Cafe Hiro is a favorite of mine. It's no accident that since I've been here at The Weekly, it's received two accolades on two Best Of Issues (Best Japanese Restaurant 2009 and Best Fusion Restaurant of 2007).
If it's possible, I've been to Cafe Hiro more than I've written about it, which is a lot. So it's especially apropos that when I finally asked its owner and namesake Hiro Ohiwa, to participate in our silly survey, he did it with answers so short and sweet, it's like a Zen haiku compared to my usual word overload about his Cypress eatery.
1. Dish you cook that most represents you.
Osso bucco.
2. What was the last meal you had at home?
Korean chicken soup with ginseng and sweet rice.
3. Your favorite restaurant (other than yours):
Jamin in Paris, but it's closed.
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4. Fast food guilty pleasure:
Tito's Tacos in Venice.
5. Complete this sentence: I would like to [verb] [Food Network star] with [noun]. (for example: “I would like to BEAT BOBBY FLAY with A STALE BAGUETTE.” or “I would like to SHOWER GIADA DE LAURENTIIS with FLOWERS”):
?
6. Last meal of your life, what would it be?
Sushi.
7. Items you always have in your refrigerator:
Cheese, yuzu-peppers, and olives.
8. Your most indispensable kitchen tool or appliance:
Knife. Ziplock.
Before becoming an award-winning restaurant critic for OC Weekly in 2007, Edwin Goei went by the alias “elmomonster” on his blog Monster Munching, in which he once wrote a whole review in haiku.