[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.