My Top 5 Favorite Restaurants: Cafe Hiro - Cypress

To start the new year and a new chapter of Monster Munching, I am counting down my top five favorite restaurants in the next few posts. And when I say "favorite", I mean it. Over the last year, I ate at these restaurants more than I can count. In fact, not only are they in my regular rotation, I visited all five again within the last two weeks of 2019. The next on the alphabetical list:

Cafe Hiro

Between Christmas Eve and the time I write this post today on January 13, we ate at Cafe Hiro three times. The first time was for their Christmas Eve prix fixe dinner, an annual tradition that we never miss. The second was for a weekday lunch when the restaurant offers free dessert if you get there and put your meal order between 11:30 a.m. and noon—a very narrow window of time that rewards you with $6 savings on the dessert on top of the discount you get on the blackboard lunch specials.



The third visit? It was this past weekend. It was a dinner decision made at the spur of the moment—one of the many times when one of us asks "What do you feel like eating tonight?" but we both knew the answer: Cafe Hiro.

To us, this restaurant is what Monk’s is to Seinfeld; what Central Perk is to the Friends gang.

So what more can I say about Cafe Hiro that I haven’t already said in countless posts on this blog? How else I can I convey to you, dear reader, that Cafe Hiro is the answer I give when people ask me “What’s your favorite restaurant?” (As a food critic, I get asked that question a lot). Do I need to write poetry? I already did that. Twice.

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

Cafe Hiro - Cypress - For the third time!

Yes, I know I write about this place a little too much. And I dine here, a little too much.

By now, I've brought just about everyone I know to this place. Perhaps, at times, I build up their expectations so much that I think some of them don't end up absolutely loving it like I do.

I shouldn't take it personally, I know. It shouldn't come as a surprise that everyone has individual and distinct tastes in food, just as they would in movies. As I cannot expect everyone to love one of my favorite films, "Tampopo", a quirky Japanese food flick, I should not expect them to like every restaurant that I like. After all, I don't think any amount of cajoling will ever get me to like Star Trek movies either.



As I accept this fact, I am unswayed from my opinion that Cafe Hiro is one of the best values for fine cuisine in Orange County. For $15, not only do you get an entree like the one shown above (Seared Diver Scallops on Risotto), but also a refreshing salad of greens in a ginger-miso dressing *AND* a sublime, creamy homemade soup of the day.

The seared scallops dish itself would probably set you back twice as much at restaurants in Vegas. And after spending exactly that much at such restaurants for mediocre food, I always come running back to Cafe Hiro, thanking my lucky stars that it is here in my backyard.

Sure, there are misses at Cafe Hiro, along with the hits. Their duck breast and the hamburger steak are the weakest and most disappointing dishes of the bunch, but everything else, in my humblest opinion, is spot on and perfect.

Their Steamed Wild Salmon, which seems to be permanently on the "specials" board, is almost Zen-like in its simplicity. Presented nakedly on a stark white plate, the pink salmon steak is flanked by four condiments, set neatly in a linear arrangement.

A wedge of lemon.
Sea salt.
A dab of mayonaisse.
A lump of grated green horseradish.

A saucer of yuzu dressing is also provided in case you require any extra "oomph".

The salmon is delicate and pristine; its essence and flavor unobscured. This is, perhaps, a calculated move by the chef. The other salmon dish they offer (Salmon Saiko) is, by contrast, bold and deeply infused with a dark marinade.

So there it is, my third and probably not the last post on Cafe Hiro.

Thanks for listening.

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

$49 Christmas Eve Prix Fixe at Cafe Hiro - Cypress

Cafe Hiro's prix fixe Christmas Eve Dinner is a holiday tradition we intend to continue for as long as Cafe Hiro offers it. I first waxed poetic about seven years ago. Last year, when I wrote about it, I merely put up my snapshots to let the pictures speak for themselves.

This year, I'm going to implore you to remember this post come next Christmas Eve and make a reservation, because last night, despite the bargain base price for a meal of this magnitude, there was barely anyone there to enjoy it.

If you did you would've been dazzled by Chef Hiro Ohiwa's food and pampered by his attentive staff.

You would've started your five-course feast with the sashimi plate of Fanny Bay oysters, sea urchin, scallop and octopus that he mixes with dashi gelee, yuzu-vinaigrete and white truffle oil. Your date would've swooned over her first course, too: a creamy spread of smoked salmon, shrimp, crab meat and cream cheese eaten with red onion, caper and cherry tomatoes over crispy toast.

