[Anaheim] [German] Jagerhaus Restaurant

Jagerhaus Restaurant
2525 E Ball Road
Anaheim, CA 92806
(714) 520-9500
http://www.jagerhaus.net

When I was little, my parents always took us to German restaurants in Taiwan.  Our favorite thing to have was German pork hock with sauerkraut.  I have never been to a German restaurant in United States.  When Mr. E suggested to have German food for lunch, I got really excited.



Jagerhaus Restaurant is located in Anaheim.  I don't even know how to pronounce the name of the restaurant.  Ya-Ger-Hows?

Concourse Entertainment Center

Concourse Entertainment Center
3364 E La Palma Ave
Anaheim, CA 92806
(714) 666-2695
http://www.concoursebowling.com

I was browsing through GoldStar one morning, and found that Concourse Entertainment Center offers Sunday morning brunch and 2 hours unlimited bowling for only $8/person.  The original price is $15/person.  But if you sign up for free membership at GoldStar, you can purchase the discounted ticket.  They do charge a service fee.  But even with the $3 service fee, $11/person seemed like a great deal for breakfast buffet + bowling.



Wen also agreed that it was a great deal.  She must be the most popular blogger in Orange County.  She quickly gathered about about 20 people who wanted to join the Sunday morning bowling party.  They asked our names and shoe sizes at the front counter, and handed us our bowling shoes and told us our assigned lane number.

[Irvine] [Vietnamese] Pho Bac

Pho Bac
4250 Barranca Pkwy #K
Irvine, CA 92604-1733
(949) 857-8808

After reading Wen's blog about Pho Bac, I've been craving for pho.  Last night we were looking for a cheap and fast restaurant to eat after 8pm (late dinner because we were too full from Souplantation lunch), and I thought of Pho Bac.  Dr. P remembered that last time he went to Philly's Best, Pho Bac, which is next door, was packed.



The restaurant is not that big, but they have a lot of outdoor seats.

[Irvine] [Buffet] Souplantation

Souplantation
2825 Main St
Irvine, CA 92614-5901
(949) 474-8682
http://www.souplantation.com

I had major craving for Souplantation on Thursday night for some reason.  But Dr. P had to work late and couldn't go with me.  When I woke up Friday morning, I wanted Souplantation more than ever.  So Dr. P and I had a lunch date at Souplantation.



We had a buy 1 entree + 2 drinks and get 1 entree free coupon.  Lunch is $8.29 per person.  Drink is $2.29.  So the total comes to $14 for 2 people after tax.

[Irvine] [Deli] Corner Bakery Cafe

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

After grocery shopping, I saw Corner Bakery Cafe in the same plaza and remembered I had a coupon for a free dessert with an entree purchase.  I am a big sucker for coupon.  I just couldn't resist the saving and walked into Corner Bakery Cafe.


Uptown Turkey on Harvest Toast ($6.79)
A delicious combination of hickory smoked turkey breast, crisp applewood smoked bacon, sliced avocado, leaf lettuce, tomatoes, and mayonnaise.

I got an Uptown Turkey on Harvest Toast.  I like the sandwich a lot.  Everything tasted really fresh.  But Dr. P didn't like the bread.  He didn't like the seeds on the crust.  But other than that, he also said the sandwich was good.

[Garden Grove] [Seafood] 7 Seas Fish House

7 Seas Fish House
12941 Main Street
Garden Grove, CA 92840
(714) 590-2222
http://www.7seasFishHouse.com

There is a one week extension for OC Restaurant Week!  I spent some time to look over the menus of the participating restaurants, and found 7 Seas Fish House offers a $20 menu with 4 courses plus a glass of wine.  I am all about bargain, and that sounded like a good bargain to me.



Last night Dr. P and I took a little drive to Garden Grove.  The restaurant is located on Main Street, which looked like one of those "oldtown" area.  The restaurant is huge, but absolutely empty when we arrived at 8pm.

