Yakyudori Yakitori & Ramen -- passable if you're desperate

Yakyudori Yaktori & Ramen
4898 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 268-2888

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Yakyudori definitely has potential to become a happening place!

Hangari Kalgooksu -- carbo overload Korean style

Hangari Kalgooksu
9916 Garden Grove Blvd, Garden Grove, CA 92844
(714) 537-0100

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, kalgooksu, 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.

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 kalgooksu -- seafood noodles in soup, #2 jangtuhgooksu -- noodles with vegetables was what we were told, and #7 ddukmandoogook -- dumplings with rice cakes in soup. A small tureen of kimchi was brought out and believe it or not, it was positively THE BEST kimchi I've ever tasted. Here, they use bok choy instead of napa 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.

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.

The noodles soon arrived piping hot in earthen bowls. Kalgooksu was quite tasty with slices of king oyster mushroom, shrimp, seaweed, scallions. Ddukmandoogook had dumplings and rice cake ovalettes in it. And while jangtuhgooksu looked the prettiest, it appealed the least to all of us. The noodles were thin somen 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 kalgooksu was far better. Mandoo, 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.

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.

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 tempura, steamed mandoo and fried mandoo. Next time, we'll definitely get a platter of the steamed mandoo and tempura, but we'll have to bring a few more friends along to share in the festivities!

Fukada -- Comfort food without the guilt

Fukada
8683 Irvine Center Drive Irvine, CA 92618
(949) 341-0111

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.

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.

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.

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 don (rice bowl), or a salad with slices of seared raw fish with your choice of 3 rice bowls. Some of the selections include unagi-don (eel), spicy tuna don, ten-don (tempura), curry-don and a few others. With the salad selection you can choose only from spicy tuna don 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.

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 a la carte, the menu has entrees such as teriyaki chicken and salmon. However, noodles and tempura are their specialty. Fukada makes its own noodles -- specifically, udon. Although I prefer soba (buckwheat noodles) over udon, 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.

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.

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 'oishi' so they can begin the next round of diners waiting in the wings.

Pho the record -- the good, the bad and the ugly

My favorite thing to eat on a cold day is a piping hot bowl of pho, and the only place to eat pho 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.

I've had my share of nasty pho, mediocre pho, as well as decent pho, but what I really want is a perfect bowl of pho. To me, the perfect bowl comprises of al dente 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.

One of my favorite places for pho is Pho 79 (9941 Hazard Ave, Garden Grove, CA 92643. Ph: 714-531-2490). 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 pho. 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.

If you wish to avoid the MSG factor, try Pho 86 (10528 McFadden Ave, Garden Grove, CA 92843. Ph: 714-531-0512). You'll get a scorchingly hot bowl of pho with fresh basil, ngo gai 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!

Pho Quang Trung (10072 Westminster Ave, Garden Grove, CA 92843. Ph: 714-638-2286) 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.

If you're on a tight budget, you might wish to consider Hoa Binh (14472, Westminster Ave, Garden Grove, CA 92842 Ph: 714-531-3088) and Pho Vinh Ky 2 (14390 Westminster Ave, Garden Grove, CA 92842 Ph: 714-531-4965). 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 pho bo or beef pho at around $3.99 a bowl.

Pho Lu (10141 Westminster Ave, Garden Grove, CA 92843 Ph: 714-539-7979) and the sister location of Pho 86 off McFadden Ave (14576 Brookhurst Ave, Westminster, CA 92683 Ph: 714-839-4591) 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.

I've discovered that just because a place has "pho" in its name, doesn't necessarily mean it has good pho. 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!"

My motto came into full effect when I was faced with inedible fare at Pho Thanh Lich (14500 Brookhurst St, Westminster, CA 92684 Ph: 714-531-5789). 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!

Another less than desirable establishment is Pho Thang Long (9550 Bolsa Ave, Westminster, CA 92683 Ph: 714-839-4955), which 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.

But pho isn't only restricted to beef pho or pho bo. Chicken pho or pho ga is also very tasty. My favorite can be found at Pho Dakao (15532 Ward St, Garden Grove, CA 92843 Ph: 714-531-2009). 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.

Alternatively, pho ga at Pho Nguyen Hue (10487 Bolsa Ave, Westminster, CA 92684 Ph: 714-839-8916) is not too bad. Here, you can ask for bun (rice vermecelli) instead of pho noodles. Some restaurants won't allow you to substitute.

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 pho, go try it out. That's the only way you'll know if you like it!

I-naba -- A Noodling good time

I-naba
20920 Hawthorne Blvd
Torrance, CA 90510
(310) 371-6675

It was on my birthday last year that a bunch of my friends brought me here for dinner. Hence, it was ironic that a year later, I had the pleasure of meeting a dear old friend, the Ubiquitous Grammar Cop (http://lomnoir.blogspot.com) when he was visiting, at I-naba, again, on my birthday. Thirteen years separated our last meeting to this one. We ordered quickly so we could catch up on the last decade between bites of tempura and soba.

Tempura Deluxe Set lunch was agreed upon and thus started the array of food which arrived. A green salad and miso soup arrived first, followed by hijiki (seaweed) salad which had bits of carrots and roasted chestnuts interspersed with the black tasty seaweed.

