Chicken Sandwich Review Number 379, (Or at Least It Seems Like It)

 Holdaak

1948 North Tustin St. 

Orange, CA 92865

I feel that since the pandemic started I've written about 38 chicken sandwiches. It's of course not that many, but it's not that far off. My theory is that people want to feel comforted with all that's going on in the world. Just like the bacon craze that swept the land back in the early part of this century, fried chicken is here now to help make people feel good. 

When I let my parents know where we were going to be meeting for an early dinner on a recent Saturday, I had to repeat the name many times before they got it. Holdaak, which means madly in love in Korean, is the feeling that the people behind this restaurant have when they are preparing their fried chicken, whether it be in sandwiches, as strips, wings, or even a salad, as you'll see with my dad's meal. 

The madly in love feel about their chicken must be spreading quickly, because they now have four, soon to be five locations in operation. Fullerton opened first four years ago, and next came this one in Orange, then Highland Park and Northridge followed, and next up will be one in the City of Commerce. A pretty quick expansion is in the works, which will be interesting to see how it all works out for them. 

As I mentioned earlier, their simple and to-the-point menu is made up of strips, sandwiches, a salad, wings, and sides. Sandwiches come either original or spicy, strips come with either 3 or five pieces, and they have three flavors of wings; regular, spicy, and caramel soy. Almost everything on their menu is under the $10 mark, with the exception being the 12, 18, and 24 piece wings. 

Ordering is done at the counter, and your number is called out to pick up your order. The wait time between ordering and when our food was ready was not more than five minutes. We took a seat at one of their tables in their sparsely decorated dining area. Let's see if we fall madly in love with all things Holdaak. 

I'm not sure what got into my dad this evening, but he selected the Fried Chicken Salad ($9.50) as his meal. Not that there's anything wrong with it, but it was definitely out of character for him. This deceptively large salad came with fresh greens, cut-up fried chicken, corn, hard-boiled egg, pickled onion, and baby tomatoes. It was dressed with ranch dressing, but he got an extra one. He was pretty excited about this salad. It was a good value and he liked the contrast between crunchy fried chicken and the fresh greens. His only complaint was that they did not have blue cheese dressing, but a solid meal in his book. 

Here's a look at both the 3 Piece Chicken Strips ($7.50) and the Spicy ($8.50) version. I really enjoyed these. The crunch from the breading with each bite was pleasing and the chicken underneath was moist and tender. Not a dry bite to be had. The spice level at Holdaak is not as intense as other chicken spots we have been to. It was very tolerable, even to my mom. Sauces are pretty important at chicken restaurants, and here they only have two, ranch, and their signature sauce, which is called comeback sauce. The ranch was pretty standard, while the orange-hued comeback sauce is a spicy mayo with just a mild amount of heat. I liked the consistency of it. Not too thin, but not as thick as Chick Fila sauce. Be aware that each sauce costs you fifty cents, but they are pretty good-sized, so one of each will be enough for most of us. The fries were fine, fried well, and went nicely with both of the sauces. You can't see it from the picture, and I almost didn't see it at all, but there's also some Texas toast underneath everything. I know I'm in the minority here, but I'm not a fan of Texas toast, so I optioned that off to my dad. Thanks for taking it off my hands pop. 

Even though I had the three chicken strips, I definitely had to give their Spicy Chicken Sandwich ($7.95) a try while I was here. This was made up of two chicken strips, which made this a bit harder to eat, as one of them tried to escape as I had my first bite. Just like the spicy chicken strips, the heat on this was very manageable, in fact, it was definitely seasoned less than the strips that I had to start my meal. The sandwich was dressed with comeback sauce and Asian slaw made up of pickled veggies, which was a nice change of pace. Even though the toasted bun looked like it was stomped on, it held up to the insides of the sandwich the whole time. 

Last but not least were the Caramel Soy Wings ($9.95). I promise there were six here, but I was a little late snapping my picture and I guess my sister was hungry. These wings were nicely fried and came coated in the sweet caramel glaze, which was not over the top sweet. It was a nice contrast to the savory chicken underneath. The wings were pretty good-sized and the chicken was tender. 

