#24 Fish Burrito at Los Cotijas

This is where it all started: my first mission. This whole conquering the Top 100 Dishes in the OC happened quite spontaneously, to be honest. I was chatting it up with a friend and we were trying to find a new place to eat. No ideas came to mind, but then I recalled another friend sending me the link to the Top 100 article. Madness ensued…

Upon surveying the list, we realized that both of us were in the mood for Mexican food. Los Cotijas seemed the best option because it was relatively close to where we were at the time.

First and foremost: Los Cotijas is CASH ONLY. I’ll go ahead and state if and when other places are cash only also to help you out. 😉 I always carry at least some cash so this wasn’t a problem. The cashier was friendly and the service was relatively fast. It’s a pay first, food later kind of deal.

So on to the dish…

Living in California, I have become accustomed to heavily stuffed burritos. Therefore, I was surprised to see that this burrito was relatively light in appearance and in weight…AKA Lightweight (Ok that was a bad joke, but this is my blog so I don’t care! hahah) It was a pleasant surprise because for once it didn’t feel like I was lifting a dumbbell upon picking it up. So the burrito itself was quite simple: deep-fried fish, some veggies, and their special sauce. A great mixture of sweet and tangy. I do enjoy fish burritos in general because of their crunchiness and Los Cotijas was able to deliver with theirs.

Cruzade Rating: 7

Location: Los Cotijas, 11951 S. Euclid St., Garden Grove, (714) 636-3944

#29 Beef Panang from Thai Nakorn

My goodness. This has to be one of my personal favorite dishes in life. Hyperbole? Maybe. But, as of right now, I am definitely in love with Thai Nakorn’s Beef Panang. I enjoyed it so much the first time that I came back a second time knowing that I still have about 90 dishes to conquer on the list. It’s that good.

I’m usually so-so when it comes to curry. I don’t get all riled up when it comes to Indian curry, but Filipino Kare Kare is one of my favorites. I’ve had Japanese and Thai curry before, but it never really struck me as a “WOW” sort of food. I guess I’m somewhere in the middle when it comes to this food genre.

So what makes Thai Nakorn’s Beef Panang better than the average curry dish? I’ll gladly answer this question for you. Let’s start with the beef. It’s tender; easily cut with a fork because the beef chunks are pretty large. It is a huge food “turn off” when beef is hard because it is not cooked thoroughly. Yack. But Thai Nakorn does it right. Their beef is the deal-maker. The curry has a perfect combination of milkiness (from the coconut milk) and a nice hint of spiciness (not too high on the spicy meter, so it doesn’t take away from the entire dish). Rice is a necessity with this dish and you have to order it as a side. It completes the dish.

This has definitely become my “go-to” spot if and when I crave curry.

Cruzade Rating: 9

Location:

Thai Nakorn, 12532 Garden Grove Blvd., Garden Grove; (714) 537-5011.

Thai Nakorn, 11951 Beach Blvd., Stanton; (714) 799-2031.

#47 Corn Dog at Disneyland’s The Little Red Wagon

I would like to begin by stating that I am not a fan of corn dogs in general. I blame this for the corn dogs I’ve had in my childhood. My childhood corn dogs were derived from 2 sources. The first being Costco and the second, the dreaded elementary school cafeteria.

Costco corn dogs weren’t that bad. The fact that I had the power to control how hot I wanted my snack/meal made it a little more enjoyable. More often than not, however, the hot dog inside was cold or, worse, frozen. What a deal a breaker.

The elementary school corn dogs were an absolute nightmare. They were served  as mini corn dogs with peas and corn in a plastic tray, sealed with some sort of plastic wrap. Food was prepared early in the morning so by the time lunch time came around, the heat from inside the packaging caused condensation to occur within, which led to extremely soggy corn dogs. Soggy to the point that the hot dog was visible because the breading slid off. AHHHH!!! I dreaded the days they were served and opted for anything else available instead eating those monstrosities.

