gabehoya's Profile
Looking for a Great Mexican food experience in South Bay
I recommend a quaint little restaurant/market called Los Paisas. It's on Western and Torrance in Torrance right by a big Honda R&D facility. There's usually a guy out front grilling cornish game hens and chicken over charcoal. The smell is fantastic. I've sampled several items on the menu and they're all simple but good and affordable. The sopes with lengua are good as are the Mexican style empenadas with shrimp. I usually pick up a couple of their marinated/butterflied game hens to grill at home.
If this place was on 1st and Bristol in Santa Ana, it would probably do really well. There are other places in Santa Ana that offer charcoal grilled chicken for cheap (for example: El Pollo Norteno) and they are usually busy.
IMO, this place is a gem of a find for the area.
OC's Top 100 Tastes You Must Try Before You Die
Great thread!
No one ever mentions this but I've always enjoyed the beef tongue dinner platter at Tacos Jalisco in Orange. And their albondingas soup satisfies on cold nights.
[And great user name mod cons. You flashed me back to my highschool days when me and a few of my friends were the only Mods at our highschool. That's back when the famous Circle City nite club (Orange Circle) was still around. They used to have a pretty cool Mod night. I'll never forget going on scooter rallies with my buddies to places like Camel Records in H.B., The Whiskey, The Starwood and tons of other places. The heads we turned; those were the days. I still have my old bikes (1 Vespa and 1 Lambretta) in storage at my parents' house. ]
Sorry to get off topic but your tag brought me back to the 80's...
Izakaya Honda Ya
I've never had a bad experience at the Tustin location. Everything's been great. (with the exception of some long waits) I'm currently dating a Japanese ESL student (from Osaka) and we go there with her Japanese student friends about twice a month. They claim that for izakaya, it's about as good or better than the handful of other izakaya places in SoCal. In fact, two of her Japanese friends are based in LA and they trek it out to the OC fairly often because the they dig the Tustin/Costa Mesa/Fountain Valley Japanese scene. [They actually prefer the OC Shinsengumi over the Gardena location because they claim the service is better.] I would not recommend ordering non-izakaya items at any izakaya joint. Stay away from sushi and ramen. And ignore the dinner section.
okonomiyaki
I don't know if it's on the menu but I've ordered okonomiyaki at Haru Urara and it wasn't bad. Heartier than I expected.
Ceviche in OC
I can recommend Sinaloa (Edinger/Standard) and Mariscos La Sirena (Main St., near 1st st). Both are in Santa Ana.
Good ceviche & both places have pretty big menus (the latter even serves turtle soup on most days).
Soju Bars in K-Town and OC
There's one in Garden Grove in a strip mall anchored by Arirang (market 9580 Garden Grove Blvd., near Brookhurst) I forgot the suite # and name but it faces GG Blvd. It's small with all types of writing on the walls & a traditional wood decor.
If I didn't have my Korean buddy with me, I don't know if I would've ventured in. It was pretty much a 99% twenty-something Korean crowd. And they generally weren't Korean Americans like my friend; this crowd was the real McCoy. I didn't hear too much English at all. If you end up going, brace yourself for a bunch of Rain wannabes. That's the kind of crowd it is- groups of youngsters either coming from karaoke or laying down soju foundations for a night of singing/dancing.
We just drank Korean beer and had grilled squid and seafood pancake. The snacks were tasty enough. It wasn't too bad when we got there but it was getting quite noisy by the time we got our check.
Anyway, if someone is more familiar with this place, please chime-in.
Skooby's: our first time...
I forgot to mention that I was at the Redondo Beach location.
Skooby's: our first time...
Skooby's is great. I love the simplicity. I've hung out there during happy hour on a Friday and it was low key with cool music. The decor is cool; it looks as if someone raided a college radio station (circa 1986) and threw some LP jackets on the walls.
The grub is good but they also have quality hand crafted beers/ales on tap. During happy hour, I think it's 2 pints for 5 or 6 bucks or something. Or was it 3 for something? I'm fuzzy on the details but it was a good deal. Watch out for the Arrogant Bastard Ale. It's good but it is complete fire water. Two will knock the average person on their ass. Caution.
Very laid back place for having a few with a co-worker or friend with The Jam or The Clash blaring in the background. And the surfer kids that work there are polite.
