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Before we headed to the airport that Sunday, we met up with 2 of my sister's friends for lunch. We chose another ramen place we've never been to.
Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai
891 Baker St. B21
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 557-2947
http://ramenbannai.com/
Price: $$
This is a pretty small place and they don't take reservations. So we made sure we had extra time to wait in line. There were already many other groups waiting outside when we got there. I think we waited about 25-30 minutes total? The weather outside was nice so it wasn't a big deal.
We got some appetizers to start.
Gyoza (pan fried; with yuzu chili pepper paste) $3.80~ Perfectly crispy on the bottom. And it came with Kosho on the side. It's this condiment made with yuzu and chili peppers so it's got a kick to it! Tasty!
Spicy Rice (steamed rice mixed with housemade umami chili) $2~ I saw this on yelp and it just sounded amazing. Umami chili? Uh, yes, please! But it was underwhelming. Not spicy, and not particularly "umami" either.
Juicy Fried Chicken (marinated with house special sauce) $3~ This. Was. Amazing. Beautifully fried, and the meat inside was soooo juicy. It came with this peanuty sauce which was an interesting, and good, compliment. I can eat this chicken forever!!!
I was talking about the different types of ramen to the guys before we ordered... broth ramen, tsukemen (dipping ramen), mazemen (dry ramen), etc... And they were really interested in trying the dipping ramen.
So 3 of us ordered the Tsukemen (Dipping Ramen) with the Cold Noodle (dashi shoyu base, radish shoot, Japanese mustard spinach, bean sprouts, carrots, chashu, lime, grated radish and ginger, ground sesame seeds) $8.50~
It was a huge portion! And since this is a different style than we've normally had, I've never tried noodles like these before.
From their website: The noodle of Kitakana ramen is flat, wide, and curly. It contains the highest amount of water among ramen noodles. Noodles are hand crumpled to have distinctive curliness and texture. The soup is light in color yet full of flavor and not oily.
The noodles were fantastic. They certainly did have the crumpled look and it felt homemade. And the broth was light but full of flavor and not in the least bit greasy! I couldn't finish all my noodles cuz the portion was so big. The 2 guys absolutely loved it.
My sister got the Green Chili Shio Ramen (pork broth, shio base, Toro chashu, green chili, nappa, garlic, Asian chives, red onion, green onion) $8.50~
OMG. This is sooooo good. Different than any ramen we've ever had before. The broth was light in color but just packed with flavor!! It had a spicy kick to it from the green chili. I was just shocked at the amount of flavor but yet was so light. My sister said she thought this was better than Santouka... And you know what... I almost have to agree! So interesting, and oh so good. I highly highly recommend this if you can take spicy.
So... first time having Kitakana style ramen. Love it!! And the prices were super reasonable. We got more than enough food for everyone. I guarantee we'll be back next time we're in town.
Quality of Food:
Service:
Ambiance:
Value:
Overall Experience:
~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
Saturday afternoon, my cousins, who are also huge foodies, recommended that we check out Anaheim Packing District for a late lunch. I've never been, but the way it sounded got me excited.
Anaheim Packing District
440 S. Anaheim Blvd
Anaheim, CA 92805
(714) 533-7225
http://anaheimpackingdistrict.com/
It's also called Anaheim Packing House apparently. Same thing, so you don't get confused. I love it!! A center full of food vendors and small shops, all flea market-esque. I love these types of places. We walked all the way around to check out all the different food options. OMG. I wanted to eat everything... but finally chose one since they were prepping the meat at the window... drool! But of course it was one of the vendors with the longest line. haha. Everyone else went off in search of other stuff.
The Kroft
Prochetta Sandwich (ciabatta, pork belly/loin, cracklings, salsa verde) $10~
Like I said, they had a guy at the window at the front chopping the meat and assembling the sandwiches. Looked freaking fantastic. The sandwich was packed full with pieces of pork. And oh, it was so juicy! The cracklings were amazing. Each bite had so much flavor. Legit! I totally want one right now... I ate half of it and gave the other half to my cousins/aunt/uncle to try. Everyone liked it.
