Apr 03

Hollywood & Dine – Universal City, CA

Universal Studios Hollywood

100 Universal City Plaza

Universal City, CA 91608

Rating: ★½☆☆☆ 

Located right inside Universal Studios Hollywood, Hollywood & Dine serves up classic American cuisine, theme park style. With high prices and simple menus, Hollywood & Dine tries to nickel and dime you for what you have. Upon entering this counter service restaurant, you will notice few registers and a long counter. A menu board above recommends various menu items.

Today, we decided to order their signature burger and a personal pepperoni pizza. When ordering the burger, the cashier actually asked if I would like a 2nd beef patty, which agreed too, but then I proceeded to add bacon and then upgrade the fries to chili cheese fries. The burger itself was fairly bland and unseasoned. The burger was cooked well done and lacked any tenderness or juiciness. The thousand island sauce did help provide some flavor to the bland burger. The extra patty did not help the meal, but the bacon did taste pretty good and was crunchy. The chili cheese fries were soft and wedge-cut. The chili was flavorful and not overly salty. The personal pepperoni pizza came at a decent portion size. The cheese and marinara sauce tasted fresh, but the pizza was salty overall. The first slice tasted fine, but subsequent slices required ample amounts of soda to wash it down.

Overall, Hollywood & Dine was a disappointment. With such high prices, you would at least expect better quality tasting food. Other than the simple chili cheese fries, the rest of the meal was not that appetizing. If you are at Universal Studios Hollywood, you are better off exiting the park and grabbing a meal at the Universal CityWalk from real restaurants for similar prices.

Mar 30

Make Fish Poke & Sushi Burrito

9015 Bruceville Rd #100

Elk Grove, CA 95758

Rating: ★★★☆☆ 

Located near the Laguna Target in Elk Grove, Make Fish Poke & Sushi Burrito serves up poke bowls and sushi burritos. The familiar Wrap & Roll restaurants no longer exists since the owners converted their midtown location to a Make Fish and a car crashed into their former Elk Grove location. The menu and vibe is quite different than its former roots. There is more of a focus on the poke and less on the burritos. The facility seems more modern, and company messages are on the wall. Also, prices for the burritos are $2-$4 higher than the old prices. The burritos on the menu are similar or completely changed from the old menu.

Today, we decided to order the chicken karaage burrito and the tempura shrimp burrito. We did not opt for any poke on this visit. The chicken karaage burrito actually had an adequate amount of crunchy chicken. The sauces and jalapeno really shines in this burrito. Mango chunks freshen up the flavors of the burrito and also adds another texture element. The tempura shrimp burrito was filled with crab meat and tempura shrimp. The shrimp was not very crispy and was more oily. I liked how the crab meat adds additional flavors to the burrito. Unfortunately, each bite of the burrito felt like you were biting into a pile of mush, which was not very appetizing. The burrito is similar to the old Wrap & Roll version with red flakes on the outside, but falls short of its former glory.

Overall, Make Fish Poke & Sushi Burrito serves up fresh food in innovative ways, but falls short on one of the two burritos we tried. As mentioned earlier, prices are noticeably higher than Wrap & Roll, and quantity has not really changed. Service is good during the ordering and delivery process. Each menu item allows you to make a bowl or burrito, so there are plenty of choices. If you haven’t had a sushi burrito yet, give Make Fish a try.

Mar 27

Cool Tea Bar

5555 Sky Pkwy

Sacramento, CA 95823

Rating: ★★½☆☆ 

In search of in Tea shop in South Sac, we ended up at Cool Tea Bar near SF Supermarket. With high expectations coming off of a great experience at T4U in Natomas, we charged into the highly pink-colored facility. A couple of staff worked behind the counter, but the whole place was not as modern and energetic like T4U. We decided to order Mango Green Tea and LitChi Green Tea with Litchi jelly. The mango green tea had strong mango hints along with the green tea, but was extremely sweet. The server did ask how sweet we wanted our drinks, but we opted for normal sweetness since we did not expect anything out of the norm. Also, after drinking the mango green tea, you can taste a lingering aftertaste that could be coming from the mango or tea. The litchi green tea had strong litchi notes, but even stronger green tea notes. This drink did not taste overly sweet due to the strong flavors from the tea. Like the mango green tea, the litchi green tea also experienced an aftertaste that is not very appealing.

