Orange County
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Pho Flavor Delivers A Unique Flavor Filled Pho Presentation
Pho Flavor -The Background
There’s a lot of Pho resturants in Orange County and it takes a lot to stand out amongst the many fine options available. One way to stand out? A unique presentation. Pho Flavor certainly delivers on this end, which I’ll explain later on.
Pho Flavor slow cooks their bone broth for over 12 hours. The “secret” ingredients, have been refined and perfected over three generations and is offered in two different styles – Southern and Northern.
There’s currently there’s two locations – one in Garden Grove and the other is in Fountain Valley – with a third opening in Irvine. I visited the Garden Grove location.
The Experience
I went to Pho Flavor for lunch on a recent weekday, and they quickly seated me, with no wait, at around 11:30 am. The restaurant is fairly small and narrow, and I can see it filling up quickly during peak times, but at this time there was ample seating.
Something that stood out right away with the menu was the option of the “style”. There’s both a Southern and Northern choice. I honestly have no idea what the difference is but after looking at the below I opted for the Southern Style with brisket.
Pho Flavor also offers two different types of noodles to choose from: fresh flat noodles or thick flat noodles. I went with the thick flat noodles which were supposed to be chewier.
The pho, like most pho places came out within minutes. The difference? Without a doubt HOW the pho came out. There’s three different containers stacked on top of one another. I’ve never seen pho served this way before!
On top is the hoisin sauce and Sriracha 
The second level has all the usual veggies that accompany pho 
The third level is the steaming bowl of pho This presentation definitely makes the experience memorable. They also provide Thai basil in a bottle which you can take home with you!
Of course, presentation is important to a certain extent, but food is what makes a place memorable, one way or another.
Fortunately, Pho Flavor also delivers on this front. The Southern style broth was quite light but still managed to be rich and flavorful, just not in a heavy-handed way. The noodles were very fresh, springy, and the chewiness was great. These things were slick too! It was hard to grab them with the chopsticks!
The brisket is thicker than in other pho places but is quite tender, especially the longer it got to simmer in the broth. There’s a lot of meat in the bowl as well. The more I stirred up the bowl, the more meat seemed to float to the top. This is always a good thing by the way, lol.
Speaking of the bowl, it’s deceptively deep, with a lot of noodles and meat. At first glance it didn’t look like a ton of food but it seemed to be a never ending bowl as I dug in. Definitely a good thing!
The Verdict
Looking beyond just the dish the pho comes out in, the pho itself is quite good. I really liked that they have two different broth options and noodle types. It makes me want to go back and try the other combination.
It would be hard to try the flat and soft noodles since I really enjoyed the chewiness of the thick, flat noodles. They were my favorite part of the pho.
I wouldn’t consider this to be my own personal favorite pho place, but it’s certainly a quality spot and worthy of place in the pho rotation.
Pho Flavor
10130 Garden Grove Blvd,
Garden Grove, CA 92844
Phone: (714) 591-5265
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SteelCraft’s Barrio: A Unique Fusion Of Filipino & Korean Flavors
The Background
SteelCraft locations are unique communal dining spaces with three locations in Southern California. They include craft foods and drinks and wide open areas with large tables and benches. The distinct feature with all SteelCraft locations is that the restaurants are built within old modified shipping containers.
The main communal eating area at SteelCraft Garden Grove The Garden Grove location is really cool looking. It’s a very distinct looking center due to the shipping containers. I can’t say I’ve seen anything quite like it. I love how wide open the communcal area is and how the restaurants are all on the outside of this area surrounding it. They certainly did build this with a sense of community and togetherness with having everyone eating in the same area.
The Food
Barrio
One of the restaurants that peaked my intererst at the Garden Grove SteelCraft was Barrio. A fusion of Filipino and Korean BBQ. That’s not a fusion I’ve ever seen before and the menu sounded pretty solid. It was time to give it a try!
The Barrio at Garden Grove SteelCraft 
Yes, there’s an order process! 
The popular dishes SteelCraft Barrio has a lot of different skewers to choose from (pork, chicken, shrimp, tofu) as well as other proteins like pork / beef bulgogi, salmon, and liempo. You can mix and match the skewers so I decided to go with the pork and chicken. I had wanted the rice but they were out for the night so I got it with the mixed green salad and also got the kimchi. It’s a fair amount of food for $10.50
The full skewer meal with salad and kimchi 
The salad has a few toppings on it but is pretty much a garden salad. There is a generous amount of spring mix here and it’s a lot of salad. I thought there could be a bit more dressing provided. It was a bit dry and certainly could have used more dressing. I also didn’t feel that there was very much kimchi as a side. It was pretty solid kimchi, just could have used some more of it.
