 'cottage' which gives it a charming feel. The minute we were seat</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ed I felt like I was dining in someone's home. The man helping us was friendly, perhaps a little too comfortable the way he approached me and the way he touches your shoulder or your back when he addressed me. Things like that don't really bother me</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> but I know it bothers some people I know.<br /><br />Foccacia is brought out to the table -- warm -- with a soft spread should you wish to use it. This was indeed a hit with everyone, especially my son who was famished. After ordering, the first course arrived in great time as everyone was ready to dig in. My French onion soup was pretty decent with nice chunks of onions in a hearty soup base. It's not as good as the one at Pescadou Bistro, but it's still tasty. Beet salad was lovely, although for some reason, I prefer chunks of beets in a salad rather than sliced, which is how they do it here. It </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">may just be me, but I find that it gives a completely different appeal to the taste of the beets themselves.<br /><br />Butternut squash ravioli were really salty. It was obvious that they were seasoned with sea salt, which would have worked well had it been a little less heavy and more evenly distributed. Wild mushroom risotto on the other hand was under seasoned, which is better in my opinion since you can add salt to your dish. It's impossible to remove salt when it is already on your food.</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4UMMdeUJfdTSBPoL5OAo576yok8Ige16Mhu1YvJ7nEbMFthNhsyuAmhU-RNC1cluUtYz9F2btubJuYMnSqdm8A02zcitLLovfTbHXoP7KpCWTw9C4GqmbsTV-X8y3hUiUyGzQ9hlZ2-M/s1600-h/Manhattan+--+trout+3--R.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4UMMdeUJfdTSBPoL5OAo576yok8Ige16Mhu1YvJ7nEbMFthNhsyuAmhU-RNC1cluUtYz9F2btubJuYMnSqdm8A02zcitLLovfTbHXoP7KpCWTw9C4GqmbsTV-X8y3hUiUyGzQ9hlZ2-M/s200/Manhattan+--+trout+3--R.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297730302298271634" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />Interestingly, the girls at the table all ordered fish while the guys all ordered steaks. I tried two of the steaks: the 14 oz prime New York and the 24 oz Cowboy Rib Eye. You would think that the more expensive steak -- the rib eye at $55 -- would have more flavor than the New York -- $42 -- but that wasn't the case. I found the New York to be very agreeable in flavor -- meaty and s</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ucculent -- while the rib eye was bland and unimpressive.<br /><br />Macadamia nut crusted halibut was well executed with the fish being flaky and moist. I'm not a huge fan of fruit as an accompaniment whether it be in a sauce or on the side so this dish is not one I would choose since it comes with a dollop of fresh mango atop the halibut. This dish reminds me of something Roy Yamaguchi would serve in his restaurants.<br /><br />Sesame crusted ahi tuna was plain disgusting. The quality of the ahi was not good enough to serve it so rare. The strong fishiness of the ahi made it almost impossible to swallow. This confirms my philosophy of not ordering ahi or salmon at a restaurant. I don't eat ahi tuna or salmon unless I'm at a high end sushi restaurant and these are the only two types of fish I don't like cooked.<br /><br />My friend's blackened mahi mahi was very salty so she sent it back. All I tasted was salt and nothing else. I could</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">n't even taste the fish. The man serving us -- which I presume is one of the owners -- came and took it away and brought back a freshly cooked one without the copious amount of seasoning. This time, the fish was perfectly cooked with really good flavors. I was able to distinguish the natural taste of the fish instead of just salt. The second time around was perfect!<br /><br />Idaho trout (apparently on the lunch menu but they were very obliging and made if for me anyway when I requested it) was my favorite out of the four fish dishes. Although it was topped with so much cherry tomato halves and asparagus sprigs you couldn't even see the fish when it arrived, once I tasted the trout, I was very pleased with my choice. The fish was tender and moist and there was a lot of garlic which is a plus for me since I love it so much.<br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHfLcG22hAydWGLXg9CZ_t6GXlyIC7KLmZBR6T1GS_lgMajUIPDSQ67oGe9GZe7q1cFLAR-Bo5hV9NAmICZZi_H1_YTxrgBt6FOnfIOyt4VVwhQpnQoZldk7ektF72yCF2WJlGeiXaBSI/s1600-h/Manhattan+--+macadamia+nut+halibut--R.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHfLcG22hAydWGLXg9CZ_t6GXlyIC7KLmZBR6T1GS_lgMajUIPDSQ67oGe9GZe7q1cFLAR-Bo5hV9NAmICZZi_H1_YTxrgBt6FOnfIOyt4VVwhQpnQoZldk7ektF72yCF2WJlGeiXaBSI/s200/Manhattan+--+macadamia+nut+halibut--R.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297730293624083170" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Manhattan Supper Club is a nice romantic spot to bring a date you wish to impress. The menu is a hit and miss, but from what I gather, if you order the right things, you could very well have an outstanding meal. Order the wrong items and your experience could be disastrous.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Apart from a few hiccups such as not bringing my trout with the rest of the party's entrees and screwing up the charges on two credit cards, I would say they tried their best to accommodate us without much fuss. Prices are on the steep side -- not quite on par with the food you get, but like I've stipulated before, it's a great place if you want to impress. If you just want an excellent meal which you won't have to pay an arm and a leg for, then this isn't for you.<br /></span><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>siaodofuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04752335858433376061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884188145255253823.post-87413873640803322842009-01-26T19:32:00.000-08:002010-06-05T17:52:00.536-07:00Capital Seafood -- ushering in the year of the ox<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFrAy2XuEnqHzAbDoteJwtrMJHXurhw6bHqIVurpqtRMZAycKN04u1NxAFcT5lXTlAJtPC2bKdZBSTeywHnmS48ylKOZ65QnzqHuSAYqT5RoC_wI865YdAYFuEOrHFHCOf6Mxi7pn-NEQ/s1600-h/peking+duck.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFrAy2XuEnqHzAbDoteJwtrMJHXurhw6bHqIVurpqtRMZAycKN04u1NxAFcT5lXTlAJtPC2bKdZBSTeywHnmS48ylKOZ65QnzqHuSAYqT5RoC_wI865YdAYFuEOrHFHCOf6Mxi7pn-NEQ/s200/peking+duck.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295819587977391250" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Capital Seafood<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">2700 Alton Parkway,</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Irvine, CA 92606</span><br />(949) 252-8188</span><br /><br />Chinese New Year 2009, year of the Ox. For me, Chinese New Year has never been the same since I moved away from Asia. The first day of new year is always a time shared with family, friends and relatives, enjoying good food and great </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">company. In America, it is a day like any other, most people have to go to work and there isn't that feeling of celebration in the air. I was about to just spend it at home when a friend asked us to go to dinner at Capital Seafood which had recently opened in Irvine.<br /><br />I was surprised at how 'luxurious' the restaurant looked on the inside. It reminded us of how restaurants looked like in Vegas. The servers were very polite -- maybe a little TOO poli</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">te as they came over to take our order. Everyone had ideas as to what they wanted to eat so we ended up with a lazy Susan full of food.<br /><br />Peking duck is on special from Monday to Friday for dinner at a ridiculously low pric</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">e of $13. I'm not sure how long this will last, but for as long as they have this special, you should just order it. The duck isn't fatty at all and the skin is really quite lovely sandwiched between the soft pillowy buns they give you. Add a dollop of hoisin sauce, a few strips of scallions and take a bite!! It's really quite delicious!<br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmvx2aOsp0_RZ2ZriVvR4dHfo59hB-ienrrvXtmnNIVmUjODDfh_5yczJHOgXhZWkqCYOaZTQjR51WIloQO7zmT5GZt5tt1Wuzjms2cEYqf4WNYMvTd_yzTtnlY3FwYjQo-prawdai2DQ/s1600-h/pea+shoots.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmvx2aOsp0_RZ2ZriVvR4dHfo59hB-ienrrvXtmnNIVmUjODDfh_5yczJHOgXhZWkqCYOaZTQjR51WIloQO7zmT5GZt5tt1Wuzjms2cEYqf4WNYMvTd_yzTtnlY3FwYjQo-prawdai2DQ/s200/pea+shoots.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295819578223314562" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">We also tried their barbecued items: roast pork, cha siu and soya chicken. All three</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> were above average although I thought the ginger scallion sauce was very weak. I make a far better one than the one they serve here.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Fish maw and crab meat soup was quite tasty as well. They use real crab although it did taste like it had been previously frozen, but at least they didn't use imitation crab. They we</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">re also pretty generous with the fish maw.<br /><br />Japanese style mushrooms and tofu was delicious! It was served with broccoli florets and drizzled with an oyster sauce. The tofu was so soft and silky while the mixed mushrooms consisted of various Japanese mushrooms like shimeiji, King oyster, shiitake and button</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">.<br /><br />Salt & pepper chicken wings -- a favorite of my friend's -- is an appetizer and they do it extremely well here. The exterior is crispy and dry while the inside is nice and moist. I detected a few chicken 'hairs' as one would at any respectable Chinese establishment, so I as lucky I found one without those extras if you know what I mean.<br /><br />Honey walnut shrimp is a dish I detest! However, everyone wanted it so it was fine by me. I did try it and I'll have to say it was one of the better ones I've tasted. I do not like mayonaise which is probably why I usually don't like this dish, however, they weren't heavy handed with the mayo and the shrimp were very crispy and fresh. The weirdest part of it all was that there were diced cantaloupe and honeydew melon in this dish as well.<br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyaVlOAb50OaAuEsjN-tXIQo7I5PJLSlw2OgrBV41lEJYzYXPZyeBSkvaakk75-ryPM-fDRXD0WRDbdyNoCD4pGRQATLqwmz1DYUDauDmyOoPsnpWau-Jbc4-OQKX0wjVHbHOXHjaA4L0/s1600-h/saltpepper+chicken+wings.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyaVlOAb50OaAuEsjN-tXIQo7I5PJLSlw2OgrBV41lEJYzYXPZyeBSkvaakk75-ryPM-fDRXD0WRDbdyNoCD4pGRQATLqwmz1DYUDauDmyOoPsnpWau-Jbc4-OQKX0wjVHbHOXHjaA4L0/s200/saltpepper+chicken+wings.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295819592759139954" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The only disappointing item of the evening was the steamed tilapia. Not only did it take forever to arrive, but the seasoning was just wrong. First of all they didn't use the r</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ig</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ht type of soy sauce, secondly, they didn't use enough of it, and thirdly they did not use scalding hot oil to drizzle over the top of the scallions to give it that finishing touch. Very very disappointing especially when they had actually steamed the fish to perfection.