[Walnut] [Japanese] Chop Chop Grill

Chop Chop Grill
1253 N Grand Ave
Walnut, CA 91789
(909) 598-7588
http://www.mychopchopgrill.com

I had class in school all day today.  Had breakfast at 6:30am.  By the time I got out from my first class, it was 1:30pm and I was starving.  I decided to walk to the shopping plaza across the street.  Big mistake!  It was sooooo freaking hot today!  When I saw the sign outside of Chop Chop Grill with Today's special + COLD DRINK, I went right in for the cold drink.



I had no idea what type of restaurant this is.  A quick look at the menu on the wall, I think it's a Japanese fast food type of place.  They have ramen, curry, and teriyaki sort of things.  There was a guy behind the counter.  So I told him I would like to order today's special with the drink.  He then entered my order into a little touch screen computer.  Oh!  That's how customers order in this restaurant?  He said yes.  So I played with the little ordering computer a little.  How fun.

[Irvine] [Chinese] A&J Restaurant

A&J Restaurant
半畝園
14805 Jeffrey Rd #D
Irvine, CA 92620
(949) 786-3585

OMG it was hot this entire week!  It was so hot that I really didn't feel like turning on the stove.  Dr. P found A&J Restaurant on Yelp so we headed over for some beef noodle soup.



Irvine is a really big city.  A&J is located on another part of Irvine where I've never been before.  There's a 99 Ranch across the street.  Lots of restaurants in this plaza.  Also there's Yogurtland and Lollicup, too.

[Lake Forest] [Japanese] Sushi Wazen

Sushi Wazen
22641 Lake Forest Dr
Lake Forest, CA 92630
(949) 855-8330

We returned to Sushi Wazen on Thursday night.  It was our 3rd visit.  The restaurant was a lot busier on that night than our previous 2 visits.



Nobu san remembered our name!  We sat at the table because the sushi bar was full.

[Lake Forest] [Chinese] 重慶美味川菜 Taste of Asia

Taste of Asia
重慶美味川菜
22371 El Toro Rd #A
Lake Forest, CA 92630
(949) 380-8869

Wednesday was Chinese Valentine's Day.  We decided to go out to eat to celebrate.  Dr. P picked Taste of Asia as our destination.  Spicy Chinese food for Valentine's Day?  How romantic!  The restaurant was busy, with about 80% of non-Asian customers.  But I don't think the non-Asian customers ordered spicy dishes, but more like regular chicken or beef dishes.


風味冷菜 Cold Appetizer ($5.50)

Just like last time, we picked 3 appetizers from the cold dish counter.  Spicy beef, smoked chicken, and cold cucumber.  Everything was great.

[Irvine] [American] Chili's Grill & Bar

Chili's Grill & Bar
3745 Alton Pkwy
Irvine, CA 92606
(949) 250-8636
http://www.chilis.com

I saw on a TV commercial that Chili's is offering a 3 course meal for 2 people for $20.  Sounds like a good deal to me.  I came http://www.eileenlikestoeat.com after my classes on Tuesday.  It was almost 9pm and I was too tired to cook.  Dr. P said he didn't really eat dinner either.  So we headed to Chili's for a late dinner.


Kickin' Jack Nachos
Our kicked-up nachos with beans and queso with a hint of seasoned beef with jalapeño Jack cheese and Margarita spice. Served with house-made pico de gallo and sour cream.

The restaurant was pretty full at 9pm on a Tuesday night.  I think everybody ordered from the $20 promotion menu.  For our appetizer, we picked Kickin' Jack Nachos.  Our waitress brought the appetizer to us after giving us our entree first.  Hmmm....  Oh well.  The nachos were really good.  Between the tortilla chip and the melted cheese on top, there was beef and bean mixture.  The flavor was really good.