The skewers are well marinated and well coated. There’s a good char on them and they taste great mainly due to the sweet and tangy marinade and sauce. The meat itself was pretty over cooked and tough, which was disappointing.
The chicken skewer 
The pork skewer 
A piece of pork
The Verdict
For the amount of money for the meal ($10.50) it’s a good amount of food. The proportions, especially the salad, is a lot. The quality is good as well. The marinade and the sauce is really tasty and is a highlight to me. It would have gone really well with rice for sures.
The few things that were a negative to me were the lack of salad dressing, small side of kimchi, and overcooked meat.
Again, it’s tough to find a meal like this for only $10.50 in this day and age and it’s certainly worth the price despite the “negatives” I list. There just needs to be a few tweaks and I feel like Barrio would be pretty legit.
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What Makes Kitakana Ramen Ban Nai’s Broth So Different And Unique
The Background
Kitakana Ramen Ban Nai has deep roots in Japan. First opening its doors in the city of Kitakata back in 1958, its popularity has steadily grown over the past six decades. Now, with 66 locations in Japan, Kitakana Ramen Ban Nai has taken root in the United States as well. Currently, there are seven location in the United States all in Southern California and Illinois. Four of the locations are in Orange County.
Kitakana is, in itself a different type of ramen then the better known Sapporo (miso broth) and Hakata (tonkotsu). The three of these types of ramen comprise the “Big 3” in Japan. Kitakana ramen differs from it’s ramen counterparts due to its broth and noodles. The broth is made from long-simmered pork bones with a shoyu (soy sauce) base. The noodles differ from other ramen due to how flat, wide, and curly they are.
The Experience
Recently, I stopped by the Fountain Valley location for lunch to check it out. I’d been to the Costa Mesa restuarant but this was the first time trying the Fountain Valley spot.
This location is much larger than the Costa Mesa restaurant with ample parking. Both huge positives.
The menu is the same at both locations. There’s actually quite a few diffferent types of ramen offered here.
I went with the Kitakata Ramen ($13.95) since I wanted to try the both. I had the Spicy Miso before but hadn’t tried the Kitakata.
The Kitakata Ramen comes with 5 pieces of Toro-Chashu, bamboo shoots, and green onion. As I mentioned previously, this is a pork broth with shoyu (soy sauce) base. Compared to miso or tonkatsu, it’s a much clearer broth.
This broth also stands out from other broths due to how light it is. Like much, much lighter. This doesn’t have that same deep, rich flavor that miso or tonkatsu does. That doesn’t take anything away from this broth, it tastes great and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
You can definitely taste the pork flavor. However, it’s more subdued compared to the shoyu flavor. It’s a great blend and the two flavors certainly mix well together.
The noodles really stood out to me. These are certainly thicker and quite wavy compared to other ramen noodles. But, what really stood out was how chewy they were. These seemed more in line with udon type of noodles with their chewiness. It was a good surprise!
The Toro-Chashu is something unique to Kitakata Ramen as well. Simmered for several hours in their secret sauce, the pieces of chashu here are much smaller cuts than chashu in other types of ramen.
Tender, with some fat, I found the chashu to be quite flavorful. The more pieces I ate the saltier they seemed. But since the broth is lighter it adds a little bit more flavor and didn’t bother me.
The bamboo shoots were a nice touch. They were included in the base ramen, which was great, since I usually order it as a side.
The Verdict
There’s many ramen restuarants in Orange County offering miso and tonkatsu base broths but few, if any, are making the Kitakana style as their main broth.
The lightness of the broth, which still retains excellent flavor, impressed me. The chewiness of the noodles was also very enjoyable and unique. They’re some of the best ramen noodles I’ve had in the Orange County area.
If you’re in the mood for a lighter kind of ramen, Kitakana Ramen Ban Nai is an excellent option!
