Honda-Ya

Trying to keep away from the heavier foods as much as we could, we hit up a Japanese Izakaya in Tustin.  Honda-Ya actually has a few locations, but this one happened to be the closest to us.  It was only a 20-minute drive in rush hour traffic.  We had to get on our horses because the place gets busy and you will be stuck in a lineup as a result.  We were lucky to make it there when seats were still available.  Hence, we could get to our eating right way.  We were planning on heading back to California Adventure afterwards!

Generally, ordering a plate of Gyoza doesn't really seem all that interesting.  However, it serves a purpose and when prepared properly, is rather tasty.  For me at least, the qualities of a good gyoza include a thin dumpling wrapper, elasticity in the dough, tender pork and cabbage filling and a crispy seared bottom.  As evidenced in the picture, all of those characteristics were present.  You'll just have to trust me on the filling part, as you can't see it.

One of my favourite dishes when it comes to Japanese restaurants is Ankimo, or monkfish liver.  This isn't a very complex dish, but for me, it has all the complexities when it comes to flavor.  There is a natural sweetness that definitely exudes the essence of the sea.  Of course, when we are dealing with any type of liver, there is that aftertaste, but for me at least, this one is much more pleasant than land animals.

One of more popular items here is the Sauteed Clams with garlic butter.  Don't let the this dish fool you with its basic preparation.  Consisting of whole live clams, the fresh sweetness and brininess of the clam juice combined with the garlic butter created a delicious broth.  They provided a spoon for a purpose because you should just eat it all!  As for the clams, they were buttery and cooked just enough.

My daughter loves black cod, so there was no doubt we'd order the Gindara marinated in sweet miso.  This was a fairly large piece which was grilled nicely with charring on the outside.  Hence, it was smoky with caramelization.  The fish itself was buttery and flaky just like how black cod should be.  The marinade was sufficient to provide enough fermented salty sweetness without doing overboard.

Tempura isn't the most sexiest item you can order at an Izakaya, but we happen to love it, so we ended up with the Mixed Tempura sporting ebi, sweet potato, zucchini and carrot.  I thought this was pretty good even though the batter appeared to be thick on the ebi.  In fact, it was quite light and crispy.  Vegetables were not overdone, even the zucchini still had a bite.  The batter on those was thin and crunchy. 

 

Even though you can barely see it, rest assured, this was the Salmon Carpaccio with olive oil and yuzu sauce.  On the menu, the onions were on the bottom, but for our plate, they were on the top.  So in addition to the tanginess of the yuzu, there was definitely some influence from the plethora of onions in the form of sharpness.  The salmon itself was not sliced particularly thin, so there was a the slightest of chew beyond the butteriness of the fish.

Plated with the onions on the bottom (so much easier to take a picture of it), the Albacore Tataki was lightly dressed in ponzu sesame soy.  The fish itself was barely seared on the outside, letting the soft freshness of the tuna speak for itself.  It was lightly sweet with hints of the sea.  The pieces were actually rather thick, but that really didn't change things.  Tuna was buttery and the dressing added aromatics and brightness. 

We ordered the obligatory maki sushi with the Rock 'n Roll that sported shrimp, unagi and avocado then deep-fried.  Since this was featured fully-cooked elements, the roll in general was warm throughout.  This consistency in temperature and texture meant this was overall soft, with only some bite from the shrimp.  The warm rice was able to retain some chewiness.  Unlike some fried rolls, the layer of tempura was barely there, so it didn't eat too heavy nor greasy.

Onto another fried item, we had the Hokkaido Potato Croquette.  I'm used to the ones with ground beef and these ones didn't appear to have any (at least the one I ate).  No matter, because it was still delicious.  Soft and creamy, the potatoes were smooth and lightly seasoned.  On the outside, the panko coating was golden brown and crunchy.  It wasn't greasy and ate rather light.  On the side, we found some tonkatsu sauce for dipping.

On the menu, there is a large portion devoted to Yakitori and since we had ordered quite a few dishes already, we only had the appetite for 2 - Bacon Scallop and Pork Belly.  Although cooked right, I found that there could've been a bit more charring.  As a result, the flavors weren't as caramelized as it could've been.  Bacon was a bit flabby but the scallop was buttery.  Pork belly was tender and fatty, yet could've had a better exterior crunch.

