Roscoe's House of Chicken 'n Waffles - Long Beach, CA

(Pictures for this review taken with my Canon PowerShot SD100.)

It was 1998. Chubby(college)panda was sitting in a theater with some friends watching Rush Hour. As Jackie Chan cooled his heels in front of the Foo Chow restaurant, a pair of Japanese tourists approached and asked a fateful question.

"Excuse me, do you know where is Roscoe's Chicken n' Waffles?"

Puzzled, young Chubbypanda leaned to the SoCal native on his left and whispered, "What's that?"

"What's what?"

"Roscoe's Chicken 'n Waffles."

A look of stunned disbelief.

As his friend's impassioned descriptions of fluffy, golden waffles topped with tender chunks of Southern fried chicken and drizzled with either syrup or hot sauce became louder and more graphic to the annoyance of the other audience members, young Chubbypanda's mind turned to thoughts of food lust, and to the delights he vowed to one day sample.


(I think that chicken could kick my ass.)

Fast forward nine years to last weekend.

Cat: "Can we visit this bridal shop in Long Beach? I want to see if they have the *** I'm looking for."

Me: "I'm not sure. Let me think about it." I hate driving. Don't wanna go. Long Beach... Long Beach... What's in Long Beach. I think I read something last year about- Roscoe's Chicken 'n Waffles! "Yes! We'll go tomorrow morning!" *gleeful cackle*

Cat: "Wha-"

Me: "Invite your parents! I'm buying brunch!"

A look of stunned disbelief.


(The after-church crowd.)

Legend has it that the original Roscoe's House of Chicken 'n Waffles began serving their trademark combination to cater to late night/early morning diners, some of whom wanted both dinner and breakfast in the same meal. This was my first visit to the small, Southern California chain. My saliva glands burst into overdrive the minute I walked through the door and the rich smell of fried chicken flooded my quivering nostrils.


($2 coffee! Ye flippin' gods!)

For my usual morning pick-me-up, I ordered this cup of coffee. It was a decent cup of caffeinated delight that kept me happy until I noticed the price. The waitress never even offered to bring me a refill.


(Leggo my Eggo.)

A quick chat with the waitress and I was good to go. I ordered an all dark meat Scoe's, a fried chicken quarter with two waffles. I have to admit to being a little disappointed when my dish arrived. The chicken didn't look like anything special, and the waffles looked like the packaged frozen kind.

The waffles weren't particularly interesting. Gummy and chewy, they also tasted a little like freezer aisle waffles, although they were certainly of higher quality. But the chicken... Oh gods, the chicken... Crispy on the outside with a flavorful crust that stuck firmly to the juicy meat within. It was like eating deep-fried stock. I had to keep myself from slurping because I was sitting directly across from my future father-in-law.


(Sex in a bottle.)

The real magic, though, lay in this innocuous bottle of Red Rooster Louisiana Hot Sauce You know how the sum of a dish can often be greater than its parts? Remember diners being offered a syrup or hot sauce, as they liked it?


(Oh- My- God!)

I never could make the tough choices.


Roscoe's House of Chicken 'n Waffles - The prices are high and the waffles suck, but slap on some of their amazing fried chicken, a little syrup, and a whole lot of Red Rooster Louisiana Hot Sauce, and you've got the perfect sinful indulgence for a sleepy Sunday.


Bill (my portion)

Coffee - 2.00
Scoe's - 9.10

Tax - 0.86
Tip - 1.73

Total - 13.69


Flavor: B+
Ambience: B
Service: B-
ROI: C

Overall: B-


Roscoe's House of Chicken 'n Waffles
730 E Broadway
Long Beach, CA 90802-5134
1-562-437-8355

Other Locations:
Hollywood, West L.A., Los Angeles, Pasadena


Read this review by Oishii Eats for a second opinion.



Enjoy this hilarious Roscoe's Chicken 'n Waffles song sent to me by Rhett and Link, part of the Alka Seltzer Great American Road Trip.

Also, check out Jackie Chan's latest animated epic, Kung Fu Panda!


(In production.)

Whoa... I know kung fu...

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Lotus Chinese Eatery (Save Our Faves 2007) - Huntington Beach, CA

I had a real time choosing which mom & pop favorite to highlight for Save Our Faves 2007. My first choice was my perennial favorite, New Shanghai. But, after hearing from Rasa Malaysia that the owners were looking to sell the restaurant, I decided that I should choose an eatery that would benefit from some additional exposure. It took several days of consideration and quite a few drafts, but here's my mom & pop recommendation for Save Our Faves 2007. Enjoy!