Address:Â 18884 Brookhurst St, Fountain Valley, CA 92708
Hours:Â
Thursday 11 AM–3 PM, 5–10 PM Friday 11 AM–3 PM, 5–10 PM Saturday 11 AM–10 PM Sunday 11 AM–9 PM Monday 11 AM–3 PM, 5–10 PM Tuesday 11 AM–3 PM, 5–10 PM Wednesday 11 AM–3 PM, 5–10 PM Phone: (714) 884-3124
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Pho 79 lives up to billing as one of the best in Southern California
The Background
Pho 79 is a well-known, beloved Vietnemese location that’s been serving it’s slurp worthy signature pho since 1982. Yes, 1982! It’s in a non-descript area, nestled behind a strip mall but where there’s good food, people will find it.
The popularity is evident within the restaurant which literally has a wall’s worth of accolades and articles written about the great tasting food. The restaurant proudly displays its recognition as a James Beard Foundation Winner under the restaurant signage, indicating that its received notable national acclaim.
Such long staying power is a testament to the of quality food. But what makes Pho 79 truly special is their pho broth.
The Experience
I thought I’d beat the lunch rush and get to Pho 79 well before noon. When I pulled up to the restuarant, around 11:15 am on a Wednesday, I noticed there was already a line and the parking lot was quite full.
There’s a sign in sheet attached to the front door which had a 4-5 parties in front of me. It went really quickly. It only took around 10 minutes to get seated, which was nice!
Pho 79 really has a massive menu, with a wide variety of Vietnamese dishes to sort through. The pho portion of the menu is teeming with different variations with all sorts of different meat. Most come in three different bowl sizes. My go to pho is always just the rare beef, so I went with the medium bowl ($13.25)
The food comes out exceptionally fast. I went to use the restroom to wash my hands and came back to my table with a steaming bowl of pho waiting for me. It couldn’t have been more than five minutes.
Slurping up a spoonful of the broth was a memorable experience. The broth is so rich, hearty, and flavorful, it really warms the soul. After savoring a few spoonfuls of broth, I started adding in the usual pho veggies: thai basil, bean sprouts, jalapenos, and squeezed in some lime. I added in some hoisin sauce and some Sriracha as well.
At first I wasn’t too impressed with the amount of meat in the bowl. It just looked like four slices of beef. As it cooked more in the broth, layers started peeling off the meat though. There was a lot more meat than I orginally thought! The beef is good quality and as it turns out, there’s quite a bit. The noodles were excellent and plentiful as well. For a medium bowl of pho it was a good amount of food for a good price.
The Verdict
This was the first time I’ve been to Pho 79. I can see why it’s so well-known and has been around for over 41 years. The bowl of pho was flat out delicious.
What separates it from other places is the broth. It’s definitely one of the best pho broth’s I’ve ever had. I’m not sure what they do differently to prep the broth, but you can taste the difference compared to other pho places. Outstanding flavor. I can’t wait to go back and have another bowl!
Also, on a side note, this is a cash only restaurant so be sure to have some cash on you if you visit. I think the best times to go will be off peak hours either early or late lunch / dinners.
The parking lot will likely be packed at peak times so best to avoid if possible.
Pho 79
9941 Hazard Ave. Garden Grove, CA 92843
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Zabon Ramen: Checking Out The Anaheim Packing District Location
Zabon Ramen At The Anaheim Packing District -The Background
First established in Tokyo, Japan in 1978, Zabon Ramen opened up its first location in the US in Torrance in 2016. In 2022 it opened its second location in the popular Anaheim Packing District.
Zabon Ramen is known for it’s broth which is unique since it consists of a combination of Tonkatsu (pork), chicken broth, and soy sauce. They expanded the menu at the Anaheim location adding sushi rolls.
The Experience
Zabon’s is located on the second level at the Anaheim Packing District, right across from the bar. It’s easy to spot if entering from the main entrance. There’s no sit down area specifically for Zabon but seating can be found outside, right behind Zabon, or along the counter space overlooking the first floor.
The menu is short and sweet with three types of ramen to choose from – the Zabon, Miso, and Vegan. A handful of appetizers and rice bowls complete the ramen portion of the menu.
I decided to go with the Zabon Ramen ($14.95) since I wanted to try the base broth. The toppings included bean sprouts, cabbage, green onion, fried onion, and 3 pieces of pork chashu.
The ramen set seemed like a good deal -an extra $4.25 for a mini rice bowl – so I decided to get the chashu bowl.