[Walnut] [Taiwanese] The Hub Cafe

The Hub Cafe
20747 Amar Road #6
Walnut, CA 91789
(909) 595-4545
http://www.thehubcafe.com

School started last Monday.  I am taking two really long classes on Monday.  First class is from 9am~3:20pm.  Second class is from 3:40pm~10pm.  Luckily, we got out early for the first day of class.  I had about 2 hours between the 2 classes so I went to the plaza across the street to search for food.



Hub Cafe seemed like a good place to get lunch and sit around before my class.  They offered free Wi-Fi, magazines, and games.  There were a lot of students hanging around there in the afternoon.

[Irvine] [Japanese] 味千拉麵 Ajisen Ramen

Ajisen Ramen
味千拉麵
2700 Alton Pkwy #145
Irvine, CA 92606
(949) 833-3288
http://www.ajisen-la.com

Time to explore Diamond Jamboree plaza again.  We decided to try Ajisen Ramen because Dr. P was in the mood for some noodle and soup.  I've been to Ajisen Ramen in San Gabriel when it first opened.  Their ramen was really salty, and I never returned after that.  Then my mom said she went to the branch in Temple City, and also thought the broth was too salty.  But recently she returned to the San Gabriel one with her friend, and thought the ramen was pretty good.  Maybe they improved the recipe of their broth?



We went on a Sunday night around almost 9pm.  The place was full.  Do Irvine people all eat late?

[Lake Forest] [Japanese] Sushi Wazen

Sushi Wazen
22641 Lake Forest Dr
Lake Forest, CA 92630
(949) 855-8330

Dr. P was looking for a good sushi place around Irvine, and came across Sushi Wazen on Yelp.  This Japanese restaurant has a 4.5 stars rating.  A lot of people also commented on the affordable price.  Cheap and good sushi?  Yes, we are there for sure!  This was actually our second visit to Sushi Wazen.  I forgot to bring my camera the first time.  Dr. P took pictures with his cell phone.  I will post our first visit once he emails me those pictures.  We love the food, and return again the following week.



Sushi Wazen doesn't look anything special from the outside.  It's a small restaurant with about 5 tables and a 10 seats sushi bar.

[Irvine] [Japanese] 五郎 Goro Japanese Restaurant

Goro Japanese Restaurant
五郎
3831 Alton Pkway #C
Irvine, CA 92606
(949) 252-1872

We get a lot of coupons in the mail.  And we pretty much use those coupons as our dining guide.  The power went out at our apartment one late afternoon.  Couldn't really do much when there was no power.  So we headed out for some food and hoping by the time we come http://www.eileenlikestoeat.com, the power would be back on.  I flipped through my coupons, and found Goro Japanese Restaurant with a "buy 1 entree receive 2nd for 50%" coupon.  I guess that's where we'll have dinner then.



Goro looks like a fast food place from the outside for some reason.  But the inside was nice and clean.

[Irvine] [Thai] Thai Ritz Cuisine

Thai Ritz Cuisine
2700 Alton Pkwy #141
Irvine, CA 92606
(949) 587-9418
http://www.thairitzcuisine.com

Since we live so close to Diamon Jamboree plaza, I want to try all the restaurants in this plaza.  I have been asking Dr. P if he would like to try Thai Ritz for so many times.  But he read some really bad reviews about this place on Yelp, and wasn't too enthusiastic to try it.  We got a coupon 15% off at Thai Ritz.  Because of the discount, Dr. P finally agreed to go there with me for dinner.


Thai Iced Tea ($2.95)

Dr.  P ordered a Thai Iced Tea.  He said the one he had at Sam Woo was better.

Yoga Lizard

After dinner at Sam Woo, we walked over to Petco in the same plaza to look at birds, hamsters, and lizards.



We saw this cute little thing sticking onto the glass with this position.... the ENTIRE time we were there.  The gecko was getting a really good stretch.  Maybe he's doing yoga?  haha....

[Irvine] [Chinese] 三和 Sam Woo Restaurant

Sam Woo Restaurant
三和
15333 Culver Dr
Irvine, CA 92606
(949) 262-0688
http://www.samwooirvine.com

Dr. P was craving for some Chinese food, so we went back to San Woo again.



