My Top 5 Place To Eat in Southern California

I was having some store bought frozen dumplings for supper last night, and boy.. they were not luscious. My mind was wandering off again..those luscious dumplings Wandering Chopsticks had. That reminds me, she had tagged me a while back on Saving Our Favorites 2007 and there's Amy, with her Top 5 Favorite Place To Eat in Seattle, and not forgetting tigerfish in Sunnyvale, CA, with her Tasty Joys at Trader Joes ! In reality, I don't eat out much, but when I do, I am gamed for a great authentic cuisine of some theme, and sometimes I'm all in for an arsenal feast, like a buffet. So, here I am, my Top 5 Save My Favorite Place to Eat here in Southern California.

After watching "Finding Nemo", the first thing that comes to mind is sinking my chompers into some sweet, succulent, and juicy lobster tail. Yes, I admit it. I'm a seafood-aholic. Fortunately, California is abundant with Oriental "eat-till-you-drop" seafood/sushi buffet restaurants. So every once in a while I get to indulge in my guilty pleasures at Todai, Onami, or Sumo to name a few. One of the not-so-latest of such establishments to open its doors is the Hokkaido in Newport, Orange County. First of all, fans of quality sushi be warned, abandon all hope ye who enter here. But then again, a true sushi lover shouldn't go to a seafood/sushi buffet with raised expectations now should they. Since it is not a bona fide Japanese-owned restaurant as it's name may suggest, the price is not as steep either. For under $20, you get to feast on a greater selection of seafood than what it's pricier Japanese counterparts are offering. As with any buffet, remember rule number one. Only go when there's a lunch or dinner crowd as the bars are refilled more often with "fresher" food, most preferably on Saturday evenings. Okay, on to the spread. Here are some of the their offerings that IMHO sets them apart from the rest :

Baked Lobsters with Garlic Butter & parsley flakes - Like the soup Nazi, each patron is given a lobster pass that entitles you to 1/2 a lobster. It is as fresh as it gets. So, you do not see the constant bickering and tug-of-war standing in line wandering who's getting the better piece OR if the guy in front is sweeping everything on the buffet table.

Peking Roast Duck - Crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside. Have your favorite pick, or let the server do it for you. They come with steamed double folded buns on the side with hoisin sauce with shredded green onions.

Korean BBQ Ribs & Salmon Grill - The grill table features all the BBQ items, and next to it stands the griller man that attends to your hibachi needs. Pick your ingredients, and let him do the work. I enjoyed their korean beef ribs, which was nicely seasoned with tumeric spice and ginger wine sauce, unlike in some chinese buffets with heavy hoisin sauce, with a barrel of salt taste in my mouth. The salmon grilled with the skin-on was great, crispy on the outside, moist and tender on the inside.

Tempuras - Pumpkin ones are good, along with the shrimps, lightly battered, not overly "hard" like in typical chinese buffets.

Sharks Fin Soup - Served with red vinegar on the side. I could tell they used immitation sharks fin with the other ingredients put in a regular hot-and-sour soup, nevertheless, this was quite alright. Perhaps they did have a few strips of the real sharks fin in there.

Steamed Boston Oysters In Black Bean Sauce - I am glad that they steamed them just to a perfection, unlike in West Coast Seafood Buffet, oysters like these are undercooked. I also had steamed whole Rex Sole Fish With Green Onions & Ginger Shreds, which by they way, I liked picking into the fish eggs and the fish was steamed just right.

Steamed Half-Shell Scallops - Succulent ! Also, try their braised sea cucumbers with lobster claws, which was great over some steamed white rice, very tasty and not heavily sauced.

Salt Pepper Shrimp - Not so great, if you were to compare them to Sumo's big, fat, crunchy shrimps. Next to the shrimps, I had some baked soft shell crabs stuffed with cheese and immitation crabs (surimis), better than Todai, I suppose.

Aside from that, they have 5 serving tables :
1 sushi bar - Sushi and basic sashimi selection.
1 meat bar - Peking duck, lobsters, grilled Polish sausage and smoked ham.
1 seafood bar - hot food, piles of snow crab legs, along with the generic rice, noodles and soups.
1 hibachi grill : build-your-plate with your selections of seafoods, meats and veges. Also serving BBQ pork ribs, pork chops, grill mackarel fish, salmon, and etc.
1 salad bar
1 fruit bar and dessert bar

** Hokkaido Seafood Buffet
Location & Hours : 4200 Scott Dr. Newport Beach, CA 92660 (949)851-5888 M-F : Lunch 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Dinner 5 p.m.-9 p.m. Sat & Sun : Dinner All Day

...and onto my 4 other favorite restaurants to eat in Southern California, with my favorite foods, I recommend :

** Wok And Noodle Restaurant
Theme : Shanghai Food

They truely live up to their name, all foods are cooked in heavy "wok hei" (Breath of Wok).