Brussels Sprouts and Bacon $5~
I also got this as a side. It was pretty good. A little soggy/greasy but I liked the flavor. It was a bit sweet... I think there was balsamic vinegar on it.
Overall Experience:
Here's what other people got.. We had a feast going! Our table was wayyy too small.
Adya: Fresh Indian Flavors
The Chippy: Fish & Grill
I was full, but I had to get some dessert.
Han's Homemade Ice Cream
There was no line when I walked by so, yes, this is it! They had some interesting flavors. Twinkies being one of them.
Bourbon Peach (in waffle cone) $4~ Deeeelicious. You can totally taste the bourbon without the bite. It wasn't too sweet, and there were chunks of real peach throughout.
Overall Experience:
Popbar
This was by far the most popular vendor. The line was literally out the door the entire time we were there. But my cousin wanted to get some so I went up to the line with her. I wanted one too, but was too full. All their popsicles are made fresh daily with natural ingredients.
Pistachio Popsicle (dipped in dark chocolate, topped with chopped pistachio and hazelnuts) $5~
Banana Popsicle (dipped in dark chocolate, topped with chopped pistachio and hazelnuts) $5~
They were doing an anniversary special that weekend where the dips and toppings were free, but normally those cost extra. Quite expensive for a popsicle, but they are sure yummy to look at!
It's such a fun place. I wish Dallas had something like this.. I think we may be getting something similar in Plano in the near future?? Fingers crossed!
Overall for the entire center:
Only complaint is not enough seating!
~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
My sister and I went to LA at the end of May on a last minute trip (family stuff). We arrived just before lunch time on Friday so we decided to go have some ramen! Ramen in Dallas hasn't been great so whenever we head to Cali, it's always on the list.
This time I suggested Shin-Sen-Gumi, which is one of my friend's absolute favorite. Normally I go to my favorite, Santouka, but why not try something new.
Shin-Sen-Gumi Hakata Ramen
18315 Brookhurst St. Unit 1
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
(714) 962-8971
www.shinsengumigroup.com/en/restaurants/fountainvalley-ramen.php
Price (for lunch): $$
We flew into the John Wayne airport in Orange County. Shin-Sen-Gumi was only about 10 minutes away! Now... I think I've been to a different location before... years and years ago, but I'm not exactly sure. I just remembered I loved their fried rice. haha. The place has a traditional Japanese look. Dark wood columns, tables, chairs, booths. We sat at the sushi/ramen bar. A little cramped but reminded me of places in Japan.
We both ordered from the Lunch Set menu. L-Set (1/2 Special pork flavored noodle, 1/2, Takana fried rice, small salad) $8.50~ She added extra Bamboo +$1.75~ and we both added Cloud Ear (or woodear) Mushroom +$1.50~ They have a form you fill out when you order the ramen, you can select the firmness of the noodles, amount of soup oil, base, and things to exclude. We both chose normal everything except the firmness of noodles: Hard.
First came the salad. Small bowl of it, the dressing was yummy.
Then the rest of the meal was quickly served. OMG... this is A LOT of food for one person. We realized quickly that we could've just ordere one meal and shared.
This is HALF ramen?!?
So the Tonkotsu ramen doesn't come with much, that's why you have to add extra toppings.
But each topping ain't cheap! :-/ The flavor of the broth is good, but they use the skinny straight noodles. Bah. I really dislike those. Even with a hard firmness, it still lacked enough chewy texture for me. So overall it was good, not the best. Still better than anything in Dallas tho.
The fried rice was also big enough to feed the both of us.
Neither of us finished by the way... had to take most of the rice to go. But after having the rice, I realized that I HAVE been there. And the rice still trumped the noodles for me. The addition of the Takana (in food Chinese, it's like the pickled mustard greens), added a lot of flavor. I should've finished my rice instead of the noodles. ha.
