Kat's 9 Lives

I don't know if this should even be considered an age-old question : Where's my order?  After a laborious day at work, I wanted to stop of at Stonefire Grill to grab a quick take out and head home to enjoy my dinner.  Okay, it was a Friday and they were very busy for dine-in.  I strolled up to the take out counter and the guy was super nice who took my order.  After he put it in, I felt pretty happy and even signed the slip with a tip on it.  All happy thoughts right?  I sat down and started playing Draw Something on my iPad.  People around me probably thought I was very funny because I couldn't stop laughing.  That was the first time I ever played the game and I was just chuckling away as I continued to draw.  I must have played 30-40 games and I was wondering when my order would be done because I kept seeing people who came after me leave.  At first I just thought that my order took longer so I ignored it.
Recently I had been craving some tasty salmon and after I asked the guy who took my order, he convinced me to try the Fresh Salmon 1lb Filet with Lemon Garlic.  I asked for extra garlic and for the salmon to not be fully cooked.  Simple, right?  Well you would think so and for $17.99 plus tax, it should be a tasty piece of fish! So after a long long wait, I decided to go up to the counter and check on the status.  Here is the kicker, if they said it wasn't ready I would have completely understood BUT... I asked the staff and the girl told me to hold on.  After a few minutes she came back because she couldn't find my order and then she turned around and found it sitting behind her! Somehow they put my order in as a "phone-in" so basically if I did NOT go up and sat there like an idiot, then I would never get my food and it would sit there until it would be inedible.  This just blew a fuse! I was stern and asked her that if I had NOT come up then no one would have called me for my order?  She said yes and asked if I wanted to speak with the manager.  I told her, "Yes, please."  My mood turned very sour quickly because it was already late and I wanted to go home to unwind.  The manager was friendly and apologized.  I confronted him about the situation and told him that I already didn't want a cooked fish yet it had been sitting there.  Of course he tried to assure me that it hadn't been out too long.  He was nice enough to offer making another order but I did not want to spend another 1/2 hour sitting there and he offered to refund my money on the order.  I sort of felt a little bad but I was upset at how they handled a simple order.  Even though I was feeling guilty since I got my meal for free, minus the tip **didn't bother to ask for that back**, I reasoned with myself that it wasn't my fault that my meal ended up to be comped because I was wronged.
While I was driving, I thought about what I would rate them or what I'd write about.  In the end, I want to be fair and tell the whole story.  Despite what happened, I cannot fault them because they did try to make up for it and that is all they can do.  So I will be fair and rate their food based on the taste.  I thought the fish was tender and it was a nice cut.  It might seem a little pricey for some people but it really hits the spot to chomp down a pound of salmon filet! There was plenty of garlic and it was flavorful.  At times it was a little bit sour for my taste.  Don't get me wrong, I ADORE lemon, but it was a different kind of sour seasoning.  I asked for a side of their BBQ sauce because I had seen a co-worker dip her salmon that way and it offered a great contrast.  Be sure to ask for it just in case you don't like the lemon garlic taste.  I thought the dish was good and I often think about going back for another go, but what happened does stop me from ordering take out every day now.  Still trying to forgive but I have not forgotten.  O=) I am a complicated gal! lol

Stonefire Grill
3966 Barranca Parkway
Irvine, CA 92606
(949) 777-1177

Ever wonder where you can get the best roast duck? Well look no further as I am about to share a place that I love these days. Promise to save me some duck from Lien Hoa Chinese BBQ Food To Go. The secret is all in the sauce! Which is probably why they sell extra duck sauce for $1 and if you aren't here to buy a duck, then be sure to get the sauce. Although, if you aren't here for the duck you are definitely missing out!
Once upon a long time ago, back in the day when 99 Ranch still existed across the Asian Garden Mall there was this tiny BBQ place that had the best duck. I rarely head on out there but I think that store still exists there and I think it might just be the part of the same chain. One day I will stop by to check, but for now Lien Hoa Chinese BBQ Food To Go is definitely just as tasty and just a block away. Be sure to bring your appetite and bring cash!
I highly highly recommend their Roast Duck that is super tasty and tender. If you are a big fan of duck like I am, then Lien Hoa Chinese BBQ Food To Go is your heaven. They drizzle their delicious sauce onto the freshly chopped duck. The flavors will slowly soak in, so if you eat it right away just be sure to scoop some of the sauce up to drench the succulent chunks of duck meat.
While you are there, be sure to try the Roast Pork as well. Each fatty, sweet, succulent slice is full of flavor. The skin is always nice and crispy, so be sure to eat it fresh! So far I have always gotten meaty chunky cuts that were very tasty, unlike the ones you get at Sam Woo BBQ these days.
They also offer a bunch of flavorful small dishes. Ms. Lin picked up some Spicy Tripe that was very flavorful. After a few days she microwaved it and the flavor really soaked in. I personally really liked it, even though it was a bit on the chewier side.