Sam Woo has two different sides.  One side was for take out and a busy dining area.  The other side looks fancy and less crowded.  I think most Asians just eat at the busy side.  The fancy side seems to be more "Americanized".  Do they serve different menu?  Or different price?

Schwan's Beef Shepherd's Pie

I found Schwan's free offer online, and quickly signed up to try a free frozen entree from them.  A few days after I signed up, I received a phone call from their delivery guy asking if I would be http://www.eileenlikestoeat.com on that day.  He told me he would deliver around noon.  But he didn't show up until 5:30pm.  But I'm not gonna complain too much because it was free anyway.


Schwan's Beef Shepherd's Pie ($9.99)

For the free offer, new customer can pick any $10 or less entree to try for free.  I picked Beef Shepherd's Pie.

Pablo's Beach Wedding

On August 15, we went to Dr. P's friend, Pablo's wedding at Crystal Cove Beach.  Pablo and his wife live in East Coast.  But they love California and visit here often.  They like the sun and ocean so much that they wanted to have the wedding on the beach in California.



It was the first time we attended a beach wedding.  I wore high heels and Dr. P wore dressed shoes.  It was really hard to walk on the beach.  We should've done what everybody else did, wore flip flops or sandals.  Even the groom wore sandals!

Survey for Cash

If you've been a long time reader, you probably remember that I wrote about MySurvey a long time ago.  A lot of my friends join the survey website.  Have any of you guys gotten a check yet?



I just got another $100 check from MySurvey!  It's free to join the website.  They will send you emails about survey.  Once you complete a survey online, you receive points.  Then you can exchange the points for prizes or cash.  This is the 7th $100 check I got from them!

[Tustin] [Indian] Haveli Fine Indian Cuisine

Haveli Fine Indian Cuisine
13882 Newport Ave # G
Tustin, CA 92780-4666
(714) 669-1011
http://www.havelifineindiancuisine.com

We found Haveli Fine Indian Cuisine from the coupon booklet we received in the mail.  The coupon was for $9.99 dinner buffet with original price of $13.99.  So off we went for some Indian food.



They have a nice bar area in the restaurant.  But we were not there to drink.

[Rosemead] [Chinese] 慶相逢海鮮酒家 East Gourmet Seafood Restaurant

East Gourmet Seafood Restaurant
慶相逢海鮮酒家
8118A E Garvey Ave
Rosemead, CA 91770
(626) 288-9128

It was lunch day with my parents.  Mom wanted to go have dim sum at East Gourmet Seafood Restaurant because she wants to go grocery shopping afterward in the same plaza.  There were super busy during lunch hour.


魚丸 Fish Ball ($1.88)

All dim sums are $1.88.  We started with an order of Fish Ball.  The fish ball was soft and chewy.  We like it.

Easy BBQ Ribs

A few weeks ago, pork ribs were on sale at H-Mart.  A box of ribs, containing 6 big ones and 3 small ones, was only $3.50.



I cooked the ribs in boiling water for about 2 minutes.  Then I sprinkled some grill seasoning over it, brushed on some BBQ sauce, and placed in the oven, 375 degrees for about 45 minutes.

[Irvine] [Fast Food] Original Buffalo Wings

Original Buffalo Wings
2750 Alton Pkwy #131
Irvine, CA 92606
(949) 660-8989
http://www.theoriginalbuffalowings.com

For some reason, Dr. P and I were both craving for chicken wings.  There are two wing places in the Diamond Jamboree plaza, Original Buffalo Wings and BBQ Chicken.  BBQ chicken was completely full at 9:30pm.  Buffalo Wings were somewhat empty.  We just wanted to grab something fast to-go, and decided to try Original Buffalo Wings this time.


Garlic Fries ($4.50)

On the short drive http://www.eileenlikestoeat.com, I kept on smiling the garlic fries.  It made us really really hungry.  Tons of garlic and parsley, the garlic fries was really good.  I would come back here just for the garlic fries.

