Subject:

Edwin Goei

  • Blogs

    February 7, 2011

    Drunk After Work: The Balcony Grill & Bar

    Edwin Goei​ The Place: The Balcony Grill & Bar, 2710 Alton Pkwy. Ste 215, Irvine, (949) 387-0888; thebalconygrill.com. The Hours: Drink specials, all day Sunday through Thursday. Open till 2 a.m.

  • Blogs

    February 3, 2011

    Dueling Dishes: Battle Strawberry Croissant

    Edwin GoeiCream Pan's Strawberry Croissant​Today, we pit two strawberry croissants from two local bakeries against each other. The defending champion is Cream Pan's famous strawberry croissant ($2.30): the one thing that trumps everything else it does, a pastry that sells out by the afternoon, it ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 1, 2011

    Guess Where I'm Eating, Win a Prize

    Edwin Goei​Where did I eat this burger, bun all crusted with seeds of sesame? Be the first to tell me correctly, and you'll win this week's prize (TBD) from Prize Patrol. Only one guess per person per comment. Good luck!

  • Blogs

    January 31, 2011

    Revisiting a Review: Myung Dong Kal Guk Su

    Edwin Goei​For months now, Myung Dong Kal Guk Su, the Korean knife-cut noodle peddler, has been doing fine at the location previously occupied by Jamillah Garden in Tustin. But recently in an effort to reel in more customers, they installed a banner advertising a lunch special that played fast an ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 28, 2011

    Eat Here, Not There: Hawaiian Food

    Edwin GoeiDa Luau's Island Chicken, a.k.a. Mochiko Chicken​Gross oversimplification alert: On this side of the Pacific, there are exactly three types of Hawaiian restaurants. First, you have the lunch-plate purveyors. Think L&L and its brethren at which Styrofoam containers groan under heavy l ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 21, 2011

    Eat Here, Not There: Ham-and-Cheese Croissant

    Edwin Goei​I don't think I've ever met a ham and cheese croissant I didn't like. Taken from our county's myriad of mom-and-pop donut shops, they're usually more like a ham-and-cheese danish: croissant dough folded into thick pillows, dense Danola-type ham tucked inside with cheese of indeterminat ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 11, 2011

    Another Sushi Restaurant to Open Where Another One Failed in Irvine. What's So Special About This One?

    Edwin Goei​In the space left behind by Aomatsu, once the closest sushi bar to UC Irvine, yet another sushi restaurant called Gatten is poised to enter. It's about now that you might wonder: Are these restaurateurs suffering from amnesia? Don't they remember the last restaurant that tanked also d ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 10, 2011

    Drunk After Work: Auld Dubliner

    Edwin GoeiThe Place: Auld Dubliner, 2497 Park Ave., Tustin, CA 92781, (714) 259-1562; www.aulddubliner.com. The Hours: 3-7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The Deal: $5 Guinness 20 ounce pints. $3.50 draft 16 ounce beer specials. $3 Coors Light & Miller Lite Bottles. $4 glass house wine, red ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 4, 2011

    Guess Where I Ate; Win A Prize!

    Edwin Goei​The ravioli is in the foreground, with a pizza in the background. But where did I eat these two dishes? Guess correctly, and you win a to-be-determined prize. One guess per comment per person. Good luck!

  • Blogs

    January 3, 2011

    New Okinawan Restaurant Replaces Teriyaki Bowl Joint in Tustin

    Edwin Goei​Teriyami, the teriyaki joint that Gustavo reviewed last March and featured in our 100 Favorite Dishes, is no more. A new restaurant called Habuya has moved in. This time the featured food is Okinawa-style Japanese. A sampling of dishes include omelets with Japanese bitter melon and eel ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 31, 2010

    Eat Here, Not There: Teriyaki Chicken Bowls

    Edwin Goei​The feature is called "Eat Here, Not There", but don't take this as a no confidence vote on Yoshinoya. In fact, I enjoy Yoshinoya's chicken. A lot.  It's all about that crispy skin, slips of concentrated poultry-ness, which after thorough dusting of togarashi, can take away all th ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 30, 2010

    Tustin's Curtain Call Dinner Theater Closed; Building For Lease

    Edwin Goei​It's curtains for Tustin's Curtain Call Dinner Theater. The 30-year-old institution took its final bow last month, and is now closed for good. On its marquee is a "For Lease" sign. I'm a bit late in posting this, only hearing about its shuttering a few weeks ago, never having the chan ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 29, 2010

    Alcoholic Chocolate Milk Now On Sale at Costco

    ​If this was the year of anything, it's the year of creative and not-so-creative alcohol-based products. You may have heard of Four Loko, the caffeinated alcoholic energy drink that became the subject of bans and dire FDA warnings. Then there was CREAM, the booze-infused whipped topping that our ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 28, 2010

    Guess Where I'm Eating; Win a Prize!

