Slater's 50/50 (Lake Forest) - Interrupt

Date of Dining: 2/10/13 
Price: $5 per appetizer, $9-18 per burger
Location: 24356 Swartz Ave, Lake Forest, CA 92630
website

The Quick Bit

+ knowledgeable and friendly service

+ same great Slater's 50/50 brand in a new location

+ great customization of burgers

Δ some small kitchen kinks still to work out

Disclosure: I was invited to attend a preview night event for this restaurant and the food price was comp'd

I recently visited Slater's 50/50 in San Diego for the first time, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The Slater's brand provides gourmet burgers in a casual and relaxed atmosphere along with over 100 beers on tap, specialty cocktails, and beer cocktails. It is the brainchild of owner Scott Slater and Executive Chef Brad Lyons (read more about them in my previous coverage). When I received an invitation to attend the "preview night" of the new Lake Forest branch, I thought it was a great opportunity to re-live the experience.

brand new condiments

One thing I thought would be interesting was that due to my familiarity with Slater's 50/50, I was likely to know more about the menu and concept than my server. To my delight, my server ended up being great at his job; he knew the menu very well, he was friendly, and very responsive to any request. If it wasn't for his obvious nervousness with being an opening, I would have thought he was actually a veteran server from another location.

take 2 - french fries and beer battered onion rings

Perhaps the only mishap of the night was the take 2 appetizer. It is normal to expect some kinks to any new restaurant and our appetizer seemed to have been friend long ago and died under the heat lamp. However, the bacon ketchup and pumpkin sauce were so good that they almost rescued the dish.

design it - 1/3 lb angus, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, green chile, horseradish sauce

The design it was cooked to the desired temperature, and the horseradish sauce was an absolute hit. Rather than use store-bought horseradish, it was clear that the kitchen had made their own sauce as it was kicking strong and really complemented the flavor of the beef patty. The green chile also added that great pepper flavor without the heat to add an additional dimension to the burger.

burger of  the month - "pizza burger" hawaiian - 1/3lb 50-50 angus/sausage patty, mozzarella sticks
grilled pineapple, ham, marinara sauce

I elected to try the burger of the month, as the concept of the pizza burger sounded interesting. Overall, I was really happy with the burger as it really did taste similar to pizza, except that it was much better. The flavor of the 50/50 beef/sausage patty was extremely exciting. Coupled with the sweetness of the pineapple and the crunch from the mozarella, and the entire burger was enjoyable to eat.

cococarma - toasted coconut, caramel, chocolate cookie, ice cream

The cococarma features a warm cookie topped with ice cream. Just like the other place that serves a similar dessert, this was just as delightful. If you could have a warm girl scout cookie somoa topped with ice cream, the result would be the cococarma.

Conclusion

While many new restaurants need up to 3 months to catch their stride, I truly believe Slater's 50/50 in Lake Forest will be running full speed inside a week. In the mean time, enjoy the selection of beers and exciting burgers.

With the ability to translate the great Slater's experience so quickly and seamlessly, Slater's 50/50 is awarded the bit award.

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Zabb Elee - Interrupt

Date of Dining: 10/4/2012
Price: $6-11 per dish
Location: 75 2nd Ave. New York, NY, 10003
website

The Quick Bit

+ extended tasty interpretations of Thai favorites

+ bargain prices

While visiting New York City, it is a great opportunity to try some other ethnic cuisines. As the spicy flavors of Thai cuisine are among my favorites, I knew I had to find one of the city's best Thai restaurants.

Zabb Elee opened its East Village location during the summer of 2011 and quickly became one of the city's leading restaurants. Many critics hail quality of the cuisine. When I found the Serious Eats review of the restaurant, I thought that it would be a great opportunity to try and compare with my favorite San Diego Isan style cuisine. 

som tum muazuar - papaya, shrimp, bbq pork, rice noodle, tomato, long bean

The som tum muazuar is Zabb Elee's take on papaya salads. Rather than making simple papaya salads, these are the super deluxe version, containing elements of an entire meal, while retaining the papaya and sauce as the base. By adding the savory elements of grilled meats, the already well-made papaya salad gets elevated to a greater level. I especially enjoyed the fried pork skin as they really took the dish over the top in both flavor and texture. The sauce had a tangy balance of sour, sweet, and spicy - emphasizing all the flavors within the dish.

