[Garden Grove] [Korean] Ondal Restaurant

Ondal Restaurant
9240 Garden Grove Blvd
Garden Grove, CA 92844
(714) 636-7289
http://www.ggondal.com

Our friend Mr. E called in the afternoon and invited us to Ondal Restaurant for spicy Korean hot pot.  I have heard of Ondal in LA for their famous crab spicy hot pot.  Is it the same Ondal?  I guess we would go and find out.



We arrived at Ondal around 5:30pm on a Saturday.  The restaurant was almost full.  By 6:30pm, it was completely full.

Santa Ana Zoo

Santa Ana Zoo
1801 E Chestnut Ave
Santa Ana, CA 92701
(714) 835-7484
http://www.santaanazoo.org

I visited Santa Ana Zoo once before for a field trip from school.  It's a small zoo, but I love it because they have so many monkeys in this zoo!  The weather was so nice last Saturday.  Perfect day to go to the zoo!  Ticket is $8 per person.  If visiting on weekday after $2, then it's $4 a person.



It's Dr. P's first time visiting Santa Ana Zoo.  He got a cut on his foot from surfing so he rolled up one side of his pants because he didn't want it to rub against the wound.  He walked around like a dork all day like this.  haha....

[Irvine] [American] Claim Jumper Restaurant

Claim Jumper Restaurant
3935 Alton Parkway
Irvine, CA 92606
(949) 851-5085‎
http://www.claimjumper.com

I've only been to Claim Jumper once.  It was such a long time ago.  I don't remember what I ordered, nor if I like the food or not.  All I remember was the portion was huge.  One day as we passed the restaurant, Dr. P mentioned that he loves Claim Jumper.  When I collected enough points on MyPoints.com for a $25 gift card from Claim Jumper.


Buffalo Chicken Wings ($6.95)
Half dozen drummettes tossed in our signature spicy sauce and served with celery, carrots and ranch for dipping

When we were walking up to the door, we saw EVERY table by the window had a plate of Buffalo Chicken Wings on it.  It must be their most popular appetizer.  So we followed and ordered one as well.  The wings tasted like it was baked rather than fried.  It was meaty, juicy, and moist.  I like this style of wings much much better than the fried and dried kind.  Very good Buffalo Chicken Wings.

[Walnut] [Fast Food] Carl's Jr.

Carl's Jr.
1100 N Grand Ave
Walnut, CA 91789
(909) 594-5611 #2909
http://www.carlsjr.com

Another busy surgery day in school, which means a quick bite from Carl's Jr. on campus.  I wasn't sure if Carl's Jr. in school would accept coupons, but brought it anyway.  Turned out that they do.  I went with a classmate and we shared a buy 1 combo get 1 burger for free combo.  Our total came to about $5.50.  Not a bad deal.


Famous Star with Cheese

We got their simplest burger, Famous Star with Cheese.  I like their special sauce with mayo.  This burger has about 700 calories I think.  I felt a little guilty eating unhealthy fast food burger like this.  But this burger kept me feeling really full all day long.

Possible Chinese Wedding Banquet Locations

We went to 7 Chinese restaurants in San Gabriel Valley yesterday to scout for a possible wedding banquet location. This post is a record for myself. Also I hope the info will help future brides and grooms who are thinking about having a Chinese wedding banquet in the area. ^^

(1)  888 Seafood Restaurant 海珍大酒樓
8450 E Valley Blvd #121
Rosemead, CA 91770
(626) 573-1888



This restaurant is pretty big.  I love the crystal chandeliers.  They make this place looks more "grand".  They have 2 sides for wedding banquet.  In this picture, this side is for bigger wedding party.

[Rosemead] [Chinese] 888 Seafood Restaurant

888 Seafood Restaurant
海珍大酒樓
8450 E Valley Blvd #121
Rosemead, CA 91770
(626) 573-1888

Yesterday was our wedding location scouting day.  We went to 7 different restaurants in one day!  We thought we would try to eat at all restaurants.  Well, we ended up getting way too full at our first location, 888 Seafood Restaurant, and didn't eat at any other places.  It was 888's fault.  Why did they make their dim sum so good?


蝦腸粉 Shrimp Rice Noodle Roll ($3.10)

As we were talking to the manager, the first dim sum cart came by with rice noodle rolls.  I picked the shrimp one.  The shrimp in the roll was huge!