    Edwin Goei​ Where did I eat this meal, drink those drinks, and have a jolly good time? First one to guess correctly wins a prize and my kudos. One guess per person per comment. Good luck!

  • Blogs

    December 27, 2010

    Drunk After Work: Lucille's Smokehouse

    Edwin Goei​The Place: Lucille's Smokehouse, 2550 Park Ave.,, Tustin, (714) 259-1227. Also available at its other locations; check Lucille's website for addresses. The Hours: 3 p.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 p.m.-close all week. Available in the bar only The Deal: Appetizers from $1.95 ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 22, 2010

    Jollibee: A Reflection of Our Fast-Food Selves

    Edwin GoeiJollibee in Cerritos​With the announcement that Jollibee is slated to replace Chris & Pitts in Anaheim came a few xenophobic comments, not just here, but on other blogs. The irony, of course, is that Jollibee is more American than Filipino. Take a gander at the menu and it's as if ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 16, 2010

    A Hard-to-Beat Dinner Deal at Asian Tapas in Irvine

    Edwin Goei​ If you haven't tried Asian Tapas, our Best Of Issue winner for Best Chinese, this is the time to go (particularly if you're one of the ones that voted P.F. Chang's to win Reader's Choice). As I promised earlier this week in the Drunk After Work post on the Irvine restaurant, I a ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 15, 2010

    Edwin's Top Five Restaurants for 2010

    Kimberly Valenzuela​As that fictional cartoon critic in Ratatouille so succinctly put it, "In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment." The hardest part of the job (and even this isn't ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 14, 2010

    Guess Where I'm Eating; Win a Prize

    Edwin Goei​Guess correctly on where I had this dish of fried chicken (one of the better deep-fried hens I've tasted) and you win a prize from our Prize Patrol. One hint: the place isn't in South County. As always, one guess per comment per person. Good luck.

  • Blogs

    December 13, 2010

    Drunk After Work: Asian Tapas

    Edwin Goei​The Place: Asian Tapas, 6380 Irvine Boulevard, Irvine, (949) 651-8999; www.asian-tapas.com/. The Hours: Mon.-Fri. 5 p.m.-6:30 p.m. The Deal: All 16 ounce draft beers and domestic beers are $2.00 each, and all 16 ounce imported beers are $3.00 each. Prices on shochu and sake range bet ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 9, 2010

    Dueling Dishes: Fish and Chips

    Edwin Goei The Chippy You can get fish and chips just about anywhere. Pubs that also pour Guinness. Restaurants that also serve everything else. Jack in the Box. Today we will focus on the fast-food and food court variety. We pit the product produced by The Chippy, an Irvine food court denize ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 6, 2010

    Drunk After Work: Agora

    The Place: Agora, 1830 Main St., Irvine, (949) 222-9910; www.agorachurrascaria.com. The Hours: Daily 3-7 p.m.The Deal: $10-$12 caipirinhas, martinis and mojitos. $6-$10 wines by the glass. Only in the bar area: $9 for one trip to the hot food sides and salad bar. $4 for 3 small bites of churra ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 6, 2010

    Is This The Cheapest Non-Fast-Food Chicken Dinner in OC?

    Edwin GoeiLua Bistrot is too sleek for Little Saigon.  Among the neon-lit declarations of tackiness that surrounds it, Lua sticks out like a polished Porsche in a lot full of jalopies. You half expect James Bond to waltz in and rendezvous with a smoldering Russian spy. Yet ... More >>

  • Blogs

    November 30, 2010

    Guess Where I'm Eating; Win a Prize!

    Edwin Goei​ For this week's Guess Where contest, I'll give only one hint: 'neath those golden fried balls is cheese. That already should give away the dish, and if you know what it is, most likely you'll know where I had it. One guess per comment per person. Good luck!

  • Blogs

    November 29, 2010

    Drunk After Work: Ecco

    Edwin Goei​The Place: Ecco, 2937 Bristol St., Ste. A103, Costa Mesa, (714) 444-Ecco (3226); http://www.eccocm.com The Hours: 5-7 p.m.The Deal: $4-$8 appetizers. $3 domestic beers. $4 import beers. $6 well martinis. $4 well drinks. $5 house red or white wines by the glass. $10 cocktails.

