Kamameshi at Kappo Hana (Orange County, CA)

In Southern Orange County (south of Irvine), authentic izakaya-esque Japanese restaurants are a rare find with authentic Japanese flavors.  After trying many restaurants in this area, many were decent but still tended to favor Americanized flavors.  Discovering Kappo Hana (http://www.kappohana.com/ ) in Laguna Hills, a sort of "hole in the wall restaurant" in a small plaza was like finding a gem for a foodie like myself.

Kappo Hana is a restaurant that specializes in Kamameshi.  What is kamameshi?  It is a rice dish served in an individual sized pot over a stand where a small "fire" cooks the mixed rice with various meats or proteins (chicken, seafood, mixed/combination, clams, eel/unagi).

Kamameshi pot

I found this picture below that demonstrates the specialized preparation process:

I have tried both the unagi (eel) kamameshi and the mixed (chicken/seafood) kamameshi on two different occasions and both were delicious.  The first time, I was too hungry and intrigued to capture the picture but took more efforts the second time to take the pictures below.  

Mixed (seafood / chicken) Kamameshi

You can order it ala carte which contains the individual rice dish with miso soup, which is already plenty for one person.  It can also be upgraded to the dinner course which includes the egg custard, sashimi, appetizers and dessert.

Be prepared to wait at least 20 minutes for the kamameshi to cook.  Don't worry, there are plenty of other appetizers and menu options available to help fill up some hunger cravings while waiting. Again, I was too hungry to capture pictures of the appetizers (clams and yellowtail collar).  I did snap a picture of the nabeyaki udon though.  Next time, I will be more prepared!

Nabeyaki Udon

Kappo Hana also offers a special Japanese menu course (6-8 dishes) called Hana Keisi with 3 different options: A $45, B$60 and C$75.  This must require reservations are required at least 3 days in advance.  I was intrigued by the Hana Keisi menu and will definitely write a post if and when this occurs!

Have you tried kamameshi or hana keisi?  Let me know!

Stacks Pancake House

This place is the bomb dot com! There are two locations in Southern Orange County... in Mission Viejo and Dana Point.

This breakfast spot that is delicious enough to wake up early on a weekend and get out of bed on a cold morning for. And so will many others... You will be able to see a line of locals peeking from the door. Don't be afraid of the long line because this is due to lag of ordering and 1 cash register, there are actually a lot of seats inside.  This is a casual "pay first, then grab seats"... they give you a # which u bring to your table.  TIP: if you come with 2 or more people, 1 person can order and another person can find a table.

Things tried in my first visit:

Loco Moco - comes with Portuguese sausage, two eggs, fried rice (

Side of breakfast potatoes

There are a lot of great sweet (e.g. Macadamia pancakes, waffles) and savory (e.g. Loco moco, omelettes) options. Ordered the loco moco (comes with Portuguese sausage, egg, fried rice), Kailua pork omelette (comes with side of stack of 3 pancakes), and a side of potatoes... Recommend!

Stack of 3 pancakes - comes with omelette

Kailua pork omelette

Great prices, large portions, and friendly atmosphere... Definitely will be back to try the other options, especially the famous banana macadamia nut pancakes and kalbi plate!

Price: $
Rating: 5 of 5
Service: 5 of 5
Recommend: Yes

Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot

This is Shabu / hot pot, and not your typical Mongolian BBQ associated with Mongolian cuisine. The soup broth (can choose spicy or non-spicy) is quite unique ... It is delicious and very flavorful due to numerous asian herbs brewing in the soup base ($3.75/broth for each person)!

Non-spicy & spicy soup broth

Lamb and beef combo ($~11) - thin slices of meat absorbs the flavorful broth well. Not the best meat quality and can get a little tough in texture.

Lamb + beef combo

Soft tofu and spongy tofu are great additions, especially the spongy tofu which easily soaks up the soup broth. Veggies such as Napa and spinach adds more sweetness to the soup base. Unfortunately, the veggies didn't come out until the very end after all the meat, tofu, rice and noodle had already been consumed.

From the sauce bar 

(garlic, green onions, parsley, assorted sauces)

** TIP: I would come back for the lunch special, which is a great deal.   Mon-Fri, for $9.95  Comes with meat, an assortment of veggies, and noodles.  You can always order additional veggie/meat/fish balls etc. if desired.  (The lunch special isn't offered year-round... double check/call to see if your location is offering the special.)

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Cost: $$$ (depends on what you choose to add... trust me, it will all add up!)

Service: 1.5 out of 5 
Service - 1.5 out of 5. 15min after ordering, the meat came first. The rice, noodle, and tofu didn't come until 20-30min later, so it was unbalanced just eating meat for the first half hour. After asking 3 separate waiters, they still forgot the orders of veggies. It wasn't brought out until a few minutes after asking for the check, and by then the meal was already coming to an end.

