I love good food and I love good food on trucks. Sometimes, I just don't want to sit down and be served, but want something fast and tasty. I'm not a crepes fan as most of you well know, nor am I a dessert fan, so when my friend and I attended the Go Go Gourmet charity event and I saw Crepes Bonaparte, I was adamant that this was going to be my least favorite truck of the night and that I was only going to get one to taste just for the sake of it. Boy was I wrong!
Not only did Crepes Bonaparte's crepes give me a new-found appreciation for crepes, but I even liked it in its sweet format! We tried two of their dessert crepes, one with strawberry and banana slices together with nutella and served a la mode. In fact, we got both a la mode, the second being the spiced apples (pictured), which wasn't the consistency of compote or jam, but were chunks of apples with perfect texture -- not too mushy and not hard -- and the sweet/tart ratio completely to my taste.
I honestly can't remember when I've ever liked a crepe -- and I mean EVER! Didn't like 'em in Paris, didn't like 'em outside of France, and although the crepe itself here is thicker than traditional crepes, it worked for me. I was actually a little aghast when I first saw them make these supposedly paper thin pancakes into a thicker version, but hey, it tasted good and that's all that's important.
Since my experience here, I've been more open to trying crepes elsewhere, savory ones, sweet ones, I'm not completely opposed to crepes anymore and I thank this humble food truck for changing the lifelong aversion I've had with these things. Who woulda thunk it huh?
Tucked away in the corner of a strip mall, Sanabel Bakery is really hard to find if you're not actually looking for it. Look for the strip mall Sizzler is in and you will soon notice Sanabel hidden sandwiched between other mid-eastern shops, but this is the only one specializing in middle eastern food. I come here for the pizzas, small thinly crusted individually sized pizzas, called sphihas. They are topped with a bunch of different things ranging from chicken, ground beef or lamb to just cheese and spinach (pictured), each with its own unique flavor and each more delicious than the next.
My favorites are the ones, incidentally, the most traditional ones called lahmbiajin, are topped with tomatoes, onions and ground meat or the shredded chicken and cheese, though heavier than the lahmbiajin, is non-threatening enough for even the most unadventurous of palates. If you have room, try the spinach and cheese version where they top the pizza with fresh spinach after it comes out of the oven. The freshness of the leaves gives a wonderful contrast to the heat emitting from the pie right out of the oven.
Zaatar (or zahtar, za'atar) is a blend of different dried herbs generally consisting of thyme, oregano, salt and sesame seeds. Some versions may include cumin, coriander or even caraway seeds depending on the region. Zaatar is used on one of Sanabel's pizzas which makes it a perfect side item to a meal such as kofta or falafel plate.
I find that there are days when I'm completely craving one of these pizzas and so we make the almost 30-minute drive to Anaheim just to eat two pizzas each. The pizzas are cheap, most are under $2 and even if it is over, it's only a few cents more than the $2, nothing that would break the bank, and best of all, they're so damn good so even if you end up eating four of them, it'll only set you back around $10.
Sanabel Bakery, 816 S Brookhurst St, Anaheim, CA92804. Tel: 714-635-4353
I don't drink often, nor do I drink much, so the concept of happy hour is sorta lost on me, except for the fact that most of the time, the food would be served at happy hour prices as well, and THAT is music to my ears! Generally the only time I go to happy hour is if some friends of mine want to hang out in the afternoon and grab a bite to eat and then I'm totally there with bells on! I've been to Yard House many times, for lunch, dinner AND happy hour for that matter. I'll admit, in Irvine, Yard House offers one of the better happy hours with a good variety of appetizers at half price. On this particular visit, my friends and I all got some beer and a few items to share. From the appetizer menu we decided upon the Chinese garlic noodles, Jamaican jerk chicken wings (pictured above) and from the regular menu, their kick-ass mac and cheese.
The mac and cheese here is seriously good, and I mean, addictively good. This is my crack and it's something I really shouldn't really eat much of because of the carbs! But naturally, I couldn't resist and ate a little more than I should've. The mac and cheese here is absolutely delicious with applewood bacon, wild mushrooms, chicken and a blend of cheddar and parmesan cheeses baked to perfection, and if that wasn't enough, a drizzle of white truffle oil takes this to a level that's not just luxurious, but pure decadence! For a chain restaurant, Yard House does its mac and cheese extremely well!
