A Hawaiian Lunch

Da Lu'au Hawaiian Grill

41 Auto Center Drive

Foothill Ranch, CA 92610

949-916-5221

  My co-workers have ended up being a good source to find restaurants that I have never been to before and also serve up great food. Da Lu'au Hawaiian Grill was no exception. I ended up there on a Friday afternoon and parking was scarce. I did find a parking spot and inside Da Lu'au there was small line even at 11:30am. I ordered myself the two item combo with Kalua pork and chicken Katsu. This also comes with two sides, so I got white rice and potato, macaroni salad. With a drink this meal was about $11.50.

  After ordering to eat there you are handed a number and off to find a table. There were plenty of tables and even outside seating. The wait for my food was not long and it was delivered to my table by a friendly member of the staff. I started with the Kalua pork and this is some of the best Kalua porks I have ever had. The pork it self was full of smokey flavor but not so much it was over powering. The meat was tender, moist and had tiny bits of fat that really added a nice richness to the pork. I moved to the chicken Katsu next. The chicken was breaded and fried to a nice crisp texture. The chicken remained moist on inside. I had one small issue with this chicken Katsu and it was the dipping sauce. This sauce reminded me more of barbecue sauce then the sweeter teriyaki sauce I am used from most other Hawaiian BBQ places. The side dish potato, macaroni salad was a mix of the two and normally it is just mac salad. This combo was good but not the best mac salad I have had and crave for at times. The white rice was pleasantly sticky and worked well with Kalua pork.

  Da Lu'au Hawaiian Grill left me stuffed and ready for a nap, which would have been a good thing if I still didn't have half my work day left. The food was awesome, the portion sizes were generous and the staff was super friendly. I know that Da Lu'au will remain in my memory rolodex of lunch spots when I need a Hawaiian BBQ fix.

Da Lu'au 

Da Lu'au on Yelp
 

A Fantastic Breakfast

Fantastic Cafe

1727 E. 17th St.

Santa Ana, CA 92705

714-541-7997

  Always on the look out for good yet inexpensive breakfast, our search brought us to Fantastic Cafe on the recommendation from a co-worker. I have passed Fantastic Cafe hundreds of times traveling down 17th Street and have thought in my head I need to stop and check this place out. The family had a free a morning so we did just that.

  My daughter ordered the two pancakes, two eggs, two sausage and two bacon meal deal and it was less then five bucks. I though this was the meal of the morning. The pancakes were fluffy with a hint of vanilla in them. With the addition of syrup my daughter was loving every bite of the hot cakes. She chowed down the sausage which was good to her and the bacon was crisp like good bacon should be. She even said that she thought these were some of the best eggs she had every tried. Except her mom's eggs of course. My daughter ate until she was stuffed full and satisfied.

  My son ordered the sausage and egg breakfast burrito. This burrito was loaded with three eggs, a heaping pile of crisp hash browns and three or four sausages. My son said the burrito was good but he thought the hash brown were lacking some salt and pepper. He managed to eat half of this burrito before he tapped out and called it quits. Such a simplistic looking burrito but it filled my son quickly and left him happy until dinner time.

  My wife got her self an order of steak and eggs. This order came with the steak, three eggs, hash browns and toast. The steak was cooked nicely and even had the visual appeal of perfect grill marks.
The steak was thin yet still moist and tender. The eggs were done to correct temperature my wife asked for, over medium. The whites were fully cooked with a still runny yolk. The hash browns were crisp and filled out the rest of her plate. My wife said the breakfast was good and she too was happily stuffed to the brim.

  If you have been reading PKE for any amount of time or stumbled across one of my breakfast posts you know that my favorite breakfast meal is a ham and cheese omelet, so it was an easy choice for me. My omelet came with hash browns and toast. The omelet was three eggs with a lot of chopped ham mixed in. There was cheese folded into the center of this omelet and two slices topped the mound of meat and eggs. The omelet was cooked just right, giving me the crispy edges and soft inside. I dislike an omelet that is not cooked all the way and still bit a runny, none of that here. The hash browns here done just right, crunchy and crispy on the outside while staying soft and delicate on the inside. As with the rest of my family I was quite content with my meal and one happy Papa.