We ended off with an order of Atlantic Salmon Sashimi.  Presented in medium-sized slices, the salmon had a nice sheen and appearance.  Unlike the carpaccio we had, we could taste the salmon on its own more.  It was moderately sweet and was soft with a bite.  We actually added this after our original order and it was a nice light way to finish our meal.  Honda-Ya was exactly what we needed since we had some heavier meals upcoming.  Food was good, service was attentive and the prices were reasonable.

The Good:
- Solid eats
- Inexpensive
- Wide variety

The Bad:
- Can get busy, lineups are common
- Chabudai seating is cool, but hard on the legs

Le Kitchen Pho & Rice

Needing to grab some lunch after a morning at California Adventure, we weren't planning on going very far.  Hence we looked for something on W Katella Ave.  To narrow down the search some more, we decided on something much lighter than what we had for dinner the night before.  So off we went to Le Kitchen Pho & Rice located in what appeared to be a former location of Pizza Hut.  We thought it was great since the dining space was large and spacious.

Absolutely loved the owner-lady as she was welcoming and super nice.  That alone was worth the price of admission.  However, I'm here to talk about the food, so we started with the Salad Rolls which was modernly plated.  Portion size was not as big as some spots, but the rolls were prepared well.  The lettuce was fresh and crisp, vermicelli noodles were soft with a chew while the shrimp were meaty.

We also had the Spring Rolls and to our delight, they were prepared with legit rice wrappers.  Some places are lazy and use wheat wrappers which totally changes the texture.  By using rice wrappers, the crunch from the exterior was more firm and it didn't shatter like wheat wrappers.  Rather, it had a slight chew (just how we like it).  The pork filling was moist and well-seasoned.  Loved how they served it with herbs and lettuce, so we could wrap the spring rolls.

For Viv she had the Pho with rare steak and meatballs.  Broth was clean and fairly light with only the mild meatiness and hints of daikon and anise.  This was good though as it wasn't overloaded with salt or MSG.  Furthermore, they skimmed the oil enough so the broth wasn't overly fatty either.  Noodles were decently portioned and still al dente.  There was enough meat which was tender.

For my daughter, she went for her usual in the Pho Ga.  Naturally, the flavor profile of the soup was remarkably different than the beef.  It was sweeter and lighter as well as having a noticeable chicken essence.  Again, it wasn't overly salty.  Once again, the noodles were not overdone nor clumpy.  The ample slices of chicken were relatively tender given that it was white meat.

For my son, he also stuck with his favorite being the Lemongrass Chicken with rice and fried egg.  Nicely charred, the bone-in chicken thighs were marinated well.  As a result, the meat was juicy and well-seasoned.  Lots of aromatics and smokiness that went well with the white rice and perfectly fried egg.  Since it was bone in, it was a bit more difficult to eat, but well worth it for the extra meaty flavor.

For myself, I had the Banh Mi Chao (Bo Ne) featuring cubed filet mignon, fried eggs, pate sauce, cheese wedge, meatball, and sausage with French baguette and salad.  I've had this before and I can say this was pretty good with a creamy and meaty sauce that I soaked up with the crusty baguette.  Beef was medium-rare and super tender.  Well-priced for $12.00.  In fact, this was an inexpensive meal that was tasty and well-portioned.  A good escape from the heavy stuff at Disneyland and surrounding restaurants.

The Good:

- Super nice people

- Good eats

- Well-priced

The Bad:

- Not much ambiance, but you aren't paying for that

Craft by Smoke & Fire

After our first day at Dinseyland, we were somewhat tired and sunburnt, but okay otherwise.  It helped that we arrived for rope drop, but left just before lunch.  That meant we avoided the most busiest time in the part as well as the hottest temperatures.  Before we made it back to the park for the evening, we made the short drive out to Craft by Smoke & Fire at the Center Street Promenade.  Place was hopping and super busy, but luckily, I had made a rez.

Even with that, it took a bit to be seated and even longer to put in our order.  Now I'm not placing the blame on our server because she was super sweet and was truly doing her best.  Seeing that everything was taking so long, she treated us to the Prime Short Rib Quesadilla.  Oh this was money as the smoked short rib was super tender, fatty and flavorful.  The whole thing was loaded with meat, Oaxacan cheese, comeback sauce, cilantro and onions.  This is best shared or eaten as a main for one person.  Even at that, it ate heavy with all that rich meat and cheese.  Still freakin' delicious though.

