Kat's 9 Lives

I just have to say I love this truck! =D Executive Chef Jason Quinn is such a great guy and he can cook! I was astounded to find out that he used to work at Restaurant Charlie Palmer because his food is soooo much better than what I had there. With his partner in crime Daniel Shemtob, they provided us with the utmost service and delicious food. My first experience was at the Food Truck Extravaganza at 18678 Teller in Irvine, CA 92612 from 11:30 AM to 2:00 PM on Wednesdays.
Joined by my foodies in crime, Holly and Anita, we were able to sample a bunch of their culinary creations. Along with the amazing food, we were able to chat with Chef Quinn for quite a while. He gladly shared all his secrets and has agreed to share some recipes. The one I really want is how to make his succulent Carnitas! I saw many people with the Carnitas Fries and had serious food envy! They used a 10 hour Roasted Pork, Sour Cream, Homemade Guacamole, Cotija Cheese, Cabbage, and Chipotle Honey Sauce on top of Fries. **drool drool** This looked and tasted like a piece of heaven. Each piece of carnitas was so tender and flavorful. Everything came together in perfect harmony.
Before Holly arrived, I ordered the Blue Crab Ceviche served with Fresh Tortilla Chips. This was just okay for me because I like to taste the strong flavor of blue crab instead. It was light and refreshing but I think I prefer the Blue Crab Hand Roll at Sushi Wasabi for my blue crab cravings. Still I love these guys!
Anita and I shared the Cuban Sandwich stuffed with 10 hour Roasted Pork, Genoa Salami, Black Forest Ham, Provolone, Pickles, and Homemade Mustard all in a Roll. They really packed that sandwich full of yummy goodness with a wide range of flavors. How can you not love a sandwich full of meat? It's even great to take home and toast afterward. Maybe I should store some in the fridge for emergency purposes? O=9
Not only do they offer tasty sandwiches, they have exotic concoctions to quench your thirst. I was lucky enough to try the Lime Jalapeño Basil drink before everything ran out. It was zesty and packed a bite. They create different drinks based on available fresh ingredients. Can't wait to see what they offer next! Every day is an adventure.
One sandwich that caught my eye was the Chicken Brie Panini made with all natural Chicken Breast, Dried Cranberries, Homemade Pesto, and French Brie. I love the combination of chicken and brie. The natural flavor of chicken is enhanced by the creme and slight bitterness of brie. Adding cranberries, a sweet component, makes everything even more aromatic. I thought about bogarting the whole sandwich and taking a few home as well.
What other sandwich could top that? Well The Lime Truck offers The Most Interesting Sandwich, which was also eaten by The Most Interesting Man! We had a wonderful time oohing and ahhing over the food as well as laugh at the wonderful picture of Miguel and the sandwich made for him. So what is this magical and majestic sandwich that we speak of? It's baked Mac & Cheese filled with Grilled Chicken, Bacon, Tomatoes, 2 different Cheeses, and drizzled with Chipotle Sauce. The flavors were popping and the sandwich was glistening in the sun beckoning us to take a bite. *crunch*
Needless to say, I love The Lime Truck and the geniuses behind it. Can't wait to see what other delectable creations they come up with.

