Making a Run for Amarith Farmhouse

 Amarith Farmhouse

18729 Brookhurst Street #6

Fountain Valley, CA 92708

For about fifteen months, we have been doing a 5k a month. It sounds a lot more impressive than it actually is. Truthfully, we just walk the 3.1 miles in about an hour, depending on how many hills we encounter on the course. The exercise is okay, but I really look forward to the breakfast afterward. Most races start around 8 a.m., meaning we can sit at breakfast before most people roll out of bed. These races also allow us to eat in an area we would typically not be in, thus more opportunities to try places like Amarith Farmhouse and Bakehouse. 

Amarith felt like a new restaurant when we visited earlier this year. They did not have a permanent sign, the dining room was sparsely decorated, and there appeared to be some training going on when we ordered at the counter. I was surprised to learn they had been open since June 2022. I was also unaware they have two other locations, one in Orange and the other in Corona Del Mar. There's also an Amarith Table Restaurant in Garden Grove, which is not listed on their website. I guess my restaurant game is a little rusty. 

The man who started Amarith Cafe is none other than Adam Amarith. Like many restaurant owners, Adam has a fascinating backstory. Amarith hails from Cambodia and wanted to be a doctor until the country fell to the Khmer Rouge. He and his family were relocated to a work camp, where for four years, he watched as his dad and siblings all perished in the camp. He survived by working in the camp's kitchen and using the culinary knowledge his mom passed on to him as a youth.  

After immigrating to the US, he worked at the Santa Ana School District for 17 years. He's also a senior pastor at a church in Long Beach. As if that's not keeping him busy enough, he flips houses or rents them to needy families. He's also very involved in helping the people of his homeland have a better life, whether it's having clean drinking water, funding for healthcare, or finding another way to help the poorest people of Cambodia have a better quality of life. 

Back to Amarith Farmhouse. They use all-natural ingredients whenever possible. Foods without artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. They have a farm from which they can get most of their produce. They survived the pandemic by switching gears to doing many corporate gigs, thrived, and came out on the other side by expanding. Talk about an American success story. After learning all of this, I was excited to refuel after our grueling 3-mile jaunt through nearby Mile Square Park. 

It takes a lot of confidence to open a bakehouse a few doors down from Paderia, a bakery I consider to have the best cookies in Orange County. Amarith Farmhouse did precisely that, though. This Chocolate Chip Cookie ($3) will not rival Paderia's cookies for best in the county, but it was a solid effort. The outer circumference of the cookie had a good crunch, while the inside was soft. There was also some chocolate in each bite, which is not always true at other bakeries. This was not as hefty as the cookies from Paderia, but it had a good flavor, and you could tell it was freshly made. 

I'm usually a fan of chilaquiles for my first meal of the day, but I changed that up by getting this Asada Steak and Eggs ($18). The menu states that the asada is medium rare and comes with grilled onions, peppers, jack cheese, and red salsa. The steak was seasoned well but was more medium well than medium rare. It was only kind of tender, and a few of the pieces were on the dry side. The sunny-side-up eggs helped moisten this up a bit. I only got a little cheese and very little salsa with this. The house potatoes were nice and crispy. This was fine, but it did not knock me out. I'd get something else, the chilaquiles or the country-fried steak the next time. 

Katie still surprises me sometimes, even after being together for 15 years. She's usually a creature of habit when it comes to eating breakfast. She usually gravitates towards a breakfast burrito. At Amartith Farmhouse, she got this Bacon Egg Brioche ($10). This sandwich came with an over-medium egg, two strips of bacon, cheddar cheese, and chipotle aioli. It usually comes with ketchup and sliced tomato, but Kate modified it to suit her tastes. The brioche bun was freshly made and did a great job keeping everything together. Katie liked this sandwich and was especially fond of the chipotle aioli, which added a bit of spice and went well with the egg and bacon. 

Amarith Farmhouse was good, but we'd have to return to try other things to get a better feel for what they have going on here. I love their story and how they are expanding, and it's hard not to root for their success. They served a good, honest breakfast at a fair price. With more 5k races in our future, some at nearby Mile Square Park, we will return to Amarith Cafe very soon.  

Out of five Navy Corsairs (because Mile Square Park was initially used as a training spot for military aircraft during and well after World War II), five being best to zero being worst, Amarith Farmhouse gets 3 Navy Corsairs. 

For more information about Amarith Farmhouse and Bakehouse, click here to visit their website: https://www.amarithcafe.com/

Eating Out of the Vox in Fountain Valley

 Vox Kitchen

16161 Brookhurst Street

Fountain Valley, CA  92708

If you search Yelp for the most reviewed Orange County restaurants, Vox Kitchen is ranked number seven, with over 5,300 reviews. What's even more astonishing than that is that Vox Kitchen is the proud owner of a four-and-a-half-star rating. Yelp is notorious for its reviewers getting on their platform to complain about restaurants, so a place with such a high rating and many reviews has excited me. 

