Visiting Irvine, CA

[zerocool84]

It's going to be very sunny and warm so go visit one of the beaches, either Laguna or Newport. Both are nicer and upscale than the beaches in LA so it'd be perfect to visit.

 

[szechuanpork]

get some marijuana and go to the beach...look at the pretty women and stuff

 

[WaTaGuMp]

Yen Ching is in Santa Ana, Chinese food, mmmmmmmmmmmm, good.

 

[Anonemous]

I miss Agoras

 

[AznAnarchy99]

I miss Agoras

Totally forgot about that spot. You definitely should hit up Agora since you're in Irvine. Its right next to John Wayne.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/agora-churrascaria-irvine

 

[Fenixgoon]

Let me know what you have going on. I'm in LA, will try and drop by to say hi.

 

[WaTaGuMp]

Let me know what you have going on. I'm in LA, will try and drop by to say hi.

This might be a trap where he has some candy for you in his van, be careful.

 

[mikeford]

the only exception IMO is the area of irvine around the 5/jamboree and wherever the hell 85 degree bakery is which is turning into little asia

Thats the District I think, and its a bit typical mall stores IMHO. Or are you talking about the area about a mile south, like Jamboree and Alton?

Yeah hit Agoura as being from TX you will want Calif BBQ, its actually good and Brazilian, but visiting other places I would look for what I don't have local.

Week day lunch, India Cook house at Culver/5 fwy. Gypsy Den in the Lab Bristol between 73 and 405.

 

[Fenixgoon]

This might be a trap where he has some candy for you in his van, be careful.

i thought all ATOTers had such a van

 

[AznAnarchy99]

Thats the District I think, and its a bit typical mall stores IMHO. Or are you talking about the area about a mile south, like Jamboree and Alton?

Yeah hit Agoura as being from TX you will want Calif BBQ, its actually good and Brazilian, but visiting other places I would look for what I don't have local.

Week day lunch, India Cook house at Culver/5 fwy. Gypsy Den in the Lab Bristol between 73 and 405.

He's talking about the Diamond Jamboree area with all of the Asian spots.

 

[jaedaliu]

Yen Ching is in Santa Ana, Chinese food, mmmmmmmmmmmm, good.

My wife's family is in Santa Ana. We've never gone here. I'll have to ask them if they've been there before, the next time I'm in town. When we go out for Chinese food, we typically go to Sam Woo in Irvine. That, or we drive to Alhambra/Monterey Park.

To the OP: How's the food budget? There are some nice restaurants on Newport Coast. Supposedly Javier's in Newport is Kobe's favorite restaurant.

If you want cheap and good, there's some stuff near the university that is inexpensive, otherwise Westminster/Fountain Valley probably has a lot more options.

There's a bakery chain that started out in Irvine called 85c. They do Asian pastries and sweet-filled breads. I think it's really good, but you also have to be willing to wait in line to get in.

 

[shortylickens]

Neat. I visited Mercersburg, PA once.

 

[JulesMaximus]

There's the Andrea restaurant at Pelican Hill. It's pretty nice. Newport Beach and Balboa park is nice too

:thumbsup: A good friend of mine lives right near there. That is a really nice area.

Also try Bluefin Sushi on PCH. It is fantastic.

 

[SamQuint]

Yen Ching is in Santa Ana, Chinese food, mmmmmmmmmmmm, good.

Are you talking about Yen Ching in Orange?
http://yenchingoc.com/

I was there last week. Some great sizzling rice soup and some pineapple chicken. I love the candied apple slices they give you for desert along with the fortune cookie and almond cookie. Sooo good!

City of Orange has some great restaurants down by the plaza. (Orange circle)

They have Bruxie the waffle sandwich place http://bruxie.com/
Avila's El Ranchito, pretty good Mexican food
The Filling Station has really good breakfast
Watson's Drug Store is a typical 50's diner
Lynx has gourmet hot dogs and sausages
Gabbi's which is a damn good upscale Mexican restaurant
Haven's Gastropub, hipster micro brew and restaurant
Blue Frog has killer breakfast food and bakery items
Kimmie's coffee shop another breakfast spot
Felix's has Cuban food

soo many good choices.

 

[Ns1]

Are you talking about Yen Ching in Orange?
http://yenchingoc.com/

I was there last week. Some great sizzling rice soup and some pineapple chicken. I love the candied apple slices they give you for desert along with the fortune cookie and almond cookie. Sooo good!

I just died a little bit on the inside.

OP please do not go here, this is not what SoCal Chinese food is about.

 

[SamQuint]

I just died a little bit on the inside.

OP please do not go here, this is not what SoCal Chinese food is about.

ok then what do you suggest? Always looking for new places to try...

 

[Ns1]

ok then what do you suggest? Always looking for new places to try...

for a solo diner in irvine: 101 noodle express
for a family dinner in OC: i would say sam woo or newport seafood would be essential, depending on where the OP is coming from (ie have they ever seen a chinese bbq joint?

