Kat's 9 Lives

A brand new Mitsuwa has opened up in Irvine off of Culver today. Not that the nearest Mitsuwa is that far away, but at least more of them are popping up and this one is a little bit closer to home! Yay! I can pick up fresh sashimi every day now! It is clean and brand new with a different feel. They do have a food court with Santouka Ramen and more.
Today I went in and scoped out for some Grand Opening deals. They were completely out of the special deal for gyozas but they do have different deals every day. Word to the wise, come early if there is something you really want.
Instead of Miyabi-Tei, this Mitsuwa has Misasa that offers almost the same menu. For the Grand Opening they offered a special deal of Pork or Chicken Cutlet Curry with Rice and Salad for only $3.50! What a deal! They seemed to be the only place to offer a Grand Opening deal, which was nice. By the time I got there they were out of chicken, which was fine since I only wanted pork. The cutlets were nicely coated and fried. The curry sauce was a little thin, but still flavorful. Even though they were busy, the food came out actually pretty fast.
It seems that the regular price for this dish was $7.25, which is a bit on the pricier side, but the food was solid today and at a great rate. I'd definitely come back another night for a meal since this location is a little bit closer and convenient for me. Now if only Mitsuwa would open up in Mission Viejo then I'd be golden!

Misasa

Today I was invited to a media preview/tour of Whole Foods Market newest store opening in Huntington Beach this Wednesday! Join their Grand Opening October 13th and be the first 300 customers in line at 9:00 AM for their Bread Breaking Ceremony to receive a complimentary demi-baguette. Instead of the tiresome traditional ribbon cutting ceremony they have elected to represent who they really are by breaking bread. Like today, there will be plenty of their products being showcased and sampled.
If you can't make the Grand Opening October 13th, come check the market out on Community Support Day October 20th where 5% of net sales will be donated to the Bolsa Chica Conservancy. So be sure to save all your shopping needs until that day and stock up so that you can spend money on super fresh produce while contributing to the local community.
The produce looked so fresh and tasty that I wish they would let us purchase some for home. The tomatoes looked SPECTACULAR. I really love the assortment of cherry and grape tomatoes that they offer. It's almost as if I were shopping in a farmer's market. Believe it or not, but they will be carrying a lot of local produce. There will be signs posted everywhere to let buyers know exactly where the wonderful produce comes from.
On Wednesday they will be celebrating the opening of their 300th stores after 30 years in a brand new 30,000-square-foot store. 3 and 0's is the theme of the day. At this store they will unveil a new and bigger Bulk Food section to suit their patron's needs.
Local produce suppliers were out in full force showcasing their products. I was delighted to sample the Reed Avocado that was so plump and savory. Ever since my trip to Florida I have been nostalgic for a gigantic avocado salad.
Today we got to meet Mary and learn about Mary's Air Chilled Chicken. No added water, no antibiotics, and gluten free. Her special method of air chilling does make a difference in taste and texture of the chicken. It's definitely worth trying and changing what chicken you use to cook.
Learn about Whole Foods new 5 Step Animal Awareness Rating. They are there to answer any questions on where your meat comes from. After all, they pride themselves on their natural meat.
We also got to sample some delectable treats from Tracey Downey creator of Xan Confections. The chocolates looked wonderful and shimmery. They are not sold individually at this Whole Foods location, but come in nice boxed sets. I also took note of their huge selection of Vosges chocolates! Although I am behind on posting, I love Vosges and go to Vegas all the time to get my fix. It is good to know where I can get the chocolate bars locally now.Here at their Huntington Beach location they will be integrating Surf City USA and the Vietnamese community culture. They will be serving Banh Mi and make your own Pho in their prepared food section. Be sure to come in on Wednesdays when the self served hot and cold food is at a special rate of $5.99 from their normal price of $7.99. On Sundays they have a special $10 pizza and beer special. Any large pizza plus beer for only $10? Not bad!
Don't miss out on trying some delicious honey from Honey Pacifica. I was ecstatic to see that they offer honeycomb. There were so many honeys to try that were great. My favorite was the Coastal California Wildflower Honey. They take their bees to different areas in California to harvest the different savory flavors.Whole Foods Market
7881 Edinger Ave., Suite 150
Huntington Beach, CA 92647