Overall the food here is solid and the duck is amazing! I still have to try their marinated chicken one day because they really do their roast meats right. It's great for on the go, a party, a snack, or even to bring to work for lunch the next day. I can't wait to go back for some more. If it was closer, I'd probably go every other day.

Lien Hoa Chinese BBQ Food To Go
9299 Bolsa Ave
Westminster, CA 92683
(714) 894-1085

It's sad to see Chris' n Pitt's go! They have been in this location for so long but they sing their last swan song tonight as they have lost their lease. Sure, it might not be the best food in the world but you can't beat the prices and portions! They are a solid comfort food place. If you are feeling down and out, and need a greasy big meal to soothe the soul or fill the void then Chris' n Pitt's would be the place for you. It is like Cheers in real life but with food!
There were soooooo many people out in full force to show their support and get their last yabba dabba doo meal. Funny thing is, don't they there are still other locations available? Sure, they might not taste the same and the Anaheim location is a classic spot but at least there are still other options. Nonetheless I am sad to hear that this location will be closing, so I had to make my way out there for my LAST Chicken Fried Steak at Chris' n Pitt's.
By 6PM there was over an hour and a half wait just to get seated. Somehow my friends were smart and scored some bar seats where we had an up close view of the kitchen. There's only 4 hardworking men manning the kitchen back there! Can you see how big the plates of food are there? The guy's head is only half of the plate! lol I don't want to leave out our lovely server! Mary was a great source of entertainment and bless her for working through the madness!
Even the water cups here are monstrous. You can't use one hand to even grip more than half the cup! I am glad they use those same cups for the monstrous shakes! =) Sometimes I wish they gave a monstrous straw to go with the shake. They are thick and rich. I dread the thought of how many calories are in each of them.
To start off the night we got the Onion Flower. Oily fried goodness! Goes best with some Ranch sauce. Luckily we had some "salad" with our dish to balance out the greasiness and the best part is the extra Ranch sauce that I used for dipping. You always need to the token salad to ease the guilt of a big heavy meal. =) At least that is what I am saying and I am sticking with that story.
Last but definitely not least is their Chicken Fried Steak. The ginormous and thick cut of pound ground meat that is battered and fried comes drenched in their house gravy... mmmm. I think my heart just stopped but I took a bite of the Mashed Potatoes with Gravy to jump start it again! =) It's been a while since I last had this dish but the gravy really stood out for me that night. The gravy was full of flavor and tasty.
So sad to see this place go but there is hope that they still have two other locations nearby. Alas there is no guarantee that they taste the same but at least you can satisfy your craving if you are willing to drive a bit further. Good-bye Chris' n Pitt's in Anaheim. Many people have been neglecting you but when they found out that you were leaving them, they really came out in full force to support you!
Chris' & Pitt's
601 N Euclid St
Anaheim, CA 92801
(714) 635-2601

Come join all the good eats and fun! I think I am signed up for the AYCE challenge... Bring it baby! I have been training all my life for this, not really but it sure seems like it! lol

On a last minute decision I decided to come up to LA after I was invited by a friend for dinner. It just happened that it was a rainy day as well! I met up with Burumun and Rum Dood earlier for ice cream where they told us about the “Soup Kitchen” at The Edison. I guess on Thursday nights they have this special deal where you get a choice between 2 drinks for 35 cents. It is an awesome deal especially in this lavish vintage bar. With the drink you can also can get I believe a grilled cheese sandwich for some more change. I would recommend trying this bar out during the special to get more bang for the buck. O=9

