other stops

Well, my dad is giving me a hard time for not keeping up with all restaurants where I ate. So, I should mention Versailles, a Cuban place in Los Angeles; Korea House in Irvine; and the Mexican place La Sirena in Laguna Beach.

Of these three, my favorite is La Sirena, a great hole-in-the-wall place with fresh food and a great atmosphere, although you have to sit outside. There are only two tables.

Korea House is a traditional place. You grill your own food at the table, including meats and vegetables, and they give you lots of spicy side dishes. It was okay but expensive! Versailles is large and loud and does well with traditional pork dishes. We loved the plantains! They serve nice shakes, too.

Kogi Truck!

So, we finally tracked down the Kogi BBQ truck - three hungry guys, two missed turns, one parking lot. We got there before the truck and it looked like we were in the wrong spot, but there were already people waiting.

If you don't know, http://kogibbq.com is their website, and they announce on twitter where you'll find the next truck any given day, all over Southern California. They make Korean BBQ tacos, burritos, hot dogs, and specials.

My dad, my friend, and I got in line when the truck pulled up. I kept checking the menu to think about the options, and good smells started to fill the parking lot. When we finally got to the front, we all ordered burritos: short rib and spicy pork sounded like the best ways to go. We also got a soda and retreated to our car to eat. Kind of messy but that's what you call a wild meal! By now the line was super long.

Their portions are kind of big, so we didn't go back to sample other items. Maybe another time. Also, the line was discouragingly long, but I guess it's a good sign. There were all kinds of people - older and younger, students and office workers and mechanics and just a few kids.

It's a different way to eat out; when you get to the announced location of the truck, for lunch or dinner, there is nowhere to sit except on the ground or in your car. The food is spicy, a cross between Mexican and Korean. Is it good? Yes. Is it kid-friendly? Depends on where it is.

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.

Pasadena Mexican

Dona Rosa Bakery and Taqueria in Pasadena is a good Mexican restaurant right next to car washing place and a gas station. It is on the corner of South Arroyo Parkway and East California Boulevard. The covered terrace has many pretty designs, including the tiles, picures and mosaics. The small bakery offers a ton of Mexican desserts, such as Empanadas and cuernitos. Amazingly it also has some flan! The juices are a little bit pricey but they're worth it! The beans and carnitas in my burrito are the perfect combination. My dad ordered from the special menu which had three or four things on it. His choice was called Puerco Pibil, basically slow-roasted spiced pork butt that was wrapped in banana leaves. The tacos were juicy too. My mom thought that her carnitas taco was better than her fish taco. The chips were fresh and amazingly tasty, still warm; you can help yourself to a variety of salsas.

kid friendly☺☺☺

quality ψψψψ