[Tustin] [Drink] Tapioca Express

Tapioca Express
13834 Red Hill Ave
Tustin, CA 92781
(714) 832-7728
http://www.tapiocaexpress.com

We got a buy 1 drink get 1 free coupon from Tapioca Express.  We have never been to the city of Tustin before.  So we took the opportunity to get a free drink and explore the city a little.



The first thing we noticed about Tustin was that the city doesn't look as nice as Irvine.  We pulled in to the not so clean parking lot, saw the Tapioca Express next to a small liquor store, and really didn't expect too much.

[Lake Forest] [Chinese] 重慶美味川菜 Taste of Asia

Taste of Asia
重慶美味川菜
22371 El Toro Rd #A
Lake Forest, CA 92630
(949) 380-8869

Szechuan cuisine is one of Dr. P's favorites.  He said that one thing he misses about LA is spicy Chinese food.  Thanks to Wen's blog, I found a spicy Chinese restaurant in Orange County, Taste of Asia.  If Wen said it's a good restaurant, it must be good!



Taste of Asia is in Lake Forest, about 15 minutes drive from Irvine.  It's located in an American shopping plaza.  If I'm just passing by, I probably would just assume it's one of those Panda Express type of Chinese restaurant.

$25 Restaurant.com Gift Certificates for $2.00!

80% off w/every $25 Gift Cert. order. Use code TASTE. Pay $2 thru 8/31/09 at Restaurant.com.

[Pasadena] [American] Ruth's Chris Steak House

Ruth's Chris Steak House
369 E Colorado Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91101-1909
(626) 583-8122
http://www.ruthschris.com

August 8th is Taiwanese Father's Day.  The number 8 is pronounced "ba", so 8/8 is "ba ba", which sounds like "dad" in Chinese.  Even though we've been in the U.S. for many many years, our family always celebrate Father's Day on August 8th.  Ever since the last time I visited Ruth's Chris, I've been wanting to take my dad here for some great steak.  All men like steak, right?


Bread & Butter

First of all, all the pictures from that night turned out bad.  The restaurant wasn't bright, but the pictures all came out super dark!  I'm so mad that I wasn't able to show how good the food was with my dark pictures.  Sorry guys!  Anyway....  We made reservation at 6:30pm.  There were a lot of people waiting for seats when we arrived.  But we were seated promptly, and started the meal with bread and butter.

[Irvine] [Chinese] 金都 Capital BBQ & Dim Sum Express

Capital BBQ & Dim Sum Express
金都
2799 Alton Pkway, #127
Irvine, CA 92606
(949) 252-8168
http://www.csrgweb.com

We passed by Capital BBQ & Dim Sum Express a few times, went in to look at the food a few times, and left empty handed a few times.  For some reason, every time we went in there, the food didn't look too fresh.  Maybe we always go too late?  Finally, one day we walked in there, the food actually looked fresh.  So we got one of those 3 items combo to-go.


三菜便當 3 Items Combo

We got 1/2 fried rice and 1/2 rice noodle.  For the 3 items, we got spicy tofu, kao pao chicken, and curry chicken.  The best one was the curry chicken.  I also like the rice noodle a lot.  The other items were ok.  The food was pretty oily though.  This box of food cost about $7.  Too expensive according to SGV standard.  But I guess I'll just have to get used to OC price.

[Costa Mesa] [Japanese] Sushi Ikko

Sushi Ikko
735 Baker St #C
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 556-7822

I was trying to find a car shop on Yelp.  Then I came across Sushi Ikko.  There were 199 reviews, average 4.5 stars.  This place must be good.  I asked Dr. P to take a look on Yelp.  He called the restaurant right away and made omakase x 2 reservation for the same night.  The minimum of their omakase is $60/person.  They asked us what was our budget over the phone.  We went for the minimum charge.  They also asked us if there's anything we don't want to eat.  We told them we were open for anything.



Sushi Ikko is located in a small strip mall.  It wasn't too noticeable from the street.  It took us 1 big circle around the block to find this place.

