Koo’s Catering Truck - Tustin

This will just be a quick review of the Sweet Rice Pan Cakes called Hotteok from Koo’s Catering Truck in Tustin that is located just in front of Freshia Market.  I’d heard about this truck from O.C. Weekly back when they had the cheap eats 2008 and tagged it as something I’d like to try out.  Friday night after we had dinner at Mini Cafe in Santa Ana the Mrs. and I trekked down Red Hill to Koo’s.  As we entered the parking lot I was expecting to see a catering truck, since I have seen pictures of said truck on Yelp, but instead of a truck there was a small cart that an Asian man and woman were sitting/standing at waiting for customers.  I’m assuming they just use the cart now since it’s probably less expensive then a whole truck.

Regardless I ordered two of the only thing they sell, Sweet Rice Pan Cakes and brought them back to the car for the Mrs. and I to try.  The first thing I noticed is that although they didn’t appear to be hot from the outside, the pancakes were nearly molten hot inside!  Mrs. DanGarion took the first taste and declared it inedible, she didn’t like the fact that the pancake tasted like it was undercooked.  But she tends to be a little less adventurous then myself and can be picky about her sweets.  I took a bite and I really enjoyed the chewy consistency.  It’s hard to describe exactly how the pancake tastes since I’d never had something like it before, but the flavors were very familiar, a slight sweet brown sugar flavor and maybe just a little cinnamon.  It’s probably not for everyone but I enjoyed the doughy rice pancakes and was happy to get to eat not only the one I ordered for myself but also the one that the Mrs. didn’t approve of!

My rating

Rating:  

Mrs. rating

Rating:  

Koo’s Catering Truck
14551 Red Hill Ave.,
Tustin, CA 92780

Their hours in Freshia Market’s parking lot are weekends only,
Friday 5pm-10pm and Saturday and Sunday morning to night.

Mini Cafe - Santa Ana

I visited the Mini Cafe in Santa Ana this morning for the first time and I’m already impressed.  Tucked away in the corner of the Stater Bros. parking lot at Tustin Ave. and Santa Clara, right next to The Fling is the unassuming little cafe with its unassuming name.

Ask just about anyone that has lived in Orange County for the last 30 years to name their 10 favorite OC restaurants of all time and you are bound to hear the name Belisle’s come up more often than not, well Chef and I’m assuming owner Mario Gutierrez was once a chef at the famous OC restaurant.  Of course Belisle’s closed many years ago, but it’s cool to see one of their cooks now runs his own little place.

When I say little, I’m not joking, there are only 6 tables, but size does not make a restaurant good I’m glad to say.

It was breakfast time and I was on my way to one of my normal haunts when I decided to give some local love to a place I’d never visited, my only hope was that Mini Cafe would not disappoint.  And not disappoint it did.  First off the prices seem to be stuck in 2000, since I don’t know any other place you can get a

breakfast burrito with bacon cheese and potatoes for 3 bucks.  The burrito wasn’t much different than the usual fare; grill toasted tortilla filled with 2 light and fluffy eggs 1 salty piece of bacon broken up, along with some melted cheese.  On the side were some grill fried potatoes and a little cup full of salsa.  The burrito wasn’t huge; it was perfect in size for what a normal person should really be eating.  Too many times I run across a huge burrito that has no reason to be ate by one person that stuff my stomach with.  But the star of the meal was the salsa, if I had to guess I would believe it was made from scratch because I’ve never tasted such a salsa from any restaurant, it rivaled the salsa (sorry chile) made by one of my friends moms.  Even the peppers were roasted!

I’ll have to do more research on their salsa and ask about it next time.

I’m almost hesitant to review Mini Cafe since I don’t want to let the secret out about how good it might actually be.  Expect some updates soon, when I’m able to visit them for lunch and dinner and breakfast and lunch and dinner.  I think this might actually end up being another one of my favorites, but only time will tell.  And as Chef Mario sez: “CHOW DOWN!”

