Kat's 9 Lives

I tried a bunch of their different flavors but they were all just okay.  The only flavor that really popped was durian.  Beware, this is only for people who know what durian tastes like and enjoys it like I do.  For the little piglet I wanted to choose a color that will not take away from the cute little piggy, so I settled for the Taro.  This was just okay and a little light in taro taste for my liking.
All in all the flavors were just okay but the cuteness is UNDENIABLE! Great for photos! Needless to say we took a bunch of selfies and played with the little piggies and monkey for a while.  O=D It;s definitely worth a visit, but not a place I'd frequent unless I see another cute design that I must take pics of.  The service was friendly and I left a nice tip for her services.
Eiswelt Gelato
9605 Bolsa Ave
Westminster, CA 92683 
(657) 245-3141

In the city of Garden Grove there are tons of Vietnamese restaurants to check out but what makes Pho 54 stick out? Apparently you get a free drink with your purchase of an entree, which is not too bad! The drinks loom around $2 and the dishes range from $5-$7, which is very reasonable when you get a drink that's 1/3rd of the cost for free. If you are really hungry or really thirsty, I believe you get a free drink with each dish you get or you can definitely ask because it never hurts.
For my dish, I chose the Bun Tom Thit Nuong Cha Gio ($6.50). Normally I am not a fan of noodles but I have a soft spot for this dish now. It's Vermicelli with Charbroiled Shrimp, Pork, and an Egg Roll. A good combination of everything in one dish. I always make sure to drench the dish with the sweet fish sauce for more flavor. The mixture of textures from soft noodles, crisp vegetables, to flavorful grilled meat/seafood come together nicely in one bite.
My aunt decided to try the Mi Xao Don Thap Cam. It's crispy fried Chow Mein (Egg Noodle) with sauteed Shrimp, Squid, Beef, and Vegetables all for $6.25. The noodles were nice and crispy. I thought the portion was very generous. The flavor was not bad and I liked breaking the crisp noodles to dip back into the sauce.
All the food was not bad, but nothing out of the ordinary. The biggest perk is the free drink of course! We all chose the Iced Vietnamese Coffee with Condensed Milk. Nom Nom. With that said, there are a lot of affordable eats around here so it makes it hard for me to return often but I will definitely keep them in mind because of the free drink! ^_-Pho 54
8932 Bolsa Ave
Westminster, CA 92683
(714) 892-2623

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

What's there to do after an evening at the movies? Kat and I were trying to look up places to go for dessert or a quick grab. Eventually we settled on going to Thạch Chè Hiến Khánh for some dessert since she liked it. Chè is a term that refers to traditional Vietnamese dessert soups or puddings. That is exactly what you will find here. You can almost find the entire color spectrum displayed on the trays. Vietnamese desserts are usually very colorful. They also sell a variety of drinks fill with colorful starches, beans, or black-eyed peas. It's best to come here early because they tend to run out by the end of the day.
I freely admit that I don't know any of the dessert names. My strategy has always been asking or using my visual senses to guide me. With the only clues that I have from what I ordered was I able to find out that the dessert I got should be Chè Chuối. This is a very typical Vietnamese dessert. I just like the simple flavors of Coconut Milk/Creme with Bananas and Tapioca. On top they sprinkled it with Sesame Seeds. The dessert here is a little thicker base and gooier than most places I have had. Also there was a slight sour taste mixed amongst the sweetness. This is normally a safe bet for me because I just like the sweetness from the coconut milk with a little bit of tapioca. Usually I could do without the banana, but that is just me and my "allergies" to all fruits or vegetables or anything healthy. O=9