Our meal didn't get any lighter as the Brisket Queso Fundido hit the table next.  This was a considerable amount of melted cheese and chopped smoked brisket with blue corn tortilla chips.  Not sure why they only supplied only a smattering of chips, so we asked for more.  Extremely cheesy with a nice crust on the edges, this was aromatic and meaty.  Good smoked essence as well as the natural saltiness of the cheese.  Chips were crunchy and held up to the cheese.

If you thought the 2 dishes we had so far were large, try the Brisket Tacos on for size.  They didn't skimp on the smoked brisket which was fatty and moist.  Possibly a bit too fatty, but I just pulled those pieces out.  It was nicely sauced which kept things from drying out and offered up some sweet smokiness.  A good amount of curtido slaw made for some tangy crunch to go with the splash of creamy comeback sauce.  As for a side, I went for the Street Corn Named Desire with a good amount of fried onions on top.  The corn underneath was creamy and sweet with a hint of spice.

For Viv, she also had brisket in the form of The Madison featuring prime smoked pastrami brisket, bread & butter pickles, curtido slaw, comeback sauce and American cheese on Texas toast.  We found this sammie to be decent with enough pastrami so that it was meaty and filling.  The slaw was crunchy and tangy while the pickles added even more crunch.  The toast was a touch dense, but nicely seared on the flattop.  She selected the Red Skin Potato Salad which was passable but the potatoes were a bit underdone.  Furthermore, the mayo was not seasoned enough.

My daughter had probably the less interesting item in the Brisket Grilled Cheese.  Once again, the brisket was tender and fatty, but not as abundant as the other dishes.  Since they melted the cheese with the brisket right on the flattop, it was pretty crispy.  However, there was a disconnect between the toast and the ingredients.  They were literally not connected.  Hence, it didn't eat as cohesive as a grilled cheese should be.  Her side of Garlic & Herb Mashed Potatoes was pretty thick and dense.  Flavor was good, but could've been lighter.  Overall, we found the food at Craft to be decent and well-priced.  Service was super-friendly, but the kitchen was slow.  It could've been due to the full house and also the challenges of staffing by businesses these days.

The Good:

- Inexpensive

- Large portions

- Some good dishes

The Bad:

- Some dishes were clunky

- Food was slow coming out

ROL Hand Roll Bar

While on vacation, it gets a bit much dining on a variety of heavy foods.  Some people would like to group it all into "Western Eats" but I would like to point out that some Asian food is pretty greasy and overly filling too.  Hence, we need to break it down to the truly light meals that we crave to break up the heaviness.  Of course we can go grab some salad or some soup noodles.  Heck, the fallback is always Japanese, especially sushi.  However, we wanted something along those lines but a bit different.  That is why we settled on ROL Hand Roll Bar.  It wasn't too far of a drive from Anaheim and besides, we love Hello Nori up in Vancouver.

Before we got to the rolls, we ordered a few starters including the Furikake Fries.  These shoestring potatoes were uniformly super crispy.  Served hot and well-seasoned, the fries took on all the flavors of the seaweed as well as the nuttiness of the sesame seeds.  We really enjoyed them and could've had a few more orders.  We also had the Cucumber Salad that was topped with sesame seeds and fish roe.  There was a nice balance of tanginess and sweetness in addition to the crunch of the cucumber.  A truly appetizing dish.

For those who are not familiar, hand rolls are exactly what you would think it is - a roll with sushi rice and filling rolled by hand in nori.  Typically, one person will need 4-5 rolls minimum to feel satisfied.  For myself, I can do 7-8.   We began with the Salmon hand roll that was lightly dressed and mixed with sesame seeds. The natural sweetness of the salmon came through with only enough seasoning to compliment it.

Next was the Spicy Tuna Crunch that featured buttery mashed tuna with beautiful contrasting crunchy bits.  Once again, the spiciness and seasoning was just enough that there was some bite, but the sweetness and appealing fishiness came through.  Loved the warm seasoned rice and also of course, the crispy nori on the outside.  Speed is of the essence, one must eat this immediately to experience the contrast in textures and temperature. 

For all of us, we had the Scallop which was pretty loaded with large buttery pieces.  It was lightly dressed where it was creamy, yet not particularly strong in flavor.  The natural sweetness and taste of the sea permeated the entire roll.  Similarly with the other rolls, the warm chewy rice and the crispiness of the nori was a nice contrast to the delicate scallops.