Visit on 10/04/08 @8:30 AM

Rating:  

- this could be raised with more data

Mini Cafe
2370 N. Tustin Ave. Unit #C
Santa Ana, CA 92705
714-648-0891

Harbor House Cafe - Sunset Beach

Harbor House Cafe in Sunset Beach is what places like Dennys and Norms strive to be.  It’s the quintessential greasy spoon that made America what it is today.  Harbor House is located just North from Huntington Beach on Pacific Coast Highway, right before you reach Seal Beach, it’s right next to the Water Tower House.  There is another Harbor House Cafe located in Dana Point, but I’ve only ever been to the original in Sunset Beach that’s been around since 1939.  The first thing you will notice when you enter Harbor House are all the old movie posters that adorn not only the walls but also the ceiling.  Next you’ll think it’s a pretty small place, until you realize that hidden behind the front part of the restaurant is closed in patio that seats as many if not more then the front!

We’ve ate here a number of times, especially on some late night occasions after quenching our thirsts with numerous libations, and they have never failed to hit the spot.  On this visit it was Sunday at around 2:00 PM when we arrived and it wasn’t too busy which was nice because we got to sit in the front at a window seat.  They have a huge menu, with well over 100 items to choose from, so it should be able to appease all of those in your party.

Both myself and the Mrs. were starving but didn’t want anything too heavy since we were having a late lunch so we both decided on sandwiches.  Mrs. DanGarion ordered the

Avocado Sandwich ($9.95), which had a whole avocado on it that was perfectly fresh, along with 4 thick slices of bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayo, and 2 slices of cheese.  There was so much bacon the Mrs. took off half of it, which I happily ate for her!  I always have a difficult time choosing what to order when there are more then 10 items on a menu, especially since I like to order different things from time to time, so I can review more then what I always order on a menu.  I went with something I’d never had before at any restaurant; a

Hot Crab Meat Sandwich ($10.95), it came with 100% crab meat, that was topped with a whole avocado, along with a bunch of melted Monterey jack cheese, lettuce and tomato on grilled sourdough.  The crab meat was great, it had a very good steamed crab taste and you could tell it wasn’t from a can or fake, it was delicious real fresh crab.  Their was a little more cheese then it probably needed, so I took some of it off, but others might love the overflow of Monterey jack cheese.  Along with both the sandwiches we had our choice of fries, onion rings, or cole slaw.  We went with the onion rings, which were just the normal fare you get from a burger join, but they were huge and crunchy, plus they have a nice somewhat spicy BBQ sauce to drench dip them in.

Service was average, nothing out of the ordinary, nothing bad or exceptionally good.  On other occasions service has been average to good as well.  This is definitely a place to bring a big appetite, they have a huge menu that includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, and desserts.  Talking about desserts they have some killer malts and shakes ( Handmade Choice of Oreo Cookie Bits, Blueberry, Chocolate, Pineapple, Strawberry, Fresh Banana, French Vanilla, Butterscotch, Peanut Butter, and Orange Juice); peanut butter shakes are my favorite!  If you go in the morning on Saturdays or Sundays be prepared to wait if you get there after 8:00 AM, since they will be busy, but aren’t all the great places like that?

Visited on Sunday 09/28/08 @ 2:00 PM for lunch.

Rating:  

- This is an average rating of all visits

Harbor House Cafe
16341 Pacific Coast Highway
Sunset Beach, 9074

Mustard Cafe (Review #2) - Orange

Hands down, Mustard Cafe in Orange makes the best sandwiches I’ve ever had.  I’ve never been one to turn a sandwich down, since to me they are the quintessential meal to ever have been created.  Bread, veggies, sauce, and meat; how much better can things get?  It is because of places like Mustard Cafe that I started writing reviews.  Businesses that make exceptional food deserve to be recognized and praised from the top of the highest roofs in Orange County.  But there is one slight flaw with Mustard Cafe…  The price.  Granted Mustard Café makes premium sandwiches, and I expect to pay slightly more for them but spending $13 for a sandwich, bag of chips and a 20oz Diet Coke for lunch is usually outside of most people’s minds of reasonable.  I hadn’t been to Mustard Cafe for a quite some time and after walking by it a couple times last Sunday while at the International Street Fair I decided to revisit one of my all time favorite sandwich shops.

