Original Pantry Cafe- Los Angeles

Work brought my SO and I to stay about 4 days in Los Angeles. Staying at the Hotel Figueroa, I was excited to see that the Original Pantry Cafe was just right around the corner just 30 seconds walking distance away. I've heard about people lining up just to eat at this "landmark" and couldn't wait to see what the fuss was about.

Maybe I've been spoiled by Omelette Parlor, but after eating at the Pantry Cafe 2x out of convenience, I'm not quite sure why it's so popular.

Our first visit we got lucky and was able to nab a seat right away. All the menus are on the walls and the prices ranged from $3.95 to $14. I ordered the #2 which was 2 eggs, toast, and potatoes.

Eggs were eggs, I rarely have a kitchen that can get my over-medium eggs right. It always comes out over-easy. The potatoes was an odd mixture, it was too chunky in some parts and too mashed in some other parts. I took one bite and left the rest to get cold. The only thing that stood out for me from this was the excellent sourdough toast. Gigantic slices that were buttered and after adding a layer of strawberry jam, it saved my meal. I would order just the sourdough toast.

The 2nd visit, I ordered the Sourdough French Toast since I loved the sourdough so much. Unfortunately that was a bad call on my part as the french toast was WAY too eggy and destroyed the sourdoughyness. The portion was huge, and I was only able to finish one slice out of the 3 or 4 and called it quits. I had also gotten a taste of waiting in line for 15 minutes only to be disappointed with my food.

So overall, I'm not quite sure why people come here besides the fact that it is 24/7 and the possibility of running into a "celebrity."

Another thing that I enjoyed besides the sourdough TOAST, was that the cashier sits pretty much in a tiny closed off closet with protective bars as a window for you to give her your tab and cash.

Original Pantry Cafe (cash only)
877 S. Figueroa St.
Los Angeles, CA 90017
(213) 972-9279

Omelette Parlor- Costa Mesa, CA

It's hard for my SO and I to find a breakfast place that we thorougly enjoy and want to come back again and again. The Omelette Parlor in Costa Mesa has seen us 2x in the past 2 weekends.

I'd say that was pretty damn good.

It's located in a plaza where a supermarket is (either Ralph's or Albertson's) and situated in a corner semi-hidden. The name might also be confusing as well since the sign says Chester Drawers Inn and it also says Omelette Parlor.

Walking in, you're greeted by Big Boy's cousin to your left.

And then greeted by this sign:

The interior is very well lit with natural light almost like sitting in your own kitchen with the curtains wide open. Kitschy decor like roosters and carriages suspended from the ceiling decorate the place. If look closely enough at various parts of the wallpaper, you'll find amusing artwork.

Flipping open the menu you'll notice that every dish has a unique name. I ordered an omelette called the Art Center (I think)

Gigantic omelette with chunks of ham and pineapple as well as cheese and mushrooms. A very hearty portion of potatoes is included, side of fruit, and wheat and nut english muffin that comes with an amazing apple butter spread. The past 2 times I could not finish my omelette but everything was really delicious and fresh. The food comes out fairly quickly too. The potatoes had little bits of crunchy skin in it which I love. And oh, the apple butter spread...... a little paper container of dark caramel colored goodness!!

My SO got the Two to the Max dish:

4 slices of french toast, eggs, fruit and either 4 bacon or sausage. He always polishes off my plate when he's done with his. He's gotten this dish twice so far and he enjoys it a lot. I'm not too big on french toast though.

Apparently, the Omelette Parlor does not serve pancakes on the weekends, so if you want them, go on a weekday.

Omelette Parlor, we will be back!

Omelette Parlor
179 E 17th St
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
(949) 645-0740

Lucque's- Los Angeles, CA

Once in awhile, I'll loosen up my purse strings, particularly for special occasions. In this case, it was my friend's birthday whom I've known since we were wee little sophomores in high school. She chose Lucque's as her birthday dinner destination and off we went!

My SO and I arrived early and were invited to sit in the waiting area in front of a cozy fireplace on plush black chairs. After waiting a little bit and persuing the menu, other guests of the birthday girl started trickling in and we were brought to the table in the patio dining area.

^ cheers!

It was a very romantic setting with the combination of trees, white table clothes, wired garden chairs, and vines along the walls.

As were given more time to look over the menu, complimentary appetizers were brought to the table. Rustic bread (not pictured) and a plate of almonds/olives in oil as well as sea salt and butter.

^ I call this combination "crack"

Seriously, this was crack. After buttering up the bread, and putting just a little bit of the sea salt on it, it was wonderful. That with the taste of crunchy roasted almonds, and the slight saltiness of the olives, ...wow! I never thought myself to be such an olive fan, but this was addicting.

Trying to not fill myself on the appetizer was hard, and thankfully it did not take very long for the entrees to arrive.

I ordered the Grilled Duck Breast with ricotta gnocchi, squash blossoms, pistachios and roasted figs ($30)

^ Mmm..duck.

I've never ordered duck anywhere else besides a chinese restaurant, so my palate was limited to either roasted duck hanging off the hooks from Sam Woo or Peking Duck from the fanciful restaurants or wedding banquets.