I was also excited because we were finally going to be able to eat at Vox Kitchen after a false start. About six months ago, we had come here and were met with a two-hour wait, which was not conducive to how hungry we were. We found a Peruvian spot a few miles away, but I knew we would be back to try this busy spot. With the help of the Yelp waitlist, we got our name on their list and timed it ideally to arrive at the restaurant just as our table was ready. It worked like a charm. 

Vox Kitchen is part of the Kei Restaurant Group, run by Executive Chef Viet Nguyen, who started Sup Noodle Bar in 2014. From there, he and his team opened up Vox Kitchen three years later and now have a full roster of restaurant concepts under their tutelage. Their website boasts 11 restaurants, most located within striking distance of the Little Saigon area. 

Vox Kitchen is described as Asian Comfort Food inspired by chifa cuisine. What is chifa cuisine, you ask? I had to look it up as well. It's the culinary fusion of Chinese and Peruvian cuisine brought to Peru in the 19th and 20th centuries by East Asian immigrants. The menu resonated with the community, as they are packed almost every night. Let's check out what all the hoopla is about. 

We started things off with two small plates, the first of which was these Bacon Brussel Sprouts ($12). Everyone is doing a brussel sprout dish these days. This one from Vox is topped with crispy bacon, an egg, and pork sung, which I'd describe as pork dust. I liked that they did not try to do too much with this. They did not rely on a sweet sauce to make these sprouts enjoyable. Instead, they doubled up on the pork and allowed the runny egg to tie everything together. The sprouts could have been left to get a bit crisper, but they are a solid starter.  

Elote ($13) was not something I was expecting to find at Vox Kitchen, but they nailed it. Sweet corn mixed with parmesan, parsley, and spicy crema came together to create a nicely done version of this Mexican street food staple. It was not on the cob, so it was easier to eat this way. 

Our good friend Adrienne will start the entree part of our meal with her selection, the House Fried Rice with Chicken Thigh ($16). The fried rice is mixed with scrambled eggs and scallions and topped with a fried egg. The cubed chicken is served to the side, which I liked, as it lets the chicken stand out a bit more. The chicken was seasoned well and tender. No complaints from Adrienne with this one, as she took half of it home to be eaten for lunch the next day. 

Katie switched things up by getting the House Garlic Noodle with Filet Mignon ($20). They use an organic wheat noodle here and mix it with a little dusting of parmesan, butter, garlic, scallions, and a secret sauce. The result was quite delicious. Very comforting, and it went nicely with the cubed steak and onions. Katie enjoyed the tender beef, but it was overshadowed by the garlic noodles, which she called wonderfully delicious. She was also a big fan of the green aji sauce. 

I'm a sucker for a good Saltado with Filet Mignon ($20), and this one was one of the better ones I've had. Another comforting dish, this had a base of french fries with tomatoes, onions, and steak heaped over it. It was good, but their spicy green aji sauce raised this a level. The fries picked up the juices from the steak and made them a little mushy, which was fine. I steered clear of the big hunks of tomato and used my leftover aji sauce to mix with the scoop of rice to ensure my carb consumption was even higher than it typically is. 

Unlike me, my buddy Chris is very carb conscious, so he steered clear of the mound of rice on his  Mushroom and Rib-Eye Stir Fry ($17). Instead, the plentiful shimeji mushrooms are mixed with little bits of ribeye in a soy beurre blanc sauce. I thought the mushroom to steak ratio was one-sided here, in favor of the mushrooms, but no complaints from Chris about this. 

We made another visit to Vox Kitchen with my aunt and uncle a month or two later, and on that visit, I tried the House Fried Rice with Rib-Eye ($27). This was even better than my first meal here. Even though I'm a big fan of their saltado, the fried rice will be my go-to meal at Vox from here on out. The rice, fried egg, and the nicely done medium rare steak worked together to create a well-balanced meal. 

It's easy to see why Vox Kitchen is so popular. Their food is very comforting and appeals to a wide range of people. I could even see taking my parents here, who are not exactly the most adventurous eaters, and I bet even they would enjoy the food at Vox Kitchen. The prices here will not break the bank, but you need to be aware of something when eating here. They get their food out incredibly quickly, which is usually good, but not when you eat in a sit-down restaurant with family or friends. We felt rushed on our two trips here and were only here for 45 minutes. However, that doesn't change the fact that we really enjoyed Vox Kitchen and will return soon. I'm sure their popularity on Yelp will continue to grow. 

Out of five comic books (because there's a character in the DC Universe known as Vox), five being best to zero being worst, Vox Kitchen gets 3.5 comic books. 

For more information about Vox Kitchen, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.eatvox.com/

Getting to Inka Cantina in a Roundabout Way

 Inka Cantina

18279 Brookhurst St. 

Fountain Valley, CA 92708

When going out to eat, it's good to be with people that are flexible. We had made plans with our friends Chris and Adrienne to meet up for dinner recently. We had picked a spot, drove the half-hour from our place, and were met with a nearly two-hour wait. This was not going to work out, so I quickly went to Yelp to find a nearby restaurant that had a more manageable wait, and that's what brought us to Inka Cantina. 

