Mentaiko
+ Butter and noodles and nori
= Creamy, fishy noodles.
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Dropped by OC Poultry & Rotisserie Market on the way home from a gingerbread house decorating party at Surfas in Costa Mesa. The chicken sandwich with fried egg was simply delicious. The rotisserie chicken is shredded and then warmed in a pan sauce…likely the juices that rendered as the chicken cooks. The fluffy egg added an additional level of unctuousness and the vegetables a crunch and freshness. The sandwich reminded me of my childhood and of something my Mom used to make for us…but she liked to cook the chicken drier to create more texture. The folks who own/run the shop are just lovely and so very friendly…likely helped by the fact that I spoke to them in Vietnamese. I was so hungry that I wolfed down the sandwich without taking a photo…sorry.
But here’s a photo of the gingerbread house my kids decorated at Surfas…
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Hi @attran99,
Nice gingerbread house! 
Glad to hear OC Poultry’s sandwich is still good. Loved our visit there a few months back.
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I made a beeline to The Platform this afternoon to snag a couple of slices of pie at the Rucker’s Pie pop-up. My husband got the Dutch apple pie, and Nicole suggested a slice of buttermilk cranberry pie for me. These were just pure heaven! The crust was so buttery and flakey, and I loved the interplay of the rich buttermilk custard with the tart cranberries.
I was going to get a pizza from Roberta’s, but I felt too guilty, so I got the pesto portobello bowl (sans chicken) from Sweetgreen instead. A gal’s got to have some vegetables.
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Hi @MaladyNelson,
Nice pics and writeup! Aha! You got the Pesto Portobello as well. Isn’t it good? Love that Salad Bowl (some great flavors)!
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Rucker’s popup? On my way.
Edit, next time, it ended at 4. That buttermilk pie looks so good…
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Sadly, it ended at 4pm, @Bookwich. By the way, your mentaiko pasta looked really great!
@attran99 I love your kids’ gingerbread house. Very festive!
I totally agree with you about the pesto portobello bowl, @Chowseeker1999. It was hearty and comforting. Just the perfect thing to counteract all those buttery carbs from the pie!
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#Ruen Pair
fried egg and salty turnip #turnipforwhat
Fucking outstanding, loved the salt sweet caramelized turnips in the crispy golden omelette.
shrimp cakes
bbq pork
pad kee mao
pad prik king
Chinese sausage fried rice
tom yum pla
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wow!!! That pie looks incredible! nice score!
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Thanks, @LAgirl! It was easily the best dessert I’ve had this year. But all that sugar, dairy, and carbs have got me zonked out… So worth it though.
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Love their shrimp cakes, bbq pork, pad lee mao and prik king. I haven’t had the fried egg/turnip—looks interesting. I haven’t been there in a while—possibly x-mas day for thai (or chinese) + a movie……
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from your pics-----totally worth it. lol
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Thanks @MaladyNelson and @Chowseeker1999! We head over to Surfas every year for this party…Surfas has it all set up with a freshly made house, all the fixin’s to decorate, and a pizza lunch so we have three hours to make a big mess there and take home the goods. With each event, you get an in-store purchase discount and a discount for future events/classes. I’ve learned a lot from their gnocchi and fresh pasta classes.
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Hope not too late, but deep fried pork chop.
Damn! I missed out on probably my favorite pie from Rucker, her buttermilk pie. Why???
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The lady is such a sweetheart. She bagged our sandwiches and warned us about the chance of the jalapeños being super hot or just hot. She put them on the side but gave us plenty just in case they weren’t that hot. When we got home, I put a couple slices in the sandwich and they were super hot.
Great customer service and a really good sandwich. Not bad for $5.
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I am so sorry, @A5KOBE… I didn’t mean to torment you. And you’re right; that buttermilk pie is the business. Do you follow Rucker’s Pie on Instagram? https://www.instagram.com/ruckerspie/
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(Check out Bang Bang thread)
Tacos El Jefe at Pico x Westmoreland at the 7/11/Laundromat plaza.
Had the Mulita. Tortillas are hecho en mano. Known for offering guacamole (also avocado hot sauce as well, in fact the salsa bar is great)
Also had 2 tripas tacos. Requested for “mas crujiente” (crispy!!!). Some of the best tripe tacos I had. I regret putting those extra salsa and guac tbh. They are very good, next time onion-cilantro-lime.
Also since it is winter, Champurrado, chocolatey cinnamony
Very happy with this find, not a specialist, but handmade tortillas and solid food.
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Been to Ruen Pair 293 times. Other than the Salty Egg and Turnip, which is probably their best dish, and a specialty I continually return for specifically:
Chinese olives and pork.
Spicy Raw Shrimp Salad.
Egg Salad.
Pork Jerky.
Clams in Spicy Mild Mint Sauce.
Morning Glory (with crispy pork belly if you want).
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