The Fast Foodie

Some weeks ago in this column, the Foodie praised the independent eateries that, decades ago, made fast food what it is today.

Everywhere you eat had to start somewhere, and Ground Zero must have wowed its customers with amazing atmosphere, a marvelous menu and superior savories, sweets and service.

But while franchising opportunities might have appeared to them sometime in the past, other outlets choose to stay small and local, never opening more than one or a handful of eateries. They’re often run by people with true passion for serving great food at a fair price, and sharing it every day with appreciative patrons.

Harry’s Place at 7181 West Garden Grove Blvd. in Garden Grove is an example. Placed at the corner of Knott/Goldenwest and Garden Grove Boulevard, I don’t know when it first opened but the homey décor gives me a late-70s/early-80s vibe, and the menu reflects that era as well. Burgers, breakfasts, sandwiches, salads, “South of the Border” specialties, it’s all there.

The first thing that hits you when you walk into Harry’s — they have no drive-thru — is the smell of their steaming hot grill, right behind the register. I can’t remember ever experiencing that anywhere before, and it promptly announces to you, “fresh, hot and tasty.”

Happy to say, the food backs up your expectations. If I had to explain Harry’s approach in one word, it would be: straightforward. The breakfast items like eggs, pancakes, sausage and bacon are classic American. The burger was an intriguing mix of the flavor of In-N-Out’s burgers, with the charbroiled character of a Carl’s Jr sandwich.

Then there was the steak sandwich. Again, straightforward is the best way I can describe it. It’s an actual charbroiled steak, just above a quarter-inch thick, on a toasted French roll with lettuce, tomato and mayo. That’s it, that’s all, and it was quite satiating. I ended up taking home half of it for late-night leftover snacking.

Another thing that struck me about Harry’s is their menu variety. I’ve only been able to sample three of their options, but they feature a fortune of foodstuffs. We’ll have more on Harry’s Place in future installments of The Fast Foodie.

Back to the behemoths.

The Stanton area was blessed with a location of legendary fried chicken fingers franchise Raising Cane’s about a month ago, at 12775 Beach Blvd.

Like every other Cane’s I’ve visited, the lines are long but service is super-efficient, the menu is simple and short (just variations of their fingers, fries, coleslaw and drinks), and the chicken is probably the most juicy and tender of any franchise in the U.S.

But their secret weapon is the Texas Toast, so crisp, soft and gingerly seasoned with garlic. Yum!

Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and please send your feedback to fastfoodieWHJ@gmail.com!

Harry's Cafe is busily preparing to serve those who need a warm meal on Thanksgiving Day.

For 22 years, Harry's Cafe owners Andreas and Angelena Psaras have shared their Thanksgiving Day with those in the community.

Also sharing that day with the Psaras' are lots of community members and businesses who step up each year to offer their help.

Shown in the photo are Andreas and Angelina Paras, back row, far left, with City Council members and business men and women who make Thanksgiving brighter for hundreds of locals.

Destination Seafood House — features a Vietnamese spin on Cajun seafood boils, but also hot pots, dishes that feature snails and shellfish, and a lobster pho — is serving customers at 15606 Brookhurst St. in Westminster.

For information, call 714-884-4692.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Pictured is the surf clams salad.

There's a new seafood eatery in Westminster.

Destination Seafood House — features a Vietnamese spin on Cajun seafood boils, but also hot pots, dishes that feature snails and shellfish, and a lobster pho — is serving customers at 15606 Brookhurst St. in Westminster.

For information, call 714-884-4692.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Pictured is the surf clams salad.

Yelp reviewers are giving the upscale eatery rave reviews.

Mama Tieu's offers an upscale menu featuring pho, bun, curry, bahn mi and more.

Mama Tieu’s recently held its grand opening at 10130 Garden Grove Blvd. in Garden Grove.

Yelp reviewers are giving the upscale eatery rave reviews.

Mama Tieu's offers an upscale menu featuring pho, bun, curry, bahn mi and more.

On its website at chinajoeswestminster.com, China Joe's states: "Customers expect nothing less than the best and we always deliver on that promise. It's our mission to provide complete customer satisfaction in Chinese cooking. Just let us know what you want and we'll serve it. You won't find a better Chinese restaurant in Westminster… We have the best Chinese cuisine in Westminster and it's our goal to make sure you leave satisfied.