<br /><br />We were all quite pleased that Irvine finally has a decent Chinese restaurant and although we weren't happy with the steamed fish, we unanimously felt that everything else we had was very good. We'll definitely have to come back for dim sum next time to see how that compares.<br /><br /></span><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>siaodofuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04752335858433376061noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884188145255253823.post-30128774701596544092009-01-24T22:05:00.000-08:002010-06-05T17:51:19.942-07:00Soot Bul Gui Rim 2 -- eat till you bust<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieiGkaC2TzNSveOLw3UBIe2_-_wayh6-R_cTdGZ6v5v9NWXZnL5f4MzlRTWoTwG86CrTb_ca3fN94MLILiq8bL9Hxvx94eCQxJvBtx6c9QevFqfFXwf5TPuFKtGQtw2n-ju51OmNMOpS4/s1600-h/IMG_1234--R.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieiGkaC2TzNSveOLw3UBIe2_-_wayh6-R_cTdGZ6v5v9NWXZnL5f4MzlRTWoTwG86CrTb_ca3fN94MLILiq8bL9Hxvx94eCQxJvBtx6c9QevFqfFXwf5TPuFKtGQtw2n-ju51OmNMOpS4/s200/IMG_1234--R.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295363534601427490" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Soot Bul Gui Rim 2<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">233 S Vermont</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Los Angeles, CA 90020</span><br />(213) 365-9992</span><br /><br />All you can eat. Music to my ears when it comes to Korean barbecue. However, most of the all you can eat places comprise the quality of meat they give you so I'm not all that excited about that either. My friend was organizing a group to eat at Soot Bul Gui Rim 2 and since I hardly ever get up to Los Angeles, I thought I'd give it a try, so I went along for the ride.<br /><br />The first thing I noticed was how small the place is. Separated into two sections, I was shocked that a guy lit up a cigarette while eating. I thought maybe it was a smoking and non-smoking section, but that would violate smoking laws wouldn't it? Oh well!<br /><br />For $16.99 (adults) and $9.99 (kids), you get a choice of 16 different items for grilling. Panchan is scarce, only a few items such as kimchi, beansprouts, mushrooms, zucchini, but they do give you dduk.<br /><br />We chose chadol baegi (brisket), marinated galbi (boneless short rib) and sirloin steak to start. They also use real charcoal here so on the positive side, it makes your meat taste so much better, but on the negative side, you're definitely going to smell terrible when you leave. The quality of meat here is really good. I was really surprised that everything they brought out was of high grade, fresh meat with bright red hues. The steamed egg was really tasty here. I had to ask for another.<br /><br />We also tried the bulgogi (marinated beef), unmarinated galbi and squid. Everything was good. The more adventurous ones at our table also got some intestines which I chose to pass on. I'm just not a fan of innards.<br /><br />If you are still hungry at the end of the meal you can get naeng myun (cold noodles) as a filler. It's not very good naeng myun so just eat fill up on the barbecue if you can.<br /><br />Service is ridiculously awful here. I don't expect good service anyway when I go to Asian restaurants, but this was just even over what I am able to tolerate. You can ask for refills on your panchan but don't expect them to bring it. I think the average was if you asked three times, they'll probably bring it on the fourth try. Another thing is, check your tab to make sure they charged you correctly. Our table had 4 adults and a child and they charged us for 5 adults. Little things like that really brought the experience down. However, if you don't care about service and all you want to do is gorge on meat, then this is definitely the place for you. Great quality meats but that's about it.<br /><br /></span><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>siaodofuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04752335858433376061noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884188145255253823.post-1323684780027845732009-01-13T13:12:00.000-08:002010-06-05T17:50:03.453-07:00Uyen Thy Bistro -- bridging two cultures<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE3LYV2oK0wmAfmrZyfHN1OdK2YMoc_9u_NGmygeoIQUjjUbD2c2is_2XP6XcXKaeqnGFJX_p9USM-5sVlbNzLe_jPgdS966SUST6jrhyphenhyphenM6L-wrcldbGXBOPrB2fXGoIffXg4vSbzm5CY/s1600-h/Uyen+Thy+1--R.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE3LYV2oK0wmAfmrZyfHN1OdK2YMoc_9u_NGmygeoIQUjjUbD2c2is_2XP6XcXKaeqnGFJX_p9USM-5sVlbNzLe_jPgdS966SUST6jrhyphenhyphenM6L-wrcldbGXBOPrB2fXGoIffXg4vSbzm5CY/s200/Uyen+Thy+1--R.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290898413378367794" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Uyen Thy Bistro,<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">9039 Bolsa Ave,</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Westminster, CA 92683</span><br />(714) 898-9889</span><br /><br />I suddenly realized I've been too focused on a certain type of Vietnamese cuisine -- noodles, salads, rolls, the more ethnic varieties if you may, but I've failed to give the French-inspired Vietnamese food much thought. So today, with a</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> friend in tow, we traipsed down to Uyen Thy for something a little more Indochine.<br /><br />Uyen Thy's interior was a little more casual than I had expected since it touts itself as being a 'bistro'. However, it's got that charm one would find at Lulu's Creperie in Laguna Hills or Cafe Casse Croute in Anaheim. We decided upon the chicken curry, beef stew and the fried chicken with two types of rice. Since the chicken was served with rice, we opted for </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">baguettes to go with the other dishes.</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK5rpTglCM2bLwfn2zhoTm-TNrEnQXZGXfx3kjWV6L0SOIXhM7MmMe7izugpje0vqsWJtXDRNFtwRjgKCmewf8b8INQYp-PAIbLLrVbPTnhrDMyPNDBSxyo52Wtw4KJAZhk6Ivil0Uvbw/s1600-h/Uyen+Thy+2--R.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK5rpTglCM2bLwfn2zhoTm-TNrEnQXZGXfx3kjWV6L0SOIXhM7MmMe7izugpje0vqsWJtXDRNFtwRjgKCmewf8b8INQYp-PAIbLLrVbPTnhrDMyPNDBSxyo52Wtw4KJAZhk6Ivil0Uvbw/s200/Uyen+Thy+2--R.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290897936834541314" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The food arrived pretty quickly since almost everything was precooked and on</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> the st</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">eam table. I wish they had served it at a piping hot temperature, so maybe next time, we'll h</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ave them heat it up a bit more before bringing it out.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Chicken curry tasted just like the Asian style chicken curries I've had in Hong Kong -- good flavor, but the sauce was a little watery. However, that didn't deter me from dipping it with a piece of bagu</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ette and popping it into my mouth. Beef stew looked like its western counterpart, but there was a distinctive difference in the taste and that was in the use of star anise as a spice. Both of these dishes tasted like something my mom would cook. It had that homey effect, something which gave me a sense of comfort, like an old blanket I had grown up with, or a stuffed toy which I had shared a good part of my childhood with.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">If you like fried foods, then the <span style="font-style: italic;">ga ro ti</span> (fried chicken) will nevertheless be the <span style="font-style: italic;">piece </span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;">de resistance</span> to your meal. Three pieces of perfectly fried chicken -- crispy skin with moist flesh -- served with three pieces of fried sticky rice and two sticks of bamboo filled with purple rice. This purple rice is a result of mixing sticky rice with black sticky rice and has a </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKsUaCEiuWh20E812ugoywLoOYyFdshef3M9PO0p5vHbYT5rTyMdOd5jHHT3XuOA0myVqalo78c-S0i7gErH4iBb1N1DnZMXizhuYM5dmF_DhEAYCyZfkmkUYhKvpIO1bvBwf8E58Sh20/s1600-h/Uyen+Thy+3--R.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKsUaCEiuWh20E812ugoywLoOYyFdshef3M9PO0p5vHbYT5rTyMdOd5jHHT3XuOA0myVqalo78c-S0i7gErH4iBb1N1DnZMXizhuYM5dmF_DhEAYCyZfkmkUYhKvpIO1bvBwf8E58Sh20/s200/Uyen+Thy+3--R.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290897956251445282" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">slightly sweet taste to it. My favorite was the fried sticky rice triangles. A garlic soy sauce was</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> served alongside as a dipping accompaniment which you can use for the chicken, the sticky rice or all three.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">So even though French-Vietnam may be a thing of the past, the cuisine of this era long gone lingers in the food of Uyen Thy. The menu is large and extensive, French-influenced, Vietnamese, or just plain French, regardless of what you choose, you can be sure the food will be reassuringly good.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">(note: MSG definitely detected, but it wasn't overpowering enough to send me into a food coma, but I was very thirsty for hours after)</span><br /></span><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>siaodofuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04752335858433376061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884188145255253823.post-71276108465630052252009-01-09T14:07:00.000-08:002010-06-05T17:49:18.644-07:00Hue Rendezvous -- Come for only one thing<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><br />Hue Rendezvous<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">15562 Brookhurst Street,</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Westminster, CA 92683</span><br />(714) 775-7192</span><br /><br />Came here with a friend of mine who is a regular. She says that although she comes here all the time, most of the items aren't stellar. In fact, she only eats a few things -- the same things -- every tim</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhA6tTbRh6OtANEyLS3oUppnXbBICYmAVZltzAEdyYSKeJ6zwZG-CSnf2D9zvC9gWcohz0F-64fLBmI7A5lPXqPhoPRyPcBUSLIvnYzrqHXA_CCZS3Xlt1HVs_JwDp1KR8cyYPKggPYcc/s1600-h/Hue+Rendezvous+--+com+ga+bop+--R.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhA6tTbRh6OtANEyLS3oUppnXbBICYmAVZltzAEdyYSKeJ6zwZG-CSnf2D9zvC9gWcohz0F-64fLBmI7A5lPXqPhoPRyPcBUSLIvnYzrqHXA_CCZS3Xlt1HVs_JwDp1KR8cyYPKggPYcc/s200/Hue+Rendezvous+--+com+ga+bop+--R.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289424580577939122" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">e she comes here.<br /><br />The first thi</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ng I</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> noticed was that the owners aren't too excited about servicing their customers. They were all huddled at a table near the register around a laptop, too preoccupied with </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">themselves than their customers. But when my friend came in, one of them hurriedly cam</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">e over and took our order.