Joe's Sushi

Came here for lunch a few months back based on recommendations from several friends. Joe's is a chain that has the option of AYCE. Price is around $17, and it also gets you some entrees/appetizers (teriyaki, tempura, and the like...) I think this is a Korean owned joint.













I had my reservations before coming here, and I was right. I tried most of the nigiri options, and nothing was very fresh. The spicy scallops were probably the only thing that I liked. If you are a roll person, there are some varieties available, but nothing too fancy, and that might make it worth your money. But I don't think I'd come back here again.

The service was friendly. The bar wasn't too packed, and the sushi chef made us a nice little concoction of his own as seen above after curiously watching me take pictures and asking what I was doing.

I have heard the phrase, "It's pretty good for an AYCE" both from friends and Yelp users. I'm not exactly sure what that really means. Perhaps the price is a little cheaper(?), but the quality was no different from other places, beating only Todai, which doesn't really count. There was no second round for me here, and I felt like my money went straight down the drain. I suppose some people will call me a snob for not liking Joe's while the other half would call me a dumbass for even wasting my time and hard earned dollas on an AYCE sushi joint.

Honestly, I don't get what's the big deal about this place, and I left thinking it sounded too good to be true. Perhaps if I had been drinking, I would have enjoyed the food more.


460 N Beach Blvd
La Habra, CA 90631

And the answer is...

El Taurino! A popular 24 hour joint located in Los Angeles...


A look at their menu.


I settled for two tacos: carne and al pastor @ $1.25 each. Two street sized tacos that you can devour in 2 bites. They come bare boned w/ just onions and cilantro. You can add cheese, sour cream, guac for an additional price (check menu for add ons). You could really taste the citrusy marinade the carne had been in, and the al pastor, cooked on and sliced from the spit as it should be, was very soft and tender. I've read/heard people say that this is hands down the best place in L.A. to get carne asada and al pastor. To tell the truth, this is the only place I've had tacos in L.A, but I would agree that both are pretty good. Not the best I've ever had, but definitely up there. What I will vouch for is their salsa roja. Now that is the best hot sauce I've ever had...very spicy and so addicting at the same time. I also tried out their salsa verde, which tasted freshly made, and had a milder kick to it, compared to its fiery sister.


Also ordered the carnitas tostada $3.49. Beans topped with carnitas, sliecd tomatoes, onions, sour creme, crumbled cotija cheese, and a fresh slice of avocado. The carnitas was a little on the dry side for me, but doused with hot sauce, along w/ the combo of everything else going on, this tasted pretty good.


2306 W 11th St
Los Angeles, CA 90006

You can park on the street, but they do have a nice sized parking lot in the back on Hoover.

Herpin in the Mojave

Yeah I've been MIA. Work and school are taking up too much time...3 more weeks left. Last weekend I went out to the Mojave Desert for my herpetology class. To answer your questions, yes, I spelled it correctly, and no it's probably not what you're thinking it is. It's the study of reptiles and amphibians. Herpeton is the Greek word for crawling animal. We were out there to catch and study some reptiles. I hadn't gone camping for about a year and realized I really missed it. You can't see stars in the suburbs like you can here. No food pics here because I lived off ramen, snacks, and lots of water...


@ the Kelso "Singing" Dunes


Speckled Rattlesnake


Long Nosed Snake.


Can you find the Desert Tortoise?


And lastly, some beetles getting it on!

Well, this is a food blog, so I figure I should post a quick pit stop at Baker on the way back home. Anyone going to Vegas from Southern Cali probably will recognize this place...


Array of different hot sauces...


But more known for their different jerkies. Beef, pork, buffalo, turkey, gator and a variety of different flavors. Free samples to the left of the cashier. They also have some random candies, nuts, and olives. I thought the Buffalo was pretty good. The marinade tasted a bit like bulgogi. They also have some flavor called "Colon Cleanser," and I ate a little piece of that. It definitely left a burning sensation in your mouth for a little bit, but it wasn't overwhelming and had a very peppery taste to it. But then again I only ate a little piece.

Know it yet?


72242 Baker Blvd
Baker, CA 92309

Follow up to the Mystery Hour post to come soon....just too lazy to write tonight...got back a while ago from another herp trip. Good night.

Guppy Tea House

I heard a while back that there was now a Guppy Tea House in Hacienda. Guppy is a chain that is well known for two things: their popcorn chicken, which is liberally sprinkled with crack cocaine, and the shaved ice. Picture below taken from a blog by the young, up and coming Jomo.


Holy sh!t. Look at that damn thing....

I met up with a friend to get some dinner about a month ago. I wanted to get the shaved ice, but the small is too big for two people. The pictures didn't turn out that great. We opted to sit outside because it was too loud inside the place, and I didn't know how to use my camera that well.


Started with some miso soup that came along with my meal. Pretty good/standard with some pieces of seaweed floating around.


Spicy Dumplings $8.50. I think these were filled with pork. They were not very spicy. I cannot remember if we were asked how spicy we wanted it, but I do remember that our waitress was cute. It was very vinegary and sweet and reminded me almost of a balsamic vinegar.


Superb Meatballs Meal $8.25
2 big ass meatballs in a cabbage broth soup along with glass noodles, tofu, and some cabbage. Sides of corn and "pickled cucumbers" and a big bowl of white rice.


It almost looks like there is a skin over the soup, but that's just the oil/flash. The meatballs were soft, but I thought they had been dredged a little too much in flour before hand. The broth was ok. This is a comfort food like meal.

We also got espresso milk teas, which were delicious, to end the meal.

Lots of food for two people to share. But next time, I'd like to skip the meal and go straight for the shaved ice. And maybe some chicken on the side.

Guppy Tea House
17188 Colima Rd
Hacienda Heights, CA 91745

I'm checking out early for the week. Going to the Mojave Desert for the weekend.

For my next trick...

All you L.A. dwellers, do you know where this? holla holla holla holla! =)