The Boiling Seafood

The Boiling Seafood
19705 Colima Rd Ste 415
Rowland Heights, CA 91748
(909) 594-1889
Type: Cajun Seafood Boil
Map

There's this new craze around So. Cal for Cajun-style seafood. You just order the type of seafood you want (shrimp, crab, lobster, or crawfish) and choose the type of seasoning. When it's done they bring you the finished product(s) in plastic bags. To eat it, you just get the stuff out of the bag, peel it, and toss it somewhere on the table (covered with butcher paper). That's it. But it gets messy.



I was a little late to this new trend-- if you wanna call it that. My friends used to rave about these kinds of places, especially a place known as Boiling Crab (review coming soon). I was put off from a similar experience when I went to San Pedro with some friends and had a similar style meal. It was just wack to me. Plain. Seasonings sucked. Never again. But it wasn't Cajun-style.

Some new place opened near the hood and my friends said it's supposed to be similar to Boiling Crab. They really really wanted to try this place out, so I dropped my past notions and joined in the hype and anticipation of trying this place.

The day of reckoning finally came. A big group of us rolled through. Luckily for us, the place was empty. Or maybe it's not so lucky for us. Not a good sign?

Since I didn't know crap about these places, my friends had to be our tour guides. First up, they ordered us 1 pound of king crab legs ($14.99). They said to get the "whole shebang" seasoning which is all their seasonings combined (rajun cajun, lemon pepper, butter). You get to choose how spicy you want it. We got medium. Next up 1 pound of shrimp ($8.99). Same deal. Whole shebang medium. We decided to get some items from the lower part of the menu. We got crispy oysters ($9.99), some corn on the cobs ($0.50 each), and some fries ($1.99).

you read their menus sideways


So first comes the side stuff. Crispy oysters and fries. You get about 10 oysters per order. They're deep fried obviously. I liked them. Nothing super outstanding, but they're cool. In my notes, I put the fries are decent and they give you a lot for 2 bucks. But having been to a few of these places now, I'm not getting fries anymore. Not that they suck. I prefer to eat the seafood with rice. What's good about this spot is you can order steamed rice, or you can probably bring your own. Yup. Do that instead.

crispy oysters and fries as a filler


(Before you get into all this mess, they give you a bib to protect part of that new, white shirt you stupidly wore)

The shrimp came next. I didn't do a great job with the picture cuz I took at an angle that makes it look plain and dry. Not the case. It's really soaked in a red sauce known as the whole-shebang. I think they had to change that name though cuz that's Boiling Crab's sauce name. I liked it. You just soak the shrimp in the sauce, remove the head, suck the head of all the juices, suck the body of whatever juices it has, peel the body, dip the peeled shrimp into the sauce again, and enjoy. No, this is not an instruction manual for a porno. But it might give you an orgasm or two. After my many experiences at these places now, I order more shrimp than anything else. For the money, it's just the best deal. I'll still order crab or whatever, but this is the staple of the meal for me.

Hi guys. Sorry you taste so good.


Alright. You gotta get some kind of crab. We always get the king crab legs cuz 1) I heard there's more to eat, and 2) it's cheaper than the dungeness. What can I say. It's crab. It's good. There's a lot more work to it than the shrimp, but the efforts are equally rewarded. Sometimes though, karma bites you in the ass when you're cracking them open and you get stabbed by the thorns on the legs. It's like I can hear the crab watching over us saying, "Take that!" But once you come out the battle field with your hostage (a fat slab of meat), I use a fat technique of pulling the pieces apart a little and soaking them back in the sauce. By pulling the meat apart, it exposes more surface area to absorb the sauce. It's a mathematical fact.

These things bite back.


somebody ordered some fried shrimp, but who cares, right?


I forgot to mention they also give you some lime, salt, and pepper that you mix together for a more citrusy flavor. It's good to have to change up the pace of whole-shebang.

bag o' goodies.


the rest of the carnage


Victorious!


So what's my take? For many who've tried this place and had the chance to compare it to Boiling Crab, they didn't like it. Some just straight up despise it. As of this writing, I've been to Boiling Crab about 3 times, and this place about 3 or 4 times. I've tried both, and yes, Boiling Crab is superior to this place in every way except that you can order rice just in case you forget to bring some, and it's closer to home. In all honesty, I don't mind going here again. And I probably will go here soon. I've brought people here who haven't tried B.C. and they liked it. Why spoil it? If they like it, they like it. I like it.

p.s. I heard they changed the name of this place to Michael's Cajun something or something. But for now, just look it up on Google as The Boiling Seafood. Also, don't wear anything nice. And maybe you might not want to go anywhere fancy after cuz you'll be smelling like seafood and garlic for a little bit.

