For dinner, we went to Kappo Honda, a izakaya style restaurant in Fountain Valley, which is around a half an hour drive from Foothill Ranch, where I was staying. Kappo Honda specializes in yakitori, and I really mean specialize. You will understand what I'm talking about later.
The place is decorated like a typical Japanese izakaya, with wooden beams and floors and booths sectioned off. We were seated in a private room (this is my view looking out from the room) where we had to take our shoes off and sit cross-legged on cushions. Not recommended if you don't have flexible leg joints.
Menu items are written on wooden slabs and hung on the walls surrounding the restaurant.
Today's special in Japanese.
And in English (yay!)
What better way to cure a full day of shopping and hot weather than an ice cold pitcher of Kirin? Even though I'm not a beer drinker, I totally digged this. Everywhere I go in California they offer pitchers of Japanese beer on tap along with ice cold cold cups... soooo good.
The Lobster Salad came first. Very light with some crispy rice paper.
Beef Tataki - Not as rare as I would like it (it was medium rare). I also prefer it to be more thinly sliced.
Sea Urchin Dumplings - One of Today's Specials. I loved this. I'm not a huge fan of sea urchin although many people are crazy about it. But eaten with it wrapped like this, in small doses, it was divine.
Halibut with Shiso and Plum Tempura - Another Today's Special. Fish in tempura batter. Nothing special. Wouldn't order it again in hindsight.
Can't seem to resist not ordering some sashimi and rolls in a Japanese restaurant.
Sashimi Deluxe
Soft Shell Crab Roll
Spicy Salmon Maki
So, remember how I said that this place specializes in yakitori? They practically have a whole menu aside for yakitori. We probably only ordered half, maybe not even, of what's there. Never have I had so much yakitori in one sitting before. The ones we ordered were all very delicious, and I rated them with the number of ♥s (out of 4).
Oyster Mushroom - ♥♥♥
Beef Tongue - ♥♥♥
Chicken - ♥
Liver - ♥♥♥
Chicken Skin - ♥♥♥♥
Pork Belly - ♥♥♥♥
When it was dessert time, I wanted something cold but something other than just normal ice cream. After all the yakitori I was craving something refreshing to get all the grilled meat taste out of my mouth.
Shiratama Zenzi - Sweet red bean with rice-flour balls. Obviously made a mistake by ordering this because this was hot. I don't know why I was thinking this would be a cold dessert...I think I expected some sort of cold mochi ball-like things.
The only difference between these and Chinese rice balls is that the balls here are only made with flour, with no filling, and its immersed in red bean soup. Where as Chinese rice balls are the other way around, the flour balls are filled with red bean inside with a light ginger-based soup. This was still tasty, but also really really filling because of the thick red bean soup.
I was so stuffed and yakitori-d out by the end of the night. No more yakitori in the near future for me.
Kappo Honda
18450 Brookhurst St
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
My Virgin America Trip to Los Angeles, Caifornia