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">We came here fo</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">r the <span style="font-style: italic;">com ga bop</span>, a chicken salad dish served with a side of burnt rice. The rice is from the bottom of the pot which is charred and crispy. I absolutely love this stuff. It's like the bottom of a <span style="font-style: italic;">dolsot bibibap</span> pot. It's the crunchy bits I go back for over and over again. Here, <span style="font-style: italic;">ch</span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;">iffonade</span> cabbage, o</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCw0rcUAhHlW9aeewE94mR_3xepuOfWbRPdaYxtTRxXSkaWloXuDZHwMdwC6Ad8xjBGB7YxcMGOUqUafsdCfQRjriYL2vBOzwwcefhtS_bJeEQjsEjBvwq_7XsnTEX3Ua_-RwDEW_aQxs/s1600-h/Hue+Rendezvous+--+banh+beo+1+--+R.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCw0rcUAhHlW9aeewE94mR_3xepuOfWbRPdaYxtTRxXSkaWloXuDZHwMdwC6Ad8xjBGB7YxcMGOUqUafsdCfQRjriYL2vBOzwwcefhtS_bJeEQjsEjBvwq_7XsnTEX3Ua_-RwDEW_aQxs/s200/Hue+Rendezvous+--+banh+beo+1+--+R.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289424581353493938" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">nions, lettuce, cilantro with pieces of steamed chicken is eaten with <span style="font-style: italic;">nuoc mam</span> (sweet fish sauce) with bits of this crispy rice. It is refreshing and very health</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">y.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />Banh beo</span> </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">or rice</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> cake with various toppings is a filler my friend orders. A crushed rice powder mix</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">is poured into these little plates, steamed, and topped with toppings such as ground drie</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">d shrimp, scallions and </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">sometimes, fried pork rind. Put a little bit of <span style="font-style: italic;">nuoc mam</span> into the plate, scoop, eat, repeat. Each order comes with about 10 dishes. These aren't the best I've had,</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> but I like how the layer of steamed rice cake is very thin.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">We finished by sharing a bowl of <span style="font-style: italic;">bun bo hue</span>, or, spicy beef noodles Hue style. I actually had <span style="font-style: italic;">bun bo hue</span> yesterday so I was able to do a good comparison. In fa</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ct, I love <span style="font-style: italic;">bun bo hue</span> so I think I know what good bun bo hue tastes like. The one here is pretty weak. The broth isn't very flavorful or rich, but the noodles are a good texture. They also don't give you an interes</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCXDSo6GKP59VdGoQjXZJYsyjIufuUvJN3wS5DGs14YGNFv2zbmhmUxluf6v1xZyROxLW6PihmH1Yplc_2ZMJXH4fDYOogpiMTLVuD0VKEdgTZliiz3m2TA7QgyXvsuahyphenhyphendagLUJBWqkY/s1600-h/Hue+Rendezvous+--+BBH+--+R.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCXDSo6GKP59VdGoQjXZJYsyjIufuUvJN3wS5DGs14YGNFv2zbmhmUxluf6v1xZyROxLW6PihmH1Yplc_2ZMJXH4fDYOogpiMTLVuD0VKEdgTZliiz3m2TA7QgyXvsuahyphenhyphendagLUJBWqkY/s200/Hue+Rendezvous+--+BBH+--+R.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289424575401749394" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ting plate of accompaniment, just some old bean sprouts which I didn't use, and some <span style="font-style: italic;">chiffonade</span> lettu</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ce, two chunks of lime. Generally a variety of herbs are given to add to the flavor of the broth -- more authentic places give you banana blossoms. I wouldn't order <span style="font-style: italic;">bun bo </span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;">hue</span> again at this place.<br /><br />If you do come here, just eat the <span style="font-style: italic;">com ga bop</span>. I've never had this dish anywhere else but here. My frien</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">d tells me another restaurant in lil Saigon has it, but it's better here.<br /><br /><br /></span><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>siaodofuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04752335858433376061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884188145255253823.post-65194307912580513572009-01-06T08:27:00.000-08:002010-06-05T17:48:24.785-07:00Cut -- delete steak out of this equation<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzxDE4k4GG6z73DXPguXCLsyuaSWYjjLktvVq9CYgobPBW8CxvWQXPKOvkM4qTVEj3yGurcbDH02A0fWzOaWduFGN_Xout5zhykn-kUUpPrhcrtBfK-_cb1_i2v3l8hdkr67YODsDRPIw/s1600-h/IMG_0961--R.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzxDE4k4GG6z73DXPguXCLsyuaSWYjjLktvVq9CYgobPBW8CxvWQXPKOvkM4qTVEj3yGurcbDH02A0fWzOaWduFGN_Xout5zhykn-kUUpPrhcrtBfK-_cb1_i2v3l8hdkr67YODsDRPIw/s200/IMG_0961--R.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288610565561680898" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Cut<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Beverly Wilshire Hotel</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">9500 Wilshire Blvd,</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Beverly Hills, CA 90212</span><br />(310) 276-8500</span><br /><br />Some dear friends from London threw a dinner party while in town for the new year. Some guests even flew in from out of town. Our evening started with cocktails at the bar and then, moved on to dinner in the main dining room. The first thing I noticed were the portraits hanging </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">on the walls. We were privileged enough to be seated under the one of Barack Obama -- how appropriate </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">considering the group which sat beneath it.<br /><br />Menus had the same theme -- each had a photo of a celebrity on the back, although, none were properly labeled. I guess they expected us to know who everyone was. Most of us got one with Arnold Schwarzenegger, including me. My dear friend, who was sitting next to me, had one of Terence Howard, so I stole the hottie from him and gave him the leathery governator instead.<br /><br />Cut touts itself to be a steakhouse, a steakhouse owned by Wolfgang </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Puck no less. I fo</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">r one am not a Wolfgang Puck fan. I've never been too impressed with any of his restaurants, but I was really excited about the night's dinner purely because it was a gathering of old friends who haven't seen one another for quite some time now, and also, due to all the ooos and ahhhs I got from friends who knew I was going to be dining here.<br /><br />The selection of steaks is quite impressive, ranging from US corn fed beef from Illinois and Nebraska, aged 21 and 35 days respectively, a hybrid of Kobe and Wagyu from Idaho, and of course, the creme de la creme, imported Wagyu from Kyushu prefecture in Japan. The price ranges from just a tad under $40 to $135 for a tasting of three different cuts totaling 12 </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXN9QE00apoUgG27lxPBjOWgPVmEV6hyphenhyphencydDUbRESwVjKwMo842PN900Eo7Q8VKjY-HSzyrgAso0xNNQWmkJycdFr7KUQGas3zQJR838xRxIdwZGODyLFiko_6U4DTi5U9cDwgzWxNXeU/s1600-h/IMG_0962--R.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXN9QE00apoUgG27lxPBjOWgPVmEV6hyphenhyphencydDUbRESwVjKwMo842PN900Eo7Q8VKjY-HSzyrgAso0xNNQWmkJycdFr7KUQGas3zQJR838xRxIdwZGODyLFiko_6U4DTi5U9cDwgzWxNXeU/s200/IMG_0962--R.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288609850540257010" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">oz. If you didn't want steak, there is pork chops, lamb chops, tuna, poussin, lobster, sole and more to choose from.<br /><br />I thought it strange that they didn't serve bread while we perused the menus. In fact, we had to ask for it before they brought it, but when they did, it was awesome! The onion bread, pretzel roll, pumpernickel, all impressive!<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">We started off with some appetizers. I can only speak for the ones I tasted -- "warm veal tongue with marinated artichokes, autumn shelling beans and salsa verde" and "Austrian oxtail bouillion, chive blossoms, chervil, and bone marrow dumplings".<br /><br />Veal tongue was actually quite good -- very tender and flavorful, cooked perfectly. If you're a light eater, this dish could even serve as an entree. Oxtail bouillion was light and tasty with bits of bone marrow in the broth. The dumplings were really rich and heavy so perhaps it wasn't a good choice to start with if you're looking to follow with steak.<br /><br />Everyone in our party ended up ordering steak and there were a few hiccups because one was ordered medium but arrived rare. Mine was a tad too rare for my medium rare but I'm fine with meat on the bloodier side so I didn't send it back. I could've sworn that they gave </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">me filet mignon and not NY sirloin as I had ordered. I do not like mignon at all as I find it really tasteless with absolutely no chew factor whatsoever. The piece of meat on my plate was also about an inch and a half thick, not how sirloin is usually served anyway. One of our hosts questioned his cut as well, but after a few going back and forths, the server brought the plate back insisting that it was the cut he had ordered. I tried hubby's Kobe beef which definitely had better taste than mine, but definitely tasted far from the Kobe beef I've had in the past.<br /><br />I also got bone marrow on the side and what arrived was seriously interesting. White bits of bone marrow, just like the ones in the oxtail soup, were just plonked onto a plate and that's it. I had expected a two inch bone with marrow inside baked and served as is to be served alongside my steak. What a disappointment. This is not how bone marrow is usually served, at least not in Europe. I've never had bone marrow, served with a piece of meat, tasting like a mix between fat and tendon. Needless to say, I didn't eat much of this.<br /><br />I thought service was really good. Little touches here and there were nicely thought o</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ut. I notice these things and my friend was chuckling because he used to accompany me on my food writing escapades when we lived in Hong Kong and he knew I was paying attention to every little detail, whether it was a hit or miss.<br /><br />The hits: plates were all served simultaneously with multiple serves without missing a beat, fresh napkins replaced whenever someone would leave the table. Wine was duely poured whenever anyone took a sip or two.<br /><br />The misses: this would've been a hit -- when bread was placed into one of the diner's bread plate, a piece fell onto the table and the server picked that piece up and took it away -- but what followed made it a miss. I kept my eye on the server and instead of throwing that piece of bread away, he turned around, back to the table and put it right back into the bread basket. I kinda chuckled because the table wasn't dirty by any means so it wasn't a m</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM4CHSkfkdvsNZfckg38Q2sDT_sG5F9G97QUPJsrgapNbdFW63PMns0qYQn01MMti9Z3CJ-MMfumaagK3PeJU9WxCJaQFXiB7NO4uxDSR8XSkpsKxAqArRmG_JBEBnYykwUdzak7B-6p8/s1600-h/IMG_0960-R.