Recommendations for best Indian in OC?
Sounds very promising. How's their paneer? I love that stuff.
Recommendations for best Indian in OC?
Years ago, an Indian co-worker used to always mention a place called Ashoka The Great (I think it's a common name for Indian restaurants) in Anaheim.
2632 W La Palma Ave, Anaheim
714-663-8501
Something tells me that it isn't quite as good as the Artesia location but it could be a good find.
Good luck with your adventures...
Authentic taco catering in LA or OC???
My friend just went into his favorite taqueria [when the boss wasn't around] and basically comissioned his 2 favorite taco tenders to cater his bro's wedding. He payed them something like $100 each under the table and that included everything. He also gave them the same catered dinners (prime rib or grilled swordfish) that all the wedding guests were eating.
The guys cooked and served up mini carne asada, barbacoa, carnitas, chicken, and tongue tacos at the "appetizer station" and all the guests seemed pleased. Also as far as I could tell, they tasted identical to the ones at their taqueria.
Just an idea.
Lunch Options in Irvine
Oops. I just noticed a typo: the're [they're]. I'm still getting used to the keyboard on my new laptop.
Lunch Options in Irvine
If you're in a pinch, there's always Sam Woo's on Culver (next to 99 Ranch Market). The restaurant is nice but I go straight to the takeout deli for greasy and abundant Hong Kong fare. I usually go for the 2 item (salt and pepper fried pork chops & shrimp) combo with fried rice. They stuff those styrofoam boxes to the limit and throw in a bowl of soup to round off the combo. For the price, you can't go wrong. I generally pay between 3.5-5 bucks and I've never been able to polish off one of those combos in one sitting. Don't be surprised if you're forced to wait behind a line of hungry UCI students. It's been a popular 'study fuel' source for as long as I can remember. And it's no surprise considering the proximity of the campus. It probably isn't the healthiest food in the world but I only get it about once a month.
And I believe that the're open most nights till 10 PM or 11.
There's also a good place for Hong Kong style noodles in that big strip mall that's across the street from Sushi Boy, Trade Joe's, Smarrt & Final, etc.. I've forgotten the name but it has the word "noodle" in its name and it's on the Caspian side of the shopping center. I recommend beef noodle soup or beef tendon noodle soup.
Best of luck.
Kyochon - Korean fried chicken
This reminds me of a new casual fried chicken place that I noticed the other day in Garden Grove. It's in the California Market center directly to the left of the popular tofu place.
It looks a bit like a mini sports bar with tv monitors, Korean and American beer ads, small tables, etc. I haven't had a chance to try it but it looked promising. There was a favorable East Coast newspaper review in the window so perhaps it's afflilated with a small chain or something. The oil smelled great but I didn't catch the name of the place.
Has anyone tried this place?
Where can I find good fried oysters?
Honda Ya's version is good but you only get around 4.
where can i get fresh bulk crabmeat (for crabcakes)?
The canned gourmet grade lump meat actually works adequately for most recipes. Trader Joe's carries some in their deli cases and Costco carries larger sized cans as well.
Just remember that the cans must be refrigerated (even prior to using). I recommend making garlic mayo from scratch for the cakes.
Good luck.
Looking for lunch spot Topanga Mall area
You're not too far from Chuy's in West Hills. They've got good Baja style barbecue with a low overhead. Seafood, chicken, beef, pork, beer, appetizers, patio, full bar, televisions, all in a spacious place with a lazy surfer vibe (motiff), etc.
K-Town Centric Foods
I love this place. Parking is somewhat ample at the Olympic location but be prepared to wait for a table.
K-Town Centric Foods
I've been to Pollo a la Brasa. I recommend the chicken and the Saltado de Mariscos.
How should I cook the black mole sauce from Gualaguetza?
My sister likes to make what she calls "Oaxacan pizzas" . She flattens flour masa (that she makes from scratch with lard) and tops with black mole (she spreads it evenly with the back of a spoon), shredded chicken meat (she prefers to use leg meat) and she tops this with copious amounts of fresh Oaxacan cheese. This gets put into a (350 degrees) preheated oven and is done in about 7 minutes. She sometimes garnishes them with toasted pine nuts. I have to admit they're not bad at all.
