1421 W Macarthur Blvd, Unit G, Santa Ana, CA 92704
Pricing - $$ | Dining - Casual | Cuisine - Cajun/Creole
www.rittersskc.com

I feel as if I will be lambasted for the comments I am about to make in this post or even if people do not read them, they will look at the 2.5 star rating out of a possible 5 and seethe at me. Why is that? Well, all that I have heard from everyone that has been to Ritter's is the highest of praise for the food. They wax on about their favorite dishes and how flavorful everything is but yet, our experience there was much different. Finally tackling this restaurant from our list of places we *had* to try, Duc and I came in right at the opening one weekend, hoping to catch some good attention due to a smaller crowd. We had heard that it gets quite busy inside the spacious restaurant and wanted to beat any rush. We also figured that less chaos in the kitchen would hopefully yield a more thought-out product.

69 N. San Pedro St., San Jose, CA 95110 (Neighborhood: Downtown)
Pricing - $$/$$$ | Dining - Casual | Cuisine - American, Gastropub
www.firehouse1.com

On our trip to San Jose, I looked around for restaurants that were getting good ratings and reviews on multiple sites. I came across Firehouse and checked out their website; the menu read like an exciting story. "A gastropub?" I thought. Well I've been to a few in my home area and have liked them every time. Why not given a norCal place a try? I ended up making my meet-up spot here too for all of my friends I was to see during my trip (gaming friends and fellow Duke alumi). Also, the restaurant touted itself thus: "Firehouse is simply the greatest place EVER to come for food and drinks on any occasion. The comfortable atmosphere, insanely delicious food, handcrafted cocktails and fine brews brings everything together ever so nicely." Has to be good right?


It pretty much ended up being a four-couple hangout as everyone brought their significant other. One couple had already put in an order for the Spicy-Smokey Wings ($10.50 - tossed in FH1 buffalo sauce alongside celery and Bleu cheese) when we got there. When the dish came to the table, it was not steaming hot. I didn't realize this until it got to my turn to have some, and they weren't too warm at that point. Unfortunately, though I looked for a spicy smokiness, the sauce was forgettable. $10.50 for these wings seemed too ambitious. Duc went ahead and ordered The Duke Burger ($12.50 - beef patty with bacon, BBQ sauce, onion rings, and Cheddar cheese), of course. He always does every time we go somewhere that has a "Duke burger." Unlucky for him, it was hard to justify the price for this burger as the meat's quality was practically negligible, having been drowned in BBQ sauce. The bacon and onion rings tried to make up for it but that sauce was overpowering. Good fries though.


My friend put in an order for their Mustard Rubbed Flat Iron Steak ($19 - served in a red wine shallot sauce alongside French fries and lemony spinach), medium well. He asked how big it was prior to ordering, and our waitress only showed him an approximate size with her hands, not an ounce measure. We could hardly taste the seasoning which would have been fine had the steak been of great quality or cooked perfectly but it wasn't; dinnermates even asked for A1 steak sauce. That's never a good sign. The French fries were good though and I didn't taste the spinach so can't give a recount of it. I opted for their Baked Polenta ($6 - combined with heirloom grape tomatoes, Feta, roasted garlic, and fresh herbs) which we all flat out disliked as the tomatoes were too sour for how creamy and savory the other ingredients were. No one else enjoyed it, and it was a bad first polenta experience for some. I hate wasting food but this was hardly touched and with good reason.


Duc also grabbed an order of the Bacon Mac N Cheese ($11 - made with smoked Gouda, Cheddar, Pecorino Romano, and fresh breadcrumbs) for the table. It turned out to be very expensive considering that I've had pricey bacon mac n cheese at other gastropubs which probably come in 25%+ lower in price but still better in quality. I hate sounding like snobby when it comes to things like that but with the some-too-hard and some-too-soft pieces of pasta (how does that happen?) and off taste of cheeses without much bacon-y flavoring, I had to be that way. It was also a little too gritty for my taste. Lastly, a friend ordered the Grilled Bone-In Pork Chop ($16.50 - served with a green apple vinaigrette on top of creamy polenta and asparagus). The dish was bland and a bit dry. It's a common mistake that occurs with pork chop I've noticed so I wasn't all too surprised. This one's polenta was great however so I did have a few bites of that. I didn't get to try the asparagus.

Friends I used to game with a few years back - first time we've met!