Your second course would've been thin slices of beef tataki with poached cabbage, anchovy-vinaigrette, reggiano cheese, garlic chips, all drizzled with a balsamic reduction. She would've said her course--the breaded monkfish with tartar sauce over an Asian mango slaw--tasted like the best fish sticks crossed with a lobster she'd ever had.

Next, you both would've tried not to fill up on the uni spaghetti, a Cafe Hiro classic, or the ume-shiso spaghetti with oba mint and nori, with dried bonito flakes that flap in the hot updraft as though they were still alive.

And for a main course, you both would've opted for the hunk of roasted beef--yours cooked to a rosy pink, hers well-done--both soft as silk and doused with garlic soy sauce, served with Chef Ohiwa's ultra creamy mashed potatoes.

Finally, for dessert, you would've been able to choose from the regular menu of sweets, but then you would've also noticed a gateau au chocolate with macaron, fresh berries and whipped cream that Ohiwa added just for Christmas Eve. You would've ordered it but also the croissant bread pudding, because that's what you did last year, and tradition is tradition.

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

THIS WEEK ON OC WEEKLY:
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Cafe Hiro's Steak Dinner - Cypress

There are days that leave me feeling beat up and defeated, when I don't just need comfort food, but a comfort place. Cafe Hiro is my comfort place. My happy place. A few weeks ago, after one of these days, I told her, "I don't want to stay in tonight." And before we knew it we both said, "Let's go to Cafe Hiro."

This would happen two more times in two consecutive weeks. What can I say. It's been that kind of month.

But as soon as we arrive, everything seems to immediately get better. Calming and welcoming -- a refuge as a refuge should be -- it's almost as good as home, this place.

Knowing that we always order the passion fruit iced tea, our waitress already has it ready. Two tall, ice cold glasses of it are poured, even before we sit down.

At the center of it all stands Hiro Ohiwa -- the benevolent owner/chef, a Zen Buddha-figure with a backwards baseball cap -- who waves hello to us as he oversees his dominion. Order tickets go through him before it's fired, and he inspects every plate before it's delivered. If something isn't perfect, he'll make it so.

That night he had a surprise for us: a complimentary amuse bouche. Mozzarella, chopped and formed into two quenelles, sits on a extra virgin olive oil puddle, sprinkled with coarse sea salt and cracked pepper. Just a small token of appreciation, which for me, on that night, counted for a lot.

Her choice of main course, as it always is, was the uni spaghetti. Mine was steak, which comes with a salad and soup -- both gobbled up just as quickly as the salad is briskly cool, and the soup, a liquid-blanket of warmness.

Around the plate and flanking the gorgeously browned slab of meat, there's creamy scalloped potatoes fanned out like a magician's cards, but also a welcome bit of greenery: bok choy dappled with drops of miso.

And the steak? Of course, it carves like a dream, but also has just enough chew so that there's something meaningful and meaty to masticate. 'Neath it a soy and garlic pan sauce mingles and mixes with the escaping juices. But the garlic part of the sauce means business. It explodes in sweet but powerful tiny bursts.

I ate my meal hungrily, as if I were eating the first steak of my life. Good? To me, at that time, it was beyond good. It was more than just a steak; it was soothing balm applied to an open wound.

And it isn't fancy like steakhouse's. If I had to describe it, it's more like "mom's house." Cooked exactly to my liking, exactly medium, not too big, not too small...just right. Kind of like Cafe Hiro itself.

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

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Cafe Hiro - Cypress - Lunch and its Fourth Anniversary

If you read this blog regularly, you aren't a stranger to my enthusiasm about Cafe Hiro, a cozy restaurant in Cypress which fuses flavors from Japan, Italy and France. But if you have no idea what I'm talking about and you'd like to catch up, here are links to my previous posts.

Post Number 1
Post Number 2
Post Number 3
...leading me to this entry, "Post Number 4", which happily coincides with the restaurant's fourth anniversary this week.

To mark this milestone, Chef Hiro Ohiwa and crew are offering a discount: When you come in to dine between March 7th to 12th, you'll receive a coupon for 50% off on lunch or 20% off on dinner for use on your next visit. (Thanks to bottomlesspit and whowantscandy for the scoop).

This is a tremendous offer because even without the discount, the prices at Cafe Hiro are already reasonable. Dinner, complete with soup and salad* normally ranges from $10 to $20. Lunch is an even better deal at around $9.