Chinese garlic noodles (pictured left) are also pretty good -- and I'm comparing these with the garlic noodles from AnQi by Crustacean and there is absolutely NO comparison! The AnQi noodles were dry and clumpy, the noodles here were smooth and delightful on the palate. You also get about three times more noodles with mushrooms too! Jamaican jerk chicken wings was a recommendation from our server. I had asked about the Firecracker Wings and I didn't like the fact that they were sweet on top of spicy so the jerk version was suggested to us. Not only were these wings not spicy -- and one of my friends can attest to this because he is a wimp when it comes to eating spicy foods -- but they weren't very flavorful either. I've made jerk chicken at home and it certainly didn't taste like this. The accompanying sauce was very strange and I asked my foodie/blogger friend to taste it and she agreed it was weird.
Yard House has always been a good choice for me whenever I've had out of town guests who aren't very adventurous with food, and/or they've got young children. I've found that everyone's palates can be satisfied and there are some things I'm quite happy eating here. This isn't fancy food, but it's good food. It's food I'm not opposed to eating when the need arises and most of all, my kid loves the mac and cheese here -- they don't use orange cheddar cheese!
Although I'm not big on sweet, nor am I too excited about desserts, there is one thing I am crazy about and that is ice cream. I'm not fussy, as long as the cold treat is creamy, smooth, tasty, I'm pretty much a happy camper. What I really hate are icicles in my ice cream and that can totally dampen my ice cream experience tremendously. I was walking around with my friend when we chanced upon Gelato Bar. At first it was out of curiosity that we popped in for a look, but after sampling a few of the flavors, we ended up unable to resist the temptation of just getting a small cup of yumminess to enjoy.
The pear and blood orange were both refreshing and light, tasting exactly like the fruit itself. My favorite was the honey, fig and marscapone -- just heavenly -- but as a diabetic I thought best to stay away from those and opt for the sugar-free version they had. Sadly it was only the chocolate, but fortunately, it was very good chocolate and I couldn't even differentiate that aspartame was used instead of regular sugar. Smooth, delectable -- yeah it's hard to resist this stuff!
Another thing I was highly impressed about was when you asked for samples, they don't give you those plastic disposable spoons, but rather, used a regular spoon which they can wash and re-use. I've always marveled at how environmentally unsound these ice cream places are when it comes to the casual use of these plastic throw-away spoons -- I often ask them about it and they give me the brush-off with a casual shrug. Kudos to Gelato Bar for making a green effort!
Gelato Bar, 1936 Hillhurst Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027. Tel: 323-668-0606
Can anything be lovelier than a room filled with the wondrous aromas from the world over? When a friend suggested we stop by Spice Station, I was more than enthused about that idea, I mean, a store which sells spices? I'm SO there! The space is tucked away like a secret hideaway only revealed via a pathway, making it all the more an exciting venture. When I stepped into the store it was as if the hundreds of spices just infused into my being, causing my olfactory senses to go into overdrive. The staff were really friendly, welcoming us and encouraging us to pick up the bottles, open them up, smell what's inside and then, taste if we so wished. For a minute there, I was mesmerized by just what was visually in front of me, the masses of different spices all brought together into one small room.
After relishing the possibilities, I started picking up the jars and opening them up, from the simplest such as cinnamon, which incidentally there were several varieties, to dried peppers of all sorts, curry powders, dry rubs and then, the very exotic -- I was like a kid in a candy store touching, smelling, tasting, my eyes wide with wonder and my heart skipping a beat.
What truly blew me away were the salt varietals Spice Station has. Different flavored salts ranging from black truffle, white truffle to balsamic, lemon and lavendar -- my favorite was definitely the black truffle which I knew I had to have. The other thing were the peppers, some were simple like jalapenos but then I came across something called Urfa Biber which smelled so incredible, like a cross between a pepper and a raisin. The guy gave me some to sample and I immediately fell in love with it.
So after a long time at Spice Station, I ended up with black truffle salt, Urfa Biber and some red zahtar. I've been using the salt in scrambled eggs, in fact, eggs of all sorts. I've yet to do something with the Urfa Biber and red zahtar though, but I know, it won't be going to waste! Spice Station also has a tea room where a myriad of teas are on display for sale. For those who don't cook, perhaps the adjoining tea room might entice you for a visit.
Spice Station, 3819 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026. Tel: 323-660-2565
Slap in the middle of downtown Disney is an unassuming place named Catal. From the street level you can't really tell how large the restaurant really is until, that is, you take the two flights of stairs up to the large dining area both inside and out. Ordinarily, a restaurant such as this found in the middle of Beverly Hills or New York City would be considered high end and perhaps, unwelcoming to children, however, Catal is far from being kid-UNfriedly, quite the opposite since Disney epitomizes making children happy.