Semi-Homemade Meatball Spaghetti

Sometimes just by putting a few store bought items together, you can create a meal that tastes http://www.eileenlikestoeat.commade in minutes!


Meatball Spaghetti, Garlic Bread & Herb Salad

I asked Dr. P to call me before leaving work.  I started cooking when he called.  When he got http://www.eileenlikestoeat.com 20 minutes later, dinner was ready.  The herb salad was from a pre-washed pack.  I added a few cheery tomatoes and tossed with balsamic vinaigrette dressing.

[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

After the hike, we first decided to go to an Indian buffet restaurant for lunch.  But most people didn't have the appetite for buffet after working out, and decided to go back to Wen's house to hangout.  But I have 2 midterms coming up and had to go http://www.eileenlikestoeat.com to study afterward.  So Dr. P and I stopped by at Taste of Asia to grab a quick lunch before going http://www.eileenlikestoeat.com.


紅燒牛肉面 Braised Beef Soup Noodle ($5.99)

Dr. P got a bowl of Braised Beef Soup Noodle.  The soup was pretty spicy, but not to the point of undrinkable spicy.  We could really taste the Szechuan peppercorn in the soup.  The beef could be braised a little longer, but we really enjoy the spicy soup.

Santiago Truck Trail Hike

I was chatting with Wen one day, and we realized that we haven't gone hiking for a long long time.  So Wen found the info on Santiago Truck Trail hike online.  The 7-miles hike seemed challenging, but we can do it!



The view from the trail was so beautiful.

Korean Bulgogi Dinner

I really like the marinated meat from Korean market.  It makes great dinner for lazy cook.


Bulgogi & Kimchi

Bulgogi + kimchi + rice = easy and yummy Korean dinner.

Check Out GoldStar for 50% Off Event Tickets

Join GOLDSTAR now for free: https://www.goldstar.com

Goldstar has fun ideas, half-price tickets, emember reviews, and everything you need for great nights out.

Sign up now to become a member and get listings for events in your area - music, theater, comedy, sporting events, and more.

Angie Hearts Boutique 10% Off

[Laguna Beach] [American] Sundried Tomato Cafe

Sundried Tomato Cafe
361 Forest Ave #103
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
(949)494-3312
http://www.sundriedtomatocafe.com

This week is Orange County's Restaurant Week.  Since Restaurant ends today, and we haven't been to any of the restaurants this year, we decided to go out for dinner at one of the participating restaurants.  I had set our budget for $20 dinner because of other big spending this month (I can't wait to get my PS3 Slim!).  After comparing menus at couple restaurants, we decided to try Sundried Tomato Cafe in Laguna Beach.



We made our reservation for 7:30pm.  The place was completely full, but there was a table waiting for us.  The restaurant was small, but they have a very nice outdoor patio seating area, as well as second floor patio seating.

[Irvine] [Korean] Sobahn Express Korean Cuisine

Sobahn Express Korean Cuisine
2600 Alton Pkwy
Irvine, CA 92606
(949) 660-8085

Sobahn Express Korean Cuisine is located in the H-Mart food court.  This place is always packed every time we pass by.  Before grocery shopping last night, we had a quick dinner here.



Sobahn's specialty is stone pot dishes.  You can get rice, noodle, soup, tofu, or BBQ, and everything comes in a stone pot.

[Irvine] [Japanese] Kula Revolving Sushi Bar

Kula Revolving Sushi Bar
2700 Alton Pkway #133
Irvine, CA 92606
(949) 553-0747

We were at Jamboree Diamond Plaza when Kula Revolving Sushi Bar had their soft opening.  On that day, there was a sign saying "VIP ONLY" at the door.  We weren't VIPs, so we didn't get to try it that day.  But we said we would definitely come back to try it.  We finally did last night.



We got there around 7pm.  The place was super busy with tons of people waiting for seats.  We patiently waited for about 20 minutes, and got seated at the sushi bar.

