Subject:

Asian Food and Cooking

  • Food

    May 16, 2013

    Pho Quyen: Absolutely Sweet Little Saigon

    [Hole In the Wall] This Westminster spot makes good pho, but go for the to-go specials

  • Blogs

    May 8, 2013

    Sriracha-Flavored Lay's Loses To Cheesy-Garlic Bread Flavor in Potato Chip Contest

    In an upset victory, Cheesy Garlic Bread has triumphed over Sriracha in Lay's Potato Chips "Do Us A Flavor" contest. Short of saying that this might indicate that the Sriracha craze has finally ebbed, we actually never got to taste any of the three finalists...so Cheesy Garlic Bread might have actua ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 7, 2013

    On The Line: Hiro Noguchi Of Sushi Noguchi, Part One

    Hiro Noguchi may have required a translator to answer our questionnaire, but we shared a rapport over his omakase menu one afternoon. While skittish about dining on fresh coronet (pictured), it quickly became apparent that Noguchi would be our sushi hero, saving us from Americanized rolls and introd ... More >>

  • Food

    May 2, 2013

    Urban Seoul's Bulgogi Nation

    This Irvine restaurant is the latest Kogi knock-off, but it's a damn great one

  • Blogs

    April 30, 2013

    Mama Hong's, New Vietnamese Restaurant, Opens in Costa Mesa

    I've lost track of how many iterations of pho joint has occupied the space at 3013 Harbor Blvd. in Costa Mesa. A few years ago I ate at one called Pho 99, which at the time was part of a larger chain. That restaurant has since become a blip in the timeline, replaced by another pho restaurant. But w ... More >>

  • Food

    April 25, 2013

    Hue Oi: Boiling Down to the Basics

    This Hue-style joint is one of Little Saigon's best places for bánh bèo and bún bò hue

  • Blogs

    April 22, 2013

    Trader Joe's Now Has Its Own Sriracha

    See Also: *Five Signs You May Have A Sriracha Problem *Introducing Sriracha Lip Balm *INFOGRAPHIC: 10 Things You Should Know About Sriracha Trader Joe's has tried its hand at packaged Asian cuisine with varying levels of success. Its Punjab choley? Tasty. Its beef pho? Why?!But its ballsiest creati ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 18, 2013

    Long Beach Lunch: Number Nine

    Sorry to all the animal-lovers out there, but "vegetarian pho" is definitely an oxymoron, so much so that the very association of it with Long Beach's Number Nine has left many avoiding the place despite its convenient location on Fourth Street's Retro Row. But a recent lunch with a vegetarian broug ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 16, 2013

    Meiji Seimen, New Noodle Shop, Opens in Costa Mesa

    Costa Mesa is OC's ramen country. We know this for a fact. But ramen isn't the only noodle game in town. There's also soba and udon, to name just a few other slurpable options. But so far, if I recall correctly, there's only one notable from-scratch udon maker in town: Sanukiseimen at the Mitsuwa Ma ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 26, 2013

    Banh Mi Che Cali Opens Gigantic Restaurant in Fullerton Next To Lee's Sandwiches; Let The Banh Mi Battle Begin!

    A banh mi turf war is brewing in Fullerton. Banh Mi Che Cali, which we've written about here on these blogs and featured on our Best Of lists, Favorite Dishes lists, and lists of other lists, has opened what has to be their biggest, most gigantic store yet...and this one also serves pho in an a ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 25, 2013

    Eleven46, New Vietnamese Restaurant in Foothill Ranch, Offers Beignets!

    A new Vietnamese restaurant in isn't news, especially in South County, the new pho frontier. But a Vietnamese restaurant that serves beignets in South County? You don't see that everyday.

  • Blogs

    March 12, 2013

    Revolving Sushi Restaurant To Open in Fashion Island

    Up to now, the closest thing to a sushi bar you could get at Fashion Island was Hana Grill at the food court. Blue C Sushi will change this soon. It is a revolving sushi joint where the plates of sushi roll by on a conveyor belt, just as it does at all the other kaiten sushi restaurants in our count ... More >>

  • Food

    February 14, 2013

    Thanh Ha's Crepe Expectations

    The Vietnamese crepes at this Westminster restaurant are a worthy challenger to those at the venerable Van's Restaurant

  • Food

    February 7, 2013

    Buns N Rice: The Chosun Ones

    [Hole In the Wall] This Costa Mesa deli is slowly introducing office drones to Korean cuisine

  • Blogs

    February 6, 2013

    Long Beach Lunch: Sushi Boy

    The only cool thing about slaving all day at a computer buried inside one of the many faceless Irvine office parks is that one hour of freedom where you get to drive to the nearest retail corner and get a plastic plate full of fast casual ethnic food at lunch-special prices. In my glory days of boun ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 30, 2013