Lunch, just like dinner, starts with a velvety smooth, pureed vegetable soup of the day. Some days it can be carrot, other days it's white potato touched with a hint of curry. My favorite is the sweet potato soup, an addictive elixir with the color of muted adobe. Each warm and silken spoonful envelops the tongue in a comforting embrace of starch and sweetness.

The soup is quickly followed by refreshing salad of greens, served on a chilled plate. The fresh cold crunch of butter lettuce and baby greens is dressed with a pulpy concoction harboring the sharp bite of ginger, the acidic tang of citrus fruit, and the salty funk of miso. It's a brisk wake-up call to the palate, like a dunk in an ice cold bucket of water.



Next is the entree, which includes roasted potatoes and a cold noodle salad. The chef likes to be creative with the spuds, giving it an unexpected dimension of flavor. Some days, he glazes it with a candy-sweet coating of caramel. On others, it's dusted with the spicy wallop of curry powder. The spaghetti noodles, on the other hand, are always dressed in a tangy cream sauce and studded with sesame seeds. After these two mainstays, all that is left for us to do is to pick the main entree. For this, we're given the choice of a few constants that appear on the regular menu and one special item of the day.

One entree, which is always available on the lunch menu, is the Pork Katsu. This cut of lean pork is prepared in the classic style, breaded with a Panko crust and deep-fried until golden. Although I sometimes find it chewy and bland, the accompanying vessel of homemade tonkatsu sauce makes up for any shortcomings. This dark, gloopy brew has the consistency of tar and a taste similar to steak sauce if it had soul.



For the Sauteed Jidori Chicken entree, Chef Ohiwa takes a tender piece of the thigh meat and cooks it on a hot saute pan until the skin is rendered of fat and transforms into a shiny and crisp jacket. The finished chicken steak is then lacquered in a sweet and sour reduction, with echoes of pineapple.



On the day that I had my camera, the special item was Korean BBQ Beef -- his rendition of bulgogi. Tender strips of marinated steak is cooked on a griddle with onions and finished with soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil. The bold flavor of this dish demands steamed rice, which, of course, was provided.



After our lunch, we can never skip dessert, no matter how stuffed we are. The Panna Cotta is strikingly presented in a martini glass and garnished with fresh berries. This cold, creamy delight is the offspring of a happy marriage between Jell-O pudding and Jell-O gelatin. It quivers and jiggles like the latter, but fills the mouth in a dream-like ooze like the former.



The most intriguing dessert however is the Green Tea Blanc Manger. The usual first impression upon seeing it is fear. What is that dark and dangerous liquid anyway? It looks like swamp sludge.

In reality, it's just a thin layer of matcha -- Japanese green tea. Directly beneath is a soft custard. Then, buried deep below the custard, on the bottom of the vessel, is a dollop of sweet red bean. The trick is to dig in, through the different strata of ingredients, and get a taste of everything in each spoonful.



Thanks Chef Ohiwa and staff, for four wonderful years of great food at an incredible value!*

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

*UPDATE 1 (March 10, 2006): After my most recent dinner visit on March 10, 2006, I'm disappointed to report that now an entree comes with either a soup or a salad, not both. In addition, it seems that prices have increased slightly by as much as two dollars on some dishes. However, service and food quality remains unchanged -- spotty and excellent, respectively.

*UPDATE 2 (July 14, 2006): I'm pleased to report that Cafe Hiro is back to including *BOTH* soup and salad with its entrees.

Cafe Hiro's Pork Cutlet Curry - Cypress

If you read this blog, you know I've been a regular at Cafe Hiro for more than a decade now. This is why I have at least half a dozen posts like these, if not more. Yet you should know that I actually eat at Cafe Hiro more than I blog about it, and in my most recent visits, I've been rediscovering the wonder that is its pork cutlet curry--a dish I've not yet mentioned before here.

So I'll mention it now: Café Hiro's may be the finest tonkatsu curry I've had since Tokyo.

First, there's the pork, cut as thick as the first Harry Potter book, then fried under a light panko-crust and with a small quivering piece of the fat still attached. The cutlet is great in and of itself--the perfect ratio of juice-bursting pork chop to golden-brown breading. And then there's the ocean of curry lapping onto the white beach head of rice--a flavorful sludge almost as thick as the peanut-sauce for Indonesian satay.

