Kiku Sushi

Kiku Sushi
670 Huntington Dr.
Monrovia
626-357-9971

Every now and then I enjoy having sushi. But I'm not an expert on sushi but as long as the sushi is fresh, I'm pretty happy. The best way to tell if fish is fresh? If there isn't any smell. Fish should not smell.

Kiku Sushi offers a great dinner special. You can choose two items from the menu for $8.95 or three items for $12.95. I choosed the two items, with chicken teriyaki and three pieces of sushi. The chicken teriyaki is the standard grilled chicken topped with teriyaki sauce. It's good but nothing special. The three pieces of sushi I got included tuna, salmon, and halibut. All the sushi was fresh and very tasty. I would was impressed they could serve these items at these prices.

My girlfriend had the tempura and avocado rolls. The tempura included shrimp and vegetables dipped in tempura batter and deep fried to perfection. I really enjoyed the nice crunch of the tempura. The avocado rolls were fresh and tasty.

Service was good and fast. But they didn't mention the special until my girlfriend asked about the special.

I would go back to Kiku Sushi anytime. A nice place for fresh sushi at a great price

Hoagie and Wings-Closed

Hoagie and Wings
5301 Venice Blvd
LA
323-934-1500

I've heard good things about Hoagie and Wings, so I finally made the trip to give it a try. Maybe I had higher expectations but I thought it was very average and certainly not worth the drive to the Mid Wilshire area.

I ordered the steak hoagie ($5.99) with four chicken wings ($2.99). The hoagies are billed as California hoagies, so if you're expecting the Philly style hoagies, go somewhere else. The steak hoagie has lettuce, tomatoes, mayo and cheese. I thought the amount of steak was really lacking. The cheesesteaks at Philly's Best gives you much more for the same price. The steak wasn't that tender either, very tough and chewy. The french roll was slightly toasted and soft and chewy. The other ingredients were nice and fresh.

The chicken wings was OK. I ordered the hot and they were fairly hot but nothing too hot. The wings were pretty good sized minus the midget wing they gave me. The skin was crispy and the inside was pretty good.

Service is decent. They did screw up my wings order. I asked for hot and they gave me honey BBQ. But that was quickly fixed but one of the hot wings was so small, I couldn't believe they served it. I also called on Sunday to see if they were opened and nobody answered the phone. When I went there on Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday, I asked about that and they said they were opened on Sunday. Not sure why they didn't answer the phone. Oh well. I won't go back to Hoagies and Wings. I feel the prices are too high and the quality of food isn't the best. They recently opened another location on La Ceinega but I won't go to that location either.

Krazy Kabobs

Krazy Kabobs
1418 Beverly Blvd
Montebello
323-725-2929

I've been in the mood for some kabobs and figured I would give Krazy Kabobs a try. Krazy Kabobs is more like a fast food kabob place. It's in the same strip mall as Broaster Chicken.

I wasn't impressed with their chicken kabob. The chicken barg plate $9.99, included rice, salad, and your choice of salad, I picked the shirazi salad, cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions topped with a lemon and oil dressing.

The chicken barg is billed as the most tender part of the chicken and while it was tender it was way too salty for my tastes. Not sure what other things, they use to marinate the chicken but they need to lay off the salt. I also thought the portion size was small, especially for the price. The chicken is grilled to order and it was white meat and tender. But it was also dry in addition to being salty.

I didn't touch much of the shirazi salad or the garden salad. But both items were fresh and tasty.

Service is good. They are nice people and know what customer service is about. I wish they would improve their food because I like supporting businesses with good customer service. But I won't go back to Krazy Kabobs.

Ocha Classic

Ocha Classic
837 Vermont
LA
213-427-9823

What a find!!! What a find!!! My girlfriend mentioned we should go for Thai food and said she wanted to go to Ocha. Now this is the first Thai restaurant I have reviewed for The New Diner. Thai food other than satay isn't my favorite. I'm not a fan of real spicy food. But Ocha really surprised me.

We ordered the spicy shrimp soup ($7.95) and the chicken satay($6.95). The chicken satay was tender and had nice bits of charred that made it one of the best satays I've had. And it's a great deal. They bring you four huge skewers of chicken. The chicken is a mixture of dark and white meat and not some grounded chicken as some other places can be.