BY BRADY RHOADES: China Joe's has opened in Westminster, and patrons are raving.

On its website at chinajoeswestminster.com, China Joe's states: "Customers expect nothing less than the best and we always deliver on that promise. It's our mission to provide complete customer satisfaction in Chinese cooking. Just let us know what you want and we'll serve it. You won't find a better Chinese restaurant in Westminster… We have the best Chinese cuisine in Westminster and it's our goal to make sure you leave satisfied.

The restaurant, owned by Joseph Ling, opened earlier this year. Currently, it's offering a $7.95 special on some lunches and 10 percent off any purchase of $20 or more (with coupon).

“We serve authentic Chinese food,” said Ling, who hails from Hong Kong.

Lunches include salad, soup, rice and a main dish. Some of the main dishes are sweet and sour pork, spicy chicken, kung pao shrimp and honey pineapple shrimp.

Appetizers include egg rolls, barbecue spare ribs, steamed dumplings, cream won ton and edamame. Some favorite soups are won ton, chicken noodle, hot and sour and egg flower.

But if you want the full, China Joe's experience, you probably should stop in for dinner. Among the items offered are sweet and sour chicken, black pepper beef, curry beef, satay beef and moo goo gai pan.

All are reasonably priced. The restaurant is clean and quiet.

“I love it here,” said Mary Sturgis, who has frequented Joe’s a few times since it opened. “I get the orange chicken. Delicious!”

Following are some of the early Yelp reviews, a vast majority of which are positive.

Alex V., Westminster

This is the fourth iteration of a restaurant I've been to in this space and I'm thinking this one will be here for quite some time. It's nice to have a real authentic Chinese restaurant around the corner from my house, where the owners come out and talk to you and are super friendly. China Joe himself is in the front as well as in the back, cooking up some food with years of experience. There's all kinds of awards on the walls from years of culinary work, and they're rightfully earned. The food is great and the portions are massive for the price. They had a lot of things on the menu I wanted to try, so of course I'll be back the next time I'm craving some Chinese food. If you're in the area or craving Chinese food in general this is definitely a good spot to go to.

Yousef B., Garden Grove

We ordered to go. This location keeps changing ove rthe  last few years. So when we saw China Joe's like always we wanted to try it. We kept seeing 5 star reviews and so on, so we were set for a 5 stars mentality. We ordered orange chicken, Mongolian beef, fried rice with beef, and a lunch special chicken and broccoli. Honestly, I appreciated the freshness of the food even driving it home and having it 10 minutes later… Out of all our order, the fried rice was the best followed by orange chicken. Based on the food and location and restaurant, it has to be 4 stars. It is a great place.

Ryan S., Westminster

I had to go up to the door and check out the menu. The lady inside came out and talked to me about the menu and how the food was prepared. Realizing how many restaurants they had owned , I had to check it out. Keeping it simple for the first time, I ordered the beef fried rice and the fried dumplings. The lady even gave me a small hot and sour soup. I took it to go and the soup never even made it home! The dumplings were perfect. The fried rice: awesome. The sauce on the side rocked. I hope this place gets the attention they deserve and stays here a long time. Thank you for the great service.

China Joe's

7132-A Garden Grove Blvd. in Westminster

714-372-7832

ChinaJoesWestminster.com

Dine-in and delivery

Sunday: 4 to 9 p.m.

Monday-Thursday: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Friday and Saturday: 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

VisitCalifornia invited the Garden Grove Chamber of Commerce and City of Garden Grove to participate in the event.

This is a great opportunity to try great foods from six diverse Garden Grove restaurants, through Sunday, Jan. 22.

By Loreen Berlin: Restaurants in Garden Grove are participating in the first "Taste of Garden Grove," which is part of the annual California Restaurant Month.

VisitCalifornia invited the Garden Grove Chamber of Commerce and City of Garden Grove to participate in the event.

This is a great opportunity to try great foods from six diverse Garden Grove restaurants, through Sunday, Jan. 22.