108 W 2nd St
(213) 613-0000

It was a topsy turvy Friday that week because I had planned to go to check out a new restaurant or hang out with Lil Bel, but they all happened to fall through! lol Of course then I get a call from PK asking what I was doing that day. I said nothing really. O=9 Then she asked if I was up for some Korean BBQ and I said why not! haha She has been so good about doing Hot Yoga and dieting that she had a craving. I was more than happy to meet up with her and we went. Instead of going to the normal places that we frequent, I suggested being adventurous and trying a new place. I did some quick research online and decided that Incheonwon BBQ House looked like a good choice.
Good thing we decided to try something new because we found something new that we loved. They have a smaller selection of Ban Chan but still good. We really liked the side dish that looked like parsley. The flavor was very fragrant and aromatic like an herb, but not quite. lol Kind of hard to describe, so you will have to try it out for yourself. ^_- For their AYCE you have 2 choices. In the $16.99 set you get Marinated Beef, Beef Brisket, Black Pork Belly, Marinated Chicken, Beef Tongue, Beef Tripe, Soybean Paste Stew, and Steamed Egg. If you pay $19.99 you get everything on top plus Marinated Beef Ribs. Of course we chose to have everything. O=9
They are very attentive in service. Almost fighting to grill for you in the beginning! lol I am use to grilling myself and I like my meat more rare, but they grilled the first batch and continued to check up on us. Even though you have scissors at the grill, they will come by and cut the meat for you. I was snapping a lot of pictures and they were very curious at what I was doing. They recommended the Beef Tripe/Intestine. That was one reason why I wanted to come here because I love Pig Intestines... Yes, I am Asian enough for that! lol The Beef Tripe/Intestine was actually really really really really good on the grill! For the first batch we just cooked it and ate it, but I realized that it tasted better when cooked longer. This allows the outer layer to become crispy, adding more complexity to the texture. We ordered many many plates that night because we couldn't get enough of it. O=9
We had many platters of meat and tried everything in the first round then ordered what we liked thereafter. PK recommended that I try the Beef Tongue and it was chewy yet pretty tender. Normally I am not a fan of it but now I might give it another try. It goes best with the Sesame Oil and Salt & Pepper to bring out the natural flavors. Same goes for the Beef Tripe/Intestine. The tongue shouldn't be overcooked though.
Their Marinate Beef Rib comes with no bones, which is convenient. All the meats were nicely flavored but PK didn't care for the Chicken. To me they were all good and I ended up ordering most of everything again. O=9 I bet we scared them with our appetite. lol The Pork Belly comes out unmarinated but they provide the pot of marinade for you to dip it in. At the end of the meal they give you Kabocha Soup that is really good. I kind of wished we could have more! lol Maybe I should have asked. O=)
All in all the food was pretty good and service was very attentive. They changed the grill very often and came by to check up on you all the time. Their grill is a little different from the ones I have seen but still good. I like how they give you the scissors so that you can cut the meat into the size you desire. Although, they do come by quite often to service so it wouldn't have been a problem either way. I think I have found a new place to add to my repertoire. Any takers? lolIncheonwon BBQ House
13321 Brookhurst St

