Sunday, November 30, 2008

Kamon

Kamon
17855 Colima Rd
City Of Industry, CA 91748
(626) 965-5895
Type: Sushi / Japanese cuisine
Map



For some odd reason, thinking back about this place doesn't get me excited about eating here. Even though the food is good and it's actually one of the better sushi places around the area, it hasn't popped in my head to come back. Because I'm so uninspired by the place I'll make this a no thrills/frills review. Actually I'm just lazy as usual and I'm in a bad mood. My 5 day weekend is over already and I probably won't get another one til late next year, or unless I quit.

On that note, I apologize to Kamon for taking it out on them. Now let's get this over with...

Okay. First thing we ordered was a combo dinner ($18). You get to pick 2 items from the menu. We got an 8oz. salmon teriyaki and sashimi. We asked for all salmon sashimi. It was all surprisingly good. The portion was bigger than I expected. The salmon sashimi was good, fresh, sweet, and fatty. The combo also came with salad, miso soup, and some fried chicken.



what the?


Next up, we got the dynamite appetizer ($6.50). The picture is very deceiving cuz I took it real close. That mother was small. The spoons weren't regular-sized spoons. They were like the spoons you use for chilli oils at Chinese restaurants. But man was it good. Or maybe it was just psychological. Since you only got so little, you cherished and savored every bite. Sneaky.

maybe actual size


We ordered two sushis (yellowtail and cajun albacore) at $4.50 per pair. They were both good but they put wasabi on it. Damn. I gotta get used to that.

We also got a spicy scallop hand roll. It was good but we've had many that were better. Probably wouldn't get that again.



Last and least, we got a tempura roll ($5.75). I think this was ordered just as a filler and cuz it was cheap. All I put in my notes is that I wouldn't get it again.



Man, it seems like we ordered a grip of food. It was mostly me that killed it though. But anyways, Kamon is a decent place. It's a little pricey and if you check Yelp, it got mixed reviews. Some gave it 2 stars while a few gave it 5 stars. I wouldn't give it 5 for sure. Maybe 3.5 stars. I'm right. Everybody else is wrong. F******************K work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Friday, November 21, 2008

5C's Louisiana Seafood - West Covina

5C's Louisiana Seafood
1034 West Covina Pkwy
West Covina, CA 91790
(626) 337-2530
Type: Cajun / Southern / Soul Food



2 in the morning. I gotta leave my house in about 4 hours to go to work. What should I be doing? Sleeping? Getting rest? No. Doing a review on 5C's Louisiana Seafood in West Covina. That's what you call dedication (insomnia).

So after having M&M's in Long Beach, I've been craving soul food every once in a while. I don't know how I found out about this place, but next thing you know there's a spot that opened up near my house by the West Covina mall. It's in the same plaza as Panera, Sizzler, and Fresh & Easy.

I've been here maybe about 3 or 4 times as of this writing. I always get their fish dishes. They have a lot of seafood choices: red snapper, catfish, sand dab, trout, sole, shrimp, and oysters. They also have jambalaya, gumbo, chicken wings, and various sandwiches.



The inside of the place is kind of small with not a lot of seating available, especially for large groups. I don't remember much about decor, but looking at the picture there wasn't too much of it. It's a regular hole in the wall spot dressed up a little. All that's important to me is the food...

Unfortunately, I didn't take notes again so I'll just base everything from my photographic memory. Ummmm...... It was good. The End. Just kidding. This particular day we got the combination plate ($12.35) which consisted of 3 jumbo shrimps, 6-8 deep fried oysters, and 3 pcs. of fish. We got the red snapper. It also came with lettuce, tomatoes, french bread and some hush puppies. The fish and oysters were tasty, but I remember the fish having lots of bones. The fried shrimp was just fried shrimp to me. We had these with different sauces but my personal favorite is tartar sauce with this kind of stuff. The lettuce and tomatoes I used as neutralizers and juicifyers(?). I'm not a fan of pickles and hush puppies.

deep fried frenzy


neutralizers and juicifyers. except the pickles and hush puppies


My friends got something similar except they just got the fish and chips ($5.50). They got the filet catfish. This was actually better than the red snapper for some reason. Maybe there wasn't as many bones.

hot sauce, tartar sauce, you're good to go.