(View from my office window.)

Opened in September of 2004, Lotus Chinese Eatery serves Chinese Islamic cuisine that conforms to Halal dietary tenets, and incorporates many elements from Northern/Beijing Chinese cuisine. Dishes focus on meat with strong aromatics, such as onion and scallions, added for flavor. Since the climate in Northern China is cold and harsh, few vegetables are used. In addition, since rice can not be grown in Northern China, the staple starch used in Chinese Islamic cuisine is wheat, typically in the form of breads, noodles, and cakes.


(Classy decor.)

The restaurant is warm and inviting, with friendly wait staff that takes the time to learn a little about you so that they can chat with you on return visits. The food is above average, with a number of excellent dishes. I would avoid seafood as a general rule, since seafood isn't native to this style of cooking. There are a few exceptions, which I'll cover below. What surprises me about Lotus is the lack of lunchtime clientele for this excellent restaurant, particularly since it's located just down the street from the fifteen story Huntington Plaza office tower. Although the food is quite good, the restaurant is never crowded during lunch. Yet, almost every Chinese person in my company is a regular there. For me, Lotus is the perfect way to pick up an otherwise dreary day at work.


(Tummy is good for your tummy.)

One of my favorite starters at Lotus is the Ma La Niu Du (Spicy Ox Tripe). The tripe is braised to tender perfection in a soy-based broth. The gentle, numbing heat of this dish is tempered by the cooling cucumbers, while the scallions are a strong, refreshing presence. It's great for washing away fatigue and giving you the energy to spend another four hours staring at a computer screen.


(Each order contains over a dozen of these servings.)

If I'm in the mood for soup, I'll order the Shi Jing Sa Guo (Assorted Ingredients Clay Pot). Beef, shrimp, tofu, and chicken are slowly braised in a special clay pot with Napa cabbage and glass noodles. The resulting broth is light, clear, and packed with flavor. I usually don't order this without few other people to share it with. The portions are huge. However, it can be a good, light meal that won't weigh you down or burden you with a bout of food coma.


(They're wafer thin.)

Let's talk starch. Steamed rice at Lotus is complimentary. However, the savvy diner won't pass on the opportunity to try some of the Chinese Islamic cuisine's specialty starches. The Cong You Bing (Green Onion Pie) is a regular crowd pleaser. Often likened to the Chinese version of tortillas or paratha, Cong You Bing are crispy, chewy, and savory pancakes fried with green onions. Add a sprinkle of salt and eat them as it, or use them to wrap an entree up like a Chinese taco. They're delicious.


(Ba-Da-Bing!)

One of my personal favorites is the Zhi Ma Da Bing (Sesame Bread), which can be ordered with or without green onions kneaded in. Trust me, get the green onions. They add an amazing amount of flavor to the bread and make it suitable as a stand-alone dish. This is a traditional Chinese bread leavened with yeast and baked/fried in a wok, resulting in a crisp crust and fluffy crumb. The texture of the crumb is like a cross between focaccia and pan de mie. It's delicious.


(Baaa Ram Ewe!)

Nothing goes with green onions better than lamb. The best accompaniment for the paratha and sesame bread is this Suan Miao Yang Rou (Lamb with Leek). Tender lamb meat is flash fried with thinly sliced leeks and jalapeno peppers, imparting a savory, earthy heat. Wrapped in the paratha or eaten with the sesame bread, the lamb is a great accompaniment.


(Mess o' noodles.)

If you're in the mood for noodles, you can't go wrong with one of Lotus' Chao Dao Xiao Mian (Hand Cut Fried Noodles), that can be stir-fried with a number of different types of protein. This one is the "assorted" fried noodle dish, since I sometimes have difficulty deciding. However, the stars here are the handmade noodles, which kneaded by hand, then shaved into a pot of boiling water with a cleaver for a brief blanching before they're fried. The texture is wonderful; Resilient and chewy, yet meltingly soft. The unique shape of the noodles is designed to help hold onto the delicious sauce they're stir-fried in.



If you prefer your noodles in soup, the San Xian Chao Ma Mian (Assorted Spicy Noodle Soup) is very popular, with a fiery broth and tasty surf-n-turf ingredients. The hand cut noodles are excellent in this dish as well. Bring backup or you'll have enough leftovers for two meals.


(Veggies make mommies happy.)