I know i strayed pretty far from the subject at hand to describe my horrible childhood corn dog experiences, but I wanted you as the reader to know that I am not accustomed to eating good corn dogs. So when I looked at the list and saw that one of the dishes was the corn dog from Disneyland, I knew I was in for a treat. I mean, cah man, when does Disney go wrong?

I was actually rather surprised that I never heard about the Disneyland corn dogs before. From what friends tell me, they’re rather popular because they’re pretty darn good. I’m an avid Disneyland visitor. I have a Disneyland Deluxe pass, and those of you who are friends with me on Facebook have probably seen me check-in to the park at least once. To be honest, I was excited to have this dish.

So I partially cheated with this dish. I didn’t have it at the Little Red Wagon in Disneyland. That line is always looooong. Instead, I had it at Award Wieners in California Adventure. Disney nonetheless right? Right!

So the corn dog wasn’t fancy-looking or anything. A hot dog, wrapped in batter, and deep fried to a crispy brown color. It was served in a basket with a side of either chips or fruits. Upon taking my first bite of the corn dog, I definitely appreciated the semi-crunchy bread batter which perfectly transitioned to the juicy hot dog within. I’m usually not a fan of the combination of sweet and savory in one dish, but I thoroughly enjoyed this corn dog.

I probably won’t get this item again just because I’m still haunted by my childhood corn dog experiences, but I do highly suggest ordering it if you enjoy this type of food. It’s good, but it’s just not my thing.

Cruzade Rating: 7

Location: The Little Red Wagon in Disneyland or Award Wiener in California Adventure

#68 Korean Beef Rib Sandwich at Kaffa

I love when coffee shops serve savory food. This coffee shop happens to be one of them. So although I was here for the sandwich, I opted to purchase some caffeine too. I opted for the white mocha. I’m pretty sure I told the cashier that I wanted the drink iced, but I guess she didn’t hear me, so the drink came out hot. The presentation of the drink literally made me feel all warm inside. The barista made a heart shape with the whipped cream. Made me forget that I wanted a cold drink to begin with, so I settled. I do wish, however, that the drink was a little sweeter. It was a bit on the bitter side. Take a looky at the dranky drank right here:

Now on to the sandwich…It was a little smaller than I thought it would be. Therefore, I was thinking that Kaffa was going for the quality over quantity route. Yes, it was delicious. The meat had a sweet kick to it, which was complimented by the grilled onions. I was definitely won over by the provolone, which is my favorite type of cheese. The bread wasn’t stiff but soft, which was also a plus because I hate it when bread cuts the roof of my mouth.  Overall, a delightful sandwich. Would I go here if I were craving Korean BBQ? No, I’d rather opt for an AYCE KBBQ in Cerritos or LA. Would I go here for coffee? No, I’m a sweet tooth, and most of their drinks are on the bland side. However, I would come back to snack on this sandwich. It’s pretty good.

Cruzade Rating: 7

Location: Kaffa, 424 S. Main St., Ste. K, Orange, (714) 978-1992; www.kaffainc.com

#89 Midnight Al Pastor Burrito or Taco at Taqueria Tapatia

Now I know this picture doesn’t really look appetizing. I blame the lack of light in the venue and the lack of flash on my Iphone 3GS. The huge plus about this place is that it’s open late. I went to the 24 hour one on 1st st. The other is supposedly open until 2AM. I came here around 11PM and was surprised that there was a good amount of business goin’ on. A couple families and some fellow late night snackers were also in the premises looking for a quick meal.

This dish was supposedly good as either a taco or burrito. I opted for the burrito because I was feeling rather hungry at the time, which was nothing new. The Al Pastor (Slow roasted pork) was nice and tender. It was a little saltier than I would have liked, but was delightful nonetheless. There was some rice in there and minimal veggies. I’m usually a proponent of a high meat:veggie ratio, but I felt a little overwhelmed with the surplus of al pastor in this burrito. I could, however, understand how this burrito would be delectable for anyone trying to get a meat fix, but I was not at the time.

I do suggest the melon juice as a drink. I LOVE Mexican joints that serve this stuff because it almost never fails. Taqueria Tapatia is on point with their melon juice.