I have to say that I was pretty impressed with the chicken I experienced at Holdaak. It had a different tint to it, which made it unique and stand out. The prices were very fair for the most part, but even though I was a fan of the wings, they should not be $1,65 per wing. Yes, they go down in price a bit the more that you order, but paying anywhere close to a dollar and a half per wing is a little too expensive, especially with as many wings as I can put down. I'd definitely make return visits to Holdaak, and I'm sure their expansion will provide many of you the opportunity to do the same.   

Out of five bottles of laundry detergent, (because in Korea when someone moves into a new house it's common for people to gift the new homeowners with extra household supplies), five being best to zero being worst, Holdaak gets 3.5 bottles of laundry detergent. 

For more information about all things Holdaak, head to their website here: https://holdaak.com/

An OC Burger Week Experience at Whitestone Restaurant

 Whitestone Restaurant and Bar

34212 Pacific Coast Highway 

Dana Point, CA 92629

If you follow me on my Instagram page, you know that I am a big proponent of OC Burger Week. Last year my goal was to have seven burgers in seven days, which I can proudly say was no problem. This year I decided to do the same but needed to try seven different burgers than the ones I had last year. I ate light lunches, plotted out my route, and most importantly, picked burgers that sounded the best to me. For the most part, I took the burgers to go, when that option was available. 

For those of you unfamiliar with OC Burger Week, it's put on by the great folks at OC Foodies, who also promote Brunch Week, OC Restaurant Week, The Pacific Wine and Food Classic, and other restaurant-related events throughout the year. For Burger Week this year, 49 Orange County restaurants were participating, and they offered burgers and sides at different price points ranging between $10, $15, $20, and $25. Katie and I decided to turn one of my burger visits into an impromptu date night at Whitestone Restaurant and Bar in Dana Point. 

Whitestone has been open for two years now, and they took over the space that used to be home to Two Left Forks. I've read conflicting reports online about whether they were just rebranded or if this is a completely new restaurant. I'm still not sure, but I do know that Two Left Forks is still open in Irvine, and their menus do not match up too well, so I'm leaning towards this being an entirely new restaurant. 

I was here for the $20 90-Day Cheeseburger, which is offered on their daily menu at the same price. Katie was not interested in the burger, opting instead to select from other parts of their menu, which includes starters that range between $5 to $39 for a cheese and charcuterie plate and entrees that will set you back $18 to $55 for their lone steak offering. 

The dining room was pretty desolate, with most people opting to sit on their patio that overlooks PCH. We had a front-row seat to the happenings in the kitchen, which featured some big flames every once in a while. Our server seemed to be the only one working this Wednesday evening at 6pm. It also appeared to me that he might be the manager as well. It might be a sign of the times with restaurants still having a tough time finding help these days. Let's check out the food and see if this was one of the better burgers during my burger week experience. 

We both went without a starter, instead, opting for salads to start things off for us at Whitestone. As soon as our server rattled off the Burrata Special ($21) Katie was all about it. This off-menu burrata was one with a winkle to it. No sliced red tomato or basil leaves were strewn across the plate, as they used sliced beets, carrots, greens, sliced yellow tomato, vinaigrette, and rye crisps to build this unique version. Katie loved the melt-in-your-mouth burrata and the way the items in this interacted with each other. She'd definitely look for this again on future visits. 

I usually trend towards a Caesar ($13) when I spy one on a menu like I did here. This whole heart of romaine was topped with sprinkles of smoked prosciutto, pecorino, and in lieu of croutons, bread crumbs. The salad dressing was placed underneath the greens. I was not thrilled with the presentation here. It was too much work to cut up the romaine, and the fact that the dressing was placed on the bottom of the plate, it was impossible to get it distributed evenly. On the positive side, the lettuce was fresh and the dressing was delicious, but I wished there was more of it.    

Our server must have been really dreamy when letting us know the specials this evening because Katie also went with another special that our server let us know about, the Filet Tip Pappardelle ($36). Large pappardelle noodles were strewn around pretty good-sized chunks of filet, and a few peas, and carrots were thrown in for good measure, along with a very nice and flavorful sauce. Katie was very pleased with her meal. She threw out words like comforting, homey, and delicious when describing this plate with great fervor. 