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM4CHSkfkdvsNZfckg38Q2sDT_sG5F9G97QUPJsrgapNbdFW63PMns0qYQn01MMti9Z3CJ-MMfumaagK3PeJU9WxCJaQFXiB7NO4uxDSR8XSkpsKxAqArRmG_JBEBnYykwUdzak7B-6p8/s200/IMG_0960-R.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288609608209998210" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">atter of hygiene, but rather, if you're going to do something, follow through to the end so to speak.<br /><br />The other miss was that they couldn't keep track of who was drinking still water and who was drinking sparkling water. My glass of still was topped with sparkling and it wasn't until I noticed tiny bubbles in my water that I questioned the young man who was holding the bottle of Voss. He was apologetic and replaced my glass promptly.<br /><br />In any case, service was still pretty darn good and it was obvious they all underwent rigorous training. However, the training was so good that each server blended into the next not displaying any sense of personality or individuality. I thought it was on the robotic side really, but I guess that's what most of the shi shi diners want anyway.<br /><br />I think if you were to go to Cut, have the appetizers, desserts and drinks. Stay away from the steaks. They're just not good enough to warrant the price. Desserts were good if you're a dessert fan. I'm not. Souffles were deemed the standouts.<br /></span><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>siaodofuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04752335858433376061noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884188145255253823.post-63298216691488486862008-12-28T22:15:00.000-08:002010-06-05T17:26:20.904-07:00Park Avenue -- name does not match experience<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQi-vYKyBKjNR8qHPPTrue_TRp0-EmocuV1NV3f_xLjhkYpm2hV0nHesqVh8rKsTC_0kSO-hGc2XeQ5jE4uxKq6dyrDEHsiXTyFARXsPw6tGPpPK1DiATHY3IOd8ITgUFJc-4_Z8wloM4/s1600-h/IMG_0827.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQi-vYKyBKjNR8qHPPTrue_TRp0-EmocuV1NV3f_xLjhkYpm2hV0nHesqVh8rKsTC_0kSO-hGc2XeQ5jE4uxKq6dyrDEHsiXTyFARXsPw6tGPpPK1DiATHY3IOd8ITgUFJc-4_Z8wloM4/s200/IMG_0827.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285101826464445698" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Park Avenue</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">11200 Beach Blvd</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Stanton, CA 90680</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">(714) 901-4400</span><br />www.parkavedining.com</span><br /><br />Heard all these good things about Park Avenue, so when a friend decided to have her birthday celebrations there, I was excited and eager to be part of it. Our medium sized group of eight arrived with the exception of one who was lagging behind due to a flight delay, but it didn't matter. We took the time to settle into our seats and perused the menu while we waited.<br /><br />Bread baskets and water were brought out and whipped butter both plain and with bits of orange cranberry dotted the little plates. I tasted the bread and was immediately impressed by it -- great flavor and I liked how the butter enhanced and complemented the bread.<br /><br />While waiting we decided to order some appetizers to share. Tenderloin bites and lobster corn fritters were both outstanding. The menu stated that the tenderloin bites were marinated with soy, lime and garlic and it was obvious by the first bite. Not only were these bite sized beef chunks tender and moist, but extremely flavorful. And although I couldn't taste the lobster in the fritters, they were just the right texture -- not too hard or too soft -- and fried perfectly. This made me even more excited about the meal ahead.<br /><br />Soon, we all placed our main course orders and waited for our meals to arrive. Given that there were this many of us, I wasn't really fazed by the length of time we waited. Our bread baskets had been empty a long time and while our water carafes were refilled over and over again, the bread basket had been sitting there bare for more than 30 mins now. I brought this to the attention of our server who said he would take care of it. A few minutes turned into more than 10, until the birthday girl finally brought it to our server's attention again. He informed her that he was waiting for the baguette to be ready so it could be served alongside the cranberry bread. I guess she told him it wasn't necessary and to bring it out as is because we got our bread pretty soon after that.<br /><br />When our main courses arrived I noticed that none of us who ordered steaks or chops had steak knives. In fact, there wasn't even a regular knife since we had used it for the appetizers. I quickly pointed this out as I really didn't like eating cold food and it was cooling down each second the knives weren't on the table. Our server murmured apologies regarding the lack of knives and his reasoning was because they were being polished. Just a sorry about that would have sufficed.<br /><br />The other thing which was rather obvious was the fact that the main courses had that outdated feel about them. Presentation was seriously lacking -- practically non-existent. My NY steak was just sitting there with thin carrot ribbons on one side and scalloped potatoes on the other. The other diners' meals were the same: mixed grill was just the three items alongside mashed potatoes with the same thin ribboned carrots. No imagination in the presentation whatsoever.<br /><br />I could've overlooked the presentation had the food blown me away. After eating the appetizers I was sorely disappointed by my main course. This being a 'steak and chop' house, the steak was subpar beyond belief. My steak was flavorless. At first I thought, well maybe they forgot to season it. I picked up the salt on the table and I shook my head when I saw it was the regular type of table salt. Luckily, I carry a salt grinder in my purse filled with sea salt. I sprinkled some onto my steak but it really didn't help much. The steak still remained pretty bland. We'd just returned from Vegas and I had a $10 steak which tasted far better than this almost $30 steak at Park Ave. In fact, I didn't finish my meal. My husband ate my scalloped potatoes and my son had some of my steak. I even left a piece unfinished on my plate. I rarely waste food, but I will not hesitate to leave inedible food behind. It was unfortunate that this was one of those times.<br /><br />My husband's lamb chops were okay, still not the best I've ever had. I've bought lamb chops from Whole Foods which were more tasty. All in all, I think disappointed is too lax a word to use for this experience. Maybe after hearing the hype, I just expected a whole lot more. Maybe, because their prices were above average, I expected more. Maybe because Park Avenue presents itself to be a little more sophisticated, I'd expected service to be on par with that aspect, but again, I was let down. Everything was really mediocre at best -- the food, the service. The only redeeming factor was that the birthday girl enjoyed her main course -- swordfish. That was really the most important thing.<br /><br />Would I come back again? Probably not for dinner. There's a different menu at lunch time -- perhaps that would be better? I don't know. But what I do know is that Park Avenue does not live up to the hype, nor does the quality of food vs cost ratio go hand in hand. I'm left feeling cheated by a lackluster meal with uninspiring service for a price which really doesn't justify the goods we received.<br /></span><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>siaodofuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04752335858433376061noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884188145255253823.post-67468692655192714132008-12-27T12:07:00.000-08:002010-06-05T17:25:11.719-07:00Cafe Ba Ba Reeba -- Tasty tapas tidbits<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH-0zx1XRoxvqe_2G7Dr2RRRhhCHSPb9hw11T9s-rtcOoW5Uq-EeNoKMQBbA21wSQJiOaGzZoZn4wCnYcSVki0iPJqvYTbfqZURxs8BceX2UZz5-Y29LumCXdHHzkXkUbt4z5CyN3cLsA/s1600-h/IMG_0545--R.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH-0zx1XRoxvqe_2G7Dr2RRRhhCHSPb9hw11T9s-rtcOoW5Uq-EeNoKMQBbA21wSQJiOaGzZoZn4wCnYcSVki0iPJqvYTbfqZURxs8BceX2UZz5-Y29LumCXdHHzkXkUbt4z5CyN3cLsA/s200/IMG_0545--R.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284568523398713714" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cafe Ba Ba Reeba</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">3200 Las Vegas Blvd S,</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Las Vegas, NV 89109</span><br />(702) 258-1211</span><br /><br />Tapas. It's something my family loves and can eat lots of. Only problem is, outside of San Francisco, we've not had much luck finding seriously great tapas restaurants. In Vegas, we tried Firefly, but it was really dismal. We tried a lot of items but nothing stood out. Call us stupid, call us hopeful. Whatever it is, we were on a quest to find some halfway decent tapas. I had found a new place called RE Tapas, but they were closed. My husband searched via cell phone and found Cafe Ba Ba Reeba -- which, incidentally, was in the mall we were in at the time of search so off we went, fingers crossed.<br /><br />When we entered, the woman asked us if we were wanting to dine in Ba Ba Reeba or Stripburger. HUH? The restaurant is separated into two sections: one section is for the tapas restaurant, while the other, a burger restaurant. So confusing. I wanted to sit by the window for better lighting and since most of the tapas restaurant was dark, I chose a table by the door to Stripburger.<br /><br />The menu wasn't large so it was quite easy to maneuver. My husband was busy talking on his cell so I went ahead and ordered. My son wanted pizza and I wanted to just try a few things in case they weren't all that good. A bread basket was brought out with tasty crusty bread while we waited.<br /><br />Padron peppers arrived along with the garlic shrimp. As soon as I tasted the shrimp I smiled. I'll have to say, these were even better than the ones at Zarzuela (my favorite tapas place of all time). The shrimps were plump and had that fresh snap to them. They weren't stingy on the garlic either, nor were they shy about using seasoning. This dish was fantastic -- we ended up ordering another.<br /><br />Padron peppers were also nicely seasoned with sea salt and were grilled perfectly! The chorizo pizza had cherry tomato halves and the crust was thin and crispy -- delightful after so many bad pizzas we've had elsewhere. The only thing I thought was a tad weak was the seared sea scallops. Although the scallops were very fresh, the accompanying couscous and tapanade was under seasoned and didn't do much for the scallops.<br /><br />My husband had some sangria and I took a sip. Very well balanced without being overly sweet. I thoroughly enjoyed our meal even though it was very pricey for what we got. Our total came to about $80 tip included. Still, it was thoroughly enjoyable and service wasn't bad either.<br /></span><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>siaodofuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04752335858433376061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884188145255253823.post-49369574760782159792008-12-21T09:11:00.000-08:002008-12-23T23:03:05.459-08:00'tis the season for family<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe554R7jLLVgPK3mQsuO3HVjcMQYu9qE-rqdIDD7Vaic7j14TSSbqWmOa_P0-PSWmpU8m33GURUHMdGVRBrnrG5t1i90q-cJ4din7tSCUBsKcy_U85WA4Ur9RlMrAh3KaDAUBTc70eCzM/s1600-h/lemongrass+chicken.