My receptionist and friend, who we'll call "Pregnant Crazy Girl" out of love, is very fond of the Su Cai Ji Pian (Chicken with Assorted Vegetables). While it's a more generic dish and not traditionally part of Chinese Islamic cuisine, the high veggie quotient makes her happy. She orders this dish when she feels like eating something healthy, instead of the McDonald's "the baby" makes her crave.


(Gotta try them all.)

Cat's favorite Chinese dish in the whole wide world is Gong Bao Ji Ding (Kung Pao Chicken), which, despite what steam table places like Panda Express have done to besmirch its reputation in the States, is a classic Sichuan dish. The Kung Pao Chicken at Lotus is well done, although not quite as good as the one at New Shanghai. The chicken is tender and flavorful and there are no filler vegetables present. I'd like more nuts, but that's just a personal preference. This is another good wake-me-up dish to blast away the lunchtime sleepies.


(Mmm... Shrimp candies.)

Another non-traditional dish I like ordering is the He Tao Xia (Honey Walnut Shrimp), which was invented in Hong Kong. While I normally wouldn't order this dish at a Chinese Islamic restaurant, Lotus puts a highly appealing twist on it with the use of orange juice in the sauce. Overall, the dish is only so-so, but I really like the unique taste the added orange flavor imparts.


(Just add potatoes.)

My good friend, "Mr. Big", is a true carnivore. The only vegetables he'll touch are starches. To pander to his prejudices, I often order the Sha Cha Niu Rou (Beef with Satay Sauce) for him when we eat at Lotus. Thin slices of beef are stir-fried in a gravy made using Chinese satay sauce. He likes this dish just fine, although it tastes a little thin and sour to me. Still, if you have an American carnivore in your group, this inoffensive dish will surely satisfy them.


(A taste of home.)

San Bei Ji (Basil Chicken) is a very popular dish in Taiwan, and Lotus' version is excellent. I order this whenever I'm feeling particularly homesick. The tender chicken braised in Thai basil, soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil, and wine is delightfully rich and must be eaten with a big bowl of rice. This, and the next dish, are the "killer apps" at Lotus.


(Who needs meat?)

You might not believe it from reading this blog, but I try to limit my meat intake to two meals a week for health, ethical, and religious reasons. I pretty much only eat meat when I eat out, where I mostly stick to seafood. I'll pause now for disbelief.

...

Got it out of your system? Good. It's quite true. Don't get me wrong, I love meat. The problem is, meat loves me back, turns to fat, and just won't leave. So given my desire to avoid entangling alliances with it, one of my usual orders at Lotus is their Hong Shao Dou Fu (Tofu in Brown Sauce), which is the best one I've ever tasted. Cubes of fried tofu, whole shitake mushrooms, and slices of tender bamboo shoots are braised in a thick, soy-based sauce that's a real delight to eat. It's impossible to crave meat when eating this dish. The best part is, it's very healthy for you, given the essential nutrients and protein found in both bamboo shoots and tofu.


(Hi mom!)

Since my mom reads this blog, I need to throw in a healthy dish to keep her from giving me a lecture/scolding on eating properly. This item isn't on the regular menu, but if it's in season and they have it, I always get it. Kong Qing Cai (Chinese Spinach) doesn't remotely taste like spinach. Its crunchy texture and herbal flavor make it a tasty and nutritious side dish for any Chinese meal. Love you, mom!


Lotus Chinese Eatery - Delicious Chinese Islamic food at very affordable prices. If you're a professional in the area, stop by for lunch. You'll be back time and time again, I guarantee it.


Bill (multiple trips, so no total):

Spicy Ox Tripe - 4.50
Assorted Ingredients Clay Pot - 12.95
Green Onion Pie - 1.95
Sesame Bread - 7.00
Lamb with Leek - 8.95
Assorted Hand Cut Fried Noodles - 8.95
Assorted Spicy Noodle Soup - 7.00
Chicken with Assorted Vegetables - 8.95 (5.95 lunch)
Kung Pao Chicken - 8.95 (5.95 lunch)
Honey Walnut Shrimp - 13.95 (7.95 lunch)
Beef with Satay Sauce - 8.95
Basil Chicken - 8.95
Tofu in Brown Sauce - 6.95 (5.95 lunch)
Chinese Spinach - 6.95


Flavor: B+
Ambience: B
Service: A-
ROI: A

Overall: A-


Lotus Chinese Eatery
16883 Beach Blvd
Huntington Beach, CA 92647
1-714-848-4940


As part of Save Our Faves 2007, I'm asking my Orange County readers to try Lotus Chinese Eatery and post about their experiences here. Let me know if your experience was good or bad, and what you think of one of my favorite mom & pops.