Simple Steak Dinner at Home

I like the Korean market H-Mart.  But sometimes I still can't find American stuffs in the market.  So I go to Sprouts Farmers Market for those ingredients.  I like Sprouts because they have really fresh fruits and produces.  It feels kinda like a bigger Trader Joe's and a smaller Whole Food mixture.


Salad

A simple salad with avocado and cherry tomato.  I used a balsamic vinaigrette dressing.  Dr. P really likes the dressing.

[San Gabriel] [Chinese] 御素坊 Gourmet Vegetarian Restaurant

Gourmet Vegetarian Restaurant
御素坊
140 W Valley Blvd #222
San Gabriel, CA 91776
(626) 280-5998

Mom went to Gourmet Vegetarian Restaurant with her friends twice before.  She really likes the food there.  But my dad isn't a fan of vegetarian food so she couldn't get my dad to go with her.  My dad was having lunch with his friends one day.  So mom asked my sister and I if we would go to this vegetarian restaurant with her.  Of course, mom!


泰式奶茶 Thai Ice Tea ($2.25)

Thai Ice Tea was buy 1 get 1 free.  My sister and I liked it.

[Irvine] [American] Ruby's Diner

Ruby's Diner
4602 Barranca Pkwy
Irvine, CA 92604-4735
(949) 552-7829
http://www.rubys.com

On a Sunday afternoon, we wanted to explore the city of Irvine a little.  We found a nearby park, Woobridge Community Park, from the internet.  We thought it's just a small community park.  But this park was HUGE!  There's even a lake and lagoon in the middle of the park.  We actually walked for 3 hours!  When we got back to the parking lot, we saw a shopping center right next to the park and walked over to see if there's a place to eat.



There's a Ruby's Diner in the plaza, and I happened to have a coupon from them with me.  Perfect!

[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

Maggiano's Little Italy is having a "buy 1 and get a free to-go meal" special right now.  There are 7 pastas to choose from.  You order one for $12.95 at the restaurant, and they will pack another to-go one for free.  What a great deal!  As soon as I found out about this super deal, we made a reservation for the same night.



It was good that we made reservation.  The restaurant was completely full on a Thursday night.  We were quickly seated in a booth.

Eel Rice At Home

I like eel, but I rarely order eel rice in Japanese restaurant because it's expensive.  It's actually really easy to make eel rice at http://www.eileenlikestoeat.com.



We bought a pack of eel at Mitsuwa for about $6.  The eel was from Taiwan.  Eel from Japan was a little bit more expensive.  Also bought a bottle of eel sauce for about $3.

[Alhambra] [Taiwanese] 政記牛肉麵大王 Beef Noodle King

Beef Noodle King
政記牛肉麵大王
1265 E. Valley Blvd.
Alhambra, CA 91801
(626) 281-4836

I have been craving for beef noodle soup.  When I went http://www.eileenlikestoeat.com to visit my parents, I took them to my favorite beef noodle soup place, Beef Noodle King.


肥腸油豆腐 Bean Curd Puff with Pork Intestines ($3.25)

We started the meal with the dish I always order, Bean Curd Puff with Pork Intestines.  I really like it.  But my dad thought a small plate like this for $3.25 is too expensive.

[Newport Beach] [Japanese] California Beach Restaurant & Sushi Bar

California Beach Restaurant & Sushi Bar
3355 Via Lido #H
Newport Beach, CA 92663
(949) 675-0575
http://www.eatsushi.com/californiabeach

My Japanese classmate Ema has been telling me about California Beach Restaurant & Sushi Bar for the whole semester.  She has been there a few times, and raved about how fresh the sushi is.  On Dr. P's actual birthday day, he requested to have sushi for dinner.  So we headed to California Beach for some sushi and sake birthday dinner.



We went to dinner pretty late because Dr. P had work in LA that day.  We got to the restaurant around 9pm.  The place was still completely full.  They played really loud pop music all night.  Some young people were there just to drink because it was a Monday, and they had a 50% off drink special on Monday night.