Fish With Kelp - Fried fish fillets wrapped with shredded seaweed.
Sweet & Sour Yellow Fish - Crispy whole fish with sweet, spicy sauce. (Also available in boneless fish fillet)
Shanghai Pork Spare Ribs - Lightly battered, fried pork spare ribs coated with a sweet maltose with a hint of chinese black vinegar.
Lion Head Meatballs - Ground pork meat balls wrap with salted egg yolks, lightly fried, and served with a light pork broth, served with a bed of sauted spinach.
Shanghai Fried Flat Noodle - Stir-fried homemade noodles, with shredded pork and napa cabbage.
Price : $
Location & Hours : 828 W.Valley Blvd., Alhambra, CA 91803 (626)588-2284, 11 am - 3 pm.

** Ding's Restaurant
Theme : Sichuan Food

Release your fiery spirit ! Your 100% commitment to an authentic Szechuan cuisine starts right here !

From the cold bar - Sichuan spicy pork ears and beef shank salad.

Pork Knuckle Casserole - Herbal soup with braised pork knuckle, bamboo shoots, lily flowers, boiled eggs and meatballs.

Boiled Fish Fillets - Chunks of fish fillets boiled in spicy chilli oil with cooked bean sprouts and fresh minced garlic.

Szechuan Spicy Fried Chicken - Diced chicken, lightly battered, fried and stir-fried with sichuan peppercorns, dried chilli peppers, ginger, garlic and green onions. (A must try)

Sichuan Style Cumin Lamb

Price : $
Location & Hours : 115-117 N.Lincoln Ave., Monterey Park, CA 91755 (626)288-2211, 7 am-10 pm.

** Little Malaysia Restaurant
Theme : Malaysian Food
My no-secret affair with Malaysian hawker food.

Hokkien Mee - Shrimp noodle &/ rice vermicelli soup, infused in light shrimp broth, served with pork ribs, shrimps, water spinach (kangkung), bean sprouts and eggs.
Curry Laksa - Spicy curry noodle &/ rice vermicelli soup, infused in light coconut broth, served with fried tofu pockets, shrimps, fish cake slice, bean sprouts, and mint leaves.
Ying Yang Noodles - Pan-fried rice vermicelli and rice noodles, infused in almost cooked eggs in gravy, served with fish cake slice, fish fillets, shredded pork, shrimps, and vegetables and topped with fried shallots.
Char Keow Teow - Stir-fried flat rice noodles with spicy chili soy sauce with chinese sausage, green chives, eggs, and shrimps.
Price : $
Location & Hours : 3944 Peck Road #8, El Monte, CA 91732 (626)401-3188, Close on Mondays.
For more reviews, go here.

** Lucille's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que Restaurant
Theme : BBQ & Southern Cuisine.
Soul food for the hungry Southern and BBQ souls. I am only here to feast like a King, nothing more. Stay away from my hickory smoke plate and please, leave the bib out !
Note : If you like , like I do, I prefer my sweet sticky mop sauce on the side, I enjoyed the hickory smoke taste on the meats. There's also several other choice of sauce available upon request.
BBQ Beef Ribs - Tender, big and meaty ribs, slow smoked with hickory wood, the best !!
Flame Roasted Artichoke (seasonal) - Split artichokes grilled with a lick of smoke, served with roasted garlic mayo.
Muddy Water Crab Cakes - Succulent crab cakes served with spicy remoulade sauce and a smoked jalapeno tartar sauce.
New Orleans Gumbo - Made with a dark roux savory broth, shrimps, smoked chicken and andouille sausage.

Pop's Beloved Fresh Pan Blackened Catfish - Lightly coated with cajun blackened seasonings, pan seared, and served with Creole mustard sauce.
Price : $$
Location & Hours : Lucilles BBQ

Despite business has not been going well for some of the above mom-and-pop store, truthfully speaking, for the price I paid, all my favorite 5 did offer the whole package = quality and authenticity !! I am here to vouch for them in getting better in my "Save Our Faves 2007". To others, please join me and share your favorite mom-and-pop store, restaurant, and/grocery market. Spread the love, and lets help keep your favorite place alive, shall we ? :)

On an unrelated note, I would like to wish my mom, and all the mothers out there..a wonderful Mother's Day (May 13) ! :)