As with a lot of pho places in OC’s Little Saigon neighborhood, Long Beach’s Pho Hong Phat doesn’t look like much from the outside. And given the restaurant’s location near the intersection of Anaheim Street and Redondo Avenue, as well as the city’s ongoing street-construction efforts, the parking situation pretty much sucks. (Locals in the […]
Food Reviews
Higo Sushi’s Chef Opens Peruvian Restaurant Higo Chicken in La Habra
It was Saturday night at Higo Chicken. The small dining room was at capacity; the wait list, a half-dozen deep. As I stood there twiddling my thumbs, I saw one of the cooks at the stove. Flicking his wrist, he tossed ingredients around in his wok as flames erupted in bursts. And as he coaxed […]
Chef Ryan Adams’ Parallel Pizzeria Offers a Slice of Haven
Parallel Pizzeria’s pies are different from any other I’ve had in Orange County, and that’s a good thing. First, there’s the shape: They’re more oval than round. Second, they’re not sliced into triangular wedges. Instead, the cuts are made in, yes, parallel lines so that the pieces are rectangular, like at Little Caesar’s. Parallel’s pizzas […]
Quan Bun Co Giao Thao in Garden Grove Has a Dish That’s Horrible to Smell, But Wonderful to Eat
If you weren’t born or bred in Southeast Asia, then bun dau mam tom is something of an acquired taste. Served at Quan Bun Co Giao Thao in Garden Grove, the dish involves a sauce made from a fermented shrimp paste that can be best described as Vegemite with B.O. To put it mildly, mam […]
Eat Great Fish and Chips at Circle Hook as You Take in the Newport Harbor Scenery
There are currently four restaurants at Lido Marina Village, the revamped dockside mall that seems to be the epicenter of everything new and chic in Newport Beach these days. Of those four, Circle Hook is the only one that offers counter service. Beneath the words “Order Here” is a big opening through which you can […]
San Francisco-Based Food Truck KoJa Kitchen Opens a Brick-and-Mortar in Tustin
Even if I didn’t know that KoJa Kitchen started in 2011 as a food truck in San Francisco, it would’ve been obvious the minute I saw the menu. Here lies all the hallmarks of food-truck cuisine: fries drenched with toppings and Asian ingredients wrapped in Mexican tortillas. Of course, it all goes back to Kogi, […]
Wild Goose Tavern Owners Open Playa Mesa With the Sous Chef From Taco María in the Kitchen
The first thing I noticed upon walking into Playa Mesa was its pastel-colored warmth. Since I knew the restaurant was the latest from owners Mario Marovic and Andrew Gabriel—the partners responsible for the Country Club and Wild Goose Tavern—I wasn’t expecting it. Their style is more dark and slightly claustrophobic. In contrast, Playa Mesa feels […]
Ooak Kitchen in Buena Park Offers Vegetarian Dim Sum
When people ask me where to find vegetarian dim sum, I tell them it’d be easier to locate an Indian steakhouse or a healthy KFC. Dim sum, by its nature, is not vegetarian. Even if you avoid all the usual dumplings that have pork and shrimp as main ingredients, you’d still encounter pork fat or […]
370 Common Chef’s ‘Fried Chicken Sundays’ Is Spun Off as Buttermilk Fried Chicken in Orange
It’s been around seven years since chef Ryan Adams shook up the Laguna Beach dining scene with family-style suppers at 370 Common. Called “Sunday Socials,” they were supposed to be evocative of meals at home, with everyone at the table and the TV off. On those nights, Adams and crew cooked only one main dish […]
Pan y Vino Brings Sangria and Spanish Tapas to Balboa Peninsula
Before going to Pan y Vino on Balboa Peninsula, it might be wise to consider the time of year. Right now, during the height of summer, this area can get as crowded as Disneyland on July 4. But since it’s located on a thin strip of land that has only one way in and one […]
JA Jiaozi in Irvine Stands Up to Inevitable Comparisons to Din Tai Fung
It’s hard to talk about JA Jiaozi without comparing it to Din Tai Fung. Outwardly, there are obvious similarities. Both give you a paper checklist onto which you scribble your order. Both focus on handmade dumplings, which are born from raw dough and crimped using nothing more than rolling pins, nimble fingers and patience. Heck, […]
Does Laguna Hills’ Le Peep Measure Up in a Town Ruled by Breakfast Champs the Snooty Fox and Break of Dawn?