Inka Cantina is situated in the very same shopping center as Paderia Bakehouse, which I contend serves the best cookies in all of OC. Along with anchor stores, T.J. Maxx, Rite Aid, and Ralph's, there's also a Super Mex, Flame Broiler, and Subway in this almost always busy shopping plaza, located a few blocks south of the 405 freeway. 

Now that you have the lay of the land, let's get down to business. Predictably, Inka Cantina serves Peruvian food. For those unaware, Peruvian food can best be described as a fusion cuisine that draws from the indigenous people of that South American country, along with all the other corners of the world, Europe, Africa, and Asian influences are prevalent. There are 28 microclimates in Peru, so the bounty is varied, which allows for great diversity in its cuisine. I'm by no means an expert in Peruvian food, but out of the handful of times I've had it, I've enjoyed almost everything that I've been confronted with. 

Inka Cantina has been around since 2011, and in those eleven years, they garnered a four-star rating on Yelp with over 600 reviews and were mentioned a couple of times in the now-defunct OC Weekly as being the jewel of Peruvian restaurants, at least that's what they said when they visited back in 2016. I was definitely curious to see if anything had changed in the last 5 years. 

The menu has exactly what you'd expect from a Peruvian restaurant in OC, with empanadas, ceviche, and lomo saltado being offered, but there are deeper cuts here. Things that you can't find in other Peruvian restaurants in our great county. Luckily, these are explained very clearly in their descriptions, which also probably helps the waitstaff from answering an absurd amount of questions. No questions from the four of us, so we quickly ordered and waited for our food to arrive, while hoping that this impromptu visit to Inka Cantina would be a good alternative to where we were going to eat in the first place. 

First up was a trio of Empanadas ($12.45). At Inka Cantina they offer three kinds of empanadas; spinach with cheese, beef, and chicken, so we opted to try one of each. Maybe it was the hunger that I was experiencing, but I really enjoyed each of them. If I had to pick, I'd say the spinach and cheese was my first place winner, followed closely by the beef version. Definitely some of the better empanadas that I've had in a long while.  

Entree time, and starting things off for us is Katie's choice on this evening, the Tallarin Verde con Pollo ($16.45). It's basically a boneless chicken breast that is pounded thin and seasoned with Peruvian spices and served over a spaghetti pesto. I really enjoyed this plate, as the chicken was nicely tender and the seasonings really popped. The contrast between the pesto and the chicken was nicely done and has got me thinking that I need more pesto in my life. Katie was thrilled with her selection, and would not hesitate to get this one again. 

Another dish I have never seen at a Peruvian restaurant was sat in front of Chris, the Cantinas Asado de la Abuela ($19.45). Sliced beef bathed in a rich deep gravy, served with buttery garlic mashed potatoes, a smattering of green beans, and a pyramid of steamed white rice created this very comforting plate. It's not a stretch to imagine this being served by a grandmother. The beef was fork-tender and the garlic was prevalent in the mashed potatoes. There could have been a more substantial serving of green beans, but Chris did not seem to mind as he cleaned his plate rather quickly. 

Call me a traditionalist or just basic, but my first meal in a new to me Peruvian spot has to be the most famous of all Peruvian plates, lomo saltado. At Inka Cantina they have two versions, one that uses regular strips of beef, or the one that both Adrienne and I opted for, the Cantina Lomo Saltado ($19.45) which uses strips of ribeye, which is my favorite kind of steak, and definitely worth the extra three bucks. This was a pretty straightforward version with onions, cilantro, peppers, tomato, and french fries joining the strips of beef. The ribeye was nicely done, just a tad over medium rare, which would have been optimal. The fries remained pretty crisp, maybe due to this version not having a lot of sauce incorporated into it. Still a very solid lomo, and made even better with their very good aji verde sauce which provided a very nice bump in the spiciness quotient of this plate. 

Inka Cantina filled in admirably for the restaurant we had originally wanted to go to, but did not want to wait a couple of hours to eat at. This is easily some of the best Peruvian food we have had in OC, and again, I'm by no means an expert of Peruvian cuisine, but I do know what I like, and the food here was delicious. The space is unpretentious, the service was warm and efficient, and the prices are on par with the portion sizes we received. Inka Cantina has definitely gotten me excited to try more Peruvian places in the coming months. 

Out of five yellow underpants, (because it's a custom in Peru and other Latin American countries to give the gift of yellow underwear on New Year's Eve, bringing good luck to the recipient in the upcoming year), five being best to zero being worst, Inka Cantina gets 3.5 yellow underpants.  

