Din Din A Go Go, Los Alamitos, CA

So once again, I find myself lining up in the cold, this time near Los Alamitos Racetrack for another edition of Din Din A Go Go. There were fewer trucks this time around but probably because everyone is prepping for the new years, with new recipes, new specials and probably just new ideas in general. I found our friend the Tropical Shaved Ice Truck and also Vizzi Truck that Tony along with a few new ones like Lee's Gogi Truck and Chomp Chomp Nation.

For the first timers, the address is located at 11081 Winners Circle, Los Alamitos CA, 90720.

Lee's Philly Gogi Truck

Their Menu

Gogi Beef and Spicy Chicken Tacos

As with the tradition of the food trucks, they have freshly prepared tacos. Meat, Kimchi, Sauce, Cheese and Tortillas.

Review: The spicy chicken was something I was particularly interested, more-so than the beef, because from what I could tell, the beef is a sweet soy marinated beef that most asian foodies will experience so I wanted to see what the twist on the chicken would be. In actuality, the chicken wasn't too spicy at all. It just has a slight spicy bite that I suspect might have been from the kimchi instead. Although, the plus side to the taco is that they are so massive that you are almost guaranteed to have "taco run-off" where the filling falls in the tray the second you pick it up. All in all, not a bad buy because of the price and how big these tacos actually are. The Gogi Beef taco was what you might expect, a sweet and savory taco that is easy on the mouth. The beef is the thin sliced beef you would typically find in Shabu Shabu or hot pot and full of flavor as well. The cheese in the taco kind of takes the edge off the overpowering meats, so that definitely helps.

Price: 5/5
Wait Time: 3/5 (There was a bit of a wait for me because there was actually a decent sized line ahead of me.)
Presentation: 5/5
Taste: 4/5

Vizzi Truck

Their Menu

Braised Wagyu Beef Sliders (2) and Black Skillet Chicken Slider

Cookies

Braised Shredded Beef Sliders with Special Creme on a hawaiian roll, Grilled Chicken Thigh with Creme Sauce, Popcorn dusted with white truffle powder, salt, figs, and 2 Chef Inspired Cookies.

Judgment: The beef is SO TENDER! The sliders literally break apart and melt in your mouth. I'm sure they use a special slow-cooking process to make the beef so soft and the flavors are fused into the meat so robustly. The Hawaiian Sweet Roll is there mainly to give you a break in the midst of the rich flavor of the beef and creme sauce. What was surprising to me was that the Wagyu Beef Sliders were already really good, the Black Skillet Chicken was even better! The skin was crispy, and the chicken was very moist! I would have thought it would have been dry but I felt the chicken slider was better than the beef ones. I think that now when I go eat at Vizzi's on my free time, I'll probably just order 3 of the chicken sliders. The sliders were also pretty massive as you can see, the chicken was twice the size of the sweet rolls in the photo. The Popcorn was a good idea and alternative to french fries, and definitely a bit healthier than a box of fries as well. The white truffle essence is kind of hard to pick up on, but it is definitely there, with the Figs in to provide a hint of sweetness whenever you happen to eat one. The cookies were okay, just your typical run of the mill fresh baked cookies. I was hoping it was as amazing as the sliders but I guess it was a fine way to round out the meal.

Price: 4/5
Wait Time: 4/5 (Even though there is a wait time, I like how this truck had LCD TV's mounted on it to help pass the wait time)
Presentation: 5/5
Taste: 5/5

That's all for now! I think I'll be visiting the Irvine DinDin-A-GoGo tonight. I want to go bowling again!

Din Din A Go Go, Irvine, CA

It was a chilly night but I haven't been to a food truck in a while so I felt like it was time to pay them a visit. As usual, I followed Din Din A Go Go to figure out what I wanted to eat and where to get my food fix. If you didn't know, the whole "Din Din a Go Go" event is basically a weekly meet of food trucks at various locations. The Tuesdays Location is over at Los Alamitos, on Wednesdays, they're in Irvine.

For the first timers, the address is located at 3415 Michelson Drive, Irvine, CA.

As a random sampling, I picked out a couple trucks that I will review individually here:

Rolling Sushi

Their Menu

Baked Salmon Roll

This is your typical California Roll with Baked Salmon on top with Teriyaki Sauce

Judgment: The sushi was very typical of what you would expect to taste. The fish tasted fresh and delicious. The baked salmon was a change of pace from your typical cold sushi because the fish does get baked in a broiler and it is quite tasty when it is fresh out of the oven. The Masago (Smelt Egg) was a nice touch to change it up from the sweet teriyaki and mayo flavors of the salmon.