Not the best part, the spicy shrimp soup. First it's not that spicy. About a the spiciness of the mild sauce at Del Taco. But the soup is a fish based with tons of deveined plump shrimp. The soup works well as a soup but over white rice it's a great meal. I didn't like the celantro but otherwise this was a great dish.

I saw the spicy seafood soup, filled with mussels and crab claws, at other tables and that looked great too. Matter of fact everything looked great from the fried rice to the seafood items.

Service is good but expect a wait. There is a long line out the door along Vermont. It does move pretty fast but it's still a wait. They do not take reservations.

I would love to go back to Ocha and try their other items. But I will always order the spicy shrimp soup and chicken satay. A great find.

King Taco

King Taco
4504 3rd St
LA
323-264-4067

I first became aware of King Taco at Dodger Stadium. They used to make the tacos and I thought they were ok but nothing special. Of coure being sold at the stadium, it was also double the price. So I decided to give King Taco a try. They have tons of locations throughout LA. The Long Beach location was torn down and replaced by El Gallo Giro.

I went to the King Taco on 3rd St and ordered a carnitas and carne asada taco, $1.25 each. The carne asada tasted as though they had been in the warmer too long. Very tough and chewy. It wasn't well marinated either. The salsa added nothing to the taco.

The carnitas wasn't as tough as the carne asada but still not as tender as other places. Again seemed as though they had been in the warmer too long. I'm surprised because there is always a good crowd and it would seem as though they would have a good turnover on food.

Service is decent. It would help if they spoke English or I spoke Spanish. You place your order and a LOUD speaker will call you when your order is ready. But it can take some time for your order to be ready. I much prefer going to El Gallo Giro.

El Pollo Fino-Closed

El Pollo Fino
801 Whittier Blvd
Montebello
323-887-9908

El Pollo Fino is an interesting combination of chicken place and taco stand. The chicken is a copy of El Pollo Loco but at better prices. The half chicken, $4.78, is marinated in plenty of lime and Mexican spices. The chicken is flamed broiled earlier, kept warm and when you order it is put back on the grill. The skin has a very nice flavor from the marinate. But the chicken is on the dry side and not exactly the biggest chicken around either. Is it better than El Pollo Loco? Yes but that's not saying too much.

The carne asada burritto has beans, rice and onions for $3.91. There isn't as much carne asada as other Mexican places that I have reviewed. The carne asada was also very tough and not tender, very chewy. The beans and rice are nothing special or outstanding. Overall the burrito is nothing special.

Service is OK. It's not great and it's not bad. But I ordered a bottle of Coke and asked if the Coke was made in Mexico. Here's a tip, Coke made in Mexico is much better than the Coke made in the US. In Mexico they use real sugar, not that crap sweetener they use in the US. He said he wasn't sure. I asked him to go check the bottle to make sure. He just stood there. I asked him again. Again he just stood there. I asked him a third time and he finally went to the cooler to see if the Coke was made in Mexican. Now it's only a $1.55 item but that's $1.55 they wouldn't have had. I normally do not drink soda but if I do I'll drink Coke and not that second rate cola. And I prefer Coke made with real sugar!!! Though I still do hold a grudge against Coke for making that New Coke crap back in 1985.

I would go back to El Pollo Fino if I'm in the area but I wouldn't make any special trips.

Mandarin Taste

Mandarin Taste
23391 Golden Springs
Diamond Bar
909-861-1819

Mandarin Taste has been in Diamond Bar since 1984. In 1984 Diamond Bar was had a low Asian population. But as the Diamond Bar Asian population grew and more Chinese restaurants opened in surrounding areas like Rowland Heights, Mandarin Taste has stayed in business. They cater to a mostly white crowd. Go into Mandarin Taste and the only Chinese people there are the owners, cooks and wait staff. They serve Americanized Chinese food but they do it right.

Pictured is the shrimp in lobster sauce, ($12.55) and shrimp lo-mein ($8.55) The shrimp in lobster sauce is basically shrimp in egg flower soup. They may use some kind of lobster base but there are no pieces of lobster in this dish. They do have some peas, tofu, and of course shrimp. The shrimp are tender and are good sized. The soup base isn't too bad and works well over white rice, though a bit on the bland side. Adding pepper is a good idea.