I guess the main reason why I had wanted to go there was also to check out local brews on tap and guess what? They didn't have it! Firehouse was set up like a gastropub in the back but the emphasis seemed to be the bar in the front (hence a tad slow service). I came away disappointed because everything online seemed good, and I commended the use of seasonal ingredients. Why the rating that wasn't a complete zero? Well none of the food was inedible, and in general, the environment was good. There were some pluses here and there, so I can't more harshly drop my rating. I normally would have let our waitress know about any issues we had with the food but when I realized it was everything that the majority of us disliked, I figured it just meant the place wasn't for us. Ah well.

Photography by Duc Duong.

12045 Chapman Ave, Garden Grove, CA 92840
Pricing - $/$$ | Dining - Casual | Cuisine - Italian
http://www.carolinasitalianrestaurant.com

First off, apologies for the lack of good quality pictures. I know that the ones I post up usually are of better quality but we weren't prepared for the lighting situation inside or were really planning on being in picture taking mode. So yeah, I finally went back to Carolina's after all the years since my last visit when I was in high school. I still hear of it being a staple choice in Garden Grove so I wanted to give it another try. Duc and I got an online coupon (I can't remember from which site) to go and made a casual dinner of it.


I don't know if it was an off night or what but it was a bit difficult to thoroughly enjoy every plate we had. The inside of set up as expected - a very family style, large-portion Italian restaurant. You would come here for the purpose of eating big portions and sharing it on a casual basis with others. The complimentary cheesy bread that came out was on the dry and barely warm side with a smattering of melted cheese. A side of their minestrone soup came Duc's way, and it was more watery and blander than preferred. Props though for the abundance of vegetables.


Our orders were for the Chicken Manicotti (thin crepes stuffed with chicken breast, Ricotta & spinach with marinara sauce topped with Mozzarella) and the Angel Hair Chicca (diced tomatoes sauteed in olive oil and garlic with fresh basil on angel hair pasta). I found the crepes to be dry and perhaps it is my fault for not more seriously considering what they had listed; I guess I like my manicotti traditional and as pasta shells instead of as crepes. The chicken breast was a bit dry too. As for the angel hair, I'm always a huge fan of simple angel hair with tomatoes. It's a quick dish that satisfies tomato cravings and pasta-y needs. I'd have to say that Carolina's disappointed on the type of tomatoes used - I found them sour and some on the green side. Unripe? Using the inner diced pieces? It didn't highlight the delicious garlic or fresh basil well, and ultimately that's a shame because those parts of the dish were great. Overall, I just don't think this place fits my style but I can definitely see its appeal to others. The service was great so cheers for good staff! Also, if you're ready for big portions in the GG area, this place gives it and is ready to pack up your leftovers once you finish. My apologies for not giving a more raving review for what others consider a hometown gem!

690 9th Ave, New York, NY 10036 (Neighborhood: Hell's Kitchen)
Pricing - $/$$ | Dining - Casual, Dressy Casual | Cuisine - Thai

Wandering a while with my brothers in New York (particularly Hell's Kitchen), we were unsure of where to eat but Room Service caught our eyes. Lesson learned was not to judge a book by its cover but we were hungry and the prices looked fair. In we bounced through the aisles of chic, dimly lit seating and over-the-top grandeur. That should have been the first clue to our night's meal but alas, we were curious as to what a fancy-smancy-looking Thai place would produce. All other Thai places we had been in OC or anywhere in general were typically sparse in decor.


Drinks to start were their Thai iced tea (you MUST at any Thai place!) and a cocktail called "Frost in Bangkok Night Market." The Thai iced tea was just okay; the tall glass tried to deceive us about the quantity but anyone could see just how much ice was in there. Skimpy! As for my cocktail, I had wanted to see what a combination of Asian-centric ingredients in a cocktail would taste like; it had pandan leaves juice, vodka, Malibu, Midori, a drop of coconut milk, and jackfruit (as a garnish). What a silly mistake. Not only was the alcohol uncomfortably strong in taste but the pungent smell of coconut-milky jackfruit overrode any enjoyment. I'm glad my older brother helped out with downing the disaster.


For about $6, we ordered the Assorted Golden Fritters appetizer (crispy chicken and shrimp dumplings, blanketed shrimp, corn spring rolls, and sesame tofu with crushed peanut sweet chili dipping sauce). Deep-fried seems to be the way to go when eating with my brothers but it wasn't the best choice to start our appetite. They weren't bad - just okay. I think the one everyone liked most was the blanketed shrimp but that's a simple enough dish in itself. Anyone making that incorrectly would need a firm talking to.


