There was an Autumn Food Fair at Mitsuwa last weekend! Parking here is already hectic on regular days. I found out later they have free valet here?! bah. This was a true, Asian, elbow-rubbing event.

Ohh yes. MORE pork belly. “Okonomiyaki” of “Otafuku”. Mituswa encourages us to “Enjoy its special tasty juicy sauce!!”

And here it is fully assembled, ready to munch:

What is it? or what’s in it you ask?:

This lady was very happy to be photographed. haha. This looks like a vegetarian carrot/mushroom/tofu dish my great grandma ate. $1.95 a plate.

Everyone has their own version of thit kho / braised meat and hard-boiled egg don’t they?! Add Japan to the list. More fatty belly meat. I’m game.

Fish cakes of “Murakawa kamaboko” using Aji (horse mackerel).

“Ijinkan Maki” of “Kobe-Fugetsudo”. These little fellas run almost $2 each and are thin pancakes filled with soft mochi and red bean paste. I wish I had some tea (other than the little sample a vendor gave me)!.

Oh, hai!

They are also cutting a 400lb. bluefin tuna here this weekend! SAMURAI STYLE!

Mitsuwa Marketplace
665 Paularino Ave
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 557-6699

Santouka Ramen does not want to be found. It’s buried inside the food court in the back of Mitsuwa market. Mitsuwa itself is hidden just off Bristol, but hidden behind a 7-Eleven and the plaza with Angotei (which I still need to try!). Neighboring plazas and buildings look pretty dated and are currently getting new pavement poured.

Santouka doesn’t have English signage either, you kind of just have to smell your way (or use the photo provided (: ).

People are constantly walking by, checking out dining options, while order numbers are being called out for all the restaurants over the intercom. Dining in a food court makes me feel more relaxed. It’s a lot more casual. You can be loud and obnoxious, run some laps, and take as many pictures as you like (:.

I’ve had the miso flavor once because they were out of the Shio (salt) ramen, but it was much too salty for my taste. I visit regularly now and Shio remains my favorite!

So here’s the regular sized Shio, topped with slices of tender, fatty pork, a slice of naruto fish cake, bamboo, mushrooms, with chopped green onion in the center. A boiled egg is $0.99 extra. The egg looks similar to the one from my Vietnamese Braised Pork w/egg recipe, but this one’s a bit harder and rubbery. Strange, but good.

(Trust me, there’s ramen under there.)

This soup is served nice and HOT. The noodles have a nice bite to them, and are accompanied by a rich and salty broth sure to leave you dehydrated.

Santouka’s Shio ramen would be fine if it came with just ramen and broth, but all the tasty toppings add unique flavor and texture to each bite. I love the crunch of the bamboo and mushrooms. And the pork is tender, fatty, delivering more of that broth flavor.

It’s important to note that this place does not accept credit cards. I hate carrying cash, but I’ll make that sacrifice for Santouka. Bowls range from about $6-9, and combos are a bit more. Mitsuwa has a BofA ATM at the front now too.

I’m coming to realize I’m eating more and more pork belly, and doing less and less cardio exercises. Stay tuned for a fried pork belly post.

Santouka Ramen
665 Paularino Ave
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 434-1101

The space itself is cold, sterile–like an art gallery. Strange plastic sea creatures are scattered on the wall which sports fake brick behind “damaged” drywall.

A fertility object and tasteful photo of fish to welcome you:

I’ve never experienced such a laid back, informal host at a sushi restaurant. Maybe it all ties into the “Fun” theme and of course, downtown Fullerton. After about a 20 minute wait, we were seated street-side with loungey seating and even more of those weird plastic fish. It was incredibly crowded this night and there must have been at least four men working the sushi bar. Rolls seemed to be what they’re pushing here, but there was a nigiri platter hidden in the back of the menu.

We finally put in our order. And about 40-50 minutes after nothing but edemame and beer, the restaurant lets off the joke. Having successfully starved us, they decided to bring out the order.

I have to admit I wasn’t expecting much after the initial impressions of the restaurant. It is not the most elegant stuff I’ve seen, but the nigiri was decent–the rolls too. That said, I still cannot comprehend the lines for this place.

Fun Sushi Momo
208 N Harbor Blvd
Fullerton, CA 92832
(714) 525-8974
www.sushi-momo.com

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

$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

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