Oki Doki

“Oki Doki” is located in Costa Mesa in a small shopping center at the corner of Bristol and Paularino. The restaurant serves lunch and dinner and offers healthy Japanese, Vietnamese and Chinese style food.

If you do not arrive before noon, good luck my little pork dumpling…there are a handful of other restaurants in the center that cater to the busy lunch crowds - therefore, parking is very limited. I spent about 10 minutes looking for a parking spot (and yes, “patience is a virtue”!). The dining establishment is pretty small with about 18-20 tables so you may feel a little crowded.

I started with a “Thai Ice Tea” which is a mixture of Thai tea, sugar, cream and condensed milk (try not to think about the calories!). My tea was flavorful and not too strong or sweet.

The “Imperial Rolls” are rolls wrapped in rice paper and filled with vermicelli, shrimp, basil, cilantro, mint leaves, bean sprouts and julienned lettuce along with a peanut dipping sauce. Although the accompanying sauce was very good, my roll was over-stuffed with vermicelli noodles and not as much shrimp as I would have liked.

Some folks think you should not go to a Chinese style restaurant without trying Egg Drop Soup. Oki Doki makes a wonderful egg drop soup with a nice flavor, velvety texture and plenty of pieces of corn…I thoroughly enjoyed it!

My dining partner and I decided to share the “Seafood Chow Fun”, a combination of calamari, shrimp, scallops and imitation crabmeat (pounded white fish), bok choy, tomatoes, carrots and broccoli served atop chow mein noodles. Although we asked our waitress to have the chef “spice up” the dish for added intensity, the entre came to us sans the requested spice. Bummer! The combined flavors were delicate but tasty none-the-less.

We also had the “Chicken with Vegetables” and I have to admit the dish was quite dull, lacking in rich flavors. The chicken was skinless, boneless white meat but very plain in seasoning. Guys, don’t get me wrong, I understand some folks like simple food with delicate flavors! I did not take photos of the dishes since there was practically no variation in appearance compared to my Seafood Chow Fun dish. I will say that all the veggies in the dishes were very well prepared in that they were slightly crunchy and not soggy or over cooked.

The service was lacking, possibly because the restaurant was full and it was the lunch time crowd. We asked our waitress more than once for extra water and had to inquire about one dish that came to the table late.

My desire is to return for their dinner menu since it looks much more interesting with items such as “Sautéed Shrimp & Scrambled Egg”, “Burdock Salad”, “Little Neck Soup” (most likely clams), and “Seafood Pancake” to name a few.

My take on Oki Doki is that their lunch menu offers dishes that cater to folks who enjoy simple food…simple food for subtle palates! All in all, I will return and give Oki Doki another chance, albeit, not during the lunch hour so that I can avoid the traffic jam in the parking lot and try the interesting dishes that are only available on their dinner menu.

Cheers!

Open daily. No lunch on Sunday.

Proud of "Proud Mary's"

If you have the good fortune to visit or dock at the Dana Point Harbor walk, run, rollerblade or bike to “Proud Mary’s” restaurant. Family owned and operated for 5 years, they are located on the waterfront at the harbor (next to Dana Wharf Sport Fishing) with a beautiful view offering breakfast and lunch daily. Should you decide to hang around for a table, since they do not take reservations, you can mosey along the waterfront for some window shopping and if you are lucky you may even see some cute seals frolicking merrily in the water.

I must admit after a lengthy road bike ride there is nothing better than a hearty breakfast and a “Guava Mimosa.” My friends and I gladly ditch our helmets and bikes and take a seat at the front counter area or outside patio to share the “Short Stack with Bananas & Walnuts” and the healthy “Fitness Scramble.”

Proud Mary’s serves up the best banana walnut pancakes I have ever tasted! They are made with oat flour, walnuts and fresh sliced bananas. The cakes are light and fluffy and the bananas are perfectly caramelized into slices of sticky, delectable, sweetness with the walnuts adding a nice healthy crunch. Delicious! Actually, if you want to cut the calories and sugar you do not even need to add syrup since the cakes are great eating all by themselves.

Surely, it is common knowledge that a combination of protein and carbohydrates after a workout is imperative for refueling our bodies! Therefore, the “Fitness Scramble” is ideal with the combination of egg whites, mushrooms, onions, spinach and grilled ground turkey. This low-fat, high protein dish comes with a side of cottage cheese & sliced tomatoes. One of my favorite dishes too (geez, I have lots of ‘favorite dishes’)!

Do not be fooled, Proud Mary’s has all the traditional breakfast and lunch foods including breakfast sandwiches and breakfast burritos. A local’s popular sandwich is the “Turkey Avo” sandwich. This ‘sammy’ is filled with turkey, avocado, provolone cheese, sprouts, tomato and mayo on squaw bread. For a low-fat, healthier version, omit the cheese and mayo…guilt free.

For the vegetarian/vegan foodies out in blog land, Proud Mary’s also offers an “Avocado Sandwich”, “Bean & Cheese Burrito” (with salsa), “Avocado Burrito” (with beans and salsa) and “Three Cheese Quesadilla”. Of course, the staff will gladly hold the dairy for the vegan folks.

They also have a full bar that faces the lovely view of the harbor. Nick, one of the bartenders and owners, also serves up a lovely “Guava Mimosa” with champagne and guava juice. For those who enjoy a “Bloody Mary” along side their ‘breakie’, your friendly bartender also makes a killer one with just the right amount of spicy kick to it.

Cheers!


Open Daily & Great Prices