MIddle Eastern supermarkets in "Little Gaza" Anaheim?
Thank you very much. I'm going there this weekend to pick up some of their marinated lamb and seasoned ground beef. I'm planning on throwing some kebabs on the barbie this weekend.
MIddle Eastern supermarkets in "Little Gaza" Anaheim?
Hey everybody:
Years ago, I remember stumbling across a pretty large Middle Eastern supermarket in Anaheim. It might have been on Brookhurst but I haven't been able to locate it again.
They had a huge selection of flat breads/pastries and a great meat section with prepared/marinated meats of several varieties.
It was quite clean and they had a small place next door with falafel, shawerma, tarna, etc. Needless to say, the food smelled wonderful.
I hope this rings a bell with someone.
Thanks.
Best seafood right by the beach (Manhattan, Redondo, etc.)
Overall, if you factor in the low overhead and the fact that you don't feel compelled to tip, it's pretty much a win, win scenario. I do agree that the lobster and crab prices can be beyond pricey considering most things items are reasonable.
The last time I was there, my buddy and I had a bit of time to kill so we just opted for some smoked fish, a pound of shrimp ceviche (w/tostadas) and 2 Tecates (jumbo bottle) at around $ 4 a bottle; not a bad deal at all. I work in Santa Ana and some of the dive mariscos places that I go to charge about $5/bottle for the king sized cervezas. And you're not exactly sitting by the water at those places.
However, during the weekends (if the weather is clear), it can be a challenge finding a table or even a parking spot.
Best mom-and-pop-style Korean food?
The Nang-Myun I've had in the past came with a broth but it was cold and refreshing and spiked with (believe it or not) a shot of 7-Up soda. It's great on hot days...
Best seafood right by the beach (Manhattan, Redondo, etc.)
Two words: Quality Seafood. You can get everything from fresh clams/oysters to Skulpin (it could be spelled incorrectly) to Chilean Sea Bass to Sashimi to lobsters/crabs and everything in between in a laid back, low overhead (cardboard plates/newspapers/worn wooden mallets) with concrete patio funrniture facing the harbor. And they've got a good selection of beer on tap and bottles.
It's a wonderful spot to smell the roses and watch an interesting cross section of people.
Does it get much better?
very good & cheap dumplings in K-town
I forgot the name but there's a great iconic Korean style Chinese restaurant in Koreatown (mandatory valet parking). Their blackbean sauce hand cut noodles (chajaing mein) are super and ofcourse the kimchee and Korean style (white sauce) sweet and sour pork (and beef) are awesome with (bright red) kimchee and ice cold Heineken. And don't forget about the shredded pork and seafood entrees.
You'll know you're in the right place if your waiter is Chinese and speaks fluent Korean...
Yes, there is good Dim Sum in OC after all!
In the adjacent deli (fast food/to go) section of Sam Woo's Irvine, you can get a combination STUFFED styrofoam box of Hong Kong style munchies. I suppose it's not unlike the Van Nuys location.
The 2 item combo is big but when they hand you the 3 item combo it's like someone just gave birth to Yao Ming. The suckers are quite substantial. The choices vary by day but I try to go for the fried pork chops (a bit greasy but hey, it's Hong Kong style) , shrimp, and string beans with fried rice. It'll set you back around 5 bombs and it's good for 2-3 meals. However, it's not exactly a secret. You'll be rubbing elbows with Chinese locals and starving UCI students whilst standing in line. Cash only, I believe Oh, and it sometimes comes with a bowl of basic Chinese soup and they're usually open until 10:00PM...
Need good latino produce market in central OC
El Metate
Northgate Gonzales
El Toro
Gigante
For starters...
Best spots open late - Orange County
Landrover, you are sooooo close to Taqueria Mexico (Katella/Glassell)... This 24/7 place (next to 7-11) is highly under the radar (from my knowledge, it's not affiliated with the other places with the same name in Santa Ana and I believe you get a better quality taco for about the same price). De Anda is also pretty good but this place is REALLY close to Chapman University.
If you've got a bicycle and a case of the late night munchies; it's a no-brainer-I don't think there's a closer place that'll do a better job of fulfilling your hunger needs, on a student's budget...
