Category Archives: Orange County

Zipangu

Zipangu is an Asian Fusion restaurant located in The LAB in Costa Mesa. I’ve seen it a number of times but never went in to check it out. Finally after a recent shipping trip to South Coast Plaza, the Englishman and I decided to pop into Zipangu and see what it was all about.

We happened to come during happy hour (3-7 every day!), so we decided to take advantage and ordered some drinks and garlic fries. Yes, garlic fries.

I have never had garlic fries at a sushi restaurant before, but these were delicious! They weren’t super garlicky, but they were nice and crisp and were perfectly salted. I may have to come back to Zipangu for the fries alone.

We were both in the mood for some sushi so we ordered some yellowtail, mackerel, and shrimp to share. I’ll admit I was a bit skeptical since this restaurant has an item on the menu called the Kobayashi which is American Hot Dog Rolled Up with Rice & Soy Paper and Deep Fried, but I decided to give it a shot.

I’m glad I gave the sushi a shot because it was delicious! I don’t think it’s quite as good as Shunka or Kitayama, but definitely decent. I also had a veggie roll, because why not?

The veggie roll was good, but nothing amazing. Just your standard vegetable roll fare.

For the grand finale, the Englishman ordered the Chicken Kara-age, which is Japanese style deep-fried chicken.

The chicken came with a side of chipotle mayo and some peppers. I only had a taste of the chicken but it was pretty good!

Not going to lie, I’ve never had fries, chicken and sushi rolls all in one sitting before, but somehow it worked. Zipangu has a lot of other interesting Asian Fusion dishes I wouldn’t mind coming back and trying as well. Plus, this place has a happy hour on the weekend, so that makes it an instant win.

Pie-Not

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Good stuff has been happening in ol’ East Costa Mesa. First, Pitfire Pizza debuted on the scene with their Artisan pizzas, then Sidecar Doughnuts made a splash (and the aroma in there is amazing), and the latest place to open is Pie-Not, an Aussie-style bakery that specializes in sweet and savory pies. A sophisticated take on the pot-pie if you will.

Since the Englishman is quite the connoisseur of savory meat pies (he was born in New Zealand after all), he was eager to check Pie-Not out to see if they were as authentic as the pies he had growing up.

When we arrived at Pie-Not they had already sold most of their pies for the day, so we had a limited selection to choose from. After much deliberation, the Englishman decided on the Dog’s Eye, which was a meat pie made with ground beef and onions in a short crust pastry shell with a puff pastry top.

I’m not the most well-versed in the world of meat pies, but this one was quite good. The puff pastry was light and flaky, and the meat was juicy and tender on the inside. If I had one small complaint, it would be that the pie was a little bland side, and the Englishman agreed, although he was quick to point out that the pie did taste very close to the traditional Aussie pies he had growing up.

I feel like I need to try more of Pie-Not’s pies before I can make a full assessment. The shop has lots of delicious looking pies on the menu such as the Sprung a Leek with chicken in a cream sauce and the Vege Patch which is an assortment of vegetables in a gluten-free pie. Pie-Not also has other items such as the traditional Sausage Roll, which is pork and beef rolled in a pastry dough and some breakfast pies that also looked delicious.

***UPDATED 5/19/13***

The Englishman and I made a return to Pie-Not and this time got the Sausage Roll and the “That’ll Do Pig Pie” which came with beef, onion, cheese and back bacon. The aroma from the sausage roll was intoxicating, so I dove right in for a bite.

This roll was delicious! I’m not the biggest sausage fan, but this was outstanding. A simple beef and pork sausage rolled in puff pastry. The Englishman loved this too, declaring it his favorite.

The That’ll Do Pig Pie had a lot to live up to after the delicious sausage roll.

This pie was good as well. Lots of flavor and seasoned perfectly. Pie-Not definitely knows how to make a great pie.

I also discovered that Pie-Not has ALMOND MILK for their coffee and tea, and they make Lamingtons! I’ll need to pop back in there on a day they have lamingtons in the shop.

So excited to have this place in the 17th street rotation.

Umami Burger

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I first tried Umami Burger back in 2009. Back then, Umami was just a small restaurant located on La Brea Ave. in Los Angeles with minimal seating inside and a few tables outside. I went for lunch with a bunch of my coworkers at the time and we pushed all the tiny tables on the sidewalk together so we could all sit as a group. I ordered the Port and Stilton Burger and it was amazing. And then I moved to Orange County and Umami Burger became a distant memory.