After eating this papaya salad, my expectations for the dish have been raised to an incredible level. When I tasted this dish, I felt as if I was on some hidden camera show where the chef had been replaced by a Michelin caliber chef as the food was so amazing.

gang som - bamboo shoot, papaya, shrimp, sweet lime juice

After the som tum, any dish following would have a lot to live up to. The gang som brought my expectations back to reasonable levels. The dish was well prepared as the contrast of the earthy crunchiness of the bamboo with the sweetness of the papaya accentuated the shrimp. The sauce also acted reasonably curry-like due to the sweetness from the papaya. 

pla muk yang - grilled squid with garlic pepper lime dip

The squid was grilled to perfection and seasoned well. The squid was not overly chewy and served as a great platform for the dipping sauce, which was fantastic. The fish sauce mixed with the garlic, peppers, and lime was a great vehicle for highlighting the flavors of Thai cuisine.

Conclusion

Overall, I really enjoyed my visit to Zabb Elee. I wished that I had the opportunity to order more dishes. I felt that the cuisine at Zabb Elee was loyal to the authentic Thai flavors, while reaching out to establish where the cuisine can evolve in the future.

Zabb Elee gets the kilobit award for such great execution and creativity. I highly recommend that you visit while in New York and craving some Thai.

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Joe's Shanghai (Midtown) - Interrupt

Date of Dining: 10/6/2012
Price: $4-10 appetizers, $12-30 entrees
Location: 24 W 56th St, New York, NY 10019
website

The Quick Bit

+ high quality xiao long bao

+ good service for comparable class restaurants

Δ portions could reflect the price better

While I was in New York, I wanted to make a stop to visit one of the famous Chinese restaurants in the city. Unfortunately, the threatening weather influenced me to change from a visit to Chinatown to a restaurant closer to the hotel as I didn't want to get stuck and lost in a rain storm.

Luckily, one of New York's Chinese institutions had a branch close to my hotel. Joe's Shanghai was founded in 1995 and has been recognized as one of the city's best Chinese restaurants by the New York Times, Gourmet Magazine, Travel and Leisure, and Zagat. While these accolades may not be quite as recent, I felt that it would still be a good opportunity to sample what the city had to offer in its Chinese cuisine.

mixed seafood asparagus chowder

As the weather was cold and raining, it was absolutely vital that I got a soup to warm up and feel comfortable. This soup accomplished that perfectly as it was heated to nice hot temperature. The mix of vegetables and shrimp was a nice combination as the sweetness of the peas and carrots complemented the sweetness of the shrimp while the mushrooms added some earthiness to balance things out.

crab meat with pork steamed soup buns (xiao long bao)

Joe's signature dish is the soup dumplings, which are offered as just pork or a pork and crab mix; We opted for the pork and crab mix. The dumpling skins were hand made and were extremely delicate - almost translucent, but retained enough strength to hold in the soup within each bun. The amount of soup, the flavor, and the stuffing were all in perfect harmony to give a great bite. These xiao long bao were of the same caliber that I enjoyed at Shanghai's top xiao long bao establishments (Jia Jia Tang Bao). Overall, I was extremely pleased with these soup dumplings.

seafood rice cakes

Because of the Shanghai namesake, I decided to order the rice cakes, which are a classic shanghai dish. The rice cakes were not overcooked and aside from the liberal use of soy sauce, the dish was well composed and enjoyable.

Conclusion

While I was unable to make it to Chinatown during this visit, the quality of Joe's Shanghai gives me hope for future visits. I enjoyed most of the dishes, and the signature soup dumplings were an absolute delight. If I had one complaint about the restaurant, it's that the restaurant seems suck in the nineties as far as the ambiance and plating of the dishes. While the taste of the food remains at a high quality, the feeling of walking into an older time period may be somewhat of a turnoff for the younger crowd, especially in the middle of midtown.