Ok, tagging time! Within the States, I'm tagging:

• Kathy of a Passion for Food


• Eat, Drink, & Be Merry


• Jeni of Oishii Eats


• Passionate Eater


• Kirk of mmm-yoso!!!

For some international flavor, I'm tagging:

• Joanh of a Hungry Girl in Taipei (Taiwan)


• Ben of Chow Times (Canada)


• The Food Pornographer (Australia)


• Obachan of Obachan's Kitchen & Balcony (Japan)


• Yixiaooo of Some Like it Haute (Singapore)


• Mia of the Skinny Epicurean

Please introduce us to your favorite mom & pops for Save Our Faves 2007! Ask your readers for their impressions of your fave, and don't forget to tag at least five other bloggers for Save Our Faves 2007. Detailed instructions are in the Save Our Faves 2007 post I keep linking to. (^_^)

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Irvine Farmers Market - Irvine, CA [Supplying/OC Food Blogs]

It's too late for me to post my article for Save Our Faves 2007. However, my latest article for OC Food Blogs continues the theme of supporting local mom & pops.

-=Begin Excerpt=-


(Begging to be eaten.)

Any cook worth his salt will tell you that the foundation of a great meal lies in using the freshest ingredients. The simplest recipe can attain a startling degree of deliciousness with the use of properly selected raw materials. For me, the search starts at my local farmers market.

-=End Excerpt=-


Read the rest of the article on OC Food Blogs and keep supporting small business!

Finding the Good Stuff

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World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade Midnight Launch - Irvine, CA [Crazies]

(Not food-related, but will probably impact my review schedule for a little bit. If you're looking for a food porn fix, scroll down to the next post.)

After helping close out the Red Onion Cafe, Cat and I needed a bit of a spiritual pick-me-up. What better than the much anticipated release of the Burning Crusade expansion pack for World of Warcraft? Midnight launch, here we come!



11:40pm - Arrive at the local Game Stop and line up. We'd decided to skip the Blizzard-sponsored launch spectacle at the Fry's Electronics in Fountain Valley when we pre-ordered in hopes of getting to bed at a decent hour. Even with that, the line at this small, local video game store is huge and snakes around both sides of the building. There are actually two lines, one for Horde and one for Alliance. I obviously go with my first love.



12:03am - The line has started to inch forward. But with only two registers and so many people, it takes a while to process each person. We've still got a ways to go. The lines keep on getting longer behind us.



12:25pm - Two cop cars pull into the parking lot. Cat and I wonder about complaints from the neighborhood. Turns out to be a drunk driver. I'm glad they got his ass off of the road.



1:05am - Oh my gods. I just spent forty minutes traveling fifty feet. It feels like I'm in LA traffic.



1:12am - Ding! Boo-freaking-yah!

Cat's already installed and playing, but I'm going to bed. To all the WoW fans out there without expansion packs...

(^_^)

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Red Onion Cafe (Final Bow) - Irvine, CA [Crazies]

(I've got a great review ready for my Save Our Faves 2007 campaign, but I wanted to take a moment to honor a restaurant that's been a valued part of my rotation for over eight years. My Save Our Faves 2007 post will go up Tuesday night instead.)



Tonight, the Red Onion Cafe closed its doors for good. In a few weeks, it will be replaced by a new Korean BBQ restaurant that I look forward to sampling. Although I'll continue to mourn the passing of one of my favorite mom & pops, I should also give the new mom & pop that's opening in its place a fair shake.

This post, however, isn't about the end of a great Taiwanese eatery. Instead, it's about celebrating the life of a beloved, family-run establishment that nourished the bodies and souls of its patrons for over eleven years. Not a bad run in the Darwinian restaurant business.



Since it was the Red Onion Cafe's closing night, Cat and I decided to show our support and have a last dinner there. The cafe was offering meal sets of half-price as customer appreciation specials to thank their loyal clientele, many of whom had shown up to help close out. The place was hopping. The wait staff could barely keep up with all the orders.



As usual, we started out with the chitterlings. Deep-fried slices of pork intestines redolent with salt and pig-fat goodness. Artery-clogging, but what the hell? We weren't going to get another chance.



Cat really wanted to have one last taste of her favorite Taiwanese boiled dumplings, which were stuffed with chives and ground pork.



I got a triple order of the Red Onion Cafe's xiao long bao. Delightful morsels with resilient skin barely held back a tide of flavorful broth and pork filling in these amazing treats. The best xiao long bao in Irvine. I'm going to miss them.