The shrimp lo-mein is soft noodles and some beans sprouts, lettuce, green onions, and cabbage. The noodles are soft but are on greasy side. They could use less oil when cooking this dish. But shrimp are tender but there aren't enough of them, you get much more noodles than shrimp.

Service is good. They speak English well and the noise level is very low. They also aren't too pushy and allow you to enjoy your dinner without feeling rushed.

Overall Mandarin Taste is a nice neighborhood restaurant. It's not for food snob idiots, like those on Chowhounds, but it's serves good quality food, though I think prices are on the high side.

Jean P's Soul Food Express-Closed

Jean P's Soul Food Express
2540 Figueroa
LA
213-741-2126

Hided behind a Popeye's is Jean P's Soul Food Express. They advertise 99 cent specials but those are mainly for vegetable items. I ordered a chicken breast and corn and okra for $3.71.

First the corn and okra, which looked good on the steam table. I'm glad I ordered it becuase it was awesome. The corn and okra was in a tomato based sauce. The corn was sweet and cooked perfectly. Almost like having corn on the cob. The okra, which I normally don't like because it's too goey, was good and maybe the tomato based sauce hide the goeyness.

The fried chicken breast left a lot to be desired. First it wasn't hot or even warm, it was sitting in the basket above the fryer instead of a warmer. Then I took a bite and it was as dry as any desert. The skin lacked any crunch and flavor. Bland and flavorless are two perfect words for the chicken.

Service was good. The lady was very nice and took my order quickly. My order was quickly prepared and they were friendly.

I would go back to Jean P's but I wouldn't order the fried chicken. The meatloaf and smothered pork chop looked good. So I may order that the next time I'm there.

Doublz

Doublz
825 Hacienda
La Puente
626-961-9300

Not sure what it is but there are a ton of the burger places within a 2-3 mile area on Hacienda. I tried and enjoyed Burger Depot and now I tried Doublz about a mile south.

Doublz had a 1/4 pound burger for 99 cents, so I ordered two of them. The burgers come with Thousand Island dressing, lettuce, tomatoes and onions on a seasame seed bun. The burgers are on the dry side so I added some ketchup. The thousand island dressing isn't overpowering, which I like. The lettuce and tomatoes were fresh. One big downside of the burger, it wasn't hot, maybe lukewarm. It seemed as though the burgers were placed in a warmer and then prepared. I expect these burger places to be far from a McDonald's or Burger King.

Service is good and in a heavy Spanish speaking area, the guy who took my order spoke perfect English.

I wouldn't go back to Doublz. The burger is a good size and prized right but I would much rather pay a little extra for a better tasting burger. Oh well there are many other burger places in the area to try.

Golden Bird Chicken-Closed

Golden Bird
801 Manchester
Inglewood
310-671-2900

Golden Bird is in the same restaurant as Porky's BBQ in Inglewood, which I reviewed earlier. Golden Bird used to be one of the better fried chicken places in LA. But something happened and there are very few Golden Bird restaurants left.

I never went to a Golden Bird back in their hey day but I wasn't impressed with the Golden Bird of today. I ordered the two piece, breast and wing, chicken and biscuit combo for about $5. The skin was crunchy but it didn't have any type of flavor. Even today's Pioneer Chicken has a better flavor with the same crunch. But the chicken was a good sized piece and was juicy. But it was just too bland and nothing special about it. I'm not sure what's missing, maybe more spices or something.

The chicken includes a side of mac and cheese which was very good. Soft macaroni with lots of burnt pieces of of goey cheese. Some of the best mac and cheese around.

Golden Bird is ok but I still like Louisiana Fried Chicken much better. I wouldn't rush back to Golden Bird and if I'm in the area I would much rather go to any Louisiana Fried Chicken.

Porky's BBQ-Closed

Porky's BBQ
801 Manchester
Inglewood
310-671-2900

I finally got a chance to go to Porky's BBQ. I don't like to go near the Forum anymore because too many memories about the great "Showtime" Lakers. But I went today to try Porky's. I thought the food was OK but hardly overwhelming.