Price: 3/5
Wait Time: 2/5 (Depending on what you order, if you ordered baked items, it will take at least 8-10 minutes in the broiler alone.)
Presentation: 4/5
Taste: 5/5

Piaggio

The Menu

Pulled Pork Sliders, Chicken Empanada

Chimichurri Fries

Judgment: The menu had so many delicious looking things on it that I couldn't decide what I wanted! I went with the sliders based on the recommendation of the truck owner instead of tacos and it was a great decision. The pork is savory and so tender, they explained that they do a similar process of braising the pork similar to Carnitas. With the Chimichurri and pink sauce, the flavors come together nicely. They also provided me a Chicken Empanada to sample and I felt that it was okay. The empanada probably would've tasted better if it was piping hot, although the flavors to come together well with the basil, mozzarella, and seasonings. The Chimichurri fries are one of the best buys on this truck because you get a massive tray of them for $3 or you can add them to an entreé for just $2.

Price: 5/5
Wait Time: 3/5
Presentation: 4/5
Taste: 5/5

TacoDawg

Their Menu

Banana Nana Fo Fana

Judgment: I came by this truck and took a quick glance at the menu. They specialize in Hot Dogs obviously but I was here for dessert. Halfway through the evening, the lights went out on this truck, so they were pretty much working by flash lights, and I definitely commend them on that because it is tough to cook in the dark and still produce some delicious looking foods and desserts. The Banana dessert caught my eye because I always enjoy having the fried bananas/plantains at Brazilian Churrascaria. The combination of a fried tortilla, covered in cinnamon sugar mixture, grilled bananas and other toppings was a little much at first but after eating it, I saw how the dish works out. The grilled bananas have the sweetness accentuated since it carmalizes the natural sugars of the fruit. Similar to grilled pineapples. The tortilla itself was just basic run of the mill deep fried tortilla, but combined with the banana and some whipped topping, it tastes similar to a sweet crépe.

Price: 5/5
Wait Time: 4/5
Presentation: 4/5
Taste: 5/5

That's all for now! Visit the trucks websites here:

Rolling Sushi - http://www.rollingsushi.com

Piaggio - http://www.piaggioonwheels.com

Taco Dawg - http://www.tacodawg.com

Union, Las Vegas, NV

Water Show outside the Aria

This was from my birthday weekend that I spent in Las Vegas. Joe asked me where I wanted to eat, and after reading several menus and restaurant offerings, I decided to pick the Union Restaurant at the beautiful Aria Hotel that was constructed between the Bellagio and the Monte Carlo. It just so happened that same day, there was a huge industry convention going on in the same hotel and there were reps from Adobe there. They had a dinner party of 38 going into the restaurant before my group so the service was a little slow.

After talking it over, we discovered that if I wanted to do the Chef's tasting menu, EVERYBODY at the table has to take part in the tasting menu as well, so that's where we began.

First Course: Beef Carpaccio "Flat Bread"



Beef Carpaccio with Red Onions, Micro Basil, Boursin Cheese on flat bread

Judgment: The beef was exquisite and the micro basil definitely adds character and taste to the dish. The subtle hints of cheese expand the flavors even more and all in all, I kind of wished I had more of this to enjoy but it was just the beginning of the meal.

Second Course: Roasted Tomato Soup



Tomato Soup with Roasted Peppers, Bacon-Tomato Grilled Cheese

Judgment: I wish my photo came out better, I also probably should have taken the time to properly adjust my camera settings but aside from that, this soup was excellent. I'm not a big fan of tomato soups, but this was definitely one that I finished to the last drop. The Bacon Tomato Grilled Cheese has a savory flavor to it, mostly thanks to the bacon. The soup itself you can taste the roasted tomatoes, and the addition of balsamic vinegar brings out the richness of the flavors and adds to the acidity of everything.

Main Course: Stuffed Lobster Tails and Porterhouse Steak



Grilled Lobster tails sitting on a bed of stuffing, Grilled Porterhouse Steak with dipping sauces

Judgment: WOW, where to begin. It was interesting because one of my friends was allergic to shellfish, so he stuck to the steak in the back where it only had lobster one side to avoid contamination. The Lobster was poached to perfection and they included 2 types of butter for dipping. Regular and Vanilla/Coconut butter. The Vanilla definitely takes it as it adds another dimension of sweetness to the lobster meat. The steak was grilled to a beautiful Medium Rare and the filet mignon portion of the porterhouse was quite tender. They included a Bernaise sauce and teriyaki sauce, but I felt that wasn't needed, the steak alone was mouthwatering and delicious. The platter also included a Macaroni and Cheese, as well as a Potato Puree. The entree alone was enough to feed all of us have leftovers for us to take home.

