Poki Monster - Tustin

13771 Newport Avenue

Tustin, CA 92780

Hours: 11:00am to 9:00pm daily

Poki Monster recently opened near my house, so naturally I had to go check it out. Their store is small, but cute and the employees are always friendly. The first time I went the rice was under cooked, which made me hesitant to go back, but all the other times were great. It's a little different here than most poke shops because they don't mix all the ingredients before putting it on top of the rice. They simply put the requested ingredients on top, and then finish with the sauce of your choice.

I recommend getting half rice half chips for the base, and then some salmon and albacore with your choice of toppings. I tried the spicy tuna and spicy salmon, but they weren't very good. For the sauce I like their original sauce with Volcano #1. I also get their Spicy Mayo sauce on the side, as it perfectly compliments the chips.

Overall I would give Poki Monster a 4/5. The fish is usually pretty fresh, and I like their simple flavors. A regular bowl will cost you about $8, which isn't bad at all. Definitely stop by Afters Ice Cream across the street for dessert!

CaliPoke - Costa Mesa

2930 Bristol Street

Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Hours: 11:30am to 9:00pm daily

CaliPoke is a new poke shop that just opened up in the LAB by South Coast Plaza. The ambiance is nice and they have plenty of seating. If you check-in on Yelp, you get a complimentary soda! And for a Yelp review your next bowl is 50% off, which is a great deal.

I went with my usual order of a regular bowl with salmon, yellow tail, toppings, and their spicy original sauce. What's different here compared to other poke shops is that they have garlic chips, which I haven't seen before. They put everything in a bowl and mix it up to place on top of the rice. I really like the yellow tail option here, it was fresh. However, the salmon had a stink and left a bad aftertaste, an indication of unfresh fish. This was about $8.

Overall I would give CaliPoke a 3/5. The flavor was good and they have a wider selection of fish to choose from. The employees were also very friendly and I liked that there was a lot of room to sit. I just wish that their fish quality was a little better and I would definitely come back more often.

Bear Flag Fish Co. - Newport Beach

7972 Pacific Coast Highway

Newport Beach, CA 92657

Hours: 11:00am to 8:00pm daily

I've been on a poke craze lately and am set out to find the best poke in OC. I heard that everyone loves Bear Flag's poke so I definitely wanted to go try it out. I ordered the $12.95 seafood plate which comes with your choice of fish and 2 sides. 

Ahi poke (4/5): I enjoyed the flavor and freshness off the ahi. 

Salmon poke (2/5): I usually love salmon, but it had a weird taste and made my stomach hurt. 

Rice (1/5): Overcooked and mushy. 

Vegetables (2/5): I like that they offer veggies as a side, but it was pretty bland. Healthy choice though. 

Overall I would give Bear Flag a 3/5. It's a little more expensive than other poke places, but the ahi was very fresh and flavorful. They do need to improve on the sides though and it would be nice if toppings were available. 

Panini Cafe - Irvine

3041 Michelson Drive

Irvine, CA 92612

Hours: 7:00am to 9:30pm daily

Panini Cafe is one of my favorite spots to grab lunch or dinner since it is delicious, affordable, and fills you up. 

Chicken Kabob (5/5): For just $10.95, you get a kabob full of juicy chicken, tomatoes, and onions next to a bed of basmati rice and a salad of your choice. My favorite is the Mediterranean salad as I love their balsamic dressing.

Filet Mignon Kabob (4/5): The filet is delicious, but at $19.95 it's definitely a little overpriced. 

Tiramisu (4/5): I'm picky when it comes to tiramisu, and the one here is pretty good.

Overall this place gets a 4.5/5 for me. Quality food for a very affordable price. The only thing I don't like is that they change the types of salad leaf constantly. 

Guppy House - Irvine

2730 Alton Parkway, Suite 101

Irvine, CA 92606

Hours: 11:00am to 1:00am daily

Guppy House is located in the Diamond Jamboree shopping center, and is my to-go spot for shaved ice and brick toast. Their food is pretty good too and I love that they're open late at night.

Pineapple Fried Rice (4/5): One of my favorite dishes here, must try. Served in a giant pineapple and has a lot of flavor.

Popcorn Chicken (3/5): This was just okay for me, wouldn't recommend ordering.

Beef Noodle Soup (3/5): Pretty tasty noodle soup to warm you up on a cold night.

Shaved Ice (4/5): The shaved ice is really good, since a regular serving is so huge I would recommend order their to-go size and sharing, plenty enough for 2-3 people.

Brick Toast (4/5): Butter coconut spread, that's all you need to know. Highly suggest adding green tea ice cream. 

Overall Guppy House gets a 3.5/5, the entrees are good for the most part, and the desserts are delicious! I do think it is slightly overpriced though. 

Andrea - Newport Coast

22701 S. Pelican Hill Road

Newport Coast, CA 92657

Hours: 12:00pm to 11:00pm daily

I'm usually not a fan of overpriced "fancy schmancy" restaurants, but I recently got the chance to dine at Andrea for a friend's birthday dinner. Located in Newport's luxurious resort Pelican Hill, Andrea has a quiet, old school atmosphere. It lacks the modern look of typical high end restaurants, giving it a more casual feel. 

Bread Basket (3/5): I normally don't write about the bread baskets, but I loved the rosemary bread included in theirs. However, the bread was served cold which was off-putting.

Grilled Octopus (3/5): This was good, but a little burnt and lost the chewiness octopus should have.

Braised Short Rib Caramelle (3/5): Tasty, tender pieces of wagyu beef wrapped in a ravioli type pasta. Yummy, but nothing special.

Risotto (2.5/5): It was entertaining watching them bring out a big hunk of cheese and make the dish in front of the table, but was way too heavy.

Braised Veal Cheek (3.5/5): Decided to go with this as it seemed like one of the most popular items on the menu. Delicious for the first couple of bites, but quickly became overwhelming due to the fattiness of the meat. I also did not like having the mashed potatoes served under the meat as they got stuck to every bite of meat. 

Overall I would give Andrea a 2.5/5. It was just what I expected, your typical overpriced, small-portioned fancy restaurant. The waiter was a little pushy on recommending multiple dishes per person, which I didn't think was appropriate since I was more than full off of my dish. The decor felt outdated compared to their other restaurant, the Coliseum, which is beautiful and has more affordable entrees. Nothing really stood out to me here, and I wouldn't come back unless someone else was paying for it.