Keep the fish in the bottle! Unless you have no other options for sushi…….. still don’t come here. Get some Molca Salsa or instant ramen.

Fish In a Bottle is located in Placentia. I have never really explored this place and upon entering the plaza, sushi did NOT seem like a good fit. I ordered the nigiri sampler which came with 5 different kinds of fish and one shrimp. Hopes sank with each bite, making me kick myself more for not picking up some pastrami from The Hat. The fish was not fresh, each was mealy, chewy or very fishy smelling. As for the rice, there was too much. Each grain was dried a bit and chalky. Just awful. I did not have the heart to finish the last two pieces of fish or even try the shrimp. I have NEVER not finished nigiri until this night. This changes the meaning of ‘bad sushi’ for me.

Ok enough bashing. The decor, music, and atmosphere of this place was modern, upbeat, and comfy, respectively. To my surprise the salad that came with the sampler was nothing ive seen at a Japanese place and it was decent. It was mixed greens with candied walnuts, dijon balsamic vinaigrette, and a slice of pear(poached?).

They did seem to have a big selection of special rolls though, if you’re into that. Wouldn’t the icky fish be in that too? Yes! But to quote Anthony Bourdain, “An ounce of sauce covers a multitude of sins”
Lured with nice reviews and an attractive greeter ne’er again!

Fish In A Bottle
1205 E Imperial Hwy
Placentia, CA 92870

The menu at Oki Doki is all over the map with pretty affordable prices. That should be warning sign #1 if you’re looking for high quality across the board.

$1 Kirin mugs for happy hour is aweesome! I believe they have changed this happy hour recently to Mon-Thurs 5pm-7pm or 7:30pm. The perfect break right before night class. There is still NO ONE here during happy hour.

I’ve been to the Oki Dokis in OC quite a few times for sushi and this location is the ONLY one you should even think about visiting for sushi. You’re in for a world of hurt ordering it at the Garden Grove or Costa Mesa locations. The man, Takashi usually runs the sushi-ing here. Some new additions to the menu which are also only at this Oki Doki keep me coming back.

My faaavorite here is the albacore with garlic chips. You’ll smell like garlic for days but its TOTALLY worth it.

My second favorite is the spicy tuna on “grilled” (er, deep fried?) rice. It’s a little fried cake of rice topped with some spicy tuna, a tiny slice of jalepeno and Sriracha. x4. This and $1 Kirin alone is worth the trip!

The tuna/avocado tortilla chip dish is incr-edible.
Soy sauce and red wine stewed ribs are melt off the bone and continues melting in your mouth delish.
The ramen here is decent. The Malay style fried rice goes well with a mug of Kirin too.
For the most part, I do not like the nigiri. The quality of all the fish varies a lot so curb your expectations and you’ll be fine. I’ll still order it to get my fix. If you want some serious nigiri, head down the street to Wasabi and get your wallets ready.

Oki Doki
13681 Newport Ave #9
Tustin, CA 92781
(714) 730-7051

*see the revisit post*

Positioned around loads of fast food, something like a Denny’s, behind a gas station, and baring neon paint on its face, Wafu of Japan is a gimmick. right?!

Whatever it is the seafood is fresh. We had the salmon, yellow tail, albacore, red snapper, and the octopus–they have all been consistently fresh and delicious.

The calamari part of the “Calamari Soo Good!” was unlike any I’ve had before… very good! If only it wasn’t filled with tuna. It was also quite pricey for a few pieces.

Craving a hit of Panda Express after it’s closed? Try the sesame chicken =O. It was unexpectedly drenched in a pungent, vinegary sauce. I say no to the teriyaki chicken too–it was just so-so.
Not being a fan of roe, or any mayo/cheese/smeltys I did not try any of the rolls.

The cozy room with very friendly chefs makes for a nice atmosphere.
Recently, however, I have been turned off by the nigiri. Having tried better fish elsewhere, I would only come back to try some rolls.

Oh yeah, and at which other sushi bars do you find fried ice cream? Take that one however you wish.

Wafu of Japan
320 Bristol St Ste G
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 641-7321

When I don’t feel like cooking, The Veggie Grill is only a skip and a hop away. The burgers are very expensive for what they are, $8-10 for a fast food burger! Vegetarian food, however, does usually cost a bit more.

I’ve had the chance to try the Bali Bliss, Portobello, and Grillin’ Chickin’, and the Carne Asada. The bliss was for Bali until I had one too many improperly cooked patties on that burger. They were either really soggy, or burned (why!!!). I decided to step away from Bali to try the Santa Fe (Crispy Chik’n) once and haven’t looked back since. A crispy-but-not-oily patty, always properly ripe avocado and tomato and chipotle mayo make this sandburger’s price tag worthwhile.

I should also note I had a chat with one of the chill investors of this place when it first opened.
THUMBS DOWN on his adding 15% tip to my credit authorization signature–F+. Good food though.

The Veggie Grill
4213 Campus Dr
Irvine, CA 92612
(949) 509-0003
www.veggiegrill.com