But this, this Grilled Duck Breast from Lucque's, made me very happy.

Slices were thick, tender, and very flavorful with just slightly crisp skin. There was no oily aftertaste. I adored the roasted figs as it lent a slightly sweet taste to offset the otherwise savory meaty dish. The squash blossomes reminded me a little bit of spinach, and the ricotta gnocchi was the added carb that I could've done without.

Random fact: Did you know in chinese, pistachios are literally translated into "happy nut?" They're called that because of the "grin" they have on their "face." I love pistachios :)

My SO ordered the Eggplant and Tomato Lasagna with fresh mozzarella and basil ($24)

^ Mmm... meat..less

My SO is usually a very picky eater and he couldn't find anything on the menu that called out to him so he picked what he assumed was the least complicated sounding dish.

I asked him how it was when he was eating it, and his comment was "it's very soupy." Curious, I took a bite, and it was indeed very soupy, unlike most lasagnas we're used to. However, once he discovered that there was extra rustic bread, he started dipping into it like a happy camper.

The winner of the night however, and what most people in the group ordered was the Country Style Pork Chop with romesco, chickpeas, long-cooked beans and cherry tomatoes.

^ More meat!

My neighbor also ordered this, and we traded bites and wow, this is an excellent dish. SUPER tender, and had the taste of beef instead of pork. A very hefty portion surprisingly at a restaurant where you expect nothing to surpass the size of a fist. The cherry tomatoes were bursting with sweet juice, and the long cooked beans were still pleasingly crispy.

The miss of the night for me was the dessert that someone ordered in addition to the cake we had brought, and it was the Dark Chocolate Donuts with Pistachio Ice Cream. The donuts were very bitter even though I love dark chocolate and prefer the 75% cocoa. The pistachio ice cream was great, but not enough to save the donut.

By the way, if you have a birthday dinner here, don't bring in a birthday cake as they will charge you an arm and a leg for plating fees as we found out later when the check arrived.

All in all, a wonderful dining experience at Lucques and I would come again so that I can have a porkchop dinner all to myself!

Lucque's
8474 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles CA 90069
(323) 655-6277

Donut Man- Glendora, CA

For some reason I have a hard time remembering the name Donut Man. I keep on thinking it's called Mr. Donut and it screws up my google search each and every time I try to find its location.

But alas, I was able to make a visit to DONUT MAN today after a work errand to Sherman Oaks. I first read about their fresh seasonal donuts on Yelp and I've been dying to try the strawberry donuts. Since the season is over however, I got to taste some peach donuts instead!

^ The little shack

^ I sneaked in a picture through the ordering window

^ The endearing hand painted sign advertising their seasonal donut

and finally...

The Glorious Peach Donuts

I apologize for the crappy picture but these donuts where gone shortly after I took it.

A lightly glazed donut is sliced in half (but not all the way) and stuffed to the gills with fresh peaches. I didn't eat it like a regular donut though, I alternated slices of peaches with ripped pieces off the top until the whole top portion was gone and I was left with the base portion with pools of syrupy peach glaze. At that point I was able to pick up the base portion and eat it :)

Ahh. Delicious. We also got a small chocolate donut (a little dry) and a Bavarian Cream (its awaiting its fate). I'm kicking myself for not getting the Apple Fritter. It looked like the peach donut but it was stuffed with chopped pieces of apples instead.

Also, does it make sense that the peach donut tastes like a healthy donut? The texture is light and soft but it doesn't taste fattening. Very dangerous.

Since Glendora is quite far for me I am content until strawberry season comes next year to pay another visit to Donut Man.

LA Weekly Review of Donut Man

Donut Man
Open 24 Hours!
915 E Route 66
Glendora, CA 91740-3608
(626) 335-9111

Cafe Miru- Fullerton, CA

Little did I know that there was such a stylish and swanky Korean cafe near by my place that doesn't cost (too) much.

Walking in, my mouth gaped open at the interior design as it felt like I was transported to New York instead of Fullerton (and next to a Target plaza too!)

After a booth request, the waiter gave us an intimate and plushy red booth with high backs in 1 of the 3 main seating sections.

The seating section that we were in surrounded a very tall column with a high ceiling that had constantly changing colored lights. It was also the darkest part of the restaurant, as we had to squint to look at the menu and our table seemed to be the only one without a candle.

^ view from the table.
Are we eating in a lighthouse?

