[Irvine] [Mexican] Javier's Cantina and Grill

Javier's Cantina and Grill
45 Fortune Dr
Irvine, CA 92618
(949) 872-2101
http://www.javiers-cantina.com

We finally went to Irvine Spectrum for the first time after living in Irvine for 5 months.  We were smart and got there around 11:30am.  There were plenty of parking the parking structure.  But when we left around 4pm, the parking was just crazy.  It took us about 20 minutes just to get out of the parking structure.  So it is best to go a little early I think.



We wanted to eat first before shopping.  Looking at the directory, I thought....  Hmmm, I like Cheesecake Factory and California Pizza Kitchen, but I've never been to Javier's Cantina before.  Should we stick with a restaurant we like, or try something new?  Since both Dr. P and I are adventurous food eaters (haha....), we decided to take the risk to try a new place.

[Costa Mesa] [Japanese] Wafu of Japan

Wafu of Japan
320 Bristol St #G
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 641-7321

I bought a $25 gift certificate from Restaurant.com during their 80% off  sale.  I have never heard of the restaurant, didn't know anything about the restaurant, and bought it only because Dr. P loves sushi.  I went with my intuition and picked a few random Japanese restaurants in the OC area to buy GCs.



After I purchased the gift certificate, I went on to Yelp to read reviews about the restaurant.  Wafu of Japan has pretty good reviews.  We came to the restaurant on a Saturday night with lots of anticipation.

[Irvine] [Fast Food] El Pollo Loco

El Pollo Loco
88 Corporate Park
Irvine, CA 92606
(949) 756-0380
http://www.elpolloloco.com

After our lobster tails dinner, Dr. P was still hungry.  I guess two small lobster tails can't really fill up a man's stomach....  We looked through our coupon piles, and Dr. P decided to go to El Pollo Loco to get his second dinner.


2 Pieces Chicken Meal ($2.99)

The coupon was for a 2 pieces leg and thigh meal for $2.99.  Regular price was about $5 I think.  It doesn't come with a drink though.  Dr. P got bean and rice for his side dishes.  I didn't eat any that night.  But I've always like El Pollo Loco's chicken.  They didn't give us any salsa.  We learned that you have to ask for the salsa at the drive thru window if you want it.

Lobster Tails with Garlic Butter

One of my favorite supermarket in Irvine is Sprouts Farmers Market.  Their produces, meat and seafood always have high quality.  The market feels like a cross between Trader Joe's and Whole Foods.  I bought 4 lobster tails there.  The sale price was $2.99 each.


Lobster Tails with Garlic Butter

It was my first time cooking lobster tail.  I just cooked it like how I would cook shrimps.  haha....  I deshelled the lobster, and wrapped the lobster tails in foil with garlic butter.  Garlic butter was made with butter, minced garlic, and chopped parsley.  Sprinkled some salt and pepper on the lobster tails, and baked at 450 degrees in the oven for about 12 minutes.  So the lobster tails turned out to be a little undercooked.  We had to pop it back into the microwave for a few seconds.  But the garlic butter was tasty.

I'm still not sure if I cook the lobster tails properly.  Should do some research on how to cook it....  Any suggestion for my next lobster tails dinner?

[Monterey Park] [Chinese] 避風塘潮粵海鮮酒家 Seafood Village Restaurant

Seafood Village Restaurant
避風塘潮粵海鮮酒家
684 W Garvey Ave
Monterey Park, CA 91754
(626) 289-0088

For my weekly lunch with my parents last Wednesday, I suggested to try Seafood Village Restaurant.  My ex-coworker Iris always tells me how great Seafood Village's lunch special is.  My parents have been to the Temple City location before.  This time we dicided to try the Monterey Park location.



We walked up to the door, and spotted the big red "C".  Hmmmm....  I guess this place is rated "C" for Chinese only?  haha....  The place was packed.  Seemed like nobody really cared about the C rating.

Beef and Bok Choy Stir-Fry

Beef and Bok Choy Stir-Fry is another dish I cooked from Real Simple Magazine's recipe.  (RECIPE HERE)


Beef and Bok Choy Stir-Fry

I always had trouble cooking beef slices.  Somehow it always turned out to be too dry and tough.  My mom taught me that by adding some cornstarch to the beef and let it sit for about 10 minutes before cooking will result in perfectly tender beef slices.  I tried the method, and it worked!  The beef was juicy and tender.  Dr. P and I LOVE the sauce from this recipe.  I don't really like ginger, but somehow really enjoyed the grated fresh ginger flavor in the sauce.  I could also taste the rice vinegar, and it was very appetizing.  I ate way too much rice because of this yummy sauce.