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe554R7jLLVgPK3mQsuO3HVjcMQYu9qE-rqdIDD7Vaic7j14TSSbqWmOa_P0-PSWmpU8m33GURUHMdGVRBrnrG5t1i90q-cJ4din7tSCUBsKcy_U85WA4Ur9RlMrAh3KaDAUBTc70eCzM/s200/lemongrass+chicken.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282297894420588290" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">The cold weather is the ideal time for people to come together for hotpot dinners. Tradition</span><span style="font-family:arial;">ally, hotpot is eaten during Chinese New Year where family gather around the table and eat for hours on end. Everyone huddles over the pot of boiling broth dipping pieces of meat, seafood, vegetables into the communal pot to cook together.<br /><br />I was invited to my friend Anh's home for such a joyous occasion. Anh's and her husband's family were having a Christmas celebration and hotpot was the main attraction. Since getting a hotpot dinner together is a bit of a production, I felt really honored to be joining them as a guest.<br /><br />Anh's family is of Vietnamese heritage so food is always the center of any family get togethers. There was sticky rice with soy chicken, fried chicken marinated with lemongrass, salt and pepper crabs among the yummy offerings on the table. Unlike the hotpots I do in our home, Anh spent the</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> afternoon cooking up two pots of broth especially for this event: one spicy using a ma la base, while the other, using Chinese medicinal herbs for flavoring. I noticed goji berries floating in the latter pot. Ma la seasoning comes from the Sichuan peppercorn berries which leave a tingling sensation on the tongue. While some people might find this a rather daunting experience, I absolutely love it!<br /><br />To complete the hotpot meal plates of raw items are placed around the pot so guests can pick and choose what they want and cook it themselves in the seasoned broth. Plump shrimp, snow white pieces of calamari, thinly sliced beef, beef balls, as well as lots and lots of greens cover the entire table. My favorite hotpot vegetable tong ho (chrysanthemum leaves) prettily adorn the tray alongside baby mustard greens and bok choy. There are two types of mushroom: shiitake and button. The choice is endless.<br /><br />I started off eating the lemongrass chicken Anh had been busy frying up. It was absolutely delicious! The chicken was tender and moist and the marinade had seeped entirely into the meat m</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY81xPZUPiDhJKRm_p8WHS2QOL3VFuCVa9Wg9YFwkFppcYFvcFz4R_WpWeLyiHIzcQxacInN_FRt_dqDrwfR2qdHMTfmwp2cBR59jrIS9k50WcBnwNgHY-ggMXkcRiql9zDT0DeCMT7bc/s1600-h/veg+for+hotpot.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY81xPZUPiDhJKRm_p8WHS2QOL3VFuCVa9Wg9YFwkFppcYFvcFz4R_WpWeLyiHIzcQxacInN_FRt_dqDrwfR2qdHMTfmwp2cBR59jrIS9k50WcBnwNgHY-ggMXkcRiql9zDT0DeCMT7bc/s200/veg+for+hotpot.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282297887737822770" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">aking it flavorful bite after bite. Then, it was time to dig into the star of the night. Anh had made a dipping sauce out of sa cha sauce (Chinese bbq sauce) and we were to add chilis if we wanted them. I certainly did. I took a slice of beef, dipped it into the ma la broth, swished it for a few seconds and then dipped it into the sa cha sauce and placed it into my mouth. Heavenly! I did this over and over again with different items for almost two hours, finally finishing off with vegetables.<br /><br />I was glad I sat on my end of the table. We were all in for the long haul so to speak. The other end had given up long ago. I wish I had worn my sweat pants instead of jeans as I had completely stuffed myself silly. As I sat there in a food daze, Anh was up and about making root beer floats for the kids.<br /><br />We stayed for a little while longer until my little guy looked like he was ready to call it a night. But before leaving, I was graced with two ziploc bagfuls of leftovers to enjoy the next day.<br /><br />I thanked my wonderful hosts Anh and her husband Hung for their hospitality and felt all warm and fuzzy from the meal and grateful for all the wonderful friends I have made here -- plus, it doesn't hurt that they are all wonderful cooks and as in love with food as I am!<br /></span>siaodofuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04752335858433376061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884188145255253823.post-35418487196461519472008-12-20T13:26:00.000-08:002010-06-05T17:23:59.220-07:00Hangari Kalgooksu -- carbo overload Korean style<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5akTqUa6o5KIm27tf3tK1TTpQDsdgiG2MEfQ3N8KneD_YRhb4NsXyxW52jOenV5Mfk4XeKnUWau_OKHKVYjCGXch45AXPHuA5Pynry0nwkBv9wMDNcJNsBRHu8XCEIUr7RA6hdlkHGI/s1600-h/barley+rice.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5akTqUa6o5KIm27tf3tK1TTpQDsdgiG2MEfQ3N8KneD_YRhb4NsXyxW52jOenV5Mfk4XeKnUWau_OKHKVYjCGXch45AXPHuA5Pynry0nwkBv9wMDNcJNsBRHu8XCEIUr7RA6hdlkHGI/s200/barley+rice.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281994010624596706" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Hangari Kalgooksu</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">9916 Garden Grove Blvd,</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Garden Grove, CA 92844</span><br />(714) 537-0100</span><br /><br />Every cuisine has its own comfort food and to me, a bowl of noodles regardless of region is always soothing on a cold day. Located in Orange County's Koreatown, Garden Grove, Hangari Kalgooksu serves its namesake, <span style="font-style: italic;">kalgooksu</span>, or soup noodles. The restaurant is clean and bright, the clientele, all Korean. At first I felt a tad intimidated by the paper place mat with the menu all in Korean printed on it. I was thinking it's going to be a challenge ordering today. I then took a photo of the menu and texted it to a girlfriend to see if she could make light of it.<br /><br />When my friends arrived, they were the ones who found the English menu on the table on the other side of the Korean menu. Yes, it's too early in the morning for me. After perusing and discussing, we decided on three items to share... the #1 which was <span style="font-style: italic;">kalgooksu</span> -- seafood noodles in soup, #2 <span style="font-style: italic;">jangtuhgooksu</span> -- noodles with vegetables was what we were told, and #7 <span style="font-style: italic;">ddukmandoogook</span> -- dumplings with rice cakes in soup. A small tureen of <span style="font-style: italic;">kimchi</span> was brought out and believe it or not, it was positively THE BEST <span style="font-style: italic;">kimchi</span> I've ever tasted. Here, they use <span style="font-style: italic;">bok choy</span> instead of <span style="font-style: italic;">napa</span> cabbage and the texture is lovely.The spice was also perfect with just the right amount of kick even my 8 year old was eating it up.<br /><br />A small plate of steamed barley was brought out for each of us. We ate it with the kimchi and it was delicious. The barley was nutty and textural-wise and while eating it I was wondering why other restaurants didn't serve it like that.<br /><br />The noodles soon arrived piping hot in earthen bowls. <span style="font-style: italic;">Kalgooksu</span> was quite tasty with slices of king oyster mushroom, shrimp, seaweed, scallions. <span style="font-style: italic;">Ddukmandoogook</span> had dumplings and rice cake ovalettes in it. And while<span style="font-style: italic;"> jangtuhgooksu</span> looked the prettiest, it appealed the least to all of us. The noodles were thin <span style="font-style: italic;">somen</span> noodles and were too mushy. It also soaked up a lot of the broth too quickly. We left most of that uneaten. Everyone agreed that the<span style="font-style: italic;"> kalgooksu</span> was far better. <span style="font-style: italic;">Mandoo, </span>or dumplings, were outstanding as I was told, since I never got to them in time. My son ended up eating the dumplings and nothing else so I'm certain the dumplings were fantastic. This kid has a palate like no other kid his age.<br /><br />The noodles are accompanied with a small plate of chili paste which you can add to your noodles at your own leisure. There are also 3 jars of different chili concoctions on the table, including sea salt should you need more to season your noodles. This way, everyone can season their own noodles according to their own taste. I liked the one with the chopped chilis because it was on the spicy side and I love spicy foods.<br /><br />Hangari Kalgooksu is wonderful for a hearty lunch with family as their portions are large enough to share. Other items on the menu are various <span style="font-style: italic;">tempura</span>, steamed <span style="font-style: italic;">mandoo</span> and fried <span style="font-style: italic;">mandoo</span>. Next time, we'll definitely get a platter of the steamed <span style="font-style: italic;">mandoo</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">tempura</span>, but we'll have to bring a few more friends along to share in the festivities!<br /></span><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>siaodofuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04752335858433376061noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884188145255253823.post-23087561851290019612008-12-14T10:36:00.000-08:002008-12-14T11:54:47.418-08:00My obsession with Vietnamese food part 1<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuF7qTCkTiz2X_5okvb49YbqsMmQ4o-LQuYelw7FhD12h_UivMBuvGjIlFFRwDm-qbniskENXZMrpqrUYwS372j14t85SPgdy6wbz_xejwjweIt_PcQem74w8TaDdwXoW3nv-KZE9vrTM/s1600-h/dill+fish+%28Canton+restaurant%29+--R.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuF7qTCkTiz2X_5okvb49YbqsMmQ4o-LQuYelw7FhD12h_UivMBuvGjIlFFRwDm-qbniskENXZMrpqrUYwS372j14t85SPgdy6wbz_xejwjweIt_PcQem74w8TaDdwXoW3nv-KZE9vrTM/s200/dill+fish+%28Canton+restaurant%29+--R.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279734992388117058" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">I've decided to periodically pay homage to some of my favorite Vietnamese dishes simply because I'm totally addicted to this cuisine. I find that I must somehow satiate my desire at least twice or three times a week, so I might as well document my constant hunt for the next Vietnamese dish so you can also partake on some of these delicious findings.<br /><br />I'm going to start with <span style="font-style: italic;">cha ca thang long</span> -- dill turmeric fish. This dish is always served with a plateful of fresh greens including lettuce, mint, perilla leaves and cilantro -- the variation may change depending on where you go but you'll be sure to get some, if not all of the herbs. A little plate of peanuts and sesame seed cracker are also given as well as a plate of rice vermecelli and a small bowl of shrimp paste sauce.<br /><br />I'm not sure if there is a correct way to eat it, but what I like to do is to layer the bottom of my bowl with some vermecelli, then drizzle some shrimp paste sauce on it before I break apart the various greens and top with the fish and wilted onions and dill. The shrimp paste sauce can be intimidating to the untrained palate as it is slightly pungent, and doesn't look very appetizing. However, if you can get over that, it is what binds the entire dish together.