ROC: East Borough - Refined Vietnamese Classics

Recently, my mother came over for a visit and I wanted to take her out to a nice brunch place in Costa Mesa as that's where the great brunch spots are in my opinion. Finally finding a parking spot in The Camp shopping plaza where it's generally difficult to even park your motorcycle, not only did we walk over to the Old Vine Cafe, but it was packed with what I had assumed meant an hour wait time for us. So, we took a walk around the place to see if there was any other great, interesting places to eat. What stood out out was East Borough with it's open air space and its imaginative use of the elements of nature as its decor such as plants that blend well with the restaurant's surroundings and a serene waterfall that provides a relaxing atmosphere to the diners.

East Borough serves refined versions of Vietnamese classics such as banh mis, spring rolls and rice dishes. They use quality ingredients for the food that they bring out. Some say that they're more authentic, diverse options in cities like Westminster or Garden Grove and yes I would agree that. However, they also say, especially on some of the Yelp reviews, that the food at East Borough is gentrified (even more so when one ties the name of the place to Brooklyn and Queens) to meet the tastes of "hipsters" making it automatically unauthentic. Well for starters, I wouldn't recommend hating on hipsters as not only is it passé, but people should realize, including myself a couple years back, that they are the refreshing, polar opposite replacement of the xenophobic, homophobic, anti-nerd/tech generation from the previous decade. Be that as it may, I would actually disagree with their food not being authentic as what I have seen and tasted before me were those same flavors their food pays homage to. Not only that, those flavors were also heightened with the help of the high quality ingredients they use which is the only thing I find that differs from some of the shops that originally serve this kind of food; no wacky ingredients.

What I ordered was their Bo Kho Beef Stew Baguette. With the refreshing traditional garnishes for the Banh Mi and the savoriness of the beef stew along with chunks of potatoes and carrots, this delicious sandwich definitely stacks up against some of the other, more traditional establishments. Like with any sandwich, the bread has to be good without any exemptions. The baguette itself was nice, moist and flavorful especially with its chewy, not crunchy crust. Along with getting it as a 12" size, it came with an au jus-like dip which seemed accented with citrus that complemented well with the sandwich as both the sandwich and dip are both in character, savory and acidic.

My mom ordered their Grilled Pork Rice Dish. With all-natural pork (I assume no additives and antibiotic-free), picked radishes (daikon) and carrots, and their large-leaf watercress; it was really delicious especially with once again, better ingredients. It came with a fried eggroll and a citrus vinaigrette on the side. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get a snap shot of the dish.

With food made from the high quality ingredients, East Borough is a must try for those that love Vietnamese food or for those that want to try it for the first time as it's an amazing cuisine that mixes light and refreshing flavors with savoriness. Along with using environmentally, biodegradable containers, they also deserve kudos for having curbside pickup available if you call them in advance as listed on their website, especially if you don't want to drive all the way out to Westminster/Garden Grove for some banh mi. In addition to providing a calm, natural atmosphere for the diners, they have wonderful, charming servers which adds more pleasantry to East Borough.

ROC: Houston's (2nd Review) - Fine American Simplicity

After many times of wanting to eat foods that diverge from the stereotypical American palate consisting of "meat and potatoes"; as snooty at that sounds, it made me want to go back to my roots in order to understand why people love wholesome, American cuisine. I used to think American food was quite boring, unimaginative, only frequented by those who really didn't give a rat's ass about how food can ignite passion; basically for people who didn't want to be offended by having something unusual and different in their mouths. No doubt, I love the eloquent, complex nature of French gastronomic masterpieces from wonder chefs like Joel Robuchon and Pierre Gagnaire which made me crave anything but simple. But then again, I love original, authentic preparations of Japanese sushi which doesn't require any modern complicated techniques such as sous-vide since sushi only requires the highest quality of ingredients and the refinement of the sushi chef's preparation. Its simplicity actually ignites complex sensory reactions. This very unique aspect of sushi sparked my interest in going to establishments that serve traditional American fare such as Houston's.

As I've said in my previous post of Houston's, they have a small, simple menu. However, they do it extremely well as they're able to make sure that they get ingredients of fine quality and serve it to you at an affordable price. Even though it's initially intimidating as you walk in through the door with their smart, classy decor; dim lighting and being surrounded by the extremely well-off patrons that frequent there; the hostess, servers and even the customer base are actually quite friendly and approachable. Because of how delicious the food is at Houston's, people want to go there in order to have an unpretentious, non-frivolous meal.

Where do I start? The dish that makes me keep coming back to Houston's is their Roasted Prime Rib.
This aged beauty is served on the bone, seasoned with the right amount of salt and pepper and accompanied by au jus and horseradish sauces. Served rare and as bloody as it is, it brings carnivorous excitement and pleasure once you chew into a savory piece before complementing it with the two sauces. Even if you're one of those people that believe a drop of sauce completely drowns out the flavors of the meat, the prime rib is still very delicious as the quality of the aged meat along with it being rightly seasoned gives it its impact. With the heaviness of the prime rib, along with having it during lunch as Houston's unfortunately does not offer its delicious Colcannon Mashed Potatoes at that time of the day, I went with their Tabbouleh with corn that serves as a refreshing counterbalance. Regardless of it being quite lighter with its herbs and lemon juice, the salad itself makes a bold stand next to the prime rib.

