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.
Koo's Catering Truck - Hotteok
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 (Review #2)
Mrs. DanGarion and I visited Mini Cafe in Santa Ana last night for dinner and it was once again a great experience. I don’t know any other place where one can order a combination of chicken and steak fajitas for only $6.25!
Mini Cafe - Combo Fajitas
I raved about Mini Cafe a couple a weeks ago when I tried them for breakfast and since then I’ve gone there on a couple other occasions, each time my experience has been as enjoyable as the first. I can’t understand how chef Mario can afford to keep his restaurant open with the prices he charges his customers. I had the combination fajitas which included beans, rice, and salsa ($6.25);
Mini Cafe - Combo Fajitas
no guacamole, cheese, or sour cream but trust me you don’t need them! Mrs. DanGarion ordered a cheeseburger ($3.50) and onion rings ( extra $1.00 to replace french fries). For our food and two sodas our total bill was just over $13. Other then at a fast food restaurant, I don’t know any other place where you can get two meals for such little damage. Not to mention this food is great! I saw the fresh chicken and steak tossed on the grill, along with the included veggies. The cheeseburger wasn’t anything to praise to the gods about, but it was just standard no frills flair which hit the spot perfectly for the Mrs. In addition to the food we ordered we even got a free appetizer as we waited for our meal; chips covered with some beans and salsa! (side note I usually catch up on my OC Weekly reading while I’m there, but I couldn’t because I had to savor our chips!)
Mini Cafe - Appetizer
Service was great as always, from my observation it’s a full on family run business, Mario, his wife, and their children are there at various times cooking, running the register, and serving food, and they always have a smile. Mini Cafe is the best bang for your buck that you can get in Orange County.
Visited on 11/07/08 for dinner at @6:00 PM
Rating:
Mini Cafe
2370 N. Tustin Ave. Unit #C
Santa Ana, CA 92705
714-648-0891
OC Weekly Food Issue 2008
Just wanted to bring this to those of you that hadn’t already seen it. Edwin Goei and Gustavo Arellano put together a very good and comprehensive list of places to get your food fix in Orange County, for under $15. I was sort of surprised by the lack of straight ol American food. There are definitely some places I would have added to the list if I had been a part of it, but it shows me that I haven’t even touched the surface of places to eat in OC. I think I’ve been lucky to go to 2 or 3 of the places listed. I’ll post more later about those I have visited and those that I now what to visit after reading their article.
Thanks for the great work guys!
- Subscribe to Eat In OC Click Below!
-
Recent Comments
Creative Commons
jen on 
DanGarion on 
-
Proudly Hosted By...