And,  there's a rare opportunity to “Cook with the Chef,” offered by Executive Chef Hany Ali at Great Wolf Lodge — Southern California in the Lodge's "Wood-fired Grill."

There's an open kitchen at the Lodge, where guests can see the beautifully-displayed foods being prepared. The Lodge's restaurants are not only open to registered Lodge guests, they are open to local residents who may call and make reservations in the different restaurants inside Great Wolf Lodge.

Executive Chef Ali's staff prepared their Backyard BBQ Platter, as an example from the regular menu, which is made with an assortment of meats including hickory-smoked St. Louis ribs, hardwood smoked brisket and smoked sausage. The platter also includes macaroni and cheese, lodge-made pickles and cole slaw, served with warm cornbread.

"This is a mouth-watering combination of great flavors for the meat-lover, with a glass of wine," said Ali.

If your pallet leans more to vegetarian, they have that too, with roasted wild-mushroom risotto, crimini, portabello and shitake mushrooms, asparagus, roasted tomatoes and mushroom juice — all gluten-free.

"We're known for our allergy-free program," Ali said. "We focus on all-natural produce that is locally-grown and we have no hormones in any of our chickens; it's all natural.”

On Historic Main Street, “Elvis is in the building” at Azteca Restaurant and Lounge, where great traditional Mexican food can be found while viewing Elvis memorabilia and hearing him croon.

Azteca also features karaoke.

On Jan. 15, he Taste of Garden Grove began, and Azteca was packed with two large groups of people enjoying the cuisine while holding a birthday party and a celebration of life.

Azteca offers a great "Special Three-Course Meal" that includes soup/salad, entree and dessert as part of the week-long Taste of Garden Grove, along with a great variety of foods from the regular menu.

"This is our first time to participate," said Manager Alex Olea. "It's a good program and it's right for the business."

Doug's Downtown Grill, also on Historic Main Street, is a popular eatery serving traditional American food in a warm and friendly atmosphere that includes booths for seating and a sports bar, along with a patio area.

Carolina's Italian Restaurant has been in Garden Grove for 40 years and is participating in the Taste of Garden Grove. Owner Tim Ibrahim is a board member of the Garden Grove Chamber of Commerce and said he likes the idea of the Taste of Garden Grove.

"I think this is a great idea; people need to hear about the event and then it will grow each year and become a real success," he said. "We serve strictly Italian food at Carolina's and have two large dining areas in our Garden Grove restaurant and a larger Carolina's in Anaheim.”

"We also have two kitchens in the Garden Grove facility,” he added, “one for our dine-in patrons and one for take-out customers… We have a wide-selection of 400 wines for our customers to choose from…”

Other restaurants participating in the Taste of Garden Grove are: Garlic and Chives, the SunSpot Restaurant, The Smoking Ribs, The Wharf and the Wild Crab.

For more information about Taste of Garden Grove, visit www.ci.garden-grove,ca.us/restaurantweek.

Bon Appetite mon ami!

Student teams were paired with professional mentor chefs to create an appealing school lunch menu that adheres to strict cost and nutrition guidelines.

Garden Grove Unified School District students from Bolsa Grande, Garden Grove and Los Amigos high schools competed in the state’s Cooking Up Change competition on April 21. 

Student teams were paired with professional mentor chefs to create an appealing school lunch menu that adheres to strict cost and nutrition guidelines.

The event brings together culinary students from schools across Orange County and empowers students to have their voice heard as part of the national conversation about school food.  Students competed for an opportunity to have their recipes served at school districts across Orange County and receive an opportunity to compete in the national round in Washington D.C.

The competition was hosted at the Northgate Gonzalez Market Headquarters in Anaheim by Kid Healthy and the Healthy Schools campaign. District student teams were led by Scott Kim from Bolsa Grande, Christine Rodriguez from Garden Grove and Lisa Driggers from Los Amigos.

“The Cooking Up Change competition is a great opportunity for our culinary students to receive real-world training from a professional chef and learn menu planning, nutrition concepts, presentation skills, and cooking with time restrictions,” said Dr. George West, district Board of Education president.

Bolsa Grande High School students prepared a Hawaiian themed menu; Garden Grove High School students cooked up Mexican cuisine, and Los Amigos High School students made a popular chicken chili and zucchini pesto plate.

