[City of Industry] [Japanese] Benihana

Benihana
17877 Gale Avenue
City of Industry, CA 91748
(626) 912-8784
http://www.benihana.com

Brother and I took our parents to Benihana for a family dinner.  It turned out to be the worst meal I've had in recent years.  We made reservation at 6:30pm.  We arrived at the restaurant right on time.  There were 5 people standing at the host stand.  Yes, they were really busy, with maybe 30 people waiting in the lobby area.  But do they really need 5 people there?  I told one of the host my name, and he said, "ok."  So the 5 of us stood in front of the host stand, thought we would be seated, and just waited.  We waited, waited, and waited.  Nobody said anything to us.  Then the 5 hosts/hostesses started chatting/joking/laughing with each other.  We just stood there looking at them.  Still, nobody said anything to us.  We stood there for 15 minutes.  Finally I asked how long do we have to wait.  A host said, "what's your name again?  Oh, I believe they are cleaning your table right now."  Then he went back to chatting with his fellow coworkers.


Japanese Onion Soup

We finally sat down after waiting for 30 minutes even though we had reservation.  The first thing we saw was a group of waitress leaning against the wall and furniture talking.  The restaurant was completely full.  But there were maybe 7 or 8 waitresses just standing there talking and laughing.  And they weren't just standing.  They were leaning against things!  Looked so bad!

[Aliso Viejo] [Vegan] Native Foods

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

I couldn't stop thinking about and talking about how good the food at Native Foods was since the visit with my sister.  Dr. P was curious.  Can vegan food really taste as good as I described?  I took Dr. P there and proved I was right (as always... I am ALWAYS right.  haha...)


Lavender Lemonade ($2.95)
French lavender steeped with fresh lemons. Sweeten with organic sugar.

Native Foods has 3 drinks, lavender lemonade, watermelon fresca, and Native iced tea.  The drink is self served and refillable.  My favorite is the lavender lemonade.  It's yummy lemonade with just a hint of lavender.  So good.

[Huntington Beach] [Burger] Five Guys Burgers and Fries

Five Guys Burgers and Fries
18645 Beach Blvd
Huntington Beach, CA 92648
(866) 345-4897
http://www.fiveguys.com

I went to Huntington Beach to see an eye doctor and get new glasses.  As I was leaving the doctor's office, I saw Five Guys Burgers and Fries across the street.  Five Guys Burgers?  I heard about that place.  Isn't that the famous hamburger place that Obama likes?  Gotta stop by and try it then.



It was around 1pm, and they were super busy.  The line was long, but it moved fairly fast.

[San Gabriel] [Chinese] Newport Seafood

Newport Seafood
新港海鮮
518 W Las Tunas Dr
San Gabriel, CA 91776
(626) 289-5998
http://www.newportseafood.com

Mother-in-law's favorite cuisines are Italian and Chinese.  For her birthday this year, I suggested that we take her to San Gabriel Valley to have an authentic banquet dinner for celebration.  Since she likes seafood a lot, we thought lobster and crab at Newport Seafood would be a good choice.  We tried to make a reservation for a Sunday dinner, but they don't take reservation on the weekend.  They told us if we want to be sure to get a table, be there before 5pm.


Boba Milk Tea / Jackfruit Smoothie with Boba

Dr. P and I got to the restaurant at 4:30pm, and got the 7 of us a table in one of the semi-private room.  While waiting for the other people to arrive, we ordered a boba milk tea and a jackfruit smoothie with boba.  I like the jackfruit smoothie, but their boba was not good at all.

[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

If you read Eat This, Not That when it first came out a few years ago, you would remember the book named romano's Macaroni Grill as the worst restaurant in the U.S.  Most of their food were super fat and unhealthy.  Since the book came out, the restaurant chain worked hard to make changes.  Now they have a smaller menu with more healthy options.  They even included the calories count right next to every dish's name on the menu.



We went there for dinner on a Saturday night, and had to wait for 40 minutes for seats.  A lot of Macaroni Grill closed down.  But the Aliso Viejo one sure has good business.