Now the real reason we were here this evening, is the 90-Day Cheeseburger ($20). The burger is made using a three-month-aged Angus patty, then built up with sliced tomato, more than enough butter lettuce, a tomato jam, and chipotle mayo. The burger patty was very clean tasting and not overly greasy. If you like a natural, non-fussy burger, this is the one for you. For myself, I would have liked a little more chipotle mayo and onion jam on here to give this a flavor boost. The fries were fried well and you could tell they were freshly cut. 

There were a couple of desserts that sounded good to us, but we ended up picking the Brown Butter Cake ($12). The butter cake was drizzled with a small amount of red miso caramel, almond brittle, and vanilla bean gelato. The cake portion of this was not as rich as most butter cakes but was pretty good. They needed a heavier hand when it came to the caramel and the ice cream. We found ourselves fencing with our spoons over every ounce of the quickly melting gelato. 

Whitestone was fine but did not rock my world. Katie liked her food way more than I did, so it might have just been my selections this evening. I'd probably get something off of their seasonal menu next time, maybe their mole salmon or the maple leaf duck and strawberries, both of which sound very intriguing. Service was pretty solid, even with our guy pretty much the only one running food and checking on all the tables. As far as burger week went, this was my third favorite burger I ate that week, behind the one from Helmsman Alehouse and Champagnes, both located in Newport Beach. Keep an eye out on my social media for when next year's burger week rolls around. 

Out of five handcuffs, (because there's a residential area in Queens, New York named Whitestone, and it's where Harry Houdini is buried, and he was famous for getting out of handcuffs, among other things), five being best to zero being worst, Whitestone Restaurant and Bar gets 3 handcuffs. 

For more information about Whitestone Restaurant and Bar, head to their website here: https://www.whitestonerestaurant.com/

Do You Even Barbecue Bro? (Plus My Top Ten BBQ Spots in OC)

 Ribbro BBQ

2300 SE Bristol Suite C

Newport Beach, CA 92660

It can now be confirmed that we are experiencing a barbecue renaissance in OC. Until the middle of the last decade, we had maybe one or two spots creating exceptional barbecue. This is not the case these days. I can now fill out a top ten list for barbecue restaurants in OC and still have a few spots left over. That's never been the case before, and I've been dreaming of this, especially after a long-ago trip to Texas to see what authentic BBQ was all about. My personal top ten list of OC barbecue restaurants will follow this review. 

It was a Saturday, and Katie and I wanted to get out and walk a few miles. We are big fans of the Upper Newport Bay Trail, which runs alongside San Diego Creek. It's a nicely paved and flat route, with a hint of getting away from it all with its stunning views and excellent people-watching on this busy trail. Of course, we procrastinated a bit while leaving the house and decided to have dinner before our supposed hike, which I knew would not happen. 

I picked Ribbro BBQ, situated at the end of Bristol, right before it turns into the 73 Toll Road at Jamboree. I had not heard any buzz about this spot before, and I was not expecting too much from it. When we showed up right around half past five, there was not that pleasing BBQ aroma wafting outside that I've come to expect from excellent barbecue restaurants. I also saw no smokers on the restaurant's side or back. I was sure this would be a dud, even though their four-and-a-half-star rating on Yelp gave me a sliver of hope. 

I had secretly texted my friend Chris to meet us here since he lives nearby, and that would ensure that we would not be doing any walking this evening. When we walked into the tiny storefront, we were greeted by a husband and wife duo. They've been open for coming up on three years now. Their menu features sausage, chicken, pulled pork, pork ribs, brisket, and a beef rib requiring 24-hour notice. You can get these proteins in sandwiches, plates, or a combo meal. We ordered at the counter, and the food was brought to our table under a canopy in the parking lot. Let's see if Ribbro would surprise us.  

Here's a quick shot of what Chris got for his meal. He opted for the Half Pound Brisket Plate ($16.50) and a Side of Cole Slaw ($3.50). Plates at Ribbro come with just the meat and no sides except for a slice of cornbread, pickled veggies, and two sauces. It's definitely worth getting the combo plates with two sides and a free fountain drink. 

