Kat's 9 Lives

So what does Ti Couz mean? It means "The Old House". Their culinary creation comes from Brittany in Northern France. Traditionally they use buckwheat flour and only the privilege get to enjoy wheat crêpes. Here, they serve wheat flour crêpes and with stipulations. They only want their customers to enjoy the best and freshest taste so they refuse to let anyone take out or take home any of the crêpes. Be sure to be ready to enjoy a tasty snack, a meal, or a dessert and you can always bring friends. They would never dare dream of letting their customers walk away with a soggy or cold crêpe that does not live up to their standards, so take a seat and enjoy.
Even though Ms. Lin and I were fully stuffed with sushi nearby, we had to stop by for another treat. Despite it all, Ms. Lin still chose a savory treat. This was my first time, but she is a veteran here and she definitely chose the better crêpe. At first I was a little skeptical to her choice of Saucisse & Fromage (Sausage and Cheese). The crêpes are very thin but they do have an even filling inside. I enjoyed the subtle flavor and texture of the wheat crêpe. It's much better than the ones I got in Paris, France. I like the delicate texture yet maintaining a resilient chewiness.
I made the wrong choice to get their Citron-Sucre (Lemon and Sugar). Not sure if it was because the last crêpe they made was a savory/salty one because I felt my crêpe had an awkward salty flavor. Maybe it is the butter that they use, but I didn't like that the salty flavor overtook the sweetness and the lemon masked any sweetness as well. I started to monopolize Ms. Lin's crêpe. Odd enough, I always want what the other has and I am lucky enough that she will succumb to my demands and give me the goods ^_-.
The moral of the story is to always go with someone who will be willing to share the yummy goods and definitely order the savory crêpes here. If and when I come back, I am sticking to my love for meat and cheese or at least make sure that someone else there gets it and is willing to share or split.
Ti Couz
3108 16th St
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 252-7373

Where would be a good place to go after a nice relaxing time at a Korean Bath House? Well for some odd reason I normally get something heavy like Korean BBQ. Not today, I wanted to try something new and tasty. Vientiane Restaurant (Lao & Thai Food) popped up on my radar and I decided that it was time for something new. They are located in a tiny strip mall that can seem a little iffy/sketchy at night, but don't worry there's plenty of parking spaces! Limited seating inside because they are a tiny Mom & Pop shop.
Since I was a bit dehydrated from the bath house, it was nice to have a refreshing glass of Thai Iced Tea.
Their Grilled Marinated Beef (Sua Rong Hai), $5.99, was what really caught my eye. How can I pass up a dish described as grilled tender marinated beef and served with a hot & sour sauce? The meat was very tender but certain chunks had tendons that made it super chewy. Overall the meat was tasty and soft. You pair it with the delectable sauce and wrap the whole thing in a side of cabbage. Normally I don't condone the usage of veggies but the bitterness of the cabbage mixed with the spicy & sour sauce really makes the sweet and savory flavors pop!
No meal is complete without rice and for me at a Thai restaurant it is the Thai Fried Rice! Mmmm! I got the Pork Thai Fried Rice to munch on the side. The rice was very fragrant and nicely stir-fried. A little on the light side but nothing that a little soy sauce couldn't fix. =)
I debated for a while on whether I should get dessert but I caved in the end. The Loti (Thai Crêpes) with Condensed Milk, $1.50, was too great of a deal to pass up! You get a nicely pan-fried crispy pancake rolled with sweet condensed milk. Yummy! One thing though, man this is one OILY dessert! Be sure to use a napkin to absorb the excess oil so you won't feel as guilty. Don't share! Get one for yourself to enjoy! ^_-
All in all I think this a very nice hole in the wall, local place, to enjoy good eats at a great price. Recently I ordered take out and it was just as good. I will definitely be back in the future and most likely after Korean Bath House... come to think of it... that was when I ordered take out too! lol

Vientiane Restaurant (Lao & Thai Food)
10262 Westminster Avenue
Garden Grove, CA 92843
(714) 530-7523

PK and I really needed something to wash down all the salty food we had at the Wurstküche (will review soon). I had a long drive ahead back down to OC and I wanted a nice pick me up. Since PK's car was near Four Leaf and we passed by them earlier in the day, it only made sense to com here for an after dinner treat. Four Leaf just had their Grand Opening.
There's outside seating on the patio and tables inside. I really enjoyed their light shade so I took pics. The interior had a nice feeling. It's a lot more classy than your everyday milk tea joint. If it wasn't late, I would've enjoyed sitting there munching on my crêpe and enjoying a cool drink. The staff was nice but they messed up my simple order, which I can forgive since they just opened. I ordered a large drink and they gave me a regular. The annoying part was he denied that I ordered a large... I stuck with the regular because I had already paid and didn't want to bother changing the drink. At least PK heard me, but somehow he didn't... oh well.
The drink somehow took a little longer than I imagined. I ordered the Milk Green Tea, which was sweet and flavorful. They must use Ten-Ren or something similar to it. The green tea was aromatic and not overpowering.
I forgive them for their mistake because the crêpe was actually pretty good. The batter they use was very flavorful and it was cooked to perfection. Normally I like my crêpe to be crispy but I decided to just let them make it the way they want and it was just the right chewiness. I'm a little bit weird about my crêpes to be simple and all I wanted in it that night was condensed milk. The prices are very reasonable so I decided to try the crêpe. It's $2.50 for just the crêpe and you can add items to build your own. Since I only had one thing my crêpe was super cheap and well worth it! I wish I knew how good it was to begin with because I would've order 2 or 3 more for home! =D
Funny thing that happened in the car... I ate the crêpe while driving home. Not the best idea by the way! Little did I know that the paper was very thin and did not keep the condensed milk from seeping out. As I was biting into my yummy crêpe, sticky drops of condensed milk began to run down my chin and onto my clothing. Then I suddenly realized that it was dripping from the bottom too! When I got home I was covered in sticky white droplets. You can paint the picture and run wild with it. This did not look good nor very innocent. =P lol Still, the crêpe was delicious and I don't regret it. You know something is good when it gets all over you and you're willing to let that slide.