[Santa Ana] [Thai] Siam Taste of Asia

Siam Taste of Asia
3520 W 1st St
Santa Ana, CA 92703
(714) 418-9678

I have read so many good reviews about Siam Taste of Asia on various blogs and restaurant review websites.  We actually tried to go for dinner once a few months back, but unfortunately we found out that they are closed on Tuesday.  We finally tried again on Saturday night, and now I am adding one more good review for Siam Taste of Asia.



The restaurant was completely full when we arrived.  They had two big parties that night.  The restaurant was filled with Thai people.  It was a really good sign when a ethnic restaurant is filled with people from their own country.  Food must be good and authentic.

Cold Soba Noodle with Natto

Thanks to my sister for showing me how to make Cold Soba Noodle with Natto.  It's simple, healthy, and it tastes good.



Here are the ingredients.  Soba noodle (a.k.a. buckwheat noodle), soba sauce, wasabi, natto (if you don't know what natto is, here is the Wikipedia page), dried seaweed, and chopped green onion.

[Costa Mesa] [Japanese] 山頭火 Santouka Ramen

Santouka Ramen
山頭火
665 Paularino Ave
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 754-7044

We haven't had Santouka Ramen for such a long time.  Without even thinking about it, Dr. P picked Santouka Ramen as his lunch spot.



Miyabi-Tei was the busiest place in the food court.  Santouka was probably the second busiest.  The rest of the eateries barely had anyone ordering.

[Costa Mesa] [Japanese] Miyabi-Tei

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

We went grocery shopping at Mitsuwa Market, and had lunch at their food court yesterday.



Dr. P already had his mind set on Ramen.  I walked around the new remodeled food court, and liked Miyabi-Tei's model food the best.  Miyabi-Tei was the busiest place in the food court.

[Tustin] [Japanese] Tommy's Sushi & Japanese Restaurant

Tommy's Sushi & Japanese Restaurant
1051 E Main St
Tustin, CA 92780
(714) 544-5241

For our date night Wednesday, Dr. P suggested dinner at Tommy's Sushi.  Poke Bowl!  Yes yes yes!!!


House Special Seafood Combo ($14.95)
Shrimp and Vegetable Tempura / Bamboo Skewered Scallop, Octopus, White-Meat Fish, Shrimp and Vegetable, Charbroiled / Shrimp Scampi / Sashimi / California Roll / Fruit

As usual, we ordered some sushi & roll, a poki bowl, and a combo to share.  This time Dr. P picked House Special Seafood Combo.  So much seafood for only $15!  Bamboo Skewered Scallop, Octopus, White-Meat Fish, Shrimp and Vegetable was great with  rice.  I like the sauce a lot.  I thought Shrimp Scampi would be shrimp in garlic butter, but it was skewered BBQ Shrimp.  It was pretty good  We like their tempura because it didn't taste oily.  3 big pieces of salmon, and 3 big pieces of tuna sashimi, as well as 3 pieces California roll.

Doggies

Our apartment building does not allow dogs.  I want a dog so bad!



I started my internship for this semester at an emergency animal hospital last week.  A lady came to visit with her Irish wolfhound.  The technicians at the hospital told me that this lady comes to visit 3 or 4 times a week and brings cookies or coffee for everyone.  She is just a fan of the hospital.  What a nice lady!  She is a tiny old lady with this 180 lbs giant dog.  The dog looks a little intimidating because of his size, but he is super sweet and friendly.

[Laguna Hills] [French] Lulu’s Creperie Cafe

Lulu’s Creperie Cafe
24781 Alicia Parkway #E
Laguna Hills, CA 92653
(949) 855-2222
http://www.lulus-cafe.com

We didn't get to go out for our Wednesday date night because Dr. P had to work late.  But he made it up to me by taking me out last night.  We went to Lulu's Creperie Cafe for the $20 OC Restaurant Week dinner special.



Lulu's is not a big place.  Just a few tables inside, and they have a cute outdoor patio area.

[Tustin] [Hawaiian] Aloha Hawaiian BBQ

Aloha Hawaiian BBQ
2336 Park Ave
Tustin, CA 92782
(714) 258-1888

Dr. P had to stay late for work.  So instead of date night, I had to eat by myself.  So sad....  On my drive http://www.eileenlikestoeat.com, I kept on thinking about what should I eat.  We went to Aloha Hawaiian BBQ once before.  The food was pretty good.  As soon as I thought of the restaurant, I started craving for Hawaiian BBQ chicken.  I guess I'll get takeout from Aloha then.