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />Cha ca thang long</span> is not a cheap dish -- generally it's around $13 although the highest I've come across has been $15. There are quite a few places which serve it up, and I'm sure I've only scratched the surface of what's available out there, but here are just a sampling of what I've found.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ha Noi</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><br />(<span style="font-style: italic;">9082 Bolsa Ave, Westminster, CA 92683 Ph: 714-901-8108</span>)<br />When the original owners still were in charge, this place had some of the best dill turmeric fish around. I was never partial to catfish, but somehow, the way they prepared it here was that the marinade took away any of the muddy taste which lingered on the flesh. Under new ownership, the fish no longer tastes as good, nor is it as tender. The accompanying shrimp paste sauce is also very watery tasting.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Vien Dong</span><br />(<span style="font-style: italic;">14271 Brookhurst Ave, Garden Grove, CA 92843 Ph: 714-531-8253</span>)<br />One of the first places to offer up this dish, Vien Dong's version uses snapper instead of catfish. My husband really liked the version here, but I thought it was just okay. I didn't like the shrimp paste sauce here and that is essential in how the whole thing ends up tasting.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ha Noi Avenue</span><br />(<span style="font-style: italic;">8432 Westminster Blvd, Westminster, CA 92683 Ph: 714-898-8838</span>)<br />The original owners of Ha Noi restaurant recently opened Ha Noi Avenue serving up dishes using their old recipes. Catfish is used here and it's as moist and tender as I remembered when I first had it at the old location. Although it is slightly greasy, the fresh dill and sliced onions are perfectly charred and caramelized because the sizzling platter always arrives splattering from the heat. The shrimp paste sauce here is about as perfect as you'll get with the right amount of savoriness to sweetness.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Canton</span> aka <span style="font-weight: bold;">Chao Ca Cho Cu</span><br />(<span style="font-style: italic;">8550 Westminster Ave, Westminster, CA 92683 Ph: 714-892-2022</span>)<br />To date, this is my favorite place for <span style="font-style: italic;">cha ca thang long</span>. I'm not 100% sure what kind of fish they use here -- could be snapper, could be sole -- but it's damn good! The fish is moist and very tender and all the accompanying sides are fresh and flavorful. This is also the most expensive one of all topping out at $14.99 and the portion isn't any bigger than at the other restaurants. The reason why this place takes first place over Ha Noi Avenue is because I am not a huge fan of catfish. Otherwise, in terms of flavor, I'd say Ha Noi Avenue is the best all around.<br /><br /></span>siaodofuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04752335858433376061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884188145255253823.post-72919335556531729842008-12-11T16:19:00.000-08:002010-06-05T17:23:08.048-07:00Fukada -- Comfort food without the guilt<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjriMdBvKyWCS0B90f3u5dMpElwtQUedn9epT4PcE7ag-SSQhpLiigZPHlzuU_Co7Vpw99CaBU2haWIZvDc4rgWkBxvL5WfqFG66RRHlt1hMS8UAH2DU8lV8-FPLLRfL62VR_kd5Owe7F0/s1600-h/spicy+tuna+don.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjriMdBvKyWCS0B90f3u5dMpElwtQUedn9epT4PcE7ag-SSQhpLiigZPHlzuU_Co7Vpw99CaBU2haWIZvDc4rgWkBxvL5WfqFG66RRHlt1hMS8UAH2DU8lV8-FPLLRfL62VR_kd5Owe7F0/s200/spicy+tuna+don.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278698795709537234" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Fukada</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">8683 Irvine Center Drive</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Irvine, CA 92618</span><br />(949) 341-0111</span><br /><br />In Irvine, good food is really hard to come by. For some odd reason, we have one of the best school districts in the country, which attracts families, which attracts money etc, but they can't for some reason attract restaurants which serve up great food. Go figure.<br /><br />Fukada is the exception -- when it is in a good mood that is. Most of the time, Fukada has great food, except when it has less than stellar food. When that happens, it's not a good experience.<br /><br />It is a very popular lunch time destination with lines forming before the restaurant even opens at 11.30am. Fifteen minutes upon opening, the restaurant is already at full capacity. Sucks to be you if you arrive just a few minutes too late to snatch up the last table.<br /><br />They have a pretty good sized menu, but most people go for the lunch combos which are about $10 or less. These give you the option of a noodle and a <span style="font-style: italic;">don</span> (rice bowl), or a salad with slices of seared raw fish with your choice of 3 rice bowls. Some of the selections include unagi-<span style="font-style: italic;">don</span> (eel), spicy tuna <span style="font-style: italic;">don</span>, ten-<span style="font-style: italic;">don</span> (tempura), curry-<span style="font-style: italic;">don</span> and a few others. With the salad selection you can choose only from spicy tuna <span style="font-style: italic;">don</span> and 2 types of rolls. For an extra $2, you can choose any of the other choices available. The same combo is offered at dinner time, but for a few dollars more.<br /><br />A white board also offers special combos which claims to be daily specials. Only thing is, I've only seen these choices change twice in the years we've been coming here. If you wish to order <span style="font-style: italic;">a la carte</span>, the menu has entrees such as teriyaki chicken and salmon. However, noodles and tempura are their specialty. Fukada makes its own noodles -- specifically, <span style="font-style: italic;">udon</span>. Although I prefer <span style="font-style: italic;">soba</span> (buckwheat noodles) over <span style="font-style: italic;">udon</span>, they often are a hit and miss. On my last visit, they tasted like the flour to buckwheat ratio was off, hence, doughy and hard at the same time. Weird texture just kills it for me.<br /><br />If you're ordering a la carte, appetizers, entrees and dessert, with a drink or two, be ready to shell out a hefty amount because the portions are on the small side. We've paid close to $100 tip included for a party of 3 at dinner. Of course, if you stick with the combos, it's still a really great deal.<br /><br />Service could be better but it all depends on who is working that day. However, no matter what the service, you can be sure the food will fly out of the kitchen because they want you in and out faster than you can shout '<span style="font-style: italic;">oishi</span>' so they can begin the next round of diners waiting in the wings.<br /><br /></span><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>siaodofuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04752335858433376061noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884188145255253823.post-78126248503926941422008-12-08T22:05:00.000-08:002008-12-13T12:44:46.762-08:00Pho the record -- the good, the bad and the ugly<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLFt3nTcf4nS-1hAbAdAWGpABQM4RKO8QyRQxbyJf6cbCCY3Qb7hxkKACEMLoRoOX7sxykN0eCt-3BeHi8q4eFLe1O0OkUofLIWq8CUdy5OqpQfMNryCQytXoJz8EDzLQQVAZX73_-24Y/s1600-h/pho.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLFt3nTcf4nS-1hAbAdAWGpABQM4RKO8QyRQxbyJf6cbCCY3Qb7hxkKACEMLoRoOX7sxykN0eCt-3BeHi8q4eFLe1O0OkUofLIWq8CUdy5OqpQfMNryCQytXoJz8EDzLQQVAZX73_-24Y/s200/pho.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277844415865215474" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">My favorite thing to eat on a cold day is a piping hot bowl of <span style="font-style: italic;">pho</span>, and the only place to eat <span style="font-style: italic;">pho</span> is in lil Saigon -- mainly Westminster, but the main drag, Brookhurst, sits in between the cities of Westminster and Garden Grove. You'll find a restaurant on one side of the street with their address in one city and one across the way in another.<br /><br />I've had my share of nasty <span style="font-style: italic;">pho</span>, mediocre <span style="font-style: italic;">pho</span>, as well as decent <span style="font-style: italic;">pho</span>, but what I really want is a perfect bowl of <span style="font-style: italic;">pho</span>. To me, the perfect bowl comprises of <span style="font-style: italic;">al dente</span> noodles, broth that is so hot your mouth will burn if you tried to sip it too quickly, and fresh condiments to accompany it with. Another important aspect is the broth, which ideally should have a hearty beefy taste without being murky or greasy. I never knew it was such a difficult task to find this perfection until I went searching for it.<br /><br />One of my favorite places for pho is <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pho 79</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">9941 Hazard Ave, Garden Grove, CA 92643. Ph: 714-531-2490</span>). Now, don't be fooled by the other places boasting the 79 name. They are all imposters! Only the location on Hazard has the good <span style="font-style: italic;">pho</span>. The version here is a rich, deep, broth filled with the strong aromas of star anise. My experience has been better later on in the day rather than when they first open at 8am. The broth is a lot stronger around lunch time. The only thing I dislike is the copious use of MSG at Pho 79. Be sure you have some time to wait because this place is always packed. I've had to wait for a table most often than not even during off-peak hours.<br /><br />If you wish to avoid the MSG factor, try <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pho 86</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">10528 McFadden Ave, Garden Grove, CA 92843. Ph: 714-531-0512</span>). You'll get a scorchingly hot bowl of pho with fresh basil, <span style="font-style: italic;">ngo gai</span> leaves (or sawtooth herb), beansprouts and jalapenos. The broth is flavorful without being oily and has a rich finish -- not as intense as Pho 79's, but very very satisfying! For about $5 you will leave highly contented without to deal with MSG coma later!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pho Quang Trung</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">10072 Westminster Ave, Garden Grove, CA 92843. Ph: 714-638-2286</span>) is one of those places even hardcore grandmas agree has pretty decent pho when they don't feel like making it themselves. They get quite busy around lunch time so try to get there early or late.<br /><br />If you're on a tight budget, you might wish to consider <span style="font-weight: bold;">Hoa Binh</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">14472, Westminster Ave, Garden Grove, CA 92842 Ph: 714-531-3088</span>) and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pho Vinh Ky 2</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">14390 Westminster Ave, Garden Grove, CA 92842 Ph: 714-531-4965</span>). Both are decent enough for what you pay. Hoa Binh has two daily specials each day at 50% off the regular price, while Vinh Ky has <span style="font-style: italic;">pho bo</span> or beef <span style="font-style: italic;">pho</span> at around $3.99 a bowl.