Owned and operated by family members Banny Hong and Fred Phan, Irrawaddy Taste of Burma is utterly unique, but it’s much, much more: the vast array of dishes are stunningly delicious, the atmosphere is classy, clean and comfortable and the service is spot-on, done with a smile and great pride in the cuisine and culture. 

Along with an unforgettable meal, I received a lesson in geography and history.

BY TONY CHEONG: The first and only Burmese restaurant in Orange County has opened in Stanton.

Owned and operated by family members Banny Hong and Fred Phan, Irrawaddy Taste of Burma is utterly unique, but it’s much, much more: the vast array of dishes are stunningly delicious, the atmosphere is classy, clean and comfortable and the service is spot-on, done with a smile and great pride in the cuisine and culture. 

Along with an unforgettable meal, I received a lesson in geography and history.

If you’re like me, when you hear Burma (now called Myanmar), you race for a globe. This nation borders India, Bangladesh, China, Laos and Thailand. Yangon (formerly Rangoon), the country's largest city, features numerous markets, parks, lakes and the gilded Shwedagon Pagoda, which contains Buddhist relics dating to the 6th century.

Most of the west side of Burma is on the Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean, and a river runs north/south the length of the country, providing divine water from the Himalayas.

Irrawaddy River. Hence, the name of an eatery that delivered an incredibly diverse, multi-course meal, with plates ranging from tea leaf salad to catfish chowder to golden tofu.

I don’t have the space to describe every dish, so I’ll focus on a handful.

TEA LEAF SALAD

If you visit a family in Burma, you will likely be served a tea leaf salad (La Phat Thote).  Loaded with Romaine lettuce, peanuts, lentils, fried garlic, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, tomatoes, and drizzled with a lime tea leaf dressing, this is an eclectic salad full of varied tastes and textures. Every bite brings a delightful surprise. The green tea leaves, which you will find in other dishes, are important to the culture. When the tea leaves are harvested, the best of the crop is set aside for fermenting, while the rest is dried and processed for drinking tea.

FLAT NOODLES

The Kauk Swear Thote (flat noodles) must be mentioned. Get this: green, flat noodles sautéed with coconut milk in a sweet paprika sauce with chicken or shrimp. Banny shared his secret that gives this fare a nice kick: curry flakes. And though a noodle dish, you typically eat this at room temperature.

BIRYANI

The Dun Pauk served with lamb is, I’ve heard, one of the most talked-about dishes at Taste of Burma, which opened earlier this month.

At Irrawaddy, the chefs marinate the lamb overnight and it's cooked with a blend of Indian spices served with basmati or coconut rice.

The meat is so tender it melts in your mouth.

READY FOR DESSERT?

I ended my feast with the coup de grace, a tall glass bottomed with lime Jell-O, tapioca in the middle, then strawberry ice cream and milk, topped with fresh sliced strawberries, on top. A tip: It’s served in a glass for presentation, but to mix the elements and send your taste buds to tapping, pour it into a bowl and stir. It’s a dessert that will leave anyone with a sweet longing to return to Irrawaddy.

Simply put, Irrawaddy is the most interesting and exquisite eating experience I’ve enjoyed in my four-plus years with this paper.

Irrawaddy Taste of Burma

7076 Katella Ave.

Stanton, CA 90680

714-252-8565

www.Irrawaddytasteofburma.com

May you be poor in misfortune and rich in blessings. 

May you have food and raiment, a soft pillow for your head. 

BY TONY CHEONG: Top of the morning to you. 

May you be poor in misfortune and rich in blessings. 

May you have food and raiment, a soft pillow for your head. 

May you be 40 years in heaven before the devil knows you're dead. 

St. Patrick's Day has arrived (March 17). 

For all you planning to go out and drink Guinness, Murphy's Red, Jameson, Tullamore Dew and the like, let me issue a warning: Garden Grove and Westminster police tell me that they issue more DUIs on this holiday than on your average Thursday. So if you're going to over imbibe, get a designated driver, or call Uber. There are, after all, limits to the luck of the Irish. 

