Kat's 9 Lives

Chick-Fil-A, now what does that mean?  To me it means "Eat Mor Chikin"! I must admit that it was one of the cutest billboards that I have ever seen.  Every time I pass by one of them, I can't help chuckling.  It reminds me of Ms. Lin since she is born in the year of the cow.  The more reason I should be eating beef!! lol I haven't really listened to what the signs have been saying since I have never been to a Chick-Fil-A.  It has always been on my mind that I should try them out but I never felt the need or was just being lazy.  Finally my best bud and I were talking about it and she had a hankering for brownies.  (PS this was a secret craving) So we headed down to the closes Chick-Fil-A by her house for some dessert.
Even though I had been very full from dinner, I had to squeeze in the room for my FIRST Chick-Fil-A ever! lol We were going to go through the drive-thru to make it easier.  I brought up the fact that I had never been and she offered for us to both go in.  Nah, call me lazy but the drive-thru counts! lol So officially I have never been inside a Chick-Fil-A but I have now had their sandwich lol.  Based on recommendations, I decided to have the Spicy Chicken Sandwich with Bacon.  The flavor had a nice kick and the chicken was nicely fried.  It wasn't overly battered nor did it felt oil.  I kind of wished I had more of their original sauce to dip the sandwich in.  The sandwich was a little dry without the sauce or maybe I just like it saucy.  ^_~
All in all it was a good sandwich full of flavor.  It wasn't your normal fast food spicy chicken sandwich where they claim to be spicy and end up being dull and flavorless.  I even got to try their "special" brownies.  My best bud kept raving about how it was like a tasty chocolate cake with the layer of frosting on top.  At first it really scared me because it sounded heart-clogging and not in a good way, but once I took a bite, I understood what she meant.  It was moist and sweet without being overly oily.  Maybe it will be "our" spot now since she was the one who took me to my first Chick-Fil-A.  Now if she could get me to get up in the morning to have their delicious breakfast that so many people rave about lol. 
Chick-Fil-A
26792 Portola Pkwy
Foothill Ranch, CA 92610
 

I wonder how many hours I spend thinking about where I would be eating for a meal or where my friends would like or where we should end up going. Man, I must spend half my life think about food and the other half... eating it! lol O=9 Actually, it is sad... but I think we think about food or where we should go more than anything. That is the case for me. MBA and I always have a difficult time deciding where to eat but wanting to stay close, have it be a good deal, and taste good! It is like catching lightening in a bottle or finding the perfect man! Needless to say, we weren't ever going to reach the end of the rainbow for that pot of gold. For the longest time we thought about where to go and we couldn't come into agreement. I want something at least halfway decent and she wants a good deal. O=9 After wracking our brains on places nearby, I actually thought of one that turned out good. Ironically this is right next to MBA's work and she has yet to try the newly opened California Fish Grill, well not so new now 1/23/10. I have been to the one in Irvine a few times and it has always been a hit with my friends. Too bad I didn't come here earlier because they had a coupon ad a while back when they first opened to attract business. Now they don't need it because they are pretty packed.
Somehow my luck has been hit or miss with the Irvine location. The first time I went I had the fried shrimp and found out that I should have gotten the Mahi Mahi. Then the second time I had Mahi Mahi with Tofu, I wish I had the Orange Roughy. Somehow I am always one step behind on the yummy fish. This time I saw that they had White Roughy and I pondered if I should give the Mahi Mahi another try. Good thing that I tried the White Roughy with Garlic Butter and Fries. It was tender and delicious, just right this time. Yay I finally got/won the best dish. MBA asked me if she should get Salmon or Mahi Mahi and I gave her a look, then told her that she shouldn't waste such a meal out on Salmon. You can get that anywhere and make it at home easily. Luckily she listened to me and she really enjoyed the Cajun Mahi Mahi, but she didn't follow my Garlic Butter lead. You bet she will be back again with her co-workers and she will try it my way next. ^_- The tenderness of the fish varies with who cooks it but the fish is always fresh and simple. What makes everything better are the prices. You get a decent fillet for under $10. My dish was only $7.99, can't beat that for a filling seafood dinner meal!

California Fish Grill
41 Auto Center Drive, Suite 113
Foothill Ranch, CA 92610
(949) 470-9600

I wish I had my coupons! I know there are coupons for this place that come in the mail. My friend and I suddenly decided to come here after he dropped off his car. We went on Friday for lunch and the place was packed, which was a good sign. Fortunately we were seated right away and they brought out bread with the Peruvian Green Hot Sauce. The sauce should be made from cilantro, a type of chili, garlic, salt, & oil. This really packs a punch in flavor and spice!
Luckily I saw a yummy appetizer and decided to try it. I ordered the Chicharron de Pollo, chicken slowly marinated with garlic & spices then deep fried to perfection! As I have mentioned before, anything that's fried gets lots of bonus points. It was served with fried yucca and sarza criolla on top. The chicken was extremely flavorful and tasty! Only to be perfectly complimented with the sarza criolla that toned down the saltiness and brought out the taste of the spices. We both enjoyed it immensely! The yucca was very bland, so it doesn't fight for your tastebud's attention.
I have had Peruvian food at the Farmer's Market in LA, and I loved the fried rice. Nostalgic for some good old stir fried rice, I ordered the Chaufa de Pollo. This was a big mistake! It was extremely bland and oily. I wished it was saltier and flavorful like the appetizer was. Luckily we still had the green sauce, so I drenched my fried rice to add a kick.
My friend ordered the Inka Special. It was chicken sauteed with minced onions, peas, carrots, french fries in a spicy yellow chili & garlic sauce with white rice. He thought that it was bland, but I thought it had a LOT more flavor than the fried rice. I really liked the crisp texture of the french fries even when they were drenched in sauce. The chili flavor was light and tasty, I really wished I had ordered that.
All in all, the service was nice and friendly. The food had its high and low points. I was sold on the appetizer, so I will definitely be back again for that. Next time I will bring a coupon I swear! You can even print them out on their website, makes me mad that I didn't have one! Still the food was good overall. The bill turned out a little pricier than I thought it would be for lunch. Another funny thing was we asked them to split the bill, yet somehow he got $15 and I got $16 something... makes me question their math skills. =P