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pho Lu</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">10141 Westminster Ave, Garden Grove, CA 92843 Ph: 714-539-7979</span>) and the sister location of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pho 86</span> off McFadden Ave (<span style="font-style: italic;">14576 Brookhurst Ave, Westminster, CA 92683 Ph: 714-839-4591</span>) also have decent pho -- not too much MSG and a tasty, flavorful broth. The latter serves a perfect portion for me, not too large and they are very generous with the meat just like the McFadden location except their broth isn't serve as scorchingly hot.<br /><br />I've discovered that just because a place has "pho" in its name, doesn't necessarily mean it has good <span style="font-style: italic;">pho</span>. Sometimes, it's pretty goddamn awful. Generally, I trust my Vietnamese friends for recommendations, but mostly, it's simply by trial and error. Sometimes, I just stop at a place I've never been to and take my chances. When it's truly awful, I just don't eat it. There's nothing worse than having to eat something disgusting when there is so much good food out there. I know my mom would've slapped me silly 20 years ago had I left a bowl of anything because it didn't taste good. These days, she knows better. My motto is, "why waste your stomach space for something unpalatable? You only get 3 meals a day, make them great!"<br /></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.do?loginRedirect=1lqlal7dfuwh1"></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">My motto came into full effect when I was faced with inedible fare at <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pho Thanh Lich </span>(<span style="font-style: italic;">14500 Brookhurst St, Westminster, CA 92684 Ph: 714-531-5789</span>). </span><span style="font-family:arial;">The broth was coated with a layer of grease and had the murkiness of a river bed when disturbed. The worst part was it tasted like offal. I passed!<br /><br />Another less than desirable establishment is <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pho Thang Long (</span></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-style: italic;">9550 Bolsa Ave, Westminster, CA 92683 Ph: 714-839-4955</span>)</span><span style="font-family:arial;"><span>, which</span> has extremely high volume in the wee hours of the night because it's one of the few places in lil Saigon open until 3am. I'm told their pho is a hit and miss, but unfortunately for me, it was definitely a miss. Overcooked noodles were squashed into a bowl too small for the volume. Measly portions of meat shared space with overbearing noodles trying hard to garner attention, but without much luck. The ratio was a lose lose situation for the meat and flavorless broth. Very soon, the noodles soaked up all the liquid leaving them in a pile of white clumpy mess.<br /><br />But pho isn't only restricted to beef <span style="font-style: italic;">pho</span> or <span style="font-style: italic;">pho bo</span>. Chicken <span style="font-style: italic;">pho</span> or <span style="font-style: italic;">pho ga</span> is also very tasty. My favorite can be found at <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pho Dakao</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">15532 Ward St, Garden Grove, CA 92843 Ph: 714-531-2009</span>). The chicken is freshly slaughtered each day, and poached so perfectly that even the white meat is moist and tender. For the hardcore foodie, get it with all the special ingredients such as chicken heart, liver, gizzard and intestines. I love the gizzard, but not the other stuff. You can order your pho with white or dark meat and they serve it on a separate plate with a garlic sauce for dipping.<br /><br />Alternatively, <span style="font-style: italic;">pho ga</span> at <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pho Nguyen Hue</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">10487 Bolsa Ave, Westminster, CA 92684 Ph: 714-839-8916</span>) is not too bad. Here, you can ask for <span style="font-style: italic;">bun</span> (rice vermecelli) instead of <span style="font-style: italic;">pho</span> noodles. Some restaurants won't allow you to substitute.<br /><br />Eating is very subjective and regardless of what I may think, there will always be others who will beg to differ. All I can say is, if you are a fan of <span style="font-style: italic;">pho</span>, go try it out. That's the only way you'll know if you like it!<br /></span>siaodofuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04752335858433376061noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884188145255253823.post-50523456615734239962008-12-07T13:22:00.000-08:002010-06-05T17:21:27.872-07:00Antoine's Cafe -- Breakfast? Anyone?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA13OLHiqe9ECeh8-_Y3BT2ORjkrgsvaye9VmyjNgARVLqmu-hekavRGbKn76Sww5WZ6jxIs0V6FvwmJyLBupY__cjL3QEeffYsqc25h85Zz6fU7RVesdXBIIB3IQruJk_a81CkQTEQKI/s1600-h/antoinescafe.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA13OLHiqe9ECeh8-_Y3BT2ORjkrgsvaye9VmyjNgARVLqmu-hekavRGbKn76Sww5WZ6jxIs0V6FvwmJyLBupY__cjL3QEeffYsqc25h85Zz6fU7RVesdXBIIB3IQruJk_a81CkQTEQKI/s200/antoinescafe.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277171166700145698" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Antoine's Cafe</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">218 S El Camino Real</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">San Clemente, CA 92672</span><br />(949) 492-1763</span><br />www.san-clemente-beaches.com/AntoinesCafe.html<br /><br />Antoine's Cafe is definitely vibrant on the weekends. People were waiting on the benches and chairs outside ranging from bikers to military personnel from nearby San Onofre/Camp Pendleton. There is a slight wait, no more than 15 minutes, but be sure to step inside and put your name down on the waiting list. Inside the cafe, a cozy but bustling dining room offers booths as well as tables and counter seating, while outside, plastic chairs and tables are available for those who enjoy fresh air and/or are accompanied by their furry companions.<br /><br />So</span><span style="font-family:arial;">, eating breakfast, out, two days in a row -- not something I ordinarily do unless I'm on vacation, but yes, the breakfast fan -- my other half -- didn't get to brunch at Plum's Cafe yesterday so this was his consolation prize this weekend. After the eggs Benedict yesterday, I felt like I shouldn't order the same thing again, but was glad my husband did -- and no, I did not have to twist his arm either. I had my eye on the highly recommended fish tacos. Our little man choose French toast, homemade sausage patties and a fried egg.<br /><br />Our server started off in an abrupt manner. Initially, we troubled her because the coffee cup was dirty -- there was some green residue on the rim. then, a knife had some sticky stuff on it and a fork had butter stuck to the handle. When I requested clean silverware, she grabbed them off the table and then brought some back without saying a word. I was feeling like maybe I'd made a bad choice about eating here. I'm not one who enjoys a leisurely Sunday morning to turn south before my food even hits the table. Then I started to worry -- "what if the food wasn't up to par?" But those thoughts were quickly quashed when we started eating.<br /><br />My fish taco plate had 3 tacos with generous chunks of albacore tuna, avocado, a sprinkling of some cooked peppers and onions and a hefty topping of cilantro and salsa. They bring you additional salsa in a small cup should you feel you require more. Every ingredient, from the fish to the avocado was very fresh. I only wished they had a spicier sauce, a <span style="font-style: italic;">salsa roja,</span> perhaps, to complete these tasty tacos. Still, for a non-Mexican place, these were pretty good. If you don't like cilantro or raw red onions, let them know, because they REALLY pile it on here. I, on the other hand, love it -- the more the better.<br /><br />I guess I shouldn't have tasted the eggs Benedict because right after, I immediately regretted not ordering it. The English muffin was toasted to a crispness I'd never experienced before. It was just amazing because when you get a mouthful of the muffin together with a piece of the ham (sorry, no Canadian bacon here either) and a morsel of the poached egg, the textural sensation is just incredible. Don't get me wrong ... I was thoroughly enjoying my tacos, but the Benedict was just THAT much better. Also, if you like sausage, don't miss out on the homemade sausage patties -- they were fantastic, perfectly seasoned and not greasy.<br /><br />By the end of our meal, our server warmed up and even stopped by to check on us, but even so, I had ask for a refill on my water. She brought the check out pretty quickly though -- that's a plus ... no? Reasonable prices and I'd have to say, I'll take these eggs Benedict over Plum's Cafe, hands down!<br /><br /></span><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>siaodofuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04752335858433376061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884188145255253823.post-25112938554956363042008-12-06T14:13:00.000-08:002010-06-05T17:20:54.102-07:00Plums Cafe -- pickins to start your day with<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1VehuDEqWBciksllIFqXJ1d77yeTv__BUqXZ0Yh0s7OO8Z5CXUHeAXn-k-5gdRyd-qcJAGNBh4Q3lKCGIQ0f5DcyNIidLWrYYHt5abi3sn0yQ9mWXV46422MwG1OkpeG8rduqWY8pNd8/s1600-h/popover.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1VehuDEqWBciksllIFqXJ1d77yeTv__BUqXZ0Yh0s7OO8Z5CXUHeAXn-k-5gdRyd-qcJAGNBh4Q3lKCGIQ0f5DcyNIidLWrYYHt5abi3sn0yQ9mWXV46422MwG1OkpeG8rduqWY8pNd8/s200/popover.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276828359051169794" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Plum's Cafe</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >369 E 17<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">th</span> Street</span><span style="font-size:130%;">, </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >Costa Mesa, CA 92627</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />(714) 722-7586</span><br />www.plumscafe.com<br /><br />My husband and friends all love going out for breakfast. Me? Not so much. I'm not a big breakfast person -- Western breakfast that is. Asian breakfast, on the other hand, I love. </span><span style="font-family:arial;">I always figure, why pay exorbitant prices for something I can whip up at home right? However, I'm no party <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">pooper</span> when my friends are in the brunching mood especially to a place I've never been before.<br /><br />Plums Cafe is absolutely delightful in terms of decor. It reminded me of cafes in Sydney where the use of natural colors makes you feel like you're enveloped in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">eco</span>-friendly surroundings. Does that make sense? The main dining area is round while the adjoining area is sort of rectangular. I guess its kind of like an exclamation mark stuck together. Our server was simply charming. Not only was he full of smiles, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">accommodating</span>, but he was cute too. That's always a plus right?