Thạch Chè Hiến Khánh
9639 Bolsa Ave
Westminster, CA 92683
(714) 839-8143

Since PK just started her own site, Princess Kitty's Lala Land, it's the perfect time to give a shout out to her! She recommended me to try Phúc Lộc for their Cháo. I am a huge fan of Cantonese Congee so I was very interested to try this place out when she recommended it. A large container of Cháo filled with meat and innards is only $3 or $4 if you want extra meats and innards. They open very early every day and closes around 6 or 7 PM. Be sure to call to make sure that they still have the Cháo left if you go towards the end of the day. The first time I went at the end of the day and they told me that they had run out. I drooped my head and walked away sadly. Then I made it my goal that weekend to return with a vengeance! lol
I decided to get 2 containers to go. One regular and one with extra meats to see the difference. Okay, so be prepared... you must be very open to eating "other" parts of the animal or... just do what I do... I only pour what I like into the bowl to eat! lol Inside the Cháo were Pig's Blood, Vietnamese Meat, Tongue, Intestine, Stomach, and more.... I know some of you may be gagging but the Cháo was actually super flavorful. Like I said, just eat the parts you like or just eat the rice parts.
They really know how to stew the rice and meats to create this flavor of explosion. You are also given Bean Sprouts and Limes to spice up the soup. Personally I just love the natural flavor of the Cháo. Be sure to not let it sit in the container too long before consumption because the condensation that builds up could lighten the flavor/tastiness of the Cháo. Also stop by a bakery to pick up some Chinese Doughnut to break off and throw in the Cháo. It's best if it is hot and crispy to give that extra texture. I usually warm/toast it inside a conventional oven. ^_^
While I was there, I saw that they had a stick of Vietnamese Meat that looked good. They also have pre-packed food to buy on the go. I decided to pick up a box of Noodles with an assortment of Meat and Shrimp on top. The Egg Roll was what tempted me the most. Sadly it was not warm and fresh but still good. I went a little overboard that weekend and bough a bunch of food to eat so I ended up giving these to the family. O=9 Still, all in all it was a great deal and great Cháo! I have been back a few times now and it has always been good but not as good as the first time. The flavor is not too consistent but I still really enjoy the Cháo and for the price, why not! lol If only they were closer!Phúc Lộc
14024 Magnolia St
Westminster, CA 92683
(714) 891-7701

This was definitely a lesson learned. I made plans to meet with my Mom at Yum Cha Cafe and she passed me the address really quick in the morning. Apparently we weren't on the same page! She went to another location that wasn't listed on the menu. What made things even better was that she had NO IDEA where she was! Luckily I am somewhat familiar of the area and eventually found her. It's not really a restaurant but there are tables for you sit and eat. They are located in the My Thuan Market. The food is all sitting out on the heater and plenty of it. At least the food still looked good. Communication is a bit limited but never fear, you can always point at what you want! lol There's actually a lot of people working there and a lot of people purchasing items.
Of course I had to order your typical Har Gao, Shao Mai, Spare Ribs with Black Beans, Fried Shrimp Ball, and Seafood Dumpling. I feel that their seafood items tasted much better than the meat items. The Har Gao and Shao Mai were just so-so in my opinion but super cheap. I actually liked the Fried Shrimp Ball even after you microwave it but it's super super oily. It's best to eat it right after you get it from this place before the oil separates. The dumpling was not bad and the ribs were alright. I take it all with a grain of salt since it is super cheap.
Normally I love the Shrimp Cheong Fun, but the one here was just alright. The skin was a little bit too soft and runny for my liking. Again, you get what you paid for. I decided to try the Lou Mai Gai, Lotus Leaf Rice, since I thought it was like the Chinese Zongzi but this was definitely not it. As usual I love anything fried so I got another item that was almost exactly like the Fried Shrimp Ball. Don't know if there really was a difference. They taste about the same but look different. I thought they were both pretty tasty but super oily. This one was even more oily because of the strips wrapped around it and then fried.
All in all this place was much better than where my Mom was actually at but that doesn't say much! I am never letting her choose a place especially if it is suggested by that friend. This was all his fault for not knowing EXACTLY where the stupid place is. Apparently no one knew there were 2 locations so close. Of course the one he went to and suggested was the super super ghetto one! Disown! This location is actually much cleaner and for the same price. They also seem to have more of a turnaround so safer. Although I must say that the people working here was Vietnamese so I don't know how authentic of a Cantonese Dim Sum you can get here. At least it is super cheap so giving them a try won't cost you much. =9

Yum Cha Cafe
8900 Westminster Blvd
Westminster, CA 92683
(714) 899-0700

Today's photo has a special appearance of PK ^_^ at Givral Bakery. She's too cute to put on the site so I chose a backside photo. PK recommended this place along one of our food runs. We ended up parking really far away so we had to walk a bit to reach our destination. Since it had her stamp of approval, I had to give it a try and the cakes looked really pretty and inviting. Beware that they don't speak much English. Point and order, it's almost pointless to ask questions.
I picked up the Pate Chaud because they looked tempting and I haven't really had one in a Vietnamese bakery. There wasn't much flavor in the meat. The crust was flaky but bland as well. It's only 75 cents so you can't expect that much, but I wouldn't get them here again.
The cakes came highly recommended so I picked up two mini cakes, Mango and Mocha. Maybe I had too high of an expectation, but they were mehhhh.... The cake was fine but the frosting... OMG! It is just lard and no flavor. I didn't finish the cakes and put it in the fridge... the next day it was as hard as a rock... You could peel off the frosting and feel the immense grease on your hands... I am sorry but that was just gross and vile. Imagine that inside your heart clogging it up AND not even tasting good to top it off! Luckily I peeled it off and just ate the cake, but gave up on that too.
My sister was awestruck by the pretty cakes while we were there. Since we always delay celebrate her B-day I bought her any cake of her choice. She chose outer beauty versus what is inside! lol She wanted the pretty purple cake but didn't want what was inside... tsk tsk Inner beauty is more important than outer beauty! lol The cake was a Mixed Berry with tons of Blueberry. I didn't like the filling. For some odd reason it just didn't work for me and made me nauseous. Everyone else thought it was alright but I just gave up my piece to someone else. The cake was moist and light. They do make pretty cakes, if only the inside reflected their outer beauty.