This dish was so easy and fast to make.  Absolutely love it!

Tilapia with Peppers and Olives

I really like the magazine "Real Simple".  One of my favorite section in the magazine was their food & recipes.  All of the recipes in the magazine consist of a few simple everyday ingredients.  The recipes is also easy, fast and delicious.


Tilapia with Peppers and Olives

I made Tilapia with Peppers and Olives (RECIPE HERE) for dinner last week.  I bought fresh Tilapia from the supermarket.  It tasted so much better than the frozen tilapia.  The fish didn't need much flavor except salt and pepper because it tasted so fresh.  Also the sauteed onion, red bell pepper, and olives had tons of rich flavors.  The onion and red bell pepper was sweet, the olive was salty, and the lime juice added some sourness.  It tasted Mediterranean.

We both love the taste of the dish.  It is also a very light and healthy meal.  Definitely will make again soon!

[Irvine] [Chinese] S.W. Seafood & BBQ Restaurant

S.W. Seafood & BBQ Restaurant
三禾燒腊海鮮麵家
5406A Walnut Ave
Irvine, CA 92604
(949) 262-0128

I always see a lot of people getting take out from S.W. Seafood & BBQ Restaurant.  So I assume the food must be pretty good and wanted to try this place.  Well, I learned that my assumption was wrong.



This place is obviously trying to rip off Sam Woo's name.  Their English name is S.W., and their Chinese name sounds just like Sam Woo's Chinese name but with different characters.  What a copycat!  I should've seen that as a warning sign.

[Tustin] [Japanese] Honda-Ya

Honda-Ya
556 El Camino Real
Tustin, CA 92780
(714) 832-0081

To celebrate finishing another semester, Dr. P treated me to dinner.  He told me I could pick any restaurant I want.  I picked Honda-Ya because I wanted some icy cold beer on an icy cold winter night!  haha....


Sapporo ($5.50)

Ahhhh!  Beer!  When celebrating, you just gotta have beer!

[Hacienda Heights] [Buffet] 西海岸海鮮自助餐 West Coast Seafood Buffet

West Coast Seafood Buffet
西海岸海鮮自助餐
1655 S Azusa Ave #D
Hacienda Heights, CA 91745
(626) 581-9893

My parents heard a program on the Chinese radio station promoting this new buffet called Wes Coast in Hacienda Heights.  They tried it, and thought it was a really good value.  For $10 lunch, you can get all you can eat sushi, sashimi, Mongolian BBQ, and cooked Chinese food.  For $1 more, you can also get unlimited hot pot.  So my parents took me there to try their buffet lunch.


Lunch Buffet ($9.99/person)

This buffet is huge!  Their selection of food is a bit more than your typical Asian buffet.  I like their sushi a lot.  Dad loaded up on sashimi.  My mom doesn't eat raw fish, and she still had plenty of sushi choices.  The cooked food was pretty tasty, but oily.

Hello Winter Vacation!

Yes!  Final week is finally over, and winter vacation is here!  Time went by so fast.  I already finished 1.5 years of the Registered Veterinary Technician program.  Only 1 more semester to go if I can get all my classes (fingers cross).

[Costa Mesa] [Italian] Maggiano's Little Italy

Maggiano's Little Italy
3333 Bristol St
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 546-9550
http://www.maggianos.com

I filled out a survey after visiting Maggiano's Little Italy last time.  I commented on that we thought their lasagna was too salty.  To my surprise, they sent me a $25 gift certificate to apologize for it.  Talking about great customer service!  So Dr. P and I returned to Maggiano's Little Italy with the gift certificate for dinner.


Bread

We started the meal with bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  The bread had a crusty outside, and soft, spongy, and airy in the middle.  Is this called Artisan bread?

[Santa Ana] [American] Black Angus Steakhouse

Black Angus Steakhouse
1350 N Tustin Ave
Santa Ana, CA 92701
(714) 558-3057
http://www.blackangus.com

We went back to Black Angus for their $38 for two special.  We went on the day after Thanksgiving, and the restaurant was quite empty.  I think some employees went on vacation, too.  The bartender was also working as the host.