If you want beef other than the prime rib, Houston's offer steaks such as their Center-Cut Fillet of Beef Tenderloin. Simply grilled, seasoned, and topped off with what I assume was olive oil; this will appease the appetite of any steak lover. I had them cook it black and blue as I was in the mood for a steak in that masculine, under appreciated manner of meat preparation. Some might wonder if they'll get sick eating beef raw like that. However, I can assure you that I was totally fine afterwards as I can imagine that quality establishments like Houston's and high-end steakhouses buy high quality meats and store them in very proper refrigeration. Accompanying the fillet was their Maple-Glazed Carrots which also contained peas as well. They had the right amount of sweetness without it being overpowering as it complemented well with the vegetables. In addition, I enjoyed the dish with a nice glass of extremely peaty, smoky Laphroiag 10 yr Single-Malt Scotch which its peaty flavor is a unique character for such single malts from Islay. The peat and smoke of the Scotch went hand in hand with both the tenderloin and the carrots.

If you're not in the mood for red meat, Houston's also offers amazing fish as well such as their Loup de Mer (European Seabass). It had been under my radar for quite some time but I finally got around to ordering it and am glad for doing so. This delicate fish is grilled over hardwood and served with a generous heap of Marcona almonds and herbs such as parsley. The Loup de Mare was delicious as it was prepared with the right amount of seasonings and lemon juice while bringing out the flavors of the fish. In addition, the large amount of almonds and herbs complemented the fish well without their flavors overpowering it. As it was during dinner time, I had immediately ordered the dish with their Colcannon Mashed Potatoes (mashed potatoes mixed with cabbage). Topped with once again had assumed was olive oil and chopped parsley, this is a must order side that will complement well with almost any dish served at Houston's. However, midway through eating the fish while I was massively enjoying it along with my senses being dulled by the Lapthroaig 10 yr and a Manhattan made with Knob Creek Bourbon (I had mentioned in my previous Houston's post that their Manhattans are amazing), I had started to notice that there was too much char on the skin side of the fish which overpowered the flavors. With the fish being delicious and as it was engraved onto my psyche at a young age to clean my plate, I still finished the dish even though the server had told me that he was more than willing to get me another one if I hadn't done so. Be that as it may, I understand that it was one of those unfortunate, rare mishaps that I just had to push off so that it wouldn't ruin my future expectations of and visits to the restaurant.

If I could dine at Houston's weekly, I definitely would so without hesitation. Albeit being a chain, don't let that discourage you from trying out this fine American establishment as Houston's is one of the exceptions against the mediocrity of most chains in America. In addition to Houston's chain status, I want to tell you also not to put down their simple menu options like I had done in the past before dining here for the first time. Like I had mentioned previously, it's because of their limited menu options that Houston's can focus on serving you some of the finest dishes without sacrificing quality. Restaurants with too much on their menus will have much more upkeep and would not be as well capable of serving you a great dish versus restaurants with more simpler menus.

ROC: Mochi Cream - Traditional Japanese Confectionery Reinvented (Extensive Dessert Guide)

For this ROC blogpost, I've made an extensive guide covering each flavor of mochi at Mochi Cream in the Japanese market, Mitsuwa in Costa Mesa, CA. Inside, it's right next to Kobe Fugetsudo, a dessert shop that specializes in high-end, traditional Japanese desserts. It opened last year and every time I checkout after doing shopping at Mitsuwa, I've always been intrigued at the kiosk as their models of mochi pictured above are brightly colored.

They cost from $1.80-2.30 each depending on the flavor. Although some might say that they're expensive, the reason why for the price is that they're made and shipped from Japan. They arrive to their stores in the US frozen. After when a person buys a mochi, the cashier will tell you to wait 15-20 minutes for them to defrost. In addition to having locations all over Japan, they've opened up shops/kiosks in Europe, South Korea, Hong Kong, Phillipines and now here in the US (located inside the larger Mitsuwas).

Even though I'm usually not a fan of dessert, I've decided to make a guide for Mochi Cream's mochis as I thought it would be an interesting divergence from the rest of the restaurant reviews I usually do. I bought one of each flavor that was available. Although there are twenty-four (24) flavors, as shown in the pic before the one right above, the kiosk did not have the Chocolate Banana mochi available which is the only flavor not covered in this guide.

The following will be reviews for each flavor of mochi. I'll put a "*" next to the name of the flavor for the one's I recommend.

 

Green Tea * - Definitely of traditional Japanese flavors. The sweetness of the fluffy cream counters the bitter tannins of the green tea macha.

Caramel Pudding * - It's great that the caramel flavor isn't overwhelming as expected of Japanese/Asian desserts. The pudding is very custard like. If you aren't a big fan of whipped cream, this is the mochi for you.