The pork rib lunch is a steal at $7.99 that includes one side along with dirty rice and Texas toast. I had the mac and cheese as my side. The prestentation of the ribs is eye catching. The put the ribs on a pile of sizzling green peppers and onions. The ribs were well smoked and fairly meaty but it was kind of bland and didn't have alot of flavor. They were also a lit on the mushy side, almost too well done. The mac and cheese was pretty good. Lots of cheese and just slightly burnt that adds a nice tough to mac and cheese. The dirty rice was tasty with greens, spices and some meat which I think is pulled pork.

Service was pretty good. One minor issue, I asked to get seperate orders for the chicken and BBQ but he put it all on one order. Not that big of a deal but still something to be careful of. But if the couple in front of you take forever to order, it maybe awhile before you can place your order. I can't believe some people think they can take forever to place an order. I mean I could have placed my order, paid and got through half the meal and they still wouldn't have decided what they wanted.

I would not go back to Porky's. While they had good sized portions and the prices were good the food wasn't anything special.

Phillips Barbecue

Phillips Barbecue
2619 Crenshaw
LA, CA 90016
323-731-4772

As people know I love Phillips Barbecue. I have reviewed their other two locations and wanted to review their newest location on Crenshaw. This location used to be Leo's BBQ and now it's Phillips third location and the location with the easiest freeway access. It's about two blocks south of the 10 freeway.

I ordered the half rack of pork spare ribs with their mixed, regular and hot BBQ sauce for $11.75. They charge an extra 25 cents for sauce on the side. The ribs were well smoked and had a nice spicy rub. They were tender and very meaty, you always get your money's worth at Phillips.

The lines are almost always long and it will take awhile for your order to be ready. The people are nice enough but they are more matter of fact then friendly. That may put off some people but it doesn't bother me.

My girlfriend did one of the nicest things anybody has ever done for me in a very,very long time. She went to Phillips after work and brought me a pork rib dinner. She doesn't eat pork and ordered a chicken dinner. She is tough, after all she's from the Bronx, and the area is usually OK, you never know what may happen. So for her to go there after work for the first time, is awesome. She is the greatest thing to happen to me and I love her more each day.

Phillips has two other locations. A Phillips BBQ. in Inglewood and the original Phillips is in Leimert Park.

555 East Steakhouse

555 East
555 East Ocean Blvd.
Long Beach, CA 90802
562-437-0626

I haven't been to a steakhouse in a very long time. So I decide to go to 555 East in Long Beach. It's known for prime steaks served in an old fashioned steakhouse.

I ordered the rib rye for about $47, tax and tip included. The rib eye was cooked just right, medium rare. Some steakhouses have a problem cooking their steaks just right but 555 did a very good job. But the rib eye was disappointing. I wasn't impressed with the flavor or tenderness. It was OK but it wasn't outstanding and sure as hell wasn't worth the high price. The rib eye wasn't also the leanest cut of meat I've had either. Each steak includes your choice of potato or a veggie medley. The veggie medley was small and included, red peppers, green beans, and squash. There was nothing special about the veggie medley.

Service was the food, for our party of ten, was good. Our waitress was attentive and provided quality service. But their reservation systems sucks. I had reservations for ten at 7pm. We didn't get seated until about 8pm. Part of that was some members of our party came late. But when everybody was there, we had to wait for at least 20 minutes before being seated. The hostess gave us the excuse that a table for eight was already set but they needed to wait for the people sitting at another table to have a table for ten. I thought my reservation would take priority.

I wouldn't go back to 555. The steaks aren't that good, especially for the prices.

Walnut Tree

Walnut Tree
382-A Lemon Ave.
Walnut
909-595-6026

Walnut Tree is a small Chinese restaurant that is owned by a Vietnamese family. I've actually never eaten anything other than the chicken salad. The chicken salad has chicken breast, lettuce, crispy noddles and their special dressing, which is really Miracle Whip.

Now I know that putting Miracle Whip on a salad doesn't sound good to some people but it actually works really well for the Walnut Tree's chicken salad. The tangyness of the dressing adds great flavor to the salad. The chicken breast is made with seasame seeds and has a light taste. They don't cover it up with heavy oils or sauces. The iceberg lettuce is fresh. They give you crispy noodles and wontons that add a crunch to the salad.

Service is very good. You are greeted and they don't rush you to order. They do fill your order quickly and they are nice people.

There was a couple eating dinner and the food they ordered look great. They prices on the menu are very good. Only one item over $10 and most items between $8-$9. I would like to go back and try some of their Chinese food soon.