Jumbo Prawn Cocktail ($9.99)
Served whilled with our House-made Atomic Horseradish cocktail sauce.

Last time we ordered the appetizer sampler, and there were a lot of fried food.  We decided to go light this time, and ordered Jumbo Prawn Cocktail.  The shrimp was fresh, and the cocktail sauce was yummy.  But there were only 6 shrimps.  The sampler had 4 shrimps, plus bunch of other food!  So value wise, this would not be a smart choice.

Thanksgiving Dinner 2009

Like every Thanksgiving, we went to Mrs. Park's house for Thanksgiving dinner. In previous years, most of the food were store bought. But this year, Mrs. Park and the aunties cooked EVERYTHING!


Cheese & Cracker

Before dinner, we had some Cheese and Cracker with wine.

$25 Restaurant.com Gift Certificates for $2.00

Take 80% off Restaurant.com $25 Gift Cert. orders! Use code SHARE and Pay $2 thru 12/14/09.

[Irvine] [Chinese] Chong Qing Mei Wei Szechwan Restaurant

Chong Qing Mei Wei Szechwan Restaurant
重慶美味川菜
5406 Walnut Ave #C
Irvine, CA 92618
(949) 651-8886

Yup!  Back to Chong Qing Mei Wei Szechwan Restaurant again to serve our spicy Chinese food craving.


風味冷菜 Cold Appetizer ($5.50)

We ordered smoked chicken, spicy pig kidney, and shredded potatoes for our cold appetizer combo.  All three items were really good.  I really like the not fully cooked potatoes because it tasted crunchy.

[Temple City] [Chinese] 綠島風味餐廳 Green Island Restaurant

Green Island Restaurant
綠島風味餐廳
9556 Las Tunas Dr
Temple City, CA 91780
(626) 286-6788

Last time we visited Green Island Restaurant, mom liked it a lot, and dad thought it was just alright.  I like their curry chicken the most.  We went back to Green Island for lunch on a Monday.


石燒黑豚肉大白菜 Black Pork Belly with Bok Choi in Hot Pot ($4.99)

Everyday they offer a dish with special price.  On Monday, the dish is Black Pork Belly with Bok Choi in Hot Pot.  It said "bok choi" on the menu, but it was actually napa cabbage.  It was a really simple dish.  Just like the name implied, there was pork, and there was cabbage.  The taste was just ok.  I think anybody can easily make this dish at http://www.eileenlikestoeat.com, and probably would taste even better.

Wonton Soup

My first attempt to make Wonton Soup ever!  It was actually a lot easier than I imagined.


餛飩湯 Wonton Soup

For the wonton filling, I used half pork and half shrimp.  I added some salt, pepper, sesame oil, cornstarch, rice wine, and water to the mixture.  For the soup, I used chicken stock, and added soy sauce, salt, pepper, and sesame oil.  I also added shitake mushroom, carrot, and snow peas to the soup.  A big difference of wonton at http://www.eileenlikestoeat.com versus wonton in a restaurant is that my version of wonton is huge!  Call me greedy but I like to add a lot of filling in my wontons.  haha....

Dr. P loved the wonton soup.  He had like 15 wontons for dinner!  My first wonton soup, success!

[Irvine] [Japanese] House of Shabu Shabu

House of Shabu Shabu
5394 Walnut Ave # A
Irvine, CA 92604-2548
(949) 654-9400

I was craving for shabu shabu, and Dr. P had time to have lunch with me on a weekday.  Shabu shabu is always a few dollars cheaper for lunch.  Perfect!  We went to try House of Shabu Shabu for the first time.



Lunch price ranges from $10 to $40, and that $40 was for Kobe beef.  They also offer combination plates with two different items.  Besides shabu shabu, you can also order sushi.

[Irvine] [Pizza] Main Street Pizza & Cafe

Main Street Pizza & Cafe
2540 Main St
Irvine, CA 92614-6241
(949) 852-9202
http://www.mainstpizzaandcafe.com

I was busy working on reports for school and didn't have time to cook dinner.  Dr. P wasn't feeling too well to go out to pick up something.  So he decided to call Main Street Pizza & Cafe and ordered pizza for delivery.  When he hung up the phone and told me the price, I was shocked.  He ordered one large pizza and a dozen buffalo wings.  That cost him nearly $30!  This better be some good pizza!