Though the spicing level is customizable all the way to scorching, I always go for mild. This, I've discovered, is where all the curry flavor, sweetness, and richness exist in perfect balance. And since curry has been fully adopted into Japanese culture as pizza has to ours, Café Hiro offers it with the required condiments of pickled shallots, fukujinzuke (pickled radish), and rehydrated raisins, all of which I use as prodigiously as red pepper flakes and parmesan on a slice of pepperoni.

Speaking of Japanese curry, have you seen this documentary by NHK's Begin Japanology? It's really excellent.



If you have a half-hour, watch it, be educated, and then be prepared to drive out to Cypress when you suddenly have to have it for dinner.

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

THIS WEEK ON OC WEEKLY:
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Valentine's Prix-Fixe at Cafe Hiro - Cypress

OC Restaurant Week begins soon, but I believe I've already eaten the best prix fixe deal of the month. And on Valentine's Day, no less.

Last Friday, I treated my better half to Cafe Hiro, the restaurant that I've blogged more than any other on these pages and the only place that I will willingly go during Valentine's Day--a day which usually becomes an excuse for other restaurants to gouge naive couples trying to force a romantic evening. Believe me: I've been a gougee.

But no matter whether it is New Year's Eve, Christmas Eve, or Valentine's, Chef Hiro Ohiwa has never disappointed with his prix fixes. He has always charged a fair price for these meals that often turn out to be discounts if you do the math on what you usually spend on a normal night. It is because of this that I've spent many a New Year's Eve, Christmas Eve, and yes, Valentine's Day at his restaurant--it is the best time to visit.



Last Friday was no different.

The price was $39 per person for 4 courses, and it went like this:

There were two choices for the first course: either beef tataki, over sliced red onion, garnished with a crispy garlic chip, and grated daikon, finely diced scallion and a jellied ponzu sauce for dribbling; or seared ahi tuna steak piled atop soft planks of fresh mozzarella cheese, over Asian herb mix and tomato, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and ginger miso sauce.



Second course was either a scallop spring roll stuffed with mushrooms, served over mesclun salad dressed with yuzu vinaigrette; or crispy fried chicken thighs served on sticks of sautéed daikon with green onion and decorated with squirts of Asian pesto sauce.

For the entrees, he sautés Scotch salmon with black mussels, red bell pepper, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, and an au jus broth that came from cooking the mussels. He also offered a roast beef with mashed potatoes; or a beautifully roasted pork plated with the same silky spuds.

We chose the salmon and the pork. Both were cooked perfectly. The salmon was as crisp as creme brulee on the outside, creamy at the center. The pork was as supple as the softest part of my inner cheek, and as juicy and as flavorful as a steak.



For the fourth and final course, we had free reign on all the desserts they offered. We asked for a slice of the homemade pear tart, a tall, slightly dense cake of sorts that had a crumbly crust and was packed full of pears. And of course, we also had to have a wedge of Chef Ohiwa's incomparable croissant bread pudding in a sea of bitter caramel sauce.

And for you who are fans of this restaurant already, I've saved the best news for last: we found out that night that Cindy, Cafe Hiro's best front-of-the-house manager and server who left to take care of her growing family, is now back! She was the one that cut out all those construction paper heart garlands they hung for the occasion: the best restaurant deal of the month.

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

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Another Rhyming Review of Cafe Hiro - Cypress

A post shared by MonsterMunching (@monstermunching_oc) on Jul 23, 2017 at 10:38pm PDT

Cafe Hiro is a monthly ritual,
Our usual Cypress spot.
That's no secret on this blog.
We go there and go there a lot.

We order as we always do,
The same dishes, the same iced tea.
Uni spaghetti. Osso bucco.
That fabulous katsu curry.

But sometimes, there are specials.
Special plates, special deals.
One night, t'was a shrimp tempura salad,
which ate like two meals.

Then karaage made of yellowtail,
Firm and cold its flesh.
Not unlike Filipino escabeche it was,
Sour, and sweet, the red peppers fresh.

Dessert is almost always the bread pudding,
A croissant, egg, and chocolate composite.
After all the years and all the meals,
Maybe Cafe Hiro should just take my direct deposit.

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

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Take-Out Review: Cafe Hiro - Cypress

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A post shared by MonsterMunching (@monstermunching_oc) on May 21, 2020 at 6:35am PDT

If you’ve never been to Cafe Hiro, believe it or not, now is the time to go, especially during lunch on a weekday.

It’s the only time you can try this beauty of a meal: Menchi Katsu.

What is Menchi Katsu?

It’s basically a ball of seasoned ground beef that’s been breaded and deep-fried.