[Walnut] [Taiwanese] The Hub Cafe

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

Yesterday was my sister's birthday.  She was really busy working and didn't have time to go out to eat.  I asked her if she would like me to buy something http://www.eileenlikestoeat.com for her, and she said that she was ok with anything.  Since I had to go to school for a meeting, I went across the street to The Hub Cafe to get her a Taiwanese birthday lunch.


鹽酥雞 Fried Chicken ($4.99)

The Hub Cafe has a 3 course meal special.  One appetizer, one main rice dish, and one cake for $11.99.  I got 3 of the special.  For the appetizer, I got 2 orders of Fried Chicken.  I like their Fried Chicken because it had basil in it.  Everybody enjoyed the Fried Chicken.

[Irvine] [Taiwanese] 好年春 Nice Time Deli

Nice Time Deli
好年春
5408 Walnut Ave #A
Irvine, CA 92604
(949) 654-8542

Both Dr. P and I had major hangover the day after the crazy birthday party at Black Cherry Garden.  We finally crawled out of bed in the early afternoon.  With throbbing headache, we were in the mood for some soupy noodle.  We drove over to the 99 Ranch Plaza, walked around, and decided to go into Nice Time Deli.


排骨飯 Pork Chop Rice ($6.45)

Dr. P wanted a bowl of beef noodle soup.  We couldn't find it on the menu.  We asked the waitress, and she told us they don't have beef soup noodle.  What?  What kind of Taiwanese eatery doesn't have beef noodle soup?  We were disappointed.  But Dr. P settled for the Pork Chop Rice.  This seemed to be the most popular item because almost every table ordered at least one pork chop rice.  When the waitress put the plate down on the table, I thought it smelt really really good.  It smelt like the Taiwanese popcorn chicken.  And it was a really big piece of pork chop.

[Azusa] [Japanese] 黑櫻樓 Black Cherry Garden

Black Cherry Garden
黑櫻樓
530 S Citrus Ave #13
Azusa, CA 91702
(626) 339-6058

Wen's parents came to LA to visit last weekend from San Jose.  Saturday was Wen's mom's birthday.  It was also our friend Mr. E's birthday.  Where to go to celebrate 2 birthdays?  Of course we went to both Wen and Mr. E's favorite restaurant, Black Cherry Garden.



Black Cherry Garden is a small restaurant that serves traditional Japanese kushiyaki (or some people call it yakitori).  The chef, Atsushi, has been practicing the art of kushiyaki at his father's restaurant in Japan since he was 12 years old.  We went to Black Cherry Garden once before and loved the food.  So when we found out that we were going to BCG for the birthday party a week prior, we started craving for it for an entire week.

Big Pizza from Fresh & Easy

2 weeks ago, I was shopping at Fresh & Easy and saw some items on sale.



I saw this giant pizza with original price of $8.99, and on sale for $2.25 because it had to be sold by the next day.  But on the package, it also stated that it could be frozen.  So I bought it, and tossed it in my freezer, thinking I could enjoy it later.

[Irvine] [Drink] Seattle's Best Coffee

Seattle's Best Coffee
14450 Culver Dr #D
Irvine, CA 92604
(949) 653-0828
http://www.seattlesbest.com

After lunch, we went to Seattle's Best Coffee in the same plaza because we had a buy 1 get 1 free coupon from the same coupon book. This was our second time there.  Last time we also had a coupon, but the young girl who worked there on that day told us the coupon was expired when it wasn't.  And she also made Dr. P's coffee way too sweet.  Dr. P didn't really want to go back there today, but I persuaded him and he finally agreed to go with me.


ColdBrewed Marble Mocha / ColdBrewed Vanilla Latte

An older lady was working today, and she was much much nicer than the young lady last time.  She was smiling, and greeted us cheerfully.  She accepted our coupon without any problem.  I ordered ColdBrewed Marble Mocha and Dr. P ordered ColdBrewed Vanilla Latte.  Dr. P liked my drink better, but I thought his latte tasted great, too.  The lady today made the coffee much better, too.