Cruzade Rating: 6

Location: Taquería Tapatía, 202 S. Bristol, SanTana, (714) 972-9115; also at 1118 W. First St., SanTana, (714) 835-8168.

LET IT BE KNOWN…

Update 5/22/12: First, let me apologize to everyone about dropping the ball for my food blog. Life caught up with me in the midst of my food bloggery. A couple updates. I’ve since graduated from CSULB (Class of 2011 baby!). I work full time as an Account Representative for an international freight forwarder (sounds boring, but I love what I do!). I still venture out into the infinite abyss of food spots and continue to have the passion to share my adventures. So let’s continue, shall we?

 

I am not a great writer. I mean, come on now, I’m a Business major.

 

However, my passion for exploring and discovering good food has inspired me to create this blog of my adventures, with hopes that you as the reader may also have that urge and motivation to check these places out and, even better, find new places which I hope you’ll share with the world also.

 

Enjoy!

Click on the categories above to check out my posts.

The site is still in Beta mode, but it WILL continue to get better over time. Promise. 😉

#96 Frozen Custard at Marc Burger’s in Macy’s Signature Kitchen

When I read the original article for this dish, I had to double/triple check to make sure that it was inside a Macy’s store. What the heck?! Specifically, it’s located in the Macy’s Home Store at South Coast Plaza (the one across the street/bridge from the main mall).

I’ve never had frozen custard before, so I was rather excited to try this dessert out. The only times I’ve seen frozen custard were one TV, while watching shows on the Travel Channel.

So the dish itself was rather simple in presentation and could be mistaken for the ice cream you get on those self serve machines at Asian buffets. But do not be fooled. This frozen custard definitely pleased my taste buds. Those who know me, know that I love sweets. This frozen dessert was sweet and firm in texture. I loved the fact that the texture remained consistent throughout the whole eating experience. In other words, it didn’t melt. Huge plus! I know for a fact that every time I go to South Coast Plaza from now on, I’ll be making a stop here for some of this goodness.

Cruzade Rating: 7.5

Location: Macy’s Signature Kitchen, Macy’s Home Store, 3333 Bear St., Costa Mesa, CA 92626, (714) 708-3333

I’m a Newb

This is my first blog post since my Xanga days, so I’m rather rusty when it comes to the blogging world. Please excuse the lack of content initially. The site is still in Beta mode. It’ll get better…I PROMISE!!! Keep checking in here. It will be worth your time. 😉

#100 Jack Carnitas Torta at The Crosby 1/11/2011

From the outside, this place looks like it’s closed. It may have been the fact that it was around 9pm, or it may have been the extremely dim street lights in the streets of Santa Ana, but I was pretty confused with the restaurant’s tinted windows.

Well, I went inside and was instantly impressed with the atmosphere: compact, exclusive tables, and vintage decorations (ex: boomboxes strategically placed around the room). Bougie. The waiters/waitresses were casually dressed, which made me feel a little more comfortable since I was also dressed casually.

On to the Jack Carnitas Torta:

I definitely enjoyed the presentation. As you can see with the picture I posted, it’s pretty eloquent for a torta dish. They gave the plate an extra touch with that comet-shaped ketchup smear. Nice. I’m not used to such “fancy shmancy” when it comes to Mexican food. My tortas are usually wrapped or served in a paper bag. It felt like I was going to eat something incredibly special. I wasn’t wowed or anything, but it was delicious and I enjoyed. The sauce/salad provided a tangy kick and complimented the savory pork. It was a little colder than I would have wished it to be. My first impression was that it was going to be a hot sandwich. I was a little disappointed that the meat did not taste like it was fresh from grill. I do recall being extremely hungry at the time, so I gobbled up the torta with relative ease. I somewhat regret eating it at such an accelerated pace because I didn’t give myself time to properly savor the flavor, but it was a good meal nonetheless. Not too heavy, but still enough to fill your stomach.

Cruzade Rating: 6.5

Location: The Crosby, 400 N Broadway, Santa Ana, CA 92701, (714) 543-3543, http://www.thisisthecrosby.com