For more information about Inka Cantina, head to their website by clicking here: http://www.inkacantina.com/ 

Dave's Hot Chicken Moving Into the Crowded OC Chicken Market

 Dave's Hot Chicken

10832 Warner Avenue 

Fountain Valley, CA 92708

The 1920s were all about flappers, raccoon coats, jazz bands, and bootleggers. When we look back on the 20202s, these years will be remembered for the pandemic, hoarding of toilet paper, sports with no fans, bread making, and chicken. Yes, this feels like the 23rd straight review that I've written about chicken in various forms over the last year. 

There's a reason for all the chicken posts. Chicken is hot right now. Whether it is fried, wings, hot chicken, sandwiches, or tenders, it seems like there is an endless amount of chicken restaurants opening up in OC. I have not eaten at all of them, but as of now my Mount Rushmore of chicken spots in OC are Crack Shack, Cluck Kitchen, Gus's World Famous Chicken, and Buttermilk Fried Chicken. 

I was recently invited to try out a new competitor to the OC chicken market, Dave's Hot Chicken, which opened their first location in Orange County right across from Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley. Dave's started out at a pop-up spot in East Hollywood four years ago, opened their first restaurant a year later, and now they are operating eight spots, including one north of the border in Toronto, Canada. 

The menu at Dave's Hot Chicken is pretty straight forward. They offer chicken in the form of tenders and sliders. They have three combo meals available to go along with their four sides; mac and cheese, fries, cheese fries, and kale slaw. There are seven heat levels to the chicken ranging from no spice to reaper, which requires a waiver for the brave souls who like things crazy spicy. I was not that brave but was excited to give Dave's Hot Chicken a try. Let's see how it all worked out for me. 

The first of my plates was Combo #2, which featured 2 Sliders and Fries ($12.99). My first impression of this was that these were bigger than what I envisioned when I heard they were sliders. They were full-sized sandwiches that came dressed with kale slaw, pickles, and their signature Dave's sauce. The chicken was moist and juicy, and the sauce and kale slaw was a good companion to the chicken. I went with the hot heat level for these, which is fifth out of seven on their heat scale. It had a good amount of spice to it but did not overpower the chicken. I took the pickle off after my initial bite, as I'm not a really big fan of pickles on sandwiches, opting to eat them on their own instead. The sauce was reminiscent of the one from Raising Cane's but less peppery. It had a good balance to it with tangy and sweet notes being prevalent in most bites. They also give you plenty of sauce, which is a nice departure from other chicken spots that charge extra for sauces. The bun was good, soft, and pliable and did its job of keeping everything together. I'm always partial to crinkle-cut fries, and these were good, with a little of their seasoning sprinkled on top to give them a tinge of flavor.   

Combo #1 ($10.99) came next. This is comprised of two tenders, fries, sliced bread, and pickles. The tenders were also good-sized, did not come overly breaded, and were just as well done as the chicken used on the sliders. I went up a heat level with these to extra hot, which had a good amount of heat. It was just at the point where the heat kind of overpowered, so I'd probably say the hot level is the right choice for me at Dave's. The fries in this combo meal seemed to get hit with their seasoning a bit more, which I kind of like better. I discarded the sliced white bread, but for those of you that want to make sandwiches, I guess it could work.  

I finished off my meal with a side of their Mac and Cheese ($3.50). The first few bites I liked, but then I grew bored with it. It needed something to keep me interested, like maybe some of their fry seasoning or some breadcrumbs on top to change up the texture in some forkfuls. Not awful, but I'd skip it next time. 

All in all, it was a good trip to Dave's Hot Chicken, but I'd have to rank them outside of my Mount Rushmore of OC chicken spots that I've been to so far. With that said, I'd definitely recommend Dave's if you are in the area, or are at Mile Square Park and are craving hot chicken while picnicking. I felt the chicken here was good and I liked the sauce, but it just did not have that wow factor that blew me away. I felt the prices for the combo meals were more than fair, and the portion size of the chicken was generous. With all that's gone on in the world lately, it could never hurt having another chicken spot to choose from. Welcome to OC Dave.  

I'd like to thank everyone at Dave's Hot Chicken for the opportunity to try their chicken during this special preview before they opened up right before Christmas. Also, special thanks to Josh Levitt for reaching out with this invite, it's much appreciated. 

For more information about Dave's Hot Chicken, head to their website here: https://www.daveshotchicken.com/

A Breakfast Burrito So Good It'll Make Me Sing With Glee?

Glee Donuts and Burgers

9475 Heil Avenue

Fountain Valley, CA 92708

I've gotten into quite a rhythm on Sunday mornings. I do a little light housework, hop on the computer to write a few paragraphs, do a Sudoku or two, check social media, and write my to-do list for the upcoming week. All of this before Katie even hits the first of her ten or so snooze buttons. 

Since I'm pretty much the best husband ever, (besides telling you all of her secrets), I also have been leaving early to go get breakfast and sometimes even making a Starbuck's run for her while she gets some extra sleep. Most of the time its breakfast burritos that I'm after, as I've been trying to knock some of them off of my list. On this recent Sunday, it was my turn to cross Glee Donuts and Burgers off of the list. 