Dr. P's Birthday BBQ

For Dr. P's birthday this year, we had a BBQ with about 20 friends and family at his mom's house. It was kind of a last minute thing. We didn't really have much time to prepare. Actually we went grocery shopping that morning. Then it took me 2 hours to drive up to Hollywood from Irvine in traffic. It was a lot of work to cook for 20 people in such a short time with no preparation. But we pulled it off. In fact, I think I cooked way too much food again.



Sorry, no food pictures.  I was so busy cooking for the entire day.  And friends just ate as soon as the food came out of the kitchen or off the grill.  We had:

(1) Avocado, tomato, and feta cheese dip.
(2) Taiwanese sausage with garlic.
(3) Prosciutto and basil wrapped shrimp.
(4) BBQ lamb skewer with cumin and cayenne pepper.
(5) BBQ beef short ribs (kalbi).
(6) BBQ steak.
(7) Spicy sausage with grilled onion and pepper.
(8) Corn with garlic herb butter.
(9) Salad
(10) Cheese
(11) Fruit
(12) And a birthday cake of course!

It was definitely a birthday feast.  It was hard work.  But I love cooking then watching the guests eat and get really full and happy.  Happy birthday to Dr. P.  Let's do this again next year!  (with better planning though.... ^^)

[Irvine] [Ice Cream] CeFiore

CeFiore
2700 Alton Pkwy #119
Irvine, CA 92606
(949) 387-1888
http://www.cefiore.com

Since we moved into our new apartment, we have been going to Diamond Jamboree plaza on daily basis.  We go grocery shopping, go to the restaurants, go get bread, and of course, go get dessert.


Frozen Yogurt ($0.29/oz)

I haven't found a Yogurtland near our new place.  But CeFiore in Diamond Jamboree plaza is also pretty good.  Their price is $0.01/oz cheaper than Yogurtland.  They don't have much flavors, only 8 or so.  My favorite is the pineapple tart.  Favorite topping is, of course, mochi.  Dr. P is now more addicted to fro-yo with mochi than me.  He wants to have this almost every night.

[Costa Mesa] [Japanese] Miyabi-Tei

Miyabi-Tei
665 Paularino Ave
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 754-7044

We wanted something quick and cheap for dinner.  Decided to go to Mitsuwa Supermarket because they have a food court, and we could do some grocery shopping after dinner.



We were tempted to get Santouka Ramen at one point.  But we've had it so many times in LA before, and we really wanted to try something different this time.  Besides Santouka, Miyabi-Tei had the most people waiting in line.  Must be good.

[Irvine] [Sandwiches] Philly's Best

Philly's Best
4250 Barranca Pkwy Ste R
Irvine, CA 92604
(949) 857-2448
http://www.eatphillysbest.com

I didn't think Dr. P would be http://www.eileenlikestoeat.com so I went to Starbucks and got food for myself.  But when I got http://www.eileenlikestoeat.com, he actually waited for me to go eat.  Since I already ate, he had to go buy something for himself.  Awww.....


Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich
Steak sandwich with melted white American cheese

Dr. P found Philly's Best on Yelp with 4 stars rating.  The sandwich was huge.  I was so full and didn't eat it.  But it sure smelt good.  Dr. P said the sandwich was great.  Steak, mushroom, onion, red and green peppers, and melted cheese.  I'll try it next time.

[Pomona] [Drinks] Starbucks

Starbucks
3044 Temple Ave
Pomona, CA 91766
(909) 865-7767
http://www.starbucks.com

One afternoon after working at the animal shelter, I was hungry and tired.  It takes about 40 minutes for me to get http://www.eileenlikestoeat.com.  I didn't think I could wait for that long for some food.


Coffee & Sandwich ($3.95)

I stopped by Starbucks for some coffee.  Then I remember they had this coffee plus sandwich deal for $3.95 and got a sandwich as well.

