Southern California

[Carolyn Tillie]

While not the grand culinary pilgrimage that RJWong is making, I am spending the week in SoCal - seeing old friends and eating around at a few old favorites, taking my god-daughter to Disneyland, and looking forward to Bin 8945.

I landed just after noon yesterday and promptly headed to my stand-by, hands-down favorite Japanese restaurant, Shin-Sen-Gumi.

I was really lucky. It was 1:50 and they were closing in ten minutes - just enough time to get my standard, Takana Rice:

The rice is blended with bits of tiny, dried fish, sesame seeds and some other green bits I never quite knew... The plate on the back, left contains fried tofu with shredded bonito, sliced scallions, a light sauce, and a bit of daikon. This gets dumped on the rice and all eaten together. Where there used to be a little bento of pickles and a hard-boiled egg, that was now replaced with the cooked squash on the top right. For $7.00, the Takana Rice lunch is also served with two yakitori:

Grilled chicken and meatballs. These are what I miss - there is NO yakitori in San Francisco and these meatballs are tender and savory. Shin-Sen-Gumi is the restaurant I miss more than all others and when in the area, this is my personal pilgrimage.

Today, I'll be out-and-about in Costa Mesa. Tomorrow is Disneyland and Bin 8945 on Thursday. Will report back!

[Swicks]

Where in Costa Mesa will you be dining? Lots of good stuff there, particularly on the ethnic side. If you have a desire for Ramen, I highly recommend Mitae Ramen.

[SiseFromm]

Although we've never been to that location of Shin-Sen-Gumi, we LOVE the one in Fountain Valley. We were there a couple of weeks ago actually. The little quail eggs with bacon on skewer is far and away my favorite item!

[russ parsons]

pork belly wrapped around shiso leaf.

[jsmeeker]

looking forward to your Bin 8945 report...

[Carolyn Tillie]

Quick check-in before dinner... My Costa Mesa friends wanted to take advantage of my offer to take them to eat wherever they wanted and they chose Natraj at 998-B South Coast Highway in Laguna Beach. They are car-less and tend to eat out only in their neighborhood. I didn't take pictures at lunch but for an Indian buffet, it was really, really good.

I especially enjoyed the Dal, Saag Paneer, and Samosas. There was also another dish with eggplant and potatoes which I greatly enjoyed but did not get the name of.

Swicks, I doubt we'll go out and get Ramen for dinner -- that is something I get plenty of in San Francisco. But this is all about treating my friends and letting them choose where they want to eat (except for my quick solo SSG trip and the Bin 8945 excursion which are my choices).

Off to dinner - but I don't know where!!!

[davidthomas8779]

Grilled chicken and meatballs. These are what I miss - there is NO yakitori in San Francisco and these meatballs are tender and savory. 

←

Not in S.F., but there is apparently a place in San Jose that gets good reviews http://www.yelp.com/biz/hIfQgmYTfz5T2q7qFJuq9g just reviewed in the Mercury News

http://www.mercurynews.com/search/ci_5621455?nclick_check=1

[Carolyn Tillie]

Shame on me for not mentioning yesterday morning's breakfast -- "E" and I walked to the Mondrian Hotel on Sunset Boulevard before I drove down to Orange County. Rather unexceptional food - a basic omelet with better-than-average potatoes:

Mondrian does have a few artistic things going for it, like a silver wall of silver-painted kookoo clocks. But I liked their oversized planters:

I was very, very happy when friends "R&L" requested dinner at the Crab Cooker, an old, old favorite (I remember my parents taking me there when I was really, really little).

A special on the menu last night was Spot Shrimp each of which were filled with roe!

We also ordered the obligatory crab legs:

And a platter of grilled salmon:

We were situated right by the cooking station:

Breakfast this morning was in my friend's, "C's" garden - a simple, but perfect omelet eaten amongst the hummingbirds...

Right now, I'm sitting here outside Goofy's Kitchen at the Disneyland Hotel, waiting for the rest of my party to arrive. Thank god I found some WiFi...

[oneidaone]

Wow! Your meals look great! In a month from today I too will be at Disneyland

although no character dining - no kids involved although we do have a res. for

the chef's counter at Napa Rose. Happy eating, keep reporting! A hui hou

[SiseFromm]

You were a stone's throw from us when you were at the Crab Cooker. We're about a mile or so from the Newport Peninsula and Crab Cooker is one of my father in-law's all time favorites. It has a certain charm that makes it a somewhat unforgettable Newport eatery. The potatoes are a bit gluey but the seafood is usually spot-on.

[Carolyn Tillie]

You were a stone's throw from us when you were at the Crab Cooker.  We're about a mile or so from the Newport Peninsula and Crab Cooker is one of my father in-law's all time favorites.  It has a certain charm that makes it a somewhat unforgettable Newport eatery.  The potatoes are a bit gluey but the seafood is usually spot-on.

←

I was born in Tustin so this was the neighborhood my parents would bring us to "get away" with very special family dinners usually at the Five Crowns, Newport 17, or the Velvet Turtle.

I got so nostalgic about Laguna and surrounds, I've decided to come back for a whole week in August just for the arts festivals!

[Rehovot]

I was born in Tustin so this was the neighborhood my parents would bring us to "get away" with very special family dinners usually at the Five Crowns, Newport 17, or the Velvet Turtle.

I got so nostalgic about Laguna and surrounds, I've decided to come back for a whole week in August just for the arts festivals!

←

We must have had parallel childhoods. I grew up going to the Velvet Turtle for special occasions, too. Is it still there? Their creme de menthe cheesecake is enshrined in my kid memory.

Have a great rest of your trip!

[Carolyn Tillie]

We must have had parallel childhoods. I grew up going to the Velvet Turtle for special occasions, too. Is it still there? Their creme de menthe cheesecake is enshrined in my kid memory.

Have a great rest of your trip!

←

Not for years.... thanks for bringing up that cheescake! I had forgotten about that!

[mukki]

The Velvet Turtle! I grew up in Fullerton and remember being dressed up (which seemed so strange in the middle of the day) and taken there when my grandparents were in town.

Edited April 12, 2007 by mukki (log)

[SiseFromm]

I grew up in Anaheim Hills so my family's "special occassion" restaurant was always The Fox Fire on Imperial Highway right near the 91 Freeway. It still stands, although now it's known a lot less for it's old-school continental & chop house menu and a lot more for it's nearly innappropriate singles scene and live entertainment.

[Carolyn Tillie]

I grew up in Anaheim Hills so my family's "special occassion" restaurant was always The Fox Fire on Imperial Highway right near the 91 Freeway.  It still stands, although now it's known a lot less for it's old-school continental & chop house menu and a lot more for it's nearly innappropriate singles scene and live entertainment.

←

You may also remember another special occasion restaurant - Orange Hill which was high, atop a hill?

[SiseFromm]

I ate at Orange Hill for my high school prom! It's still there and I'm sure they're still doing weddings and contienental cuisine. We were on the other side of the hill in Anaheim, with Orange Hill being up Chapman in the city of Orange, heading twoards old Irvine. I haven't been up there in ages though. We're in the Costa Mesa/Newport area now. We're eating at Cafe Rouge this coming Friday to celebrate our anniversary so I'll report back.

[Carolyn Tillie]

I've put my Bin 8945 here, in its own thread.