El Campeon

Pros: Big portions, tasty food, authentic Mexican
Cons: Can be busy, limited indoor seating


El Campeon (31921 Camino Capistrano San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675) is right around the corner from our house here in San Juan Capistrano, but I've avoided heading in there for lunch until recently just based on the sheer number of people inside. I know that usually means it equals great food, but each time it also seemed like it would cause a big wait and I was hungry.


Scott, thinking ahead and still wanting to try it, decided to take me for an early lunch there this week. We got in right before the lunch rush happened and our food came out in a very timely manner, but honestly, watching the line that came after, it seemed like they know how to move people through quickly.

Carniceria El Campeon is in an older strip mall on the corner of Camino Capistrano and Del Obispo, and it has a sort of run down charm I tend to associate with good food for whatever reason. The menu is pretty much entirely in Spanish, so for those of us a little rusty since college, it's also helpful that the food is all out in a lunch counter type display; the staff is friendly and helpful as well. Scott and I couldn't get over the bright red color of the pork carnitas, so we both ordered the combination plate for $6.95.



The portions were enough for me to have plenty left over for two whole meals, though Scott did manage to kill his while we were there. It came with a big ol' heaping stack of pork, spanish rice, refried beans, corn tortillas, shredded lettuce, sour cream and some tomato. Pretty standard Mexican fare, but really tasty also.

I'd really like to go back and try some of the other items on the menu. We've been looking for a decent, authentic, local Mexican place to frequent and I think we may have found it.

Review: Thai Juan On

Thai Juan On is a new Thai place next to the Marshall's in San Juan Capistrano. My husband and I love Thai food, and try to eat as many local restaurants as possible, so we were excited to try it.
The first time we went was during the evening, about 8 pm, and it was slammed. I was happy to see that because I always like local places to do well. Unfortunately that resulted in very long wait times for both food and service. I assume that this is because the place is new, and they have some things to work out. The food was good, however, so we decided to give it another go during a weekday when it would likely be less busy. Last week we went back around noon on Monday. It was almost empty save three other patrons, so we hoped things would go better, and they did.
You can tell right when you enter that the owners spent a lot of money designing the restaurant. It's beautiful, with reds and earth tones, and a nice, muted light, which gives a cool ambiance. There's a bar area that's divided off the main dining room, and separate enough so the TV there doesn't distract those in the main eating area.


The menu has a lot of options, is well priced, and is chock full of ridiculous puns, carried over from the name of the restaurant itself. The alcohol list is labeled "Alchoholiday," the starters are "Appethaizers" for example. Some may find it a bit much, but personally I thought it was kitschy and hilarious. Again, somebody spent a long time on this, silly or not.
The food itself is good. Not the best Thai I've ever had, but very satisfying and tasty. We started with the Angel Wing/Pek Kai which they describe on the menu as "Boneless chicken wing stuffed with minced chicken, glass noodles and mild spices, cooked to golden brown. Served with nutty sweet & sour sauce, EXCELLENT!" And it was, golden and crispy and yummy, and a big enough wing for the husband and I to share. We were also served a soup of broth and some veggies which was nice as well. (Food pics aren't the best, sorry; the light was too dim and my flash makes it look a bit funky.)


We ordered from the special lunch menu, each entree being priced at about $8. My husband got a yellow curry chicken dish, and I ordered filet sweet and sour style with bell peppers and pineapple.


Each came with a scoop of white rice. He enjoyed his; said it had just the right amount of spice. My beef was cooked nicely, pink in the middle and tender. I liked it a lot, but it was more reminiscent of a Hawaiian dish to me than Thai. Maybe it was the ice cream scoop of rice that threw me off, I don't know.
All in all, TJO is a good option, for lunch at least. We'll definitely go back, though maybe not for dinner until they work their kinks out.

Two restaurants: Antoine's and White Horses

We went to two restaurants in San Clemente this week, so I thought I'd write up my experiences with them, plus share the couple of pics I managed to be sneaky and take.

Antoine's is one of my favorite places to eat. It's on the main road in San Clemente, and is always full of locals. They have amazing breakfasts and lunches, and the best French onion soup I've ever had. The staff is always super nice, and it's fun to sit outside to eat and people watch on sunny days.

Yummy soup!


Antoine's is located at 218 S El Camino Real, San Clemente, CA 92672.

Scott and I just celebrated our sixth wedding anniversary, and went out to one of the more upscale places in SC for dinner. We went to White Horses, which is right across from the pier. It's a cute little place with really nice ambiance and a gorgeous ocean view, and a lovely staff as well. The menu changes every few months as does the local art on the walls. It was good, but I was a little underwhelmed especially considering the price. The food was good, don't get me wrong; it just seemed a little been there done that for the price. Trios of food, circular molds...a little played. Like I said, it wasn't bad by any means, but I don't think we'll head back any time soon.

My dinner from there, a trio of meats (lamb, venison and beef) and mashed potatoes:


Sorry the pic is dark, but it was dimly lit and I didn't want to use my flash. White Horses is at 610 Avenida Victoria, San Clemente, CA 92672.

Pho BO Vang

For awhile now I've been obsessed with trying pho (pronounced fuh), which is a rice noodle soup dish from Vietnam. I read about it and it launched a quest to find an authentic Vietnamese restaurant in my area. I searched for a few weeks and finally found a pho place close enough to home that Scott and I could go for lunch while Aiden was in school.

The general online consensus was that Pho BO Vang in Lake Forest has the best pho in south OC, so that's where we headed. We ordered an appetizer and both got a different type of pho.

The calamari was good, if not a bit greasy. I wanted to try the spring rolls, but Scott has this thing where he has to order calamari at every restaurant, so that won out.



I also ordered a Thai tea, which had a very unexpected, smoky flavor. It came with cream in it and was almost a terracotta color. Really tasty.



And finally, the pho!



This was unfortunately the only pic I could get as my camera died and Scott was reprimanding me for taking pictures. The beef was served rare and continued to cook while sitting in the broth. It was served with fresh basil, limes, and bean sprouts on the side. And yes, it was pretty much amazing and all that I had hoped for!

We'll definitely be heading back to Pho BO Vang. Great pho and really reasonably priced as well.

Pho BO Vang
23764 Mercury Rd
Lake Forest, CA 92630
Phone: (949) 707-5768