[Lake Forest] [Bakery] Corner Bakery Cafe

Corner Bakery Cafe
23702 El Toro Rd
Lake Forest, CA 92630
(949) 472-1383
http://www.cornerbakerycafe.com

I had one hour lunch break from work. Glad there is a Corner Bakery Cafe right around the corner. I brought a book and enjoyed a quiet lunch by myself.


Chicken Tortilla Soup w/Tortilla Strips

I got a soup/salad combo. The combo cost about $8. The soup I picked was Chicken Tortilla Soup. It also came with a piece of ciabatta bread.

[Orange] [AYCE] Orange County Mining Company

Orange County Mining Company
10000 Crawford Canyon Road
Orange, CA 92705
(714) 997-7411
http://www.orangecountyminingco.com

I had a $25 for Sunday Champagne Brunch for Two at Orange County Mining Co. Groupon. They open at 9:30am for brunch, and we made a reservation at 9:30am because we want to get a window seat for the view.



We got there right at 9:30am. There were already quite a few parties there ready to feast on Sunday morning.

[Laguna Hills] [Japanese] You & I Sushi

You & I Sushi
25381 Alicia Pkwy #M
Laguna Hills, CA 92653
(949) 830-5051

I was hungry, and I want sushi. So I suggested to have all you can eat sushi for dinner. We found a nearby AYCE sushi place called You & I Sushi. The reviews on Yelp seemed good enough. But our experience wasn't as good as the reviews.



They offered a pretty standard all you can eat sushi menu for $24.95/person. They have a one hour rule that you can only eat for one hour. They didn't really reinforce that when we were there, but I didn't like that rule at all. Even though it's all you can eat, I still wish I can take my time, eat slowly, and enjoy the food.

[Newport Beach] [Japanese] Benihana

Benihana
4250 Birch Street
Newport Beach, CA 92660
(949) 955-0822
http://www.benihana.com

Last time I went to Benihana in City of Industry with my family, we had one of the worst dining experience ever. They offered me $100 gift certificate to use in any Benihana after I complained to their corporate headquarter. We decided to try Newport Beach Benihana this time hoping service would be much better, and it was! We had a great dinner at this location.



Their parking lot is very small, and it was completely full when we got there. We just parked at the big parking lot across the street. Really glad we made reservation and didn't have to join the crowd waiting for a table at the front lobby.

[Lake Forest] [Fast Food] Wing Stop

Wing Stop
22611 Lake Forest Dr
Lake Forest, CA 92630
(949) 951-9464
http://www.wingstop.com

I bought a $13 for Wingstop 35-Wing Family Pack ($27 Value) from Plum District. $13 for 35 wings, celery & carrot sticks, seasoned fries, and 3 dipping sauces sounded like a great deal to me! Plus both Dr. P and I love chicken wings.



There were a few customers dining in, but most people come in for to-go orders. Also a lot of people called in to order ahead for pick up. The girls who worked at the counter were friendly and helpful.

Ebates $10 Bonus Gift Card

Ebates is offering a $10 Gift Card Sign Up Bonus through 7/26, you can select a $10 gift card bonus from Barnes & Noble, Target, Home Depot or Magazines.com when you make your first $25 purchase via Ebates!



If you don’t know–Ebates is a wonderful tool for all you online shoppers! When you shop through Ebates–you earn a percentage back on your purchases–for ever more money in your pocket! Then once you reach $5.01 in your account–you will get a check cut out to you! super easy!!

Here is to sign up:

• Sign up and create an account.


• Once signed up, you will just search the online store that you want to shop at.


• Click on the Orange “Shop Now” Button to begin shopping. Make sure you click on Shop Now or you will not be eligable for cash back.

Coupon Shopping at PetSmart

Did you know you can use coupons at PetSmart? I didn't even know that until a few weeks ago. If you have pets, then you know how expensive pet food, treats, toys are. So I tried coupon shopping at PetSmart for the first time, and the save was amazing. I bought $80 worth of doggie things and only paid $9!! I love couponing, and I think Teddy and Twinkle love it, too.

I need to catch up on my blog posts so I can post current sale and coupon offering. :-(

[Laguna Hills] [Japanese] Shinkou Sushi

Shinkou Sushi
24881 Alicia Pkwy, #C
Laguna Hills, CA 92653
(949) 340-3714
http://www.shinkousushi.com

We got a 15% off Grand Opening special coupon from Shinkou Sushi in the mail, and decided to check out this new restaurant.