Imagine if someone crossbred a juicy hamburger patty with an onion ring.

Eaten with a zippy tonkatsu sauce (think A1 but better) and a bracing hot mustard (think Grey Poupon but sharper), what you get is an experience unlike any other.

The beef is loosely packed, so it melts in your mouth like a meatloaf while contrasted by that crunchy deep fried crust.

And although you’re essentially eating an amount of meat equivalent to six Double-Doubles, it’s actually an amazingly light dish.

This dish also proves that you can’t have too much starch on one plate.

It comes with not one but three kinds of starches: a warm scalloped potato; a cold pasta salad; and steamed rice.

I mean look at it! That covers ALL the carbohydrates on the food pyramid!

But that’s not to say you don’t get your vegetables, too. Not pictured is a green salad paired with their signature ginger dressing.

Also, let’s not forget the shredded cabbage under the katsu, which you know if you’ve eaten katsu before, isn’t garnish; it’s an essential part of the dish.

And right now, if you order this lunch, which retails for $13.95, you also get a free dessert, something that would not normally happen at Cafe Hiro before the pandemic.

So call ahead, go to Cypress, and take a long lunch break. I mean, you are working from home anyway, aren’t you?

Cafe Hiro
10509 Valley View St
Cypress, CA 90630

Cafe Hiro's 2017 Christmas Eve Prix Fixe Dinner

A post shared by MonsterMunching (@monstermunching_oc) on Dec 27, 2017 at 2:35pm PST

This year, like all years, we celebrated Christmas at Cafe Hiro with its Christmas Eve prix fixe. And this year, like all years, it did not disappoint.

The cost was $49 per person and to us Cafe Hiro regulars, the meal felt like a culmination and retrospective of all the great dishes we've been eating all year.

A lot of lillies were gilded that night. Chef Ohiwa upgraded some of his greatest hits with special add-ons and extra touches. For his usual scallop carpaccio, he tucked uni under the daikon fold. For the uni pasta, he added three sautéed scallops (and as an extra treat for us, shaved black truffles).

And Christmas Eve is one of the few times when he does a roast beef that puts to shame all prime ribs I've ever had before. Succulent, juicy, it was red meat at its most pleasurable.

We swooned at every bite, moaned at every morsel. This year, like all years, Ohiwa had outdone himself.

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

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California Fish Grill - Cypress

It felt like we were being unfaithful, my girlfriend said. "We should go over there and say hi," I joked.

We were in Cypress...in the parking lot of our favorite restaurant: Cafe Hiro (see previous posts on the subject). But we weren't going to Cafe Hiro. Instead, we were going to try California Fish Grill, and do it we will, dammit!

So we did. We dutifully walked from our car to California Fish Grill's door, Cafe Hiro still in our peripheral vision. We swung the door open and looked around. It wasn't what we expected at all. It's a casual place. You order at the front counter, pay, and they give you a number card and a metal stand to prop it up on the table that you choose yourself. It's like a Wahoo's Fish Taco. They even have fish tacos on the menu. And there's a salsa bar and a beverage bar like any casual dining establishment.

And the prices were quite reasonable too. Nothing over $10, while most hovered around $8.

I ordered the Grilled Ahi Tuna for $8.49. The ahi steak was served on top of mound of skinny fries which were dusted with parsley. A scoop of coleslaw and a slice of french bread came with it too. The fish was nicely cooked (not rare, although I could've probably asked for it). Grill marks were evident. The flesh was flaky, sweet, and not at all fishy. It was simply glazed with garlic butter, which imparted a nice garlicky twang and creamy richness.

A meal like this would probably have set me back at least $15.00 at King's Fish House or Fish Market. What a deal at just under $9! But don't worry Cafe Hiro, nothing can replace you.

California Fish Grill
10569 Valley View St
Cypress, CA 90630
(714) 252-0001

Cafe Hiro - Cypress

Finally tried Cafe Hiro in Cypress and I wasn't disappointed. We were there for lunch and opted to try the $20.00 lunch special to share between the two of us since we weren't very hungry. The special included soup of the day, a choice of salad, appetizer, main entree, dessert and a soft drink.

The soup of the day was pumpkin. This was a smooth textured soup made from a puree of pumpkin with a few strands of wonton skin thrown in for crunch. The flavor of the pale orange soup was creamy and subtly sweet but not too rich. I wished I had ordered more!

We chose the tofu salad served on mescalune greens, which was dressed in a complex dressing of miso and soy, decorated with some thin slivers of seaweed. Awesome! I really need to figure out how to make this dressing on my own!