Since then Umami Burger has expanded to a bunch of different locations up and down California with three locations in Orange County. After a 4 year hiatus, I knew it was time that I got some Umami back in my life, and decided to check out the location at The Camp in Costa Mesa.

After perusing the menu I was pleased to see the old favorites from 2009 such as the Umami Burger and the Port and Stilton Burger, and excited to see new (to me) choices such as the Manly Burger and Truffle Burger. My heart broke a little when the waitress informed us they did NOT have the Port and Stilton Burger so I decided to try something different and ordered The Greenbird, which is a turkey burger with sprouts, avocado, and green cheese (does anyone know what green cheese is?).

I am pleased to say this burger did not disappoint. The turkey was juicy and full of flavor, and I loved the crushed avocado with every bite. Turkey burgers are normally kind of bland but this one was not. Half of the group ordered the Manly Burger which I sampled as well.

The Manly Burger was also delicious. The beer-cheddar cheese complemented the smoked salt onion strings and bacon lardons on top of the burger quite nicely. The Manly Burger may sound well decadent, but this burger was cooked perfectly and didn’t taste greasy at all.

In addition to the burgers, Umami is also known for their delicious sides and secret dipping sauces. We ordered sweet potato fries, thin fries and onion rings to share amongst the table as well as a full round of the dipping sauces which included the Umami Ketchup, Dijon Mustard, House Spread, Roasted Garlic Aioli, Jalapeno Ranch and Diablo Sauce.

Out of all the sauces, I liked the aioli the best, which was the perfect dipping sauce for the thin fries.

The thin fries were nice and crispy and had the perfect amount of seasoning. I actually found them to be a million times better than the over-hyped duck fat fries from Crow Bar. But my favorite fries of the evening were definitely the sweet potato fries.

The fries were covered in a salty-cinnamon sugar topping and they were divine. One could argue that there was a bit too much cinnamon, but I loved them. The onion rings also had a nice crunch and flavor to them as well, but the sweet potato fries by far stole the show.

This meal at Umami Burger reminded me why I fell in love with them in the first place. I can guarantee it will not be another 4 years before I return again.

Sidecar Doughnuts and Coffee

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I have been eagerly awaiting the opening of Sidecar Doughnuts and Coffee since I first tried their doughnuts back in January. After weeks and months of following their delivery truck updates on Facebook and Twitter, Sidecar Doughnuts and Coffee is finally open for business in Costa Mesa!

I had an opportunity to attend a special preview event at Sidecar which just further emphasized my love for their doughnuts. Upon arriving, I was presented with a plate with a wide variety of different cake and yeast doughnuts.

Sidecar bakes their doughnuts in-house every morning (in fact, they fry a new batch every hour) and all the doughnuts are made with natural ingredients and free of additives and preservatives. You can tell just by looking at them how fresh they are.

On this visit, I got to sample the following flavors:

Birthday Cake- covered in rainbow sprinkles and pink icing and reminded me of the sprinkle doughnuts I would get as a kid

Coconut – this was glazed with coconut milk icing. I love all things coconut and loved this.

Huckleberry – I first tried this doughnut back in January, and still love it.

Maple Bacon – If you are a bacon lover or a maple lover or love sweet and salty you’ll love this.

Raspberry – Nice raspberry glaze on this one. It’s the perfect spring doughnut.

Cinnamon Crumb – I loved the crunchy crumb topping on this one – very unique and tasty.

Malsada with Haupia – This doughnut had a nice cream filling. I don’t always like cream filling in doughnuts but this was top-notch.

Callebaut Chocolate – Pretty much perfection. Can’t go wrong with chocolate.

If you have a gluten allergy, fear not! I had the opportunity to speak with Chef Brooke Des Prez as well, and she shared that Sidecar would also be offering a gluten-free doughnut every Friday starting April 19th. The plan is to have one gluten-free flavor in the shop every week (the flavor may change) and if the gluten-free doughnut is popular they will continue to add more flavors as well. The gluten-free flour blend contains brown rice, garbanzo and potato flour. There’s also talk of a vegan doughnut in the works as well.

Chef Des Prez also shared that Sidecar Doughnuts and Coffee would also have seasonal flavors, with the Guava doughnut being the first one for spring. And if you like savory doughnuts, Sidecar has a Rosemary doughnut that is sure to be up your alley.

In addition to the amazing doughnuts, Sidecar also offers coffee from Stumptown Coffee Roasters, a Portland-based company that prides itself on sourcing the best coffee in the world and maintaining strong relationships with their farmers.