[Aliso Viejo] [Deli] Aliso Creek Market & Deli

Aliso Creek Market & Deli
23411 Aliso Viejo Pkwy # I
Aliso Viejo, CA 92656
(949) 362-7505

Dr. P and I went to Starbucks to get coffee.  When I saw Aliso Creek Market & Deli in the same plaza, I remember I had a coupon from them for $4.99 sandwich combo.  (I have a little coupon wallet that I carry with me all the time.  You never know when a coupon might come handy.  haha...)  We decided to pick up a sandwich for afternoon snack.


Roast Beef Sandwich Combo ($4.99)

You get to pick your bread, meat, vegetable, and condiments at the deli counter.  Cheese is extra $0.50.  I picked roast beef with everything in sourdough bread.  After placing the order, we browsed the liquor store for a bit while waiting for the lady making our sandwich.  I was surprised to see they have so many wines there.

[Mission Viejo] [American] Claim Jumper Restaurant

Claim Jumper Restaurant
27845 Santa Margarita Parkway
Mission Viejo, CA 92691
(949) 461-7170
http://www.claimjumper.com

I had a coupon for a free birthday meal in the month of February (my birthday month) from Claim Jumper because I signed up for their email list.  The free meal was up to $30 value!  So generous of them.  Dr. P and I went there for lunch on a Friday.  The restaurant was filled with parents with kids.


New England Clam Chowder ($4.49)
Thick and creamy with premium clams, potatoes, onions and celery

After we placed our order, the waitress asked if we would like to add a cup of soup or a side salad to our entree.  Dr. P thought a cup of soup sounded good, and picked New England Clam Chowder to add.  The clam chowder was really good.  Lots of clam, and I like the crunchy celery and onion that they added to the chowder.  But when we saw the price on the bill, we thought this was one expensive added on item.  Normally restaurants let you add a side for like $2 or $3.  But this added on soup was $4.49!  Almost 50% of our entree!!

[Aliso Viejo] [Vegan] Native Foods

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

I have heard good things about Native Foods for a long time, but never had a chance to try this vegan restaurant even though it's only 5 minutes away from our house.  I told my sister about this place.  She told me she was drooling just by reading their menu online.  So we went to Native Foods for a healthy vegan dinner.


Portobello and Sausage Burger ($9.95)
Juicy grilled portobellos, our http://www.eileenlikestoeat.commade Seitan sausage, pomodoro, caramelized onions, sweet roasted garlic, creamy pumpkin seed pesto and mayo.

Sister ordered Portobello and Sausage Burger.  The grilled portobello mushroom was so juicy, and not oily like the one from Veggie Grill at all.  We loved the creamy pumpkin seed pesto sauce.  This burger tasted very gourmet.  Super yummy.

[Irvine] [Bakery] Le Napoleon Patisserie

Le Napoleon Patisserie
83 Fortune Dr #219
Irvine, CA 92618
(949) 788-0904

Another great Groupon deal I bought: $10 for $20 Worth of Coffee, Pastries, and More at Le Napoléon Cafe.  I read their reviews online.  People raved about their yummy macaroons.  Unfortunately, I found out in the shop that I could not use Groupon to buy any macaroons.  They should've specified that in the fine print though.


Strawberry Croissant from Cream Pan

The first thing that caught my eyes was this yummy looking strawberry croissant.  It tasted even better than it looked.  The flaky croissant + creamy cream + fresh sweet strawberry!!  Later I found out the Croissant was from the famous Cream Pan in Tustin.  I really want to pay Cream Pan a visit now.

[Irvine] [Vegetarian] The Veggie Grill

The Veggie Grill
81 Fortune Drive
Irvine, CA 92618
(949) 727-9900
http://www.veggiegrill.com

My sister is not a vegetarian, but she likes to eat healthy.  In general, vegetarian food seems healthier.  So on the day she came to visit me in OC, I planned to take her to try two vegetarian restaurants.  For lunch, we went to Veggie Grill.  I've been to Veggie Grill near UC Irvine a few times, and thought the food was really good.  This time we tried the Irvine Spectrum location so we could walk around the Spectrum after lunch.