As you can clearly see, there was quite a bit of tuna belly in the Negitoro. Normally, there isn't a dressing per se in this as it is purely tuna and green onions.  However, this worked in this application as the roll was more moist and if one wasn't going to dip it into any sauce, the dressing was necessary.  So beyond giving the roll some moisture, it was also a bit creamy with mild sweet notes.  The tuna was buttery and fresh.

Off to something cooked, we dived into the Spicy Crab that featured plenty of fluffy crab meat that was lightly dressed.  I liked that the spiciness was restrained since crab is rather delicate and can be overwhelmed by strong flavors (however, there are some cases where this works, such as Singaporean chili crab).  As such, I could taste the sweetness and aroma of the crab meat.

The other cooked roll we had was the Unagi.  It may have not looked like it, but there was a large piece of eel hidden within.  They torched it to order, so the butteriness of the meat and skin really came through.  There was appetizing caramelization and smokiness.  Naturally, there was the sweet and stickiness of the unagi sauce which meant we didn't need to dip this into anything.

Probably my favorite roll happened to be the last one I was served.  Buttery and soft, the Toro practically melted in my mouth.  It was so fatty and fresh where the clean taste of the sea really came through.  Once again, it was not tossed in anything that was overly strong.  Hence, there was seasoning in the form of sweetness and some umaminess, but not enough to mask the crisp natural flavor.

Lastly, we had the Yellowtail (Hamachi) which appeared to be not dressed in anything.  Good thing too as the inherent sweet fishiness was so pure and refreshing.  However, the delicate texture ensured that each bite was not exhaustive.  What a great finish to this multi-course hand roll meal.  The fact that they serve each one to order, it ensures the temperature of the filling and the rice are perfect.  Also, the crispy nori creates a great textural contrast.  Love this way of eating sushi.

The Good:
- Fresh and made-to-order served to you ASAP
- Quality ingredients
- Friendly service

The Bad:
- Can get pricey when you start ordering lots (because you want to keep eating!)
- Not the same experience if you don't snag a seat at the bar

Yard House

Sometimes convenience is more important than really good eats.  Okay, this may not have been true early on in the life of this blog, but it certainly is now.  Hey, when I'm on vacation, I really should be making decisions based on what works for my family rather than trekking across town to line up at a trendy spot so I can blog about it. Hence, we ended up going across the street from where we were staying over to LA Live.  From all the choices there, we went to the popular chain restaurant Yardhouse.

We started with the Poke Nachos with almost everything on the side, because not everyone wanted everything, but wanted some things.  LOL... So these crispy wonton crisps were supposed to be topped with ahi tuna, avocado, serranos, white truffle sauce, sweet soy ginger sauce, sriracha aioli, cilanto, green onions, sesame seeds and nori.  This was pretty good, especially when we used the sauces with it.  I particularly enjoyed the combination of soy ginger with the aioli.

We also got the Wisconsin Fried Cheese Curds with hot honey sauce and horseradish aioli.  This was a fairly generous portion of cheese curds.  Texturally, they were only slightly melted and still had a nice bouncy chew to them.  On the outside, the batter was indeed crispy and light, but completely soaked with grease.  So much so, the parchment on bottom of the basket yielded pools of oil.  Ignoring that, the cheese curds were good and went especially well with the hot honey.

For myself, I had the BBQ Bacon Cheddar Burger featuring a 1/2 pound USDA prime blend patty, applewood smoked bacon, cheddar, BBQ sauce and garlic aioli.  I asked for the patty to be prepared medium-rare and it came out closer to medium.  No matter though as it was juicy and nicely charred.  Bacon was super crispy and the sesame bun was nicely toasted and airy.  Hence, it didn't eat heavy.  However, the burger was quite filling though.  I got parmesan truffle fries on the side and they were crispy with enough seasoning for impact.

Viv had the BBQ Chicken Pizza which was loaded with tender morsels of chicken.  There wasn't enough BBQ sauce though as the pizza ate dry.  Crust was pretty basic being the thin crust variety.  It was crunchy but not particularly memorable.  With the proliferation of Neapolitan pizza joints all over the place, pizza crusts like the ones found at Yardhouse are very mediocre.  But I get it, a chain restaurant needs to keep things streamlined especially with such a large menu.

