[Rosemead] [Chinese] Hunan Seafood Restaurant

Hunan Seafood Restaurant
大湘園
8772 E Valley Blvd
Rosemead, CA 91770
(626) 280-8389

Mom went back to Taiwan to visit so dad was home alone. Dr. P and I went back home to take him out for dinner. He requested Hunan Seafood.


小菜三拼 (夫妻肺片 / 海帶 / 豬耳朵) Cold Appetizer (Beef & Tendon / Seaweed / Pig Ears) ($5.95)

Waitress brought us a free small plate of pickled radish. Dad thought it was too sour and didn't like it. We ordered a 3 items cold appetizer with beef & tendon, seaweed, and pig ears. Everything was great, and VERY spicy.

Teddy & Twinkle's Lazy Afternoon

Words can't even describe how cute they are....

[Mission Viejo] [Japanese] Sushi Zone

Sushi Zone
28251 Marguerite Pkwy #A
Mission Viejo, CA 92692
(949) 364-2878

We tried quite a few all you can eat sushi restaurants down in South Orange County. Sadly, we have been disappointed every time... until we found Sushi Zone.



Like all the other AYCE sushi restaurants in the area, Sushi Zone is also Korean owned. They offer a lot of rolls, but Dr. P and I enjoyed their traditional nigiri sushi the most.

[Lake Forest] [Vietnamese] Pho Bo Vang

Pho Bo Vang
23764 Mercury Rd
Lake Forest, CA 92630
(949) 707-5768

It was a cold night, and I wanted hot soup. Pho sounded like a good choice. We found Pho Bo Vang on Yelp. They were quite busy on a weeknight.


Cha Gio (Egg Rolls)

We started the meal with Cha Gio. These were great egg rolls. Not oily at all. The inside had ground meat, veggies, and vermecelli. Yum!

[Laguna Hills] [Persian] Parmida Restaurant

Parmida Restaurant
26548 H Moulton Pkwy
Laguna Hills, CA 92653
(949) 360-4000
http://www.parmidarestaurant.com

We were in the mood for some middle eastern kabob takeout. We found Parmida Restaurant nearby.


Shish Kabob ($12.99)
Charbroiled chunks of filet mignon & veggies

The filet mignon was cooked to a perfect medium. Really flavor, and so soft inside. One bite and Dr. P is in love with this restaurant.

Morning Stroll at Laguna Beach

After our brunch at The Cottage Restaurant, we went for a leisure stroll at the beach.

[Laguna Beach] [American] The Cottage Restaurant

The Cottage Restaurant
308 N Coast Hwy
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
(949) 494-3023
http://www.thecottagerestaurant.com

The Cottage Restaurant is a little cozy place great for brunch on weekend before heading to the beach.


Eggs Benedict ($14.50)
Two poached eggs with canadian bacon on an English muffin, topped with Hollandaise sauce.

Dr. P ordered his favorite breakfast item, Eggs Benedict. It was cooked perfectly.

[Costa Mesa] [Peruvian] Inka Grill

Inka Grill
562 W 19th St
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
(949) 642-4938
http://www.inkagrillrotisseriechicken.com

We came to Inka Grill with $10 for $20 voucher in hand, and got a rotisserie chicken meal for to do.


Whole Chicken ($15.50)

The whole rotesseire chicken was very very flavorful. The meaty part like thigh and breast was very tasty. But the wings and leg was overcooked and too dry to eat.

[Laguna Hills] [Japanese] Kula Revolving Sushi Bar

Kula Revolving Sushi Bar
24155 Laguna Hills Mall
Laguna Hills, CA 92653
(949) 273-1080
http://www.kura-corpo.co.jp/us

We've been to Kula Sushi in Irvine a few times. The $2 per plate sushi is good, but the wait is always crazy. We were really excited when we heard about the grand opening of Kula Sushi in Laguna Hills Mall.



We went on a Saturday night. The wait was about 30 minutes. Personaly I like going to revolving sushi restaruant on a busy night. That way we know the sushi is fresh, and it didn't sit on the revolving belt for too long.

[Cook] Quick Chili with Cornbread

Another quick dinner made by ingredients bought at Fresh and Easy.


Quick Chili with Cornbread

1 lb ground beef
1 can pinto beans, drained
1 jar Fresh and Easy chili sauce
Cheddar cheese, shredded
Cornbread mix

[Cook] Salmon with Mango Salsa

This was a super fast and easy dinner. I bought all ingredients from Fresh and Easy.


Salmon with Mango Salsa

Rice
Salmon
Olive oil
Garlic, minced
Asparagus, cut into 1" pieces
Mushroom, sliced
Prepared mango salsa

[Laguna Niguel] [Bakery] Corner Bakery Cafe

Corner Bakery Cafe
27221 La Paz Rd #K
Laguna Niguel, CA 92677
(949) 425-8673
http://www.cornerbakerycafe.com

Quick dinner at Corner Bakery Cafe.


Mom's Chicken Noodle Soup
So good we serve it every day

I ordered a 1/2 soup 1/2 salad combo. Chicken Noodle Soup was a little bit too salty for my taste. It tasted like... can soup. I like the clear chicken noodle soup from Souplantation better.