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Ess-A-Bagel (Interrupt)

Date of Dining: 10/6/2012
Price: $10.75 for sandwiches
Location: 831 3rd Avenue, New York, NY
website

The Quick Bit

+ classic bagels made fresh on site

Δ wait time could be shorter

While I was in New York, one of the things I wanted to try was the classic lox and bagel. After consulting many different sites, I chose Ess-A-Bagel as the place to try the delicacy based on location and reputation.

Established in 1976, Ess-A-Bagel has become a staple of the New York bagel scene. The bagels are boiled and baked on premises constantly throughout the day.

everything bagel - nova lox, scallion cream cheese

For my one breakfast at Ess-A-Bagel, I settled on the classic sandwich. While I asked for a hot bagel, I assume this was code for tourist and I felt my bagel was anything but hot and fresh. Further, the lox was not particularly good to make up for the bagel; the kirkland brand smoked salmon you get at Costco was better. Overall, I have to say that the sandwich was a little better than what you would get at the local Einstein Bros. However, when cost and convenience are factored in, I didn't particularly feel that Ess-A-Bagel was far superior to the local bagel shop.

Conclusion

Ultimately, I have to agree with the Serious Eats article that I referenced when choosing a bagel shop - namely, a bagel older than 30 minutes is indistinguishable from any other bagel. While Ess-A-Bagel was churning out fresh bagels to order from the bagel counter and was packed full of customers, they were unable to send out fresh bagels as sandwiches to customers. This failure is a massive oversight.

If you are in New York and want to enjoy great bagel and lox, I recommend ordering the lox and cream cheese separately and then going to the bagel counter to make your own sandwich. This will ensure the freshest bagel with the best taste.

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Regina Pizzeria (North End) - Interrupt

Date of Dining: 10/2/2012
Price: $11-14 small pizza, $19-23 large pizza
Location: 11 1/2 Thatcher St, Boston, MA 02113
website

The Quick Bit

+ brick oven pizza -> great tasting crust

+ great selection of specialty pizzas

Δ wait can be long

While many people argue about the merits of New York pizza vs Chicago pizza, my friends from Boston have always insisted that Boston pizza was actually the best. Intrigued, I made sure to make a stop to try the Boston pizza from what was allegedly the best pizza in the city.

Regina Pizzeria has been open since 1926 and was mainly a family run operation until it was expanded in the last decade. While I did pass some of the mall locations, I noticed that those locations used conventional style ovens to cook the pizza. However, what makes Regina special is its brick oven that was built in 1888; the oven reaches temperatures in excess of 700 degrees, which makes the crust taste especially unique. Another specialty of Regina is that the sausage is made fresh daily.

St. Anthony - regina sausage, sausage links, roasted peppers, onions, mushrooms, garlic, mozzarella

As I dropped by Regina during the afternoon to avoid the rush, I only had space to sample a small pizza as part of a snack. I settled on the St Anthony because it contained the specialty sausage and was also a white pizza.

In the first bite, I knew that the crust was special. The style of the pizza isn't quite VPN - I'd say it's more of an Americanized version of VPN, which made the experience much more enjoyable. Moreover the flavor of the Regina sausage really stood out. It had a nice complex flavor of spice mixed into the pork sausage that made the flavors of the St Anthony special. 

Conclusion

While I haven't tried the best Chicago and New York pizzas to declare a winner of the best style of pizza in the US, if Boston Pizza is in the style of Regina, it will be hard to beat. The pizza had all the characteristics I enjoy of the VPN style pizzas, but were brought up a notch. Keeping in mind that Regina is a completely casual style restaurant, it was definitely one of the better pizzas I've had in my life.

Regina Pizzeria gets a bit award for the great tasting brick oven pizzas.

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Ippudo (New York) - Interrupt

Date of Dining: 10/5/2012
Price: $14-25 per ramen bowl
Location: 65 Fourth Ave, New York, NY
website

The Quick Bit:

+ great selection of different tonkotsu styled ramen

+ authentic ramen flavors outside of Japan

Δ wait times can be long

Δ price makes it a huge luxury

While ramen is normally considered a fast food item in Japan, the American attitude towards ramen is very different. Most people probably consider is a cheap yet filling meal enjoyed by "poor" college students. However, some other places have decided to enhance ramen to the point where it is a luxury food made from the best ingredients. One such establishment representing the latter philosophy is Ippudo.