[Irvine] [Chinese] 鳳凰樓海鮮酒家 Royal Kitchen Seafood Restaurant (CLOSED)

Royal Kitchen Seafood Restaurant
鳳凰樓海鮮酒家
14310 Culver Dr #F
Irvine, CA 92604
(949) 733-9200
http://www.royalkitchen-irvine.com
(CLOSED)

Dr. P is loving the schedule flexibility of his job.  I like it, too.  He can go surfing in the morning, and I get to have lunch with him before he goes to work.  I was in the mood for some Chinese food.  We found Royal Kitchen Seafood Restaurant from this coupon book we received in our mail.  The coupon was for $5 off when ordering over $25.



The restaurant is located in the shopping plaza at the corner of Culver and Walnut.  This is a huge shopping center.  We found Royal Kitchen, and thought it looked really small from outside.

Foil Baked Citrus Tilapia

Took a quick look at what I had in the refrigerator.  I didn't have much, but just enough to make a quick fish dish.



I made a very simple citrus tilapia with foil.  When I opened the foil, the citrus aroma smelt so good!

[Tustin] [Fusion] Pei Wei Asian Diner

Pei Wei Asian Diner
2695 Park Ave
Tustin, CA 92782
(714) 259-1125
http://www.peiwei.com

I signed up to a fan on Pei Wei Asian Diner's Facebook page.  They sent me a coupon for a free bowl of the new Japanese Chile Beef Ramen for being a fan.  And today they are having a Ramen Exchange special.  If you bring in a bag of store bought ramen, you can order the Japanese Chile Beef Ramen at 50% off.  Dr. P and I took advantage of the one day special and went there for lunch.



Pei Wei in Tustin is located in The District.  This must be the busiest restaurant in this plaza.  The restaurant was completely full, with a super long line almost out the door.  But the line moved fairly quick.  And while we were waiting in line, they had workers finding seats for the guests.  They asked how many people are in your party, and they go find a table, place a number stand on the table, come back and tell you your table number.  We thought that was really nice.

[Irvine] [Taiwanese] 余姐清粥小吃 Yu's Garden

Yu's Garden
余姐清粥小吃
5408 Walnut Ave #H
Irvine, CA 92604
(949) 654-2366

I had class all day yesterday and didn't come http://www.eileenlikestoeat.com until 9pm.  Dr. P came http://www.eileenlikestoeat.com from work around the same time.  We were both tired and hungry.  Dr. P suggested us to go to Yu's Garden for some porridge.  He called and found out they open till 11pm daily.  Great!  So we headed over for some late night dinner.


余姐珍珠奶茶 Yu's Tapioca Milk Tea ($2.99 Buy 1 Get 1 Free)

At first we wanted to eat at the restaurant.  But then we saw that to-go price is much cheaper, and opted to eat at http://www.eileenlikestoeat.com instead.  They also have a buy 1 get 1 free deal for their drinks.  We ordered 2 boba milk tea, but they only had enough boba to make one.  So they gave us grass jelly in the other milk tea.  Their drink was pretty good.  It's actually cheaper than Tapioca Express next door.

[Monterey Park] [Chinese] 得月樓 Giang Nan

Giang Nan
得月樓
306 N Garfield Ave #A-12
Monterey Park, CA 91754
(626) 573-3421

After 6+ hours of driving in traffic, we finally made it back to LA around 8pm.  We were hungry.  Dad suggested to have dinner Giang Nan.



We called my brother and his girlfriend and they met us at the restaurant.  They all have been to Giang Nan before and said the food was good.  Dr. P and I were really looking forward to try Giang Nana for the first time.

Fisherman's Wharf

After our lunch, we strolled around Fisherman's Wharf before heading back to LA.



We hung out around Pier 43 1/2 and Pier 45.

[San Francisco] [Seafood] Nick's Lighthouse

Nick's Lighthouse
2815 Taylor St
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 929-1300

For our trip up north, Dad had requested to go visit Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco.  Last time our family went there together was about 20 years ago.  What to eat at Fisherman's Wharf?  Fresh seafood, of course!