Zabon Ramen
Starting with the ramen. The presentation is great. 3 large, thick slices of chashu, the fried onion, cabbage, and green onion add vibrant color to the rich, brown broth. I was looking forward to dig into it.
The broth was a little underwhelming. It looks rich but lacked that deep, rich flavor you really savor with each spoonful. To me it tasted more like a seasoned broth packet from an instant ramen.
The noodles were just alright. A little too firm for my liking. They lacked real bounce or freshness to them.
Finally the chashu. Kind of on brand with the overall bowl, it was a little tough. It had pretty good flavor to it but I didn’t find it to be very tender.
I did enjoy the crunch of the cabbage in the ramen. I thought it went well within this particular bowl of ramen.
Chashu Bowl
Next up was the the chashu bowl. The bowl had cubed chashu with green onion , ginger, and a teriyaki type sauce drizzled over the top. The rice soaked up the sauce nicely and was well coated throughout the bowl. There was a good amout of food here for a mini bowl.
The chasu bits were more tender then the pieces in the ramen and there was a generous amount in this bowl. The sauce, green onion, and ginger all meshed well together and helped to enchance the overall flavor. This was pretty decent but I wouldn’t go out of my wayt to get it again.
The Verdict
Zabon Ramen located in the Anaheim Packing District is more akin to a fast food style ramen. It fits into the vibe and flow of its surroundings, but just doesn’t pack that authentic ramen style restuarant punch to it and the food is reflective of that. The ramen and chasu bowl wouldn’t be enough to bring me back soley to eat at this location. For the amount of food you get, the ramen set deal is pretty solid though.
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Hakata Ikkousha Tonkatsu Ramen In Costa Mesa
The Background
The first Hakata Ikkousha hails from Fukoaka, Japan and first opened in 2004. It now has a number of restaurants thorughout Japan and can also be found in Singapore, Indonesia, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Australia, USA, and Canada. A pretty incredible expansion within a fairly small time frame.
When you break down the name it means one (Ichi) happy (ko) space (sha). A great combination of words to name a ramen restauarant since a nice hot bowl of ramen should indeed make for a “one happy space”.
Fortunately (for me), the three US locations are all located in Southern Calfornia. I went and checked out the Costa Mesa restaurant recently.
The Experience
The restaurant is in very busy center in Costa Mesa. It can become a parking nightmare at dinner time so I went for lunch. I got here about ten minutes after it opened (11:30 am). It’s a pretty small place. It started getting busy during the lunch rush and was filling up quickly.
The menu had quite a few different types of ramen broths to choose from. The Black Tonkotsu, God Fire, Mentai, and Black Devil Ramen all sounded super interesting.
When I go to a new ramen spot I always like trying their signature ramen, what they’re known for. It’s generally the Tonkatsu ($14) so that’s what I went with. They have a solid lunch combo menu where you can add a side dish for a little extra so I went with the 1/2 fried rice. All in all a pretty solid deal ~ $17.50.
You fill out the order sheet and it gets picked up by the server 
The lunch combo menu Service was very attentive and the food came out within 10 minutes.
The Ramen
Like the best tonkotsu broths, Ikkousha’s broth is extracted from pork bones over 30 hours long. This bowl comes a with a piece of pork chashu, black fungus, and spring onions.
I don’t ever recall seeing Tonkatsu ramen coming out so frothy like this before. The broth is rich, with a light umami taste. This doesn’t have a really deep flavor and isn’t overly rich for a tonkotsu broth though. It’s nice middle of the road flavor.
Only one piece of chashu comes with the ramen. It’s a good sized piece, but it’s disappointing that you need to shell out more money for an additional piece or two. The chashu itself was good. It was tender with good flavor.
The noodles here a very thin but definitely have a freshness to them and are tasty. I got the normal firmness and it was a little too firm for my liking. The next visit I’d definitely get soft, but that’s obviously a personal preference..
The black fungus mushroom shreds add a welcome different kind of texture to the ramen. They didn’t really have any kind of taste to them, purely provided texture to the bowl. Something that’s always welcome.
The Fried Rice
The fried rice had bits of pork in it with egg, onion, and green onion. The pork bits had great flavor and the fried rice had a bit of a charred bbq taste to it. There’s definitely a lot of onion pieces in here. I enjoyed the abundance of onion initially but got a little tired of it the more I ate. Overall an enjoyable fried rice!
