Asian Drinks. No Long Lines.

Guess this review is a long time coming. Found this gem with a great friend of mine randomly since I love gambling on new places. Whenever my fiance is around, I'd have to say we drop by this place on a weekly basis. I'm sure those of you who frequent Asian eateries enjoy boba ... more specifically honey boba. When we speak on honey boba usually the first thing that comes to mind is Half & Half. What goes hand in hand with Half & Half? A wait long enough for your shit to take a shit on itself. I value my time as a living human being. I cannot stand waiting for a boba drink for 30-60 minutes. Hell, I cannot comprehend why any person would. Back to the Cat-Inspired Cafe I was talking about.

This place has pretty good drinks but I like things less sweet and usually ask for less sugar. Anyway, Half & Half has their iced milk with boba and pudding. Yes, Half & Half does have pretty good boba but not always and depends on the location. But their pudding is crap. Tastes like it came out of one of those cheap packages you can get at a market. Meow Meow Cafe does their pudding some damn justice. LOVE the pudding. It's almost like flan.

They have this brown sauce that they add to it too. It's nice. With Half & Half it just starts tasting like milk when you eat up all the goodies in the drink. With this drink it's still flavored milk. Like I said I like half sugar but my buddy loves the normal amount. But he is not afraid of sugar. My fiance and I just went there yesterday to be honest. They have another drink, I believe it's #3 on the menu, Frosty Wintermelon with boba and pudding. Same idea as this except some blended milk with wintermelon tea. Wintermelon is very sweet by itself and the milk tone down the sweetness and make it smoother. Great drink also. If you don't want to waste time at Half & Half, definitely come here.

Meow Meow Cafe
3646 Nogales Street, Suite A
West Covina, CA 91792
626-965-9789

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Nearby. Set Dinner.

I have no idea when or how my fiance and I got into eating better but we did. I am definitely glad too. She still enjoys the occasional In & Out, McDonald fries, that whole thing. Not too often which is good. I do not care for it. I enjoy my arteries free of fast food. Hahaha, but sometimes I eat it. Once or twice a year I actually say alright I'll eat it. Since I am a strange freak I usually encourage my fiance (and usually friends) to try something new. Just so happens there is a place a quick drive away that has a very good three set course menu. Of course appetizer, entree, and dessert. Pretty decent price $25-30 per person, depends on the day of week.  So without adding more mumbo jumbo crap that comes out of my mouth (and in turn my fingers) here we go:

Nicely toasted bread. I do not mind the size of it, I have a big mouth to accommodate this. Plus, not filthy puns for this one, thanks. The outside is not too hard, and the core is very very soft. With the salted butter, it's a nice filler. They toast it with a bit of butter too.

Unknown Salad. I can't remember what this was. Spinach, bacon, feta. The Caesar was definitely the one that stood out.

Caesar Salad with Anchovies. This was very good. Although the anchovies did sound strange, the chef did not over saturate the salad with dressing. The dressing itself was a little tangy. Pretty good. Tart from a bit of citrus with the savory from the anchovy. Approved. Haha.

Nice shoestring fries. Tasty, but since the potatoes were cut so thin a lot of pieces were hard from being in the fryer for too long. I like my fries with a little tenderness in the middle.

Bone marrow. Not enough marrow. Ever! EVER!

Short Rib Ravioli. This dish was good, but I would say it was not great. The short rib did not stand out in the ravioli. It's weird, I would have to say it was as if the chef has some left over braised short ribs then thought, "Dude I'm going to totally use the leftover meat in some ravioli and just use the same sauce!" That's how I see it anyway ... sauce was good, starchy, seems like a bit of wine was added.

Gnocchi. Usually, we don't order it. But since I went with my fiance, best friend and his wife, we were able to order a little of everything to see what the chef excels best at. I'm not a good judge of gnocchi so for me it just tastes like Chinese rice balls and it would be in dessert. I personally have to pass on gnocchi.

