Your fearless reviewer giving a thumbs up to a strawberry creampuff at Joan's Deli on Third Street in LA.

three reviews in one!

I'm going to write about three restaurants in one post. I've gotten behind on my reviewing and I need to catch up! The first one is Chakra , a kind of fancy Indian restaurant in University Center in Irvine. I went there with my mom for lunch because they have an all you can eat buffet (self service) for $14.95. It sounds like a great deal and it is. But don't order bottled water because they will bring you the kind that costs $7.00 a bottle. I had the lamb kurma and the coffe tiramisu for dessert. All the tikkas and kurmas have very clear spices and distinctive tastes. It is a little dark inside, but comfortable. I was the only kid eating there. I think there are more kids on the weekends for their brunch.

Next, I went to lunch at Z'Tejas in South Coast Plaza. Z'Tejas specializes in Southwestern cooking. Before our food came, we got a little pan of corn bread with whipped butter in a cast iron pan. I had salmon marinated in miso with grilled vegetables and mashed potatoes. They only put a little sauce on the salmon and put the rest on the side of the plate. My mom had pecan encrusted grilled chicken in a spinach salad. Mine was delicious and my mom liked hers as well. We sat near the bar, but not at the bar. We could watch two different football games.

Today, we went to Las Brisas which is right on the ocean in laguna beach. I had great fish and chips served in a paper cone like an ice cream cone with two places on the sides to hold condiments. It is a Mexican restaurant that specializes in seafood. My mom and dad shared a grilled ahi burger. The guacamole was okay and cost $11.00. Ask for only salsa. Otherwise, the view was beautiful, the fries were crisp and my fried fish was fresh, tender, light and not oily or greasy!

Chakra and Z'Tejas were kid friendly, but there were some people at Las Brisas who were not.