Honda Ya Japanese Resaurant (Tustin, CA)

Honda-Ya is one of the few Orange County restaurants that stay open until 1 PM, which is great because for some odd reason I tend to crave their Yakitori at odd hours. The sushi is pretty good...I tend to stick towards the obvious choices like the Spicy Tuna, Crunchy Roll, or Rainbow Roll, but as the red lantern out front indicates - this is a Yakatori Bar. Some of my favorite Yakatori include the Meatball, Asparagus Wrapped in Bacon, Okra Wrapped in Bacon, or Tomato Wrapped in Bacon (I generally tend to be fond of foods wrapped in bacon). On certain occasions I've been known to make an entire meal out of Yakatori alone. The dinner plates are also pretty good (I favor the Sesame Chicken and Salmon) and their spicy Nanban Ramen is perfect for a chilly evening. Ask for their Japanese Risotto (not on the English menu), which is a porridge-like dish that may wind up becoming your next favorite comfort food. Wash this down with a cold Kirin or a small sake (or large depending on how big of a lush you are) and your meal is complete...unless of course you managed to save room for some Azuki (red bean) Ice Cream. If you come during the weekend be prepared to wait since it tends to fill up pretty quickly.