On the ducat for my eating pleasure was the absolutely greatest sandwich created by man, the Reuben!  I have traveled far and wide to locate the most salivating versions of my most coveted sandwiches and Mustard Cafe is tops on my list.  The Mustard Cafe Reuben ($8.75) isn’t just a sandwich, it is listed as one of their Mustard Signatures, and this is because they are aware of how amazing it is.  As explained on their menu as,”corned beef, on the griddle with fresh sauerkraut, swiss cheese and our house Reuben sauce, served on toasted rye”.

Everything meshes together like a perfect song from my favorite music group Jimmy Eat World.  The griddle cooked corned beef’s edges get a slight crunch to them, along with a slight toast to the edges of cheese.  The bread is toasted on the inside and left bare on the outside, with just the right crunch to the crust.  Oh and the Reuben sauce is delectable.  I can’t find enough adjectives to explain how much I love this sandwich, that’s why I include pictures!  Along with my sandwich I got a bag of Hawaiian Kettle Style BBQ chips ($1.45), which are sweet with just a slight spice to them, and a 20oz, drink ($1.85).  This brought my total bill to $12.05 before tax.  I guess I just wish they could make a meal like this for under $10.

In addition to the Reuben, Mustard Cafe has a wide assortment of other sandwiches for those that aren’t fond of corned beef, everything from build a sandwich, paninis, and an assortment of 20 signature creations.  They are open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  They even have some killer looking desserts!

Mustard Cafe is a fast casual restaurant, which means you order your sandwich at the register and they bring it out to you when it’s ready.  They have 5 locations throughout Orange County, one in San Jose, and are opening in San Diego soon.

Mustard Cafe is a 5 star establishment, but I’m going to knock them down ½ a star due to the price, it’s hard not to compare them to other sandwich shops when taking into consideration, food quality, taste, price, etc.

Rating:  

Mustard Cafe
714-288-1404
190 S Glassell Street, Suite B
Orange, CA 92866

TK Burgers - Costa Mesa

So as I’ve mentioned before, my wife works every Saturday.  Well due to that I have the opportunity to eat wherever I want for both breakfast and lunch while she’s at work.  A couple months ago while looking for grubbage in the morning I stumbled upon this TK Burger that is located in Costa Mesa.  Now TK Burger wasn’t new to me in the sense that I knew they existed; but I had never ate there until that glorious day I decided to try their combo breakfast burrito.

Now I don’t order the combo breakfast burrito straight up.  The normal combo comes with bacon, ham, sausage, hashbrowns, cheese, and eggs; which is one packed burrito.  But I’m not usually a big ham for ham, so I always get no ham on my tortilla packed goodness.  Also because I’m trying to keep my aerodynamic shape of round, I usually order it without eggs.  But here is the deal, eggs or not this is one of the best breakfast burritos I’ve come across in Orange County.  The meats are cut up which allows them to intermesh themselves every other ingredient.  This way you are able to get all the tastes and flavors in every bite of burrito heaven.  In addition if you do order eggs I have noticed that they don’t tend to overcook them like most places.  The eggs are light and fluffy like scrambled eggs should be, instead of dense and burnt tasting like many eggs end up when cooked on the short order cooks grill.  I eat my burrito with a knife and fork because of its cooked to order hotness and size.  I cut the burrito in the middle lengthwise spread it out a little bit and fill it with nearly two cups of the vinegary liquid gold hot sauce that they have.  The hot sauce drowns my burrito into submission and nary is a piece of the burrito left when I’m done eating.

For the combo breakfast burrito alone I give TK Burgers 5 stars.  I have only been there once for anything else, like their Orange County famous hamburgers.  The hamburger was very good, it’s one of the better ones in OC and I would wait them a 4 if it was on the burger alone, but to me the real star is the breakfast burrito.