Katie definitely knows how to order at a barbecue restaurant. She went with the 2 Meat Combo ($18.99 plus a fifty-cent upcharge for the pulled pork). She selected Louisiana Sausage, coleslaw, and potato salad to round out her meal, along with the pulled pork. The pork was excellent, with lovely bits of bark and a pleasing flavor that was not overly smoky. There was a good texture to it as well, as it was not too dry and not mushy. I'm pretty sure they don't make their own sausage, but it was good, with a nice snappy casing surrounding it. It went well with the mustard-based sauce that came with our meals. The coleslaw was okay; I would have liked a little more dressing included. The potato salad was creamy with a bit of chunkiness to this mustard-tinged side item. Chris and Katie liked the cornbread here, but I would have liked it better with some butter on the side.  

Since no ribs were available this evening, I also went with the 2 Meat Combo ($18.99 plus a $2.00 upcharge for the brisket option). The brisket at Ribbro BBQ really blew me away. I was not expecting it to be so good. It had a lovely tiny ribbon of fat along one side of it, the outside had a nice flavorful bark, and the pink smoke ring was definitely visible. Everything you look for when getting brisket. No sauce was needed for this brisket, but I did enjoy their BBQ sauce, which I found myself using sparingly, not wanting to taint the great-tasting brisket too much. The andouille was denser than Katie's Louisiana sausage but had a nice pop of heat in each bite. The mac and cheese was just okay. The top layer was the best part, with its crunchy topping, where all the cheese sauce was. By the time I dug deeper, it was just the shells. The cheese corn was basically kernels of corn topped with a light cheese sauce and sprinkled with parmesan. It was unique and something I'd have again. 

You can say I was surprised with how much I enjoyed Ribbro BBQ. It didn't look like much outside, but I left here very impressed. I'm looking forward to returning visits when the pork and beef ribs are available, and yes, I'll still order the brisket. Prices were not out of control here, but I wish they would add a disclaimer to their menu that certain meats included with their combo meals had an upcharge. It's not a big deal, but some customers get perturbed about seeing it on their receipt. The lack of buzz about this delicious barbecue restaurant has caused me to think about the other spots that serve just as excellent barbecued meats like this, but they need to be noticed. Luckily, I still have plenty of time to get around to trying them. 

Out of five burrowing owls (because these particular owls use the bluffs of the nearby Upper Newport Bay for protection), five being best to zero being worst, Ribbro BBQ gets 3.5 burrowing owls.  

For more information about Ribbro BBQ, head to their website here: https://www.ribbronewportbeach.com/

Also, as promised, here are my top ten barbecue restaurants in OC so far, with links to my reviews. Enjoy!

#10 Blake's Place - Anaheim

#9 Leadbelly's BBQ - Fullerton

#8 Fire Breather BBQ - Lake Forest

#7 Ribbro BBQ - Newport Beach

#6 Meat Up BBQ - Placentia

#5 The SmoKING Ribs - Garden Grove

#4 Sauced BBQ and Spirits - Orange

#3 Jav's BBQ - Anaheim

#2 Evan's Smokehouse - Yorba Linda

#1 Heritage BBQ - San Juan Capistrano

A Meal Fit for a King at Royal Wok?

 Royal Wok

1868 North Tustin St. 

Orange, CA 92865

Birthday meal number two, and this time it's my parents' turn taking us out to celebrate. As usual, it's up to me to choose a restaurant to try. I have three criteria that I use when my parents are taking us out to dinner. One is that it should be centrally located between both of us, which means in Tustin or Orange. Two, it has to be something that they will like, and not too out of their comfort zone. Lastly, and most importantly, it must be moderately priced. Royal Wok in Orange was the perfect fit fresh from my restaurant wishlist. 

Royal Wok took over the space that was home to Yang Ming Garden, which garnered a lot of love from almost everyone in Orange. When they closed a few years back, and eventually moved on to a new address just across the city limits in Villa Park, many wished this spot would house an equally impressive Chinese restaurant. After reading a review in the OC Register about Royal Wok, I think those people might have gotten their wish. 

The Liang family has been in the restaurant business since 1993. They operated a Chinese restaurant in Longmont, Colorado, which is about 40 miles north of Denver. Replacing a favorite among people in the city of Orange was not an easy task, but they seem to be living up to this challenge. Besides the glowing OC Register review, they have garnered a very respectable four and a half stars on Yelp, with over 100 reviews. I was definitely intrigued to see how our early evening would turn out Royal Wok. 