We walked by some fancy looking restaurants on the bigger street.  Then we walked by the smaller eateries with street side stands.  Just as we were deciding which place to go, we saw some guy delivered two big boxes of live crabs to Nick's Lighthouse.  Dad then suggested to have some fresh crab there.

Restaurant.com goes 90% OFF on 9/9/09 for 99 hours!

Save 90% off w/every $25 Gift Cert. order. Use code NINETY and Pay$1 thru 9/13/09 3:01 AM PST at Restaurant.com.

To celebrate 09-09-09, Restaurant.com cuts 90% off any gift certificate via coupon code "NINETY". That's Restaurant.com's best discount, last offered two weeks ago. This coupon cuts $25 dining certificates to $1 and $10 gift certificates to 40 cents. Restaurant.com's gift certificates are redeemable at local restaurants across the United States. Coupon expires in 99 hours.

Shanling & Daniel's Wedding

My cousin Daniel finally got married with his girl, Shanling, after dating for 12 years!  Don't they look happy?  After a beautiful outdoor ceremony, we went inside the hotel for the reception.

[San Mateo] [Japanese] Santa Ramen

Santa Ramen
1944 S El Camino Real
San Mateo, CA 94403
(650) 344-5918

We were supposed to have lunch with my cousin's family today.  My cousins recommended Santa Ramen.  They said that it's a really popular restaurant, and their ramen is really really good.



We got to Santa Ramen around 12:30pm.  There was a long line of people waiting for seats.  My aunt, uncle, and cousins had to be back to the hotel by 2:00pm to prepare for the wedding.  After waiting in line for 15 minutes, and the line hadn't moved, they decide to head back to the hotel.  Mom went back with them, so it was just my dad, brother & girlfriend, Dr. P and I for lunch.  Too bad we couldn't all have lunch together.

[San Mateo] [American] Nini's Coffee Shop

Nini's Coffee Shop
1000 N Idaho St
San Mateo, CA 94401
(650) 348-9578

Dad, mom, and I woke up early today.  Everyone else wanted to sleep in.  So the three of us went to get breakfast.  I found Nini's Coffee Shop on Yelp.  This small breakfast/lunch eatery has been around since 1955!



The freeway is so confusing in San Mateo, so are the streets.  Everything keeps on going around and around and around.  I followed my GPS and ended up in a residential neighborhood.  I thought I went the wrong way, but then I saw a lot of people waiting in front of this corner house.  There's Nini's Coffee Shop!

[Redwood City] [Chinese] 臥龍街 Crouching Tiger Restaurant

Crouching Tiger Restaurant
臥龍街
2644 Broadway Street
Redwood City, CA 94063
(650) 298-8881
http://www.crouchingtigerrestaurant.com

None of us have been to San Mateo before.  None of us knows the area.  So my parents ask me to find a few places to eat around the hotel.  After reviewing various websites, I found Crouching Tiger Restaurant.  It's a Szechuan restaurant with pretty good reviews on a lot of websites.  My dad loves spicy food.  When I told him about the few restaurants I had in mind for dinner tonight, he immediately picked Crouching Tiger.



The restaurant is located in the city of Redwood City, which is about 6 miles south of San Mateo.  We found free public parking, and walked down the oldtown style street to the restaurant.

Marriott San Mateo Hotel

Marriott San Mateo Hotel
1700 South Amphlett Blvd
San Mateo, CA 94402
(650) 653-6000
http://www.sanmateomarriott.com

My cousin's wedding will be at Marriott San Mateo Hotel tomorrow night.  This is also the hotel we are staying at.  After 6+ hours of driving, we finally arrived at San Mateo.  Quick check in at the front desk, mom and dad in one room, brother and girlfriend in one room, and Dr. P and I in one room.  Parking is expensive.. $16 per day.



Our room is a King size bed room.  It was quite big, and the king size bed has 3 pillows on it.  3 pillows?  This bed was meant for 3 people?  Hmmmm....  Interesting!