The appetizer was "creamy" crab cake. The single crab cake was deep fried in panko and placed daintily on top of a seasoned tomato sauce. The presentation was something you'd expect at a more expensive eatery, but was pretty much inline with what Chris G. has described at Cafe Hiro's tendency to surprise you. In any case, I couldn't wait to dig in. Cutting into the crisp coating with my fork, I realized that I needed a spoon to scoop up the oozing filling. We destroyed this dish; every last drop of filling and sauce sopped from the plate.

The main course was seafood risotto which was served in a deep bowl. Surprisingly, the dish was predominately more seafood than risotto. Two clams, two mussels, a few shrimp, and lots of calamari became the bed of perhaps a few spoonfulls of risotto. This was excellent, eventhough I think they could have easily gotten away with less seafood and more risotto and saved themselves some money, but as a customer, I wouldn't have it any other way. The texture of the risotto was perfect, al dente, but still very creamy. The seafood was also not overcooked and perfectly fresh. I only wished the flavor was more cheesy, but I was still quite content for what the dish was.

Dessert was the pot de chocolat, which was as the waitress described "a chocolate custard." Really simple, but really good. It reminded me of chocolate pudding but with more body.

The service was very warm and friendly. Eventhough we ordered one lunch for two, the waitress was still very gracious and even gave us each small plates with which to use to spoon our shared dishes onto.

I love this place, and will be back this week to try dinner.

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

Cafe Hiro - Cypress - again!

This place has become my favorite restaurant in O.C. for good food, presentation, and price. This is probably the third time I reviewed this place for Chowhound, and the umpteenth time I've eaten there.

We were there on Friday and had a reservation at 7, but came late. About thirty minutes late. Unfortunately that was late enough that they gave our table away. But I thought that was fair. People with 7:30 reservations, who arrived on time, got seated right away. It's nice that reservations actually mean something here.

We waited an extra 10 minutes before an unreserved table opened up. We were given this table before another couple, who came before us but didn't have a reservation. Their system worked nicely, I thought. The couple in front of us got their seats shortly afterward.

A busy night, but the wait staff kept everyone happy.

We ordered one entree off the specials menu and one from the regular menu. The special entree for that night was SAUTEED MONKFISH WITH GARLIC RISOTTO AND SUNDRIED TOMATO ($15.00). We also ordered the OSSO BUCCO ($15.00).

The entrees came with their wonderful and creamy SWEET POTATO SOUP, which was light adobe red, and piping hot. A GREEN SALAD WITH GINGER MISO DRESSING came out afterward. Fresh greens, a spicy dressing, perfect for priming the tastebuds for the entrees.

The monkfish was alright. The white flesh was cooked just right, but lacked much flavor. The freakish giant bone that held the meat together was a little scary. This, as you might have guessed, was the first time we've had monkfish. The risotto was cooked correctly, but in my opinion, wasn't as creamy or full bodied as their usual mushroom risotto. My favorite fish dish there is still the Salmon Saiko.

The osso bucco was dreamy, as always. We love this dish. A big hunk of falling apart tender beef, in a pool of dark gravy (or is it a reduction). It came with a separate side of roasted potatoes and corn nibblets. The beef was perfect, eaten with white rice. I've heard some people comment that this dish was too salty for them, or too overcooked and soft, but for my money, this was the dish. Loved it!

The highlight of the meal was the special dessert of the night. CROISSANT BREAD PUDDING WITH CARAMEL SAUCE AND CHOCOLATE ($5). This simply is the best dessert I've ever had, anywhere! I hope they put it on the regular menu. It came on a large plate. A mound of warm, brown bread pudding, drizzled with caramel sauce and studded with melted chocolate chips. The combination of flavors just kind of melted in your mouth and filled your senses. Simple in origin, but elegant in flavor. Sinful but suprisingly not heavy.



We also ordered a GREEN TEA BLANC MANGER ($4.00). And it was just as good as always, but since we tasted the bread pudding first, it's now relagated to our second favorite dessert at Cafe Hiro.

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

P.S. I found some cool looking photos a fellow diner took on a recent visit to Cafe Hiro.

A Poetic Review of Cafe Hiro's Valentine's Prix-Fixe

Roses are red,
Violets are blue.
Last night for Valentine's,
We went to Cafe Hiro, as we always do.

They had a prix-fixe dinner,
For forty-nine.
Each person served five courses,
Extra was wine.