Overall, Cool Tea Bar serves up decent tea drinks, but the quality and price falls short compared to T4U. If you are in South Sac, you may settle for Cool Tea Bar, but you would have a much more enjoyable experience at T4U if you do not mind driving up to Natomas.

Mar 23

Thai Tangerine Restaurant – Garden Grove, CA

12541 Harbor Blvd

Garden Grove, CA 92840

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Located down Harbor Boulevard in Garden Grove not far from Disneyland, Thai Tangerine serves up a variety of popular Thai dishes in authentic fashion. I called ahead to order takeout to try out some of the most popular Thai dishes. The restaurant was nice and provided an estimated time of 15 minutes.

Today, we decided to order the chicken satay, pineapple fried rice, and pad Thai. The chicken satay was actually quite tender, and the provided peanut sauce is mild yet flavorful. I really enjoyed how the combination of seasoning on the chicken itself went well with the sweet peanut sauce. The pineapple fried rice contained many ingredients, but I was not a big fan of the cashews and raisins. Aside from those two ingredients, the pineapple fried rice had ample amounts of chicken, which tasted delicious mixed with fresh pineapple chunks. I was slightly disappointed that only two shrimp were included, but both shrimp were peeled very well down to the tail. The pad Thai was ordered spicy and came spicy. Each bite was packed with heat. Unfortunately, the picture came out a bit blurry because I got hungry and couldn’t wait. Like the pineapple fried rice, the pad Thai also came with an ample amount of chicken. The noodles were not overly juicy or dry. Even with the heat, the pad Thai tasted delicious.

Overall, Thai Tangerine serves up delicious Thai dishes with great service. Prices are moderate, but are reflective of the quality in the food received. Apparently, the restaurant does not serve any pork, so keep that in mind when ordering. The restaurant also seems to offer free delivery, so you may want to inquire about that. If you are craving some Thai food after Disneyland, get it from Thai Tangerine.

Mar 16

Carolina’s Italian Restaurant – Garden Grove, CA

12045 Chapman Ave

Garden Grove, CA 92840

Rating: ★★★★½ 

Located in the general vicinity of the Disneyland Resort, I decided to give one of the most popular Italian Restaurants a try for their takeout pizza. Carolina’s Italian Restaurant offers decent-priced pizza ranging from $12-$25 depending on the size and toppings. Ordering over the phone was very simple, and you get to choose which location to pick up your food because they have another location north of Disneyland as well. Service on the phone was great and I was given a 20 minute wait.

Today, I decided to order a large pepperoni and sausage pizza. When I arrived at the restaurant, I walked up to the counter where nice staff were able to complete my payment and provide me with the pizza. After returning to the hotel, I noticed that the pizza seemed very fresh and was oozing with cheese. There was an adequate amount of crust to hold up the toppings. The pepperoni and sausage were flavorful and had just the right amount of crisp to add to the texture of the fresh cheese. Every time you pulled a piece of pizza off, a string of cheese leads back to the other slices. I can say that it was not just the toppings that made the pizza delicious, but it was the cheese that sealed the deal. When you get to the crust, there is just the right amount of density that makes you want to eat the crust too.

Overall, Carolina’s Italian Restaurant serves up some delicious pizza at decent prices. Staff is friendly and food is served up fresh. A variety of toppings are available allowing your pizza to be customized the way you want. Even if you are not going to eat in the restaurant, I can totally recommend their pizza for takeout.

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