  • Blogs

    November 15, 2010

    Le Napoleon Sells Cream Pan, But About the Spelling...

    Edwin Goei​It's no secret that most coffee houses source their pastries from elsewhere. Kean Coffee buys theirs almost exclusively from Pacific Whey Cafe. I'm sure other local java joints do the same. It's a symbiotic relationship as perfect as the pairing of their chosen specialties. What bet ... More >>

  • Blogs

    November 9, 2010

    Guess Where I'm Eating; Win A Prize!

    Edwin Goei​Same rule as always: one guess per comment per person. So where did I eat this succulent dish (hint: there are two kinds of pork and one kind of duck)? First one to guess correctly wins a yet-to-be-known prize from our Prize Patrol.

  • Blogs

    October 29, 2010

    OC Great Park Farmers Market Opens This Weekend...With Food Trucks

    Edwin Goei​What is anything these days without a whole bunch of food trucks. This post marks, I think, the third, maybe fourth, food truck gathering I've mentioned on the blog this week. The next happens Sunday, October 31 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., which also happens to be the inaugural launch of The ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 26, 2010

    Guess Where I Ate; Win a Prize!

    Edwin Goei​Where did I have this platter of food. Guess right and you win this week's prize. As always, one guess per comment per person. Good luck!UPDATE 10/27/2010: As you've no doubt noticed, our comment page is wonky. But the answers did come through for those of you who tried (even thoug ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 18, 2010

    The Capital Grille Opens Today in South Coast Plaza

    Edwin GoeiIf you haven't noticed, the building that was once The Clubhouse in South Coast Plaza has between split in two like a two-layer cake. The bottom layer is now Seasons 52, part of the East Coast chain that eschews butter and fry oil to keep their entrees at or under 475 calories.

  • Blogs

    October 18, 2010

    Drunk After Work: Wildfish Seafood Grille

    Edwin GoeiThe Place: Wildfish Seafood Grille, 1370 Bison Ave., Newport Beach, (949) 720-9925; eddiev.com. The Hours: Tues.-Sat., 4-7 p.m.; Sun.-Mon., 4-11 p.m.The Deal: $5-$8 appetizers. $6 wines by the glass. $6 Svedka Vodka martinis, mojitos, or margaritas.

  • Blogs

    October 15, 2010

    A Summary of Restaurant Closings For The Last Couple of Months

    Edwin Goei​Summarizing what's happened in a few months of restaurant closures in a list is a morbid, depressing task; but it is a duty we must do once in a while. With so many restaurants coming and going, I am not going to cover them all, and most times, there's already a new place ready to jump ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 14, 2010

    Random Picture Of The Day

    Edwin Goei This is a cheap shot, but I couldn't resist.  This street sign in Huntington Beach says it all in its

  • Blogs

    October 12, 2010

    Guess Where I Ate; Win a Prize!

    Edwin Goei​Time again for our weekly guessing game. Where was this picture taken? There are hints everywhere. So you won't be seeing me give any more. I wouldn't be surprised if we get a winner within the first five commenters. As always, one guess per comment per person. Good luck.

  • Blogs

    October 11, 2010

    Wacky Snacks: D'Onofrio Pezi Duri Lucuma Ice Cream

    Edwin GoeiName: D'Onofrio Pezi Duri Lucuma Ice Cream Origin: Peru Found at: Aji Limon, Buena Park Cost: $10 Ingredients: Water, Sugar, Hydrogenated Vegetable Fat, Milk Whey, Lucuma Flour, Milk Protein, Skimmed Milk, Glucose, Emulsifiers (Mono and diglycerides, Guar Gum, Garrofin Gum, Carragee ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 4, 2010

    Drunk After Work: Cucina Alessa

    Edwin GoeiThe Place: Cucina Alessa, 520 Main St., Huntington Beach, (714) 969-2148; www.cucinaalessa.com. The Hours: Mon.-Thurs., 3-6 p.m. & 9-10 p.m.; Fri., 3-6 p.m. & 9-11 p.m.; Sat., 9-11 p.m.; Sun., 9-10 p.m.The Deal: $4 antipasti. $6 pizza marghertia or beef carpaccio. $3 draft ( ... More >>

  • Blogs

    September 28, 2010

    Guess Where I Ate; Win a Prize!

    Edwin GoeiOnly clue I will give this week is already in the picture, that is, what is in the background. Where did I eat this cake? Guess right and you win a prize. One comment per person per comment. Good luck!