[Costa Mesa] [Japanese] Sushi Shibucho

Sushi Shibucho
590 W 19th St
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
(949) 642-2677

After lunch with family in Laguna Beach, my mom and brother had to go back to LA. My sister stayed to hang out, and we decided to have Japanese for dinner. I tried to find "cheap omakase" on Yelp, and the name Shishi Shibucho came up.



It's a really small restaurant. Glad we made reservation. The seats filled up really fast right after they opened for dinner.

[Laguna Beach] [Seafood] House of Big Fish and Ice Cold Beer

House of Big Fish and Ice Cold Beer
540 S Coast Hwy #200
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
(949) 715-4500
http://www.houseofbigfish.com

Family came to OC to visit. We took them to House of Big Fish and Ice Cold Beer for ocean-view seafood lunch.


Hawaiian Style Pokes ($11.95)
Served with wonton chips

Brother liked Hawaiian Style Pokes a lot.

[Laguna Hills] [Japanese] Shinkou Sushi

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

We've been wanting to go back to Shinkou Sushi for a long time. Then one day I spotted a $30 for a sushi dinner for two ($62.50 value) Groupon deal for Shinkou Sushi. I think it was meant to be for me to see that so we would visit this great Japanese eatery again! :-P

Look how good this deal was!! For $30, we got:

A shrimp-and-vegetable-tempura appetizer (a $6 value)
A seaweed salad or large green salad (a $4.50 value)
Two miso soups (a $1.50 value each)
Two of the following rolls: Las Vegas, Shinkou, crunchy, spider, or build-your-own (up to a $9.25 value each)
A 10-piece 1.2 sushi combo (a $16 value)
A large beer, valid for any label except Orion (a $5.50 value)
A large and a small sake, or a bottle of house sake for takeout or delivery (a $9 value)


Sapporo ($5.50)

Shinkou sushi is not a big place. We went on a weeknight, and had to wait about 15 minutes for a table. At first I thought they were busy because of the Groupon deal. But after looking around a bit, we were the only party there with the Groupon deal. It was great to see their business was great because of their delicious food.

[Costa Mesa] [Vegan] 118 Degrees

118 Degrees
2981 Bristol St #B-5
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 754-0718
http://www.shop118degrees.com

Another Groupon daily deal I bought, Dinner for 2 for $20 at 118 Degrees ($58 value). For this deal, we can pick 2 entrees plus 2 glasses of wine or 2 desserts. This was such a good buy. Sister and I love the healthy and delicious food at this raw vegan restaurant!


Trio of Enchiladas ($20.00)
Tres Enchiladas with 3 distinct flavors, served with Tomatillo Salsa, Macadamia Sour Cream, and Chef salad.

For my entree, I picked Trio of Enchiladas. I didn't know raw veggies could taste that good! All three enchiladas had different flavor. Their sauces tasted great! I wanted to pick a favorite one, but I couldn't because I really liked all three.

[Anaheim] [All You Can Eat] Anaheim Hills Golf Course Clubhouse

Anaheim Hills Golf Course Clubhouse
6501 E Nohl Ranch Rd
Anaheim, CA 92807
(714) 998-3041
http://www.hillsclubhouse.com

I bought a Groupon daily deal for brunch for 2 at Anaheim Hills Gold Course Clubhouse for $28 (regular price $56). My sister drove down to OC to have Sunday brunch with me.



I called to make reservation but they said it was all full. They told me I can try to walk in at 10am. I did. And the regular brunch area was all full. So they put us at the "grill". The grill side isn't as nice as the brunch side, where they had live jazz band and nice view.

[Los Angeles] [Bakery] Cake House

Cake House
3500 W 6th St
Los Angeles, CA 90020
(213) 487-0404

I got my dad's birthday cake from Cake House in Koreatown.


Sweet Potato Cake ($32.00)

My parents love taro cake. When I saw Cake House has sweet potato cake, I thought maybe we'll try something similar but different?

[San Gabriel] [Chinese] Shanghai Restaurant

Shanghai Restaurant
上海聚福樓
140 W Valley Blvd #211
San Gabriel, CA 91776
(626) 288-0991

We went to Shanghai Restaurant for Chinese New Year, and was turned away because we didn't have reservation. This was a restaurant that my parents wanted to try. So for my dad's birthday, we made reservation to make sure we would get a table this time.


醃篤鮮新筍砂鍋 Bamboo Shoot Clay Pot ($17.95)

I didn't like the soup at all. I think they used preserved meat in there. I thought it smelt like.... dog.

[Los Angeles] [Korean] Koreatown Galleria Food Court

Koreatown Galleria Food Court
3250 W Olympic Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90006
(323) 733-6000
http://www.koreatowngalleria.com

Dr. P and I went to K-town to see our accountant. Afterward I wanted to get a cake for my dad's birthday dinner that night. With the help of my iPhone, I found that there's a bakery inside Koreatown Galleria. We decided to visit their food court first to get a late lunch.


Kalbitang (Korean Style Beef Soup) ($6.99)

So hard to decide what to get. Dr. P ended up getting Kalbitang from Food Picnic Day (Sopung Ga Nun Nal).