I'm not a Disney fan, let alone choose to go anywhere near Disneyland for that matter, but what do you say when an old friend comes to town and informs you she is now working for Disney, and is here on business and let's go to dinner in Anaheim around the happiest place on earth? Well, I couldn't say no. I didn't really care about where we met because the most important thing was that I spend time with her -- the last time I saw her was 7 years ago. However, my fears diminished once I perused the menu, and was surprised to find several things which appealed to me, but that didn't surprise me once I found out that Catal is part of the Patina Group.
We started with Jamon Iberico de Bellota with pan con tomato, a wonderfully salty cured meat from the black Iberian pig -- or, at least these days, about 75% of the time, it is. Thick slices of bruschetta-like toasted bread with a thin layer of tomato is served alongside to accompany the ham. I've had this before in many reputable Spanish restaurants and this is pretty darn good stuff! I love salty foods and Iberico ham is a nice indulgent treat.
Abalone and potato hash (pictured top) was the other appetizer we ordered purely because we were both intrigued by the poached egg which came with -- it was tipped to be cooked at 62 degree Celsius and I really wanted to know what exactly an egg cooked exactly at that temperature was going to be like. Well, I guess the egg is just perfectly cooked and perfectly oozy when cut into! The abalone itself was uninspiring but the salty brown butter and scallion sauce brought it up a notch.
Our entrees soon arrived, she ordered the roasted halibut with poached artichokes and olives (pictured right). It looked absolutely awesome, but unfortunately, the fish was overcooked and a little on the bland side. My roasted duck breast (pictured right) was tough and chewy and although the description it said there were Szechuan peppercorns, I couldn't detect any of it. The redeeming quality of the meal was the fact that the sweet and tart flavors of the cherry agrodolce went well with the duck. Had the meat been tender it would've been an excellent dish.
The appetizers were far better than the entrees and I had expected a lot more from the Patina Group than this, but after taking a step back, I realized that Catal was catering to visitors to Disneyland and perhaps they weren't looking for loyal return customers. Their target customer was the visitor who is looking for a reasonably good meal with good service, in a nice atmosphere and not bad food. With that in mind, Catal delivered!
Pizza is always a source of heartache for me because in Orange County, a good pizza is really hard to come by. So when I was told about Lucifers in Los Feliz, I was excited but didn't want to get my hopes up in case it was meh, just okay.
Lucifers is a small restaurant which seats about 25 people tightly, most of their business comes from delivery or take out. Owner Adam Borich is a Kiwi from Auckland, New Zealand who is highly passionate about making pizza and making them the artisanal way. We were treated to a range of toppings ordinarily not found in other pizza joints and trust me when I say, I am a huge fan of unique and creatively prepared pizzas.
If you want salads, there are salads available. Snacky items such as sweet potato fries are also tasty, but I was here for the pizza and here, they make pizza, MY WAY! The crust is thin, yet, holds together without being soggy or limp. Toppings are imaginative ranging from prosciutto and pumpkin, lamb and rosemary to shrimp and chorizo (picturedabove) or sopresatta. If you're not all that adventurous, there is chicken pesto or chicken prosciutto. My ultimate favorite was the prosciutto and pumpkin! The saltiness of the meat combined with the slightly sweet pumpkin was simply delightful. Another gem was the sopresatta! I found that the saltier the meats the better the pizza tasted!
The other thing Lucifers offers is a spice-factor level from one to four. I wanted to try a #4 level spiced pizza so Adam brought us the spicy chicken pizza which was spicy enough for me yet not overpoweringly so that I couldn't taste the toppings perfectly. Adam uses habaneros on the level 4s so be really aware if this if you're not well-versed with spicy foods..... it might just knock you out if you're not careful! Vegan and gluten-free pizza crusts are also available.
Lucifers Pizza, 1958 Hillhurst Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027. Tel: 323-906-8603
I went to a birthday party recently and the hosts had hired a 'taco man' to set up shop in their backyard and make tacos for the guests. Juan was busy cooking carne asada, al pastor and pollo while we were mingling and when it came time for lunch, everyone got in line to taste what Juan had to offer. As the guests got to the front of the line, Juan would ask you what you'd like on your tacos and then proceed to assemble them. There were grilled jalapenos ready too if you wanted them -- I sure did -- onions as well as two different types of salsa, cilantro on the side for you to create it according to your taste. These tacos were decent taco truck quality and definitely something you'd go back for seconds or even thirds if you had the stomach space, and what better way to have your friends fed while you entertained instead of slaving away at the stove?