IMO, SoCal chinese food is more about things like

hell, even chinese/vietnamese:

not:

 

[HumblePie]

Let me know what you have going on. I'm in LA, will try and drop by to say hi.

I know that I am flying out Sunday early morning to be there early afternoon. The guy I'm with really wants to hit up the La Mirada Regional Park for the disc golf course there. It's 36 holes. He wants to do 18, take a break, and then the other 18. We both like disc golf so that is the plan for that at least on Sunday so far.

I'll be in training classes the rest of the week during the day, but the evenings I'll be open. He'll want to hit up the other 2 little 9 hole courses around Irvine. One on Tuesday and the other on Thursday after classes. Assuming our arms haven't fallen off by then from what we are planning on Sunday.

On Friday, I'll be flying out at 4pm so I won't have that as a night out there.

Some of those restaurant suggestions look pretty good in this thread to try out. I haven't check the per diem rate, but it when I went to Tampa is was like $45 a day or something close to that. Not huge, but if I get a small meal for lunch and breakfast, I can do something a bit more fancy for dinner as long as I cover the "drinks" out of my pocket. Which isn't covered by per diem any how.

 

[jaedaliu]

for a solo diner in irvine: 101 noodle express
for a family dinner in OC: i would say sam woo or newport seafood would be essential, depending on where the OP is coming from (ie have they ever seen a chinese bbq joint?

IMO, SoCal chinese food is more about things like

hell, even chinese/vietnamese:

not:

I feel that Newport Seafood in Santa Ana has gotten worse, but they're still really good. Their house special Lobster is market price at something around $15/lb when everyone else's market price is around $6/lb. There's a reason they can charge that much.

I'm assuming OP doesn't have time for Dim Sum (morning to 3pm-ish meal), but the best I've had in OC is at Seafood Cove#2 across from Asian Garden mall.

Too bad OP isn't showing up a month later. Din Tai Fung is supposed to open in April at South Coast Plaza.

 

[jaedaliu]

Some of those restaurant suggestions look pretty good in this thread to try out. I haven't check the per diem rate, but it when I went to Tampa is was like $45 a day or something close to that. Not huge, but if I get a small meal for lunch and breakfast, I can do something a bit more fancy for dinner as long as I cover the "drinks" out of my pocket. Which isn't covered by per diem any how.

Per Diem rate in OC is way high. current GSA rate is $71/day for meals and incidentals. The hardest part might be finding other people willing to go to a $50/dinner place every day of the week.

There's a lot of Asian food suggestions being thrown around, but if you want a more American diet, there are plenty of nice restaurants in Irvine and Newport Beach.

 

[Ns1]

I feel that Newport Seafood in Santa Ana has gotten worse, but they're still really good. Their house special Lobster is market price at something around $15/lb when everyone else's market price is around $6/lb. There's a reason they can charge that much.

I'm assuming OP doesn't have time for Dim Sum (morning to 3pm-ish meal), but the best I've had in OC is at Seafood Cove#2 across from Asian Garden mall.

Too bad OP isn't showing up a month later. Din Tai Fung is supposed to open in April at South Coast Plaza.

Yeah I throw in Newport seafood cuz it's the generic chinese/ Vietnamese rec. been going to seafood cove #1 for eons. Went back a few months ago, seems like they haven't vacuumed since the 80's lol. Quintessential Chinese/Vietnamese seafood joint right there.

Little Saigon has changed a lot in the past 10 years

 

[Ns1]

oh yeah, "The Playground" and "Tacos Maria" are pretty hot right now. Playground = Santa Ana, Tacos Maria = border of Costa Mesa/Santa Ana

 

[Udgnim]

cafe lu

actually go on a tour of Vietnamese coffee shops

http://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=vietnamese+coffee+shop&find_loc=Orange+County,+CA

 

[MotionMan]

I went to UCI for undergrad. My then-girlfriend/now-wife and I use to enjoy walking around Balboa Island (we liked to look in the houses next to the walk), then taking the fairy across to the fun zone area for dinner at one of the fine establishments near there.

However, that sounds a little too romantic for two guys coming from a day of training and disc golf.

MotionMan

 

[HumblePie]

And I am out of Irvine. Well almost, waiting at the airport for my flight. The suggestion for Sam Woo was an excellent suggestion. Met up with Fenixgoon with my co-worker and enjoyed a great meal. Other places we ate were J.King Neptune, Rusty Pelican, Black Tavern Bar, and Spoons. Spoons was near the hotel I was at and was ok. All the dinners I had were good to fantastic.

I did pop into an In and Out for lunch before my flight an hour or so ago. WTF is the hype over that place? That wasn't even all that good a burger and the choices are so limited on what you can order there. Sure you get a nice big fresh slice of tomato and a big thing of lettuce... but that isn't what makes a burger. I want BEEF in my burger. not impressed at all with that place.

Did also hit up several disc golf courses including La Mirada park and Huntington Central Park. La Mirada was beautiful for a park at least. Besides the fact the trip was for work, was an overall enjoyable trip.