Chicken Combo ($7.19)
A combination of our favorite BBQ chicken and chicken katsu.  A delight for chicken lovers!

Aloha is located in The District on the back of Target.  The little place was packed on a Tuesday night.  Their portion is enormous.  I ordered a Chicken Combo with BBQ chicken and chicken katsu.  The chicken katsu was so crispy on the outside, and juicy on the inside.  It wasn't oily at all.  Love it.  Their BBQ chicken is flavorful and tender.  I like eating it with the tangy katsu sauce and sriracha hot sauce.  It came with macaroni salad, lots of cabbage, and rice.

[Walnut] [Fast Food] Carl's Jr.

Carl's Jr.
1100 N Grand Ave
Walnut, CA 91789
(909) 594-5611 #2909
http://www.carlsjr.com

I had classes for the entire day yesterday without any break.  I ran down to the campus cafe to grab a quick lunch to bring back to the classroom.  We have a Starbucks, a school cafeteria, and a Carl's Jr. on campus.  The cafeteria has really pricey sandwiches, pricey burritos, and pricey daily special like spaghetti or pizza or fried chicken.  So I went to Carl's Jr.


Cranberry, Apple, Walnut Grilled Chicken Salad ($4.99)

I wanted something healthier and picked a salad.  Cranberry, Apple, Walnut Grilled Chicken Salad pretty much had everything I like in there.  Cranbrry added sweetness, walnut added crunch, apple added both sweetness and crunch, and my favorite cheese, FETA!  I really really like this salad!

Valor the German Shepard

For my surgical nursing class yesterday, we spayed/neutered 5 puppies from Guide Dogs of America.  This is a non-profit organization that trains dogs to become guide dogs for blind people.  Then they give the dogs to the blinds for free!



Most of the guide dogs are Labradors, but any breed can be a guide dog with the right temperament and proper training.  Our group worked with this super cute German Shepard named Valor.  She has such a cute face!

My Wedding Dress

I was flipping through this issue of Get Married Magazine, and there it is! I found the wedding dress I was looking for!



On the left is the dress in ivory, and on the right the dress is in white.  I listened to my mom's suggestion and bought the ivory one.  We are planning to have a simple ceremony at the city courthouse, and have a wedding reception at a Chinese restaurant.  So I was looking for a simple and elegant dress that's not too grand.

[Irvine] [Italian] Lucca Cafe

Lucca Cafe
6507 Quail Hill Parkway
Irvine, CA 92603
(949) 725-1773
http://www.luccacafe.net

A few restaurants has extended their OC Restaurant Week special to March 13.  After looking over the lunch menus of these restaurants, Dr. P and I both liked Lucca Cafe's $15 three course lunch menu.  Off we went for a relaxing Sunday Italian lunch!



Why are all the shopping plazas in Irvine so big?  We found Lucca Cafe inside this giant plaza after circling around it.  It was a gloomy Sunday.  It was supposed to rain I think.

[Tustin] [Greek] Daphne's Greek Cafe

Daphne's Greek Cafe
2360 Park Ave #9H
Tustin, CA 92782
(714) 258-8867
http://www.daphnesgreekcafe.com

We got takeout from Daphne's Greek Cafe for lunch.  Dr. P wanted to get the $9.99 3 course special like last time, but they told us that special is only available after 4pm.  How funny!  Most place have cheaper lunch special, but this place has a cheaper dinner special.  I guess their business is better during lunch hour than night time.


Pita Burger & Fries ($3.99)

I got a pita burger with spicy feta and a side of fries.  This combo is only $3.99 with coupon.  What a great deal!

[Laguna Beach] [American] K'ya Bistro & Bar

K'ya Bistro & Bar
1287 S Coast Hwy
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
(949) 376-9718
http:/www.kyarestaurant.com/laguna/index_laguna.html

On Wednesday, I finish my class around 6:20pm.  I am usually tired and hungry by the time I get http://www.eileenlikestoeat.com around 7pm.  So we decided to make Wednesday our going out to eat date night.  Since it is OC Restaurant Week, I went online to find a participating restaurant.  I started by looking at the cheapest option, $20 for dinner.  I saw K'ya Bistro & Bar's menu, and immediately made a reservation.