When I visited New York, I knew the city was great for its diverse ethnic foods; one of the foods I wanted to try was the city's best ramen. After several people pointed out that Ippudo was considered the city's "best" I decided to visit during lunchtime to avoid the large crowds.

Inside Ippudo, the restaurant is much more the atmosphere of a trendy New York restaurant with Japanese influences than the Ramen-ya. While this didn't take away anything from the taste of the food, I did feel a bit out of place eating my ramen in such a swanky environment.

shiromaru hakata classic ramen - tonkotsu, pork loin, kikurage mushrooms, menma, red pickled ginger

As one of the bowls we sampled, we decided to go for the classic. This would give us the pure flavor of the tonkotsu broth without any added ingredients. As expected, the broth had a full a rich flavor; unexpected, the broth had a deep complexity capped by the delicate sweetness. Overall, this was a great bowl of ramen.

akamaru chashu ramen - tonkotsu, pork loin, "umami dama", cabbage, sesame, kikurage mushrooms,
black garlic oil, nitamago (soft boiled egg) (extra)

This preparation was widely considered the favorite of many who recommended Ippudo. The black garlic is very similar to the kotteri from Ramen Yamadaya. While I found this bowl of ramen to be very enjoyable as well, I felt that it did not hit the highs as well as other comparable ramens of the same style - namely this type of ramen goes for the strong, in your face, umami kick flavor profile.

While the shiromaru ramen had its own unique style, the akamaru ramen was very similar to the signature ramen from Yamadaya and Tsujita. While I felt that overall this ramen was better than Yamadaya's, I would probably rather eat at Yamadaya 19 times out of 20 due to the price difference. I also felt that it lagged a bit behind Tsujita's ramen in every category.

Conclusion

New York's best ramen was definitely a very enjoyable destination; the ramen served is as good if not better than most places in Japan. However, the price ultimately factors into the equation. Before you go to Ippudo, you should ask yourself the question of just how much you're willing to spend for "great plus" ramen rather than just great ramen. 

Ultimately, Ippudo still delivers as New York's best ramen restaurant, but I will rank it in the higher category of awards due to its price. Thus, Ippudo is given the megabyte award.

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Tan Cang Newport Seafood (Santa Ana) - Interrupt

Date of Dining: 9/15/2012
Price: $14.99 per pound of lobster, $8-14 other per dish
Location: 4411 W. First Street, Santa Ana, CA 92703
website

The Quick Bit

+ great lobster

+ other dishes are also prepared well

Δ parking lot could be larger

Δ could accept credit cards

Δ service could be more "above the board"

When people ask me for a Chinese restaurant recommendation in San Diego and I am unable to (in good conscience) make a recommendation, the followup question is usually, "why not?" Tan Cang Newport Seafood in Santa Ana epitomizes what I would expect from an equivalent Chinese restaurant in San Diego.

First, let me start with this; the food tastes absolutely amazing. There are a lot of problems with this restaurant. It's crowded and a little dirty, the service is typical of Chinese restaurants, the parking lot is too small for the crowds, and they only accept cash. However, let me end with this; the food tastes absolutely amazing.

Live Seafood

zhao pai lobster - lobster, ginger, scallions, chili

I set aside the live seafood as a section because any self-respecting Chinese restaurant will have a great selection of live seafood. These selections can include lobster, crab, spot prawns, geoduck, and fish. Tan Cang is known particularly for their lobster, but the other seafood is good as well.

The lobster was prepared in the "zhao pai" style, which is to say it is fried and then sauteed with ginger, scallions, and chili. The succulent flavor of the lobster is really complemented by the aromatics. While American lobster is usually enjoyed with clarified butter, the Chinese preparation of lobster imparts a rich and complex flavor throughout the entire lobster. This is partially due to the lobster being chopped into pieces first so that the sauce can permeate through the entire animal. However, the lobster is still cooked to perfection and the meat retains a nice delicate yet chewy texture.