Needless to say, we were both overstuffed. And we barely made a dent in the rice. I probably won't return in the future. I've had better ramen in Cali and it wasn't nearly as expensive after you add up all the extra toppings. But... all this food is still cheaper than eating ramen in Dallas! WTF.
SANTOUKA FTW!!!!
Quality of Food:
Service:
Ambiance:
Value:
Overall Experience:
~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
Last weekend I went to the OC for my cousin's wedding at Tustin Ranch. It was a beautiful wedding on a beautiful day and they are such a cute couple! Best wishes to them!
But being in a different city means trying new foods! :P I was traveling with family so didn't do the usual food fest like I normally would, but still got some yummy stuff.
Lunch on Friday started with dim sum. My parents and I were walking around this Asian shopping center and decided to go into this place.
Capital Seafood Restaurant
2700 Alton Pkwy #127
Irvine, CA 92606
(949) 252-8188
http://irvine.capital-seafood.com
Price (lunch): $$
Turns out they were doing dim sum at the time. Sure! I haven't had it in a while.
Chinese Broccoli $4.25~ We got 2 orders of these. Always a favorite of mine. Super tender... even the stalks. Better than Dallas.
Pork Shu Mai (4) $3.25~ Giant shu mai. My dad wanted them. My mom and I don't really care for it, but I have to say it had pretty good flavor.
Deep Fried Shrimp Dumplings (3) $2.25~ My dim sum favorite. Theirs was good. The outside was crispy with chewy mochi-like texture and slightly sweet. With the savory shrimp on the inside. I approve!
We initially went in this restaurant because my dad wanted some Cantonese soup noodles. Unfortunately they didn't have any. So we got some Singapore Seafood Vermicelli (thin vermicelli noodles, shrimp, BBQ pork, onion, cilantro, curry powder) $12~ Pretty big portion for lunch. Good flavors. The shrimp was tender and plump. Not bad at all.
We also got Preserved Egg and Pork Congee $9~ It was a pretty big bowl. But too much soup/rice, too little egg and pork. We basically scooped out all the eggs and left the rest. The pork was super salty. Tender but too salty. I've had way better.
Good start to the trip. My parents took my sister and her bf there again on Sunday after I left for the airport.
Overall Experience:
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In the same shopping center was 85°C Bakery Cafe. The main reason we were there. haha. Love this place!!
85°C Bakery Cafe
2700 Alton Pkwy.
Irvine, CA 92606
(949) 553-8585
http://85cafe.us/
Price: $
From bottom left. Mocha Walnut bread, Bolo, Bread with dried shredded pork, Red Bean bread, Taro filled bread, Baked Custard bread, and Milk Custard bread (top right)
All together under $11.40~
The place was packed. Not a lot of different selection but good enough. You can't find most of these in Dallas. All delicious. The milk custard bread was my favorite.
Overall Experience:
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My sister and her bf flew in Friday night. She had specifically requested Japanese ramen while we're in Cali... so I wanted to take her to my favorite place in the whole world for ramen! I picked them up and went straight to Mitsuwa Marketplace. Can you believe that my favorite place is in the food court of a Japanese supermarket? It is amazing.
Mitsuwa Marketplace
665 Paularino Ave.
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 434-1101
http://www.mitsuwa.com/locations/costa-mesa/
Santouka Ramen
Shio Ramen (Salt ramen with special pork; Large) $11.40~
The pork is Toroniku, which is pork cheek. It is so tender with just the right amount of fat. It's like buttah!! The pork makes this my favorite. But the flavor of the broth and the texture of the noodles are also spot on. I went to the Santouka in Osaka, Japan and had the same thing and the ones in Cali were pretty damn close. Talk about consistency! So jealous of people who have access to a Mitsuwa. My sister approved. She can be quite picky sometimes. So yay! Win for me.
Some other vendor...