K'ya Bistro & Bar is located inside La Casa del Camino Hotel.  It's on Coast Highway right by the beach.  We found free street parking without any problem.

[Walnut] [Sandwiches] Cafe Terrace

Cafe Terrace
20651 Golden Springs Dr
Walnut, CA 91789
(909) 598-1333
http://www.visitcafeterrace.com

I was somewhat disappointed about the dining options near my school, and thought I would explore around the area a little more for some better choices.  I did a quick search on Yelp, typing in restaurant and the city Walnut.  Cafe Terrace came up as #1 on the list.  I had about 2 hour break between my classes yesterday.  Perfect time to try this sandwich place.



Cafe Terrace is tucked away in a little plaza at the corner.  The cafe is owned by a Korean family, with the mom as the cook, and the son works at the counter.  Both of them are super nice and friendly.  The son, Andrew, introduced himself when I was ordering.  When I was sitting there, I noticed that he knew all the customers' names.  That was pretty amazing.  I gave them 100 points for excellent service!

Kitty Doesn't Know Me Anymore....

I have been living in Irvine for about 7 months now. I still go http://www.eileenlikestoeat.com about once a week to visit my family. But.... I don't think Kitty knows me anymore.



Most of the time she still let me pet her, but maybe only for 5 minutes.  Then she'll try to scratch me and bite me.  Sometimes she doesn't even let me go neat her.  She even hisses at me.  So sad....  I learned in my feline class that cats do not recognize people's faces.  Don't know if it's true or not.  But I just don't think Kitty recognizes me anymore.

[Walnut] [Taiwanese] Upper House Boba Tea Shop

Upper House Boba Tea Shop
1263 N Grand Ave
Walnut, CA 91789
(909) 595-2827

Tuesday is now my least favorite day of the week.  I tried to cram all my classes into 2 days so I only have to drive to school twice a week.  But that also means I have full day classes for 2 days.  I have two classes with labs on Tuesday that go from 9am to 9pm.  Yesterday for my morning class, we had 5 hours lecture with 10 minutes break, then we had lab for 2 hours.  It was a super long class.  By the time I got out, I was starving, and only had 1 hour to eat before my next class started.  So I went across street to search for something fast to eat.



I passed by Upper House and saw that they offered a daily special bento with a drink for $4.99.  Sounds like a good deal to me.  Upper House is boba tea shop that also offers simple Taiwanese food.  I placed my order at the counter.  This is a cash only place.  I thought most boba tea house offers free wi-fi, but not at this place. But they have a bookshelf filled with Chinese comic books and magazine.

Chicken with Scallion-Lime Sauce and Sweet Carrot Rice

I am loving Rachel Ray’s Express Lane Meals cookbook more and more, especially after cooking last night's meal.


Chicken with Scallion-Lime Sauce and Sweet Carrot Rice

This dish had 3 components: chicken, rice, and sauce.  The chicken was seasoned with thyme and lime zest.  It already tasted great eaten by itself.  But the scallion-lime sauce was AMAZING!  I absolutely love this sauce!!  The lime sauce made me want to eat more and more.  I don't normally like carrot, but adding grated carrot to the rice disguised the carrot flavor that I don't like, and actually added some sweetness to the rice.  The 3 components can definitely be made separately for other dishes.  I would make the chicken again, and added it to a salad.  The scallion-lime sauce would be great with fish as well.  Maybe even good with grilled steak.  The sweet carrot rice can be a side for any dish.  If you don't want to make the entire dish, I strongly recommend trying the scallion-lime sauce.  It is super delicious!

Wafflewiches

This is another recipe from Rachel Ray’s Express Lane Meals.  It's called Wafflewiches.  Instead of bread, Rachel Ray used waffles to make sandwiches.


Wafflewiches

The Wafflewiches were super easy to make.  It was a twist on the traditional Monte Cristo sandwich, which is made with ham, turkey, cheese, and French toast.  I love the combination of sweet and savory.  Cranberry sauce plus honey mustard was super tasty.  I tossed some salad, and made oven baked sweet potato fries.  The finished plate looked like it came from a restaurant.  Dr. P said he would pay $12 for this plate at a fancy cafe.  haha....

We love Wafflewiches!  I think kids would love this, too!  You can find the recipe HERE.