OC is my home and will always be. Yes, it can get quite boring but I like the tranquility and the option to drive to metropolitan areas. Even though I live so close to The Hat, I have never been. After having the pastrami at Pink's I have been on this quest for great pastrami. It was a glimpse of heaven because it was as crisp and delicious as bacon! So after hearing all the rave reviews about The Hat being the ultimate pastrami place, I had to finally give it a try. Walking through the doors made me feel like I walked into a whole new world. Ms. Lin and I commented that it felt like we were back the Waffle House in TN where we were so out of place and people kept staring at us. At least they didn't stare, but I felt like we were in an old school nostalgic diner.
As I was waiting in line to order my eyes were fixated upon the menu... they have ... ORANGE BANG! OMG! I turned around immediately and told Ms. Lin that I had to get me the biggest cup possible and that we will have to eat some of the food here instead of take out so that I can get more Bang! lol She immediately asked me to get her a drink and agreed to grubbing here a little bit before leaving. They have the machine right by the soda machine and they have a sign clearly advising customers to use ice. Be sure to put lots of ice or the drink will be too sweet and not cold. We took this chance to try Piña Colada Bang that was very tasty and super sweet. Still, my heart belongs to Orange Bang! For that sole reason, I'd go back! ^_-
Everyone talks about their Chili Cheese Fries and the enormous portion. It is true, you can't really finish this alone unless this is your main meal... if even that. The menu says Chili Fries but I didn't even notice and said Chili Cheese Fries when I ordered. It's only 50 cents extra to get a glob of shredded cheese that is well worth it. The chili was not bad but not really my type. I am not sure if there are mashed up beans in it, but it has that mushy thick flavor. Thank goodness they don't have the calorie count posted because I could feel my heart clogging as I was eating this, which didn't stop me. O=9 Since I can't really see the evil beans and there was enough gooey melted cheese atop the massive pile of freshly fried fries... I was willing to overlook it all and just dig in!
Now onto the main dish that they are so well known for... The World Famous Pastrami Dip Sandwich for $6.99. Maybe Pink's misled me, but this was not what I signed up for. The meat was just tiny shreds piled in a sandwich and layered with mustard. I tried to give this the benefit of the doubt and kept eating, but nothing stood out. The bread was plain, the pastrami wasn't that flavorful, and I was left sitting there wondering why I spent $6.99 + taxes on this. I know that a lot of people might not agree with me and maybe this is what real pastrami tastes like, but I don't like it. What I had at Pink's was slices of pastrami that actually looked like meat and not shreds of meat that looks like an ordinary cold cut meat. You would think that it being a dip there were sauces or au jus to use with the sandwich, but nothing. =*(
All in all this place is only aiight in my book. I might come back for the fries and definitely for the Orange BANG! lol Next time I will try some of their different sandwiches out, but no thanks for pastrami. Our drink cups say that they are celebrating their 25th anniversary but it's been waaaaay past the anniversary date and they are still using them. We joked that they must not have met their goal by a lot and had tons of left over inventory to get rid of. lol =9 The original The Hat is in Alhambra on Valley Blvd and it is still standing there. Maybe one day I will give the original location a go too.

The Hat

So what do we need to try when we are down in San Diego? Well I am getting closer and closer to the border so I really need to try some of the Mexican restaurants in the Gas Lamp district. Ms. Lin looked up some rave reviews about La Puerta so since we couldn't really settle upon a decision, we decided to listen to the internet! ^_- We almost went past this place because there wasn't a clear sign for the restaurant's name. You just walk through a big door, hence La Puerta I guess. lol
We were starving and sore from walking so this was a great relief. They brought out water and I thought it tasted a little weird. Maybe I am not use to SD's filter, tap water? They brought out fresh Tortilla Chips and Salsas. We gobbled them down immediately. The chips were warm, thin, and crispy. Their salsa had a strong kick of spice and was really good.
One of my favorite things is Carne Asada Nachos and when we saw that they had Carne Asada Fries here, how could I resist! It's French Fries, Carne Asada, Cheese, Sour Cream, Guacamole, and Pico de Gallo. Everything was perfect! The flavors were on point and the fries were so crispy despite everything piled on it. It was definitely one of the best Carne Asada Fries I have ever had. Am I drooling onto my keyboard? I will definitely be back to order this again!
Okay I have a secret to tell... I have never had Mole! So when I saw Chicken Mole Enchiladas on the menu I had to give it a whirl! It's Grilled Chicken Breast, Ancho, Pasilla, Mulato, Chipotle, Mexican Chocolate, Sesame Seeds, and Sour Cream. This was definitely different and I can't really compare it to since I haven't had this dish. Still the flavor was a little odd but it grew on me. It tasted like a thick smoky gravy with a kick. I think it's interesting enough that I would want to order it again.
I chose to try the 3 Street Tacos combo with Carne Asada, Carnitas, and Ranchero Shrimp. The flavors were decent but I don't think this was anything special. I really wished I had ordered another Carne Asada Fries instead because that was so good. Ms. Lin ordered the Carne Asada Burrito. It's Steak, Guacamole, and Pico de Gallo. This was decent but for the same price, I would rather get the fries! The burrito was a little bit fat for my liking because it makes me think that it barely has any ingredients inside. I want my burritos brimming with ingredients like the fries were! Yum!
All in all it was not a bad place. Prices were around $9 and up. I will definitely come back for the Carne Asada Fries... if it weren't for that dish, the review would be lower.