Golden Wok & Louisiana Fried Chicken

Golden Wok & Louisiana Fried Chicken
1725 Garey Ave.
Pomona
909-620-5057

While checking for more Louisiana Fried Chicken locations, I found out that a second Pomona location has opened. Just like the other location, it's in the same store as a Chinese food. This location also serves donuts, 24/7. I was surprised that it wasn't that crowded during lunch time. There are many businesses close to the area.

I ordered the one item combo with BBQ pork. The fried rice was dry, very little soy sauce was used, and lacked any flavor. Small amounts of carrots and peas didn't add much to the rice. The chow mein looked pretty greasy but it was pretty good. Good flavor but a little overcook and/or sitting on the steam table for too long. The BBQ pork was the worst BBQ pork I've ever had. Overcooked and very tough on the outside and lots of fat on the inside. I wasn't happy with my choice.

But I was happy with my choice of the fried chicken breast. The combo and fried chicken were $6.52. The chicken was fresh and juicy. Not sitting under heat lamps. The outside is crunchy and very spicy, lots of flavor. Inside is moist and juicy.

Service was very good. I was greeted quickly and in a friendly way. When I ordered the Chinese food, she even asked if I wanted to sample one of the items. When I was paying she asked if I wanted a cup of water with my meal. Very nice and fast. I went the day before and they actually cooked my fried chicken to order!!! I ordered two breasts and they only had one. They gave me two freshly cooked pieces of fried chicken. They don't cheat or take the easy way out. Very impressive.

I would not go back for the Chinese food. But I would go back for the fried chicken. It was awesome. I think the fried chicken is much better than the other Louisina Fried Chicken, in Pomona but the Chinese food was much better at China Bowl Express.

I've gotten some emails from people who say the Chinese restaurants I review aren't really true Chinese restaurants. Well I never claimed they were. I know most are Chinese fast food and aren't anywhere close to be authentic. But who cares? Most, serve good food at good prices. Plus I always don't have the time to go to a sit down Chinese restaurant.

Wok

Wok
1247 Diamond Bar Blvd.
Diamond Bar
909-860-2614

Wok is another fast food Chinese place with a steam table filled with Chinese food. As with all fast food places, it all depends on your timing. If you go during a busy time, the food should be fresh. But if you go when it's slow, the food will be overcooked and just bad.

I ordered the teriyaki chicken and Chinese BBQ pork, with fried rice and chow mein for $4.97. The fried rice has some peas and carrots but not much else. It was basically rice and soy sauce. The chow mein had small bits of cabbage and onions. The chow mein was kinda of bland and flavorless.

The teriyaki chicken was pretty tender and the sauce was nice and added a nice flavor. It wasn't salty or anything. The teriyaki was the best thing I ordered.

The Chinese BBQ pork was mostly fat. I would say half of the pork was fat and half was meat. Not a good combo. The pork, what little there was of it, was tender and tasty.

I didn't think Wok's portions were as big as Mr. Wok, which is also in Diamond Bar. I would pay the extra 40 cents to get more food.

I would not go back to Wok. The portions aren't that big and the food is only average. While the prices are lower than other places, they make up for it with their smaller portions.

International Deli

International Deli
2020 Brea Canyon
Diamond Bar
909-861-3354

Deli, sandwich.

International Deli has been in Diamond Bar for over 15 years. It's caters to the Diamond Bar High School and the businesses in the area. The sandwiches aren't anything great but good enough.

Pictured is the large corned beef with mayo, lettuce and tomatoes, on an roll for $5.94. I watched them make the sandwich and they put the cuts of corned beef into the microwave for about two minutes. Then they put the roll into a steamer-like machine for about 15 seconds. That makes the roll very soggy and chewy. The corned beef is like the corned beef you get from a supermarket deli. Nothing great but it does that job. They put a lot more mayo than I like, so next time I'll remember to ask for easy mayo. The lettuce and tomatoes were fresh and tasty.

Service is good but you get the idea, you're part of an assembly line. Place order. Pay for order. Go down to the end of counter to pick up your order. But the owner/cashier is friendly and you get your sandwich in a short amount of time.

I think International Deli is average. Nothing outstanding about it but then again nothing bad about it. Though prices are on the higher side. I think International Deli is better than Charlie's but that's not saying much.