Now I am by no means a coffee connoisseur, but this coffee was some of the best I’ve had in a long time. My latte was rich, creamy, and didn’t have the bitter aftertaste that some coffee can have. I can see why this coffee and doughnut pairing is a match made in heaven. Thanks Sidecar Doughnuts and Coffee for bringing your delicious goods to 17th Street.

Now who’s ready for a doughnut?

True Food Kitchen Chopped Salad

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I recently had lunch at True Food Kitchen after a far too long hiatus, and I was once again reunited with my favorite Chicken Chopped Salad. This salad is a staple at True Food, and is even included in the cookbook. After enjoying the salad once again, I finally decided it was high time to recreate the True Food Kitchen chopped salad in my own home.

For the most part, this recipe is pretty similar to the one in the cookbook, only in my version I omitted the chicken and the farro because I didn’t have them on hand. I also didn’t use the champagne vinaigrette, but I’m sure any salad dressing would do.

If you get a chance, please recreate this True Food Kitchen chopped salad. It’s delicious, nutritious and super easy to make. Next time I will definitely add farro and chicken to mine to give it the real True Food experience.

True Food Kitchen Chopped Salad (adapted from the True Food Kitchen cookbook)

Ingredients:

9 cups mixed baby greens

1/3 cup unsweetened dried cranberries

2 ounces manchego cheese, shaved or diced

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup chopped dates

1/4 cup chopped marcona almonds (I used silvered almonds)

Directions:

In a large salad bowl combine your baby greens, almonds, cranberries, dates, cheese and salt. Toss well and serve with a dressing of your choice.

Shunka in Costa Mesa

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I have been hearing lots of good things about Shunka in Costa Mesa for a long time now. I am an avid sushi fan, however I am very particular about where I get my sushi (see: Kitayama). But after reading countless reviews and hearing how I “needed to try Shunka in Costa Mesa” I finally decided to go for it. And boy am I glad I did.

Shunka is located in a small strip mall off 17th street near Plums Cafe. The actual restaurant itself isn’t that big with a sushi bar, a few booths and some small tables. Since this was my first Shunka experience, the Englishman and I decided to sit a booth and just order off the menu instead of Omakase style.

I started the meal with a cucumber salad which was cucumbers in vinegar and topped with sesame seeds. Very simple, but quite refreshing.

We decided to order a few rolls and some sushi and share amongst the two of us. First up was the mackarel, squid and shrimp sushi.

I personally did not taste the squid (I prefer it in calamari form) but the shrimp was nice and fresh and the mackrel had a nice oily taste to it. The Englishman loved the squid and happily ate both pieces. We also ordered a spicy yellowtail roll that had just the right amount of heat.

I loved this roll because it wasn’t coated in mayonnaise and other sauces so the yellowtail flavor could shine through. The added spice was a nice component as well. We also ordered a soft-shell crab roll sans the imitation crab mixture (I couldn’t have it due to my food allergies).

I actually preferred the soft shell crab without the imitation crab mixture. Just like the yellowtail roll, the flavor of the crab shined through instead of being smothered in sauce.

Last but not least we got a veggie roll. Just because I like them.

I was very impressed with Shunka – I’ll definitely be making a return trip and will be more adventurous in my ordering as well. If you are looking for quality, decently priced sushi in the Orange County area, then this is your spot.

Natural Products Expo West – Sambazon

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The fourth and final installment of the Natural Products Expo West Series. Be sure to check out parts 1, 2, and 3!

The last brand that I met with at Expo West was Sambazon, who is probably best known for their acai juice blends, smoothie packs and sorbet. The company is committed to providing natural, organic products free of GMOs. Sambazon is also currently working to sustainably manage millions of acres in the Amazon forest and have constructed new schools, buildings and other centers in the villages where they work (in Brazil). After learning more about the company and their commitment to sustainable harvesting practices in South America, I have to say I’m pretty impressed. Plus, their products taste great!

At the Natural Products Expo West this year, Sambazon was introducing some of their new smoothies that are loaded with lots of superfoods, protein and other fresh ingredients.

First up was the Mocha Java Energy smoothie that has 80mg of organic caffeine and 9g of food protein per bottle.

This drink has a soymilk base and includes acai extract, yerba mate, and green tea extract. If you are looking for a more natural energy boost, then I recommend trying this!

Next was the Blended Breakfast, which is comprised of amaranth, quinoa, chia and fresh fruit to provide a complete breakfast for those on the go.

This drink has 4g of fiber and a soymilk base, so it should keep you feeling fuller longer than other smoothie drinks.