  This entire meal with drinks was only about $35. The service at Fantastic Cafe was excellent and the food came quick with table side service. For anyone needing a quick, cost effective and tasty breakfast then I recommend checking out Fantastic Cafe. My next adventure into this restaurant will be to some of the other menu items that looked equally as good as this breakfast. As an added bonus Fantastic Cafe serves breakfast all day so you can get your morning grub on anytime of the day.
Fantastic Cafe was a fantastic surprise to me and my family!

Fantastic Cafe 

Fantastic Cafe on Yelp
 

Mother's Day with Mrs. Knott

Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant

8039 Beach Blvd.

Buena Park, CA 90620

714-220-5080

  The family decided to spend Mother's Day at Knott's Berry Farm. The lines in the park were not too bad and we ended up on every ride we wanted to ride. It was eventually time for dinner and being Mother's Day I asked my wife were she wanted to eat and she proclaimed "I want chicken!" So we walked to Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant. The wait was not too long for being Mother's Day about twenty minutes. We took a few minutes to look over the menu. Each adult dinner was $16.95 and the little one's meal was $8.95. Because we are season pass holders we got a discount so the total cost with drinks and a tip was about $70.

  My daughter got the kids fried chicken meal which included jello to start the meal. The main course was two fried chicken legs, mashed potatoes and gravy with a side of corn. The kids meal finished with a scoop of ice cream. All the adult meals start with a choice of cherry and rhubarb or chicken noodle soup, a salad, the main dish and choice of dessert. My son got the chicken pot pie, my wife got the fried chicken dinner and I got chicken and dumplings.

  My daughter was into this dinner, she gobbled down both chicken legs and most of the sides. When I asked her if she liked the chicken she nodded while continuing to eat. It was nice to see her eat her dinner and not have to constantly ask her to finish. Too bad I can't order from the kids menu because this plate of food would have been enough for me.

  My son methodically cut his chicken pot pie into pieces and finished just about all it. He said the pie was loaded with chicken and veggies. He said the crust was crisp and flaky. He also said the pie was very filling due to the thick sauce binding all ingredients. This pot pie was as large as small dish and covered in chicken gravy. My son told me that he did like the pot pie but next time he would probably order something different.

  My wife got her fried chicken and loved it. Typically we get this chicken to go and it is just not the same as eating in the restaurant. By the time the chicken gets home the steam has done its work to make the skin soft and soggy. Eating in the restaurant the skin is golden brown and delicious and stays crispy. The chicken it self is moist, tender and cooked perfectly. We had a happy MamaKaster on our hands! My wife's only complaints was that she did not like the gravy on the mashed potatoes, she thought it tasted too floury.

  I love the fried chicken at Mrs. Knott's but decided to try something different on this visit. The chicken and dumplings stood out to me and it is something I strive to find a good rendition of. The dish had two dumplings on each side and the middle was piled with chopped white meat chicken. The dumplings reminded of the biscuits they serve but with some seasonings in them. The dumplings were dense yet crumbly and easily cut with a fork. The chicken was moist and flavorful while the gravy really added a boost of chicken taste. Every fork full I moved was full of dumpling, chicken and gravy. This felt more like a plated meal then a soup or stew which was different then almost all other chicken and dumplings I have had in the past. I did enjoy my food but I think next time I will stick with the tried and true fried chicken dinner.

  

  All in all the family was happy with our meal at Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant. We all had full bellies and for a theme park dinner the price was fair. I am all for trying new things and sometimes trying new things leads to wonderful new discoveries. However in this case the discoveries were good just not mesmerizing. I am very glad I tried something new and can say the chicken and dumplings were good but next we eat here I will get the fried chicken and stick with what is some of the best fried chicken in SoCal.

Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant

Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant on Yelp
  

Birthday Dinner

P.F. Chang's China Bistro

61 Fortune Dr.
Irvine, CA 92618

949-453-1211
 

  It was my sons birthday and just like every year he gets to pick where the family eats. P.F. Chang's is a popular pick in this family so that is where we went. We went to the P.F. Chang's at the Irvine Spectrum because they recently remodeled and added new items to the menu. We ordered California rolls and heirloom tomato and Thai basil salad to start the meal. For our main course dishes we ordered Mongolian beef, grilled swordfish in pineapple chutney, Korean BBQ stir fry and a child's order of crispy honey chicken. These are not our typical menu selections, but I wanted to try some of the new menu items. With drinks this meals was about $86.

   The starting dishes came to the table and I went for the tomato salad first. This salad was made with heirloom tomatoes, avocado, Thai basil and finished with a ponzu dressing. The tomatoes were plump and juicy, the avocado was creamy and rich, the basil and ponzo were a little kick to the taste buds. With my first bite of this salad I got a little bit of everything, in an attempt to make the perfect bite. The basil was prominent but the freshness of those tomatoes came through with the tang from the ponzu. I thought it was a great way to start the meal.

  I am not huge fan of sushi or rolls of any type. These were ordered mainly for my wife and son but I did try one so I could comment on them. The rice was sticky and sweet. The small pieces of avocado and cucumber added texture. The seaweed added a tiny bit of saltiness to the roll and the crab was tender and not fishy. It was the best California roll I have ever personally had before. My sample of California rolls not being huge am I not sure how much that means but I did like it and would try it again. My son really liked them and ate most of them to himself. He discovered that with one of the dipping sauces provided to us that the roll was even better.

  

  My daughter got the kids sized crispy honey chicken. She really likes this chicken and ate almost every piece. She said the honey sauce was sweet and the chicken was really crunchy. The hostess offered my daughter some child's learning chop sticks and my daughter loved using those. She was grabbing chicken, dipping it in the honey sauce and munching down with out hesitation. I was glad to see that she was enjoying her meal because sometimes it can be difficult to find something she likes. Unless it is a cheeseburger and fries.

  

  When we go to P.F. Chang's we always share the main dishes so we all got a little bit of each. I tried the swordfish first because this was something I had never had before. When I first tasted the swordfish it had a real grilled flavor to it which made me think beef. The texture of swordfish was firm yet still flaky. As I continued to eat the swordfish a slight ocean fish taste started to come through but not anything that was overpowering or off putting. I was surprised how much I liked swordfish. My dad has told how much he likes it for years but not being a seafood eater I have never ordered it. Looks like I just may have to expand my pallet and try swordfish again. As for the rest of the family my wife also liked the swordfish and my son devoured almost the entire piece. It was a hit with us.

  

  The Mongolian beef was awesome as always. This is a staple for us when we visit P.F. Chang's and never disappoints. The beef it self is tender but has some kind of coating on it that makes it a tiny bit crisp. The onions work perfectly with the sauce and beef. The Mongolian sauce is sweet but not cloyingly sweet. This dish did not last long at our table and will continue to be an easy choice for this family.

  The Korean BBQ stir fry was another new item for us and the menu describes it as Korean-style chicken stir-fry with red peppers, onions and green beans in a sweet, spicy red chili sauce topped with a refreshing summer kimchi slaw. That sounded good to me but I got the spicy red chili sauce on the side. Not being a chili head I wanted to try this dish but not burn my mouth with heat. For me being able to control my level of heat was best and allowed me to still taste the chicken without reaching for drink after every bite. The pieces of chicken were coated in a batter that made the chicken crisp on the outside yet moist on the inside. The chicken was tender and cooked just right. The onions were barely cooked so they remained firm. The green beans appeared deep fried which made them delicate. The spicy sauce was spicy by it self but when dipping the chicken in the sauce it helped to cut through some of the spice but the heat still got me if I dipped too much. I did enjoy this dish and if you're a chili head I am sure you will really like it!