Service is fast in the morning at 8 am on Saturdays, I can’t really speak about any other times.  And in case you are into the sort of thing, the two girls that work the front counter are both cute; hey I may be married but it doesn’t hurt to admit the truths!

No pictures included since burritos pretty much always look the same.

Visit  06/21/2008

Rating:  

TK Burgers
615 W 19th Street
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
(949) 548-2858

PK Burgers - Brea

So I decided to go get lunch today while I’m at work. The problem is I don’t really go out to eat lunch that much like I used to. I can count the number of times I’ve ate out for lunch in the past year on about two hands a one foot. So what do I do? Well I get in my car and I head a direction and try to find my next dining establishment!

It took awhile till I came upon PK Burgers, but once I did I knew it was the place I was going to eat at. First thing you notice is that it appears the owners know everyone that eats there, that is always a good sign. I forgot to bring cash with me so I had to ATM it on their little machine they have, it was a weird because you use the ATM, and then you bring the receipt over and they cash out whatever you have left from what you took out. Anyway I decided to get my usual burger fare food, Bacon Cheese Burger with grilled onions, along with an order of fried zucchini. Along with that I ordered a drink. I asked the lady for my cup and she actually said I could help myself and pointed behind the counter (not in a rude way, in a nice “you can help yourself to what you want” sort of way). I walked behind the counter and got my cup and filled my drink. Not too long after my food came out and it looked good. Two medium think pieces of bacon sticking out ever so slightly and thin cut breaded pieces of zucchini deliciousness! I realized I hadn’t got ranch dressing with my order and looked up on the counter and there it was just for the taking, as much as I needed! This is my kind of place, I don’t have to keep asking for every little thing I need.

Now on to the actual meal. Everything was cooked to order, the burger and zucchini we nice and hot. One think I noticed about the burger was the fact that it was a handmade patty, none of that perfect circle crap, it was jagged and had just the right amount of crispness to it. When I took a bite into the burger you could taste the freshness, the burger and grilled onions were hot and the produce had that just starting to warm up coolness to it that you except from a great burger. This was a great burger, probably one of the better ones I’ve had from a short-order burger joint. The zucchini was just the way I like it as well. I’ve had problems in the past with places that cut HUGE pieces of zucchini (quarters) burning my entire mouth because of the contained heat, that’s why I prefer thing cuts of zucchini that hold just enough heat to be fresh but aren’t 1000 degrees of destruction. Of course as most places the small order of zucchini was actually enough to feed a large family, I’d hate to see what a large order looks like, I probably had about 1/4 of my order. It was a quality meal and you can tell they take pride in what they put out on the table for their customers.

There are about 10 tables inside that fit 4 people each, and also there is outside seating as well. Everything is clean and the employees are real nice. This is a definite must if you are in the area and feel the need to eat. They had the traditional short-order burger joint fare you’d expect here in Southern California.

Rating:  

Pk Burgers
3320 E Imperial Hwy
Brea, CA 92823
(714) 528-0141

Mustard Cafe - Orange

I’m in love with Mustard Cafe’s Pastrami Reuben. As I’ve mentioned in other reviews of sandwich shops, I am a sandwich machine, I could live on sandwiches alone. I usually rate my sandwich places on two types of sandwich, one; your basic turkey, cheese, and maybe something else (bacon/avocado), and two; their pastrami reuben.

When it comes to Pastrami Reubens, Mustard takes the sandwich! The toast the inside of the bread and then it’s a loaded with premium pastrami and just the right amount of swiss cheese and kraut to compliment it. They then put the most amazing tasting special “reuben sauce” that is some sort of addictive mustard which dances in my mount with every bite.

Other sandwiches I’ve encountered on my visits have been good as well.

My only knock is that the price is kind of high for just a sandwich. 9 bucks just for the sandwich makes me only go there when I’m really craving the ’strami. It really should be priced at around 7-7.50, but that’s just my opinion, and I’m only a sandwich connoisseur, it’s not like I own a sandwich shop or anything.

Rating:  

Mustard Cafe
190 S Glassell Street
Orange, CA 92866
(714) 288-1404

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