Which brings me to my beef. In this case, you might call it my corned beef: Why isn't there a thriving Irish pub in the communities I cover? 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I've scoured the area for a place that serves a piping hot and delicious beef stew, blood pudding, corned beef sandwiches and potato soup. A warm small pub, with a low ceiling. A place where you can feel comfortable and make life-long friends, which is very much an Irish priority. A place where you can feel, in your heart, the camaraderie. A pub where the bartenders know how to pour a proper Guinness and greet you by name.

How about it city leaders, chambers of commerces and business associations? 

In Garden Grove, for instance, Historic Main Street would be a perfect locale. 

In Stanton, how about placing one near the DMV? I mean, who doesn't need a drink after dealing with a labyrinth of bureaucracy? 

And bring one to the Westminster Mall, where thousands of commuters could see it from the 405 Freeway. And not to mention those poor, weary men -– you've seen them with the slouched postures and lifeless eyes –who could find a place of respite while their wives are doing the painstaking, heroic job of shopping.  

Further, we could use a little luck around here, and a dash of charm.

Happy St. Patrick's Day, don't forget to say a prayer for the good Saint and may the grass grow tall on the road to hell for want of use. 

Do you have a question, comment or news tip for Tony? Send to tonyontown@yahoo.com. 

You remember No Baloney Tony, right?

For three years, I was the food critic for this newspaper.

So I’m turning back the clock.

By TONY CHEONG: This week, I take off my “Tony on the Town” hat and put on my “No Baloney Tony” one.

You remember No Baloney Tony, right?

For three years, I was the food critic for this newspaper.

So I’m turning back the clock.

And you can thank Opal, in the distribution department for Orange County Neighborhood Newspapers. She recommended I check out Daniel’s Burgers, on the border of Garden Grove and Anaheim. She’s never steered me wrong, so, after checking out a few YELP! reviews, I dropped in on a Saturday morning.

Daniel’s doesn’t look like much; a hole in the wall, as they say.

Forget that.

The food – Daniel’s specializes in burgers and Mexican  fare — is fantastic.

We started with the menudo, which is served on weekends. A HUGE bowl arrived at our table with freshly-cut limes, diced onions and cilantro. To put it simply, it’s the best menudo I’ve ever eaten. A meal in itself. A meal for two, really. Zesty without being overwhelming, and the meat is tender and scrumptious. My only regret was that is was a warm day; menudo, of course, is a bowl best served on cold winter days.

Next we order the bacon double cheeseburger with avocado. The avocado was fresh, the bacon was crispy and tasty and the charbroiled burger was cooked EXACTLY how I like it: charred (but not burned) on the outside, which gives you that wonderful texture, and tender on the inside. The burger is served with fries and drink for just $7.99.

We were stuffed, so we saved our next item – the breakfast burrito, which patrons, who come from many miles away to get, rave about on YELP! – for the Super Bowl game.

Daniel’s breakfast burrito is different than a typical breakfast burrito in that the eggs are fried, accentuating the taste, and the eggs don’t dominate the burrito. Instead, there’s a balance: two eggs, two sausages, two bacons and hash browns, with a side of robust salsa.

This is maybe the most popular item on the menu. After taking my first bite, and making sure I had a forkful of all the tastes, I saw why. As I said, scrambled eggs dominate most breakfast burritos. Daniel’s does it differently.

Eating it is like reading a great book. First chapter: You get the pleasing taste of fried egg, warm tortilla, homemade salsa. The chapters (tastes) unfold, so that you’re getting four or five different tastes in one package.

It’s basically a traditional breakfast served as a sandwich, or burrito, but with all the zinging, comforting tastes creating a morning party in your mouth.

Did I mention that the prices are ridiculously affordable?

There are many, many other plates on the menu, but I’d recommend these. Daniel’s is worth going to even if order one item – menudo, a burger or a breakfast burrito.

But I’ll be honest: The prices are so reasonable that I recommend you order three or four items and take some home.

On top of great food, Daniel’s, which is family owned and family run by the Chominas, offers friendly service and – this is hugely important to me – very clean.

I highly recommend it.

Daniel’s Burgers

2054 Euclid St., Anaheim (on the border of Garden Grove)

714-590-2809