The Works Pizza ($15.99)
Pepperoni, ham, sausage, salami, green peppers, onions, mushrooms, fresh tomatoes and olives.

The Works Pizza looked sorta like Costco's pizza, the one with everything on it.  There were pepperoni, ham, sausage, and salami, but there were very little meat, and mostly vegetables on the pizza.  The pizza tasted bland, like they forgot to add pizza sauce on it.  We both thought the pizza wasn't that good.

[Irvine] [Fusion] Kogi Korean BBQ-To-Go

Kogi Korean BBQ-To-Go
http://www.kogibbq.com

Kogi Korean BBQ truck came to Irvine last week on both Tuesday and Thursday.  We had plan to go on Thursday because I had class till late on Tuesday, and Kogi truck were only going to be in Irvine till 9pm.  I came http://www.eileenlikestoeat.com around 8:30pm, and we decided to just go for it.  We were so glad we went on Tuesday instead of Thursday.



We made it there around 8:45pm, and there was nobody in line.  What?  No one in line for Kogi?  There were a few groups of people eating in the parking lot.  We overheard this guy saying that the line was really long earlier.  I also heard from friends that they had to wait in line for about 1.5 hours earlier.

[Irvine] [Bakery] 小雅屋 J.J. Bakery

J.J. Bakery
小雅屋
5408 Walnut Ave #D
Irvine , CA 92604
(949) 654-1768
http://www.jjbakeryusa.com

Yeah!  We have a J.J. Bakery in Irvine, too!  There's also a "J.J. Bakery & CAFE" in Irvine.  I thought it was the J.J. Bakery 小雅屋, but actually it's called 思雅軒 in Chinese.  I tried the bread from there before.  It was alright, but not as good as the real J.J. Bakery.


Fruit Cake

I was in a "sweet" mood and bought all sweet cakes this time.  I've always like fruit cake, but some of the American fruit cake are so sweet that it hurts my teeth when I eat it.  I absolutely love J.J. Bakery's fruit cake.  It wasn't overly sweet, and it was moist and simply delicious.  I love eating this with a cup of hot coffee or tea.

[Irvine] [Vietnamese] Pho Factory

Pho Factory
15455 Jeffrey Rd #300
Irvine, CA 92618
(949) 552-5735
http://www.phofactory.net

We wanted something fast and not too far away from http://www.eileenlikestoeat.com for dinner.  So I took out my coupon book and tried to find a place.  I found a 20% off coupon from Pho Factory.  The name "Pho Factory" didn't really sound too appealing, but we decided to give it a try.


Cha Gio - Egg rolls (4)

They had a large outside patio seating area, but it was too dark and cold to sit outside.  They also have a to-go counter for drinks and sandwiches.  We were seated in the back room.  There was absolutely no service at all.  The waiter just came to take our order, and brought us food.  If we needed anything else, we had to go up to the front counter to get it ourselves.  We started the meal with some Cha Gio, or Vietnamese Egg Rolls.  The egg rolls here were skinny and long.  It was just alright.  Nothing too special about it.  4 Egg Rolls were about $5.

[Irvine] [American] Mimi's Cafe

Mimi's Cafe
4030 Barranca Pkwy
Irvine, CA 92604
(949) 559-8840
http://www.mimiscafe.com

Dr. P enjoyed Mimi's Cafe breakfast a lot last time, and wanted to go back again.  He never signed up for any email offer because he doesn't want to get any junk emails.  But for Mimi's free breakfast offer, he signed up for their eClub.


Coffee ($2.09) / Orange Juice

Gotta have a cup of fresh brewed hot coffee to start the morning.  We also both had a glass of complimentary orange juice.

[Costa Mesa] [Japanese] Sushi Zen Bistro

Sushi Zen Bistro
1875 Newport Blvd #A100
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
(949) 722-2520

Restaurant.com had a 80% off sale, and I bought 7 gift certificates during the sale.  I wanted to use the GC to try more Orange County restaurants.  The first GC we used was for Sushi Zen Bistro.  I came http://www.eileenlikestoeat.com late from class, and this restaurant opens till 10:30pm.  So off we went for a late dinner.