[Costa Mesa] [American] T.G.I. Friday's

T.G.I. Friday's
663 Anton Blvd
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 540-2227
http://www.tgifridays.com

One thing I really like about living in Irvine is that we get tons of coupons in the mail all the time.  We got a "buy 1 entree get 1 free" coupon from T.G.I. Friday's.  Jack Daniel's ribs here we come!



Not too many people at dinner on a week night.  But more people showed up for drinks after dinner time.

[Glendora] [Bakery] The Donut Man

The Donut Man
915 E Route 66
Glendora, CA 91740
(626) 335-9111

After trying the strawberry donut from The Donut Man at a BBQ, I've been wanting to go buy some for my family to try.  So one afternoon after working at the animal shelter in Pomona, I took a 15 minutes drive to The Donut Man.



It was July 22, and they told me strawberry donut season ended the week before.  They only have peach donut now.  Darn!  Oh well, let's try the peach donut then.

[San Clemente] [Mexican] Las Golondrinas Mexican Food

Las Golondrinas Mexican Food
400B Camino de Estrella
San Clemente, CA 92672
(949) 240-9011
http://www.lasgolondrinas.biz

After Dr. P's surfing session at San Clemente, he grabbed some Mexican food from Las Golondrinas on his way http://www.eileenlikestoeat.com for our lunch.


Carne Asada Taco ($2.65)

Carne Asada Taco was the best!  The little cube of beef was tender and full of flavor.

[Irvine] [Japanese] Tokyo Table

Tokyo Table
2710 Alton Pkwy
Irvine, CA 92606-2194
(949) 263-0000
http://www.tokyotable.com

I have been wanting to try Tokyo Table for the longest time.  Then I found out Tokyo Table has happy hour from Wen's blog and Jack's blog.  Even better!



Happy hour is between 3~6pm.  We went on a Tuesday around 3:30pm.  I thought there would be more people at the happy hour.  But we were the only customers there.

Catching a Rattlesnake

I did 60 hours of internship at Inland Valley Humane Society this summer.  I worked 20 hours in the kennel, 20 hours in the animal hospital, and 20 hours of riding along with an animal control officer.  It was a little depressing working in the shelter because a lot of the animals were put to asleep.  But it was a very valuable experience.



I especially like the experience of riding along with an animal control officer.  It was just like the TV show, Animal Cops.  We got to answer many interesting calls.  On my first day of riding along with the animal control officer, we got a rattlesnake call.  A lady found a rattlesnake in her yard and called us.

My Unsuccessful 3 Day Diet

I've gained weight in the last few months.  A lot of weight.  I have this cookbook called "4 Weeks Perfect Diet Recipe" (四星期完美瘦身食譜) written by Japanese Women's Nutrition College (日本女子營養大學).  Is there such a college in Japan?  Anyway, I've tried this diet before, and it worked.  What you do is that you cook a pot of soup the night before, then the next day you make your 3 meals out of ingredients from this pot of soup.  But it's a lot of hassle to get so many different ingredients everyday.  I tried it for 3 days this time.  I didn't lose any weight.  I think I actually gain weight.  So I stopped.  But.... it did worked last time, which was like 5 years ago.  Oh well, at least I like the food.


Day 1 Base Soup:  肉丸湯鍋 Meatball Soup

The base soup had potato, cabbage, brocolli, green onion, konjac, enoki mushroom, and chicken meatball.

[San Gabriel] [Chinese] 湘味樓 Xiang Wei Lou Restaurant

Xiang Wei Lou Restaurant
湘味樓
227 W Valley Blvd #118A
San Gabriel, CA 91776
(626) 289-2276

My dad loves spicy food, but my mom doesn't eat anything spicy (well, except kimchi).  Last time we went to Liang's Kitchen, we passed by Xiang Wei Lou Restaurant in the same plaza.  We saw their posted menu on the window, and it said "we can make all the dishes non-spicy per request".  So dad thought we could check out the place and order some non-spicy dishes for my mom at this Szechuan restaurant.



The night we went, the entire restaurant was empty the whole night.  The two people sitting down in the picture were the workers.  I don't know.  I always feel a little awkward when eating in an empty restaurant.

