Kat's 9 Lives

It is sad to say but I never have anything to bring for lunch so I am forced to stay within a mile radius of my school and scavenge for food. The worst part is there aren't many good choices around. =*( At least I am always on an adventure and trying stuff that I have never had before. Sadly... it's been a lot of chains and fast food! lol The owners of the this particular L & L Hawaiian Barbecue must be Chinese as they give free Egg Drop Soup with the plates. They also serve other Asian dishes on top of the Hawaiian BBQ.
I ordered the BBQ Mix Plate that contains Beef, Short Ribs, and Chicken. The plate includes a Macaroni Salad, Rice, and remnants of a Salad. It's all about the Macaroni Salad. They do have a good one. There really is more chicken than anything else in the combo. You only get one big piece of short rib. I'm not a big fan of their "special" teriyaki sauce grilled and sadly you get the most of that. >=P I feel the chicken is not that flavorful and it is really just a filler. The short rib is tender and flavorful. I think the beef absorbs more flavor because they are thinly sliced and the textured groove allows more sauce to seep in. It's probably better for me to just order stuff I like to eat rather than a combo... yet I will probably never learn. O=9
My favorite thing about Hawaiian BBQ is Spam Musubi! How can you go wrong with seared Spam on top of Rice and wrapped in Seaweed? If they only gave more Spam!!! They really skimp on the quantity of meat and chunk it up with tons of rice. The second time around I decided not to order it because it's not worth the price. I can get my own can of Spam for about the same price and make tons of Spam Musubi. It really isn't that hard to make but it sure is delicious to eat! O=9
All in all it's a good place to grub if you are in the mood for meat. The prices are reasonable and affordable. I saw that my friends got the single items and they all cost under $5, which I thought wasn't a bad deal. With it you get rice and macaroni salad... hmm maybe I should have that for lunch tomorrow. O=)

L & L Hawaiian Barbecue
1945 E 17th St
Santa Ana, CA 92705

Revisiting an old favorite. Who doesn't love Kettlekorn?! I have been going here for a while and I always take new people there. Everyone who has had some of their popcorn fall in love with it. Ms. Lin has been on a craving for popcorn since the Super Bowl when she went to Miami. This week she is visiting and in dire need to satisfy that craving. Even though today is Valentine's Day, they are still open. I was afraid that they wouldn't be open on Sundays. Lucky for us, we were able to make out like a bandit. Both of us picked up a bunch of popcorn this afternoon from Maw 'N Paw Kettlekorn. They have a wide variety of flavors to choose from. On our visit today, I noticed that there are more flavors than before. My favorite is still the Original Kettlekorn. Needless to say this has always been a hit, since their store is named after this. I have turned many people into big fans of this place. Including my whole family. I bought a 13 oz. bag and only a quarter was left. Guess I should have bought the extra large bag that is almost as tall as I am! lol O=9 They are really dangerous because you could eat the entire bag in a blink of an eye without realizing it. True to the word, munchies!
Ms. Lin's favorite has always been the Spicy Chicago Korn. When I first tried it I thought that it was too spicy but now I am all about the spices. This time around I really love the mix of spiciness and sweet. It is a caramel corn with cheese powder and a spicy kick. They have the regular Chicago Korn without the spice but I think the contrast for spicy would be better. We also bought their Cheddar Cheese Popcorn, which was only so-so to me. I am going to stick to my Original Kettlekorn and Zebra Chocolate Caramel Corn. O=9 Maybe I will have to add the Spicy Chicago Korn to my repertoire. Overall I love this place for Kettlekorn or any type of popcorn. They make great gifts and snacks. Try them out and you will realize how much you crave and love them! ^_^

Maw 'N Paw Kettlekorn
24881 Alicia Pkwy
Ste D
Laguna Hills, CA 92653
(949) 859-3300

As many of you know, I LOVE my Sugar Cane Juice. I am always on a hunt for delicious sugar cane juice and a good price. KFP recommended Fresh Roast a while back. I've probably passed this place a million times and never noticed it. One day I decided that it was time we try this place. If you read Chinese, it says right in the front that they serve sugar cane juice. I took Ms. Lin on my first visit. When you walk in you get a whiff of herbs from the surroundings. That actually kind of put me off but as you walk further in the place it feels very quaint. The surroundings and decor do produce a calming feel and it is extremely quiet there so you can study or just surf the internet. There are also computers in the back that allow customers to go online and I am sure they offer wireless internet as I saw some customers with laptops open.
The people were friendly. Ms. Lin and I decided to get 2 Large Sugar Cane Juices. The prices were a bit steeper than what I am use to. Still, this is pure sugar cane juice. The first time I decided not to get any kumquat juice in sugar cane and Ms. Lin did the same thing. I thought the flavor was waaaay too much and it was different from the Vietnamese sugar cane juice that I usually get. This sugar cane juice tasted more waxy and potent. I was not a big fan and gave my drink to Ms. Lin. Even though I didn't quite like it the first time, I have been back to give it a second try. This is one of the rare times I think kumquat juice inside helps mellow the flavor, but I still taste that waxy feel. It is most likely the type of sugar cane used that makes the difference. The first time we bought this drink, Ms. Lin watered it down because it was so strong and luckily we grow tons of kumquats in our backyard for her to add in! ^_^ Even though it is different from the Vietnamese sugar canes I have had, it is still worth a try. I would recommend it if someone asks.
This picture had to be used because they are cute yet scary! These turtles are right at the register when you pay. I thought they looked cute and were extremely lively. Although the look in their eyes at times.... eek! lol They are saying, "You better pay up!" lol
Fresh Roast
308 S San Gabriel Blvd
San Gabriel, CA 91776
(626) 451-5918