We arrived just before 4pm on a recent Sunday in June. I had never been to this location when it was Yang Ming Garden, but what I found when walking into this space was a sleek and modern restaurant, with minimal Chinese decor, except for what was sitting on top of the bar area to the right of the entrance. The grey walls matched the tabletops, and there was a large row of half booths lining the far left wall, with a "good vibes only" sign painted above the booths, which was the only decor visible on any of the walls. 

I was definitely hoping for some good vibes from the food at Royal Wok. Their menu is just what you'd expect from a Chinese restaurant in the US. It was divided into appetizers, soup, different proteins, chow mein, chop suey, egg foo young, and fried rice. Entree prices hover around the $12 price point, with only a few seafood items exceeding this. There's also plenty of lunch specials to choose from, which will set you back $8 to $9. My family usually picks four dishes and we share them amongst each other. Let's see if Royal Wok is a worthy replacement for the beloved restaurant that graced this address for many years. 

We started off with an order of Egg Rolls ($5.95). They were filled with plenty of cabbage and shredded carrots and came with a sweet and sour sauce which boosted the flavor profile. I'm not a big fan of egg rolls, as I think they are usually quite bland, but at Royal Wok these were fried very nice and crisp but were not as greasy as others tend to be. Not a bad start to our meal. 

We did not order this, but they provided this Egg Flower Soup ($6.95) to the four of us. This was a pretty basic soup, with some carrot and peas thrown in. It was an okay soup, but more of a palette cleanser, as it was not too big on flavor. To be honest, this is not a soup I'd ever see myself ordering, as I'm way more partial to hot and sour soup when dining in Chinese restaurants. 

When Brad Johnson reviewed Royal Wok for the OC Register he raved about this Mongolian Beef. ($11.95), and I'm excited to report that he was correct in his praise of this plate. It was one of the best I've had. It had a large part to do with the very tender sliced beef that was the star of this plate, but the flavorful sauce, along with the sliced mushrooms and green and white onion combined wonderfully to make this dish a winner. I found myself trying to downplay how much I enjoyed this so I could maybe sway my parents and Katie from liking this too much, which in turn would mean more for me. No such luck, as they would not be fooled. 

I have a love-hate relationship with Orange Chicken ($11.95). I'm no fan of the one from Panda Express that most people enjoy way too much. I do find myself liking other versions of this cult favorite that is fried nicely, so each bite has a nice crunch when bitten into. This one from Royal Wok falls into that category. The sweetness was muted a bit too much, but each chicken piece was coated nicely and had a satisfying crunch to each bite. The veggies were prevalent, and the pineapple chunks helped bring up the sweetness quotient of this entree.  

Honey Walnut Shrimp ($14.95) can either go very wrong or be one of the best things you consume on a particular evening. This one unfortunately fell flat for me. The shrimp was overly breaded and the sauce lacked any real sweet tinge that you'd expect from this dish. All I really got was a heavy mayo flavor which was broken up a bit by the candied walnuts. I was also a little taken aback by the ring of broccoli surrounding this, which seemed like it was just there to bring a little color to the plate. We'd skip this on future visits. 

As we all pick at least one entree when the four of us go out for Chinse food, Katie always suggests something a little out of the norm for my parents. On this evening it was the Moo Shu Chicken ($10.95). This Chinese classic stirfry came with grated carrots, shredded cabbage, onion, and sliced chicken with the plum sauce on the side. We all enjoyed this very much. It was very comforting and not as salty or oily as others we have had at other places. I did not use the provided pancakes, but Katie liked them well enough. 

Even with a few minor missteps, Royal Wok was a pretty impressive Chinese restaurant. I really enjoyed most of the entrees that we had, with the lone exception being the honey walnut shrimp. Everything was fresh and came out of the kitchen piping hot. Even though they were not crazy busy at this early dinner hour, the service was very cordial, and we could feel that they really were happy that we were here. I felt the prices were very competitive and the portion sizes were large enough for the four of us to all be full walking out of there. Royal Wok hit all the right boxes for us and was a great place for my parents to take me out for my birthday dinner. 