The protein smoothie is made with Chocolate, Almond and Coconut Milk and is the perfect recovery drink for after a hard workout or if you need a little extra protein boost.

This smoothie is perfect if you are craving a sweet chocolate flavor but still want to get a nutrient boost. There is 8g of protein in the smoothie and over 90 acai berries!

Last but not least is the Supergreens smoothie that is made with a kale and ginger base.

The supergreens smoothie is a great way to get your extra greens for the day and includes amazing grass supergreens, over 120 acai berries, and delivers three servings of fruits and veggies.

All of these products can be found at a local grocery store near you – I recommend checking them out! Thanks Sambazon for teaching me more about your great company and products.

Natural Products Expo West Part One and Meeting Lillie Belle Farms

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This year, I had the opportunity of attending the Natural Products Expo West which is the largest trade show in the natural/organic/healthy product industry. Every year thousands of retailers, vendors and press attend the event to learn more about the latest and greatest when it comes to natural products. I honestly had no idea what to expect when I arrived at the expo, but I was blown away.

The Natural Products Expo West is held at the Anaheim Convention Center and has over 3,000 exhibits ranging from natural and organic food and beverage, beauty and household products. Since Sweet Potato Bites focuses on natural and allergen-friendly foods, this expo was pretty much a food lover’s paradise for me. And it’s safe to say I left the expo with a bunch of goodies.

I was glad to see some of my favorite brands at the expo such as Reed’s Ginger Brew, Evolution Fresh and KIND Snacks to name a few, and even had time to take a SMOOCH with the cow from Stonyfield Farm and won a free candle as a prize. I have to give special kudos to Stonyfield Farm for their excellent social media and consumer engagement – their booth was rocking!

In addition to stopping by some of my favorites, I also had the opportunity to sit down and chat with some of my favorite brands as well as some brands that were new to me. One of those new brands was Lillie Belle Farms.

Lillie Belle Farms is an artisan chocolate company based in Southern Oregon that creates decadent chocolate using European techniques with a fun American “twist.” Lillie Belle Farms is most well-known for their decadent truffles and bon bons, but I was most excited to learn about their “Bean to Bar” chocolates.

I had the chance to talk with Jeff Shepherd, the owner of Lillie Belle Farms who truly has a passion for making delicious chocolate while putting a creative spin on it. After many years of making delicious truffles, he told me how he decided one day that it would be interesting to make a chocolate bar made directly from coffee beans, so he borrowed some beans from a friend, combined them with some sugar, and with a bit of trial and error, made a delicious “Bean to Bar” chocolate bar that ended up winning two Good Food Awards in San Francisco. I tried the award-winning bar which was named Perfect Illusion (all of the bars named after songs) and it was divine. If you are a chocolate purist, I definitely recommend these. Jeff even uses quality Criollo beans from Peru in some of his Bean to Bar Chocolates.

However, if you are in the mood for something more creamy and decadent and perhaps milk chocolate, then The Most Awesome Chocolate Bar EVER made with homemade almond and hazelnut gianduja, crunchy feuilletine wafers and sea salt. This bar is quite possibly the best chocolate bar I have ever tasted (and I have tasted a lot). I now see why Jeff calls it The Most Awesome Chocolate Bar EVER.

Jeff also has other creative chocolate creations including a chocolate bacon bar that has a strong bacon flavor and the Sunshine Daydream bar made with milk chocolate and powdered buttermilk. All of the Lillie Belle Farms chocolate flavors are so unique and you can tell that Jeff pours a lot of love into each bar. Making chocolate is this man’s passion and it definitely shines through.

Unfortunately Lillie Belle Farms isn’t in Southern California (yet), but you can order their delicious chocolate from the website. I definitely predict having many more Lillie Belle Farms chocolates in my future. Thanks Jeff for taking the time to meet with me and introducing me to your delicious chocolate!

Stay tuned for part two of the Natural Products Expo which includes meeting Mary from Mary’s Gone Crackers!

Wine and Tapas

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A couple of months back the Englishman and I purchased a Groupon Deal to enjoy wine and tapas at Onotria. Since we I have a bad habit of letting Groupons expire before they are used, we decided to finally cash it in.

When we arrived we were instructed to sit in the bar area which was packed (apparently everyone else there had the same idea of redeeming their wine and tapas groupon) and after waiting a few minutes found a seat at the bar. And then we waited. And waited. Finally the bartender sauntered over and gave us menus and asked us what wine we would like to taste first.