  

   The new menu items at P.F. Chang's were enjoyable and the family walked out of the restaurant with full bellies and satisfied. P.F. Chang's is one of a few places that we celebrate special occasions at and with these new menu items it will continue to be a family pick. As of right now I believe the P.F. Chang's at the Irvine Spectrum is currently the only local location that serves these new menu items. I would recommend you check these new items out and if they branch to other P.F. Chang's then this family will be able to expand our menu choices the next time we patronize one of their locations.

P.F. Chang's China Bistro 

P.F. Chang's Irvine on Yelp
   

A Quick Lunch

Cuca's Mexican Food

26676 Portola Pkwy, Ste. E

Foothill Ranch, CA 92610

949-472-8227

  It's not something I do often but last week I went out to lunch with co-workers. One of them suggested Cuca's Mexican Food, none of us had been there before so it was new to us all. The menu at Cuca's is small but there are a few specials to choose from. There is also an option for  you to make a combo plate or you can do like I did order individual items. I ordered the carnitas burrito and a fish taco, these two items with a drink cost me a little over $10.

  I started with the fish taco. The fish it self was not breaded or deep fried. The fish was light, flaky and moist. The cabbage was crisp which added good texture to the taco. The sauce on the taco was flavorful but it did not have any spice to it. The salsa added the spice and a squeeze of lime added the perfect amount of acidity to the taco.

  The burrito was wrapped tightly and stuffed full of carnitas, beans and salsa. The carnitas was most of this burrito, which I really appreciated the fact that Cuca's does not skimp on the carnitas. The meat it self was tender, moist and it had a good pork flavor. It was not overcooked and flavorless like some place can do to carnitas. The beans and salsa complimented the meat nicely. This was a burrito that could satisfy any carnitas lover.

  I was very impressed with Cuca's Mexican Food. I had never heard of this restaurant before that day but have already recommended it to other co-workers. The food was good and the prices were reasonable. The service was nice and the food came out quickly. All those things added up together equal a quick lunch that will not put a major dent in your wallet and keep you going for the rest of the day.

Cuca's Mexican Food 

Cuca's Mexican Food on Yelp 
  

Dessert for Breakfast

Orange Cafe

1608 E. Mayfair Ave

Orange, CA 92867

714-633-8698

  I was flying solo this week after getting the oil changed in my car. I was hungry and bored so I checked Yelp for breakfast places. Orange Cafe came up almost on top and I had read a few other blogger reviews on it, so that made it an easy choice. The restaurant is small and can fill up very quickly. I must have gotten lucky because I was able to sit right away. I looked over the menu and almost got the corned beef hash and eggs but then I saw vanilla bean creme brulee french toast. Creme brulee being one of my favorite desserts it was my pick. The order came with eggs and bacon or sausage, I went with one and one.

  I got my eggs scrambled and they were fluffy, light and cooked just right. The bacon was crisp and not greasy. The sausage was full of flavor and snapped when bit into. This was a great start to my breakfast that was only $9.95.

  The star of this meal was the creme brulee french toast. This was a classicly cooked french toast but instead of syrup it is served with a creme brulee sauce. All I can say is Oh Em Ge! This was some of the best french toast I have ever had. The french toast it self was not soggy by any means and had a slight toast to it. This made the bread very easy to cut with a fork and I could taste the flavor of this soft bread. The creme brulee sauce was drizzled over the four slices and Orange Cafe also provides an extra small cup of this sauce with the caramelized sugar top. Breaking the sugar top and pouring this liquid goodness all over the french toast made this an over the top breakfast. As rich as this sounds, it was not. In fact this sauce was just the right amount of sweetness.

 

  My wife was not happy that she did not get to try The Orange Cafe so I know we will be back and I am 100% okay with that thought. The service at Orange Cafe was super friendly and speedy. The menu prices were reasonable for the portion size. My plate of food was on point and the flavor was amazingly good. I would say without a doubt you need to get yourself to Orange Cafe and try this place out.

Orange Cafe on Yelp