    Long Beach Lunch: Kabob Curry Indian and Pakistani Food

    India and Pakistan might be right next to each other on a map, but it's not often you see them listed together on a sign for a Long Beach restaurant, much less a small, Himilayan-salt obsessed one tucked away in a storefront just off Pine Avenue and Third Street. Originally lured into the Kabob Curr ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 25, 2013

    10 Things You Must Eat in Little Saigon

    In creating this list, I asked myself this question: Where would I take out-of-town visitors to explore the wonders of our Little Saigon? And what would I have them eat? In all honesty, I came up with more than you see below. My notepad is filled with at least a dozen more tasty bits I didn't have r ... More >>

  • Food

    January 24, 2013

    Pho Song Hai's Drip In Time

    [Hole In the Wall] This Westminster pho shop sells a unique type of the legendary chicken soup

  • Food

    January 10, 2013

    Soy Tofu: Tofu or Not Tofu

    This La Palma Korean dive serves soft tofu soup to warm your bones

  • Blogs

    January 9, 2013

    Long Beach Lunch: Long Beach Marché in the New Long Beach Airport Concourse

    Attention: the future of airport food is here. And the best part is, it's exactly like food in the real world, down to the prices and all. I discovered it on a casual travel day a few weeks after the Long Beach Airport's new $45 million concourse began hosting passengers in early December. Hearing a ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 28, 2012

    New Izakaya Opens In Fullerton

    There's a new izakaya in Fullerton. No, not Honda Ya. That's old news. Izakaya Kopan is taking over the spot of Red Chopsticks, a pho purveyor located next to the popular sushi joint Chomp at 141 E. Commonwealth Ave.

  • Food

    November 29, 2012

    Phuong Restaurant's Viet Funk

    [Hole In the Wall] This Garden Grove classic serves messy, wonderful bowls of soup and noodles

  • Blogs

    November 28, 2012

    Long Beach Lunch: Maru Maki Sushi

    The restaurants near the corner of Broadway and Alamitos Avenue are an intriguing slice of Long Beach life. LGBT-catering Hamburger Mary's butts up against Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles while the dive-y Irish pub Clancy's stares at Maru Maki Sushi across the street. Unfortunately, the tiny Japane ... More >>

  • Food

    November 1, 2012

    Chaba Thai: Second

    [Hole In the Wall] This Stanton Thai joint will use any edge to lure you from Thai Nakorn

  • Food

    October 25, 2012

    Ennar Calasian Grill Puts Japan in Little Saigon

    The new izakaya takes over Xanh Bistro's old space

  • Blogs

    October 25, 2012

    Who Invented The California Roll?

    For sushi novices, it's the gateway dish. The California roll can be found everywhere from grocery-store fresh-food aisles to cafeteria menus in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Typically packed with crab or imitation crab, avocado and cucumber, then rolled "inside out," the nonthreaten ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 10, 2012

    Long Beach Lunch: Taste of India

    Taste of India seems to be a catch-all name for West Coast Indian restaurants, like what Ray's is to New York pizza. But unlike all the Ray's that finally came together to form one franchise chain, the Long Beach Taste of India--a tiny corner storefront across from the Willow Blue Line station--rema ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 2, 2012

    On The Line: Geeta Bansal Of Clay Oven, Part One

    Geeta Bansal doesn't sit still. Her travel plans to visit chefs Europe are around the corner, and they've just finalized plans for another dinner collaboration-- and that's just for October. Most recently, they served wild boar at Taste of Newport. Plans to prep their signature Thanksgiving turkeys ... More >>

  • Food

    August 23, 2012

    The Mein Event: OC's Best Noodles

    Noodles, noodles everywhere, from pho to pad Thai and everything else

  • Food

    August 9, 2012

    Van's Restaurant Is Off the Wall

    [Hole In the Wall] This Little Saigon classic makes the best bánh xeo around—just prepare to get messy

  • Blogs

    July 31, 2012

    Three New Vietnamese Restaurants Open

    They always seems to come in bunches don't they: Vietnamese restaurants. In the past couple of weeks I've observed not one, not two but three new Vietnamese restaurants opening in our fair county. And those are just the ones I know about. Who knows what brand spanking, new businesses have sproute ... More >>

  • Food

    July 26, 2012

    KoKo Chicken and BBQ Is a Better KFC

    [Hole In the Wall] This Buena Park Korean pub makes the best fried chicken in Orange County

  • Food

    July 12, 2012

    MaDee Thai Kitchen Is the Lou Gehrig of Thai Cooking

    [Hole In the Wall] This Costa Mesa restaurant stays with the safe to be great

  • Food

    June 28, 2012

    Sit Like a Shogun at Honda-Ya

    The Tustin haunt brings its formidable brand and izakaya food to Fullerton

  • Blogs

    June 6, 2012

    Five Signs You May Have a Sriracha Problem

    When it comes to Sriracha love, almost anything goes. Sriracha lollipops, Sriracha keychains, Sriracha spray bottles--all accepted and applauded. But beware, cock sauce fiends--there is a line. Crossing it may lead to disastrous consequences (usually in the bathroom).  We're here to help. Here ... More >>