I had expected the al pastor to be the most flavorful but alas, it wasn't. I prefered the carne over the pastor. The pastor needed just a little bit more seasoning so I'm guessing maybe if you like your stuff well seasoned, let them know before hand. I couldn't tell you how much it would cost to have them come cater your party, but I'm sure it was a great deal and it saves you time and effort to put food out on your own. Just give Juan a call if you're thinking about it and get an estimate.
If you can't get the food truck to park outside your front door, get the taco man to come to your backyard!
Call Juan at Pauline's Food Service Tel: 213-840-3643 (cell) 310-885-9663/310-631-1647 (office)
For some odd reason I never remember Boudin SF whenever I'm looking for something quick and simple, but on the rare occasions that I do, I always find myself completely happy with whatever it is I've ordered. Sandwiches are always a good bet since I pretty much like Boudin Bakery's sourdough breads, but the soups I've had here are also really good. If you're a clam chowder fan then this one is as good as any you'll get -- except there are a lot of potatoes in there and I don't like potatoes -- but my favorite is the tomato bisque. I tend to favor the soup and salad combo (pictured) and although I love all their salads they do douse too much dressing on it. Soups are served in regular bowls or their sourdough bread bowl, either way it's good, but I like it in the regular bowls since I've been trying to stay low carb of late!
The other thing I like is their flavored ice tea -- unsweetened and absolutely refreshing!
Boudin SF is located at various locations, for the location closest you, go to their website:
Food trucks are the craze right now and another one of the trucks featured at the Go Go Gourmet Charity Event was Taco Dawg. I'd heard that there was such a truck but I wasn't completely sure what it served -- was it a taco? was it a hotdog? was it both? I guess the answer is, they serve tacos and hotdogs. There was a lot on the menu to sift through and it too us a while to order because nothing really jumped out at us from the get-go. So we got the Taco Dawg -- purely because that's their name and we thought it's gotta be their signature item right? And the Cowboy Dawg (pictured) because the fried onions sounded like it would be a good thing.
Basically, the Cowboy dawg is a bacon-wrapped hotdog topped with chipotle sauce and fried onion rings. The bacon wasn't completely rendered through so there were still some white grisly fatty chewy bits on there -- rather unplesant if you ask me. This is the second time now I've seen a gourmet food truck sell a bacon-wrapped dog with the bacon this way -- the other place is Piaggio. The downtown LA bacon-wrapped dog vendors does them so well I don't understand why it is so hard for gourmet trucks to follow suit. The Cowboy Dawg itself wasn't bad, it wasn't fantastic, but still good.
The namesake Taco Dawg is a hotdog topped with ground beef, chopped tomatoes and lettuce. I thought the Cowboy dawg was decent enough although the ground beef did taste like how you make it at home with Lawry's seasoning. It was just a dog with taco ingredients on top -- lettuce, tomatoes -- but it wasn't like your authentic taco toppings but rather a gringo-taco.
I thought the prices were reasonable and if I was super hungry and Taco Dawg was in the area, I would probably get one, but I wouldn't hunt them out, chase them down, just to get one if you know what I mean.You can dress it up with various toppings but it's still a hotdog. I didn't get to taste the tacos -- maybe that should be the next item I try if I see them parked somewhere. Taco Dawg Tel: 949-689-9030
When I first heard about Harry's Deli, my first instinct was "how good can a sandwich be" -- right? Wrong! I'd first seen all the great reviews on www.yelp.com and as usual I was skeptical and wanted to wait a bit before going, after the hype dies down if you will, but that day never came and so, I embarked on this deli journey with two of my foodie/blogger friends for lunch. I'd heard so much about the Chicken DiGiorgio (pictured) and the Ribeye steak sandwiches so I knew that these were definitely on my items to try. I was happy that there were four of us so we could order a bunch of things to share.
"Harry" was not the middle-eastern dude I had imagined in my head, but rather, a personable Korean fella who was definitely passionate about food. The sandwiches he offers not only blows sandwich shops out of the water, but he takes it up a notch by using quality ingredients and making everything from scratch -- and by that I mean, he even makes his own mayo!!
We started with the tomato basil soup, something my blogger (Alosha's Kitchen) friend had been raving about for weeks now. Creamy, chunky yet incredibly light, this tomato soup was what you would expect to find in the kitchens of gourmet cooks! You could taste the chunks of tomatoes and the cream that brings it all together, but it wasn't heavy and it wasn't thick. This was the perfect accompaniment to any sandwich, hot or cold! Heavenly!