Out of five minutemen, (because the largest wok of all-time was a 2,500-pound one that was used to make over 4,000 pounds of stirfry at UMass, and their sports teams are called the minutemen), five being best to zero being worst, Royal Wok gets 3.5 minutemen.  

For more information about Royal wok, head t their website here: http://www.royalwokca.com/

A Meal Fifty Years in the Making

 Pacific Hideaway

500 Pacific Coast Highway

Huntington Beach, CA 92648

It's birthday time for me, and this year it's a big one. I have finally hit the half-century milestone. That seems like a big number, but seeing so many of my high school friends already go through it on social media made it a little less scary. While I was waiting for my AARP card to arrive, I began looking for a restaurant to eat at off of my ever-growing restaurant wishlist. Katie was going to be playing hookey from work so we could celebrate with a birthday lunch. After much deliberation, I finally selected Pacific Hideaway in Huntington Beach. 

Pacific Hideaway is located in the Kimpton Shorebreak Hotel, which is a block north of the Huntington Beach Pier. The restaurant is situated on the third floor of the hotel. The vibe is hip, but not pretentious. It feels very open and airy, thanks in part to the two large roll-up doors that bring the outside in on the 300 plus days of perfect weather in this seaside paradise. 

This place caught my eye from the numerous media mentions I have spied since they opened four years ago. There's been some change in the leadership of Pacific Hideaway, but they still maintain a solid four-star rating on Yelp and get excellent press for their cocktail program. I had made reservations, but it was clear that they weren't needed when we visited here on an overcast Thursday afternoon early in June. We were one of three parties that dotted the dining area. 

The operating hours for Pacific Hideaway are pretty much all day, 8am to 10pm daily. They have a brunch menu in play seven days a week, then they start their dinner service at 4pm, although it's not listed on any menu. We were relegated to the brunch menu, which did have a wide variety to choose from, whether you are looking for breakfast items or a midday meal. Prices are $15 to $35 for their lobster roll, which at that price better have a pound of lobster on it. That's a little rich for my blood, even though it was my birthday. Let's see what we did end up having on this momentous occasion. 

Starting us off will be Katie's meal this afternoon. She went with the Crab Toast ($18) and Sweet Potato Fries ($7). Lump crab was placed on top of the housemade sourdough slice with a smear of avocado, pickled onion, and chili garlic oil. She loved the lightness of the crab and the way that the chili oil and pickled onion had a yin and yang thing going. I'm no fan of sweet potato fries, but these were some of the best I have had. They came with both ketchup and a garlic aioli that I think Katie asked for when ordering. The garlic aioli was my favorite, but I found myself using the ketchup as well, just for a little diversity.  

What to have when you reach a half-century? Fish and Chips ($26) would be the answer. Pacific Hideaway uses halibut instead of the usual cod most places use to make this. The difference was very apparent, even after one bite. The fish was fresh and the crunchy breading was very flavorful and lacked the greasiness you often associate with fish and chips. This came with coleslaw and fries. The fries were your basic fries but made better with the very nicely done remoulade sauce that I used with the fish also. The coleslaw kind of got lost here, as it was the loser of this plate. Not very flavorful whatsoever.  

Instead of a birthday dessert, I was given this Birthday Shot. To be honest, I do not remember what they called this, but it showed up on our check as a Kim Birthday item, and I do know it was made with Cruzan white rum and maybe some mango juice or another tropical juice of some sort. It was a nice touch to a solid birthday lunch. 

I really have no big qualms with the food at Pacific Hideaway. Besides the lackluster coleslaw, everything else was very tasty and impressed both Katie and me. I did find the prices to be a little high. Katie's slice of bread with crab and avocado was scrumptious, but not nearly enough to warrant almost paying $20 for it. I know that hotel restaurant prices are usually higher, but that seemed a little extreme. The service was cordial and very relaxed, which is what you really want at a beachside hotel. I'll definitely visit again to experience their dinner menu. I'll just have to make sure it's payday so I can enjoy their $62 new york strip steak or the eye-popping, wallet clearing $90 Thai snapper. Maybe on my next milestone birthday. 

