As I looked at the menu of what was a combination of cultural dishes along with sides from Filipino to Mexican to Greek. Some of their creations include a variety of sandwiches and tacos such as Shrimp Tempura, Carne Asada, Crispy Pork Belly, and Blackened Salmon. They also serve Lumpia (Filipino eggroll) dipped in sweet chili sauce and a Greek roll filled with ground beef, spinach, dill and feta cheese. Not knowing what to get I asked Anne what was their top selling item and she said it was their Loganisa (sweet filipino sausage) Fries which was a tower of seasoned fries, grilled longanisa, pico de gallo, guacamole, salsa verde, cheese, and sourcream. She also suggested to try the Crispy Pork Belly Tacos which was another favorite. So we ordered both along with some of Rudy's special 808 Island Crave malasadas. The following week they were in the area again and this time we had tried the Shrimp Tempura and the Carne Asada Tacos and also ordered their lumpia. Check out some of the photos of their delicious gourmet food for yourself. Having visited the truck twice and trying most of their delicious menu items I could honestly say I'll be back for more, especially for my craving for Longanisa Fries. If you're looking for some great gourmet food for dinner or lunch, jump in your car and track down the Just Rollin' food truck. You won't be sorry! You could follow them on Facebook and Twitter or visit their website at http://www.justrollinby.com.

Posted on November 19, 2012 | Read Comments | Post Comment |

The Original Pancake House has 106 locations and we've dined at other locations before. Founded in 1953 in Portland, Oregon, this Anaheim location opened in 1958 and was the fifth national franchise and the first ever in Southern California. The original building burned down in 1961 and was rebult the year after. Ttoday that building still has that old nostalgic 1950's and 60's ambience and is still serving different types of pancakes, waffles, omelettes and egg specials like they did back in the day. While the rest of the family ordered the usual pancakes, waffles, hash browns, eggs, and bacon (which by the way the bacon strips were thick and huge), I ordered the Country Fried Steak and Eggs which was fantastic! Click here to see some photos of our hearty breakfast from our visit to this great restaurant. If you are ever in Anaheim or on your next trip out to Disneyland and want a great breakfast before spending the day at the park, check out the Original Pancake House. And if you do go I suggest that you get out there early or prepare yourself to stand in line. The restaurant opens at 6AM and closes at 2PM.

Posted on November 10, 2012 | Read Comments | Post Comment |

It use to be and still should be when most people would sit down at the table to eat, a prayer of thanks or grace be done prior to partaking of one's meal. Nowadays it seems that prior to eating that one should first take out their cellphone or camera to take a photo of their meal to share with others through social media. I have to admit that I am guilty of such act and yes I admit, "I am a Food Pornographer". Those who follow me on Facebook know that I do have my own share of albums filled with food pornography. And even though I try my best to document my food adventures through this blog site, the photographer in me finds it easier to share my food experiences and the art of culintary through photography. So if you are looking for suggustions on where or what to eat and cannot find a place that interest you through one of my blog entries, feel free to visit one of my food albums on Facebook by clicking on this link to my "Ron vs. Food" album or my collection of "Food Pornography" photos and even my album of "More Food Porn" photos. A photo is worth a thousand words, or in this case a thousand bites.

Posted on October 25, 2012 | Read Comments | Post Comment |

I have to say, the malasadas made here are probably my favorite so far in the Las Vegas area. They are made fresh to order with your choice of regular or red velvet. You can also order regular plain malasadas or order them filled with your choice of macadamia nut, chantilly, chocalate, or guava and are sold individually or 1/2 or full dozen. I loved them so much that I ordered a box with all the flavors and I honestly can't pick which ones is my favorite. Cakes are also baked daily here and are served in large slices with your choice of guava, chantilly, dobash, mocha macadamia nut, and chocolate coconut. They also make fresh roast pork, kalua pig, and pastele manapua (changes daily) and pork hash. And if you have a craving for an ice cream sundae for dessert, you have to try their Banana Tempura Fudge Sundae! It'll be a great finale to your Hawaiian lunch or dinner.

and chocolate covered and filled fritters which were new pastries they will also be offering. He also invited us the next day for breakfast as they were for the first time offering their new breakfast menu. So after Sunday church services, the family once again returned and was not disappointed. The breakfast menu consisted of Red Velvet Waffles with Macadamia Nut Sauce, Whipped Chocolate Butter, Whipped Cream And Strawberries; Guava Pancakes served with Vanilla Sauce, POG Jam and Whipped Butter; and the Slider Trio which was served with Portuguese Sausage Omelette, Kalua Pork, and Loco Moco sliders, surrounded by Garlic Fries with their special garlic mayo sauce on top. We couldn't decided on which one to order so we ordered all three items which were all so delicious. I can honestly say I again can not pick which one was my favorite dish but if I had to pick, the Guava Pancakes were the first ever I've had and were so good. Compliments to Chef Rudy for such a great Hawaiian style breakfast! Click here to see more photos of these delicious hawaiian treats and follow 808 Island Craves and Islander's Grill on Facebook for more information and to catch their daily specials.