Sushi Zen Bistro is in Costa Mesa, but at the border of Newport Beach.  There is a Yardhouse in the same plaza.  There were a lot of crazy young (maybe drunk) driver at the parking lot.  We almost got hit by a car when we were walking in there.

Eggplant with Ground Pork

Dr. P told me that he loves Chinese food, and he wishes I would cook more Chinese food for him.  I have this really old Chinese cookbook from 1987, "Chinese One Dish Meals".  Flipping through the cookbook, I found the recipe for Eggplant with Ground Pork.  It was a spicy dish, and Dr. P should like it.


茄子碎肉 Eggplant with Ground Pork

Stir fry chopped green onion, garlic, ginger, and chili paste in some oil until fragrant.  Add ground pork and stir-fry until cook through.  Add eggplant and cook until soft.  Add soy sauce, cooking wine, water, and cornstarch.  Cook until the sauce thicken.  Sprinkle some chopped green onion on top.  This dish was really easy to make, and tasted so delicious.  Dr. P said he doesn't usually like eggplant too much, but he loves this dish.  He had 2 bowls of rice with this dish.  And requested to bring it for lunch for the next day, too.

[Santa Ana] [Japanese] 迴鮮 Kaisen Kaiten Sushi Bar

Kaisen Kaiten Sushi Bar
迴鮮
3855 S Bristol St
Santa Ana, CA 92704
(714) 444-2161

We've been wanting to try Kaisen Kaiten Sushi Bar for a while.  I read somewhere that this place was owned by the same company as Kula Sushi.  After two delicious dinner experience at Kula, we wanted to visit Kaisen even more.



We visited on a Sunday night around 7pm.  There were a few parties waiting in front of us.

[Rowland Heights] [Japanese] Tokyo Shabu Shabu

Tokyo Shabu Shabu
1330 S Fullerton Rd #108
Rowland Heights, CA 91748
(626) 810-6037
http://www.tokyoshabushabu.com

I've known Tammy since we were 16 years old.  I never miss her birthday, except the years when I was in Taiwan.  This year she decided to have her birthday dinner at Tokyo Shabu Shabu.



We were seated inside a small booth.  We had 9 people, and the table had no room for all the plates.  We had to put some plate on the chairs.

[Irvine] [Japanese] Fukada Restaurant

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

We've been wanting to try Fukada's lunch special forever.  But we've heard that the wait is always long for lunch, and Dr. P doesn't have that much time on weekday.  We were glad to find out that Fukada also has lunch special on weekend.



There were still super busy on weekend.  We had to wait, wait, and wait.  Finally we got 2 seats at the bar before they close for lunch.

[Fountain Valley] [Japanese] Tsuruhashi B.B.Q. Restaurant

Tsuruhashi B.B.Q. Restaurant
鶴橋燒肉
18798 Brookhurst Street
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
(714) 593-8393

I searched restaurants in Fountain Valley on Yelp, and Tsuruhashi came up as the #1 restaurant on the list.  I had Japanese BBQ at Anjin in Costa Mesa before, and absolutely love it.  I also like Gyu-Kaku.  Dr. P has never tried Japanese BBQ before, and was eager to try when I suggested the restaurant.



Tsuruhashi is a small place.  We arrived earlier in the evening to avoid the wait.  The restaurant opens late, till 1am I think.  It's a good place to drink beer and eat BBQ at late night.

[Irvine] [Deli] Corner Bakery Cafe

Corner Bakery Cafe
17575 Harvard Ave
Irvine, CA 92614
(949) 399-0999
http://www.cornerbakerycafe.com

Last time I blogged about Corner Bakery Cafe, I mentioned that they forgot to give me the lemon bar that I ordered for to-go.  Somebody from Corner Bakery Cafe contacted me and offered me some coupons for the incident.  At first I was really surprised that they found my blog.  I thought it really shows how much they care about their customers.



So with the coupon, Dr. P and I made a visit to Corner Bakery Cafe for lunch.  The line was long when we arrived, but it was moving pretty quickly.

[Tustin] [American] Lucille's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que

Lucille's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que
2550 Park Avenue
Tustin, CA 92782
(714) 259-1227
http://www.lucillesbbq.com

Dr. P and I were both craving for some BBQ.  We went back to Lucille's Smokehouse for dinner last week.



The restaurant was super busy on a Wednesday night.  We waited for about 20 minutes for a table.