For my son, he went for the House Cheesesteak featuring chopped ribeye, white cheddar, steak sauce, roasted garlic aioli and fried onion strings on a hoagie. As you can see, this was rather large and he was completely satisfied by both the portion size and the execution.  The soft roll encased tender beef that had a nice sear (with some crispy bits).  Lots of umami here including beefiness, aromatics and sharpness from the cheese.  The side of yam fries were crispy and not greasy.

Naturally, the most expensive dish was ordered by my daughter which was the Sesame-Crusted Ahi with crispy garlic, sesame seeds, green onions, jasmine rice, charred baby broccoli, baby tomatoes and creamy ponzu sauce.  As pictured, the ahi was perfectly medium-rare with only the slightest sear on the outside.  Hence it was tender and vibrant.  However, it was also quite bland and there wasn't enough ponzu to do anything about it.  The veggies were cooked perfectly though.  Good dish, just needed more seasoning.  As for the other dishes, we were satisfied and thought the pricing was fair.  Pretty good for a chain restaurant and it did the job given what we were looking for.

The Good:
- Well-portioned
- Decent pricing with all things considered
- Huge menu (something for everyone)

The Bad:
- Pizza was meh
- Service was good, but long periods of time without anyone checking on us  

Playa Provisions

I'm not afraid to admit it.  Sometimes I buy into the hype and seek out restaurants featuring and/or operated by Top Chef alumni.  I've had some really good experiences with some spots such as Juniper & Ivy, Knife and Toup's.  However, I'm also acutely aware that there will be less-than-stellar places as well.  So I guess I tried to have realistic hopes when I met up with Jess at Playa Provisions while I was in Los Angeles.  Yet, with Brooke Wiliamson attached to this place, I couldn't help but have elevated expectations as well.

We went big with our starter with the Shellfish Tower featuring 12 oysters, 1/2 Maine lobster, 6 jumbo shrimp, 3 Scallops with navel orange nuoc cham and 1/2 dungeness crab.  This was a hefty $150.00 and in some sense, it was worth it due to the sweet and briny silver devil and blue fox oysters as well as the beautifully buttery tender and sweet scallops.  The prawns were excellent too with a nice meaty snap and all of the sweet aromatics that go with it.  Even the lobster was on point with its unmistakable aroma and rebound texture.  The problem was the dungeness crab.  It was spongy and lacked the fluffiness and taste of the sea freshness.  It wasn't very good.  So for that, we were disappointed.

We also had the Watermelon & Whipped Feta with cucumber, kalamata olives, red onion, oregano and olive brine vinaigrette.  This was rather refreshing and did come through with the promise of creamy whipped feta.  The olive brine was a good contrast to the sweet watermelon.  I personally love olives and welcomed the salty tang they added to the dish.  I thought the red onion might've added too much sharpness to the mix, but I'm sure that could be subjective.

Onto the Salt Cod Clam Chowder served in a sourdough bread bowl, it featured meaty smoked pancetta on top.  As you can see in the picture, there was a bevy of fresh Manila clams (in the shell) peaking out from the chowder.  This was pretty good with a rich broth that was a semi-thick viscosity.  Would've liked to see more bininess, but the clams were definitely there.  Salt cod was prepared properly where there was flavor without being salty.  It was rehydrated well as it was flaky and moist.

The one thing that caught my eye on the menu was the Connecticut-Style Lobster Roll sporting dungeness crab, lobster, shrimp, tarragon and chives in warm lobster buttered brioche.  This was pretty good despite the spongy dungeness crab.  As you can see, there was a good amount of seafood that provided a good ratio to the soft bread.  Of course the butter helped with both texture and flavor.  Overall a good seafood roll.

Viv had opted for the crispy battered version of the Playa Fish Tacos.  It was topped with Meyer lemon kohlrabi slaw, caperberry remoulade and cilantro in a corn tortilla.  This was good with flaky and moist fish sporting a light crispy batter.  The slaw was crunchy and fresh with nice acidity.  Creamy with saltiness and tang, the remoulade was a good alternative to tartar sauce.  Would've liked to see more fish though.