My little brother's entree was the Tamarind Dish (by menu description: "a hot and zesty tamarind-chili sauce with sweet peppers, broccoli, scallions, and cilantro - meats are battered and deep-fried") with chicken for protein of choice and a side of included rice. Mine was the Bangkok Chicken Pumpkin Curry (Thai herbs and spices blended in roasted chili paste with kaffir lime leaves, simmered in coconut milk served with fresh Thai basil) with a side of included rice. Both came out lukewarm. No wonder it had taken so long to get to our table - it had probably been sitting on the counter for a while. His tasted like soggy orange chicken with no heat or zest and mediocre vegetables while mine, though it had a slight heat, was bland and wimpy.


The only redeeming dish of the night was my older brother's Room Service Pad Thai (sauteed glass vermicelli with shrimp, mixed seafood, mangoes, brown tofu, bean sprouts, scallions, and crushed peanuts, purple coconut milk beet sauce wrapped in an egg white crepe) which was explained on the menu to be their most popular dish and a much more traditional approach to the infamous dish. The glass vermicelli noodles were definitely a different take on what I was used to but worked out very well. Admittedly, it was also presented artfully and with a delightfully tangy flavor but in the end, we could tell that when this restaurant decided to put its money towards decor, it forgot to leave some for the food quality. This dish came out lukewarm too...

Photography by Minerva Thai.

2626 W La Palma Ave, Anaheim, CA 92801
Pricing - $$ | Dining - Casual, To-Go | Cuisine - Kenyan
http://www.kenyancafeandcuisine.com/

So I actually came upon this restaurant not because I was searching for Kenyan food but because I was looking for a way to take advantage of the free $10 I got from Groupon for my first Groupon Now! purchase. Kenyan Cafe and Cuisine was the only place nearby that had a deal worth $10+, so I decided to give it a shot. I had had Kenyan food before and thought it was pretty good. This place was located in a dinky area where I wouldn't normally go. In pretty much an alleyway, it was the only one of the stores open except for the liquor mart at the end. Talk about sketchy. I had called ahead to place my order so I walked in and out pretty quickly. It's quite a modest looking place.


The first dish I got was the Mbuzi Choma (barbecued goat) with Wali which is Basmati rice. There was also a side of collard greens with it. I thought that it was pretty good albeit chewy. I wondered where they got the goat meat and how long they've had it; the texture was harder than other goat I've had. The seasoning on the goat was good though, and the rice was delicious. I'm still not a fan of collard greens however.


The second dish was the Mbuzi Karanga (goat stew) with Chapati which was a sweet naan/tortilla-like bread. I was not a fan of this one actually. The stew wasn't very flavorful, and though the meat was soft because it had been stewed, it was still incredibly chewy. There was also a lot of fattiness left on the meat and too many shards of bones. Not a fan at all of the stew but the chapati was delicious. I don't have a comparison point but I liked it a lot. Would I go back to the restaurant? Probably not because it would've been expensive had I not had the Groupon Now! certificate.

9500 S I 35, Austin, TX 78748
Pricing - $/$$ | Dining - Casual | Cuisine - Vietnamese
www.phothaison.com

(Apologies for the poor pictures - didn't have my camera with me) This was my last meal with my cousins on my TX trip. It was the also the first meal after the wedding so plenty of people were happy to eat some pho since they were hung over (odd how it's good hangover food huh?). Apparently it's a chain of restaurants in the Austin area, and this branch, according to my cousins, wasn't the best one. Oh well. It was the one where we all congregated. I decided to go with my typical dish.


So my hefty bowl of steak, tripe, tendon, and flank steak in pho came, and like the other pho I had seen at another restaurant when someone ordered it in Austin, the broth was very dark. I'm accustomed to translucent and yellow-ish broth. The second thing I noticed actually was that the broth was quite oily. There was certainly a lot of good cuts of meat (beef in Texas, of course!) but it couldn't take away from the fact that I felt like I was drinking slimy soup. I barely finished my bowl because of the quantity. I'll give them more stars for the amount of good meat and noodles but they didn't impress me with how much oil was in the broth nor how much MSG I tasted.