Recommend: Yes  - for the lunch special

The Best Chinese Beef Noodle Soup in Orange County / Los Angeles

Believe me when I say that I have tried more than my fair share of beef noodle soups in the Orange County AND in the Los Angeles area.  Since beef noodle soup is OC Foodie's boyfriend's #1 favorite food, we have dined at countless restaurants to find the tastiest beef noodle soups in Southern California.  Listed below are only the places that I remember that have made an impression, and I'm sure there are many restaurants we have ordered beef noodle soup but didn't pass the average test.

The end result?  This may be one of the most comprehensive lists and reviews of beef noodle soup restaurants in the OC/LA area.  And as we try more places, this post will probably have to be updated every so often!  (Many of these places were tried before I started this blog... apologies for lack of pics.)

In order (from low to high):

• 88 Beef Noodle (Arcadia, CA) -> Rating:  3 out of 5 
• A&J Restaurant (Irvine, CA and Arcadia, CA) -> Rating:  3 out of 5 
• 101 Noodle Express (Irvine, CA) -> Rating:  3 out of 5 
• Tasty Noodle House (Irvine, CA) -> Rating:  3 out of 5 
• I-Tea Cafe (Irvine, CA) -> Rating:  3 out of 5 
• Phoenix Food Boutique (Arcadia, CA) -> Rating:  3 out of 5 
• Luscious Dumpling (Monrovia, CA)-> Rating:  3 out of 5 
• Tofu King (Irvine, CA and Arcadia, CA) -> Rating:  3.5 out of 5 
• Sinbala (Arcadia, CA)  -> Rating:  3.5 out of 5
• Dai Ho Restaurant (Temple City, CA)  -> Rating:  4 out of 5
• Capital Noodle Bar (Irvine, CA)  -> Rating:  4 out of 5
• Class 302 Cafe (Irvine, CA) -> Rating:  4 out of 5
• Din Tai Fung (Costa Mesa, CA and Arcadia, CA) -> Rating:  4 out of 5
• O'shine Taiwanese Cafe (Tustin, CA) -> Rating:  4.5 out of 5
• Bull Demon King Cafe (Rosemead, CA) -> Rating:  4.5 out of 5
• King Chops (Irvine, CA) -> Rating:  4.5 out of 5
• Noodle King (Alhambra, CA) -> Rating:  4.5 out of 5
• Monja Taiker (Rowland Heights, CA) -> Rating:  4.5 out of 5

And the winner is.... 

Spicy beef and tendon noodle soup

• Chef Hung Taiwanese Beef Noodle (Irvine, CA) !!  -> Rating:  5 out of 5.  

I had done my research and browsed their website before deciding to try this restaurant.  I am always hesitant to venture out to the super busy (and very difficult to find parking) Diamond Jamboree plaza. I have to admit, the description instantly caught my eye... "Award winning Taiwanese beef noodle soup!" I was already in the mood for trying a new restaurant and after reading this on their website, I was suckered and convinced into trying this place.  

The soup broth was very rich and flavorful, the beef and tendons were tender, and the noodles seem to be handmade with the perfect amount of chewy-ness.  This is by far the best beef noodle soup I've had (and I've tried quite many places)!

Spicy wontons

Another dish that I usually order are the spicy wontons, which were good but didn't deliver like the beef noodles did. (Best spicy wontons would have to go to Noodle King.)  The bean curd side dish ($4) was skimpy and dry and unfortunately not quite as good as any of the other restaurants above.  

For a bowl of beef noodle soup (range from $7-10), the price of ~$11-12 is definitely the most priciest so far. But after trying out the very comprehensive list of restaurants (and there may be a few I may not remember or did not make an impression), this has been the best so far and I will be coming back!  

BCD Tofu House (Korean)

 

One of my very first Korean food experiences was at BCD Tofu House in K-Town, Los Angeles.  It takes me way back to my undergrad college days where friends introduced me my first soon tofu where we cracked raw eggs into steamy pots of steamy spicy tofu soup.


As I entered the BCD location in the busy Diamond plaza in Irvine, I had a sense of nostalgia as I looked at the familiar sign.  I also caught a glimpse of a sign that said it was open "24 hours" which is pretty crazy for such a popular restaurant.  Thoughts of being able to get some delicious food at 11pm or even 2am crossed my mind...

Side dishes

Side dishes - small fried fish

I ordered the soon tofu (of course!) with seafood since I have been imaging the taste of >8-10 years ago.  It came with rice in steaming stone pots and a decent amount of side dishes (Kim Chee, radish, fish cake, salad, potato salad) including a small fried fish which was a nice surprise.   Thinking back, I remember my friend had saved this fish to bring back to the dorms to enjoy later as a snack.  The kim he also included 1 Raw oyster, which was unexpected (thus, confirmed with waitress they intended for it to be in there). 