Camping Trip. Camper who? Yeah you heard the dish: Camping Trip. And your mind will trip out all right. You think ... well what the crap did I just order? I thought I received salad already. But wait! There's a sizzling stone with your awesomely cooking salmon underneath all the greens. That's correct ladies & gents, the salmon is still getting cooked (a little) when it is brought out. Don't touch the river stone. The host or waiter will repeat this. The salmon is seasoned well, the balsamic reduction adds a bit of tang then you get the coolness from the greens. Great great dish. Get it.

Chicken & Waffles. This was my first taste of the infamous Chicken and Waffles combination. I have no clue how other places make it but usually I see the gravy/cream crap all over. This ain't a porno. But with this entree, there was some mental moaning. It was good. The waffle was not saturated with maple syrup, the chicken was tender and juicy, there was enough of the secret white sauce for the dish. I enjoyed it. Just depends if you're in the mood for an seemingly breakfast like dinner.

Yum. Peppermint with chocolate. Always a good combo. I forgot what it was exactly but their menu changes depending on what is in season.

Cheesecake. Why not? Was not horrible dense. Pretty good berry sauce. But it's just cheesecake.

Shortbread with ice cream and forgot the reduction on it. I remember it being a lemon shortbread of some sort. Since my tongue is a slut for contrasting flavors, it definitely approved.

Little chocolate cake with ice cream. Basic, light and fluffy. Not dense, not overly chocolaty where you want to pour a glass of milk down your throat.

I guess after all the good appetizers and entrees the desserts seemed ... anti-climatic? They were not bad because my taste buds were definitely satisfied. Usually I need a bit of sweet to end my meals. There was enough sugar to wash away whatever was on my palate. But ... to be honest none of the desserts were whispering in my ear: "Yeah baby, next time you order me." This is a place you do want to try if you live in the area. I would call it a hidden gem. Portions are right, price is fair, service is good.

Owen's Bistro
5210 D Street
Chino, CA 91710
909-638-0452
www.owensbistro.com

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More. Ramen.

I assume there's more ramen places popping up near the Rowland Heights area and San Gabriel Valley which is good because I do not always want to dedicate the time and drive to Little Tokyo or wherever else. What can be said about Daikokuya ...? Big name, probably around these parts.

My girlfriend being silly. She's wonderful.

Little, basic, side salad/slaw thing. I think of it as slaw. The greens in there are mostly cabbage too so it's quite textured. The dressing is the usually Thousand Island variant. Better Half did enjoy it at the time. She tends to at least take a couple bites from it but I just leave it.

Fatty slices of pork. Delicious. Juicy and tender.

Katsu-Don pretty much. The shoyu/mirin mixture had a bit too much mirin. Was a little bit sweet for my liking but the actual pork was not over fried. Small portion so it's better, more room for ramen (if you have a big appetite) but better for sharing. My better half and I aren't gluttons so a combo with side fried rice or small rice bowl of some sort will leave us content. These bowls are good portion sizes for one person (or mild sharing in this case).

The ramen. Oy, what can I honestly say about this? Not too shabby. I hate, hate, hate the overpower and overuse of the green onions. Doesn't make sense to me because the broth soaks up the flavor. You don't get a good taste of the pork. Meh, that's why I just get the green onions on the side. Daikokuya has this other option for extra fatty broth. I forgot the name but that thing is heavy. *Edit: My Better Half just informed me that the fatty broth is kotteri.* If you love your pork essence, that is the one to get. Daikokuya, this location, is a-okay. I have heard the original Little Tokyo location is hands down, way better but I'll have to go there sometime to give it a judge. I like this place. I really really enjoy their rice dishes so yeah I would go back for either ramen or other things they have to offer. Swing by for your fix.

Daikokuya
15827 Gale Ave.
Hacienda Heights, CA 91745
626-968-0810
http://www.daikoku-ten.com

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Ramen. Comfort.

Oh ramen, how I enjoy thee. Good ramen is hard to find. Package ramen ... well I will not talk about that because I believe there is someone who just reviews packaged ramen all the time. It's not bad but it is nothing compared to the authentic Japanese brew. Mmmm, tonkatsu ramen. My fatty favorite. There's some pretty good places but the most consistent amongst the other locations (in my opinion) is Shinsengumi. So busy and so good.

