Kat's 9 Lives

First and foremost, I am glad to see a new breed of hip joints popping up in Orange County. The more the better! Many people have been buzzing about Bruxie next to Chapman University. Here they use Belgian waffles to make savory and sweet treats, a new twist on something traditional. Just get in line to place your order and find a seat to wait for the treats to be brought to you. I must say they really pack the staff in their tiny space. They also have a few members who work outside as well. For the most part it is self serve and an easy in-n-out joint for people on the go.

Here's the plan, if you are here with another person then one person order while the other one scouts for a table. Definitely try their shakes!
I really enjoyed ordering their special Dulce de Leche Shake, $4.95, but I swear I might have diabetes now. They lined the inside cup full of delicious dulce de leche. It reminded me of salted caramel, so kudos for making a memorable dulce de leche! Normally I am not one to complain about sweet drinks but I could feel my blood turning into sugar after one sip, but at least I die happy! I don't want to think about the calories, because I am probably going back for more drinks.
We also decided to try the Mint Chocolate Shake, $4.95. They use a really nice Belgian chocolate that adds another level to your normal mint chocolate chip shake. Their shakes are very rich and full of flavor. This one was less sweet so I could drink it more easily. I had to down water after each sip for the other one or at least take breaks between each sip.
Ms. Lin and I were eager to try the savory waffle sandwiches. We both agreed to forgo the sweets for more salty. I was very tempted to get a sweet waffle, but in the end my love meaty savory treats won over. The Green Eggs & Ham Bruxie, $6.95, sounded tasty and fun so I had to grab that. Sandwiched between a waffle was ham, cheddar, jumbo egg, mayonnaise, and arugula pesto. I enjoyed this modern twist filled with cheesy goodness. This one was my favorite because the pesto adds a zest to the palette. Be careful of the drops of oil from the arugula pesto. Maybe move the fries under to catch the flavor. =p

You can add Waffle Fries fried in 100% peanut oil for only $2.00 more, which they call a "combo". Sorry no drinks included, but I'd definitely recommend getting one. The fries come in a small baggie pouch. They are seasoned with salt and pepper. Personally, I rather have the criss-cut fries at Carl's Jr that are more flavorful. You don't really get much fries in the tiny pouch as they tend to stack up high without much quantity.
We decided to try the Prosciutto & Gruyere Bruxie, $6.95, with whole grain mustard and chives. When I opened up the Bruxie to take a peek, I only found a little piece of prosciutto. There wasn't much substance inside to be honest. We were eagerly awaiting a flavor explosion but were disappointed. This was just mehhhh. If there wasn't that much meat inside, I just wished there was more cheese to make up for the filling.
Last and definitely the least was the Buttermilk Fried Chicken & Waffles Bruxie, $6.95, with chili honey and cole slaw. Ms. Lin and I had really high hopes for this one and saved it for last. Big mistake! The way we attacked the Bruxies was the complete opposite of Goldilocks! =*( Instead of starting with something too cold to too hot to just right, we ate the best one and it just kept going down hill after that. I didn't like the batter and the spices used inside. The chili honey did not go well together. Maybe we should have opted for the maple syrup, but I think the biggest issue was the piece of chicken inside. Perhaps if it had a less distinctive seasoning to let the natural tasty flavors of the chicken shine and combine with the ingredients, then it might have been better. Ms. Lin brought up a good point about how tasty the fried chicken sandwich at Naked Lunch is and I agree that it's a trillion times better. We were very disappointed and our hopes were dashed since we love fried chicken so much. =*(
All in all Bruxie was decent. I don't know if I'd believe all the hype for this place. It's not a cheap place and won't really fill you up. Well I guess Ms. Lin and I have a bigger appetite. A waffle folded in half to make a sandwich won't really fill our tummies. Despite the disappointments with the fried chicken bruxie, I'd definitely recommend the shakes! I think this place is fun and different. It's definitely a place for families to come for a quick outing or a place for Chapman University to grub at, but I probably won't be making any special trips out soon. (except today, I'm being a good friend and going with another foodie who's never been =P)
P.S. I just love how their menu says Bruxie is a great late night snack... yet they close at 9 PM... hmmm... really late huh? lol I guess that's late for OC but for being next to a school campus... you at least need to be open to midnight for that.

Bruxie
292 North Glassell Street
Orange, CA 92866
(888) 927-8943
Open 9am - 9pm Daily

Another day, another restaurant is opening in Rowland Heights. After seeing the massive amounts of advertisements in the Chinese newspaper, I was forced to accompany my Mom to try Tasty Station. They just opened on Wednesday and they were packed. I guess all that advertising did work because there were tons of people waiting there to try something new. They were packed and the interior reminded me of Yogurtland. Their menu covers are hot pink and the interior was white with bits of neon green. We were led to their small room away from everyone. At first I wondered if anyone would actually come in to serve us or take orders. Eventually they kept coming in to check on us, but I think it was because they needed the space and really just wanted to kick us out – Asian style.
I understand that they are super busy because they just opened and everyone is coming to try a new place, but for me to wait 25-30 minutes for my food to come out is RIDICULOUS! Most Chinese/Cantonese restaurants can prepare the food in less than 5 minutes and be out in a flash. I will give them a sort of pass for being new but the wait time is way too long and I will have to dock them. The food for other tables as well as my own kept getting one dish and then 5-15 minutes you would get the next dish. You better be prepared to share or someone in your party will be sitting there watching you eat while they wait for their dish to come out.
Lucky for them and for us is that the food was not bad. Still, I am docking points for wasting a good part of my Saturday night. I ordered the House Special Soy-Sauced Prawns and they were definitely the best of the night and the only redeeming factor. The price was a little high for my comfort in this area, $13.50, but at least the portions were decent. I really enjoyed that the prawns were half de-shelled and super flavorful. Salty goodness on the outside, but I wished there was just a little bit more sauce or flavor on the prawns themselves. The flavor is reminiscent to the ones you’d see on house special lobsters or crabs. They lightly batter the outside shell and sautéed the full flavor in. Nonetheless, I can see why this is one of their specialties and I would definitely order this again.
Another go to dish for me is the French Style Filet Mignon. They did use very tender chunks of meat laid upon a bed of vegetables. There was a decent amount of meat on top, but it can be very deceptive how much you really get. I wished they had raw white onions below instead of cooked ones. The onion loses its pungency when it is cooked so long and I think it was more steamed than sautéed. As for the flavor, I thought it was more on the sweet side and there wasn’t much oomph emanating from the beef. They probably should have heated the oil higher and throw the onions, garlic, black pepper, and chili peppers in to infuse the strong flavor. For $11.95, I could live without this dish. I’d recommend just ordering two of the House Special Soy-Sauced Prawns instead.
All in all the food was not bad and at least with those prices you get free steamed rice. They got another bonus point for giving away a new pair of chopsticks to each customer in celebration of their Grand Opening. I liked the chopsticks and will definitely use it, but I do hope they get their act together so that customers won’t die of starvation while waiting. Since the prices are a bit higher than what I would expect in Rowland Heights, I am a little hesitant about coming back but I did enjoy the prawns. Maybe the next time I am in the area for lunch, I will hit them up. The prices seem much more reasonable for lunch, under $10.

Tasty Station
19035 Colima Rd
Rowland Heights, CA 91748
(626) 810-3600