  • Blogs

    September 27, 2010

    Wacky Snacks: Bourbon Kikori No Kiri Kabu

    Edwin GoeiName: Bourbon Kikori No Kiri Kabu Origin: Japan Found at: Freshia, Tustin Cost: $2.49 Ingredients: Sugar, Wheat Flour, Milk Powder, Cacao Mass, Shortening, Palm Oil, Cocoa Butter, Lactose, Wheat Meal, Wheat Germ, Lactose, Wheat Bran, Creaming Powder (Milk, Cream, Lactose, Butter), H ... More >>

  • Blogs

    September 22, 2010

    Last Night at The Cupcake Showdown OC

    Edwin GoeiClick here to see the slideshow!Last night, inside an unmarked warehouse deep-set in Fountain Valley's furniture row, a party happened. A party centered around cupcakes. The Cupcake Showdown OC, an event that seemed to come out of nowhere, brought the crowds, a line out the door, th ... More >>

  • Blogs

    September 21, 2010

    Guess Where I Ate; Win A Prize!

    Edwin Goei Where did I eat this? What is it? Well, it's pork belly, of course. Only hint I'll give is that it is considered a first course at this establishment. Winner gets a prize from our Prize Patrol (it changes every week). One guess per person per comment. Good luck!

  • Blogs

    September 20, 2010

    Wacky Snacks: Nestlé Yorkie

    Edwin Goei​Name: Nestlé Yorkie Origin: U.K. Found at: Cost Plus, Santa Ana Cost: $1.49 Ingredients: Sugar, Dried whole milk, Cocoa butter, Cocoa mass, Vegetable fat, Lactose and proteins from whey, Whey Powder, Emulsifiers (Soya lecithin, E476), Butterfat, May contains traces of ... More >>

  • Blogs

    September 20, 2010

    Drunk After Work: Ws China Bistro

    Edwin GoeiThe Place: Ws China Bistro, 17585 Harvard Ave. Suite A., Irvine, CA 92614, (949) 757-1588; http://www.wschinabistro.com. The Hours: Saturday & Sunday 12 p.m.-6 p.m.; Monday-Friday 4 p.m.-7 p.m.; Thursday 4 p.m.-9 p.m. The Deal: $3-$6 appetizers. $8 entrees. $4 beer. $4 wine. $5 ... More >>

  • Blogs

    September 14, 2010

    Guess Where I Ate; Win A Prize!

    Edwin Goei​ The clue for this week's Guess Where I Ate restaurant is that it is Japanese. Now what Japanese restaurant did I enjoy this dish of scallop and zucchini stir fry. As usual, only one guess per person per comment. Good luck!

  • Blogs

    September 13, 2010

    Wacky Snacks: SamYang Topokki - Red Pepper Paste Dipped Snack

    Edwin GoeiName: SamYang Topokki - Red Pepper Paste Dipped Snack Origin: Korea Found at: H-Mart, Garden Grove Cost: $0.79

  • Blogs

    September 9, 2010

    LA Times: A Sizzler and Subway Food Truck?!

    Edwin Goei​How do we know when this whole food truck thing has officially gone off the rails? When Sizzler and Subway get into the game. In an LA Times article today about the continuing phenomena that Kogi started, reporter Sharon Bernstein writes that Sizzler and Subway are planning food tr ... More >>

  • Blogs

    September 7, 2010

    Guess Where I Ate; Win a Prize!

    Edwin GoeiWhere did I eat this? Guess correctly and you win a prize. Only one guess per comment per person. I'll give another hint when it seems no one's getting it. Good luck!

  • Blogs

    September 6, 2010

    Drunk After Work: Opah

    Edwin GoeiThe Place: Opah at Town Center, 26851 Aliso Creek Rd., Ste. C, Aliso Viejo, (949) 360-8822; www.opahrestaurant.com. Opah at the Marketplace, 13122 Jamboree Rd., Irvine, (714) 508-8055;www.opahrestaurant.com. The Hours: Sun.-Thurs., 4-6:30 p.m.; Fri.-Sat. 9-11 p.m. The Deal: $6 marti ... More >>

  • Blogs

    August 31, 2010

    Schwarzenegger And Crew Get A Boiling Crab Of Their Own

    Edwin Goei Most people around these parts are well aware of the success of Boiling Crab. It is one of the breakout out stars from Little Saigon that begat competitors aplenty since they opened in 2003. 

  • Blogs

    August 31, 2010

    Guess Where (And What) I Ate; Win a Prize!

    Edwin Goei To win this week's contest, you must tell me both what the dish pictured is called and where I ate it. For this city whose motto is "a nice place to live and work..." (and where this week's restaurant can be found) I think I must also add "to eat". (That was a hint.) As usual, one g ... More >>

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