Glee opened for business in 2015 and has now grown to two locations, this one in Fountain Valley and their other one is in Anaheim. They are a mainstay on many best donut, best burger, and best breakfast burrito lists in the OC Register, the now-defunct OC Weekly, and many other online publications. 

It's always intriguing to me as to how a place gets to be so popular in such a relatively short time. With Glee Donuts, you need to look no farther than their social media accounts to find that they have very large followings. They are approaching 2,000 followers on Facebook, but Instagram is where you will find their bread and butter, with 12,000 followers and growing. I was excited to see if they were just a collection of pretty pictures, or if their stuff was really that good. 

Since Glee is about a 20-minute car ride away, I ordered online before leaving my house. I was very impressed with the number of menu items that they offer. They have plenty of burgers, breakfast sandwiches, bagels, sandwiches, donuts, salads, and even fish and chips. When you click on the breakfast burrito tab, you then have the option of 17 different combinations of burritos. Finally, pick one, and then you are presented with a crazy long list of options to add or subtract to your chosen first meal of the day. 

After ordering and paying for the food online, I was quoted a time of 20 minutes, which was perfect based on the open and clear freeway that is usually found on a Sunday morning before nine. I arrived at the tiny strip mall on the corner of Heil and Bushard, a block west of Mile Square Park just in the time quoted as my order was going to be ready. I bought two extra donuts and was on my way back to sleeping beauty, who I'm sure was just starting to wipe the sleep from her eyes. Let's see if this will be added to my Mount Breakfast Burrito-More of OC breakfast burritos. 

Okay, I know that I promised a breakfast burrito, but Katie is watching her carbs, so she had to have a Ham, Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Bowl with Onions and Guacamole added ($10.25). I was really surprised by how generous they were with the amount of guacamole they put on here. She felt the bowl was delicious, and she loved all the customizations she could make.  

At the suggestion of one of my favorite food people on Instagram, Buddy from Foodieoc told me that I had to get the Burgerrito ($10.25). This hybrid burger and burrito came with a burger patty, cheese, egg, hashbrowns, bacon, and I added avocado at an additional charge. I did not take a picture of them, but you also get a side of salsa and the much better special sauce, which kind of resembles a slightly spicy version of thousand island dressing without the pickles. The burrito was really good, with plenty of meat in each bite, the hash browns were nice and crunchy, and the avocado added a nice creaminess. It was filling, but not overwhelming. The secret sauce really tied it all together. I'll make a few modifications next time, like a sunny side up egg and adding sausage, but a really good breakfast burrito. 

I was not too impressed with the donut selection at Glee on this particular Sunday at 9am. They only had one glass case with donuts, and I wasn't too enthused about any of them. I settled on the Blueberry Cake and Glazed Old Fashioned ($1.00 each). They were fine donuts, a little less greasy than most donut shops, but that's really the only thing I noticed different about them. I'll have to try more of them the next time I'm around this way. 

Even though the donuts at Glee failed to wow me, the breakfast burritos were exceptional. These are by far the most customizable breakfast burritos in OC and one of the tastiest as well. I look forward to coming back and perfecting my ultimate breakfast burrito here. As far as the top four in OC, I'd have to put them in my top 4, alongside Ham N Scram, Nate's Korner, and TK Burger. I have yet to have Nick's in Seal Beach and Athenian Burger's version, but there's always next Sunday. 

Out of five cars, (because the show Glee was set at fictional William Mckinley High School, and its namesake was the first president to ride in an automobile) five being best to zero being worst, Glee Donuts and Burgers gets 3.5 cars. 

For more information about Glee Donuts and Burgers, head to their website here: https://gleednb.com/

Two of My Favorite Things from School, Lunch and Recess

The Recess Room 

18380 Brookhurst St. 

Fountain Valley, CA 92708

Time is flying by. It seems like Christmas was just a month ago, but it's already here again next month. When I was growing up it felt like it took forever for the holidays to get here, and now that I'm way older than I'd like to discuss, it seems like every three months we are putting up Christmas lights and running around like maniacs for gifts for our loved ones.

I bring this up because it seems like just a short while ago that we were invited to try out a new restaurant that took over a shuttered Coco's on Brookhurst. The restaurant was started by five friends who met while they were playing basketball in elementary school, each went their separate ways, but all came back together again to bring something different to their hometown of Fountain Valley. That restaurant was the Recess Room, and believe it or not, that was three years ago. Man time flies when you are serving up some great food.

Flash forward to now, and the boys from the Recess Room are expanding their operating hours by serving lunch for the first time in their history. The food served here would best be described as Asian fusion, but even that description is not quite right because the eats at the Recess Room have elements from not just Asia, but from pockets all over the world. Whatever they label it, I was pretty excited to see what they had cooked up for their legions of fans that had clamored for them to open for lunch for a long while now.