[Temple City] [Chinese] 綠島風味餐廳 Green Island Restaurant

Green Island Restaurant
綠島風味餐廳
9556 Las Tunas Dr
Temple City, CA 91780
(626) 286-6788

I had a test on Tuesday morning and got out of class early.  So I took my parents to Green Island Restaurant for lunch.



I found the restaurant on Yelp, and thought their stone pot dishes look really good.

[Irvine] [Taiwanese] 品客多 Tapioca Express

Tapioca Express
品客多
5408 Walnut Ave # G
Irvine, CA 92604-2530
(949) 786-8688
http://tapiocaexpress.com

After spicy Chinese dinner, we went to Tapioca Express in the same plaza to get boba milk tea.


鹽酥雞 Crispy Chicken

We saw the sign at the counter for Crispy Chicken + Drink combo special for $5 something.  We've had crispy chicken from quite a few different places in Irvine.  I have to say, the crispy chicken from this Tapioca Express was the best we've had so far.  The chicken was all in big pieces, no bone, just tender juicy chicken meat.  The breading and the spiciness was perfect.  They even added basil.  Love it!

[Irvine] [Chinese] Chong Qing Mei Wei Szechwan Restaurant

Chong Qing Mei Wei Szechwan Restaurant
重慶美味川菜
5406 Walnut Ave #C
Irvine, CA 92618
(949) 651-8886

We just had spicy hot pot at Wen's house.  Two days later, Dr. P was craving for spicy Chinese food again.  So we went back to Chong Qing Mei Wei.  Seriously, we go there like once a week now.


風味冷菜 Cold Appetizer ($5.50)

As always, we started with the three items Cold Appetizer.  Dr. P picked spicy beef & tendon, green snow vegetable, and I picked bamboo shoot.  All were really good.

[Irvine] [American] Mimi's Cafe

Mimi's Cafe
4030 Barranca Pkwy
Irvine, CA 92604
(949) 559-8840
http://www.mimiscafe.com

I have a buy 1 breakfast get 1 free coupon from Mimi's Cafe for joining their e-club on their website.  We woke up late on Sunday, and Dr. P was in the mood for brunch.  It was the perfect day to use my coupon.



We arrived around 11am.  There were a lot of people waiting for tables.  We waited for about 30 minutes.

Spicy Hot Pot Party

After a hard day of riding, our reward was, of course, some delicious food. The reason that kept me going the whole ride was because I was so looking forward to the spicy hot pot party afterward.



Here it is!  THE spicy hot pot!  Our two chefs, Mr. L and Mr. E did their magic, and we couldn't stop eating!

[Newport Beach] [Dessert] Sugar 'N' Spice

Sugar 'N' Spice
310 Marine Avenue
Newport Beach, CA 92662
(949) 673-8907

After our brunch at Balboa Island, some people wanted to have frozen banana down the street.  Frozen banana?  I remember my mom used to freeze sliced banana when we were little and we ate it like dessert.  I didn't know there are actually shops that sell frozen banana.



There's a place called Sugar 'N' Spice.  It claimed to be the "original" frozen banana shop since 1945.

[Newport Beach] [American] Wilma's Patio

Wilma's Patio
203 Marine Ave
Newport Beach, CA 92662-1203
(949) 675-5542
http://www.wilmaspatio.com

When we finally got to Balboa Island, I was tired, thirsty, and hungry.  There were a lot of restaurants on Marina Ave.  Wen's coworker Nicole grew up around the area, and recommended Wilma's Patio when she heard that we were going to Balboa Island.



We parked our bicycles outside.  We didn't lock our bicycles, and I even left my jacket and helmet in the bicycle basket.  That's one thing I like about Orange County.  We don't have to worry about our bike getting stolen.

31.5 Miles Bicycle Ride to Balboa Island

Last time I rode a bicycle, I think I was in 3rd grade.  I bought a bicycle two weeks ago.  Last weekend I went riding for the first time in 25 years.



All of our friends and Dr. P are experience riders.  My friends told me they found a "easy" trail for me to try for the first time.  I was thinking it would be something like a 5 or 10 miles easy ride.  Wrong!

[Tustin] [Japanese] Honda-Ya

Honda-Ya
556 El Camino Real
Tustin, CA 92780
(714) 832-0081

Dr. P's friends Timmy and Cat wanted to come down to OC to visit us last Friday night.  It was around 9pm, and I immediately thought of Honda-Ya.  The boys could have beer, and us girls could eat some yummy Japanese small dishes.