VG-Cheeseburger ($9.95) / Mac-n-Cheese ($2.25)
The V-burger topped with VG-Cheese. El Dorado style upon request with jalapenos, caramelized onions, ketchup.

My sister ordered VG-Cheeseburger with a side of Mac-n-Cheese.  I tried a bite of the Cheeseburger, and it was good.  But the Mac-n-Cheese was HORRIBLE.  It was probably the worst Mac-n-Cheese ever.  It tasted like artificial butter.  I know it wasn't real cheese.  But they could at least try to make it taste like cheese instead of tasting like fake butter.  We both had one bite, and left the rest uneaten.

[Mission Viejo] [Japanese] Zenko Sushi

Zenko Sushi
28892 Marguerite Pkwy # 190
Mission Viejo, CA 92692
(949) 347-0844
http://www.zenkosushi.com

We didn't plan anything for Valentine's Day.  We had to take Teddy & Twinkle to their puppy kindergarten (they graduated that day! woohoo~~~~).  I thought I would just cook something at http://www.eileenlikestoeat.com after puppy school.  But Dr. P said he would take me out to eat, anything I want.  I was so hungry and wanted all you can eat.  There's all you can eat salad & soup at Souplantation.  There's all you can eat Korean BBQ.  There's all you can eat sushi.  Dr. P immediately picked all you can eat sushi among the choices.



I found Zenko Sushi on Yelp with 4 star reviews.  We tried to call to make a reservation, but they don't take reservation.  It's first come first serve.  The guy on the phone told us it would be about one hour wait when we called at 7pm.

[Aliso Viejo] [Mexican] On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantina

On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantina
26661 Aliso Creek Rd
Aliso Viejo, CA 92656
(949) 643-1379
http://www.ontheborder.com

I had a coupon for 1 free dinner from On The Border.  We've never been to this restaurant even though it's just minutes away from our house.  We decided to give it a try.


Chips & Salsa

They were quite busy on a Sunday night.  The waiter told us their specialty is fajita.  We saw a sign for half off fajita every Monday at the door.  We'll save the fajita for next time when we come back on a Monday.

[Buena Park] [Dinner Show] Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament

Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament
7662 Beach Blvd
Buena Park, CA 90620
(866) 543-9637
http://www.medievaltimes.com

For my birthday this year, I celebrated with friends with jousting and feasting at Medieval Times.  I saw a similar dinner show at Excalibur in Las Vegas when I was in high school.  I remembered the show was really fun.  20 years later, I would like to experience that again.  haha...



There were 15 of us.  Our show started at 8:15pm.  Dr. P and I arrived around 7pm and hang out with friends in the outdoor courtyard.  We went to the bar to grab drinks.  Man, their drinks were expensive.  Beer was like $7, $18, or $25 with different cups/mugs.  You do get to keep the drink containers as souvenir.  But still, so expensive.  So we opted for wine.  Surprisingly, their wine was a lot more affordable.  A bottle of wine is only $20.  Around 8pm, we went to the lobby area to wait to go inside.  Normally seating is first come first serve.  Since we were a big party, our seat was already arranged.  Nice!

[Food Truck] [Argentine] Piaggio Gourmet on Wheels

Piaggio Gourmet on Wheels
(949) 350-6557
http://www.piaggioonwheels.com

There was a food truck parked outside of Blackmarket Bakery on that Saturday when I was there.  Blackmarket Bakery was really busy.  So was this Piaggio Gourmet on Wheels food truck.  Actually most people get food from both the bakery and the food truck.



Even though we just ate at Break of Dawn, I felt like I wanna get something because the food smelt and looked so good.  I couldn't help but starring at the yummy food people were eating.

[Irvine] [Bakery] Blackmarket Bakery

Blackmarket Bakery
17941 Sky Park Cir
Irvine, CA 92614
(949) 852-4609
http://www.blackmarketbakery.com

I love Groupon because not only I get to save money, but it gives me a chance to try new places.  With a $20 Groupon in hand, I headed to Blackmarket Bakery for some pastry goodies.