<br /><br />The menu was creative, yet not complicated with too many choices. But with that in mind, it was laden with enough appealing items for me to become very indecisive. Usually, when my husband is eating with us, I can coerce him into ordering something else I wish to try, but since I was with my friends, I didn't want to seem overbearing about it. Turned out, our other friends were late so we started with some feta and chive popovers while we waited. They reminded me of light versions of Yorkshire pudding, but not as good. I could barely detect the feta and they were too dry. It would've been better had there been a chunk or two of feta tucked between the popover giving a soft contrasting texture to the puffed dough.<br /><br />Everyone ended up ordering smoked salmon hash except me. I got the eggs Benedict. They do the Benedict a little different here -- baguette instead of English muffin, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">chipotle</span>-cilantro <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Hollandaise</span> instead of regular <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Hollandaise</span> and peppered ham took the place of Canadian bacon. I thought the eggs Benedict were good, but it didn't blow me away. The rosemary potatoes accompanying the eggs Benedict were outstanding though and I don't even like potatoes unless they're French fries.<br /><br />Unfortunately, I wasn't keen on the smoked salmon hash, but then again, I don't like cooked salmon much. I find the texture very unpleasant. The other thing I'm not fond of is <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">homestyle</span> potatoes and that's what they use instead of hash.<br /><br />Apple honey sausages were cute and small, but at a buck and a quarter a pop, it was very pricey and on the sweet side for me. I'm glad we ordered the Oregon peppered bacon (also immensely pricey at $1.25 each) because it was definitely some tasty bacon!<br /><br />Plums Cafe is a great place for brunch, and if you're a breakfast kinda guy or gal then you'll love it. I thought it was on the pricey side as most specialty dishes average around $15. If you add a side or two, a drink, your final tab with tip included can easily lurk around the $30 mark per person. Not a place to indulge in on a weekly basis, but when you do get a chance to visit, you'll be glad you did. I sure was!!<br /></span><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>siaodofuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04752335858433376061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884188145255253823.post-85802673257522350292008-12-05T12:46:00.000-08:002010-06-05T17:20:17.946-07:00Izakaya Wasa -- pricey mall fusion<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBXUPA0OFuAfPLBRe3OUJqgOdiJKGZZFC6NIhQbjHAny_19RcowNDL6QaMdzXExXRUiDkvNEtT3FwdoJdjxkSaNNpKARLPK0z1HGfXZ9o6OPrhyphenhyphenO8bFNBKRVZFhVjIbt4BLQ4F7FcI_YE/s1600-h/spicy+tuna+don.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBXUPA0OFuAfPLBRe3OUJqgOdiJKGZZFC6NIhQbjHAny_19RcowNDL6QaMdzXExXRUiDkvNEtT3FwdoJdjxkSaNNpKARLPK0z1HGfXZ9o6OPrhyphenhyphenO8bFNBKRVZFhVjIbt4BLQ4F7FcI_YE/s200/spicy+tuna+don.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276830810488005282" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Izakaya Wasa</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> at the Spectrum<br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >59 Fortune Drive</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >Irvine, CA 92618</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />(949) 453-9500<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">www.izakayawasa.com</span><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">I'm very particular when it comes to eating </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >sashimi</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> or sushi. REALLY particular. I have one or two places I will eat raw fish at and then I stick to it. Rarely will you find me venturing to unknown restaurants to indulge in one of my favorite meals of all time.<br /><br />So when a friend suggested Izakaya Wasa for lunch, I probed and questioned regarding the quality of fish, etc etc. He assured me that it was pretty good. I trust this friend when it comes to raw fish so I happily tagged along for yet another culinary adventure.<br /><br />Some people may not like this look, but I like minimalist decor. It gives me a feeling of serenity. To me, nothing is worse than extremely loud music and too much going on in a restaurant when you're trying to enjoy a meal. There is a time and place for that sort of dining -- when we're out with a bunch of kids -- and Izakaya Wasa just isn't one of those places.<br /><br />There are little booths which give you the feel of privacy yet remain part of the entire dining room. The modernist approach makes it perfect for a night out on the town while the wooden plaques adorning the walls creates just a touch of old school charm without being gaudy.<br /><br />The menu is quite extensive so be prepared to spend some time browsing. There are appetizers, yakitori, sushi, noodles, rice bowls and much much more to choose from. On this particular visit, my friend opted for the spicy tuna </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >don</span><span style="font-size:100%;">, while I had the premium sushi set. Our lunches came with a salad and a bowl of miso soup. The ginger sesame dressing on the salad was extremely overpowering in terms of ginger. You could barely taste the sesame and they overdressed the salad so by the time you've eaten the first half of the salad, the second half was swimming in the dressing. Overkill if you ask me. Miso soup was quite pleasant -- flavorful without being overly salty.<br /><br />I found it strange that the server put my friend's order in before I was ready to order, hence, his food came out about 5-7 minutes before mine. The spicy tuna don arrived very beautifully presented, but atop the layer of rice was a generous sprinkling of panko bread crumbs drizzled with a dark, sweet sauce and then finished off with the spicy tuna. I am not a fan of bread crumbs or batter crumbs sprinkled on my rice or my noodles so I didn't like this dish all that much. Also, different restaurants create different versions of spicy tuna ..... here, chili sesame oil is used instead of </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >sriracha</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> chili sauce. It's just a personal preference, so if you like chili oil, then this will be extremely favorable to your palate.<br /><br />My premium sushi set arrived on a white platter. There were 6 pieces of spicy tuna roll (alternatively, you can choose California roll) </span></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">and 8 pieces of nigiri. The only piece I didn't like was the </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >mirugai</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> (geoduck clam). It was on the fishy side. The other fish were all very fresh with melt-in-the-mouth texture. There was also enough </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >umami</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> for me to deem this pretty damn good fish for a fusion-style restaurant.<br /><br />Next time you're at the Spectrum, by all means check it out. It's not outstanding sushi, but it's not bad at all for its location and price.</span><br /></span><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>siaodofuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04752335858433376061noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884188145255253823.post-63886579420785263772008-12-05T08:34:00.000-08:002010-06-05T17:19:19.504-07:00Marche Moderne -- Marching to a tasty beat<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTEDq-stV0ZZaCwiy5gG7nZX_ypZNs6m1nvsdjVV_Yt1CQmjR_785AOxnm0OSTUP_1_uIP-D03cna0H_ob0TRr-q4XecGE0S1MY3r-kdHr4lJ_3FUZDIqhBtuqXV15FElCd1lLbKnR8-0/s1600-h/marche+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTEDq-stV0ZZaCwiy5gG7nZX_ypZNs6m1nvsdjVV_Yt1CQmjR_785AOxnm0OSTUP_1_uIP-D03cna0H_ob0TRr-q4XecGE0S1MY3r-kdHr4lJ_3FUZDIqhBtuqXV15FElCd1lLbKnR8-0/s200/marche+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276450897736029330" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Marche</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Moderne</span></span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >3333 Bristol Avenue, #3001</span><span style="font-size:130%;">, </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >Costa Mesa, CA 92626</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />(714) 434-7900</span><br />www.marchemoderne.net<br /><br />The images 'mall food' conjures up are an endless list of fast food and greasy spoons. In Orange County, where the rich and famous flock to shop at the renown South Coast Plaza, you can be sure that a lot of thought has been put into taking care of these celebrities as well as chain restaurants for us mere mortals.<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Marche</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Moderne</span> is a French-style bistro which is both upscale enough for those 'real housewives' of Orange County, yet, relaxed enough for the regular person. The restaurant is split into two sections, inside, an open kitchen aligns one side of the dark mahogany hues of the dining room, while the outside patio is absolutely perfect for a casual lunch with the girls.<br /><br />The lunch menu consists of a host of fresh and light offerings ranging from salads and sandwiches to seafood. For dinner, you will find heartier dishes such as rabbit, lamb and beef short rib.<br /><br />What sets <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Marche</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Moderne</span> apart is their exceptional lunch <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">prix</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">fixe</span> menu. For $20 you get a 3-course menu usually kicking off with a salad. I've had arugula salad with Asian pears, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">chevre</span> and candied pecans, or a Belgian endive salad with balsamic <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">vinaigrette</span> and goat cheese.<br /><br />Entrees generally is a choice between a seafood and a meat dish. On one visit I sampled the skate wing and on another, lamb <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">osso</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">bucco</span>. I don't have a sweet tooth so I can't be objective when it comes to rating desserts, but I did try everything put in front of me. Some I liked, others, not so much. However, my dining companions have always relished in their Portions are ample and you will leave more than satisfied and be back at your desk in no time.<br /><br />Service is attentive without being intrusive and in this economy, you can enjoy the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">prix</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">fixe</span> at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Marche</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Moderne</span> every week without breaking the bank.<input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>siaodofuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04752335858433376061noreply@blogger.com0