Just because you visit a foreign hole-in-the-wall doesn't mean you've escaped consumerism. Many restaurants hawk the mass products of their native countries, whether it be candies, newspapers or sodas. Especially the sodas. The following are the finest.
DINNER FOR TWO:
¢…….………………..…..Less than $10!
$……………….…….…………..$10-$20
$$…………….……….…………$20-$40
$$$………………………¡Eres muy rico!
AL-SANABEL BAKERY
The bakery makes only two dishes: pita sandwiches and sphiha. Within this simplicity, though, lies culinary greatness. More than half of the sphihas are strictly veggie affairs, but not the expected roughage-heavy dishes. Instead, the main ingredients are spices—and not the spicy kind. Foreign-to-American-cuisine seasoning like pomegranate sauce is the principal player in Al-Sanabel's sphihas. DRINK OF CHOICE: Tahn, a yogurt-based elixir with the slightest touch of mint. 816 S. Brookhurst Blvd., Anaheim, (714) 635-4353; www.alsanabelbakery.com. ¢
AMAZON CHURRASCARIA
This Brazilian beef barn ignores the multicultural influences predominant in most Brazilian dishes for the straightforward flesh diet of the sertão. Impeccably dressed waiters serve 20 types of meat, everything from the Homer Simpson fantasy of bacon-wrapped turkey to well-charred chicken hearts to a great alligator sirloin. DRINK OF CHOICE:Antarctica Guaraná, made from the apple-tasting guaraná fruit. 1445 S. Lemon St., Fullerton, (714) 447-1200. $$
BÁNH MÌ CHO CU
You're tolerating brusque customer service here for the 10 choices of bánh mì, the foot-long sandwich that is one of the most delicious robberies in the gustatory world at $1.50 per stickup. Barbecued pork is charred to a ruddy crispness yet remains moist. Meatballs are densely herbed and juicy, not bitter like those found at so many bánh mì shops. And a breakfast bánh mì includes the perfect scrambled egg, oozing just enough yolk to liven up your morning. DRINK OF CHOICE: Yeo's Chrysanthemum Tea, the famously sweet tea presented in a canary-yellow can. 14520 Magnolia St., Ste. B, Westminster, (714) 891-3718. ¢
FELIX'S CONTINENTAL CAFÉ
One of OC's finest Cuban joints. Lunches run more than $5, but you'd be foolish to nix the chicken embajador on the patio during a warm afternoon. This place is legendary, and it smells damn good, too. DRINK OF CHOICE:Materva, mass-produced yerba mate. Yuck! 36 Plaza Square, Orange, (714) 633-5842. $$
EL GALLO GIRO
Leopaldo Gonzalez cranks tortas out in seven excruciating minutes, but they're worth the wait. The tortas are delicious and filling beyond description. The bread is warm, and the fresh meats are savory and perfectly complemented by the condiments. DRINK OF CHOICE: Mexican Coca-Cola, a syrup sweeter than life. 1442 S. Bristol St., Santa Ana, (714) 549-2011.¢
EL GAUCHO MEAT MARKET #2
Like its decade-old predecessor in Redondo Beach, El Gaucho is a geographical warp, a reproduction of Argentina occupying a hectic stretch of State College Boulevard. But you don't need to worship the Newell's Old Boys football club to enjoy the pristine deli connected perpendicularly to the market that prepares brick-sized sandwiches and empanadas, steaming fist-sized triangular pies with a flaky crust straining to hold its meaty interior. DRINK OF CHOICE: Jupiña, pineapple-flavored soda in an orange-colored can. 847 S. State College Blvd., Anaheim, (714) 776-6400. ¢
THE GREAT ZUCCHINI
The hearty bun kebab combo—a hamburger with a Pakistani patty, fries served with chutney, and a Pakistani cola: the melting pot gone car-hop—is but one of the highlights of the Great Zucchini, whose name sounds more appropriate for a Little Italy diner than for one of the county's three Pakistani eateries. It's a small list, and you have to ask for a special menu to see it, but the Great Zucchini's preparation of Pakistani standbys attracts subcontinent expats from North County and beyond. DRINK OF CHOICE: Pakola, Pakistan's national soda that's as emerald-green as its flag. 765 St. College Blvd., Ste. B, Fullerton, (714) 879-8522. $