Blackmarket Bakery's location was a bit unexpected.  It's not in a shopping plaza, but in one of those business park.  It was a small place, but so many people there on a Saturday afternoon.  I was surprised how good their business are, and I have never heard of this place before when I lived in Irvine?  Those are the pastries I bought:

[Laguna Hills] [Fusion] Break of Dawn

Break of Dawn
24351 Avenida De La Carlota
Laguna Hills, CA 92653
(949) 587-9418
http://breakofdawnrestaurant.com

I did research on good restaurants to eat around Aliso Viejo when we first moved down here.  Break of Dawn was on top 10 of my list.  It's been about six months since we moved down here.  Finally got to try the place last Saturday.



Break of Dawn only opens for breakfast and lunch.  They close at 2:30pm because the owner/chef wants to spend more time with his family.  You can read about his story on the restaurant's website.  It's a little sad.  I hope the best for his six year old son.

[Alhambra] [Chinese] 海霸小炒皇 Harbor Kitchen

Harbor Kitchen
海霸小炒皇
1411 S Garfield Ave
Alhambra, CA 91801
(626) 289-2328

Since I was up in San Gabriel Valley, of course I had to visit my favorite HK cafe, Harbor Kitchen.  Sister and I went during afternoon tea hour.


咖啡 Coffee / 奶茶 Milk Tea

We ordered two dishes, which came with two drinks.  One coffee and one milk tea.  Condensed milk tasted so good in coffee and milk tea.

[Pasadena] [American] The Novel Cafe

The Novel Cafe
1713 E Colorado Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91106
(626) 683-3309
http://www.novelcafe.com

My sister bought a $25 gift certificate for The Novel Cafe from Restaurant.com.  Their menu looked good and healthy from their website.  We decided to go there for dinner and use the GC.



We weren't really sure if it was a coffee shop, a restaurant, or a wine bar.  It was more like a combination of all three.  We walked in, and nobody was there to greet us.  We walked up to the bartender and he told us to sit anywhere we liked.  A waitress brought us the menu a few minutes later.  We showed her the Restaurant.com gift certificate, and she just said, "oh we are no longer taking those."  That was all she said.  But why?  The GC wasn't even expired.  So my sister just bought them for nothing?  Can restaurants do that?

[Pasadena] [Mexican] Sharky’s Woodfired Mexican Grill

Sharky’s Woodfired Mexican Grill
841 Cordova Street
Pasadena, CA 91101
(626) 568-3500
http://www.sharkys.com

After my sister read about Sharky's on my blog, she wanted to try the salmon burrito, too.  Since I was up in San Gabriel Valley, we went to Pasadena Sharky's for a healthy and delicious organic Mexican lunch.


Chipotle BBQ Chicken Stone Fired Pizza ($8.29)
Chipotle BBQ Sauce, 4 Cheeses, Tomatoes, Red Onion, Green Onion, Cilantro, Chipotle Crust

I wanted the salmon burrito, but I also wanted to try something different.  It was so hard to decide because everything looked good on the menu.  I finally settled for Chipotle BBQ Chicken Stone Fired Pizza.  The pizza was made on a baked thin crust crispy tortilla.  I liked all the ingredients on the pizza.  Chicken, cheese, tomato, onion, green onion, cilantro, and BBQ sauce.  This was a very light pizza comparing to regular pizza.  Very good.

[Rosemead] [Malaysian] Ruben's Kitchen

Ruben's Kitchen
銘廚馬來風味
8728 Valley Blvd #101
Rosemead, CA 91770
(626) 307-1157

After taking my parents to a horrible lunch, they don't trust my restaurant suggestions anymore.  For dinner, they want to take me to a restaurant that they think it's good.  They said they've been to Ruben's Kitchen for Malaysian food a few times, and have never been disappointed.


咖喱海鮮湯麵 Curry Seafood Noodle Soup ($7.95)

Curry Seafood Noodle Soup was my dad's favorite.  But he doesn't eat it like a noodle soup.  Instead, he pour the thick curry soup over white rice.  That's his favorite way to eat this dish.  Lots of shrimp, fish cake, and squid in the noodle soup.  I love the puffy tofu that soaked up all the curry soup.  The soup was slightly spicy.  Delicious!