It may be to Le Peep’s detriment that it opened in Laguna Hills, the territory of the Snooty Fox and Break of Dawn, both of which, in my opinion, have not only set the high bar for breakfast joints in Orange County, but also become indelible landmarks that designate this city to be more than […]
The Q Joint in Costa Mesa Smokes the Competition
In Texas, Missouri and Tennessee, barbecue tends to happen when you least expect it. You can be driving, minding your own business, when the aroma of brisket suddenly wafts into your open window. I’ve gone to those states specifically to eat barbecue at restaurants such as Pecan Lodge in Dallas’ Deep Ellum; Killen’s in Pearland, […]
Grandpa’s Kitchen—Dry Noodles 168 Serves a Soupless Version of Pho
Grandpa’s Kitchen—Dry Noodles 168 has a dish I’ve neither seen nor tasted before in Little Saigon. On the menu, it’s called “Grandpa’s Dry Noodles,” but the Vietnamese translation, pho khô, reveals what it really is: the soupless version of pho. To put it another way, it’s a deconstruction of the noodle soup that has become […]
Eat This Now: Cookies & Dream at Drill’d Ice Cream
There’s the old quip that “sex is like pizza; even when it’s bad it’s still pretty good.” And the same can be said for ice cream. Whether you’re down for a little somethin’ quick and easy at the corner Thrifty’s or down for a three way between you and Ben and Jerry, ice cream is […]
Miss Shabu Brings the All-You-Can-Eat Shabu Shabu Experience to New Levels
I begin this review at the end, when our waiter, a chummy chap named Phil, dropped off the check and with it plastic cups of a sweet slushed-ice dessert called sikhye. I didn’t expect the icy treat, nor did I know it was part of Miss Shabu’s all-you-can-eat shabu shabu price, but after nearly two […]
Channeling Bob’s Burgers, Graze in Santa Ana Does a Great Black Garlic Burger
The first thing I thought of when I saw that Graze—the new 4th Street Market vendor—had a burger with black garlic in it was Bob’s Burgers. If you’re a fan of the show, as I am, you’ll remember that black garlic was what our greasy but earnest burger maker used as a secret ingredient during […]
Mamón Hillside Eatery Serves Comfort Food With Hints of Inka Mama’s Peruvian Flavor
It may not be obvious, but the new restaurant Mamón Hillside Eatery, located just a few doors down from the Inka Mama’s flagship location in Foothill Ranch, is also a Peruvian restaurant. Well, sort of. There are hints of Peru everywhere, but only if you’re paying attention. I’m pretty sure I saw bottles of Inka […]
Hook & Anchor Elevates Fast-Casual Seafood in Newport Beach
Around four years ago, I ate at the exact spot I’m writing about today. I was reviewing a new place that was simultaneously called Biggie Baguette and Quebec Montreal Poutine. The restaurant had two names because it had a split personality; it couldn’t decide whether its specialty was sub sandwiches or poutine. The place shuttered […]
Bao-N-Baguette Is the Latest Bánh Mì Purveyor in Little Saigon to Get it Right
Decades ago, I discovered the foodstuff that has made me return to Little Saigon week after week: the bánh mì sandwich. It is nothing short of a miracle. And I’m not being hyperbolic here. If Philly is known for its iconic cheesesteaks, the bánh mì should be the sandwich that defines our region. Where else […]
Basilur Tea & Coffee in Buena Park Serves Japanese Soufflé Pancakes
If you keep up with Japanese culinary trends on YouTube and Instagram, you’ve no doubt heard about the soufflé pancake. It’s the subject of numerous how-to videos, a lot of them featuring overhead shots of mixing bowls. Buzzfeed’s Tasty did a version back in 2016. But if you believe the other videos that show people […]