To eat the lobster, the waiters gave separate plates for the shells, which were removed at an appropriate pace as we accumulated shells. This was actually quite excellent service compared to the typical restaurant.

Regular dishes

clams in black bean sauce - onions, bell pepper

While Tan Cang usually nails this dish, this particular evening did not go over too well. There was too much cooking wine used in the sauce that a large alcohol taste permeated throughout the dish. This marred an otherwise excellent preparation of clams.

pea sprouts - garlic

The pea sprouts dish was another setback on the evening and an example of the "typical service." We wanted to order the "big pea shoots" but were informed that they only had the sprouts. When I tried to change the order, the waiter had already closed the ordering process and walked away.

There was nothing wrong with the preparation of the pea sprouts except that we didn't want the dish. They were perhaps slightly overcooked but were flavored well.

kung pao chicken

While you may ask why I order kung pao chicken, it is Tan Cang's best non-seafood dish. The chicken is incredibly flavorful and is cooked to maintain a nice tenderness in the center. The kung pao flavoring is spot on and has the exact balance of sweet with spicy. 

Conclusion

While Tan Cang Newport Seafood has a variety of "typical Chinese" issues to sort through, the quality and flavor of the food was excellent. They were so good that one actually can ignore all the problems. With the relatively cheap price of the lobster compared to the quality, Tan Cang delivers an extremely satisfying meal.

For the lobster and kung pao chicken that I just can't get out of my mind, Tan Cang Newport Seafood receives the megabyte award.

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Half and Half Tea House - Interrupt

Date of Dining: 4/1/2012
Price: $2.85-$3.85 + $0.50 extras
Locations:

• 141 N. Atlantic Blvd #112, 91754  (reviewed)
• 3007 E. Huntington Dr. #104, 91107
• 17575 Colima Rd. #C, 91748
• 18558 Gale Ave. Unit #152, 91748

The Quick Bit

+ great boba drinks

+ drinks are made to order

Δ waiting times can be shorter

Δ phone in orders could be finished upon arrival

When I was in high school and in the prime of my geekiness, a certain Chinese food trend swept through Southern California; boba. As a young man with knowledge of the food trend, I suddenly found myself being asked about food from my culture for the first time in my life. I also found that others seemed to enjoy my explanations.

Embracing the role of the avid boba junkie, I tried all the various boba shops that popped up around town and recommended certain ones which I thought were better than others; it was perhaps gastrobits R&d only I didn't know it at the time.

When I went to college, the boba craze was still strong and I even joined a club with the slogan "bobalicious." I found myself with like minded individuals who all loved boba. I was even told of a story where one of the club members was playing basketball at the gym wearing the shirt and he was playfully given the nickname bobalicious for the session. Ever since that time, I've tried to curtain my boba consumption - it more or less lined up with my metabolism slowing down as I aged. 

It was with some trepidation that I was thrown back into the boba world during a recent visit to LA. While certain fields seem to never advance, boba drinks have continued to evolve over the years. The current lead innovater is Half and Half Tea House. With four locations in the Los Angeles area, they serve the widely accepted best boba drinks.

Half and Half's innovation is that instead of sweetening the tea itself, the tapioca pearls (boba) are dipped into honey before being added to the cup. This form of sweetening gives a more natural and rich flavor to the entire drink.

milk tea with coffee jelly, and honey boba

For my experience at Half and Half, I went with the most popular drink - milk tea with coffee jelly and honey boba. From the first sip, I knew that this drink was extremely special. The flavors were purer than any other boba drink I had previously savored. I felt like I have a flavor explosion and complete re-discovery of the boba drink when I enjoyed this cup. The inclusion of the coffee jelly was key as it added a nice smoky depth to the drink. The tapiocas were prepared perfectly and I didn't feel that the drink was too sweet (the previous three boba drinks I've had I always felt were too sweet, even with less sugar).

Conclusion

Half and Half's boba teas are truly eye-opening and set the bar for all other boba drinks. Despite having plenty of boba in my time, Half and Half's tea was a flavor epiphany; it's like someone teaching you a completely new way to cook chicken better than anything you knew previously.

For the truly awesome product, Half and Half gets the bit award.