Lunch will be served Tuesday through Friday from 11 to 2pm to start, and then they will see how it's received and maybe tweak the hours after that. Lunch will be a little different setup from the usual dinner service at the Recess Room. At lunch, you will order near the front door, where a large chalkboard will be hanging with the midday offerings. You will then be given a number, grab your utensils, and then wait for your food to be brought out to your table.

There's not much crossover between the lunch and dinner menus, which is a little upsetting for fans of their famous Blue Crab Beignets, which you all need to try for dinner as soon as possible. The lunch menu features three sandwiches, a quartet of bowls, two salads, a sizzling platter, and a smattering of sides. Nothing on their lunch menu is over $16, with most items averaging about $12, which is what most of us end up spending at our local fast food spot for lunch. Very reasonable. Enough buildup, let's see what the Recess Room came up with for lunch.

This Sizzling Platter ($16) must be a very popular item, as we were told that it was not available when we got here, but then they told us that they had one left. Lucky us. This is a meat lover's dream. This hat trick of meats was filet mignon in a cognac pepper sauce, albondigas meatballs, linguisa sausage, and is finished off with a fried egg and slices of a french baguette. The best meat out of the bunch was the linguisa, which had a nice little kick to it at the end of each bite. The albondigas meatball was loosely packed but still full of flavor. The steak was a little overcooked, due to the fact that it's served on a sizzling platter, so it's still cooking while it sits there. The sauce helped it out a bit, and we utilized the bread by sopping up the rest of the sauce. The egg was overcooked as well because it was the last thing we ate, as I was focused way more on the meat. Definitely, a must-try for people who want a hearty meal in the middle of the day.

My first time at the Recess Room three years ago they had a bone marrow burger on their dinner menu. It has since been replaced by the Bacon Bourbon Burger, which sounds just as awesome. The new lunch menu has brought back a new version of their Bone Marrow Burger ($14). Just like that first burger I had here, I was surprised that this burger was as subtle as it was. The bone marrow butter came through in waves but did not overwhelm. The high-quality grind of the grass-fed patties was evident and played nicely with the bone marrow butter and bacon jam. The cheese and red onion rounded this out perfectly. I also wanted to make mention the bun here, it was stellar. Nice and soft, but still structurally sound. Kudos to the LA bakery where they get their bread from. A very flavorful burger that will not make you sleepy for the rest of your workday.

Not anything like you can get in the City of Brotherly Love, this Fili Cheesesteak ($15) was just as delicious as any Philly I've had recently. Made with some fantastic filet mignon, grilled onions, provolone cheese, and tied together nicely with ponzu butter, I ate this way too quickly. At first, I thought it needed a bit more in the way of condiments, but once I got into the sandwich it really surprised me with all of the flavors melding together nicely. Again, the bread on this was awesome. My lone complaint would be the underdressed salad that came with this. Very bland, but it could be made better by ordering some extra dressing. 

The only item that appears on both the lunch and dinner menu at the Recess Room are these Brussel Sprouts ($5) and for good reason. They are one of my favorites. These crispy sprouts come with shaved parmesan, chopped hazelnuts, brown butter, a touch of lemon, and lap Cheong, which is a Chinese sausage that's dried and resembles bacon, but with a subtle sweetness to it. A lot going on in this bowl. I love all the textures and flavor profiles and I'm thankful that they don't ruin it by adding balsamic or maple, which can overwhelm the palate. I do wish the Brussell sprouts were in bigger pieces instead of shredded, but still, a must-get side dish.

It might be controversial to say this, but I'm way more partial to tater tots than fries. There, I said it. I stand by my statement. That means we had to give the Recess Room's Ooey Gooey Tots ($6) a try. These classic tots were sprinkled with grated parmesan and a very good cheese sauce. I'm not sure what kind of cheese this was made with, but it was delicious, but not too heavy. Puts those poor skinny fries to shame.

With a lunch menu executed this well, it makes me wish that I worked closer so I could try more of their midday offerings. I was pretty impressed with everything that we had for this media sneak preview of the lunch menu at the Recess Room. I liked the more casual setup for lunch, and the price point is just a couple bucks more than what you'd end up spending at the Wendy's down the street. Even though time is speeding by like crazy, I foresee a return trip to the Recess Room in the near future. At least now we have the option of not only enjoying dinner here but lunch as well.

I would like to thank everyone at The Recess Room for their warm hospitality and generosity during this special sneak preview of their new lunch selections. Judging by the reaction from the other people here, they are going to be very busy starting on November 5th, when their lunch service starts up. I'd also like to extend my appreciation to my new boss and plus one this afternoon, Melissa. Maybe after this fantastic meal, she will give me some extra time off. C'mon superstar, you can do it. Lastly, I'd like to thank one of the best PR people in the business for the invite to this great event. Nerissa Silao, you are always such a pleasure to catch up with, and I thank you for the invite. It was much appreciated.