Red Sweet Potato * - Mildly earthy and sweet.

Orange Cheese * - Granted the name of the flavor sounds odd to some but we can all be thankful that with the name, they don't mean processed American Cheddar. By cheese, they're referring to the cream cheese component in cheesecake. I assume that they've omitted calling it an orange cheesecake as there's no cake/crust component in the mochi as with some of the other mochis such as Apple Pie and Raspberry Mille-Feuille. This mochi comes highly recommended, especially for those that want more vibrant flavors from their desserts as the orange flavor is bright and refreshing. With the whipped cream, one of the others I've tried it with says it tastes like an Orange Julius. There are also bits of orange rind inside as well.

Black Soybean Flour (Kinako) * - Like the green tea, this flavor is also uniquely Japanese. The black soybean flour powdered on top definitely makes it standout compared to the other ones. It's sweet and earthy at the same time.

 

Green Soybean - There are bits of soybeans within. Although not noticeable at first, there is a strong soybean flavor afterfinish.

White Chocolate - The first thing we've noticed was how much delicately softer this mochi felt compared to the other ones. There are small chunks of white chocolate inside. The whipped cream complements well with the white chocolate.

Black Sesame * - Strong black sesame flavor typically found in Chinese desserts, texturally nutty with the right amount of sweet. It was one of our personal favorites.

Peach Yogurt * - Strong peach aroma. It has that unique white peach flavor that's found in Japanese candies and soft drinks such as Calpico White Peach. I have to say that this one was my absolute favorite out of all of them.

Sakura * - This was the first mochi from the shop I've ever tried a month back.  The sakura, or cherry blossom flavor, is very floral, almost perfume like. Visually, it's pretty in pink while maintaining its traditional composition as this flavor is too one of those traditional Japanese flavors.

Honey Cranberry - There's actual chunks of cranberries within it's jam that carries a strong cranberry flavor.

Double Mango * - I love how there's chunks of mango which makes this mochi stand out. It comes out as natural and fresh.

Red Bean (Azuki) - This is the most standard, traditional flavor for mochi. It has a nice amount of red bean which doesn't make it overwhelming.

Blueberry Yogurt * - I really like this one as it has one of those distinct Japanese takes on the flavors we're used to such as the flavor of the peach yogurt mochi I mentioned earlier. The tartness of the yogurt complements well with the blueberries. I definitely felt some seeds from the blueberries.

Apple Pie * - The first thing I've noticed with this mochi was it's cinnamon flavor. Aside from the apple chunks, what's really surprising is there's a hard sugary, flaky crust within the mochi that serves as a nice touch.

Cafe au Lait - It has that sweet coffee flavor that you'd find is Japanese coffee or coffee candy.

Sweet Potato - One of the most intriguing looking out of the lineup. Although very subtle at first, the sweet potato flavor starts to kick in as an after taste.

Darjeeling * - This tea flavored mochi has a very strong floral scent and flavor.

Rum Raisin - There are bits of raisin within. Also there's a strong rum flavor as if might seem that they added Bacardi rum right before shipping.

Chocolate * - I really liked how they really topped it with cocoa powder. With the whipped cream, it tasted as if I was eating chocolate soft-serve ice cream or a Wendy's Frosty.

Caramel Macchiato - It has a unique flavor as the caramel melds with the coffee flavor.

Houji Tea (Houji Cha) - It tastes as if the tannins from tea were to mix in with the black soybean flour.

Raspberry Mille-Feuille * - The raspberry jam is sweet. In addition, like with the apple pie mochi, there's a flaky, crunchy crust that one person in the group said it was like "fireworks in your mouth".

Although I didn't completely each any of the mochi's whole, it was pretty rough eating all of those mochis of different flavors albeit that it can be a fantasy for some of you. It felt like a marathon even though I sat on my ass the entire time; je me sens comme un fat ass (Translation: I feel like a fat ass). Fortunately during the time of tasting and taking photos, one member of the group was generous 

enough to provide green tea to wash down the sweetness of the Japanese desserts, even though they're much less sweeter than American/European desserts in general. Also, these sort of desserts are meant to be eaten with tea anyways. After having all of those sweet desserts consecutively, I had to wash all of that down with some straight Lapthroaig Quarter Cask Whisky that's extra peaty as it was double cask matured and 48% alcohol. It's as if I'm Ron f***in Swanson from the NBC show "Parks and Recreation" granted he drank Lagavulin 16 year neat instead which too is an amazing peaty whisky.

Granted no responsible confectionary store like Mochi Cream would want a person to eat all of these mochis as once. In addition to the price factor, I can imagine the most of you only getting a couple of them at once. I would then recomend getting the Peach Yogurt, Orange Cheese and either the Sakura or Black Sesame mochis. What I really like about Mochi Cream is that they actually use the ingredients of the flavor for each mochi such as having bits of soybean with the Green Soybean mochi. I hope this guide will help you select which flavors to try as I imagine the majority of you haven't tried it yet but were curious in doing so.