Cat couldn't let the night end without an order of their Orange Peel Chicken. The use of Taiwanese fermented orange peel in this dish gave it a complexity and body unmatched anywhere else. Cat's been ordering this dish for close to eight years. Tonight's was as good as the first time she tried it.



The side dishes in Cat's meal set were the usual assortment of fresh, seasonal vegetables. Tonight's offerings were braised bamboo shoots and stir-fried Taiwanese cabbage.



I ordered the best noodle soup in the house. Thick dan dan noodles frolicked in a rich Taiwanese pork broth with bean sprouts and cilantro. Shrimp, a braised egg, a fish meatball, and a pork meatball provided tasty accents to this classic dish from the city of Tainan.



After our meal, Cat spoke with the manager, and he presented us with one of the cafe's embroidered aprons as a keepsake. I gave him one of my business cards as asked him to contact me when his family opened up their next restaurant. I don't know if they will, but I live in eternal hope.

The Red Onion Cafe may be gone now, but while it existed, it was a place of comfort and warmth. For me, it will always be the place where a homesick young panda took solace as he adjusted to his first year of college and life hundreds of miles away from his family. I'll always have a special place in my heart for it, along with pictures, an apron, and enough sweet memories to last a lifetime.

So long, old friend. Thank you and goodbye.


Previous Posts About the Red Onion Cafe:

• Red Onion Cafe - Irvine, CA [Eating]


• Farewell Red Onion - Irvine, CA [OC Food Blogs]

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Save Our Faves 2007! - [Crazies]

(Once Cathay Newport, favorite lunchtime spot of UCI staff and faculty, now a stripped shell.)

This has truly been a bad month to be an Orange Country food lover. First, my beloved Red Onion Cafe announces its imminent closure. Then, Thai food Mecca, Thai Nakorn, burns down to the ground in a mysterious fire. Now, fellow OC Food Blogs contributor ChristianZ is reporting that Cathay Newport, a Cantonese-style Chinese restaurant favored by the UC Irvine set, has suddenly shut its doors.

Cathay Newport Closed

Call it a visceral reaction to the vanishing of so many good restaurants in such a short span, but I think it's time for food bloggers and food lovers to give a little bit extra back to the plucky mom & pop food businesses that make our world such a wonderful place. It's meme time!



I'm happy to announce the launch of my "Save Our Faves 2007" food blogger campaign. The rules are simple.

1. Write a blog post about your favorite mom & pop eatery, grocery, or food supplier. If you've already written one, write another one. It's time to pimp your secret spot, drive some business to a place you think has been unfairly ignored, and help consumers vote with their dollars!


2. Ask your readers to visit your fave and leave feedback on your post about their experiences, good or bad. The food lovers get to be food bloggers for a day. Let's see if your fave is everything it's cracked up to be!


3. Tag at least five other bloggers for Save Our Faves 2007. I'd love to see this spread. Everyone has to have a favorite spot that they think is struggling. As responsible consumers and community-oriented food bloggers, it's up to us to do what we can to keep our faves open. Let's generate some buzz. We don't have to sit by and watch our beloved mom & pops close. We can do something!

My post for Save Our Faves 2007 will go up on Monday, January 15, 2007. I'm going to go ahead and ask my fellow OC Food Blogs contributors to join me.

• Elmomonster of Monster Munching


• Bee of Rasa Malaysia


• H.C. of L.A. & O.C. Food Adventures


• Christian Z of Orange County Mexican Restaurants


• Professor Salt of You Gonna Eat That?


• Julian Hsu of Julian's Weblog


• Wandering Chopsticks of Wandering Chopsticks


• elonweis of Fey Touched


• Joy of Joyful Eating

I'll also be tagging five more food bloggers at the end of my Save Our Faves post next Monday in the hopes that they'll also join me in presenting their favorite mom & pop eateries, groceries, or food suppliers to you. However, anyone reading this is welcome to participate.

Only food bloggers and food lovers like us can keep our favorite mom & pops from closing. Our support is particularly needed during slow periods like the post-holiday dining slump. These are quality, family-run businesses that deserve our patronage. By voting with our dollars can we save our faves. Blog Away and Good Eating!

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Elephant Bar - Irvine, CA

(Pictures for this review taken with my Canon PowerShot SD100.)

Ten years ago, I was passing through Bumblefuck, Oregon, on some camping trip or another when I made a stop at the town gas station. As I was filling up, a wide-eyed eight-year-old who had probably only seen a Chinese person on TV asked me this question.

