Come to this little cafe on UCI campus and be prepared to pay! You also get complimentary baked goods such as raisin scones, banana bread and nut bread to pass the time waiting for your order. While other items definitely weren't worth the price, the French toast (pictured) was unique in that it uses a brioche type bread with a hint of orange flavor. Portions are big enough for 2 smaller appetites if you get a side of something as well. Didn't think the other stuff such as omelettes or the Monte Cristo were anything to write home about as they were just so-so. $14-$15 average for things like eggs Benedict, omelettes, and there like of is really too steep in my book, even moreso for a campus restaurant.
Britta's Cafe, 4245 Campus Drive, Irvine, CA 92612. Tel: 949-509-1211
There's nothing better than eating off a roach coach when you're living in soCal. However, these moving restaurants usually hover in and around LA, and not in a city like Irvine. It was cool that this particular taco truck was brought to my attention since it makes 2 stops outside the Sprint building at 10.30am and also 1.30pm. A bunch of us congregated for lunch and I had fish and carnitas tacos. It was a super cheap lunch, very flavorful -- although the carnitas was a tad on the salty side but better over-seasoned than under-seasoned I say. They also have tortas. I'm trying the shrimp and krab tostadas next time -- they looked awesome!
Alexa's Catering, Sprint Building, corner of El Camino Real & Commerce, Irvine, CA 92602. Tel: 714-839-6332 (drive all the way into Commerce until you reach the T-junction. Make a right and then an immediate left into the office building. Truck will be parked right near the building entrance to the left)
Orange County Restaurant Week is a really good chance for you to try some of these restaurants. We did! 3-course lunch or 4-course dinner at $20/$30 respectively -- I really loved my pecan-crusted tilapia (pictured)entree, fish was cooked perfectly, moist and tender with a nice crunchy exterior from the pecan and breadcrumbs. The vodka penne was probably for the vegetarians and is how you would expect it to be, just so-so. Nice atmosphere with impeccable service. Ordinarily, prices would be slightly high for lunch I would say -- but these prix fixe menus created especially for this week is a bargain, and a very tasty bargain at that!
The Clubhouse, at South Coast Plaza, 3333 Bristol Ave, Costa Mesa, CA 92626. Tel: 714-708-2582
Surprisingly, it's possible to find decent pizza in OC. I mean it's not quite pizza in Italy, or NY for that matter, but it's pretty decent for OC. Not too many toppings to bog the crust down and the best part is the pizza is thin with poufy sides. If you're able to order the grilled vegetables with burrata (pictured), do it! It's awesome! They also have paninis and house-made pastas -- only tried the panini which was so-so -- bread was too soft and soggy but filling was great. Definitely have to come back and try the house-made pastas which includes raviolis, tagliatale and more. Service is great too! If you have a sweet tooth, the ricotta cheese cake with berries is also highly recommended!
Pizzeria Ortica, 650 Anton, Costa Mesa, CA 92626. Tel: 714-445-4900
A happy hour that ends at 6.30pm doesn't leave much time for most, but if you can get to this one, it's worth it just for the service alone! We got the Thai pizza and a beet salad (everything on the happy hour menu lists the regular AND HH prices) -- loved the beet salad, the pizza.... not too much. The manager stopped by and asked how we're liking the food and I was honest. He offered to get us a replacement. We asked for the veggie pizza instead. It was MUCH better, but the crust was still on the soggy side. If they can get the crust right, it woulda been pretty darn good. Service is excellent! Will come back and try the other items -- the sliders looked pretty good!
Bistro West, 2601 Park Ave, Tustin, CA 92782. Tel: 714-259-9378
I'd always thought I'd miss eating red meat, but after a month of not using it as the main focus of my meal, I can honestly say, I don't really think about it too much anymore. In fact, I've been quite enjoying the vegetarian options available out there, one of which has been the veggie BLT at Gypsy Den. I couldn't believe how tasty this sandwich was -- perfectly toasted bread with avocado, veggie bacon, tomato -- delicious as hell. I mean what the hell is veggie bacon anyway? I have no clue, but I didn't care. It tasted good and that's all I needed to know. Never thought anything without meat could taste THIS good!
Gypsy Den, 2930 Bristol St, Costa Mesa, CA 92626. Tel: 714-549-7012
Came here with a friend and the sushi chef had fresh, live halibut which he presented to us sashimi style. AWESOME! Firm chewy textures unlike any other. I suggest you stick to whatever fish he has that's still swimming since the rest of the sashimi we had was mediocre. It's an izakaya style restaurant, but features Japanese and Korean dishes. Stick with the live fish. He also had abalone, but I'm not eating shellfish at the moment so I stuck with the halibut. If you go, that's what you should order -- unless you're not a stickler for perfection and not a sashimi snob. Nothing better than seeing the fish still twitching while being dissected and the abalone move when chef Peter pokes it. HaruIzakaya, 498 E 1st Street, Tustin, CA 92781. Tel: 714-731-9400
What a mistake it was that I stopped into La Salsa for a quick and much needed boost to my low blood sugar. I had to eat fast and this was right where I was. I didn't want a Subway sandwich, or anything big like a meal. I just wanted something light, so there I was with my fish tacos. At least they used corn tortillas. The fish was tasteless -- and I don't mean season-less, I mean the fish had no umami but lots of fishiness. And who the hell puts cheese on fish tacos? That's a gringo-fied taco! I eat fish tacos at a lot of places and this is the first time I've had shredded cheese in a fish taco. WEIRD!! I won't be back even if I'm keeling over from hypoglycemia!
La Salsa, 3850 Barranca Parkway, Irvine, CA 92606. Tel: 949-786-7692
Carb, carb and more carb. That's what you get when you go to Daikokuya. My son loves the ramen here so naturally whenever he comes with me to Marukai market, he has to have a bowl of it. I noticed that the portion has shrunk since it's opening but I still like the House Ramen here the best. it's not as salty or MSG-laden like Santouka. The pork isn't all fat, but has a good fat to lean meat ratio. The pork also doesn't have that super porky taste I don't like. Our favorite thing is to get the minced garlic and put a load of it into the broth! My problem with Daikokuya now is that they're not serving the ramen in ceramic bowls but rather, plastic, so the broth cools down so quickly it's annoying. Bring back the ceramic bowls I say! Daikokuya, inside Marukai Market, 2975 Harbor Blvd, Costa Mesa, CA 92626. Tel: 714-436-0151
Yes, California never gets THAT cold, especially here in southern Cali so dongchimigooksu can be enjoyed throughout the year if you choose. Dongchimigooksu is a Korean cold noodle soup with kimchi broth as the base. It is a vegetarian bowl of goodness and it is very refreshing with a slight tartness to offset the bit of sweetness as well. Served with a slice of tomato, some julienned cucumbers and daikon, plus some ice cubes thrown in for good measure and there you have it. The noodles should be chewy and the ones here are just perfect. This place also serves up some of the best mandoo (dumplings) I've had by far in the area! Homemade and highly tasty, you can opt for steamed or pan fried! I recommend the steamed! Hangari Kalgooksu, 9916 Garden Grove Blvd, Garden Grove, CA 92844. Tel: 714-537-0100
