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. 

Slapfish - Laguna Beach

211 Broadway

Laguna Beach, CA 92651

Hours 11:00AM to 8:00PM daily

I was in Laguna so I decided to stop by Slapfish since it was participating in OC Restaurant Week and the prices were pretty good. 

Lobster Grinder (3/5): Combination of lobster and shrimp inside a roll with a side of chips. The grinder was okay for me, I wish it had more flavor. The chips were good though. $10 

Overall I would give Slapfish a 3/5. I think the food here is for people who like to eat simple seafood. The food didn't have too much flavoring, but it looked nice and was filling. I'm glad I got to try a roll without paying the $22-30 market price for a loster roll or I would've been disappointed. 

BurntZilla - Irvine

14413 Culver Drive

Irvine, CA 92604

Hours 10:00AM to 10:00PM daily

After hearing a lot of good things, I was really excited to hear that Dogzilla and The Burnt Truck were coming together as BurntZilla. Went on a saturday night and the line wasn't too long, the employees were really friendly, and I loved the open layout of the store. 

I got the Golden Combo for $10 which came with a drink, choice of 2 dogs or zillas, and a side.  

Berry Tea (4/5): I loved the berry puree mixed in with the tea, it was a tasty and refreshing drink. 50 cents upgrade. 

Sloppy Joe Zilla (2/5): Meh this was just ok, I didn't really like it though reviews said it was good. 

Dogzilla (3/5): This was good, but the sausage was bordering on cold which made it unpleasant to eat. 

Carne Asada Tots (3/5): I upgraded to these since everyone was raving about it, but found it to be just average. $1 extra. 

Overall I would give BurntZilla a 2/5. The food wasn't as great as I thought it would be, and the fact that everything is served on a Kings Hawaiian bun makes me feel like I'm having too much sweet food for dinner. For $10, I would rather go somewhere else because my meal wasn't filling at all. If I didn't have a bogo combo coupon I would've left very disappointed. 

Gelato Paradiso - Laguna Beach

448 S. Coast Highway Ste A

Laguna Beach, CA 92651

Hours 11:00AM to 9:00PM 

Gelato Paradiso is one of my favorite dessert spots in Laguna. There's always a line here, but it moves pretty quickly and the smell of fresh waffle cones is heaven. I love that you can watch them make the waffles right in front of you, and trust me they are a must order. 

Panna Cotta (4/5): My favorite flavor, if you love cheese or tiramisu get this. Creamy and delicious. 

Cookies & Cream (3/5): This is your average cookies & cream flavor, nothing special. 

Tiramisu (3.5/5): Good, but if it had chunks of tiramisu cake in it, it'd be way better. 

Double Chocolate (3/5): Very rich chocolate flavor, not too sweet. 

I give Gelato Paradiso a 4/5 because their gelato is delicious and the employees are always friendly. Make sure you get the waffle cone too, $1 off when you check in on Yelp! Perfect snack for walking along the beach with. 

McCormick & Schmick's - Irvine

2000 Main Street

Irvine, CA 92614

Weekends 5:00PM to 10:00PM 

Came here for the first time since I had a giftcard and it was OC Restaurant Week. $40 came with a choice of an appetizer, entree, and dessert which is a pretty good deal for this place. 

Calamari (2/5): I've had much better elsewhere. 

Beef Carpaccio (3/5): Would've been really good it was served chilled instead of room temperature. 

Grilled Shrimp (4/5): Very tasty with a nice kick to it, polenta was bland though.

Coffee Crusted Filet (4/5): Cooked perfectly, vegetables were seasoned really well. 

Chocolate Molten Cake (4/5): Perfect dessert for the chocolate lover, very sweet. 

Churro Donut Holes (1/5): This is supposed to be the dessert they're known for, but it was very disappointing. Basically an empty puff with dipping sauces, not sure why it's called a donut hole. 

Overall I would give McCormick's a 3.5/5 because the entrees and chocolate cake were delicious. Service was friendly, but it took awhile to get each course.