  • Food

    May 17, 2012

    Pho Bo Vang, Ann's Pho & Teriyaki and Maison de Pho and the Closing of the Pho Frontier

    A pho proliferation in South OC bodes well for the assimilation of Vietnamese food

  • Blogs

    May 11, 2012

    10 Great Thai Restaurants in Orange County (and Long Beach)

    For this list of ten great Thai restaurants, not only have I included those from Long Beach (a non-OC city that's always been under this paper's jurisdiction), but also some Thai-Cambodian, some Thai-Laotian, and even a Thai-sushi hybrid, because if variety is the spice of life, then why not even mo ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 25, 2012

    Allerto's Mexican-Indian Comida is All-Halal All The Time!

    Go to Allerto's if you're in the area, and you're craving Mexican and/or Indian food. Some might feel like they're making a pit stop on a road trip when entering the 24-hour restaurant. It's probably because it doubles up, with no barrier, to a gas station store. There are about a dozen small tables ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 9, 2012

    VIDEO: Ramen Gets Set on Fire at Kyoto Restaurant

    I just returned from an awesome trip to Japan, home of sakura blossoms, crazy vending machines, maid cafes, kawaii adorableness, Pocky and ramen--so much ramen. I slurped my weight in noodly goodness. Oh, pork broth and soft-boiled soy sauce egg, how I love thee. The most unique ramen experienc ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 6, 2012

    Ten Great Indian and South Asian Restaurants in Orange County

    What a shame the county line lies where it does; the best Indian restaurants in SoCal lie just five minutes from Buena Park, La Palma and Cypress, yet they're in Artesia, squarely in Squid Ink territory. Damn. Still, we have some good contenders, from Afghan to Southern Indian; it's just a tragedy t ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 30, 2012

    10 Great Japanese Restaurants in Orange County

    ​For this list of Japanese restaurants, we intentionally left out the sushi bars, because, well, we already did that list. We also shut out the ramen joints, teppanyakis, and yakinikus because, well, we still want to do those lists. But you can certainly have ramen and sushi, even a Californi ... More >>

  • Food

    March 15, 2012

    Namastey India Chaat Up the Haters

    [Hole In the Wall] This Buena Park Indian restaurant is leading the city's subcontinental renaissance

  • Blogs

    March 14, 2012

    On the Line: 'Sushi Dave' Fernandez of Sushi At the Venetian Gentlemen's Club, Part Two

    ​Our conversation continues, as Dave craves corned beef and pastrami across the street at Roscoe's Famous Deli. I realize this is probably his breakfast, lunch and even dinner (based on how busy he was in part one). If we didn't have places to be, I probably would've asked about the next destinati ... More >>

  • Food

    March 8, 2012

    Pho Binh Sells Vietnamese Taquitos?

    [Hole In the Wall] This Santa Ana restaurant sells pho, bun and other Vietnamese faves to a Latino clientele

  • Blogs

    February 24, 2012

    Ten Great Vietnamese Restaurants in Orange County

    ​Pity the other publications in the stable o' stallions that is Village Voice Media, because they have to come up with a list like this, too--and they don't have Little Saigon sitting smack dab in the middle of their publication area. How do we choose from the hundreds--yes, multiple hundreds--of ... More >>

  • Food

    February 23, 2012

    Ramen Yamadaya Offers Oink Noodle

    The first OC restaurant of this LA titan simmers the piggiest soup in Costa Mesa

  • Food

    February 17, 2012

    Huong Giang Is Hue Great

    [Hole In the Wall] This Little Saigon standard excels with the dishes of Central Vietnam

  • Blogs

    February 10, 2012

    Q&A With Jiro Dreams of Sushi Director David Gelb

    Magnolia Pictures​The other night, I had the chance to attend a Los Angeles screening of Jiro Dreams of Sushi, the documentary about 85-year-old Jiro Ono, who is considered by many to be the greatest sushi chef in the world. In a way, the film can be described as 81 minutes of food porn (that fatt ... More >>

  • Food

    January 26, 2012

    Hoa Sen Serves Cheatin' Chicken

    [Hole In the Wall] The Garden Grove Vietnamese dive sells fake meats even a Midwesterner could love

  • Blogs

    January 23, 2012

    Irvine Loses One Vietnamese Restaurant; Gains Another

    Edwin Goei​The latter half of last year saw three new Vietnamese restaurants opening in Irvine, with Pho So 1, La Pho, and Pho Saigon Pearl vying for the wallets and mouths of the rice noodle-slurping public. It continues this year as The Irvine Company revealed that at least one more Vietnamese r ... More >>

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