Meanwhile, my other blogger friend (The Michelin Project) arrived and ordered the pull-pork sandwich, sits down with us and we start digging into what was already on the table. Ribeye steak was ordered medium and even though it arrived on the rare side, it was still very tasty. Ordinarily, when I am faced with rare meat in restaurants, I tend to feel disparaged and not want to eat it because most restaurants won't serve you top quality meat and your rare steak ends up tasting and smelling really gross. I was a bit skeptical at first, but the minute I took a bite into this sandwich, all my thoughts dissipated and I found myself enjoying the meat even in its rare state. The accompanying cumin aioli (or that's what I thought it was supposed to be) lacked cumin flavor and tasted vaguely like any ordinary aioli I make at home. I would've liked a stronger garlic or cumin flavor to it, anything to pack a bit of a punch.
The chicken sandwich was served in a ciabatta roll and it was the perfect choice for this piece of succulent breaded delight. Dear "Alosha" did say she would've liked more basil on this and I fully agree with her! The sandwich was pretty damn good and the crevices of the bread soaked up every little bit of juice the chicken breast was emitting, but I like my food strong and a bit more of everything -- sauce, basil -- would've taken it to another level.
"Michelin Project"s pulled pork sandwich arrived and surprisingly, I actually really liked it! I generally am not a fan of pulled pork, let alone the barbecue sauce it is often served with due to its sweetness, but oh Harry!! I really like your tangy sauce -- REALLY! This attests to again, making things from scratch and not using something out of a bottle or a jar.
Kudos to Harry and his team for providing us with a very satisfying lunch and for not kicking us out when we sat there for an additional hour and half gossiping away!
PS: Came back to get the tomato basil soup and when I brought it home, my kid took it away from me! It was THAT good!
Harry's Deli, 17881 Sky Park Circle, Irvine, CA 92614. Tel: 949-261-2116
I attended the Go Go Gourmet charity event where four food trucks were featured, one of which was Louks. I'd heard a lot of things about Louks although now, come to think of it, it wasn't anything specific, just that there was a Greek food truck roaming around Orange County. I'd been meaning to try them out, even followed them on twitter.com but then never had the opportunity to hit them up until now. I was really excited too with my fellow foodie and blogger friend in tow.... we both ordered a gyro -- a chicken and a beef. We waited anxiously for our food and when it was ready, we quickly went to over to a table, opened it up, took a few photos and I wondered out loud why there were fries in my gyro, and then .... I took a bite of my chicken gyro and she took a bite of her beef gyro and we both looked at each other in puzzlement. Was this what we had waited ALL this time to try? This was it? This was the Louks gyro? I mean seriously?????
I opened up my gyro for inspection -- there were a few slivers of red onions, barely visible tomatoes hidden beneath the behemoth mound of chicken -- or what was touted as chicken -- and a measly drizzle of tzatziki sauce. The chicken had a strange spongey texture which reminded me of the fake gluten meats that Asian vegetarian restaurants like to rock -- the 'mock' meats if you will. There was nothing that shouted chicken to me. It was tasteless and texturally just wrong!
The beef gyro was just a tad better but not by much! The texture again was weird! It didn't taste like beef to me. The only marginal redeeming factor of this was that I could taste the spices, but when you're chewing on something that is undecipherable it begs the question then -- what in the hell am I eating? Okay I understand that perhaps cooking on a spit on a food truck isn't a feasible feat -- I get that! But then the meat that goes into a gyro is traditionally cooked on that spit and sliced off when you order a gyro. I don't know what the hell it was that was in my gyro. I've eaten gyros on four continents and never once have I tasted anything as foul as this!
Luckily there were other trucks at this event with food, otherwise I would've starved! I took two bites -- the second to make sure I was correct about the first and then wrapped it up and threw it in the bin.
I won't claim that this is the best Italian food I've ever had, because it isn't -- not by a long shot! But something about Pinocchio's keeps bringing me back again, and always with the same friend who brought me here in the first place. We first came here for a quick bite in the mid-afternoon, nothing special, just something quick and satisfying. The restaurant is somewhat cafeteria-style, you go through a line, order, get your food, pay and find a place to sit and enjoy. Portions are huge and while the food isn't going to completely blow you away, you know it'll be satisfying and you know you won't leave feeling hungry. The meat lasagna is my friend's favorite! This whopping plateful of pasta layered with meat sauce is topped with a mound of marinara sauce and I'm just saying -- it's a big massive pile of goopyness to tackle. I've also tried the baked ziti (pictured) also drenched in marinara sauce which was just okay. They also have pizzas -- which I'm still waiting to try -- and I saw someone eat some really tasty looking gnocchi once, but for some reason, my friend will always get the lasagna. You can get a side salad with your meal as well as garlic bread and this is some greasy ass garlic bread, but ohhhhhhhhh soooooooooo goooooood!! And when you're done with your meal, take a stroll in the adjoining Monte Carlo Deli and if you have room, get some gelato or some biscotti. It's well worth the trip for a cheap and satisfying meal.