Posted on August 18, 2012 | Read Comments | Post Comment |

Kalbi Ribs (Korean BBQ Short Ribs) Marinade

Ingredients

2/3 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons pineapple juice
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons green onions, chopped
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seed

Whisk ingredients together and marinate the meat for 12 hours or overnight. This recipe is intended for 1 pound of short ribs but can be doubled or tripled. Grill short ribs, turning once, to desired doneness, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Garnish with thinly sliced green onions, if desired. (Click photo to enlarge)

Slow Cooker Chicken Adobo

Ingredients

2 lb. chicken thighs (or 1 whole chicken cut in pieces)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 bay leaves
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small sweet onion, sliced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Salt and pepper to taste

Season chicken with salt and pepper and place in slow cooker. Mix together the soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, and cornstarch, then pour over chicken. Sprinkle garlic and onions over everything. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high 4-5 hours (until meat is cooked through). Serve with rice. (Click photo to enlarge)

Posted on August 13, 2012 | Read Comments | Post Comment |

As I ordered my pizza, the experience was similar to ordering a sandwich at any Subway Sandwich Shop. As you walk up you are greeted by the Pieology staff member who pulls out the flatten pizza dough right in front of you and butters it up. When ordering you can either choose one whole pizza or customize half and half, or thirds, or into quarters of one of their specialty pizzas from their menu. (For example make one half "pepperoni, sausage, meatball, mozzarella, and red sauce" and the other half "bbq sauce, chicken, mozzarella, gorgonzola, red onion, cilantro".) Or if you are feeling creative you can customize your own pizza from scratch with endless toppings that they have to offer. After they prep the dough you are asked if you would like red sauce, herb butter, or olive oil as your sauce. Then you get to pick your cheese of choice whether it be mozzrella, ricotta, parmesan, or gorgonzola. Then you choose what meat or combination of meats you would like to add such as pepperoni, sausage, meatball, chicken, ham, and bacon. Then afterwards you choose what vegetables you would like such as black olives, mushrooms, red onions, green pepper, artichokes, tomato, pineapple, jalapenos, fresh basil, cilantro, and garlic. Once your pizza is all prepped and ready to go the Pieology staff member places your pizza in the oven and you then proceed to the cashier.

After I paid for my order, got my drink, and sat down, sure enough my pizza was done and brought to my table smoking hot. Made fresh right before my eyes and coming straight out of the oven and into my mouth, I have to say this pizza experience was the best ever! If you are ever in the Orange County area by Fullerton, you have to give Pieology a try. Check out some of the photos from my first ever pizza experince at Pieology Pizzaria. As of now this is the only Pieology location around but there are plans to open up one soon at the Irvine Spectrum Center in Irvine, California. As far as for my fellow Las Vegas Foodies, I noticed there's a new pizzaria opening up soon at the MGM Grand which seems to have the same pizza making concept but goes by another name. Stand by as I plan to check it out as soon as it opens!

Posted on June 7, 2012 | Read Comments | Post Comment |

Each night formal dinner services are offered to passengers on Carnival Cruise at an allocated set dining time for the entire cruise. A 3-course menu is provided each night with menu items that are offered everyday and special menu items offered for that particular day. For starters the menu offers soups, salads, and other appetizers including a special "Didja" menu item. The "Didja" (as in did you ever...) is basically food you always wanted to try, but did not dare. For example on one particular night on our cruise the "Didja" item was "Spicy Alligator Fritters served on tropical tomato salsa. Attire during dinner service is casual to semi-casual except for one night that is designated as Captain's Night when you are asked to dress in formal attire. And it's on this special night when lobster is served. One tip to offer during dinner service: If you are hungry or have an appetite to eat more than one menu item, don't be afraid to ask for it. The server will be happy to serve you. So if you would like another lobster during Captain's Night? Don't be shy to ask.