We tried to call ahead to see if they take reservation.  Nope.  It's first come first serve.  We got there around 9:30pm, and there were so many people waiting outside.  They finally called our name after about 30 minutes.

[Tustin] [Fast Food] Chick-Fil-A

Chick-Fil-A
2889 Park Ave
Tustin, CA 92782-2711
(714) 258-1400
http://www.chick-fil-a.com

Ever since I tried Chick-Fil-A for the first time, I've been telling Dr. P about this place.  He took my words and wanted to give it a try.  We went through their drive-through last week for some chicken sandwiches.


Spicy Chicken Deluxe Sandwich ($3.75)

Dr. P got a spicy chicken Deluxe Sandwich.

[Irvine] [Korean] The Flame Broiler

The Flame Broiler
3800 Barranca Pkwy
Irvine, CA 92606
(949) 726-1975‎
http://www.flamebroilerusa.com

I went shoes shopping with Wen last Wednesday.  Afterward, we went to The Flame Broiler to get some dinner to bring http://www.eileenlikestoeat.com.  I saw a poster on their window for "any plate plus a drink for $6" special, and decide to try this Korean fast food joint for the first time.


Chicken & Beef Plate with Drink ($6.00)


The first plate was chicken and beef with brown rice.  The plate comes with salad and half an orange.  The chicken was tasty.  The beef was way overcooked though.

[Irvine] [Indian] India Cook House

India Cook House
14130 Culver Dr
Irvine, CA 92604
(949) 857-4858
http://www.indiacookhouseoc.com

I really think the best way (and the cheapest way) to enjoy Indian food is to go for the lunch buffet.  Almost all Indian restaurants offer Indian buffet, and it usually cost under $10.  Dr. P and I were both craving for some Indian spices.  A little googling, and we found India Cook House in Irvine.



We parked our car, walked up to the restaurant, and immediately we were welcomed by Indian spices aroma.  It made us even hungrier.

[Irvine] [Chinese] 弘城魚翅海鮮點心酒樓 China Garden Seafood Dim Sum Restaurant

China Garden Seafood Dim Sum Restaurant
弘城魚翅海鮮點心酒樓
14825 Jeffrey Rd
Irvine, CA 92620
(949) 653-9988

I remember reading about China Garden's late night special on Yelp.  I didn't get http://www.eileenlikestoeat.com until 9pm on Tuesday after a long day of school.  Dr. P and I thought we could go to China Garden for late night dinner, and would have some leftover Chinese food for lunch the next day.  We got there around 9:30pm, and found out late night special is after 10pm.  Oopsy!  I remember the time wrong.  We were too hungry to wait for another 30 minutes for it, and just ordered from their regular menu.



Their late night special menu is the same as their lunch special menu.  You get the same lunch special price, but not the soup and rice.  Rice is $1/person.  We decide to order a fried rice and one dish.  That should be enough for two of us.

[Costa Mesa] [Taiwanese] 梅園 May Garden Restaurant

May Garden Restaurant
梅園
1400 Bristol St
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 751-9229

I've read about May Garden Restaurant on Wen's blog.  It was one of the restaurant I always wanted to try even when I was living in LA.  Our neighbor Charles and Tessa referred us to this apartment complex we're staying at right now, and they got $200 referring fee from it.  Instead of keeping the money for themselves, they decided to treat a group of friends to a Taiwanese dinner at May Garden Restaurant with the money.  That was so nice and generous of them.



The restaurant is only a few minutes away from our apartment.  Wen mentioned this before, but I have to say it again.  This restaurant looks very "Americanized" from the outside.  I would think this is one of those "P.F. Chang" style Chinese restaurant just by looking at the sign.

[Irvine] [Hot Dogs] Jerry's Wood Fired Dog

Jerry's Wood Fired Dog
13786-C Jamboree Road
Irvine, CA 92602
(714) 665-1480
http://www.jerrysdogs.com

Yeah~~~~  I finally got a bicycle!  After shopping at the bike shop, we went across the street in The Market Place for some food.  The Market Place gotta be the biggest and the most confusing shopping center ever!  After couple wrong turns, going around in couple circles, and a phone call to the restaurant, we finally found Jerry's Wood Fired Dog.  I read good review about this place online.  You can pick your own toppings for a customized hot dog.  We had high expectation, but it turned out to be a huge disappointment.  The food wasn't good, but the service was even worse.