[Newport Beach] [Buffet] Hokkaido Seafood Buffet

Hokkaido Seafood Buffet
4200 Scott Dr
Newport Beach, CA 92660
(949) 851-5888

Dr. P's friend, Dave, helped us with our move.  We wanted to take him out for dinner to thank him.  Dave likes sushi a lot.  He tried Hokkaido Seafood Buffet a few times before and he likes it.  He told us since he can eat a lot, he doesn't want us to spend too much money treating him to a sushi restaurant, so he picked a buffet where he can have unlimited sushi.  So thoughtful!



This place is huge!  At first I thought this is a Japanese seafood buffet like Todai.  But after seeing the type of food they have, it was more like a Chinese/Japanese buffet like Zen Buffet.  Also all of the servers are Chinese.  The price is $15.99 per person for dinner.  But we got a coupon in the mail for $2 off per person.

[Irvine] [Supermarket] H-Mart

H-Mart
2600 Alton Pkwy
Irvine, CA 92606
(949) 833-0111
http://www.hmart.com

I am loving the Korean market, H-Mart, near our new place in Irvine.  The supermarket is big, clean, has fresh vegetables and fruits, great meat selection, and tons of live and fresh seafood.  Did I mention the price is unbeatable?  I can get 10 bunches of green onion for $0.99 there!  They also has a lot of prepared dishes.  So when I don't feel like cooking, I can get something there as well.



This was our first meal at http://www.eileenlikestoeat.com.  We just moved in, and haven't gotten all the cooking gadgets yet.  So we just brought a bunch of prepared dishes from H-Mart.

[Irvine] [Chinese] 金都 Capital Seafood

Capital Seafood
金都
2700 Alton Pkwy, #127
Irvine, CA 92606
(949) 252-8188
http://www.capital-seafood.com

We went back to Capital Seafood for dim sum again.  It's expensive, and the food is just ok.  But it's only like 2 minutes away from where we live.  So here we go again.


蝦子燒賣皇 Pork Shiu Mai ($3.25)

Gotta have my Shiu Mai when I have dim sum.  If I don't have Shiu Mai, then it just doesn't feel like dim sum for me.

[San Gabriel] [Chinese] 梁媽媽家 Liang's Kitchen

Liang's Kitchen
梁媽媽家
227 W Valley Blvd #127C
San Gabriel, CA 91776
(626) 281-1898

My dad said he heard about Liang's Kitchen from his friends.  This restaurant claims that they serve Taiwanese "veteran's village" style food.  The veterans came to Taiwan after they fought the civil war in China, and reside in their own villages.  I don't really know what veteran's village style cuisine is like.  But I am assuming it's mainland Chinese food mix with Taiwanese style food?



Most of the dishes are noodle.  They also serve some rice dishes.

[Irvine] [Chinese] 三和 Sam Woo Restaurant

Sam Woo Restaurant
三和
15333 Culver Dr
Irvine, CA 92606
(949) 262-0688
http://www.samwooirvine.com

We just moved to Irvine last month and didn't really know the area at all.  I found the 99 Ranch Market in Irvine.  After doing a little grocery shopping, we saw there is a Sam Woo next door.  That was where we had dinner on our first night in Irvine.



They had a special of the month menu on the table.  The items seemed to be $1 or $2 less than the regular menu.

[Arcadia] [Taiwanese] 福軒雅敘 Cafe Fusion

Cafe Fusion
福軒雅敘
510 E Live Oak Ave
Arcadia, CA 91006
(626) 447-6488

I probably passed by Cafe Fusion 800 times before.  For some reason, I never had intention to try this restaurant.  Maybe it was because of the name "Fusion".  I thought it was one of those Americanized Asian restaurant.  But it turns out to be an authentic Taiwanese restaurant.  After reading a few blog posts about the restaurant, I took my parents there to try their dinner menu.



The restaurant is small, with a very small parking lot in the back.  But inside it was very clean, and I like the color of the wall.