Out of five train tracks, (because like me, 1971 was when Amtrak debuted, and just like them, I plan to keep chugging along), five being best to zero being worst, Pacific Hideaway gest 3.5 train tracks. 

For more information about Pacific hideaway, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.pacifichideawayhb.com/

Just How Excellent Is Franco’s Famous?

 Franco's Famous 

26538 Moulton Parkway

Laguna Hills, CA 92653

Every city has that one shopping center, which is just a dead zone. Whatever happens in one of these Bermuda triangles of retail centers, they only end up lasting a couple of months at the most. Most of the time, the property management decides a remodel could drum up foot traffic and attract more business for the unfortunate tenants who have the misfortune of opening a storefront in these cursed centers. Still, most of the time, it doesn't work out. 

This is precisely the situation that Franco's Famous has walked into. The Village at Nellie Gil Ranch is situated at the corner of Moulton and La Paz and is anchored by Smart and Final, Mod Pizza, and Chuck E. Cheese. This rebranded shopping center had a remodel within the last couple of years. Still, there's been a lot of turnover even after that, and you can always get front-row parking at the almost desolate Smart and Final. 

Franco's Famous is trying to buck that trend, though. Opened in late 2019, Franco's was very busy on the recent Wednesday we visited. The inside is comfortably styled with a bar centrally located as soon as you enter, comfy booths off to the right, and a smaller seating section to the left. The wall to the restroom is lined with framed discs proudly displaying their sister restaurants, including the nearby Flamingos and El Cortez in neighboring Laguna Niguel. 

Unlike those restaurants mentioned above, Franco's has no combo plates. Instead, their menu is divided into starters, tacos, burritos, and specialties. Entrees range between $14 to $20, while three street tacos will set you back $10. It's not too bad for this part of South OC. We were seated right away and waited only a minute or two for our good friends Mazi, Marita, and their baby boy Zayne to arrive. We quickly made our selections, so let's see if Franco's can break the curse of this shopping center. 

This is the obligatory Chips and Salsa picture when dining at a Mexican restaurant. The chips were freshly fried and pretty solid, while the salsa was too mild and needed many more chunks, which would have helped with the watery texture. Katie also ordered a Guacamole De La Casa ($10), which had a pleasing texture and was mildly spiced. 

Katie started our entree portion of the evening with her selection, the Pastor Street Tacos ($10). These mini tacos came with red-hued sliced pork, a Verde salsa, and a slice of charred pineapple. Katie described these as decent, as the pork was dry, and the dominant flavor came only from the pineapple. She'd get something else on future visits. The menu did not specify that this came with beans and rice, so I'm sure she got them as a side item. She was fond of them both. 

This qualifies as a combo meal, but it's not one you get to build yourself. The Carne Asada Tempiquena ($20) comes with a marinated steak and a cheese enchilada and is rounded out with beans and rice. Mazi was generous enough to share a bite of this with me, and the steak was nicely tender and flavorful, while the enchilada was full of cheese but needed more sauce to balance it out. A good-sized plate of food.  

As is my custom when eating in a Mexican restaurant for the first time, I generally steer towards carnitas as a barometer as to whether a Mexican spot knows what they are doing. That meant the Carnitas Jalisco ($17) would sit before me. Unfortunately, the pork was bone dry, and there were not enough beans to make this enjoyable. I used much of the sour cream Katie requested with her meal. Like with Katie's meal, I'd get something else on future visits to Franco's. 

Lastly, Marita went with the Beef Fajitas ($20). I have scoured their menus online for this item, but I am still looking for it there. I must have missed it because I've seen others getting this on Yelp. Maybe I'm just getting old. Like most fajita dishes, this came out scalding hot, with red and green peppers, onions, and sliced marinated steak strips. Marita seemed to enjoy this very much. 

It was a little hit-and-miss at Franco's Famous this evening. Katie and I were not thrilled with our choices, but Mazi and Marita could not have been happier with their selection of meals. I'd return to see if I could find something much more to my liking. I felt the prices were not crazy out of control, and the service we experienced this evening was more than satisfactory. With the crowd present during our stay, Franco's is the type of place that can turn things around for this shopping center. 

Out of five blackboards (in honor of Nellie Gail, the real-life woman whom this shopping center is named for and who, before her move to California, was a school teacher in Washington State), five being best to zero being worst, Franco's Famous gets 2.5 blackboards. 