During other meals on the cruise such as breakfast and lunch, passengers have their choice to dine at one of the main dining halls for a more formal sit down meal and order off the menu or enjoy casual dining at the Buffet. The Buffet offers full on breakfast items such as eggs, bacon, ham, sausage, pancakes, french toast, fresh fruits, etc... and during lunch they offer different ethnic foods on certain days such as French, Italian, Mexican, Asian, and American. Casual dining for dinner is also offered for those who choose not to dine in the formal dining hall. Outside on the Lido Deck by the pools, our ship offered food "Off the Grill" serving grilled hamburgers, hot dogs, french fries, chili, and nachos throughout the day and night. During certain times of the day they also offered Mongolian Stir Fry outside on the Lido Deck. During other hours of the day Carnival also provided food in other locations of the ship. The All-You-Can-Eat Sushi Bar was available during the afternoons. On other days we had afternoon tea at the Piano Bar where they also served a wide variety of pastries and desserts with your tea. And on the night we departed Mexico, the ship held a midnight Mexican Fiesta outside on the Lido Deck offering a whole buffet of Mexican food and desserts. And if you are still hungry during the late night or early morning hours, the Pizzaria was open 24-hours of the day for those 2 AM pizza or calzone cravings as well as soft-serve ice cream cones throughout the day and night. And if that wasn't enough, a 24-hour Room Service Menu is also available if you are too lazy to leave your stateroom.

There is no way on earth you can go hungry on a cruise ship as you will see by clicking here to view all the food we ate. I have to say although I hate to admit it, at the end of our cruise this Foodie was so sick and tired of food. But if you ask me, I would take another cruise anytime!

Posted on May 16, 2012 | Read Comments | Post Comment |

I soon discovered that the food at this restaurant was not only good but it was great! But the great discovery was how inexpensive it was for lunch compared to most teppanyaki restaurants. (Dinner prices for teppanyaki are higher but still lower than other teppanyaki restaurants around town.) The Teppanyaki Lunch Specials comes with Mixed Vegetables, Onion Soup, House Salad, and Steam Rice* (*Fried Rice an additional $1) and range from $7.95 - $9.95 depending on your choice of Chicken, Salmon, Shrimp, or Steak. For $13.95 you can order a combination of two choices such as Steak and Shrimp or Steak and Chicken, etc... Bento Lunches are also available which comes with two pieces Gyoza, Mixed Tempura, 4 pc California Roll, Onion Soup, House Salad, and Steamed Rice* (*Fried Rice an additional $1). Bento price ranges from $8.95 for Chicken Teriyaki and $9.95 for Beef or Salmon Teriyaki, Beef Yaki Udon, or Chicken or Ton Katsu. Another great discovery at this restaurant was that the sushi is 50% off all day. I haven't experienced dinner here yet but for lunch, this place is definitely the spot! (Note: Lunch Special are only offered Monday - Friday.)

Check out some of the photos from my experiences here at "Samurai Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi". If you have a craving for some good teppanyaki and are in the Henderson area of Las Vegas, you will find this restaurant right by the Sunset Station Hotel and Casino right across the Galleria Mall at 1199 W Sunset Road, Henderson, NV 89014. You will definitely have a great meal and be entertained.

"Seize Control, Build Your Own Bowl!" is the motto here at Genghis Grill. As the server brings your bowl to your table, you have your choice of building your own bowl from scratch or build a Genghis bowl by following the recipes of one of their 12 signature bowls such as the Teriyaki Chicken Bowl, Firecracker Bowl, Bowl of Seoul, Buddhist Bowl, Bayou Bowl, Surf N Turf, or Mongo BBQ. For the Genghis Bowls, there are small cards with the recipe for what ingrediants make up that particular bowl. Or if you choose to customize your bowl to your likely, you basically go through a five step process. Step 1: Pick Your Protein. Pick one or several choices of protein such as Calamari, Marinated Steak, Scallops, Chicken, Pepperoni, Shrimp, Ham, Pork, Sliced beef, Khans Krab, Sausage, Turkey, or/and Marinated Fish. Step 2: Season Your Seasoning: There's a variety of seasoning to pick from such as Black Pepper, Crushed Red Pepper, Lemon Pepper, Cajun Seasoning, Dragon Salt, Salt, Cayenne Pepper, Ginger, Steakhouse Blend, Citrus Garlic Herb, Granulated Garlic, and Yellow Curry Salt. Step 3: Pick Your Veggies: There are many vegetables to pick from such as Classic Stir Fry Mix, Onions, Baby Corn, Bamboo shoots, Bean Sprouts, Green Beans, Potatoes, Bok Choy, Green Onions, Snap Peas, Broccoli, Spinach, Cabbage, Carrots, Celery, Mushrooms, Water Chestnuts, and much much more. STEP 4: Select a Sauce. After you have all your ingrediants in your bowl, a small cup is provided for you to add flavor by topping it off with one of the choices of sauces to pick from such as the 3G Sauce, Island Teriyaki Sauce, Roasted Tomato Sauce, Chili Garlic Sauce, Khan Pao Sauce (Spicy), Stir Fry Sauce, Dragon Sauce, Khanzu Sauce, Sweet N Sour Sauce, Ginger Citrus Sauce, Mongo BBQ Sauce, Szechuan Sauce Spicy), Honey Soy Sauce, or Red Curry Peanut Sauce (Spicy). Then last but not least STEP 5: Call Your Starch. Once you have your bowl ready to hand off to one of the Genghis Grill Chefs to cook on the round Mongolian barbecue griddle, you will be asked what starch you would like to have with your stir fry. Your choices are Brown Rice, Spiral Pasta, Tortillas, Fried Rice, Steamed Rice, or Udon Noodles. Click here to see photos of how this Mongolian Stir Fry experience is done.