Her bf got a Katsudon (fried pork cutlet on rice) $7.50?~ It usually comes with egg on top but he said he didn't want it. Not very good... The pork cutlet was not crispy at all, and it was just over rice and some onions. Not very satisfying.
Overall Experience:
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After dinner, we decided to go check out the OC Night Market. A friend of mine told me about it right before I flew to Cali. We love night markets, so definitely wanted to go check it out.
OC Night Market
OC Fair and Event Center
88 Fair Dr.
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
http://www.626nightmarket.com/OCnightmarket/home.php
Parking $7~
Admission $5~
It sucks that we have to pay for parking and admission. Normal nightmarkets are free in Asia. But since this is more of a special festival.... AND we're on vacation. Let's do it!
We were all kinda full but I had a few places I wanted to check out. I had done some research online before going. Duh! :P
The main one I wanted to go to was Crunchy Boy. I wanted the Ube Lumpia (with green tea creme fraiche) $2.50~
Ube is basically purple yam. And lumpia is like a Filipino egg roll. It was so freaking amazing. Best thing ever!! Well maybe not ever, but definitely the best thing I had in the night market. I should've just given them all my money instead of trying other stuff. Still regretting it now. The green tea creme fraiche made the dish. It was like a mix between whipped cream and melted ice cream. It paired fantabulously with the crispy lumpia and sweet ube. Don't judge, but I totally licked the container to get the rest of the sauce... Just take all my money and gimme more!!!!!!!!
My sister wanted grilled squid. It's one of her favorite night market foods when we go back to Taiwan. We found Calvin's BBQ.
Grilled Squid on Skewer. Looked good and smelled even better. But the taste was meh. The seasoning wasn't what we expected. It was disappointing...
Hugo Foods
Fried Stinky Tofu (with sweet pickled cabbage) $5~
It sure smelled stinky! But good stinky tofu can be really tasty. My sister and I wanted to give it a shot. While waiting we heard someone say it's not as stinky as it should be. After trying it, we both agreed. Neither the smell or the taste was strong enough. I think the pickled cabbage should've been more sour than sweet. It was also meh.
The other place I was looking for was Belly Up because they had listed a green tea ice cream. Turns out it was a Coconut Slushy with Green Tea Ice Cream $6~
It sounded pretty cool so I gave it a shot still. It was an actual coconut with shaved ice and coconut water and then topped with green tea ice cream. They were packing up shop when we found them because they were pretty much sold out, but they were able to get one out for me. Presentation is great. A little messy to hold since the water down the sides of the coconut. The green tea ice cream was good. I wanted more tho. The ratio of the coconut water to the ice cream was off, and once I've mixed it all inside the coconut, it didn't have enough flavor.
I really should've just taken all the money I spent and gotten a bunch of the ube lumpias. [sad face] But oh well, at least I tried different things.
Overall Experience:
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Saturday night, after the wedding we had a big family dinner since a lot of my aunts, uncles, cousins are also in town. We also wanted to celebrate another cousin of mine who recently go married too but didn't have a reception.
Shanghailander Palace
1695 S Azusa Ave.
Hacienda Heights, CA 91745
(626) 839-7777
We had 2 large round tables. The food came family style on a lazy susan. My dad was the one that ordered for everyone. The food was pretty tasty! We all liked it. But according to my mom, it was laced with MSG. She's allergic so she really couldn't eat much of anything...
Shanghai Style Braised Pork. Supa fatty pork. No other way is better! :P
Eggplant in Clay Pot
Black Pepper Beef
Sweet and Sour Short Ribs
Tofu and Seafood Soup
Crispy Chicken
Xiao Long Bao (pork soup dumplings)
Mixed Veggies and Rice
Sauteed Eel
Tempura Fish. The tempura batter had seaweed in it. Added some unique flavoring. It was good!
Black Sesame Ball in Wine Soup
Overall Experience:
We were all stuffed after the meal. It was really great to see all my relatives. Most of whom I haven't seen in over 6 years!
Overall a good trip! Just too short! I flew home Sunday morning...
~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
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