For more information about The Recess Room, head to their website here: http://therecessroom.com/

Shawarma Search Continues

Ikram Bakery 

9895 Warner Ave. Ste. F

Fountain Valley, CA 92708

We've been on a real Mediterranean kick lately. Maybe it has been because this kind of food is lighter than others, and with the heat, we have been having lately, the last thing you want is a real heavy meal which can make you feel even more uncomfortable. It might be that, but it's probably just because food from the Mediterranian region tastes so darn good.

I had written down three or four places that were suggested in Orange Coast magazine about two years ago as having some of the best shawarma in our great county. Shawarma is meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie, just like doner kebab from Turkey, gyro meat from Greece, and a little closer to home, pastor tacos which are cooked vertically on a trompo, just like in Mexico. This is the second place on the list we have visited, (the first was Little Arabia Lebanese Bakery and Cuisine), which had some pretty solid shawarma, but we were on a search for the best, hoping we would find it at Ikram Bakery in Fountain Valley.

Fountain Valley has been on a roll recently with some very good restaurants that we have eaten at. My love for Paderia Bakehouse is well documented on this blog and also on my Instagram account with all of my return visits to have some of the best cookies you can get anywhere around these parts. We are also very fond of Tio Flaco's, which grills their meat over wood and make some excellent tacos. Speaking of tacos, Fountain Valley is the city where the rebirth of the beloved fast food restaurant, Naugles has taken place and it's just as good as back in the 70's and 80's. There's also Istanbul Grill, which is Turkish, but if you are familiar with Mediterranian restaurants, you'll definitely see items on their menu that you are familiar with. We were pretty excited to see if Ikram Bakery could keep the streak going of excellent restaurants in Fountain Valley.

Ikram is located pretty close to the corner of Warner and Brookhurst, right by Mile Square Park. They are in a little strip of stores that includes a pizza and chicken restaurant, nail salon, Taco Bell, and Hamle Market, which specializes in European and Mediterranian items.

When you walk inside you'll see the beef and chicken shawarma spinning behind the counter, and the guy shaving bits of it off for the plates, sandwiches, and wraps. There's a counter when you first walk through the door where you order your food and they assemble it just the way you want right in front of you. You have different sauces, vegetables, and condiments to choose from. Prices hover just around the $8 mark for sandwiches, while the plates will set you back about $10 or so. As you turn the corner towards the register, there's also baked goods behind the glass case as well as on top of the counter. No time for baked goods, as I was pretty excited to give the shawarma a try here at Ikram.

Let's start things off with Katie's meal, the Chicken Shawarma ($9.99). This is a lot of food for ten dollars. When they were creating Katie's meal, she went heavy on the veggies here. Pickles, cucumbers, pickled red cabbage, tomatoes, and red onions were placed on top of the shredded chicken shawarma, and the tzatziki sauce and what I assume was a yogurt sauce was placed on top of that. Katie was very jubilant about this plate. She liked the interaction between the sauces, pickles, and the very tender and flavorful chicken. The pita here was not my favorite though, as it was not as soft as I usually like. I did not finish mine, but Katie did and she seemed to like it. The hummus was okay, as it was a little on the gritty side and needed some flavor added to it.

I always like getting a variety when eating in a restaurant, and that meant I got the best of both worlds by ordering this Beef and Chicken Shawarma Plate ($10.99). Again, this portion size was very generous, as I took half of it home for lunch the next day. I think this has taken the crown as best shawarma I have had. The beef and chicken were incredibly flavorful and interacted well with the rest of the plate. The next time I'm here I'm going to try the shawarma in a sandwich, as I think it will highlight the meat way more.

Katie had an impulse buy when she was paying at the register. She wanted to give these Sigara Borek ($1.49) a try. This savory pastry was filled with feta cheese and lightly fried. I'm not really a feta fan, but Katie liked these and would get them again.

For what we came here for, shawarma, Ikram Bakery and Grill exceeded our expectations. Like I said earlier, this was the best shawarma I have had and it made the trip up to Fountain Valley worth it yet again. The streak of great restaurants we have been to in FV keeps on going. Ikram Bakery might be no frills when it comes to ambiance, but it's definitely destination dining if you are looking for great shawarma. Service was warm and friendly while we were up at the counter. So far the list of great shawarma that I jotted down from Orange Coast Magazine two years ago has been right on. Can't wait to try the last one on the list very soon, but this one will be a hard one to top.

Out of five comic books, (because at the end of The Avengers, Iron Man expresses his desire for shawarma and is then seen eating shawarma with other superheroes, many of whom are seen in comic books), five being best to zero being worst, Ikram Bakery and Grill gets 3.5 comic books.

For more information about Ikram Bakery and Grill, head to their website by clicking here: http://www.ikramgrill.com/

Nothing Pedestrian About the Cookies from Paderia

Paderia Bakehouse

18279 Brookhurst St. Suite 1

Fountain Valley, CA 92708

There are some places that I'm pretty glad are far away from where I live. I need that extra buffer because, to be honest, I have no willpower. Paderia is one of those places that I'm glad is not just around the corner. I have a twenty-mile barrier between me and this bakehouse, and that does my waistline just fine.