The Verdict
There’s many many ramen options in Orange County and it’s hard to standout with so many delicious places to choose. Hakata Ikkousha Tonkatsu Ramen is a solid ramen option.
The tonkatsu broth is on the lighter side yet remains flavorful. It’s a good tonkatsu broth if you’re wanting something that’s not going to put you in a coma after.
I wouldn’t put Ikkousha at the top of my favorite ramen places I’ve visited in Orange County. But it’s certainly a nice change of pace and provides a good ramen option in the Costa Mesa area.
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Raspberry and Vanilla Pancakes @ Plums Cafe in Costa Mesa, CA | Pacific Northwest Inspired Breakfasts in Orange County Spot
The Background
Nestled into the corner of a non-descript Costa Mesa shopping center is one of the best breakfast locations in Orange County: Plums Cafe.
This popular cafe has been located in Eastside Costa Mesa for over 32 years, speaking volumes to its popularity and lasting appeal.
This is a unique Southern California cafe. Many items on the menu are inspired from the Portland and Seattle areas. The menu pops with items you don’t readily see at other breakfast locations.
The Campfire Rainbow Trout, Smoked Salmon Hash, Dungeness Crab Omlette, and Dutch Baby are a few unique items on the menu. The presentation on all the dishes is top notch, making the food look even more appealing.
In addition to the breakfast / brunch menu there’s a good selection of intriguing lunch items to choose from. I’m a sucker for the breakfast items here so I’ve never ventured into the lunch part of the menu. Tempted, yes, but have never pulled the trigger since I have my favorites here!
Plums also offers a number mixed drinks and other adult beverages that go hand in hand with brunch.
The Experience
I came in knowing what I wanted already but did a quick once over of the menu. I hadn’t been here in quite some time, probably a couple years (!), so wanted to make sure there wasn’t anything new that caught my eye. There were definitely a few things that caught my attention but in the end I had to go with my favorite item on the menu – the Raspberries and Vanilla Cream pancakes ($18).
I’ve tried a few other items on the menu but always find my way back to these pancakes. Also, always have to order a side of the thick cut Pepper Bacon ($4), mmmm bacon.
Now you may say that those aren’t all that unique, you can certainly find Raspberry Pancakes at other breakfast places, but these are on another level.
You get a three-stack of Raspberry Pancakes with raspberries layered in between each. Topped with raspberries, raspberry syrup drizzle, vanilla creme, and powder sugar. They bring out an additional plate with a side of butter and syrup, but you really don’t need them.
The pancakes are so light and airy while bursting with flavor. The combination of the raspberry syrup and vanilla creme is excellent. It really creates flavorful bites with the sweet vanilla taste and slightly tart flavor of the raspberries. Three pancakes is just the right amount for myself as well. They’re more filling then you’d expect for something so light!
The Pepper Bacon is always delicious as well. It doesn’t resemble the familiar crispy bacon from other places; instead, it’s brimming with a peppery saltiness. It’s a little pricey for a couple strips of bacon but the flavor makes it worth it to me.
The Verdict
I’ve been coming to Plum’s for years. The food and service have always been top tier. The Raspberry Pancakes are without a doubt a comfort breakfast item I crave and certainly missed.
Overall, Plum’s provides a wide variety of items on their menu. They offer some unique items not found at many other locations here in SoCal. If you’re in the Costa Mesa area and you’re a breakfast / brunch fan, Plums is definitley worth a try!
Plums Cafe
369 E. 17th Street
Costa Mesa, CA 92627 -
HiroNori Craft Ramen – Irvine, CA | Authentic Broth And Sauce With Fresh Ramen Noodles
The Background
HiroNori opened their first restaurant back in 2017 and have now expanded to 13 locations throughout California, primarily in Southern California. The popular ramen restaurant has received numerous awards from local food critics since its opening. Notable awards include being selected to join the 2019 Michelin Guide and most recently being named a Michelin Guide Bib of the Week in 2023. In other words, this place serves some quality ramen!
HiroNori has three different types of ramen: Tonkotsu Ramen, Shoyu Ramen, and Vegan Ramen. The best known is the Tonkatsu Ramen. The Tonkatsu broth is made in a traditional Japanese manner, prepared with simmered pork bones as its base. The broth takes 24 hours to prepare. The quality and depth of flavor is a positive reflection of this broth preperation.