Monte Carlo Deli & Pinocchio's Restaurant, 3103 W Magnolia Blvd, Burbank, CA91505. Tel: 818-845-3516
I don't like dessert but when it comes to ice cream something inside goes weak and I can't say no -- well, if it's good ice cream that is. Fosselman's is one such place where the ice cream is made with real milk, and I'm talking about full cream milk, none of that low fat, non-fat crap a lot of people like to drink. The ice cream here is rich, creamy and leaves that undeniable film on your tongue, which under other circumstances, is not pleasing to me, but when it comes to ice cream, I'm ALL for it. Ask for a sample if you're unsure because you will have a hard time choosing. I don't even like cherry and I enjoyed the sample of black cherry I got. The fruit is fresh, nothing artificial here at all, so you know you're getting the real thing.
After sampling a few flavors, I gravitated back to my favorite -- mint chocolate chip -- and a scoop of the dark Dutch chocolate for good measure. Love it!
Fosselman's Ice Cream, 1824 W Main St, Alhambra, CA91801. Tel: 626-282-6533
I love vegetarian food when it doesn't feel like they're trying to trick you into eating something which resembles meat, but in reality, is some form of gluten made to look like meat. I do however like to eat vegetarian food which are just well-prepared dishes which are vegetarian. Bodhi Tree Cafe, though vegetarian, lean towards Thai/Chinese cuisine and the menu reflects this. Lunch specials come with free soup, and on this occasion it was tom yum soup -- a little too watery for me, but still, very welcomed.
Larb tasted basically the same as what its meat-filled version would taste like, just without the meat and it was good -- better than I'd expected. The eggrolls were also lovely and beautifully crispy! The tofu and eggplant lunch special (pictured) was very flavorful and delicious. I think we would've ordered more dishes had we had more room, but the portions are generous enough that we were stuffed.
Service is friendly and attentive just like you would expect in a Thai restaurant. We sat there a long time and they never once tried to hurry us. They refilled our water numerous times and never made us feel uncomfortable. If you're looking for vegetarian food, then look no further and give Bodhi Tree Cafe a try! Bodhi Tree Cafe, 501 Main St, Ste E, Huntington Beach, CA92648. Tel: 714-969-9500 www.bodhitreehb.com
I'd been wanting to come here for a long time now. I'd heard that the razor clams were really really good and I came here specifically for that. My friend and I sat at the bar and sipped the light and refreshing sangria and ordered the braised beef tacos, pork chicharron skewers, both off the happy hour menu, and of course the razor clams. The chicharron was basically fried buta kakuni served on a skewer. It was too rich for us and we couldn't finish it, but we both enjoyed the braised beef tacos (pictured) -- which incidentally, resembled empanadas more than tacos. The accompanying green sauce -- garlic, cilantro et al -- blew the flavor out of the water. The dollop of coleslaw served alongside was also very good.
The star arrived and only three razor clams were on the plate. I was a bit sad to see that especially at $12 a plate they could've given us an extra clam, but as soon as I tasted the razor clam.....I was not only wishing I had more, but all thoughts of each clam being $4 disappeared! My friend liked them, but not as much as me, but then again, he didn't want to try the pig's ear appetizer either!
I would return here in a heartbeat just to eat those clams again, but next time, I'm going to order the pig's ear whether or not my dining partner agree or not.
Lazy Ox Canteen, 241 S San Pedro, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Tel: 213-626-5299
I've waited to try Anepalco's because I wanted to make sure that all the accolades it's been receiving has been well deserved. I guess whatever hype this place has been getting is well worth it and more! This very small hole-in-the-wall, mom and pop establishment is hidden in a small nondescript strip mall, easily missed if you aren't looking for it. Once you enter though, the hustle and bustle of people inside, combined with the friendly staff makes you feel so very welcomed. We mainly came for the chilaquiles (pictured) but since we wanted to try some other things as well, we also ordered the Border quesadilla and the Cuban sandwich. Sandwiches come with your choice of soup or salad and I got their soup of the day -- cream of cauliflower -- which was very nice but not scorchingly hot enough for me. When the food arrived I immediately wished I had also ordered the chilaquiles. My Cuban sandwich was very good, but it wasn't the traditional Cubano sandwich I was used to. The quesadilla was filled with braised pulled pork and black beans served with rice, pickled onions, and this wonderfully tasty green sauce -- absolutely delicious! But the star was definitely the chilaquiles where the tortillas were smashed and presented in a round and topped with egg, sour cream, pico de gallo, avocado and an out of this world chile sauce around the plate. This was chilaquiles like I've never had before, this was not only a work of art, but a mouthwatering orgasmic experience! I'm in love with this place and whenever I am craving chilaquiles I believe I will be faithful and only return to Anepalco's Cafe!