Four Leaf - Tea & Crêpes
318A E. 2nd St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(877) 797-4532

Got up early to have breakfast/lunch with Ms. Lin and Mom. It was a nice little get together and the best part is that I had my trusty coupon! I know Tofu's mad that he was not the one I took with the coupon, but I will try to steal MBA's coupon for him! ^_- We were in a hurry because I had to run to class in an hour, so we made a rush decision. My mom decided to get the Junior Plate with Regular Buttermilk Pancakes, 2 Sausages, and Coffee. It's the best deal because you get everything and the pancakes are good too. It has 3 small pancakes, so Ms. Lin and I shared one. The pancakes are fluffy and light. Ms. Lin said that she liked them better than the 49'er Flap Jacks.
I had the 49'er Flap Jacks the first time I was here so Ms. Lin decided to try it. Her choice was the biggest in portion. It was 3 huge thin pancakes that really resembled a crepe. They were good, but I have to agree that the buttermilk pancakes are a better way to go. I think I would rather get what my mom got if you don't have a coupon because it is the best deal!
Today I wanted to try something new, so I got the Bacon Waffle and ordered a side of Sausage Links. I felt like something saltier with meat and a side of meat! ^_- It was good and filled with tons of bacon. The waffles were good, not anything extraordinary but just plain old comfort food. I like mixing my salty foods with sweet. It's the only way to eat sausage links too, with plenty of maple syrup! =P yum yum!
All in all the food was good. The portions were generous, except my waffle was the only normal size. We saw someone with an omelet and they were HUGE. The best part is you get pancakes too. We were discussing how it would be impossible to finish it all. I think the next time I go and with a coupon, I will definitely try an omelet out! ^_^

Original Pancake House

Who's up for breakfast? Not me! =P Once in a blue moon, I get up to eat breakfast. A nice meal with friends is always good. We went to the Original Pancake House on Moulton in Aliso Viejo. My friends often talked about this place, but I never ventured there especially not for breakfast. There are a ton of these places around the U.S. We went around 10am on a Friday, it was super crowded. The service was kind of slow, but they were friendly. I must warn you that the noise level was quite high, so keep in mind it's a hustling and bustling place.
Two of us ordered the the 49'er Flap Jacks. There were three plate-sized, chewy, & tender pancakes served with whipped butter. Each table has their special syrup. I decided to get a fresh squeezed orange juice, which was very good because they must have added a lot of sugar. The pancakes were good and the portion was very generous. It tasted like a thick & chewy crêpe, the texture was very nice.
My friend got the Blueberry Pancakes served with Hot Blueberry Compote. The server was very nice and suggested that he get the junior meal that comes with sausages he wanted as well as the coffee he ordered. A great deal and hefty portion. There was three good-sized pancakes loaded with blueberries and dusted with powdered sugar. They really love the blueberry compote, personally I don't like cooked fruits. It was good, sweet but a little bit alcoholy.

All in all the food was good, MUCH better than IHOP or Denny's. Another place around Mission Viejo is Paul's Pantry and they have pretty good breakfast food too. I can't really tell which place was better since I haven't been to Paul's in a while. Luckily I just got some coupons and I think there was one for them so I will let you know soon! I also have a coupon to this place, so I will definitely be back again most likely later in the day!

Original Pancake House

I love going to Crêpe in the Grip on Valley View. Sadly it's so far away in San Gabriel. I was here when they first opened up many eons ago. They have expanded their menu a lot since then. At first it was mostly crêpes and they were good, but now I get their parfaits! They also have salty foods that were good. I really liked the Taiwanese style subs that they served. So be sure to try the different things they have to offer.
My favorite by far is and will always be the Mango Parfait! You can get choose two ice cream scoops inside. I always get the Lychee and Mango, so YUMMY! The mangoes they use are usually already marinated in a sugary syrup so they are never too sour. What really makes the parfait is the crunchy flakes that truly add texture to the bite. The yummy ice cream, condensed milk, mangoes, & crunchy flakes mixed in really make it a heavenly bite. So delicious! A lot of my friends love it too! Best of all, in San Gabriel nothing is too expensive.

This is the place to go when you are craving for a simple light dessert. I like the crêpes here. They make them crispy upon request. It is reasonably priced, unlike the crêpes place at the Irvine Spectrum. I personally think that they are not worth more than $5 each, so when I see places that overprice such a simple dessert I refuse to buy it. This is why I love Asian places. No muss, no fuss.
The drinks here are great as well, they have a lighter feeling. I love the House Fruit Tea. They are not healthy in the bit because of all the sugar and syrup, but their fruit tea leaves me feeling refreshed.
All in all I like this place a lot. There are a lot of dessert places to choose in Irvine, but I just love crêpes. I was in France last summer and tried crêpes everywhere, yet I didn't like it there at all. For some odd reason I like it much better in the U.S. Maybe because they eat wheat crêpes? Maybe because they make them crispy here? Who knows, but I sure missed eating cheap crêpes like the ones I can get here!