Franco's Famous does not have a website for some reason, but you can find more information about them on their Yelp page here: https://www.yelp.com/biz/franco-s-famous-mexican-kitchen-and-cocktails-laguna-hills

Adya Is Doing Good in the Community - CLOSED

 Adya 

4213 Campus Drive

Irvine, CA 92612

I really like to show support to restaurants that have a conscience. Most restaurants do way more for the community than just nourish us. Think back to your childhood and the local pizza parlor that sponsored all those local sports teams posted proudly on their walls. Many other restaurants provided coupons in the now-forgotten Entertainment Book, which allowed many non-profit groups to raise money for new sports equipment, uniforms, or fund outings for kids. 

This spirit of giving has brought us to Adya in Irvine. Back in mid-May, Adya donated one hundred percent of its weekly sales to COVID-19 relief efforts in India. At the end of the seven days, they raised $29,100 for the American India Foundation, which will be used to provide portable hospitals in hard-hit India. Katie and I decided to do our part and headed to Adya, one of our favorite Indian food restaurants in OC.

Adya is an Indian street food restaurant that utilizes local ingredients to create modern Indian cuisine. Chef Shachi Mehra opened the first Adya at the Packing House in Anaheim seven years ago, and two years later opened this second spot at the very popular University Center, which is tucked neatly into UCI. Chef Shachi was the opening chef at the critically acclaimed Tamarind of London at Newport Coast and, more recently, was triumphant on the TV show Chopped. Joining her as a partner at Adya is Chef Sandeep Basrur, who gained prominence as one of the best Indian chefs in Northern California. Quite a team these two have become. 

Every time I eat at Adya, I am amazed at how much lighter their Indian food is than others we have tried. However, they don't sacrifice the bold flavors and spices you have come to expect from Indian cuisine. Their menu features a quartet of starters: pavs, kathi rolls, kebabs, curries, and, of course, everyone's favorite, naan. Let's find out our thoughts while we do some good for the people of India. 

It's nearly impossible to visit an Indian restaurant and not gobble up copious amounts of naan. It's even harder when Goat Cheese Naan ($5.99) is offered. Katie zeroed in on this, and after our first bite, we were hooked. I'm not the biggest goat cheese fan, but the tart, earthy cheese flavor went well with the well-made, leavened flatbread. 

Since we visited New York way too long ago, Katie has been looking for a Chicken Biryani ($13.49) that would rival the one she found on the street there. This biryani was offered as a special on the evening we visited, so she gave this one a shot. She loved the moist chicken and sauce here but felt the rice-to-chicken ratio was way off, as all left after getting halfway through this was rice and a little bit of sauce. Still a very comforting dish, but it needed to be better to supplant the one she had on the East Coast. Her search continues.  

You can call me basic all you want, but my favorite Indian meal is Chicken Tikka Masala ($13.99), which most novices get at Indian restaurants. No apologies; I enjoy this dish with its flavorful spiced curry sauce bathing in the cubed chicken. This version was nicely done with the masala sauce covering the tender poultry pieces on a basmati rice bed. For an extra $4, I made it a thali, which I'd describe as an Indian combo meal. I added a small green salad, butter naan, and some delicious cucumber raita, which went well with my and Katie's leftover rice. 

The food at Adya was just as good as I remembered. The flavors are bold, the spices are prevalent, and it is comforting. Their portion sizes are a little out of whack compared to their price point. We had way more rice than chicken at the end of our meals. Service this evening was fine, but be aware that this is a pretty small restaurant, with only two tables inside and a few tables out in front of the restaurant. During peak mealtime hours, call in your order and take your food to go, especially on chilly evenings, like when we visited Adya. I'm glad we could do a small part to help the people of India by eating at Adya during their weeklong event. Still, I'm way happier that there are restaurants like this that want to not only fill our bodies with excellent food but also want to do some good in the world. 

Out of five sundials (because the largest sundial in the world is located in the town of Jaipur, India, and measures an imposing 90 feet tall), five being best to zero being worst, Adya gets 3 sundials. 

For more information about Adya, head to their website here: https://adyaoc.com/#home