Dessert Course: Dessert Platter



Chef's assortment of Desserts: Apple Pie with Pecan Ice Cream, Churros, Rum Raisin Ice Cream and Ice Cream Pop

Judgment: Surprisingly, after eating the massive amount of food before this plate, none of us really cared for the dessert. Although I will say that the churro was well dusted with cinnamon and sugar, the apple pie should've been served warm, but I guess with the prep time to prepare this platter for individually for everyone at your table, it would've gone cold anyways. The ice cream pop was basically a miniature klondike bar on a stick, I think I would've liked it more if it had been covered in almond pieces. The Rum Raisin Ice Cream was probably the most interesting. The flavor was not what you would expect in something like that, and first impressions were that it didn't taste good -- but after eating a bit, I started to enjoy it a little bit.

Conclusion: This restaurant can get packed with large corporate events. There were other parties going on in the restaurant as well. Also, a reminder, that sodas are not refillable. As it is a bar, they'll charge you for each one.

Judgment: This restaurant gets an S-Rank

Father's Office, Santa Monica, CA

So this is going to be one of my more embarrassing entries for the blog to date. One fine afternoon after work, Dianne, Jason, Melissa and I decided to go to Father's Office for a fine dinner. I had heard about this place from some of my other friends and that it was definitely worth a visit. The restaurant definitely gets packed and it's understandable because the food is top notch.

As for the embarrassing note, I will save that for later.

Sweet Potato Fries



Basket of Sweet Potato Frites "A La Cart" roasted garlic, cabrales, blue cheese aioli.

Judgment: We actually had 2 kinds of fries and I will address the regular potato fries as a separate judgment because the 2 fries were definitely very different. The Sweet Potato fries were fried to a delicious orange crispness which complimented well with the Blue Cheese Aioli.

French Fries



Basket of Frites "A La Cart" garlic parsley aioli

Judgment: Your typical basket of french fries with a nice garlic aioli dipping sauce to accompany it. The fries were crispy as they were shoe-string thin. Personally, I like my fries to have a more potato feel to them and less of the potato chip feeling. Although I did enjoy the Aioli.

The Office Burger



The Office Burger (Dry Aged Beef) caramelized onion, applewood bacon compote, gruyere, matag blue cheese and arugula.

Judgment: There's a reason the chefs tell you to leave if you ask for ketchup, and that's because the burger itself is prepared in a delicious fashion already. The caramelized onions add a hint of sweetness to the burger that I didn't expect and the assembly is just perfect. The oversized roll encompasses the burger well that instead of the oils and flavors dripping out like other massive burgers, there is some bread to soak it up rather than having it land in the basket.

Conclusion: There's a reason why this place became more famous for their burgers than their beers, although their beer collection is quite extensive. To be honest, I did have a beer that night, and I can't remember the name of it, so I'll have to leave it out of the review for now. I do wish to make another trip to Father's Office again and probably try one of their other entrees to see how they stack up to the burger.

This place gets an A-Rank

Epilogue: SO the embarrassing moment I experienced. We met up at Dianne's house to carpool out to Santa Monica, and prior to that, I had stopped at the ATM to get money. We hopped into Jason's car and were on our way. I was greeted by a doorman checking for ID and I realized I had left my wallet in my car, back in Orange County. Fail. The doorman was nice enough to let me in, after asking my friend a series of questions about me to verify my identity and age.

Temaki Truck, San Gabriel, CA

So it has been 1 month since the Temaki Truck officially opened and started roaming the streets of San Gabriel and the neighboring areas. I heard about this truck since opening day and a few of my friends are involved in starting the whole operation so I've been wondering when I would make it out to try this. As it turns out, it's their 1 month anniversary. I was lucky to receive a pink wristband that will grant me $1 discount on future visits to the truck so that's definitely a welcomed plus.



The Temaki Truck



The Pick-up window and Chef's Specials

I actually like that they write out the specials instead. At the Kogi Truck, I usually end up staring at the "Chef's Specials $3-7" and wondering what it actually is. Good job Temaki Truck!



The line for the 1-month anniversary was pretty packed. It seems like the truck is doing well and I definitely wish them success in the future.

The Temaki Roll



Assorted Fish Handroll

Judgment: The fish tastes fresh and the sauce they put in definitely has some kick to it. One of the few handrolls I actually like. The only problem I had was I let it sit in the box too long and the nori got a little soggy. I imagine it tasting even better than what I actually had so next time, I will order it and definitely chow it down right away. 8 / 10

California Tempura Roll



California Roll Tempura Style

Judgment: This is exactly what you would expect of it, a California Roll -- Deep fried. At least that's how I imagine they do it. The roll itself comes out warm and covered with the tempura dipping sauce so it gives it a slightly sweet and salty taste. I definitely recommend this roll if you want to try something new from the truck. 9 / 10

Conclusion: The Temaki Truck is no stranger to the mobile food business, especially competing with other trucks like The Flying Pig, Dim Sum Truck and even the Kogi Truck. As with all of these types of businesses, each truck needs their own gimmick or their own signature so that they can stand out among the rest. Temaki Truck does just that as this one being the first one I've seen to offer Handrolls and other Cut sushi rolls. I wanna wish them the best of luck in their business endeavors and a profitable future. I'll definitely be seeing you guys out there!

