Kat's 9 Lives

Based on the recommendation of my close pal HT, who just became HM, I came out to try Ohshima and their omakase. It is tucked away in a strip mall. The outside decor is simple and misleading. At first I was a little worried at what kind of sushi place this is. Once inside, my fears were lessened as it was pretty packed with customers. It would be wise and recommended to call and make reservations to avoid a wait. If you choose to sit at the sushi bar then you must order the omakase, which was exactly what we wanted.
First they start off the omakase with a snack. That night they were serving house-made cold cooked tuna. I prefer this to pickled vegetables since I am allergic to all vegetables. O=) It was a nice nibble to get the appetite going.
We started off the night with Sea Bream. A fresh slice of fish that's lightly seasoned with salt.
Next came another delicious Toro, I think the first was chu-toro and this was o-toro. I really enjoy their precision in presentation. They actually take the time to mark the beautiful grooves into each piece of sushi. It really makes a huge difference in presentation. At first glance, I thought they were just perfectly textured cuts of fish but as I spent more time watching the chef at work to see his detail in slicing the fish. Bonus points for making each piece look like a masterpiece and taste just as fresh.
They were definitely pulling out the goodies in the beginning of the show. Next came the Hotate, Scallop, with a sprig of yuzu. The only way to eat scallops is with a touch of citrus to enhance the natural sweetness.
The Gold Stripe had a texture reminiscent to yellowtail. A slightly chewier but still delicious taste. This seems to be one of the signature items in their omakase.
As for the Sea Bass, they add a dab of yuzu chili pepper to kick it up a notch. Sea bass has a texture that is similar to snapper. I love my sushi with yuzu chili pepper to add that sour and spice flavor, which exemplifies the natural taste of the fish.
What Ohshima is most known for is there Cherry Salmon. I know you are all wondering if there is any difference from regular salmon? Well, I think there is. I think that the cherry salmon has a slight sweeter taste and a more delicate texture. A bonus is that this was a fattier cut. Yum!
I am normally not that big of a fan for mackerel, but I have had a really good Spanish Mackerel in NYC. Ever since then, I have been searching for the same mackerel again. The reason why I don't like mackerel is that it tends to be on the fishier side and they often use ginger to mask that taste. The mackerel here was decent but not the best I have ever had.
Ah, the sweet aroma of fish being seared. Normally I don't like having Butter Fish in my omakase because it is usually fully cooked. Here, they lightly seared the top so that the delicate texture of the fish can remain in tact and tasted. It's a personal preference, but I enjoy the slight burnt taste from searing.
One of my favorite fishes is Toro because it melts in your mouth. I really enjoy that the chef takes the time to finely cut the grooves into each fish, which makes it that much more appealing.
Recently I have fallen deeply in love with Blue Crab Hand Rolls. I was glad to see that they offered it here as well. They have all the blue crab pre-packed in saran wrap for each roll. Their blue crab does not have a heavy amount of mayonnaise. Instead, they add a dab of soy sauce on top. This is good, but I still have to say that Sushi Wasabi has the best blue crab in my opinion. I like the intense blue crab flavor that their hand roll has along with the mayonnaise. Here, it is lighter in taste but still enjoyable.
I recommend getting their House Marinated Uni cold dish. It's priced very reasonably and has a good amount of uni on top. They add a mix of savory and sweet together. The first time I had it, there was more of a citrus flavor. I actually just went again tonight and there wasn't much citrus flavor but more of a fruit flavor. Still, it was savory and satisfying.
Time for trying something new. They offered Neptune, which I had not had before. A seafood named after the Gods? Bring it on! =) The texture reminded me of mirugai, a chewier texture.
We have all heard of red snapper, black snapper, and now Blue Snapper. I thought the color was very vivacious. It was a lot of softer than I had expected because snapper can be chewier at times. This was light and fresh.
Who can resist Alfonsino when you see it on the menu. The difference here is that they seared the sushi. I thought this was an interesting take by adding the burnt flavor.
Since there wasn't much yellowtail on the menu, I had to get the Young Amber Jack. Got to love the soft texture with a slightly chewy texture. Always a safe choice for sushi, but I might be biased because I love any form of yellowtail.
We decided to try the Horse King Fish that was rubbed with sea salt.
Even though I knew this would be a chewier fish, I couldn't resist ordering the Thread Fin. It's a slightly chewier fish that they lightly brush with soy sauce.
Stay away from the Uni Spaghetti. I thought the uni they used happened to be muddy. The noodles were al dente but the sauce was just bad. I couldn't stand the uni part though because it was not fresh. The uni in the house marinated uni was much better.
Who doesn't love Santa Barbara Spot Prawns? Well, I do! I was crazy enough to drive all the way up to Santa Barbara to buy some live ones. They are just so irresistibly sweet and tender. Be sure to add a touch of citrus to truly bring out the sweetness. To show us that they are live and fresh, they even took them out to show that they are moving before they peeled the shrimp.
As always, they give you the choice of what do with the head of the shrimp. You can either have the heads made into a soup or fry them up. I usually choose to have it fried and dipped into ponzu.
One thing I always try to look for on the specials is the Orange Clam. Here they offer it live and plated it nicely. Unfortunately, the clam was extremely fishy and didn't taste very fresh. Normally they are very sweet and tasty but I thought that it was a miss that night. Albeit, I did enjoy that they separated the clam into three parts based on the cut and texture. I only wished it was as tasty as it was pretty.
On the specials menu they offered the Marinated Miso Cheese. It was an interesting pairing. They used fresh greens, pink peppercorn, and apples. I thought it was a nice mix of flavors across the board. The saltiness from miso plus the hint of spiciness from the peppercorn really brought out the sweetness of the apple cubes.
Since we had almost ate everything on the board, I decided to try the Black Cod before we started repeating some favorites. They rubbed sea salt on top instead of soy sauce.
Although not pictured again, I had to have some items again. We were totally cleaning up the fish and as a treat, they gave us an order of fish eggs on the house. That was nice of them but I wished it was more fish! =)
All in all the first time I went there, I had a great time and really enjoyed all the fishes. I actually just went there again tonight and now my opinion has changed. Don't know if it was an off night or what happened but I don't have an urge to come back any time soon. Unfortunately for them, I didn't write this review earlier or else it would be a highly glorified review. Maybe it was because I sat at the table and who prepared the fish made a difference? For now, I guess maybe one day I will give them a third try to redeem themselves because I had a great time the first time I went. I did enjoy my company tonight but I thought the food was really lacking and wasn't as beautiful as the first time I had it. Even though I came hungry, it didn't taste great. I will most likely stick with Sushi Wasabi for now. It's really too bad because I had such a nice feeling after the first time I went. Sigh! Oh well! Still, I did not change my review of what I had the first time but I must heed the warning to my readers on what happened tonight.