Anepalco's Cafe, 415 S Main St, Orange, CA 92868. Tel: 714-771-2333
I've never been to this location before it burned down. My only experience with Thai Nakorn was at the Stanton location and frankly, I wasn't impressed by them at all. When they rebuilt this location my friends told me that it was really quite good so I thought best to judge for myself. So with a lunching pal in tow we came for lunch and I ordered a bunch of things I love -- much more than I should've -- so I can try them all out. One of my favorite dishes, nam sod with crunchy rice was on the menu and this was the best I've had in a very long time. The rice is perfectly crunchy and the ginger didn't overwhelm the entire dish. Pad kee mow had nice seared flavors, the beef was nicely cooked and they were generous with the amount given. Spicy clams were also very succulent and fresh, each clam was plump and large and tasted lovely with the slightly sweet basil sauce. My only thing was they didn't ask you how spicy you like the dishes which at other Thai restaurants, they allow you to choose. Here they just bring it to you as is..... so I had to have nam prik pla (chili with fish sauce) on the table to add at whim. The nam prik pla here is also much tastier than the regular stuff you get because they actually pound the chilis instead of cutting it to release the flavors better. My friend picked coconut fish which were fillets of fried fish served with a coconut sauce. I thought it was just okay, I'm not a huge fan of dessicated coconut even though I didn't taste coconut on the fish at all -- my friend said it was in the sauce, but I didn't taste the sauce as it looked very sweet. Lunch specials come with steamed rice and a bowl of really good tom yum ga (pictured). I have a new found love for Thai Nakorn and would definitely come back again to this location!
Thai Nakorn, 12532 Garden Grove Blvd, Garden Grove, CA 92843. Tel: 714-583-8938
The first few times I've driven past this place I thought it was a soup kitchen because there was a long line which went around the building. It wasn't till a little later that I realized it was actually a restaurant and one which has been around since 1924! It was my first visit and luckily the line wasn't too long, only 4 parties ahead of us. As the line got longer, some people sneaked into the side "exit" door which angered some patrons already waiting in line. The "sneakers" were trying to bypass the long line waiting for a table to stand in the 'counter seating' line, but because they didn't adhere to protocol, people were upset! The menu is on the wall -- breakfast, breakfast, and more breakfast, that was all they served, plus soup and coleslaw. Very strange! I saw people eating coleslaw for breakfast and although I was eager to sample I could bring myself to eat coleslaw for breakfast, so I declined. At first, I thought that for this greasy spoon, the prices were a little high, until we got our meals and that's when I realized "oh shit! that's a lot of food!" I got simple bacon and eggs (pictured) with wheat toast and my friend, sausage, eggs and pancakes. Sausage is homemade! All meals are served with coffee or tea, on the house! They bring you coffee as soon as you sit down and because I don't drink coffee, I asked for iced tea instead. OJ is of the Tropicana kind so if you're okay with that then go right ahead. My plate arrived with two fried eggs and five whopping slices of bacon. These were thicker cut and cooked to perfection, not anything like those dinky slices you get at regular breakfast places and a mound of potatoes are served on a bread plate whether you ask for it or not. The charming elderly Latino gentlemen who serve you probably have been there forever and they do everything briskly and efficiently, you can't but fall in love with this place, I certainly did. Parking is validated across the street at the lot.
Original Pantry Cafe, 877 S Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA90017. Tel: 213-972-9279
I adore Mil Jugos -- why? because they have the best arepas in town! Arepa is a a type of unleavened bread resembling a muffin but made of corn and at Mil Jugos, they are filled with a variety of stuffings ranging from meat to just vegetarian. My favorite arepa is the asada, a very flavorful beef slow cooked and pulled (textured like pulled pork) and often, drips down the side of your mouth when you bite into it. The pabellon (pictured) with carne demeschada, black beans and queso is also good although I'm not fond of the black beans in my arepa -- the texture doesn't work for me. They also have arepas which consists of a salad-like filling but to me, both the filling and the arepa have to be warm/hot or else, the cold with the hot just throws my whole eating experience out of whack! The daily soups are very good also and they do a lunch special of a bowl of soup, one arepa and a fountain drink. If you like juices you MUST try one of their many freshly concocted juices, after all Mil Jugos means a thousand juices so how can you leave it without sampling at least one? The staff here are very friendly and aren't shy about explaining their Venezuelan cuisine or culture -- that is, when they're not busy serving their customers!
