Cafe Hiro, Cypress

I've never been a big fan of risotto, let alone a take Japanese on risotto. But I must say, Cafe Hiro does it pretty good. Make sure you save room for their Pot de Crème au Chocolat.

The pork belly with buns appetizer. Could be so much better with a little more fat and juiciness.

Cafe Hiro is a small Japanese restaurent situated in a mini mall in the city of Cypress. Cypress is on the border of Los Angeles county and Orange county. I'd say it is off the beaten path, almost in no-man's culinary land. But they make do and attract a following from both counties.

The Japanese has always strive to produce excellent Italian style pasta. You can see pasta offerings at the Curry House, for instance. And at Cafe Hiro, one of their specialties is risotto. My friends raved about it when I first went. They said it is one of the best they had. They talked about how creamy it is. blah blah blah. . .

And this time was no different. I still ordered the curry. . . while my friend ordered the risotto. I tried the risotto. . .and I am still not a fan. I am not liking the consistency of creaminess. When it is in my mouth, I keep thinking it is sort of a rice porridge. I am not quite used to it. I don't necessarily like the presentation - could be mistake for mush. None the less, it is flavorful. The accompanied fish was done well.

I had a chicken cutlet curry. It was done well. The side of pickled vegetables goes well with it. I must confess that I think highly of The Curry House. They do curry simply well. This particular interpretation compares quite well. The deep fried skin on the chicken cutlet is just right, not to thick and not greasy - the way it ought to be. Deep fried chicken dipped in a spiced cream curry sauce is a dangerous combination. If you have never tried it, I suggest you do. You could say that Southerners have a similar combination of fried chicken with gravy - such as that you'll find at Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles.

Anyways . . . Cafe Hiro is one of my go-to restaurants in OC. I'd like to add one last thing that I didn't have a picture of is their dessert - the Pot de Crème au Chocolat. I am not a fan of Crème Brûlée, which is similar, nor a big fan of chocolate desserts. But this thing is worth the drive and wait, by itself. I have never had it before, and it is freakin' awesome. Ok. I'm done now.