Him: "Do yew know kung-foo?"

Me: *blink* "Yes. Yes I do."

It was the gods' honest truth, but I swear I felt guilty saying it. I don't know what the little kid was thinking. I'm convinced that he half expected me to do a back flip onto the station's tin roof and fight off a bunch of ninja wildlife activists out to destroy kittens, flowers, and mom's apple pie. Out of all of the Asians in our group, he'd managed to pick the only one who knew kung-fu. I felt like a walking stereotype. Cheap. Dirty...

Which is how I felt after trying out the Elephant Bar in Irvine.


(Garishly seductive.)

I tried not to, but I liked the Elephant Bar. I mean, I really *really* liked the Elephant Bar. Like, I was in like with the Elephant Bar. I <3-ed the Elephant Bar.

I'm such a corporate slut.


Deep wood tones, the little black dress of restaurant decor.

It's hard to escape the omnipresent reach of chain restaurants in Orange County, particularly in a city like Irvine. However, I wasn't expecting to be taken in by the Elephant Bar quite so easily. Before I knew it, I'd been whisked out the door and into a cab while she nibbled on my ears and whispered naughty naughty things to me.


(Can't help but look.)

I don't know what it was that first drew me to her. Wait, I lie. I do know. That low-cut kitchen wall, hinting at the lush pleasures she offered. I was weak. I looked. Oh gods, I wanted to see more.


(More is more.)

Truth be told, I knew she wasn't a lady. A little too wild, a little too forward, and just a tad more makeup than she really needed. But, sometimes you don't want straight-laced. Sometimes what you need is someone wild and wanton to spice up your life.


(Quite the sense of humor.)

She was a real sharp cookie. Had a real mind, that one did. I knew she was working me over and I didn't care. She made me laugh. Made me laugh harder than I'd laughed in a long long time. A real pro.


(Huge tracks of land.)

With assets like that, who gave a hoot? I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. I was eyeing her the way a starving man looks at a packet of dry roasted peanuts. I couldn't wait to tear open the wrapper and taste the salty goodness.


(Artichoke Dip - Cat's favorite appetizer.)

We started off slow. A hot bowl of creamy, cheesy goodness laced with artichoke hearts and spinach. A little tomato, some fresh-made tortilla chips... I knew it was wrong. I knew I shouldn't. But, it felt too good to stop.


(Coconut Shrimp Skewers - Food on a stick is good.)

It didn't stay slow for long. Soon we were spicing it up with crunchy skewers of coconut-crusted jumbo shrimp in a zesty ginger dressing. She kept it from being too much at once with a salad of cooling greens.


(Santa Barbara Burger - Cat likes avocado in her burgers.)

A little something vanilla; classic, but with a sexy twist. Avocado instead of cheese... Yes, please! It was a little dry at first, but once everything blended together, it was a real winner. The fries were a little flabby, but no one is perfect.


(Adventure Side Salad - Jamaica Mojo, I choose you!)

A sweet interlude. Slow-moving with thick flavors and no surprises. Just nuts, fried fruit, and a mysterious black sauce that flowed over my tongue like a warm jungle night. Good, but I wanted more of that spicy ginger lovin' she gave me with the shrimp.


(Misoyaki Fire-Grilled Salmon - Fusion done right.)

What a finale. I'm still tingling. Miso-marinated salmon, grilled over an open flame and resting on a bed of rice and stir-fried veggies. Goodness, we made a mess. Delicious sauce everywhere.


Elephant Bar Restaurant - I know I shouldn't like it. I know she's nothing but trouble. I know how sleazy this all looks. But, I'll be back. I can't help it. It was just sooooo gooooood...

(I like to add that Cat is quite classy and always a lady. She's the love of my life, and I'm a lucky man to be marrying her. The tawdry descriptions above do not allude to her in any way.)


Bill (for two):

E-Bar “Famous” Artichoke Dip - 7.25
Niu Niu Coconut Fried Shrimp Skewers - 7.95
Santa Barbara Burger - 7.50
Jamaica Mojo Side Salad - 3.95
Misoyaki Fire-Grilled Salmon - 13.95

Tax - 3.15
Tip - 6.50

Total - 50.25


Flavor: A
Ambience: A+
Service: A+
ROI: B+

Overall: A


Elephant Bar
Irvine, CA
14346 Culver Drive
1-949-651-6087
http://www.elephantbar.com

Other Locations:
Throughout California and some of the western states.

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