Taps Fish House & Brewery - Brea

Taps Fish House & Brewery
101 E Imperial Hwy
Brea, CA 92821
(714) 257-0101
Type: seafood / bar / steakhouse / dining
Website
Map



We went here in late March (I got a lot of reviews to catch up on still) for my friend's and his girlfriend's birthdays. I was told this place was good but pricey. My girl and her best friend-- which is my friend's girlfriend with the birthdays usually go here to eat. I never been here so I was excited to hear what all the hype was about. Taps is located in the city of Brea near the Brea mall. More specifically, it's near the shopping area away from the mall where you'll find Eddie Bauer and Fatburger and Old Navy and stuff. When you walk in the place it looks like it's a huge sports bar kind of place, but when you go off to the left into the formal dining area, the scene changes. Everything got classy all of a sudden.

But anyways, in the beginning we waited for everybody cuz everybody has to lag and make an entrance. So we waited at the bar area on the right and ordered some beers and watched Golden State vs. the Lakers. I think the Lakers lost that game. But atleast L.A. got Baron Davis now! Taps serves their own beer as well as the known brands. I ended up getting their hefeweizen beer. It was good. Smooth. It had a good after-taste, especially when you burped. Kind of like a berry after-taste. After all that though, BJ's hef might be better still.

makes your burps taste good


So after the Lakers lost, everybody arrived and we got seated. Time to order and eat dammit. People have been waiting a minute or 60. My girl ordered some raw oysters ($12) she split with her friend. No thanks. They liked it. I liked it cuz she was a little touchy later on........ Nooo.

oohh baby I like it raw!!!


i forgot to mention free bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar


I ordered the Chilean sea bass ($31). Good lord it better be good. I liked it. It was light and flaky. The rice was good. There were some sweet peppers on the side that were good. For 30 bucks was it worth it? Hmmm. It was cool. better than anything I've gotten for half that price.

Chilean (kick his ass!) Sea Bass


my friend got some pasta thing or something. It was good.


We also got the Hawaiian style ahi tuna tartar ($13). I think it was cool, but by the looks of it, the price was in the design.



After everything was put away, there were mixed reviews about the place. I liked it and I wouldn't mind going back for another occasion. I just gotta make sure not to eat out for about a week before-hand. Some of my friends said it was okay. Some even said Yardhouse is better. They might be in the same category for me. Although Yardhouse does have a lot more beers and maybe a bigger menu. I'll still go back here though.

Red Lobster - Rowland Heights

Red Lobster
17601 Castleton St.
Rowland Heights, CA 91748
(626) 965-5112
Type: Seafood restaurant
Website
Map

When I was really young, I thought going to Red Lobster was for really rich people or for very special occasions. 20 or so years later, I find myself eating here-- paying for my own bill. Am I super rich now? Yeah right? Was it a special occasion? Every meal with my girl is a special occasion! heheh.

The real reason we came here was because the season for white elephants and gift cards just passed. I received a $25 gift card to this place so of course I had to put it to use the next day. We got there in the afternoon around maybe 4. The place wasn't packed at all, but there were spots of customers here and there.

Main thing I love about Red Lobster-- the biscuits. They're pretty plain, but they're just so good when they're hot. Plus, it's free, and you can keep ordering more and more.

FREE biscuits!

We ordered mostly appetizers: We got the "create your own appetizer" which consisted of calamari and stuffed mushrooms. The calamari was cool. It came with breaded broccoli. The mushrooms were cool, but they looked a hundred times better on the menu. I hate when that happens. That little combo cost $9.50. We also ordered the lobster and seafood artichoke dip ($8.99). I liked it, but I've had better. The jumbo shrimp cocktail( $7.99) was good. It's ridiculous how you only get so many shrimps and it cost so much. I know that's how it is at most places. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

calamari & stuffed mushrooms


lobster and seafood artichoke dip


jumbo shrimp cocktail... good but not enough

I needed some kind of soup to wash all the appetizers down. The lobster bisque ($5.50 for a small bowl) was okay. Very small for the price.

lobster bisque soup


The only regular meal we got was the crunchy fried fish sandwich ($7.50). It sounded good while ordering, but after the appetizers and bisquits, it was pretty wack. I think it tasted better as a leftover a few hours later.

crunchy fried fish sandwich... better as leftovers


All those appetizers and biscuits, you better believe we were full. I should've eaten more biscuits so I would have more leftovers for a complete second meal, but the calamari was pretty good. Would I go here again? Umm...... I probably would if I had to for somebody's birthday or something. I wouldn't choose to go here for the hell of it though. Give me another gift card though, and I'll be there. I'll even offer to drive.