La Puerta

After all the hype, I had to come try this place out for myself. Last Friday Tofu and I made a special trip to the Boiling Crab in Garden Grove. I did my research and found out that the lines are horrendously long, so I made sure we got there when they opened. We were immediately seated and the servers were very friendly. The decor was very touristy and tacky, but in a way that fits the ambiance. It's full of sea-related decors that completes the theme.
One of my friends talked about it as an addiction, so I had to try the Crawfish. There are 4 sauces to choose from. They have Rajun Cajun (Original), Lemon Pepper, Garlic Butter, and the Whole Sha-Bang! Of course I had to have it with the whole sha-bang! Since I don't like stuff too spicy, I ordered it mild. It still packed a decent punch. They come in steaming bags. I ordered 2lbs because it comes with a corn on the cob and two small slices of sausage. When you open the bag, you get a blast of heaven. I love the immense Cajun garlic smell. It's like as if Pavlov rung a bell, you just start salivating. I didn't really enjoy the crawfish in the beginning because it was a little undercooked for me. It was tender, but I like it firmer. The crawfish tasted much better after I brought it home.
There were so many things on the menu that I wanted to try. If only Ms. Lin was there, we could have packed tons in. ^_^ I ordered the Cajun Hot Wings. It was surprisingly delicious. I wish I had ordered the dozen. They were lightly dusted and covered with seasoning then fried. It creates a fabulous crispy coating on the chicken. The flavor just pops in your mouth. It has a fine gratey texture. I would probably come back to get all the fried goodies!
Tofu and I both got the Fried Catfish with Cajun Fries. As I have mentioned above, their fried food was wonderful. The catfish was lightly coated with seasoning and fried to perfection. I detest heavy batter that takes away the taste and texture of the fish. They do a great job balancing my love for a crispy coating and a tender flavorful fish. The Cajun fries were perfectly crisp and seasoned. Tofu really enjoyed the fries. They maintained their crispy texture even after they became cold.
Last but no least, we got the King Crab Legs with the Whole Sha-Bang! An order was about 1.4 lbs and 3 crab legs. By this time we were already getting full and there was tons of delicious food on the table. Tofu had never cracked a crab before, so I had to roll up my sleeves and show him how it's done! ^_~ I hate peeling and cracking, but when it comes down to it I am an expert. They give you their signature mallet and a plastic utensil to work the crab. I really didn't need the mallet. If they gave me scissors, I'd be done with the crab in a minute. The crab was a little to soft to really crack, but we still go it!
All in all I liked the place. It was a lot of fun cracking the crabs and eating the crawfish. No utensils were given, so it was all hands on! I was also able to take a picture of Tofu wearing the bib. **mwah ha ha** The server was very friendly and tied the bibs on for us. I loved all the fried food. The crawfish and crab were not bad, but the best part is the sauce! Thinking about the Whole Sha-Bang! makes me drool. I think the best combo would be dipping the fried food in the Whole Sha-Bang! Yum Yum! I will definitely be back to try the rest of the items on the menu! =9

Goodness, I don't know why I am up so early today! Being up at 9AM is unholy for me, so I thought maybe I should post something then ^_^. I have been here before with my ex-coworkers and they loved it. For me, I have only thought this place was mediocre. I mean Pink's was good, but I don't think I am a big hot dog fan. What sold me at Pink's was their Jalapeño Sausage it's so delicious. I decided to give Jerry's Dogs a second try. The service was friendly as usual and the place was clean. For Orange County, this is not a bad place. This time around I have a buy one get one free coupon too!
I wanted to try their Chili Cheese Fries. To my surprise, I actually really liked it. The fries were crispy and drenched in chili, I only wished they put more cheese on it. It was really good and I would recommend this, but I don't know if it's worth $3.50 when you can get a similar thing at other fast food places for like a $1.29
Since I really love the Jalapeño sausage at Pink's, I wanted to give this place a try. It's a Texas style lean pork with Tex-Mex spices then smoked with jalapeño. The specialty of this place is that you get to choose an endless amount of toppings on your dog. There was so much that you can't even see the picture of the sausage. I got the mushrooms, bacon bits, white onions, red onions, and sautéed onions. The spicy flavor was subtle, not as big of a pow wow like Pink's. It was decent, but I don't think I will order this again.
We also decided to try the Smokey Joe's Kielbasa sausage. This was actually really good! I got the same toppings, but after a while you get tired of the toppings because I can't even take a full bite of everything at once. Eventually I gave up and just ate the sausage. This was packed full of flavor, unlike the jalapeño sausage. The texture and snap was just right.
All in all this place was alright. I am still not impressed. Service was friendly as usual. The best part of the meal was the fries I think, although the Kielbasa was a close second. There's still some coupons left for me to use, but I don't know if I'd come back to use them. If you like hot dogs or sausages and can't or won't go to Pink's in LA, then I guess this is a good 2nd choice. Whoever wants to try this place and wants coupons, let me know I still have two of them.