There was ahi tuna sashimi,
With cheese mozzarella.
And anchovy, and mango, and daikon.
The combo was stellar.

Next was tartare of salmon,
and raw scallop on chips.
The drizzled balsamic
Tickled our lips.

Beef tataki was on poached cabbage,
The dominant flavor: reggiano cheese.
Since my date doesn't eat rare meat, we said,
"Could you make ours well-done, please?"



And of course, they did.
It's why Cafe Hiro is always our pick.
Next course to arrive was
A giant crab and shrimp spring roll two fingers thick.

At this point we were nearly full,
Our appetites done.
Yet there was still uni spaghetti,
And an arabiata to come.

I chose the steak with mashed potatoes,
as my main course dish.
She had a miso-marinated salmon,
With sauteed veggies under the fish.

Dessert was the usual croissant bread pudding
On a bitter caramel sauce moat.
We also ate a panna cotta with berries,
Our stomachs starting to bloat.

But we loved our meal;
It's our Valentine's tradition.
Till next year, the next prix-fixe,
For my next poetic edition.
Cafe Hiro
(714) 527-6090
10509 Valley View St
Cypress, CA 90630

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When is the best time to go to Cafe Hiro?

There's never a bad time to go to Cafe Hiro. If I could, I'd eat there daily.

But if there's an absolute best time to come, it's when Chef Hiro Ohiwa offers his special prix-fixe dinners. To my knowledge, he does it only twice a year: Christmas Eve and Valentine's Day. And ever since I found out about these dinners nearly ten years ago, I don't think I've missed one.

In my opinion, it isn't just a great way to spend Christmas Eve or woo a date on Valentine's; it's also the best way to experience Ohiwa's cooking in all its creative glory...not to mention that it's a great deal when you do the math, especially when you consider he's using ingredients such as scallops and sushi-grade ahi.

What follows are the pictures of the 5-course, $49 per person prix-fixe I ate two months ago on Christmas Eve, which I only post now because the Valentine's prix-fixe is less than a week away.

As you look over these pics, know that though Ohiwa is, once again, going to be doing a 5-course prix-fixe for the same price for Valentine's, it's likely that you'll see an entirely different array of dishes than what you see here.

What will it be? Will it be like this or like last year's Valentine's prix-fixe? I can't wait to find out!





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

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Cafe Hiro's Osso Bucco Pasta - Cypress

I have this habit of taking food pictures wherever and whenever I go out to eat. It's a compulsion. I have a camera in my pocket at all times. No, not the one on my phone: An actual camera dedicated to taking pictures and only pictures. I carry it because sometimes, even at restaurants that I can safely call myself a regular, such as Cafe Hiro in Cypress, there's always going to be something new I want to document. Why? Well for posts like this.

The camera had to come out to snap a pic of the dish you see above. It was on the specials board that night, and simply put, it's kismet, a dish that Hiro Ohiwa should've been making all along. It takes two of the menu's strongest dishes and combines it into one. This is his osso bucco pasta.

In the bowl, the pasta bites as the definition of al dente, lubed in a creamy (but not laden with butter or cream) sauce that doesn't overpower but complements the hunk of braised meat. The beef falls apart with a nudge and together with the noodles, the dish becomes a sort of hyper-realized, almost-Stroganoff.

The effect is as serendipitous as when peanut butter met jelly for the first time. When milk met cookies. You know what I mean? Well, you can see by the picture. That's why I took it.

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

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Cafe Hiro's 2014 Christmas Eve Prix-Fixe - Cypress

Christmas Eve is one of the best nights of the year to visit Cafe Hiro. Six years ago on this blog, I literally waxed poetic on the wonderful Prix-Fixe meals it offers there the night before Christmas.

This year, I'll let the iPhone pictures and the menu descriptions speak for themselves.

Herewith is what Chef Hiro Ohiwa and crew served this evening--a 4-course dinner for $45 per person.

FIRST COURSE

Diced ahi tuna and fresh mozzarella cheese with daikon radish, cucumber salad and mentaiko sauce.

Sauteed oyster on seasoned daikon radish and sweet miso sauce.

SECOND COURSE

Seabass spring roll with sautéed mushroom salad, white truffle oil, and yuzu vinaigrette.

Seared beef tataki and poached cabbage with Italian parsley, parmigiano-reggiano and anchovy vinaigrette.

THIRD COURSE

Roast beef served with mashed potato and garlic soy sauce.