Never thought to get this at a ramen place because ... I do not know the reason but I guess I was just afraid it wouldn't be good. Takoyaki, what can I say about this octopus wheat ball? First off, the octopus is small and lacking. I can't blame them, hell I do not know the right wheat to octopus ratio but the piece of octopus in this was very small. Flavor was eh. Personally I would pass. The only good thing I would say about this is that the wheat ball is not dry. The technique put into this was good, they did not allow one side to get more fried than the other and made sure not to overcook the sucker.

I love trying new things of course and this tangy lemon thing seemed interesting enough to grab my attention. Again, technique good, moist chicken, flavor was a bit more on the citrus side. I did not enjoy pairing it with my ramen. Pass on this too please.

Crack spicy miso paste. YUM. I love putting this into my bowl of ramen. Shinsengumi you need to add all the sides for extra. There are a couple toppings that you get by default: egg, bean sprouts, green onion, pickled ginger, chasu. My Better Half enjoys getting seaweed and bamboo. If I did not know any better she's a reincarnation of a panda living in Japan. She enjoys her bamboo and sushi quite a bit.

Mmmmm. Tonkatsu Ramen. The cool thing about Shinsengumi is the ability to choose the firmness of your noodles, density/flavor of the broth, and level of oil (pretty much pork fat). Heavy broth is really salty. Light is okay. I prefer normal. So my usual order: tonkatsu ramen - firm noodles, normal broth, heavy oil with spicy miso. I tend to add about half of the miso paste and it adds quite a flavorful kick. The paste is usually good for a couple people unless you really love spicy. So back to the ramen, very good. Always cooked to order and they get it spot on all the time. I eat fairly similar t a hyena, extremely fast and cautious as if I feared a lion was creeping up on me. However, my friends tend to eat at a normal pace. There is nothing wrong with this but I did notice near the half end of my Better Half's bowl, the noodles seem to get a little bit on the soggy side. I would suggest getting firm noodles if you like a little chew to your carbs and even if you eat a bit slower because at about half time your noodles are going to transform into normal firmness. This place is good. I love straight ramen noodles. I love the fattiness pork essence from the broth. I love how the chasu falls apart when I pick it up with my chopsticks. The wait is a bit long but if you are in no hurry, come to this place, let the Japanese yell at your when you come in and exit the building so you can enjoy this piece of their culture. Although I do not have any pictures, try their desserts. They tend to be good. If not try anyways because I love balancing salty with sweet after a meal. Last thing, more traditional Japanese ramen places (like this one) do not allow to go orders.

Hakata Ramen Shin-sen-gumi
8450 E. Valley Blvd., Ste 103
Rosemead, CA 91770
626-572-8646
http://www.shinsengumigroup.com

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Back In. Something Sweet.

I have been lazy to the farthest extent possible. Well, actually I've been keeping busy but lazy in terms of not updating this freaking blog. All the blame goes to the photographer, I mean camera. Haha, I think my issue is having a plethora of pictures and just lacking the desire to actually log in to post. Is it the typing? Nah. Is it the pictures? Most definitely not. Whatever it is shame on me. Please remember a lot of my reviews will be quite belated considering the fact I've been to so many restaurants over the past year or so. I got into cupcakes awhile back. Not sure how or why but they're fun to eat so I'm quite critical and particular about my cupcakes.

My Delight CupCakery. Oh my yes it is a delight in my mouth and tummy. However, for MY taste, the frosting is still a bit sweet. I have friends who love Sprinkles. I think those cupcakes are utter crap. I can taste the diabetes from Sprinkles' frosting.

Got three small cupcakes to try. If there's small ones I'll usually get a couple of these as samplers then choose the ones I like after.

Clockwise: Maple Bacon. Carrot Cake. Vanilla.

They're actually quite famous for their Maple Bacon. I'd have to agree, it's pretty dang good. I was a bit confused when I heard about it but figured I'm up to try new things so I got one and loved it. The carrot cake was good but I dislike walnuts so I trashed all those nuts on the side. Yeah, sorry but I trashed those nuts good. The third cupcake didn't stand out. Was fine but I would not pass up the other offerings this bakery brings out of the oven.