Garden Grove, CA 92844

The first time I went to Chris' & Pitt's was with HW and gang to celebrate her B-day. I have never heard of this place but it totally reminds me of Claim Jumper but more themed and old school. Once you step through the doors you will see the old style red booths and people who call you "honey" or "doll" type of place. It is very nostalgic and different from my everyday place. That night I was running a little late but nowhere near as late as HW. I found my way to the bar where another had arrived early like me, but I didn't know who or what they look like. Eventually we found each other then chatted and waited until the rest arrived. Everyone was super friendly and we were all hungry by this time.
What better way to start off the night than with a nice THICK Chocolate Milk Shake. It is served fresh and in a giant cup. Whooooweee was it SWEET. Totally reminiscent of an old fashioned diner but fun to drink. HW and I had a bunch of laughs trying to suck some milk shake up through the straws. I guess you can say we were training our lung capacity.
Appetizers? Sure why not! We chose Onion Rings and Onion Flower.... both fried onions! haha The rings were lightly battered and fried to a golden crust. Apparently we can never get enough of fried onions lol. The onion rings were nicely crispy and didn't have a heavy batter. It went great with Ketchup. The onion flower was huge and great to share with everyone. Just rip each petal off and dip in their special sauce or a Ranch dressing to give it that extra kick. The batter was much different than the rings. It was flakier and seasoned. Definitely great to share for a big group.
All of our meals came with the choice of soup or salad and I chose soup. It's a Beef and Barley soup. The flavors were thick but reminiscent of the canned soup you get from Campbell's. I wasn't that big a fan of barley so I just had a little bit. Besides, the food was coming out fast and you got to get it while it's hot. ^_-
Since there will be too many people to name after this I am just going to specify the dishes that HW and I had. O=9 The winner of the night for me was the Chicken Fried Style Steak smothered in Rich Country Style Gravy. It has been eons since I last had Chicken Fried Steak so I would never even think about ordering this, but after here... MMmmmmm it is on my list of yummy foods. The portions are very generous and she happened to get a nice juicy thick cut battered to perfection. All the flavors came together perfectly. To be fair... my 2nd trip/taste was not as good as the first. =*(
I ordered the Porterhouse Steak because I was hungry and wanted something big tee hee. Their steaks are suppose to be aged 14-21 days for natural tenderness. I thought the steak needed more flavor and was a bit bland at parts but still tender. The flavors were not too bad once I added some salt. I actually didn't feel like finishing this and took it home for the parental units and they really enjoy it. My Mom thought it was super tender. This wasn't really a "Porterhouse" in my opinion because it was so thinly cut that it felt like a mini mini T-bone. Still it was not bad but I wished that I had ordered the Chicken Fried Steak. =9
The Buttered Garlic Bread and Mashed Potatoes with Gravy that came with the meal were good. Of course not as delicious as the ones served in Claim Jumper but they had their own special simplicity.
We also tried the Full Rack of Baby Back Ribs that has been Hickory Smoked for many hours. The meat fell right off the bone and the flavor was good. It isn't the best baby back I have ever had but for the price, I can't complain. It was only $19.95 and you get all the sides to go with everything. Good ol' comfort food.
Another person ordered the Home Style Meatloaf. The pieces were big and the best part was that they put BACON on top! haha That was the main reason her friend ordered this. We were all envious of the juicy bacon! lol
All in all we had a lot of fun and the people there were super friendly. We were all full and each took home our leftovers whilst trying to finish up our shakes. It was a great evening of fun and celebration. Thanks HW for introducing this place and sharing a piece of that yummy Chicken Fried Steak. It was a trip back in time, which is good to take once in a while. The best part is the prices and portion. =P

