Anjin - Costa Mesa

3033 Bristol Street Suite N

Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Hours: 5:00pm to 1:00am daily

Anjin is one of the top rated Japanese BBQ restaurants in Orange County. I used to come here a lot when I was younger and it was pretty good. But coming back recently after 5 years, I noticed that the quality of the meat isn't as good as it was before. I don't exactly remember everything I ordered, but it included:

Premium Kalbi, Regular Kalbi, Beef Tongue, and Intestine (3/5): It didn't taste much different from when I make it at home, which was pretty disappointing as Anjin is not cheap. 

Cold Noodles (3/5): This was just okay, the brother didn't have that much flavor. 

Beef Carpaccio (4/5): A lot of people order this, and it was pretty good. Just be sure to squeeze lemon all over it. 

Overall I would give Anjin a 3/5. It's just not that good anymore and quality of meat has clearly gone down while the price has gone up. I would recommend going to Tsuruhashi instead for the price, or even Gyu-kaku if you don't wanna spend too much. 

Bachi Burger - Los Angeles

2030 Sawtelle Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90025

Hours 11:00am to 10:00pm daily

I first encountered Bachi Burger in Vegas because it was one of the top rated burger spots there. Asian fusion food always makes me curious as it is pretty hard to get right. For $12-15 you get a decent sized burger, larger than Umami Burger for sure. 

Miyagi-san (2/5): I wasn't a fan of the sweetness in this burger. 

Spicy Miso (3/5): Better than the Miyagi-san, but I still found the burger to be on the sweet side. 

Oxtail Fries (4.5/5): These are pretty damn good, fries topped with chili, jalapenos, and an egg. 

Spicy Miso Ramen (3/5): Average ramen. 

Overall I would give this place a 2.5/5. I'm really not a fan of sweet burgers, and I wish they could create Asian fusion burgers that weren't so sweet. The oxtail fries are the best item here. Ramen is just alright. 

Bosscat Kitchen & Libations - Newport Beach

4647 Macarthur Blvd.

Newport Beach CA 92660

Hours 11:00am-11:00pm or later

After seeing so many good reviews about their Sunday brunch, I decided to come here for my birthday. The ambience is what I like about Bosscat. It's decorated nicely, but doesn't feel too pretentious and has an open layout. I had a party of 8, which requires picking four entrees served family style with all you can drink mimosas and bloody marys for $25 a person. We ordered:

Sticky Bun Burger (3.5/5): I thought this was really interesting, and it was good to me because I love cinnamon buns...and partially because I was on a good buzz. 

Short Rib Chilaquiles (4/5): Can't really go wrong with short rib. 

Crawfish & Bacon Ramen Scramble (1.5/5): If you're Asian like me, don't get this. Very basic instant ramen dish. 

Oreo Custard Stack (1/5): The biggest disappointment of all. It looked so good in pictures, but it was salty and got hard pretty fast. 

*I was really bummed out that they stopped making their Fruity Pebbles French Toast that everyone was raving about on Yelp. I guess they change some of their menu every month, but I feel like popular items should be permanent.

Overall I would give Bosscat a 3.5/5 mostly for the ambience. Food was just okay, and served in VERY small portions. I had to split the burger four ways since they only gave us two for 8 people. $30 including tip for Sunday brunch is a little too much considering how little food you get. If it's your birthday they set up a nice sign for your table and give you a free breakfast shot, which includes maple bourbon with oj and a piece of bacon.