I dunno who started the tradition of the “First Paycheck Dinner” in my family. Somehow it went from, “Oh, gee whiz a nice dinner on your tab? How nice!” to “Dude, where’s my ‘first pay check dinner’? I’m waiting…I’m waiting!!” I can’t even remember what dinners I was treated to by Smooth Obturator and Triple F. I remember…
Category: SoCal
Otafuku
Otafuku is just another one of the MANY Japanese restaurants populating the South Bay. They call themselves a noodle house serving udon, soba, and the like but then they also have dons, skewers, sashimi. It’s confusing. We came for lunch and I would have been pleased had I followed the cardinal rules of restaurant dining…
Shabu Shabu Bar
Orange County seems to have more tasty food options these days. We decided to try a different shabu shabu place because we usually just go to California Shabu Shabu which typically has quite a wait, but this other spot in Santa Ana seemed pretty popular on Yelp. It was a Saturday night but there wasn’t…
ink.
I’m a Top Chef and less so a Top Chef Masters fan. I’ve been watching from the beginning. I’ve experienced some of the contestant’s culinary talent (here, here, here, here, and here) , but never have I been able to taste the food from a winner. Ink has finally changed all that for me. It’s the new restaurant from…
Class 302
Anyone who’s anyone knows about the new shaved ice craze. When you think about your traditional Chinese shaved ice, you think of a bowl of crushed ice doused in condensed milk, topped with a scoop of red bean goop. Then there’s the Korean version, which comes with all of the same plus a scoop of…
Michelle’s Pancakes
Michelle’s Pancakes is a restaurant that’s been around for a few years I think, but the reviews on Yelp were never that impressive. It’s located in the same plaza as Luscious Dumpling, so maybe it gets some overflow from them. When I attempt Luscious Dumpling, I just make the commitment to wait and wait and…
Picca
Oh Picca, why did you have to disappoint me so? I had such high hopes for this place. Blogger after blogger extoled the culinary accomplishments of the modern Peruvian fare here. It was top on my list of “to-try” LA restaurants. I even recommended this restaurant to my Triple F and Running Man during their…
101 Noodle Express (Lu Wei Ju)
We all know Irvine is missing a solid dumpling and noodle house. A&J makes a decent attempt, but it still leaves a big void. I mean, if I knew how to make awesome dumplings, I would totally open up a joint in Irvine because I knew it would win big. I’m talking lines out the…
Ikko
After a very long and exhausting morning/afternoon of smiling, posing, chit chatting, and sweltering in the heat, Dumpling Man, some friends, and I headed out for some fun and entertainment at the center of all that is hip, cool, and Asian in the OC…Diamond Jamboree! For those of you unfamiliar with Irvine, you should know…
Niwattori
What is Niwatori? Smooth Obturator called it a “chicken place,” so that probably explains why I never jumped at the chance to eat here. Chicken is definitely not something I get excited for. I rarely order chicken when I dine at fancy restaurants, because I feel like chicken is just so ordinary. I woudln’t want…
Overworked. Underfed. 