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Cucina Enoteca - Interrupt

Date of Dining: 6/9/2012
Price: $7-13 appetizers, $14-25 entrees (lunch)
Location: 31 Fortune Dr, Irvine, CA 92618
website

The Quick Bit

+ interesting and diverse menu selection

+ great trendy atmosphere and decor

Δ prices could be more approachable for lunch

Cucina Enoteca is the latest restaurant of the Urban Kitchen Group (better known for running Cucina Urbana and Kensington Grill in San Diego). Through whatever forces of fate, I actually ended up trying their restaurant in Irvine before any of the ones in San Diego.

Cucina Enoteca is basically Cucina Urbana moved north to Irvine; the restaurant is owned by Tracy Borkum and the kitchen is headed by Executive Chef Joe Magnanelli. Chef Magnanelli is also in charge of Cucina Urbana, and focuses on trendy takes of Italian classics while bringing a modern feel to the dishes. While Cucina Urbana claims a $20 limit on all dishes, I noticed many of the lunch entrees at Cucina Enoteca had creeped into the mid $20 range, so the pricing aspect of the restaurants doesn't seem to align.

spring risotto - sea beans, asparagus, tomato

The risotto was well cooked and had a nice flavor for a vegetarian dish. The dish was balanced so the flavors of vegetables were able to shine through the rice.

CE brandt farms burger - braised short rib, fiscalini cheddar, honey mustard aioli, truffle fries

This was the best dish of the meal. This is the famous Cucina Urbana burger taken north. The burger was well cooked and the short rib gave the flavor an extra punch to take the flavors more complex. The fries were cooked very well.

lamb bolognese rigatoni - artichoke, feta, nepitella

The pasta was slightly overcooked, but the bolognese was well made. Overall, the dish was unremarkable, but also was not outstanding either.

Conclusion

With my short glimpse into Cucina Enoteca, I feel that there is some potential in the restaurant. However, it doesn't seem to have fully captured the magic that I hear about Cucina Urbana in San Diego. I feel that I should visit Cucina Urbana soon to give the proper comparison. If Cucina Enoteca is able to fully bring the Cucina Urbana experience to Irvine, then I expect the restaurant to be a success.

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Ramen Yamadaya (Costa Mesa) - Interrupt

Date of Dining: 4/14/2012
Price: $4-6 per appetizer, $8-11 per bowl of ramen
Location: 1175 Baker St., Costa Mesa, CA 92626
website

The Quick Bit

+ great rich tonkotsu flavor broth

+ quick friendly service

+ good selection of ramen toppings

Δ broth was a little thick when cooled

Δ noodles where a bit too thin

While it has only been a month since my last ramen post, I was again impressed enough by another ramen-ya that I felt the need to report it. Even more exciting is the great ramen can be found about half the distance to LA and it is service all day every day.

Within all the different types of ramen, I have to admit that I am partial to a really good tonkotsu ramen. I love the richness and depth of flavor in tonkotsu ramen moreso than the other types of ramen. At Yamadaya, the pork for the tonkotsu ramen is boiled for at least 20 hours prior to service. The result is an extremely thick and rich tonkotsu broth. 

Yamadaya also continues the trend I noticed at Tsujita where the noodles for the tonkotsu were of the thin variety. On the website, it is mentioned that the noodles are thinner so that they absorb more of the pork flavor. While I'm somewhat skeptical of this are still partial to thicker alkaline noodles, I can see where the thin noodles to work.

Appetizers

agedashi tofu

I started the meal with some agedashi tofu. While the dish is very simple, I feel that a great agedashi tofu speaks volumes about the quality of a Japanese restaurant. The dashi in the tofu was really rich and flavorful, which suggested a good thing to come. Unfortunately, the tofu was a bit firmer than I expected. Additionally, the deep fried coating of the tofu seemed a bit soggy. Overall, the dish was still above average.

takoyaki

The last great takoyaki I had was in Japan. While this particular takoyaki didn't compare to the ones from Japan, this was the best one I've had in the United States. These takoyaki were made fresh and the middle had that signature hot boiling temperature expected from a takoyaki. The octopus filling was both generous and cooked properly.