The Experience
The location I went to was the original restaurant in a small shopping center off Michelson Drive in Irvine. It opens up at 11am so I got there around 11:15am on a Thursday to grab a bowl of Ramen for lunch. One side note here: parking gets really bad in this center during peak hours. It’s a small parking lot for so many restuarants and shops.
On this day, at this time, parking was not too bad. HiroNori itself can get very busy at dinner. It’s a rather small space, so it fills up rapidly. By the time I got to the restaurant, there was no line, but the restaurant was already half full.
There’s no sign above the restaurant. You’ll hvae to find the HiroNori logo on the door. Or just follow the line 
In addition to the ramen HiroNori offers a few rice bowl selections and sides. As mentioned above, there’s three different types of ramen here: Tonkatsu, Shoyu, and Vegan. Tonkatsu ($16.30) was a no-brainer selection for me.
A nice touch here as I waited for my ramen was the water. Yes, I know water is generally an afterthought, but here the water was infused with watermelon, lemon, and mint. Quite refreshing on a summer day!
After sipping on my water, the ramen came out shortly thereafter. Superb service!
Topped with two pieces of pork chashu, green onion, spinach, seaweed, bean sprouts, and a half egg ,this ramen had a lot going on. Just by looking at the hue of the broth, I could tell this was going to be extremely rich.
The broth was indeed very rich and provided quite a unique flavor. Because of its richness, this broth carried more weight than other Tonkatsu broths. With the broth taking 24 hours to prepare there’s a distinct, deep porky flavor, which I haven’t experienced elsewhere. It’s a VERY flavorful Tonkatsu broth.
The pork chashu is very tender and nearly falls apart when picked up. Nicely grilled with fantastic char flavor, this was some good pork chashu. I loved the fat to meat ratio on the two pieces as well!
HiroNori makes fresh noodles daily and it’s readily apparent in both texture and flavor. The noodles are al dente, with great springiness, and are a little thicker than other ramen noodles.
The half egg was great as well. Somewhat between a hard boiled and poached egg. The yolk was very creamy and tasty.
Every bite of the ramen contains multiple layers of textures to enjoy from the noodles, to the pork, the egg, the spinach, seaweed, and green onion. Washing it down with some of that flavor filled broth was truly satisyfying.
The Verdict
HiroNori Craft Ramen offers a unique Tonkatsu Ramen experience. The broth has such a deep, pork infused flavor compared to other Tonkatsu Ramen broths. It’s a real standout. Combined with the freshly made noodles, tender pork chashu, and veggies, it all adds up to one tasty bowl of ramen.
HiroNori stands toe to toe with some of the best ramen locations in Orange County, of which there are many. If you’re in the area of one of their many locations it’s definitely worth a try!
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How Good Is Orange County Seafood Staple Bear Flag Fish?
The Background
Bear Flag Fish has been an Orange County staple since it opened its first establishment in 2007. Now with three locations, two in Newport Beach and one in Huntington Beach, Bear Flag Fish continues to prosper.
A part of the long term success, outside of the delicious food, is the freshness of the fish provided. The history of Bear Flag and how it came to be is pretty interesting.
I wasn’t aware, but evidently they have three boats they use to catch and serve some of the fish you find in their restaurants. Nor was I aware that they have their own local processing plant. Pretty neat!
The Experience
I went to the Huntington Beach restaurant which is located at the Pacific City outdoor mall right on Pacific Coast Highway. It’s a great location with it being located right across the street from the beach. You can grab a table outside and have a great view.
This location, amidst a busy outdoor mall crowd, is always going to be busy. The line when I went wasn’t too bad though since I went at a non-peak time (4ish).
The menu has a wide range of seafood options. From sauteed clams and mussels, fish tacos and burritos, cioppino, seafood plates, and sushi. There’s a little bit of everything for a sea food fan.
I’ve had the fish tacos here before but decided to go with the fish burrito on this day. Suitably called the Bear Flag Burrito ($13.25), it consists of panko-crusted white fish, white or brown rice (I went with white), black beans, lettuce, pico de gallo, tommy sauce, and avocado.
The burrito is decently sized. Something that I appreciated was that everything was mixed well together. With some burritos it’s more layered with all the meat at one end and beans on the other so bites are lacking a mixture of everything. Not the case here!
Seemingly with every bite I got some fish, veggies, rice, and black beans. Seems simple enough but doesn’t always happen with burritos.