Sautéed salmon with sea urchin "uni" sauce and served with seasonal vegetables.

FOURTH COURSE

Croissant bread pudding.

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

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When a New Dish Appears at Cafe Hiro - Cypress

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One of the sweetest things a Cafe Hiro server can say to you is, “We have a new dish tonight!” because it’s not often that Chef Ohiwa adds something to his repertoire of the tried-and-true. 

The truth is he’s retired more dishes over the years than he’s added. The poached wild salmon; the daily soups; the green tea blanc manger—all have disappeared, seemingly for good. 

So when he does introduce a new creation, you jump, no matter what it is. Tonight, it was octopus carpaccio, with onion, mango, yellow bell pepper, greens and a citrus vinaigrette. 

With a refreshing summery flavor profile and a satisfyingly meaty chew on the octopus, you hope it joins his scallop carpaccio in becoming a member of the permanent specials. It, too, started as a one-off experiment one night.

Cafe Hiro 

10509 Valley View St 

Cypress, CA 90630 

(714) 527-6090

$35 5-Course Lunch @ Bluefin - Newport Coast

Two years ago, I experienced the omakase dinner at Bluefin. It was one of the best meals of my life. At the time, it was owner/chef Takashi Abe's only restaurant. Since then he's branched out. Izakaya Zero opened a year later in Huntington Beach. Sea Smoke in San Clemente debuted about a year after that.

Though neither were necessarily bad, I regarded each spinoff as pale versions of its progenitor in the same way that CSI: Miami and CSI: NY aren't nearly as good as the original CSI.

So when I wanted Abe's food, it had to be Bluefin.

But with a looming holiday credit card bill on the way, a spendy $80 per person meal just didn't seem fiscally responsible. So we met them halfway. Bluefin offered a $35 5-course lunch omakase.

Things started well with the amuse bouche.

About the only thing better than one well-executed Abe amuse bouche is three well-executed Abe amuse bouches. As tiny as a Costco sample size, but ten times more "money", each were comprised of at least three components.

Two unctuous cubes of fatty Kobe beef were speared on a toothpick atop a wedge of zucchini and garnished with golden-fried garlic chip. The fact that the meat melted like room-temperature butter should not be surprising; nor our desire to eat three more of them.

Then there was a slip of smoked salmon, rolled to a tube, topped with a cheesy sauce and a dollop of tobiko as green as The Hulk. In our mouths, the smoky and the silky mixed with the briny and the dairy. Between our teeth, the caviar pop-pop-popped like tiny liquid-filled firecrackers.

Seared toro rode on a swooping cup of endive, and it too was as decadent as the Kobe beef. But these cubes finished cleaner, with a less greasy mouth feel.

Afterwards, it was a brisk isaki sashimi salad. Delicate, tissue-thin slices of pinkish flesh were draped over microgreens, surrounded by house-made ponzu and restless, skittering globules of herb-flavored oil. The game was to soak up as much of the sauce as possible with every piece of the salad and sashimi.

But while this course dazzled, the next one fizzled.

John Dory, a fish that tastes of nothing, was hardly seasoned before it was cooked. Lamentably, it was also deprived of acid -- the other thing it needed. To make matters worse, it sat on top of a puddle of bland celery puree, a mush that conjured thoughts of baby food. Though very photogenic and rich-looking, it was ultimately shallow and puerile -- the Paris Hilton of dishes.

Nigiri followed, which were just fine: no better or worse than a top-end sushi bar of this price and caliber is expected to produce. The best was a halibut oshi-sushi (Osaka-style pressed sushi) which was covered with a swatch of sweet kelp as snappy as a green apple, as sugary as fondant.

A capably-made creme brulee with a still crispy-caramel shell and fresh berries ended the meal -- a meal that, unfortunately, wasn't the greatest of my life, or even that day. Later that evening, we went out to eat Cafe Hiro's $30 Christmas Eve meal -- a dinner so great, I wrote a freakin' poem.

But don't get me wrong: I still love Bluefin. Since their omakase constantly changes, every visit is different. But Cafe Hiro was the better experience this time, especially when every course at the latter seemed like a Kate Winslet Oscar-worthy tour-de-force.

Also, with the hard-to-ignore fact that Cafe Hiro's special 8-course meal went for $5 less than Bluefin's, I don't think I need to say who I thought was the Hottie and who was the Nottie.

Hint: It's not Paris Hilton.

Bluefin
(949) 715-7373
7952 E Pacific Coast Hwy
Newport Beach, CA 92657

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