It's a small place with about 5 tables. Majority of the customers get to-go or delivery orders. We placed our order at the counter and paid, then found a table to sit. While we were waiting for our food, we chatted with the owner and his wife and found out more about them and their restaurant. There are 4 people working in the restaurant: the owner is the cook, the wife is the cashier/delivery person, there's a sushi chef, and a waitress. The husband and wife moved down to OC from Alhambra. The owner is Indonesian, and he was a computer engineer, but worked in Japanese restaurants when he went to school. The sushi chef is Japanese. They have a semi-open kitchen, where you can see the chefs working and making your food. Both the owner and his wife are very very nice and friendly.

[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 go to Chong Qing Mei Wei at least once a month, and sometimes we go three times a month. haha...


風味冷菜 Cold Appetizer ($5.50)

We always start with 3 items cold appetizer. Our two must-order items are spicy beef and spicy kidney. Then we get one vegetable item to go with it.

[Aliso Viejo] [Italian] Romano’s Macaroni Grill

Romano’s Macaroni Grill
26641 Aliso Creek Road
Aliso Viejo,CA 92656
(949) 425-0180
http://www.macaronigrill.com

Eating out can be expensive, but we enjoy food too much to cut it completely out from our budget. So the best solution for us is to use coupons when we dine out. Dr. P was feeling like some Italian that night. We looked through my restaurant coupons collection, and found a Buy One Get One Free Entree coupon from Romano's Macaroni Grill. Perfect! That's where we'd go then. (P.S. If you want to get coupon offers from Macaroni Grill, remember to sign up to be on their mailing list.)


House Chanti ($5.49)

Dr. P always orders a glass of their House Chanti. This time, they served the Chanti in a regular water glass instead of wine glass. We asked the waitress about it. She just said the restaurant made that decision, and she doesn't know why. Hmmm.... It just feels funny drinking wine out of a water glass.

[Mission Viejo] [Food Court] Muscle Beach Lemonade & Hot Dogs

Muscle Beach Lemonade & Hot Dogs
555 The Shops at Mission Viejo, Sp #VC-05
Mission Viejo, CA 92691
(800) 321-8400
http://www.hotdogonastick.com

Did you guys get the $5 for $10 Hot Dog On A Stick deal from Groupon a while back? I used to LOVE Hot Dog On A Stick when I was younger. I remember going to Arcadia Mall with parents when I was a teenager, and we always stopped by Hot Dog On A Stick to get lemonade and corn dogs. I haven't had Hot Dog On A Stick for years, and actually miss it quite a bit.



We were shopping at Mission Viejo Mall, and I remember there's a Hot Dog On A Stick in their food court. I didn't bring my printed Groupon.  But no problem, I found my Groupon using their cell phone app. The stand at the food court is called Muscle Beach Lemonade & Hot Dog, but it's still the same as Hot Dog On A Stick. This must be the busiest stand at the food court. There is a never ending line of people getting their lemonade.

[Deals] Adia Probiotics

My friend Wen's company, Adia Nutrition, has a new probiotics product. She brought me some samples to try, and wanted my feedback.


(Photo by Wen)

So why probiotics? From their website information:

Multiple studies have shown that probiotics are an essential part of healthy living. According to the World Health Organization, "probiotics are live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host." We know it may seem strange to be putting bacteria in your body, but probiotics are healthy bacteria. And your body really can't get enough of these belly bugs! They work to keep a healthy balance of intestinal flora and reduce the amount of harmful bacteria by replenishing the 'friendly' bacteria. Poor diet, stress, exercise, and the use of antibiotics all play a role as well. By balancing the amount of good and bad bacteria in your digestive tract, probiotics can help get your body back in balance.

[Laguna Niguel] [American] IHOP Restaurant

IHOP Restaurant
23810 Aliso Creek Rd
Laguna Niguel, CA 92677
(949) 360-0910
http://www.ihop.com

IHOP was one of the first restaurants my parents took us to when we first moved to United States. I've always enjoyed my time there, whether breakfast or dinner. I remember my mom's favorite dish to get for dinner was London Broil. I don't think they have it on their menu anymore. That was a good dish!



I was on their email list, and received a coupon for July 4th weekend. A Red, White & Blueberry combo special was for only $4.99. We headed there for a Saturday breakfast. If you go to any IHOP on the weekend in San Gabriel Valley, it's always full with long wait. To our surprise, this IHOP in Laguna Niguel was only about 3/4 full. Well, it was better for us because we got seated right away.

[Mission Viejo] [Deli] Gandolfos New York Delicatessen

Gandolfo's New York Delicatessen
23981 Alicia Pkwy #120
Mission Viejo, CA 92691
(949) 581-3354
http://www.gandolfosdeli.com

I bought a $8 for $20 voucher for Gandolfo's New York Delicatessen from KGB Deals. I don't really know what exactly is New York style sandwiches, but I am curious to try. And $8 for $20 sounded like a good deal to me!