What immedietely stands out is the freshness of of the ingredients. Everything in the burrito from the fish to the veggies tastes incredibly fresh.
There’s a good amount of fish in the burriro as well. They don’t skimp here.
Flavor wise it’s good but seems a little lacking in flavor. The fish isn’t overly seasoned so there’s not a ton of taste there. The tommy sauce which is some sort of mayo mixture and hot sauce it seems helps but I needed some extra pizazz. Luckily, there’s plenty of hot sauce options to choose from, which I love, and always go great with fish tacos / burritos.
Texture wise there wasn’t too much here. Surprisingly, no real crunch separated itself from the rest of the burrito. I was hoping the panko covering the fish would be a little crunchy but it wasn’t. Texture doesn’t make or break the burrito but it would certailny help it stand out more.
The Verdict
Bear Flag Fish offers fresh seafood at reasonable prices with a deep pool of diverse items on the menu. The quality and freshness of the ingredients are the clear standouts. Although I found the seasoning and overall flavor of the burrito a little bland, the addition of hot sauce quickly remedied this.
Overall, it’s an enjoyable burrito in a great atmosphere with even better view.
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Gurume Sushi In Irvine Offers High Quality Sushi in the OC
The Background
Found in the corner of a shopping center in Irvine, CA, Gurume Sushi offers gourmet style sushi (Gurume means “Gourmet” in Japanese after all) and other signature dishes. There’s also an Omakase menu which is a nice option to see.
The menu is pretty hefty and diverse. In addition to some inventive rolls and sashimi, there’s classic Japanese dishes like Suki Yaki, Udon, Tempura, and Japanese meal sets . There’s also fusion type offerings like Yellowtail w / Jalapeno Carpaccio, Amberjack Miso Ceviche, and Uni Pasta.
There’s so many items on the menu that sound appetizing it’s certainly tough to decide on one single item!
The Experience
I came here on a Friday with family around lunch time and got seated immedietely. The restaurant was pretty quiet on this day, which was nice. The atmosphere overall seems like a very chill vibe with a sleek modern look to it.
We ended up ordering the Shrimp Tempura ($13 for pcs) and Vegetable Tempura ($10) for appetizers. I also ordered the Rainbow Roll ($18) and shared a Spicy Tuna Roll as the main course.
Vegetable Tempura The tempura comes with a side of grated daikon (it’s a type of radish) along with a dipping sauce (tentsuyu). Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to grab any photos of the shrimp before it got devoured. But the shrimp was delicious. You’ll have to take my word about it.
The batter they use for the tempura is outstanding. Light and airy, with an incredibly satisfying crunch on the outside contrasting with the tenderness of well cooked shrimp. Best part is the lack of grease. At some places the tempura may be a tad soggy due to the excess grease. Not here!
The vegetable tempura consisted of onion, I believe shishito pepper, yam, and zuchinni. Equally as delicious as the shrimp, the batter coating the veggies really shines through again. My favorite was the shishito pepper. Definitely very tasty especially when dipped into the tentsuyu sauce.
Spicy Tuna Roll 
Rainbow Roll 
Starting with the Spicy Tuna Roll: I thought this was good. Tuna was solid with decent spice. Rice was well seasoned and tasted good.
There wasn’t really anything about it that stood out to me. It’s a solid roll and what I would expect at a restaurant like this. With Spicy Tuna rolls it’s a little more difficult to truly stand out as exceptional and unique. There’s only so much you can do with it in my opinion.
Now the Rainbow Roll on the other hand, was quite exceptional. Consisting of bluefin tuna, yellowtail, salmon, shrimp, and avocado on top of snow crab roll, the presentation was fantastic and the roll was well made. What really stood out was the freshness of the fish. This was very good quality. Some of the best I’ve eaten in Orange County. Combined with the snow crap mixture, avocado, and well-seasoned sushi rice, each individual piece was a treat to eat after a quick dip in soy sauce and wasabi.
The Verdict
Gurume Sushi offers premium sushi at fairly reasonable prices. The service was great and attentive and food came out quickly. It may be a little pricier than similiar sushi joints, but the higher prices are easily justified with the quality of the food.
Specifically talking about the fish. I really wasn’t expecting it to be as fresh as it was. Definitley the good type of surprise! And certainly not something that can be said at many sushi places in the area.
I’m looking forward to my next trip to try something else on this expansive menu!