Steamed rice

Seafood soon tofu soup

The soup came out bubbling.  Raw eggs were provided to crack into the hot steaming earthen pots of soup. My seafood tofu soup (soondubu) was good as I had remembered, but not too hearty or filling as it could've been.  Perhaps the K-town location was more generous or times may have changed, but there were only  a few pieces of squid, a couple wimpy shrimp and clams. 

Prices were fair (although a few dollars more than it had been back in the day) and I would come back if craving Korean foods at odd times considering this is open all day!

Rating: 4 out of 5

Cost: $$

Service: 4 out of 5 
Recommend: Yes  

National Ice Cream Day - Mochi Ice Cream

Happy national ice cream day everyone!  Even though it is very cold, gloomy and raining from summer thunderstorms (yes, in California), I will still be celebrating with scoops and scoops of ice cream - Mikawaya's mochi ice cream.

Mikawaya has a home store in Little Tokyo in Los Angeles,CA with a wide assortment of (natural) flavors, but this will take over an hour commute.  Asian markets such as Mitsuwa and even Zion Market are much closer and carry some of the more exotic flavors including my favorite black sesame (and red bean which is a close second), tiramisu and plum.  Each box is ~$3-4 and contain 6 pieces.

Black Sesame Mochi (my #1 favorite, two thumbs up)

For even more convenient access, my local Trader Joe's carries a few limited flavors (green tea, strawberry, mango and chocolate) for a set price of $3.49.  My local Ralph's also carries a few flavors but retails for ~$5-6, so I am more than willing to drive the extra mile to TJs where I can pick up ~2 boxes for the price of 1.

Green Tea, Mango, Strawberry, Chocolcate Mochi

Since I picked up 3 boxes of mochi, I resisted the temptation to pick up some of TJ's coffee ice cream or other goodies.  Trust me, it took a lot of willpower.

Lots of ice cream options at TJs

Mango, Green Tea, Black Sesame

 I celebrated with some black sesame, mango and green tea mochi ice cream... Hooray for national ice cream day (aka great excuse to run out and buy more ice cream)!

Tomikawa Sushi Bar - Reverse Happy Hour (Irvine, CA)

Since my pots and pans were still in moving boxes, I used it as a good excuse to go on another late night dinner adventure.  It was ~840pm and many restaurants were closing soon at 9pm.  Luckily, Tomikawa Sushi Bar in the Cypress Village Shopping Center was still open till 10:30 so there was plenty of time to eat and even better, they have a reverse happy hour starting from 8:30 until closing.  

Tomikaya Sushi Bar had very trendy, modern decor with bar seating with TVs for sports as well as high tables and also table booth seating.  It was packed with diners even at this later hour (including families with children) who were also taking advantage of the Happy Hour menu.  

There was an assortment of sake, Japanese beer, wine and martini options to unwind with on the late night happy hour :

Reverse Happy Hour Food/Dessert Menu

Reverse Happy Hour Drinks Menu

Large Sapporo Beer 22oz ($5.95, vs $7.95 full price)

In addition to the sushi rolls, there were many sushi and sashimi choices including sea urchin (uni), tuna, salmon and albacore.  Not the best sushi/sashimi but was very well priced for HH (~$3 for 2 pieces).

Albacore (Saba) and Salmon Sushi ($3 for 2 pieces vs. $6 full price)

There were also appetizers options, and the salmon kama (collar) that I ordered came out well cooked and juicy.  It came with a ponzu sauce concoction on the side, but I didn't need it since it was already delicious on its own.

Salmon Collar ($4.95 vs. $6.95 full price)

The sushi rolls were actually a full roll (not half roll as with some HH promotions), but smaller in size than a typical roll.  Pretty decent quality and quantity considering the price and value.

Rainbow Roll ($7.50 vs. $10.95 full price)

Heart Attack Roll ($4.95 vs $7.95 full price)

Also ordered the nabeyaki udon (not on the happy hour menu).  The hot udon came out in an earthen pot and was very tasty, although not in the traditional sense as served in izakaya-type places. Comes with shrimp tempura, chicken, egg and assorted veggies.

Nabeyaki Udon (~$10, not on reverse HH)

The reverse happy hour menu was pretty extensive considering they have a lot of options for drinks, appetizers, sushi and sashimi, sushi rolls and desserts.  You could pretty much order drinks, appetizers, entrees and desserts solely based on the reverse HH menu, which I'm sure some sushi-loving families were there for (minus the alcoholic HH drinks).  For all the items that I ordered (which was quite a lot even for 2 people), the bill was only ~$40 (including the non-HH nabeyaki udon).  This would also be a great place for a group of friends and co-workers, and I will definitely be back for the reverse HH especially for the salmon kama! 

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Cost: $ (for reverse HH)

Service: 4 out of 5 (even though it was busy for HH our server was very attentive)

Recommendation: Yes (but can't speak for non-HH)