Ramen:

yamadaya ramen - tonkotsu kotteri

For the ramen, I ordered the Yamadaya ramen, which includes a mix of toppings. From there, there is the option of having the ramen as just tonkotsu, shoyu, spicy, or kotteri. I opted for the kotteri, which is an extra scoop of all the pork fat/drippings/leftover on the bottom of the pot after the tonkotsu broth is cooked. The result was an extra infusion of pork flavor in the broth.

The soup was thick, creamy, and flavorful. While the soup was not as good as Tsujita's, it is close enough to suggest the drive to Little Osaka may be unnecessary. The pork toppings and the egg were well prepared as well. Overall, the ramen was a very impressive bowl of ramen - had I not just visited Tsujita, I would be calling this the best ramen stateside. 

Conclusion:

Although the ramen at Yamadaya isn't as good as Tsujita, it is pretty close. With a closer driver, easier schedule to work around and cheaper prices, it is an extremely attractive second option when you don't have to absolutely have the best. The takoyaki is also a reasonable substitute for what you would expect when ordering that dish.

For the great tonkotsu flavored ramen at affordable prices, Ramen Yamadaya is awarded a bit award.

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Kyo Bahn - Interrupt

Date of Dining: 4/29/2012 
Price: $10 for gam ja tang, $12-18 for entrees
Location: 13925 Yale Ave, Ste 140, Irvine, CA 92620

The Quick Bit

+ authentic homestyle korean food

+ great flavor on kalbi

+ gam ja tang is a great deal

Δ limited ban chan selection

Δ spice level highly varied

With the popularization of Internet reviews, it seems hard to find that neighborhood hole in the wall restaurant that only the locals know about. Luckily, I found that restaurant in Kyo Bahn.

Nestled in a small quiet strip mall containing a church, convenience store, and veterinarian, one would not expect to find some korean gam ja tang that really satisfies the soul in comfort and taste. One would also next expect to find what seems to be the best kalbi in Irvine.

ban chan selection

As with any Korean meal, one starts with the ban chan; while the selection here was extremely limited, the dishes were still satisfying. However, with restaurants like BCD including a complimentary fried fish with the banchan, it is hard for other smaller restaurants to compete.

brown rice and  ssam dipping sauce

Another interesting aspect of Kyo Bahn is that upon ordering, you are given the choice of white or brown rice. It turns out that the brown rice was really more "purple" in color. I'm not exactly sure what was different about the rice, but I was a big fan of the preparation.

gam ja tang

When the gam ja tang arrived, I was worried it would not live up to my expectations. Luckily the flavors were very nice. While the pork bones could have been cooked a little longer to have more of the braised flavor, the goodness of the bones had cooked in and integrated with the soup. The soup was a little spicy and contained all the braised flavor of the pork bones. My only complaint was that there wasn't really that much soup.

kalbi ssam combination

For the entree, we shared the kabli ssam combination. The soup came out boiling hot and had a nice soy flavor to it, but I felt it was a bit salty. Luckily the kalbi quickly made me forget the soup. The marinade on the kalbi was just perfectly sweet and maintained a large amount of savory flavor. They were also cooked perfectly so that they were not overcooked, yet retained a nice charred crust to really have a nice flavor.

Conclusion

Kyo Bahn is a great neighborhood Korean restaurant for those looking for authentic Korean food. The gam ja tang is a really home cooked korean dish, and the kalbi was marinated and cooked to be very enjoyable. While I do recommend visiting this restaurant, a warning to those going that this really is home style food and that the food should not expected to be restaurant quality. If you can get past the meager ban chan and the home cooked quality of the meal, your experience at Kyo Bahn is sure to be enjoyable.