So my daughter went back to the well and got her ol' standby being the Fish & Chips.  Now these were essentially the pieces of fish found in the tacos.  Not a bad thing though as they were just as crispy on the outside and flaky on the inside.  However, the size of the fish left a lot to be desired.  Instead of fries, we found crispy potato wedges that were not that crispy.  They were a touch dense.  The tartar was creamy with a nice bite and they didn't skimp on the malt vinegar.

My son didn't do seafood and went for the Patty Melt with dry aged beef, gruyere, caramelized onion, "Beechwood" BBQ sauce and arugula on marble rye.  For a predominantly seafood-focused menu, this item was actually one of the better ones.  The aged beef was moist and tender with plenty of umaminess.  It was nicely accented by the sweet onions as well as the melted cheese.  The tangy sweetness of the BBQ sauce added another layer of flavor.

One of the more disappointing dishes was the Grilled Swordfish.  Now I'm pretty familiar with swordfish, so I realize that it isn't the most moist and light out fish out there.  However, this one was more chewy than usual and hence, we didn't enjoy eating it.  Too bad really as the accompaniments were great including baby corn, green peppercorn and sungold tomato puttanesca.  This provided sweetness, bite and also tanginess.  Very bright and appealing.

As a side to his patty melt, my son also ordered the Crab Mac & Cheese sporting dungeness crab, parm and breadcrumbs.  For this application, the spongy crab worked as it was further baked with cheese on top.  Hence, we weren't looking for fluffy, instead, we were expecting crab flavor and it delivered.  The pasta was al dente and was coated with enough cheesiness to make an impact.  This was one of the better dishes we had.

One last side was the Creamed Cornbread that turned out to be more cream of corn with some cornbread.  Not that it was a bad thing though, as this was delicious.  It was creamy for sure, but also had impactful natural sweetness accented by fire roasted poblano & black truffle relish and sottocenere crumbles.  Lots of umaminess and slight tanginess from the relish while the cheese crumble added some nuttiness.  Overall, the food was good with a few things we didn't enjoy.  For most restaurants, that would be more than acceptable.  However, given the expectations we had, it didn't deliver.  Is that fair?  I'm not really sure, but just being real as to how we felt.

The Good:
- Outstanding service
- Nice ambiance
- Some good dishes

The Bad:
- The dungeness crab was just not good
- Parking is hard to find, but they do have valet

Howlin' Ray's

Back in 2019, I was in LA and seriously considered lining up for hours at Howlin' Rays.  For those who do not know, they specialize in Nashville Hot Chicken and at one point, there used to be lineups as long as 3 hours.  Well I didn't end up going because I had better things to do than wait in a line for 3 hours.  Little did I know that it would take me until 2022 to attempt to try it again.  This time around, I merely ordered online and picked it up.  Easy peasy.  

Of course I got The Sando in extra-hot.  That is only one below their hottest flavor.  Oh and this was indeed spicy.  My lips were burning and my stomach was warm.  I could feel the onset of indigestion.  But oh it was yums because even though it was tongue-numbing, I could still taste the other spices.  The big boneless breast was tender, but not juicy.  The crunch from the batter was solid while the sauce was uniform from them dipping the whole thing in the spiced oil.  Crunchy coleslaw (that was not overdressed) cooled things down a notch while the bun was soft enough to conform to the chicken without falling apart.  This was a really good hot chicken sandwich!

To get a sense of what mild tasted like, I got the Leg Quarter served on bread with pickles.  Man, that chicken was so perfectly brined as it was juicy and super succulent.  However, it wasn't salty though, just flavorful with plenty of natural chicken goodness.  Loved the batter on the outside as it was crunchy like the one in the sandwich.  The skin was well-rendered too.  Mild still had a bit of spice, but perfect for those who can't handle hot. 

To round out this "snack" (I had lunch already), I got Matt-style Fries with collard greens, cut up bacon, comeback sauce, braised tomatoes and melted cheddar cheese.  This was rather messy and quite a bit of stuff on top of the fries.  Hence, they were not very crunchy anymore, but the flavor was tangy with cheesiness and the creaminess of the sauce. Good for the inebriated.  Although this was just a quick snack from Howlin' Rays, it was enough to confirm the hype.  Their stuff is legit and I would have it again when I'm back in LA.

The Good:

- Spicy, but can taste the spices

- Excellent fried chicken

- Friendly people

The Bad:

- It used to be the lineup, but not really anymore.  However, wasn't that part of the charm?  Hey but I'm not complaining that I don't need to lineup!