The Truck gets an A-Rank

The Sky Room, Long Beach, CA

So DineLA has made it's way around again, and this time, I'm trying to take advantage of it all. Mainly because I already missed OC Restaurant week last week and it was particularly short lived. Seriously, only 1 week for the deals in OC while LA gets 2 weeks. Ah well, that's just how the cookie crumbles I guess. So taking advantage of this time, I invited the adorable Koto-chan to dine out with me for The Sky Room. Her comment: "SOOO FANCYYYYY ZOMGGGG!"

The Bread



Sourdough and Pretzel Bread

Judgment: The bread was fairly fresh, had a good aroma to it despite not being warm. They provided some softened butter with the bread which obviously compliments each other well. The Pretzel was a little not what I expected because the crust had separated from the innards. 5 / 10

Prime Beef Carpaccio



Baked Brie, Brioche, Truffles, Saba Reduction

Judgment: The beef was fresh and tender. One of the best Carpaccio dishes I've had but it was a little on the salty side. The Saba reduction is a nice touch but I think this brought about too much salt into the dish. The brie was soft and warm and the brioche had a fine hint of garlic flavor as well. All in all, an enjoyable appetizer. 8 / 10

Prime Ribeye



Sugar Snap Peas, Truffle and Chive Infused Mashed Potatoes

Judgment: The dish was supposed to have Mashed Potatoes but clearly it doesn't. I spent a good part of the evening trying to figure out what that purple starch was. The Sugar Snap Peas was delicious and seasoned beautifully. The Steak was cooked to proper medium rare as I asked for and was delicious! Again, the purple starch was a mystery to me, but I figured it was Taro fries, but who knows what it actually was. Maybe I should have asked the waiter. 9 /1 0

Tiramisu



White Chocolate, Mixed Berry Sauce

Judgment: The Tiramisu was very delicate and delicious. The mixed berry sauce was a nice touch as I think the Tiramisu was very sweet and it provides a nice tart flavor to it. The cake was very light and spongy as how a traditional Tiramisu is supposed to be. The coffee flavor is definitely present and rich over all. 8 / 10

Conclusion: The restaurant is definitely a good place to go to if you want to enjoy a full service meal and enjoy the nice view of Long Beach ocean front. When night time falls, you see the oceanside shopping centers light up, including a Ferris Wheel near by. The restaurant is not too hard to find but parking might be. There is parking there for $7 or there's another lot down one of the streets for $5. The place is definitely worth going back to again.

This restaurant gets an A-Rank.

Bonus Material

The adorable Koto-chan :D

Muldoon's Pub in Newport Beach, CA

So it was my drinking buddy's birthday and my friends and I decided to take him out for dinner, what more suitable place than an Irish Pub. Except, we found it it was as authentic as a Panda Express is for Chinese Food.

Lusty Wheat Beer



Muldoon's own beer that they brew on site in Newport Beach.

Judgment: The beer had a light body taste and is fairly dry. The Lemon adds a slight accent to it similar to how people enjoy a wedge of orange with their Blue Moon. I would however still choose to drink a Blue Moon over this one. 6 / 10

Chips



Fresh Chips with Malt Vinegar

Judgment: The Chips definitely tasted fresh, and they provide you with a bottle of Malt Vinegar to season it. The chips themselves are cut paper thin and deep fried, although it doesn't taste like there is much seasoning on the chips, so if you like those lightly salted chips, this is for you. Otherwise, the vinegar definitely brings out the flavor of the potato chips very well and is also quite tasty. 8 /10

Cream of Potato



Cream of potato soup with lemongrass, rosemary, potatoes, and other ingredients

Judgment: Don't bother with this soup unless you want to drink something that doesn't taste like anything. There was no flavor despite having so many herbs and normal flavor enhancers in the soup. It was pretty bland and I ended up adding some salt and pepper so I could taste something and finish the soup. 3 / 10

Pot Roast



Braised Short Rib with Mashed Potatoes, Peas, Baby Carrots, Fingerling Potatoes in a Gravy made with Guinness Stout Beer

Judgment: All the vegetables had no seasoning at all. The meat was fork tender, I did not even bother using a knife at all. The gravy itself could have used more flavoring or just simply salt and it would have been great. The vegetables were really holding this dish back as a whole. The sprig of rosemary in the mashed potatoes did not even flavor the dish at all. Guess I was supposed to eat the entire sprig with every bite. 5 / 10

Conclusion: The pub itself gets really packed, and there are plenty of burgers and dishes to choose from. The restaurant actually won the 2009 Best Burger title for their burgers, but I chose to get a more "traditional" Irish fare. Next time, I think I'll stick with the burger.

This restaurant gets a C-rank.