Orange County - Best of Orange County

Thanks to Chef Haley Nguyen, You Can Believe the Hype About Xanh Bistro

By EDWIN GOEI, February 04, 2010

The X FactorThanks to Chef Haley Nguyen’s personal touch, you can believe the hype about Xanh BistroWhen H.L. Mencken coined that... More >>

[Hole in the Wall] Al Amir Bakery Rises Again in Anaheim

By Gustavo Arellano, February 04, 2010

Al Amir RisingIsn’t it time already that Anaheim’s Little Arabia district was officially designated? The area around Brookhurst... More >>

Valhalla Table's Sausage House Concept Comes From LA, but the Most Inspired Items Hail From Indonesia

By EDWIN GOEI, January 28, 2010

A Special CasingValhalla Table’s sausage house concept largely comes from LA, but the most-inspired items hail from IndonesiaJust in case... More >>

[Hole in the Wall] On Rooster Cafe's Breakfast Burritos and the Passing of Glen Bell

By Gustavo Arellano, January 28, 2010

Thinking Outside the Taco Bell-BashingWe interrupt this regularly scheduled review to wax a bit on the passing of Taco Bell founder Glen Bell.... More >>

Il Dolce Has Mastered the Sweet Art and Science of Pizza Making

By EDWIN GOEI, January 21, 2010

How Sweet It IsIf you know pizza, you’ll know that Il Dolce offers some of the tastiest and most authentic pies aroundWho doesn’t... More >>

[Hole in the Wall] Genghis Khan Is Like Most Other Mongolian Barbecues, Only More So

By Gustavo Arellano, January 21, 2010

The Same, Only More SoOut of all the cuisines cooked in Orange County restaurants, the easiest to review is also, paradoxically, the hardest:... More >>

Get In With the In Crowd at Ohshima Japanese Cuisine

By EDWIN GOEI, January 14, 2010

The In CrowdIf you want to enjoy the raw and cooked bliss on offer at Ohshima Japanese Cuisine, call ahead, so you can waltz past the throng of... More >>

[Hole in the Wall] Gnarly Nayaritan at Mariscos Los Corales in Santa Ana

By Gustavo Arellano, January 14, 2010

Gnarly NayaritanAcross Orange County, you’ll see restaurants claiming to specialize in mariscos estilo Nayarit—seafood prepared in... More >>

Get Your Meat and Potatoes, Deutschland-style, at La Habra's Continental Deli

By EDWIN GOEI, January 07, 2010

Ich Bin Ein La Habra-erGet your prepared meats and potato salad, Deutschland-style, at the hard-to-find Continental DeliLest the rest of OC... More >>

[Hole In the Wall] Build Your Own Pinoy-Mexican Mash-Ups at Adobo & Tacos in Orange

By Gustavo Arellano, January 07, 2010

Longaniza With Your Taco?Sometimes, culinary mash-ups just don’t work. I think it’s safe to say that pineapple on pizza has proved a... More >>

Don't Let Crustacean's Glitzy Reputation Scare You Away From AnQi

By EDWIN GOEI, December 24, 2009

Shell GameDon’t let Crustacean’s glitzy reputation scare you away from the fun, inventive fare at AnQiLet’s just say my visit... More >>

[Hole in the Wall] Korean-Chinese Fusion Fun Time at Young Pung

By Gustavo Arellano, December 24, 2009

Korean-Chinese Fusion Fun Time!Little Seoul needs your help. On a recent weekday night, Orange County’s original Korean district was... More >>

Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour Is an Assault on the Senses, Sensibilities and Sentimentality

By EDWIN GOEI, December 17, 2009

A Farrell’s of FunCan your cynical veneer withstand the assault on the senses, sensibilities and sentimentality that is... More >>

[Hole in the Wall] Goat Love, Zacatecas-Style, at Birriería Nochistlán

By Gustavo Arellano, December 17, 2009

Goat Love, Zacatecas-StyleThe Mexican state of Zacatecas occupies the same status as Colombia in the county’s culinary scene: Despite... More >>

House of Kabob's Persian Rice: The Lake Forest and Irvine Treat

By EDWIN GOEI, December 10, 2009

Rice-IranianHouse of Kabob’s sublime Persian rice used to be just a Lake Forest treat, but now it’s in Irvine, tooIs there any... More >>

[Hole In the Wall] What a Hue to Eat at Quan Vy Da

By Gustavo Arellano, December 10, 2009

What a Hue to EatI have a Vietnamese friend who hates it whenever I review his culture’s cuisine—not because he wants to keep... More >>

Studio at the Montage Has Perfected Fine Dining

By EDWIN GOEI, December 03, 2009

The Studio SystemFrom the spectacular setting to the flawless service to the stellar menu, Studio at the Montage Resort has perfected the art of... More >>

[Hole in the Wall] Tacos On the Hard Shell at Tom's Tacos

By Gustavo Arellano, December 03, 2009

A Thousand Gabachos Can’t Be Wrong, Can They?I’d recommend dozens of restaurants before Tom’s Tacos in Anaheim, but... More >>

Mark Norris Capitalizes On the Comfort-Food Craze With Crispins

By EDWIN GOEI, November 26, 2009

Comfort ShrewdThe stick-to-your ribs entrées and homey desserts mostly shine at Mark Norris’ well-conceived Crispins, but the... More >>

[Hole In the Wall] The Cheap Japanese Fare at Miyabi-Tei Is Your Chopstick-Ready Stimulus Plan

By Gustavo Arellano, November 26, 2009

The Curry That Does You a FavorSantouka Ramen gets all the love from foodies among the stalls in Costa Mesa’s Mitsuwa Marketplace, but... More >>

The Northern Chinese Fare at Asian Tapas Isn't Really Tapas, But It Is Delectable

By EDWIN GOEI, November 19, 2009

You Got Your Tapas In My Chinese Food!While the gimmicky name isn’t entirely accurate, the Northern Chinese fare at Asian Tapas is... More >>

[Hole in the Wall] Burger (and Patty Melt) Heaven

By Gustavo Arellano, November 19, 2009

Hamburger (and Patty Melt) HeavenAs hamburger stands age, switch owners and weather changing demographics over the decades, the menus usually... More >>

While Trawling for Casual-Dining Customers, Fish Grill Factory Needs Better Bait

By EDWIN GOEI, November 12, 2009

Fishing for ComplimentsWhile trawling for casual-dining customers who might otherwise go to California Fish Grill, the similarly named Fish Grill... More >>

[Hole in the Wall] Middle Eastern Pizza at Forn Al Hara in Anaheim

By Gustavo Arellano, November 12, 2009

Middle Eastern Pizza!Arab OC collectively wailed earlier this year when a fire destroyed Al Amir Bakery, one of only two restaurants in Orange... More >>

Javier's Cantina & Grill Gets Bested

By EDWIN GOEI, November 05, 2009

Bested!In which two food writers decide to check out our readers’ assertion that Javier’s is OC’s best restaurantWe may never... More >>

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