The set also included some sashimi, but honestly, I-naba is not known for its sashimi or sushi. I suggest you try to avoid this at all costs. Soba and tempura is what they are known for and it is here they excel. My cold soba was perfectly al dente and from the ooos and ahhhs the Grammar Cop was giving off, it'll be safe to say he was enjoying his hot soba as well. The accompanying tempura was perfectly fried -- light without the heaviness of copious batter.

Our meal ended with a scoop of ice cream, but, as the flavor and texture of the sashimi proved before, I-naba needs to have their refrigeration system thoroughly checked out. Ice cream was dotted with chunks of icicles causing extremely discomfort while eating. Mine was slightly better, I finished my sesame ice cream, but the Grammar Cop pushed his green tea version aside.

Noodles and tempura, plus the company of a good friend -- not much else one could ask for!

Hanoi Avenue -- Vietnamese at its best

Ha Noi Avenue
8432 Westminster Ave, Westminster, CA 92683
(714) 898-8838

Ever feel like you go to a Vietnamese restaurant and only one or two items are truly fantastic? I've often felt that way whenever I go with family or friends and everyone has different taste buds. I might want pho, my husband bun, my son, com but not all of us will be satisfied when we leave.

Ha Noi Avenue has managed to be the one restaurant I've come across which excels in almost everything on the menu -- at least, everything I've tried to date. The owners used to own Ha Noi Restaurant on Bolsa and had not planned to start another business, but opportunity came calling and hence, Ha Noi Avenue came to fruition.

I've been there on my own and with my family. Either way, you can be sure you will leave satisfied and satiated if Vietnamese food is your thing. It's definitely MY thing! I love Vietnamese food. When I'm on my own, I have a bowl of noodles and the bun rieu or bun rieu oc are just fabulous. The broth is light and refreshing with a very clean finish. If you like snails or periwinkles are they are called, order the bun rieu oc. Otherwise, stick to the bun rieu. Chunks of crab roe hide under the white thin noodles. Break off the mint and basil and dunk it into your piping hot bowl of bun rieu for an added aromatic flavor. Julienned lettuce and beansprouts create a nice crunchy texture to the softness of the noodles.

Steamed chicken is also perfectly tender and moist. I wasn't very fond of the accompanying garlic sauce, but if you order pho ga, then these exact same chunks of chicken will arrive in your bowl of soupy noodles and you wouldn't need to dip it.

Bo luc lac or shaking beef arrives sizzling and splattering on a hot plate atop sliced onions which end up nicely caramelized. Apart from this dish being a tad oily, the flavor is so fulfilling you probably will overlook the greasiness.

Cha ca thang long or dill turmeric fish also arrives on a hot plate although not quite as spit splattering as the beef. Make sure you quickly move the dill under the fish so it wilts -- wilting the dill intensifies its flavor. Take a little of the noodles, put it into your bowl, drizzle a little of the shrimp paste sauce, break apart some perilla (shiso) leaves, mint, basil into the same bowl and now, take a chunk of fish with some of the dill and enjoy. It's quite addictive really!

We also tried an item not on the menu. Trung duc is an omelette similar to egg foo yung. Our's had crabmeat (real crabmeat, not krab!), wood ear fungus and glass noodles in it. We were lucky that the lady owner was on hand to give us some recommendations!

If you're adventurous, let the owner steer you in the right direction. She's extremely personable and quite the hostess. Your dining experience will be THAT much better if you just let yourself go.

Ajisen Ramen -- Hot and Brothy

Ajisen Ramen
2700 Alton Parkway Irvine, CA 92606
(949) 833-3288

Ajisen Ramen opened at Diamond Jamboree with much aplomb and it shows with the number of customers waiting patiently for a table. We arrived early to avoid the lunch rush, but by midday, the line had already formed outside. The menu is vast and varied requiring more time than usual to sift through the offerings. Staff are impatient and pounce on your as soon as you've sat down to take your order but don't let them hurry you. Take your time to decide.

Spicy Pork Ramen was not spicy at all. In fact, it was a mild tasting broth with slices of chashu similar to that at Santouka except there was less fat.

Premium Pork Ramen had the best flavor in terms of broth and they were very generous with the pork. It was silky and moist served in thin slices -- almost with the consistency of it being shaved.

Spicy Beef Ramen was again not spicy, but there was a drizzling of spicy hot oil to give it the illusion that it was spicy. The broth was hearty and flavorful and the beef looked like chunks you would get in a bowl of niu rou mien, or Taiwanese style beef noodles.

There are lunch specials which consists of 5 or 6 types of ramen to choose from plus a side of either agedashi tofu, gyoza, corn salad or cucumber with krab salad.

Bowls of ramen were around $9 which is pretty pricey for what you get. The ramen noodles itself was subpar tasting like the ones you'd get from a packet you can purchase from the grocery store. The broth is what stands out at Ajisen. It is flavorful, robust, yet not overly salty or overly greasy. Ajisen's ramen remains mediocre until they get the consistency of the noodles right.