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Boiling Point (Irvine) - Interrupt

Date of Dining: 2/18/2012
Price: ~$12 per hot pot
Location: 14140 Culver Dr, Irvine, CA 92606
website


The Quick Bit:
+ good selection of flavored hot pot dishes
+ menu includes Taiwanese delicacy stinky tofu
Δ difference in wait times for parties larger than two could be less pronounced
Δ extra protein option could be offered on the menu for additional charge
Δ service could be more attentive

"Hot Pot" is one of the most ubiquitous dishes in Chinese cuisine. It is a dish that can be likened to fondue traditionally where a single pot sits in the middle of the table for the entire family and ingredients are added to the pot to be cooked. Oftentimes, hot pot is enjoyed during holidays when the family gets together and is an opportunity for socializing among family. It is also a dish that is served during times of celebration.
There are many different varieties of hot pot depending on the region of China where the hot pot is prevalent. In the South, spicy hot pots are popular because they cause the body to sweat, this making the person feeling cool. Somewhat paradoxically, spicy hot pots are also popular in the north as the heat is necessary to make the body warm up to combat the frigid temperatures.

Boiling Point is a Taiwanese-owned chain of restaurants serving personal-sized portions of Taiwanese hot pot. While I'm not exactly sure what exactly makes hot pot Taiwanese, the following characteristics are what I associate with it. First, the soup of the hot pot incredibly flavorful on its own. Next, Taiwanese hot pot are typically accompanied with a variety of dipping sauces to dip the contents of the pot. Finally, the hot pot served at Boiling Point includes stinky tofu, which is considered a Taiwanese delicacy.

Drinks:

hokkaido milk tea

I apologize for the poor quality photo, but fortunately there didn't seem to be much to see.
While Taiwanese drink shops have popularized boba and milk tea, Boiling Point carries on the tradition by offering Hokkaido milk tea. I'm not exactly sure why it is called Hokkaido milk tea, but the flavor of the milk was much more concentrated, which made me enjoy the tea more. Coupled with the spicy hot pot, it was a perfect combination.

Sauces:

garlic soy sauce

chili oil

"boiling point" sauce

Situated at each table is a vessel containing three different sauces. The idea is that one should be able to use different amounts of the three sauces to customize his or her own favorite dipping sauce. The "boiling point" sauce serves as the base and is a nice mix of spicy, sour, sweet, and umami. It seems to consist mainly of spicy garlic bean paste, garlic cream soy sauce, and an additional secret spicy sauce. I enjoyed the sauce immensely and would probably be willing to spread it on bread to eat, except that it is a bit too salty for that.
The chili oil and soy allow for slight adjustments to one's dipping sauce.

Miscellaneous:

When one orders hot pot, they are presented a choice of rice or noodles. The noodles are to be added to the hot pot, while the rice serves more for ladling soup on top of the rice. I found that in a party of two, ordering one of each and sharing seemed to be the best approach.

spicy fermented tofu

Seeing it as a delicacy, I ordered the spicy fermented tofu as a side. Unfortunately, this was probably among the worst stinky tofu I'd ever consumed. This preparation pretty much brought to light all the reasons people have bad feelings about stinky tofu and confirmed that they can be true in a poor preparation.

Hot Pots:

beef hot pot

The beef soup contains beef, tomato, fish balls, tofu, vegetables, and a variety of other ingredients. The soup was incredibly flavorful and the mix of ingredients made the soup a joy to eat.

lamb hot soup

The lamb hot soup contains lamb, tofu, pork blood, fish cakes, vegetables, and tenpura. While this is outwardly similar to the beef soups substituting beef for lamb, the actual flavor of the broth was very different. Whereas the beef brother is very savory, the lamb broth contains some additional sweetness which reminds me of some Chinese herbal ingredients in soups.

Conclusion:
The hot pots of boiling point are incredibly flavorful, and contain a wide array of different ingredients making them a treat to enjoy. The dipping sauces really heighten the flavors and add an extra dimension of flavor as well.
While the food is great, there are some issues to be aware of. First the pots are incredibly hot as they are being heated and boiled while in front of you. Next, the service is pretty typical of an Asian restaurant, which is to say you will have to ask for things several times. Finally, most carnivores will feel that the hot pot does not contain enough meat.
Despite the downsides, Boiling Point remains high on my list of destinations to enjoy a meal while passing through Irvine. The incredible flavor and variety of ingredients in the soup more than make up for the scarcity of protein. Also, it is always an option to just order more meat or another hot pot if one is unsatisfied. The Hokkaido milk tea is also a nice bonus.
Due to the flavors and the price for the experience, Boiling Point gets the bit award.

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