Two Red Velvets to go. One for my Sweet Half. Other for my lame ass.  Was good. I tossed the Dove chocolate or whatever that thing is on top. I do not need the extra sugar. I want cake and a little bit of frosting. With all of the cupcakes from this place I still threw away about 2/3rds of the frosting from each cake. As mentioned, my actions do not indicate in any form that these cupcakes are no good, I'm just a weirdo and like x portion of cake to x portion of frosting.

I like this place a lot. I have been back a few times. They've actually grown a lot too, they have a Food Truck or two. I'm sure you could check out their website and chance down those trucks like a dog if you choose so. Try them out if you're craving some baked sweets.

My Delight CupCakery
1520 Mountain Ave., Suite B-108
Ontario, CA 91762
909-988-4151

http://mydelightcupcakery.com

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Snow. Shaved. Where the Throne Stands.

Pa Pa Walk oh man this review is long overdue. This is a Taiwanese Cafe with the best shaved snow (that I'd tried). My friends, better half and I cannot get enough of this place. Their food is decent, has a very home-like feel. Nothing super salty. Their popcorn chicken is delicious. Anyway, this entry is about the dang snowy (because that's what Pa Pa Walk calls it). Soft snowy goodness it is. I have tried all the flavors on the menu and the only one I don't really care too much for is Milk Tea ... only because you can drink it. Yes, the snowy tastes almost exactly like the black milk tea beverage.

Look at the texture, not sheets of snow like Class 302 or La Kaffa. Much finer, softer, delicious. This is a large Mango Snowy (milk flavored snow) with condensed milk mangoes, almond jello/tofu, and rice balls. Most of the time when we come here we order two types but when we're full we'll just order one.

Small Mango Snowy. Cute little cup. Delicious, as always. The mangoes are so fresh every time we order. I bet they captured a Mango Picking Fairy or something because these mangoes are good and plentiful. None of that canned sour mango tiny bits bull crap. Real deal is here.

Green Tea Snowy with condensed milk, boba, rice balls, green tea ice cream and sugar cone. I'm not sure why there is a sugar cone but there is. I don't recall if they serve it with this anymore because the first picture with the square plate is what I think they use now. Before they had this mostly looking leaf plate with the sugar cone. I don't know but it's so good. Enough talking (and reading for you), just go to Pa Pa Walk and devour this soft cold goodness.

Pa Pa Walk
227 W. Valley Blvd., Suite 148-B
San Gabriel, CA 91776
626-281-3889

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Snow. Shaved. Journey Still Continues.

The infamous Class 302. This place is way over-hyped. Is it good? The food sucks. The shaved snow is pretty good. They don't skimp out on the toppings of the snow itself. If you don't live in the San Gabriel area I would say come to Class, otherwise Pa Pa Walk will hold the throne for snow.

I personally think Class only has good milk snow. Their mango snow is disgustingly sweet. The green tea is okay but has a strong green tea powdery taste. Not sure if you know what I'm talking about but if you can just imagine crappy green tea ice cream, the type that leaves your tongue with the strange bitter grainy tea taste. This milk snow is huge. If I'm not in the mood for mangoes I just get an all strawberry one. It's good.

The bad thing about this place is the wait and environment. Long ridiculous waits, especially in the summer. Environment: I suppose you can call it cute since they're following the whole classroom theme. The downfall of following this to the dot is how uncomfortable it is. Did you hate your stiff plastic crap chair in school? Well they're bringing back the old school wooden desks and chairs. If you have no ass and find it difficult filling the rear of your pants I'm pretty sure you won't mind but if you got some meat in your trunk you will find this place irritatingly painful. The other issue: the small (for some). Do you hate stinky tofu? Then if you sit indoors you will throw up and throw up again. Those stenches are incubating in that establishment. Besides that go there and try the snow!

Class 302
1015 S. Nogales St.
Rowland Heights, CA 91748
626-965-5809

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