Ohshima
1956 N Tustin St
Orange, CA 92865
(714) 998-0098

After hearing about the goodness of Filling Station, I happened to be nearby that day with Gourmet Pigs and went inside for a snack. I refused to have more Bruxie because I didn't want to dish out the dough. Since Eat In OC recommended this place that morning, bam! I am out the door and making it a goal to follow through the same afternoon. =)
Sadly, they stop serving breakfast right around when I went in! I missed it by 2 minutes and they had already cleaned up and put away all the breakfast preps. There were tears flowing down when they gave me the bad news. I had my heart set on some good ole fashioned breakfast goodies. It was a last minute decision to go there and I wanted to give them a try since I was already there. The server recommended the Biltmore Chicken. It's chicken breast with melted pepperjack cheese, tomato, red onion, avocado, and lettuce inside a ciabatta. Was this anything spectacular that blew my mind? Nah, it was just simple goodness. Fresh ingredients that go well together. They had me at avocado!
The french fries were fresh, plump, and crisp. A good cut and texture. You can never go wrong with fresh tasty fries.
All in all, it's a classic place to check out in this area. I will definitely have to stop by again for breakfast on a colder day so that I can sit outside to people watch. =)

Filling Station
201 N Glassell St
Orange, CA 92866
(714) 289-9714

On a hot sunny day, we decided to catch a little snack before a sneak movie premiere testing. I decided to finally come try Haven Gastropub for some gastronomic treats since it was close to the theater. Parking is not that difficult around that area. We got a spot right across the street. I love that it is still free parking around this area. To get away from the heat, we chose to sit inside. They had a classy dark wooden motif.
I debated on what to try out. For me, I had to have the Mac n' Cheese with Black Truffles, Gruyere, Fontina, and Parmesan. How can you deny yourself this cheesy goodness with the essence of truffles? Yum! Freshly baked with crisp melted cheese on top and a piping hot gooey mess inside. This was pretty fragrant and cheesy. A great treat to start off the meal or to finish off.
It was a relaxing day for me and MBA. She chose to get the Short Rib Tacos with Pickled Red Onions, Cotija Cheese, and Salsa Borracho. The meats were nicely seasoned and the flavors came together well. My biggest qualm was that it was a mess! Tons of flavor but at a price. There was sauce spewing out of every orifice. Not a pretty side and will definitely dirty your hands. It's also a bit pricey for $14 and you only get 3 tacos. I am glad she enjoyed it but it wasn't something to write home about and I definitely wouldn't order it based on the price, personally.
After a long debate, I decided to try their Chicken n' Waffles. Things sounded better on paper. I was expecting a crisp fried chicken to go along with my waffles, but instead it was a more wet fried chicken. Albeit, the flavors were not bad but it wasn't quite what I was looking for when I order chicken and waffles. The cornmeal waffle was a bit on the soggier side which could be a result from the heat of the fried chicken. It was a sloppy soggy mess to be honest. I thought it was inventive to use beer in the maple syrup but it wasn't anything too special. For $15, it was not that filling and left me kind of blah afterwards.
All in all, I thought they were a little overpriced and overrated. I wasn't too impressed. Maybe I expected a little bit too much after all the hype?? I mean the food is solid but some stuff wasn't worth the price IMHO. The one thing I wanted most was the Bacon Ice Cream, but since we were running late for the movie screening MBA food blocked me! I was devastated that I couldn't get me some bacon lovin'!!! Hence, despite not being amazed... I will have to come back one day for that bacon goodness. =) They do offer Happy Hour, so I just might return and give them one more chance.

Haven Gastropub
190 S. Glassell St
Orange, CA 92866
(714) 221-0680

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