Las Brisas - Laguna Beach

Las Brisas
361 Cliff Drive
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
949.497.5434
Type: Mexican food / restaruant
Website
Map





So I finally took notes on some of the restaurants I visited. My first victim is Las Brisas in Laguna Beach. It's a classy Mexican seafood restaurant. I was in the area and so my girl and I wanted to eat at a place with a good seaside view. She said she's been to Las Brisas before, and said it was good, so there we were.

It was the day after Christmas so we had to wait about 15 minutes for a table next to a window. I didn't want any birds shitting on me or my food outside. We ordered a beer each-- which cost $6 per bottle. It was just some regular Pacifico and Stella beers. The only time I'll usually pay for a $6 bottle of regular beer is at a club. Never do that again.

We finally get our table, and the view is great. The pictures don't do the actual scene justice. The part of the restaurant facing the beach is full of tall/wide windows.

I love when you get free bread or some kind of appetizer right away, even while you're still ordering your food. The waiter gave us bread with butter, kind of like what they do at Cheesecake Factory or similar places. I always end up eating a whole mess of bread before the food comes.

So we ordered the calamari ($10) to start off with. For calamari, I like the squid to be thin cuz it gets chewy the thicker it gets. These were a little thick for me. The sauce that covered it was good, but overall, I've tasted better and cheaper.

decent calamari


Then there's the seafood enchilada with the fish of the day-- which was yellowtail. The yellowtail was pretty good, but the enchilada was "ehh" to me.

16 dollars of "ehh"


The red snapper filet-- also $16, was a little better. The sauce was good. It's not worth its price though.

red snapper filet... better if a lot cheaper


As I write this review, I've come to the conclusion that the prices of the meals are bumped up a few dollars because you get a nice view. Sure the food is presented nicely, but I just wasn't feeling their delivery. I'm sure a lot of people love it here, but my girl and I were a little disappointed with the food. The good thing is that we ate so much bread that we took home most of the food to eat later. So in a sense, we paid for two meals! Yay!

Would I go back here? I'll try other places first, or if I really have to be here, I'll try totally different things than what we got that day.

cheers for six dollar beers! ....sike

Favori Restaurant, Santa Ana

Favori Restaurant
3502 W 1ST St
Santa Ana, CA 92703-3302
Phone: (714) 531-6838
Type: Vietnamese food / French food
Website
Map



Wanna impress your date? Does your date have an open mind when it comes to food? Got 50 to 70 bucks to spend on a meal? Then Favori in Santa Ana might score you some points-- *wink* *wink*.

My date took me here, and you better believe she got lucky (or unlucky) that night. Heheheh. Favori is a French-Vietnamese restaurant that's received great reviews from many critics. The atmosphere is romantic-- I guess, because of the darker atmosphere. When you come here, expect to be smelling like fish sauce by the time you leave, so come prepared if you're going out after. This place is known for their baked catfish. It gets pretty pricey too. The smallest catfish can feed from 2-4 people depending on your appetites, and it cost $35 I think. The baked catfish comes seasoned with a crispy skin. You're supposed to take some of the rice paper which you're supposed to dip in the water to soften it up. Then you take some of the lettuce and other veggies and combine it with pieces of fish on top of the rice paper. Then you roll it all up and choose one of two dipping sauces. Those are what makes the place smell. But despite that, both of the dipping sauces are bomb, and I alternated between the two.

Baked Catfish


We also ordered the calamari, which is different from most calamari, but it was really good. I'd say it's one of my top 5 calamaris that I've tried.

Calamari


Obviously I love this place. If it weren't for the price, I'd be here maybe once a month. But alas, fate has me broke and starving. Luckily, my girlfriend loves french fries.

West Coast Buffet - Update

Reminder:

Don't eat here if their closing time is in 2 hours or less. You won't have much to eat.