NORY'S RESTAURANT
The various entrées at Nory's speak of a Peruvian experience so wildly colorful, so diverse it's understandable the country itself is in perpetual chaos. The Incan proclivity for potatoes is present, along with Spanish-influenced soups and other foods not of this planet. But the best is the Asian-influenced ceviche, large enough to qualify as a marine biology study and sour with splendor. DRINK OF CHOICE:Inka Kola, a bitter black cola. 933 1/2 S. Euclid, Anaheim, (714) 774-9115; 23798 Mercury Rd., Lake Forest, (949) 458-0318; 6959 Cerritos Ave., Stanton, (714) 761-3332. $
PUPUSERÍA SAN SIVAR
The hole-in-the-strip-mall takes special care with their pupusas, which have a crispy yet malleable crust encasing thick, sticky cheese. Meanwhile, an oily, impossibly sugary plantain laying alongside refried beans is like a battle between the lush tropics and the Spartan plains of El Salvador on the tongue; a side of sweet sour cream negotiates a tasteful truce. DRINK OF CHOICE: Kolashampan, a creamy orange drink halfway between Minute Maid soda and milk. 1940 Harbor Blvd., Costa Mesa, (949) 650-2952. $
PASCAL EPICERIE
If you have a really bad day and need a treat, go to Pascal's Epicerie for lunch. Located in a strip mall in Newport Beach, this delicatessen serves simple food with a French flair. Try the Niçoise salad, with poached tuna, black olives, red potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs and butter lettuce. DRINK OF CHOICE: Orangina, what people who studied abroad in France for one year mention in order to bradish their Gallic cred. 1000 Bristol St., Newport Beach, (949) 261-9041. $
SASSOON CHICKEN
at Sassoon Chicken, Armenian garlic paste reaches a blazing, triumphant zenith: raw garlic bulbs transformed into a frosting-like paste that's buttery at first but quickly rampages across your sinuses with its smelly wrath. Slather it on Sassoon's chicken—golden skin crispy but retaining juices, meat moist with the savor of smoke, so tender you can easily pick it off the bones with your fingers. DRINK OF CHOICE: Vimto, a British-brewed refreshment that tastes like a sharper Dr. Pepper. 3440 E. Chapman Ave., Orange, (714) 516-9600. $
SURFIN' CHICKEN
José “El Cuatro” Martínez's method of preparing chicken is as miraculous as Mass. He soaks his hens in lemon butter before slapping them onto the open-fire grill. He then shakes tremendous amounts of chile powder onto the meat and grills them until crisp, the lemon and powder fusing onto the chicken and seeping through the tender meat to the bone. The result is mysterious: soft, slightly smoky and exuding a sour/spicy crackle that's nearly radioactive. DRINK OF CHOICE: Jarritos, the light Mexican soda with flavors ranging from mandarin to hibiscus flower. 71 Via Pico Plaza, San Clemente, (949) 498-6603. $
TORTAS AHOGADAS
Take a clue from the lonchera's name and order a torta ahogada, a specialty of Guadalajara. Visualize a giant French—excuse me, freedom—roll crammed with meat, avocado and slices of onions so thick you could hit a baseball with them. Imagine said torta drowned (ahogada means “drowned”) in salsa. Yep, that's what they specialize in here. DRINK OF CHOICE:Chiva Cola, a bizarre can of synergy that simultaneously sells a highly carbonated drink and Guadalajara's renowned Chivas soccer squad. On the corner of Fourth N Mortimer sts., Santa Ana, (714) 235-9125. ¢
View our complete dining guide at www.ocweekly.com/food.