So how does this place stack up against M&M's? If you put them side by side, I'd go to M&M's. But if you put M&M's in Long Beach, and 5C's in West Covina, I'll go to 5C's once in awhile. I mean it's not a bad spot. If you like deep fried seafood and live close by give this place a try. I read on Yelp and it got decent reviews on average. One dude gave it 5 stars. I'll be back, but I'm going to M&M's first. Actually, next week! Yay!

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Yoshinoya's Clam Chowder

tastes goooood!!!!





It's not super rich or creamy, but it packs lots of flavor. For $1.89 it's hard to go wrong.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Update: One World Vegetarian Cuisine

I was invited back to One World to check out some of their changes. Click here to read about my return.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

The Beachcomber - Newport Coast (Crystal Cove)

The Beachcomber
15 Crystal Cove
Newport Coast, CA 92657
Type: American cuisine
Website
Map



Here's yet another spot to take out-of-town guests to make it seem like you're hip with the in-crowd, even though we all know you read this blog or searched the internet under "hip places to eat" to find this place. It's all good. Your secret's safe with me. I'm almost as cool as you, but I found out about this place from my girlfriend. She's a little more hip than I. She told me her dad eats at this place that's right on the beach/sand and he sometimes sees dolphins while chowing down. She also said he saw or sees Karl Malone eating here sometimes. Aight. If it's good for The Mailman, why not?

Before you decide to go to The Beachcomber, know a few things: it gets really packed on the weekends, so waiting times could go from an hour to maybe 3; you can't just pull up to the place and park in front (it's on the sand and yards from the ocean); it might be a little chilly so bring a sweater; and you can't make reservations for large groups (large being more than 4?).

That being said, my girl took me there on a weekday so we wouldn't have to wait long. We went in the morning for breakfast. Like I said, you can't just pull up to the parking lot-- unless you're handicapped and have the sticker for your car. It's kind of a little mission you go on. First, you drive up PCH in Newport Coast/Crystal Cove, then you turn onto Los Trancas away from the water. Some days you might not have to pay for parking, but expect to give the city about $10 for that, just in case. So after you park you can choose one of two things. You can walk to the spot via a tunnel which takes you to the other side of PCH, or you can wait for the shuttle and pay $1 per person. Guess what we did? Here's $2 good sir. I know walking would be the proper thing to do at the beach, but nope.

lazy ass's view


Bye! and don't forget to pick us up later, cuz I ain't walking back. Thank you!


We gave our driver a small tip cuz he was cool. The ride isn't that long, so we got dropped off at the stop and proceeded to walk to the restaurant. I didn't think to take any pictures, but there's a bunch of small houses/cottages surrounding the restaurant that you can rent. Pretty cool if you got the dough.

Luckily for us, there wasn't a wait, but the place was still packed. We decided to eat on the patio cuz it's the beach and all. There was a tent over the patio cuz I guess it was drizzling earlier, but I seen pics on the website and there's usually no tent. One other thing was it was cold. I didn't bring a sweatshirt forgetting that the beach in the morning ain't like the pictures you see on postcards. There's blankets that you can ask for though, but I was too manly to get one. Moron.



The Beachcomber serves separate breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus. I don't know the exact times for each, but we were there in the morning, so breakfast it was. The menu was pretty limited. I ended up getting the Egg White Frittata ($7). I don't remember what it was exactly, but I know there was spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, and cheese. I think it was whatevers to me. Nothing wow about it. I got it with the roasted breakfast potatoes. After looking at the menu again, I realize I shoulda got their French Toast. Next time.

Frittata ain't a manly name


My girl got the Corned Beef Hash and Eggs ($10). Again, I also don't remember what she thought about it. Oh quit whining. If you read my blog often, you'll know I'm horrible at describing food anyways. If you really wanna know how it was, maybe you can read the comments and she'll have put her two cents in there. I'm guessing it wasn't super great, although on the website they claim,"The best hash served this side of the Waldorf!"

read the Comments section for comments on this dish


So after what I can't remember was decent food at somewhat pricey prices, would I go back? That is probably gonna be a yes. Although the food we ordered wasn't memorable, I read on Yelp that it's hit or miss and you might get some bomb food. But in my opinion, and many others', you come here for the surroundings. The food is just something to do between conversation and to keep you alive while enjoying the scenery. I'll take friends and family here if they're feeling somewhat touristy. If you come in the summer, don't forget your boogie board!