Chris' & Pitt's
601 N Euclid St
Anaheim, CA 92801
(714) 635-2601

Lil Bel took R & I out for our B-day for an early celebration. She is always so sweet and cute! You can just put her in your pocket. A little ray of sunshine! ^_- She recommended Mozambique in Laguna Beach. I have never heard of this place and she said it was good so I said why not. It was pretty easy to make reservations at 6PM on Saturday. They are not open until 6PM and we had to wait outside or in the lounge. We decided to wait outside because there were beautiful parrots outside and a sitting area. At night the counter with fire rocks are lit up, but at 6PM it's still very bright but it still looked pretty.
I spent some time playing with the birds. One was out of its cage and throwing stuff off the counter. It was fun to see them. Not long after 6PM we were seated. It was pretty barren. The decor was very interesting. You can see the grill area as you walk in and the dining room had this authentic feel to it. Parts of it reminded me of Morocco but more green. I guess it's suppose to be an African feel? Still it was nice and we sat next to the fire place. We started the night off with some drinks. Lil Bel got the Virgin Daiquiri that was pretty tasty. The server recommended the "Soul" Punch. She said it was Guava, Passion Fruit, and Grenadine. The drink was good, but it tasted just like Pineapple juice and nothing else. We all had a really good laugh about it being "Soooooouuuuul" Punch. **snicker snicker**
They served us Cheese Bread and Rolls with Pecan Butter. I think the butter was interesting. You can't really taste the pecans but it was good. The cheese bread was not what I suspected but decent. They have a texture that's hard to describe. It's not your normal bread, but still good.
We ordered two appetizers to share. Lil Bel wanted to try the Prawns Gone Wild. I guess she was attracted to the name! ^_- We joked about how the shrimp must be showing some skin. **wink wink** It's 6 Shell-on Grilled Peri-Peri Prawns, served with Mango Salsa and Mozambique Spicy Company Peri-Peri Sauce. We didn't quite like the sauce, but the flavor of the shrimp by itself was fine. The shrimps were big and nicely butterflied, then grilled. I don't know why they say it comes with mango salsa because it was mainly cantaloupe and honey dew. It was still a very good fruit salad. I thought this dish was good overall.
The Jumbo Lump Crab Cake was very good. It comes with Shoyu Mustard Sauce with Asian Slaw, Baby Greens, and Black Pepper Crème Fraîche. The crab cake takes about 20 minutes to bake and it's one big crab cake. There were tons of crab meat inside and the taste was pretty good. I didn't feel any fishiness, which means the crab was still fresh. I think this was my favorite dish of the night.
I decided to order the 10 oz. Center Cut Filet Mignon. Grilled over a hardwood fire. Seasoned with Mozambique Spice Company Steak Rubs and Sauce. All their meats are Prime & Choice USDA Grade meats from Chicago. All served with House steak and béarnaise sauces. This dish came with two HUGE Asparagus, a lot of Arugula, and Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes. The sauces were dreadful and I avoided them. At least they grilled my meat well enough. I was not too impressed with the meat, I am sorry to say. Hopefully Lil Bel won't be mad when she reads this. I mean I had a WONDERFUL time with them, I love hanging out with them, and it's so sweet of her to take me out. The meat was not horrendous, it was just decent. I am so glad that I am going to Mastro's on my B-day because it will be so much better! ^_^ *hopefully* When they asked how I felt about it, I told them the sauces weren't good and they said that I should ask for A1 Steak Sauce. I did think about it but it really ruins the flavor of the filet mignon and it's kind of crass to do so in a nice restaurant. Luckily the meat was tender enough for me to eat without any sauces. I wished there was salt & pepper at the table to season it.
R ordered the Famous Mozambique BBQ Plate. It's BBQ Short Rib of Beef, South African Mozambique Farmer's Sausage (beef) with a 1/4 Rotisserie of Peri-Peri Chicken served with Country Slaw and Cottage Fried Potatoes. The portion was nice and the sausage was good. They have an interesting sauce, but I think I still prefer my Lucille's BBQ or other BBQ places. I guess I am not normally a big fan of BBQ but R enjoyed it!
What was really upsetting is that the server messed up Lil Bel's order. She ordered the Mozambique Caesar Salad. It's their signature Caesar-style Dressing with Sun-Dried Tomato Croutons and shaved Parmesan Cheese. You can add shrimp, chicken, or salmon to the dish. Lil Bel asked for Salmon and she totally messed it up. The flavor of the salad was good. I enjoyed the slices of shaved Parmesan. The croutons did not seem to be sun-dried tomato. It was a solid salad, nothing extraordinary though, but still good.
This is why I am upset. So it turned out that the server put in an order of Wild Salmon Brulée. I thought it was weird that the salmon didn't come out on top of the salmon. During the meal I mentioned something but I didn't want to interrupt their meal to flag down the server. The dish was Mozambique Salmon Rub, Corn & Leek Ragout, Sweet Polenta, and grilled Curried Eggplant. The salmon tasted fine, but I did not enjoy the sweet glaze that was under it. I didn't really notice any corn or leek ragout. This dish was fine but it definitely was not what she ordered. The ironic thing is she took off the salmon and put it in our her salad plate. She didn't want anything else there, yet because the server made a mistake she had to pay $23 more for that dish? I would have said something. It was the servers fault because I can swear that she never said the dishes name. You would notice if someone did.
Since we were celebrating our birthdays they brought us a nice dessert free of charge. We waited a while to get the dessert menu and they brought out the Macadamia, White Chocolate and Banana Bread Pudding. This was actually really good. I enjoyed the parts of the bread pudding and a dab of sauce. This was probably the best dessert dish on the menu. Lil Bel kept suggesting that I choose another dessert but nothing on the menu looked that good. We were also full and I brought a cake to her apt so we decided not to get another dessert.
All in all the food was good, but I think the appetizers were the best part. The service had its ups and downs. Of course the best part of the evening was being able to spend some quality time with Lil Bel and R. It's been a while since I have seen them! They are always so sweet and BUSY! lol I asked her when will be the next time I see you and she said probably in November. Yup, she is just that popular! ^_^ Thanks again Lil Bel for a great evening! You are always so sweet and cute!