Roy’s Ko Olina 92-1220 Ali’inui Dr Kapolei, HI 96707 Yelp I’ve been to Roy’s a few times and have never been terribly impressed by the fancified Hawaiian Asian fusion cuisine. The food is good, but it’s never been worthy of a strong recommendation or repeat visits. The Roy’s in Kapolei, which is conveniently located within…
Category: SoCal
Mix Mix Kitchen Bar
Mix Mix Kitchen Bar 300 N. Main St. Santa Ana, CA 92701 Yelp I almost make it a point NOT to go to a restaurant’s soft opening. I don’t want or need to be anyone’s guinea pig, especially if its on my dime. Free food for my invaluable feedback? Now we’re talking! I can’t say I…
Old Vine Cafe
Old Vine Cafe 2937 Bristol St. Costa Mesa, CA 92626 Yelp Old Vine Cafe is probably best known for its weekend brunch. The wait can be horrendously long, but the promise of their biscuits & gravy and bread pudding like french toast seems to motivate people to endure the hunger. I, for one, was not that…
North Italia
North Italia 2957 Michelson Drive Irvine, CA 92612 Yelp I don’t frequently blog about restaurant chains. Sure some restaurants are popular and have a few locations driven by an entrepreneurial and business savvy chef/owner. But the food at these restaurants never has that taste of “mass production” a la Cheesecake Factory and the like. North…
Ngự Bình
Ngự Bình 14092 Magnolia Ave. Westminster, CA 92683 Yelp For many people, spring rolls, bánh mì, and phở are all they know when it comes to Vietnamese food. If you have those 3 dishes down, pat yourself on the back because you’ve covered just a small fraction of Vietnamese cuisine. I am, by far, no expert on…
Sushi Noguchi
Sushi Noguchi 18507 Yorba Linda Blvd Yorba Linda, CA 92886 Yelp I would give the sushi options in OC two thumbs up. From Nana San to Ohshima to San Shi Go, the sushi is top notch and not crazy expensive (San Shi Go excluded). Now I can add Sushi Noguchi to that list of excellent…
Sidecar Doughnuts
Sidecar Doughnuts 270 E. 17th St. #18 Costa Mesa, CA 92627 Yelp It seems like today’s food trends are all about novel mashups. Take your classic ice cream sandwich and use churros or donuts as a base. Cookies and a glass of milk? Why not meld the two into a cookie shaped cup filled with milk….
Otium
Otium 222 S. Hope St. Los Angeles, CA 90012 Yelp When the ex chef de cuisine of The French Laundry, Tim Hollingsworth, moves to LA to open shop people pay attention. It’s not too often the fine dining chops of a Michelin caliber restaurant lands in a city better known for its great ethnic eats and taco…
Kiyomizu
Kiyomizu 305 E. 4th St. #105 Santa Ana, CA 92701 Yelp I’ve heard so many great things about SUGARFISH’s sister restaurant, KazuNori, in DTLA. The hand rolls at SUGARFISH are some of the best I’ve ever tasted, so I assume KazuNori is the same. The perfectly roasted and deeply flavored nori is what really makes makes…
Yardbird
Yardbird 33-35 Bridges Street Sheung Wan Hong Kong High up on the to-try list for Hong Kong was Yardbird. It is known for its Japanese modern yakitori/izakaya fare. I had seen it on travel shows and Perpetually Underwhelmed and 3SB recommended the place. They had already nailed it with their recommendation of Yakiniku Great, so…
LA Time’s The Taste 2016: Dinner With a Twist
After the last food festivity at LA Food & Wine just a week ago, I didn’t think I would be hitting up any food festivals any time soon. But The Offalo’s instagram feed alerted me that the LA Times would be hosting its annual food festival, The Taste, very soon. I had been to the…
Overworked. Underfed. 