The first wine we tasted was a Willamette Valley Riesling and it was nice, crisp and delicious. We were eager to taste a couple more wines but once again had a hard time getting the attention of the bartender. Finally the owner came by and saw our empty glasses and promptly gave us two more wine flights to enjoy – a grillo wine from Sicily, Italy and a viognier from Montpellier, France. I enjoyed these wines as well but not as much as the Riesling.

Then it was time for the tapas portion of the evening. We decided to order a few small plates to share – Beef and Lamb Meatballs, Roasted Rosemary Potatoes, Grilled Vegetables and a Frite of Calzone with marinated vegetables and mozzarella. Since the groupon was covering two of the tapas, we figured we could order a few more.

My favorite of the night was the Beef and Lamb meatballs served in a tomato sauce with cannellini beans. The meat was juicy and flavorful, and cooked to perfection.

The Frite of Calzone was also good. Instead of being overly cheesy and heavy, it was surprisingly light with grilled vegetables and pesto and just a small amount of mozzarella cheese. It also wasn’t greasy at all which was great.

I’m a sucker for Rosemary Potatoes, so I knew I would love this dish. They were served in a small cast iron skillet and the rosemary and garlic flavor was very prominent. Delicious.

The Grilled Vegetables were a nice light addition to the meal. There wasn’t anything special about them, but I did like the fact that squash and eggplant were included.

Since our meal wasn’t too heavy, we decided to order a dessert. Besides, don’t all wine and tapas dinners go better with dessert? We went with the Threesome of Creole Dark Chocolate, fresh Berries & Rose infused Whipped Cream.

I really enjoyed the dessert because it was nice and light and a good palate cleanser. After dessert we once again had to struggle to get the bartender’s attention (theme of the evening) to get our bill. Prompt service is clearly not Onotria’s strong suit.

While the food is good at Onotria, the prices are steep in my opinion. Our groupon covered our wine and two of the tapas we ordered and we had to pay for the remaining balance. The dessert alone was $14! Given that it was just some pieces of dark chocolate, whipped cream and berries, I could’ve made it at home for under $5. Talk about a ridiculous markup.

My other issue was the service. I have worked in a restaurant before so I get it – the bartender is busy, he’s trying to do a million things at once, etc. However, the bartender here just seemed to be full of attitude, was not interested in providing a good customer experience, and overall just seemed kind of sloppy. Since we only sat at the bar and not in the actual restaurant itself, I can’t speak for the rest of the waiters.

Would I return to Onotria? Honestly, I’m not sure. Yes the food was good, but the prices are high (for what you get) and service is lacking. Let’s just say this place won’t be in my restaurant rotation anytime soon.

Brunching at Haute Cakes Caffe

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It’s no secret that I love brunch. In fact, morning tends to be my favorite time of the day. I just love waking up and getting a good run or workout in, having a shower and then having a nice breakfast to start the day off right. During the week my breakfast usually consists of oatmeal topped with slivered almonds and a banana, so when the weekend rolls around, I tend to gravitate towards something different.

As I mentioned in my weekend update, the weather in Southern CA has been absolutely stunning. The Englishman and I wanted to take advantage of the warmer temps, so we decided to go to one of our regular breakfast spots, Haute Cakes, and sit outside on their patio.

I have been to Haute Cakes many times, and while they have excellent afternoon snacks, I feel like there’s something always slightly lacking. The service is always good, the food comes out piping hot, but I feel like it’s never as good as it could’ve been. Take our breakfast for example.

I ordered the Three Egg Scramble which came with eggs, fruit, toast and potatoes.

The eggs were nice and fluffy, the potatoes had nice flavor to them and the fruit was good. But the toast? First off, they were out of baguettes (at 8:30 am on a Sunday morning) and the sourdough toast they gave me was almost burnt and was as hard as a rock. I had a few bites of it before calling it quits.

Then there was the Englishman’s breakfast. He got the Haute Combination which came with pancakes or french toast, eggs, bacon or sausage and fruit. He went with french toast, poached eggs, and bacon.

I loved the French Toast – it had a nice hint of sweetness but not too overpowering. The bacon was nice and crispy. But the poached eggs? They were horribly underdone to the point that the Englishman did not feel comfortable eating them.

So that’s my issue with Haute Cakes. They do things really, really, well, but then there are other components that seem to drop the cafe down a few notches. I really want to love the place and sing it’s praises from the rooftops, but I can’t yet. Until then, I’ll keep visiting in the hopes that my “like” for Haute Cakes will soon turn into a “love.”