Another seating section consisted of tables with red plush chairs with high backs and cushy arm rests reminiscent of a classy steakhouse. It was also another very dark seating area. The 3rd section from what I could see from my table was the brightest lit section with chandeliers adorning the ceiling. It seems that they seat the "older" folks in that section ;)

I ordered the Japanese Pork Katsu:

^ Lightly breaded and crispy pork katsu with a tangy sauce that had a slight wasabi kick to it ($11.95)

My SO ordered the Spaghetti Napolitan:


^With a slightly sweet sauce. He enjoyed it a lot and said it reminded him of the spaghetti made in Belgium. ($12.95)

And for dessert, which really was the reason why I came to Cafe Miru (the tasty food was a bonus) was for korean shaved ice or pat bing su. I've eaten plenty of pao bing which is the chinese version of shaved ice but I've always been intrigued by the enormous portions of pat bing su as you can see here:

It consists of a base layer of shaved ice and it's topped with fresh chopped strawberries, bananas, and kiwi as well as canned cocktail fruit. A scoop of smooth strawberry ice cream and a dollop of whipped cream all drizzled with chocolate sauce atop a mound of red bean completes this icy treat. ($8)

It was an interesting experience but I prefer the chinese version better as it has more "exotic" toppings like longan, lychee, mini rice balls, taro pieces etc. I also like that the shaved ice in the chinese version has condensed milk on it so there's a sweet taste to it compared to the "dry" ice in pat bing su. We basically ate all the toppings and left the ice because of that. :)

I recommend checking this place out at least once as it is a very fun and intimate setting to have a meal in.

Cafe Miru
901 Starbuck St. #M
Fullerton, CA 92833

Buena Park Farmer's Market- Buena Park, CA

Yikes, it's been awhile. Convention season is upon me and I've been getting ready for 5 shows that's starting this week. Lots of backlogged entries and I'm going to do my best to churn them out.

Today's post is on the Buena Park Farmer's Market. If you've lived in OC all your life, like I have, you'll know what Buena Park is. If not, you may be scratching your head.

To give you a brief background, Buena Park is the "center" of the Southland, home to Knott's Berry Farm, Ripley's Believe it or Not, Medieval Times, and the now closed Movieland Wax Museum.

Over the past couple of years there's been a surge of remodelling in addition to shopping plazas cropping up. The old fashioned Buena Park Mall was given a face lift, the Krikorian theater was given a water fountain, Portillo's came to brighten up the Mall parking lot with their neon lights and unique building design, Wal-Mart flew in to take their share, Target came in to take over the Sequoia Athletic Club, GameStop came to reside in the same Target plaza, and a slew of other chains like Chili's, Juice It Up!, Panda Express, Office Depot, Sprint appeared.

Oh and I forgot to mention that there's 2 Starbucks within 1 minute of each other, the only difference is that one has a drive-through.

Amongst the new establishments that appeared, the one that pleased me most was when I received a flyer in the mail advertising the Farmer's Market. Yes, little Buena Park now has a Farmer's Market! I've always had to drive to Irvine, Garden Grove or Santa Monica for Farmer's Markets so I was anxious to see what mine had to offer.

I went the 2nd weekend that they were open to give them a little time to work out the kinks. You can see the tents and activity from the main street of La Palma and there is plenty of parking due to it being a part of the mall's parking lot.

After parking, and a short walk, I saw that it was just one row of tents.

The usual fruits were there, baskets of delicious looking strawberries and cups of cherries





And there always seems to be orchids at farmer markets...



Some beautiful mushrooms



Some cool looking alien-like peppers



And a farmer's market isn't complete without some yummy smelling vendors cooking up food.

The gigantic fish and chips

And the rotating chicken spit

Other cooked foods vendors include gyros, tamales, roasted corn, and hamburgers.

Since the market is so new, it's still very small. It doesn't take very long to finish walking the row and I didn't feel the desire to purchase anything. Other notable vendors include the hummus table but they didn't give out samples. :(

I would suggest checking it out if you live nearby. And if you don't, come visit anyway so you can help this little market grow. :)

Buena Park Farmer's Market
Parking lot in Buena Park Mall
Cross Streets La Palma Ave and Stanton
Every Saturday from 9 AM-1 PM (I believe)

Pho Quang Trung- Garden Grove, CA

Even though it's been hot, I still want a comforting bowl of Pho for dinner. Not just any pho though, I tend to favor Chicken Pho complete with gizzards, ovaries, and extra chickeny good stuff.

We went to Pho Quang Trung nearby Pho Bolsa #4. The establishment is not hard to miss with their blinking christmas icicle lights all around the building.

I got a large bowl of Pho Ga for $5.45

What's different in the way they prepare their pho ga compared to Pho Bolsa is that they dump everything into the bowl rather than separating it onto a plate. They also have little chunks of pig's blood tofu in the bowl too which is my favorite. You may be squirming by now but pig's blood doesn't really have a taste to it. At least not to me. They cut it up into tofu-like cubes and has a firmer texture than tofu but it's made entirely out of congealed pig's blood. Hmm I better stop now ><

One thing that I cannot stand is chicken liver though and I picked it all out from the bowl.

BUT you can request the Chicken Pho to be prepared without ANY extra chicken parts so you can just have a bowl of broth, noodles, and just chicken meat for the same price. :)

Pho Quang Trung is definitely a no-frills kind of place and is quite rowdy and loud at night even at 8:45 pm. The food comes out FAST as we placed our order, looked around the restaurant for 30 seconds, and then BAM our food came.

Hope I didn't scare anyone away, but their pho is really good! I can't decide which pho ga place I like better though, considering they are so close to each other (right across the street)

Pho Quang Trung
10072 Westminster Ave
Garden Grove, CA 92843
(714) 638-2286