They have a massive menu. We, and the other couple who were there before us, stood there for a long long time deciding what to get. Everything looked good, which made it even more difficult to pick just one.

[Deal] Buy With Me

Check out BuyWithMe.  I'm already in, and I think you'll like it too!  You get huge discounts on the coolest stuff in your city!   Join through this link and you'll also get $5 credit after your first purchase!

[Aliso Viejo] [Peruvian] Inka Mama's

Inka Mama's
26741 Aliso Creek Rd #E
Aliso Viejo, CA 92656
(949) 360-6263
http://www.inkamamas.com

We had takeout from Inka Mama's before. We thought the food was great, but the portion was small and price was a bit higher comparing to Mario's. My friend Wen came to visit on a Friday. We drove over to Aliso Viejo Town Center to find a lunch spot. Since Wen had never tried Peruvian food before, we picked Inka Mama's as our lunch spot.



They have lunch special from Monday through Friday between 11am to 3pm. Chicken dishes are $7.45, beef dishes are $8.45, and seafood dishes are $9.45. All lunch special comes with soup or salad.

[Cook] Rice Cooker Chocolate Cake

I tried to make a cake with rice cooker again. This time I made Chocolate Cake.


Rice Cooker Chocolate Cake

The result was better than the Butter Cake from last time. The cake wasn't as dry, but it was still drier than I would like. The taste of this cake is very "adult-like". It's not a sweet chocolate cake, but more like a slightly bitter cocoa cake. It's very good with coffee. Making cake with rice cooker is really easy. But I'm still not happy with the results. I think I will give it one more try. If it's still not as good as I like it, then I'll just make cake the traditional way.

[Aliso Viejo] [Vegetarian] Native Foods

Native Foods
26705 Aliso Creek Rd # E
Aliso Viejo,CA 92656-4803
(949) 831-1926
http://www.nativefoods.com

Whenever we crave for vegetable and healthy food, our first choice is always Native Foods.



We came for an early dinner on a Friday, and found out they have happy hour every Friday between 3pm to 6pm. All appetizers are half off. I think beer and wine are also half off. The weather was nice. We found a table on the patio.

[Arcadia] [Chinese] Tasty To Go

Tasty To Go
五星美食
142 E Duarte Rd
Arcadia,CA 91006
(626) 447-3788

I told Dr. P I was going up to LA for the day. His request was to bring home the Hainan Chicken Rice from Tasty To Go. He asked me last time, but I didn't have time to go pick it up. He was so disappointed. This time I made sure I would bring home what he asked for, plus more!


海南雞飯 Hainan Chicken with Rice ($5.55)

This was the Hainan Chicken with Rice Dr. P has been craving for. The boneless dark meat chicken was very flavorful and tender. The sauteed napa cabbage with black ear mushroom was very tasty. The chicken rice was delicious. The best part was the green onion and ginger sauce. Dr. P just couldn't get enough of this.

[Los Angeles] [Korean] Healthy Zone Jook Hyang

Healthy Zone Jook Hyang
3177 W Olympic Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90006
(213) 487-5002

Sister, brother and I had to go to Taiwan Embassy for some documentation. Taiwan Embassy is located in Korea Town. I haven't had Korean food for the longest time. It was a perfect chance to have lunch in K Town.



My sister found Jook Hyang on Yelp. It's a Korean restaurant that does not use MSG. Supposedly it's a healthier Korean restaurant. Sounds good to me.

[Pasadena] [Bakery] Violet's Cakes

Violet's Cakes
21 E Holly St
Pasadena, CA 91103
(626) 395-9821
http://www.violetscakes.com

My sister bought cupcakes from Violet's Cakes for me the last time I went back home to visit. What a nice sister! :-)


Cinnamon Roll / Strawberry & Strawberry / Berry Delicious / Twix & Milk Chocolate ($2.75/each)

My sister picked 4 cupcakes that she thought I would like, and she did a great job! Cinnamon Roll was good, but the size was really small comparing to the other cupcakes. Why? Very strange. Strawberry/Strawberry was the only cupcake I did not like too much. The strawberry cupcake had an artificial flavor taste to me.  Berry Delicious was my favorite! It had blueberry jam inside the cupcake. Twix/Milk Chocolate was yummy, and Twix is my favorite chocolate candy bar. There was a big piece of Twix inside the cupcake. But this one was really sweet, and my teeth started hurting after eating a few bites.