4715 W Hwy 290, Sunset Valley, TX 78745
Pricing - $ | Dining - Casual | Cuisine - Italian, Buffet
www.cannolijoes.com

(Apologies for the pictures - I didn't have my camera) This was the first "real" meal that I had in Austin, and it was for the bachelorette party. I thought it was a tad odd that after the girls all got massages and felt relaxed they would want to get stuffed at an Italian buffet. After a few wrong turns, we made it to the place, and I'd say that it looks pretty neat on the outside. Its exterior walls are painted with scenes of Italian buildings. Inside it looks like a street in Italy with the food stations looking similar to shops and street vendors.

I ended up getting one and a half plates of food. For $8, it was a decent lunch considering it was all you can eat. However, as far as Italian food goes, it's definitely just mediocre. I liked that the food was created in small portions by an actual cook behind the serving station; I could see the cook mixing up some vegetables and sausage before she put it out on a small serving plate. That was the cool part because I like knowing that my food isn't mass produced. However, the recipes must have been generic enough to be able to made by many and probably be liked by many. None of the dishes stuck out to me as being much better or much worse than another. At least it wasn't a terrible meal though!

2773 N Main St, Santa Ana, CA 92705
Pricing - $$/$$$ | Dining - Casual | Cuisine - Japanese, Fusion
www.geishahouseoc.com/

I really wasn't expecting much when I came in, and I got what I expected. To be honest, I came to Geisha House because the food truck my friend and I wanted to catch wasn't at its scheduled location for lunch; he was hungry for Asian fusion food so this was the closest place to where we were. I didn't have high expectations because the reviews on Yelp had it at 2.5 stars. Walking inside and sitting down, we ended up both making fun of the decor and the restaurant's attempt to be "posh/chic." Also, he noted how the chefs weren't actually Japanese which is why they didn't respond when he spoke to them from the entrance in Japanese.


So we were there for lunch, and the place was fairly empty. Complimentary edamame was given but it was unsalted/unseasoned. I ate it for healthiness' sake. The lunch menu was cheaper than the dinner/regular menu but still considerably priced for unauthentic Japanese fare. Our meals came with miso soup which I found to be a tad grainy and uninspired.


My friend got the "Screaming Geisha" roll and let me try some. I didn't really want to order sushi there considering the look of the place but since he ordered, I gave it a shot. It was okay. I couldn't really tell that I was eating sushi though. I know that a sign of good sushi is the lack of fishiness but there seemed to be a lack of flavor in general in the roll aside from the spiciness in the spicy tuna filling. I think what did it was that the sushi wasn't cold either. Lackluster sushi makes me sad but hey, props on presentation!


My entree was the filet mignon. I didn't think that it would be such a small piece for the price I paid nor did I expect for the meat to be drenched in teriyaki sauce. That definitely masked the natural flavors of the beef; not all that great. The other food on my plate was pretty good - I actually liked the salad and its dressing. The rice was nice and sticky as Japanese rice ought to be. Unfortunately, the main star of the dish was supposed to be the beef, and I was unimpressed. I don't have any plans on returning.

9062 Trask Ave, Garden Grove, CA 92844
Pricing - $ | Dining - Casual | Cuisine - American

You know, it's funny how I've always heard about people coming here late night (it's open 24/7) since high school but have never been. I went once before during National Root Beer Float Day just to find a root beer float late at night at few days ago but didn't have any food. However, after not having that fantastic of dinners on our own, Duc and I dropped by late-ish at night to have some eats. The service was quite nice as always but it was surprisingly busy around 11pm on a Saturday. That's what a diner gets though I suppose.


My entree was the fish and chips with a side of chicken noodle soup. I actually liked the soup because it wasn't overly salted. I could tell that it was made there on site instead of just being bought or kept too long. The broth was warming and the noodles, though a bit fat and oddly shaped, weren't too firm or soft. I can't say such good things about my actually entree unfortunately. The batter was quite salty, and the fish itself was probably frozen fish. The pieces weren't even fillets but seemed more like mushed fish that wasn't cooked thoroughly. When I got to the middle of one of the pieces, it was very hard and not flaky whatsoever but stringy. I believe I only ate one of the three pieces before pushing the plate again. The fries, though, were pretty good; they were simple and filling. For my drink, I couldn't resist getting root beer because it had been so good the previous time I visited and yes, it was great again.


Duc ordered the Mae's melt which had turkey breast, onion, cheddar cheese, and avocado. I wouldn't have thought to include avocado in a hot sandwich to be honest but it worked out pretty well. As with diner food, the melt was quite greasy but fulfilling. The turkey breast was slightly overbearing and dry because of its quantity but hey, props for quantity right? Overall it was what one would expect at a diner for a melt but with its own twist in terms of ingredients.