All in all the cakes are pretty but I don't know about the taste. I still think the cake I had for my B-day was better. It could have been a fluke that day where they actually made a delectable cake, but none have come close lately ^_^ Still it was nice to try the place out and hang out with PK... and of course Ms. Lin. I am always up for a food adventure!

Givral Bakery

9525 Bolsa Avenue
Westminster, CA 92683

After dinner at Claws, I suggested that we go to Bánh Mì Chè Cali for dessert and also so I can pick up some delicious Vietnamese sandwiches. O=) I was really surprised to see that they are open 24 hours and it is great to know. Now when I get my Vietnamese Sandwich cravings, I know where to go! Of course I immediately started to take some photos but after a little bit, the lady was like no photos.... umm OKAY... not like there is much to see or anything. I really disdain people who are so antsy about photos. This place is tiny and barely fits a bunch of people, so if it's ever busy then the lines would go out the door. You can see clearly into the kitchen as well. This is not even the rudest part...
I ordered the Sugar Cane Juice and Sandwiches, which was Buy 2 Get 1 Free. The juice was only so-so and I took the sandwiches home. Like normal, I got 2 Chicken Sandwiches and 4 Mixed Meat. I actually think they put more meat than the other locations. If you take sandwiches home then you should definitely ask for the vegetables on the side. I have noticed a pattern lately that they skimp on the veggies so you might need to ask for more veggies on the side or you won't have enough for all of them.
The chicken is shredded and almost indiscernible. I don't question or think about what I eat in these places. lol The meats were flavorful and they added enough Pate and Chicken Fat. Yes, I know that might sound gross but that is what makes the sandwich so delicious. The more the better! If you keep the sandwich for a longer period of time, be sure to toast it in an oven before adding the vegetables to give it that extra wow factor. Just talking about this makes me want to drive out in the middle of the night for some! lol
So what is keeping me from coming back more often... well.. they are so FREAKING RUDE! It's not just that they don't let you take photos. We sat there for a while chatting since we all bought some stuff. This place is supposed to be 24 hours.. but they were cleaning up or changing certain things and we just kept chatting since they weren't closing. They were doing tons of Asian moves to drive people out! It's not like they were closing! There is no reason for them to kick us out. They were really rude about it by turning the radio up really really really loud and bumping stuff into us. It's almost ridiculous and mind you this was only about 9PM... 24 hours my @$$!

Bánh Mì Chè Cali

15551 Brookhurst St
Westminster, CA 92683

I normally try not to go shop or park at the Asian Garden Mall because it's just a huge mess! Bad memories in the parking lot just rile my feathers every time I think about it. Luckily, I was not the one driving! ^_^ So it wasn't too bad and I took this opportunity to visit some old favorites inside the mall. I use to come to C & C Express all the time for the little snacks and drinks. Is it just me, or is everything getting more vibrant in colors these days? lol
The first thing that caught my eye was that they sell is Balut! (Trứng vịt lộn or Hột vịt lộn in Vietnamese) PK and I were both extremely intrigued. I tried to goat her into trying one but she refused as did I. ^_^ It was funny that as we were taking pics, the lady behind the counter immediately put more in to make the picture look better. So now we know where to get this delicacy if we ever decide to try it! Hmm I will have to take Ms. Lin there to see if she will eat it too!
One of my old favorites was the shāomài. There is usually 3 huge pieces on a stick and they heat it up for you. Then they squirt some soy sauce on top to give it an extra kick. Unfortunately it did not taste as good as it looked! Don't fall for my photography skills... blech! There was actually a broken piece of the toothpick inside and it jabbed me! *sobs* Was this even meat? I think they have changed the ingredients to skimp on the value. It is now made of ground meat?? With tons of flour? It is almost like the meat cakes served with the BBQ meat at Vietnamese restaurants but worse!
I decided to pick up a Chả Ốc. They were $1 each so I just picked one up to try. It reminded me of the Indonesian Otak-Otak, so I couldn't resist. The flavor was not too bad and it was definitely different. I also grabbed another huge cup of Fresh Sugar Cane Juice, but the one here is nowhere near as good as Bahn Mi Che Cali. Still, I can always go for more anywhere. It's nice to have snacks and drinks while you shop, but every store in here has signs everywhere saying no drink and no food. =*(

C & C Express

9200 Bolsa Avenue
Westminster, CA 92683