While you wait for you your food to arrive, the menu also offers appetizers such as Chicken Potstickers, Chicken Lettuce Wraps, Garlic Citrus Edaname, and Chicken Summer Rolls. A Kids Menu is also available for younger children. The restaurant also has a full bar with a wide choice of speciality drinks. If you're looking for a really good healthy meal, give "Genghis Grill - The Mongolian Stir Fry" a try. In Las Vegas you will find this restaurant in Henderson at 500 N. Stephanie St Henderson NV 89014. "Seize Control, Build Your Own Bowl!"

Posted on March 24, 2012 | Read Comments | Post Comment |

The menu at Islander's Grill looked pretty good as they offered the usual plate lunches, sandwiches, and saimin offered at all the other Hawaiian restaurants. Having eaten here often since it opened, I've ordered most of their plate lunches such as the Kekoa Special (Grilled sliced beef marinated in their own special teriyaki sauce), Honolulu Plate (Grilled sliced beef marinated in a Korean style teriyaki sauce), Teriyaki Chicken, Kalua Pig, Portuguese Sausage, Eggs, and Rice, and Chicken Katsu. The sandwiches are delicious too as they offer both Teriyaki Beef or Chicken Sandwiches or my favorite the Kalua Pig Sandwich. All sandwiches are served with a side order of fries or macaroni salad. The saimin at this restaurant comes in a big hearty bowl and my favorite especially on a cold day is their Islander's Signature Saimin which includes Portuguese saugage, eggs, Napa cabbage, and green onions.

Overall the food at Islander's Grill is great and portions are quite large as you can see by clicking here to view the photos of some of their dishes. The only negative thing about the restaurant is the slow service it provides. The restaurant seems short staffed both in the kitchen and out in the main dining area. It's great island food but served on Island Time which if you're a true Islander you would know Island Time is basically a slow pace so just "Hang Loose" or in other words "stand by and take it easy or relax." Other than the slow service, the restaurant could also use a make-over but if you can get pass the hole-in-the-wall environment, I guarantee you're meal will be "Onolicious!" (Translation: Amazingly good tasting or very delicious)

Posted on February 27, 2012 | Read Comments | Post Comment |

But the burgers are what most people come here for and I guarantee, you will agree that the burger itself is the most tastiest burger you've ever had. Each burger is made of 7oz Angus Beef and is marinated and grilled to perfection. At Bachi Burger you can customize your own burger or select from one of the many specialty burgers on the menu such as the Ronin Burger, “Banh-Mi” Burger, Kalbi Burger, Black & Green Burger, Spicy Miso Burger, Mr. Ho'’s Burger, Shogun Burger, or my favorite the Miyagi-san'’s Grass Fed Wagyu Burger. And you can't have a burger without fries, right? Bachi Burger offers a wide variety of choices such as Salt and Pepper Garlic Fries, Truffle Parmesan Fries, Sweet Potato, or Fried Shrimp Chips. Or if you are really hungry, I would recommend ordering the Oxtail Chili Cheese Fries that's topped with Garlic Aioli and a Fried Egg. This item is served as an appetizer and is big enough to share as well as the other orders of fries. One thing to let you know, don't expect Dollar Menu prices at this restaurant as the burger prices range from $7 - $15. But hey, you get what you pay for and what you will definitely get is a great tasting burger! Check out some of the photos of these delicious burgers at Bachi Burger. (Note: Second location just recently opened in the Summerlin area at 9410 West Sahara Avenue Suite 150 Las Vegas, NV 89117)

Posted on January 31, 2012 | Read Comments | Post Comment |