We placed our order at the counter.  Since it was our first time there, we weren't really sure how should we order.  We told the cashier it was our first time, and asked how should we order the food.  Do we order the topping with her?  Or with the kitchen staff?  The cashier wasn't helpful at all.  The first time we asked, she didn't even answer.  We found out that we order the toppings with the kitchen person when we pick up the hot dogs.  So Dr. P picked his sauce first and asked for the hot sauce.  After squeezing the hot sauce on the hot dogs, the girl also squeezed the hot sauce into my eyes!  Yes, MY EYES!  I was standing in front of the counter with Dr. P.  I still don't know how she managed to squeeze the hot sauce bottle across the counter all over my face.  I wiped the hot sauce off my face, but that drop that got into my eyes BURNED!  It was hurting really bad.  I ran to the bathroom to rinse it out.  When I came back, she said, "are you ok?  I'm sorry.  What would you like to have on your hot dog?"  We were going to eat there, but after the incident, we decided to get it to-go.  We just wanted to get out of there as soon as we could.  On our way http://www.eileenlikestoeat.com, Dr. P called the restaurant to complain to the manager.  Instead of apologizing, the manager gave Dr. P a lecture about respecting people.  She said Dr. P shouldn't use that angry tone of voice to speak to her.  Dr. P was so mad that he then hung up on her.


Jerry's Signature Dog ($3.75)
The one with the snap!  All beef dog in natural casing seasoned perfectly!  Jerry's favorite!

When I opened my hot dog at http://www.eileenlikestoeat.com, I found out the hot sauce girl had messed up my toppings as well.  She didn't add the lettuce I asked for, but gave me some jalapeno, which I didn't ask for, instead.  I got sauteed mushroom, tomato, cranberry, feta cheese, with Chipotle mayo.  The bun was soggy.  The hot dog was a bit dry.  The hot dog just wasn't that good.

[Arcadia] [Bakery] 小雅屋 J.J. Bakery

J.J. Bakery
小雅屋
1130 S. Baldwin Ave.
Arcadia, CA 91006
(626) 836-6888
http://www.jjbakeryusa.com

My sister bought a birthday cake for my mom from J.J. Bakery.  It was my mom's favorite, taro cake.


芋頭蛋糕 Taro Cake

The cake didn't look too fancy.  But the taste is more important than how it looks.

[Monterey Park] [Chinese] 上海錢塘春 Lake Spring Shanghai Restaurants

Lake Spring Shanghai Restaurants
上海錢塘春
219 E Garvey Ave
Monterey Park, CA 91755
(626) 280-3571

October 24, last Saturday was my mom's birthday.  But my brother had to work on that day, so we had birthday dinner with my mom on Friday night.  My parents picked the restaurant, Lake Spring Shanghai Restaurant, because they had lunch here before a thought the food was good.


鎮四寶 Sauteed Four-Treasures in Hot Sauce ($9.95)

We started with Sauteed Four-Treasures in Hot Sauce.  But since mom doesn't eat spicy food, we requested to have it prepared non-spicy.  The four treasures were green bean, dried radish, mushroom, and pork.  This dish was good with rice.  The leftover would make really good fried rice.

Roasted Cornish Hens with Grapes

I have one Cornish game hen in the freezer, and some grapes on hand.  A quick flip through Martha Stewart’s Food Everyday, I found a perfect recipe.


Roasted Cornish Hens with Grapes

For a break from roast chicken, try these smaller hens, which cook in about half the time it takes for a chicken.  If you like, substitute four bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (10 to 12 ounces each) for the Cornish hens.

The recipe is for 4 servings using 4 Cornish game hens.   But since I only have 1, I just use 1/4 of all the other ingredients in the recipe.  This dish took about 5 minutes to prepare.  Just toss everything together and pop it in the oven.  One Cornish hen was actually enough for both Dr. P and I.  The chicken was moist and tender.  The skin with the thyme flavor was the best part.  The caramelized grapes were really tasty.  It tasted like sweet wine.

It is tasty and easy.  Also I think the dish looks fancy enough if you have guests over for dinner.  This recipe is definitely a keeper.