Mil Jugos, 318 W 5th Street, Santa Ana, CA92725. Tel: 714-836-4601
I returned to AnQi after a dismal first visit because I had heard from some people that they had a great experience there. In fact, I was invited to join them for that visit -- a visit which was supposed to be comped by AnQi -- where the purpose was to give them honest feedback of the AnQi experience from start to finish.
So after a list of people were gathered for this event, their names were presented to AnQi for review purposes and upon seeing my name on the list, they became apprehensive because after all, I had already given them a 1 star review on http://www.yelp.com and with that already standing AnQi felt it was 'not in the interest of this particular assignment' for me to attend so to speak and hence, I was DIS-invited. I actually chuckled when I heard that because at that moment I realized that by doing so, they compromised their integrity about really wanting HONEST feedback.
After a few days they changed their mind and re-invited me, but this time, I received a guideline for the visit, and among those listed (and I'm para-phrasing here) these two were the most disturbing to me: firstly not to review on http://www.yelp.com if the review was to be under 4 stars and secondly, if we were to review AnQi, please refrain from mentioning that we received gift certificates for the purpose of this visit
I immediately declined the offer to attend because I felt that not only was this against everything I stood for, but I don't like people telling me what to do when it comes to writing a review! I did this for a living and as food writers/critics, the thing that we pride ourselves in is our integrity and the suggestion that we can somehow be 'bought' or 'bribed' in any form or manner is BEYOND offensive!
Half of the restaurant was empty when we arrived were told there would be a 10-15 mins wait. But what was even stranger was they insisted on getting a name, I said we don't have a reservation -- but like vultures, they kept insisting it was for their system. Why do they need your name for the system?
We took a few minutes to admired the decor, however, the admiration we had for AnQi basically ended there. When the menus were presented, it took us a long time to decide because frankly, nothing jumped out at us. Everything seemed contrived and just like on my first and only visit, I felt they were trying WAY too hard.
We eventually decided on a few items just to get an idea because we didn't want to order too much and be left with food we weren't happy with -- we could always order more later. Although it was difficult for us to agree on what to order, one thing was certain, the garlic noodles -- their signature dish -- was something we wanted to try again.
On our first visit, the garlic noodles were a mushy mess. We wanted to give it another shot just to make sure it wasn't a bad night the first time around. We also ordered the filet mignon summer rolls as well as the white fish dumplings.
Garlic noodles -- sadly were the exact same doughy, mushy disgusting mess as the first time. They get it right at Thanh Long (the An family's original restaurant in San Francisco's Sunset District), what the hell is happening here that they come out so incredibly wrong? And for $10!! Probably cost them 50 cents (if that) to make. For a side order of noodles at $10 means I'd expect a food orgasm to explode in my mouth as soon as I put them in!!! This was just unacceptable fare at $10 a pop!
White fish dumplings -- filling was mushy and texturally very unpalatable. Although I wasn't fond of the sauce, I didn't hate it like my friend did. This was the worse dish of all and we actually couldn't even finish it. I have no idea why they would put the sauce all over the dumplings when typically, sauce for dumplings are served along side for the purpose of dipping. This allows you to control how little or how much you want. All I can think of is the arrogance and audacity of AnQi to basically give you the plate and tell you "this is what you're getting and this is how you will eat it" -- SHEER and UTTER arrogance!
Filet mignon summer rolls -- these actually weren't bad. They had a nice taste -- a little too much aioli/mayo on top -- but other than that they were pleasant and these, I would eat again!
Neither of us felt compelled to order something else after that and all the while we were debating where we could go to make up for this very unsatisfactory meal and that's when the check arrived. Three items all tapas-sized -- tax and tip included $32.
Service was good, I'll give them that........ but in terms of food, my 1 star on http://www.yelp.com remain ........ I like good food and I'm willing to pay for it, but at AnQi, the food is hardly worth the price you're paying and at the end of the day, your palate will slap you if it could for putting it through that horrendous ordeal!
Anqi by Crustacean at Bloomingdale's, South Coast Plaza, 3333 Bristol, Costa Mesa, CA 92626. Tel 714-557-5679