Los Angeles Wildfire

On our way up north, we saw this when we got on the 605 freeway....



Scary!  The fire is just over the mountain.  I heard on the news that the fire is now 45% contained.  Let's hope the wildfire will be put out very very soon.

[El Monte] [Chinese] 好彩燒臘小廚 Fortune BBQ Restaurant

Fortune BBQ Restaurant
好彩燒臘小廚
3948 N. Peck Rd #7-8
El Monte, CA 91732
(626) 350-6838

We drove up to the Bay area for my cousin's wedding this weekend.  We met up with my parents at their place.  Before heading up north, we went to the nearby Fortune BBQ Restaurant for a quick lunch.


老火湯 Soup

Lunch started with a big bowl of soup.  The soup of the day was tomato and celery soup.  The soup based tasted like it was made with some pork rib bones + MSG.

In Case Rarity Affect Gets Famous Later

After dinner, we went to Target at The District to do a little shopping.  Afterward, we walked around the promenade and saw this band playing at the courtyard.



We had no idea who they are at the time, but their music sounds good.  I snapped a few pictures.... in case they get famous later.

[Irvine] [Taiwanese] 好年春 Nice Time Deli

Nice Time Deli
好年春
5408 Walnut Ave #A
Irvine, CA 92604
(949) 654-8542

We're going up to San Mateo for my cousin's wedding this long weekend.  We managed to finish all the leftover food in the fridge at lunch.  For dinner, we wanted something that we could finish right there without leftover.  Also I was in the mood for some noodle.  A quick search on the internet, I found Nice Time Deli.  I've been to Nice Time Deli couple times in San Gabriel, and thought their food was pretty good.  But.... I found out later that the Nice Time Deli in SGV and the Nice Time Deli here are actually not affiliated with each other.



The Chinese name for Nice Time Deli in SGV is "Good Year Winter."  The one in Irvine is called "Good Time Spring".  Ha!  Tricky eh?  Nice Time Deli has been in business in SGV for probably 20 years.  I can't help but feel that the Irvine Nice Time Deli is copycat.  At least I was fooled.  The place did looked nicer and newer.  The place was packed when we got there around 7:30pm.  After a short wait, the 2 of us were seated at a 6 people table.

Bunless Turkey Burger

I love going out to eat, especially after we move into a new town.  It's just so fun exploring and finding new places to eat.  But after looking over our monthly budget, I realize maybe we can't really afford to eat out so much.  So I vowed to start cooking more at http://www.eileenlikestoeat.com this month.



Tonight's dinner was bunless turkey burger (although you can hardly see the turkey burger in the picture haha).  You get all the stuffs on a burger, just without the bread.  On the side were Cole slaw and oven fries.  It's fast, easy, and healthy, too.

[Azusa] [Buffet] 大上海 Great Shanghai Buffet (CLOSED)

Great Shanghai Buffet
大上海
1250 W Foothill Blvd
Azusa, CA 91702
(626) 812-0138
(CLOSED)

I went http://www.eileenlikestoeat.com to have lunch with my parents today.  Since they wanted to go to Costco to do some shopping in the afternoon, they took me to this Chinese buffet right next to Costco called Great Shanghai Buffet.



My parents have been here twice before.  Lunch price is $7.99 per person.  My parents like the price, and the food as well.

Cheese Omelet Breakfast

Dr. P usually makes his own breakfast in the morning.  But this morning he had to finish up some work so I made him an omelet breakfast.



I made cheese omelet with 2 eggs and Parmesan cheese, served with bacon, Cole slaw, and milk tea.  Looks good, right?

Dr. P like his bacon crispy like all normal people out there.  But weirdo me like bacon soft and soggy.  I also like my fries soft and soggy.  Is that strange?

Ravioli with Marinara Sauce

Today was Dr. P's first day at his new job.  I woke up early to pack lunch for him.  How nice of me!  haha....



I made ravioli wih marinara sauce and green beans with toasted almond.  It only took me about 15 minutes to make it.