I had been hearing whispers about this modern day bakery since they opened eight months ago. People were throwing around praise like, "best cookies ever", "the malasadas are just as good as the ones in Hawaii", and "the banana pudding is the bomb." It was not until my friend and food writer for the OC Weekly, Anne Marie Panoringan told me that I had to give Paderia's cookies a try, as they were that good. I trust her as much as any other OC food influencer, so I knew when we were eating nearby we would be swinging by to pick up some of their baked goods to take home.

You should be aware of a few things when coming to Paderia. They are not open on Mondays. The rest of the week they open at either 7 or 8 am and close when they sell out, which from what I have read online is generally around 1 pm or earlier. There's also no place to sit and enjoy your goodies, so be prepared to eat them out front on the curb or tempt fate and try to make it home without ripping open the box.

Paderia was started by two local guys that have known each other since junior high and they decided to open a business together. Originally they wanted to open a meal prep company, but then it segued into a bakery, and for that, we are all thankful.  They put together a great group of bakers and Paderia was off and running. The menu is not going to blow you away with its diversity. They have three specialty items, four cookies, coffee, tea, and a couple of specials offered.

We got to Paderia just before 11 on a recent Saturday and walked right in and ordered. I was a little surprised that there was no line, but there was definitely a steady stream of people coming in, and they were out of their banana pudding and their ensaymada. We ordered at the register and then waited for our items to be boxed up to be taken home. I'm happy to say that I was very good and waited to get home to try anything. Of course, I had put the box in the trunk because I know myself pretty well. Let's see if these baked goods are worth all the hype they receive.

Here's a quick overview of what we got on this trip. We got two each of their four cookies, three malasadas, and you can't see it in the picture, but we also tried one of their seasonal items, the banana bread. Let's dive deeper into the box.

Don't judge me, but this was my first experience with Malasadas ($2.50 for filled or $1.75 for plain). The last time I was in Hawaii was 1993, and I was not the foodie I am today, I mean I was just practically out of diapers. Anyways, now that I'm a little wiser, and can do a Google search, I learned that these are a Portuguese doughnut, that became popular in Hawaii when the  Hawaiians needed skilled laborers to work in the sugar and pineapple fields. They got people from all over the globe to help, including some from Portugal, and they probably never left after getting a taste of the island life. They brought their cuisine with them, including the now popular malasada. The malasadas at Paderia are filled with Nutella, coconut cream, ube, or you can have it plain, which is just dusted with sugar.

Since this was my first experience with malasadas I really do not have anything to compare these to, but I did like them, especially the filled ones. They are not as greasy as regular donuts, and they seemed lighter, which would allow you to eat more of them before getting too full. The Nutella one was my favorite, but the coconut cream filled one was close behind. I liked the contrast between the dough and the fillings. Definitely, a must try if they still have some of these when you are here.

The malasadas were good, but the cookies from Paderia are what will bring us back here many times over. Quite simply, these cookies were some of the best I have had. Leading the pack is the Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookie ($4.00). I'm a big fan of PB and chocolate, and this cookie is now one of my favorite ways to have these two things. The peanut butter is in the form of chips in this one and goes together excellently with the dark chocolate cookie. I liked the crunchy outer portion and the slightly chewy center which was the hallmark of each of these cookies. The Chocolate Walnut Cookie ($4.00) was another winner. I'm not really a fan of nuts in my cookies, but it worked out fine here. They were finely chopped and the imported Belgian chocolate really shined in this cookie. Chocolate fiends will feel the love after their first taste of the Triple Chocolate Cookie ($4.00). This rich cookie uses both milk and dark chocolate and brings to mind a swim through the chocolate river depicted in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The Oatmeal Cookie ($2.25) was fine, but could not compete with the other three in my opinion. The texture was spot on, but it needed something like maybe some chocolate chips to really make it pop. Of course it just so happens that oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are one of my favorites. Hint, hint Paderia Bakehouse.

The only miss on this trip to Paderia was this Banana Bread ($1.50). This was one of their seasonal specials on this particular visit. I found this banana bread to be on the dry side, and the banana flavor did not really come through to me. If it wasn't for the nuts topping this it wouldn't have really tasted like anything. Disappointing, but I was still basking in the glow of the cookies.

Paderia was everything it was promised. These are the best cookies I have had up to this point. I find myself daydreaming about them frequently since we made our initial visit. I also find myself trying to come up with reasons to end up in Fountain Valley. Yes, these cookies are not cheap. Katie and I ended up spending $36 on eight cookies, the banana bread, and three malasadas. Steep, but totally worth it. The hype is justified at Paderia.

Out of five flashlights, (because the 4th largest employer in the city of Fountain Valley is SureFire, maker of milatry and commercial flashlights), five being best to zero being worst, Paderia Bakehouse gets 4 flashlights.

For more information about Paderia Bakehouse, head to their website here: https://paderiabakehouse.com/