Cafe Hiro's 2018 Christmas Eve Prix Fixe Dinner

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A post shared by MonsterMunching (@monstermunching_oc) on Dec 24, 2018 at 11:31pm PST

Yes, it's another Christmas Eve Dinner at Cafe Hiro, a meal I write just about every year. The price was the same as last Christmas: 4 courses for $49. And like all years, my favorite continues to be the roast beef with garlic soy, served with buttery mashed potatoes that would be soup if it were any creamier.

In case you missed it, here's the rundown.

FIRST COURSE

Scallop spring roll w/Sautéed Spinach, Yuzu-Vinegrette and Curry Oil

Or

Beef Tataki w/Black Truffle Burrata Cheese, Roasted Red Bell Pepper, Ginger, Garlic Chips, Basil, Balsamic Reduction and EVOO

SECOND COURSE

Seared Ahi Tuna w/Fresh Mozzarella Cheese, Cherry Tomato, Avocado, Roasted Eggplant, Red Bell Pepper, Ginger Miso Sauce

Or

Breaded Monkfish w/Sautéed Mushrooms, Daikon Salad, Tonkatsu Sauce

MAIN DISH

Roasted NY Steak w/ Mashed Potato, Garlic Soy Sauce

Or

Roasted Miso Marinated Norwegian Ling Cod w/Sautéed Vegetable or Mushroom Risotto

Or

Sea Urchin (Uni) Spaghetti w/Sautéed Scallops (3pcs), Wasabi, Nori

DESSERT (CHOOSE FROM MENU)

Cafe Hiro
(714) 527-6090
10509 Valley View St
Cypress, CA 90630

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A Farewell to Yen Ching - Orange

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A post shared by MonsterMunching (@monstermunching_oc) on Dec 18, 2018 at 7:30am PST

If you didn't already know, Yen Ching in Orange is closing after New Year's Eve. Check out the article I wrote for OC Weekly where I visit this institution for the first and, actually, final time.

574 S Glassell St
Orange, CA 92866
(714) 997-3300
yenchingoc.com

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The Boiling Noodle's Mi Dac Biet - Westminster

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A post shared by MonsterMunching (@monstermunching_oc) on Dec 13, 2018 at 9:14pm PST

It's probably easier to list what's NOT included in The Boiling Noodle’s mi dac biet (house special noodle) than name what IS included, but here goes. This dish contains:

Quail egg
Baby octopus
Fish ball
Squid ball
Chinese BBQ pork
Ground pork
Pork cracklings
Shrimp
Liver
Heart
Imitation crab meat
Bean sprouts
Pickled chile peppers
Chives
Deep fried onion
Cilantro
Scallions
Noodles
Broth
And a partridge in a pear tree

I'm kidding about the partridge, but this meal, which is available as take-out, costs about $6--considerably less than Five Golden Rings.

The Boiling Noodle
9081 Bolsa Ave., Ste. 105-106
Westminster, CA 92683

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Dim Sum at China Garden - Irvine

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A post shared by MonsterMunching (@monstermunching_oc) on Nov 30, 2018 at 3:44pm PST

Today I witnessed three co-workers who were dim sum virgins get deflowered at China Garden. It was a good day.

Irvine China Garden
(949) 653-9988
14825 Jeffrey Rd
Irvine, CA 92618

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Hunter Bros' H3 Ranch - Fort Worth, TX

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A post shared by MonsterMunching (@monstermunching_oc) on Nov 21, 2018 at 7:01am PST

H3 Ranch is a steakhouse located at the historic Fort Worth Stockyards, an epicenter of meat processing back in the Wild Wild West. I wrote about this place tangentially while reviewing Malibu Farm in Newport Beach for OC Weekly.

In the review I said that it was exactly what I wanted to find while I was in town. It looked like the Texas out of my imagination: a time-capsuled cowboy saloon with at least half a dozen bison heads mounted on the wall and floorboards that creaked under spurred boots. On the menu were steaks cooked on steel grates over a hickory fire that blazed in an open kitchen. And all around me were cowboy-hat-sporting customers eating those bloody hunks of meat with nothing but a baked potato and a charred jalapeño as sides.

But as I said in my review, I didn't end up liking the rib eye steak I ordered. It was chewy and didn't have much flavor. Most disappointing were the special house skillet potatoes I got instead of the baked potato. Despite being advertised as deep-fried and finished with bacon, onions and peppers, it was gummy and lukewarm, no better than the potatoes the Hampton Inn I was staying in offered for free at its daily breakfast buffet.

Here I share the pictures from that dinner in case you ever find yourself in Fort Worth Texas and are interested in repeating my experience...or not.

Hunter Bros' H3 Ranch
109 E Exchange Ave
Fort Worth, TX 76164
(817) 624-1246

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