Nino "don't point those lips girl..it ain't sexy" R.'s Profile

It's little, and the prices aren't as good as Asian Ranch, but then again, Asian Ranch is 4x the size of this place.  But what Asian Market has that others don't have are a plethora of Filipino films.  I'm talking about cheesy love stories to even cheesier love stories.

But if you're not Filipino, should that dissuade you from shopping here?  

Of course not.

You'll find the basics here but not much else.  But if you're not sure what the basics are, here's a snapshot:

Sauce -  fish, soy, oyster, etc.
Frozen meats
Staple fresh veggies
Dessert Breads
Canned meats
Canned veggies

And did I mention the movies...

This is my go-to spot for drop-offs.  It's location is convenient and parking is a breeze!  Why?  Because the foot traffic here is incredibly low.  Most people go to the Fed Ex Kinko's on Winchester to take care of their shipping needs.

You won't find the same resources at the Jefferson location, but you won't find lines either.  And when all I'm doing are drop-offs, lines are the enemy.  At the most, you'll find two associates behind the counter.  But most of the time it's a one-man army back there.

Oh, and there's one more bummer; they're not open late.  But that works for me because I'm never here past 3p anyway.

Try it...

If you told me in September 2009 that a website would help dictate the way I live my life for the next three years, I'd laugh.  I'd laugh and brush it off.

But three years later, Yelp is a major part of my life.  It's a little crazy.  From check-ins to reviews, I'd surmise that one hour of everyday is devoted to Yelp.  But it's not all about dukedoms, FTRs, and ROTDs.  

I've met so many fantastic people through Yelp.  People that I consider real friends; friends for a lifetime.

The most unbelievable thing about this whole Yelp situation is that I met my girlfriend at an Elite event over a year ago.  I know that I never would have met her if it wasn't for Yelp.  And now I can't imagine my life without her.

It's amazing really...what this website can do...

As a man, I understand that frozen yogurt isn't one of those things that I should get excited over.  I'm supposed to go nuts for charcoal, power tools, chewing tobacco, and knife fights.  But I gotta admit, Froyoland is my jam.

It tastes like ice cream sometimes.  I usually stick to the peanut butter froyo and top it with Cap'n Crunch and crumbled peanut butter cups.  They've got other flavors and many more toppings.  The dulce de leche isn't bad when it's available and it goes perfectly with cheesecake bits and crumbled waffle cone.

Look, I love knife fights as much as the next guy, but I like froyo too.  And Froyoland is the best in the area.

Without a doubt...

If you love tart, then this is the froyo place for you.  Everything here has that little tinge of tart to it, even double chocolate.  There is no escaping it.

Personally, I'm on the fence about it.  I think it depends on my mood.  

The toppings bar is limited compared to other froyo joints, and they're not very good choices either.

Parking can be a hassle if you're looking to get your froyo on after lunch or dinner.  But if you roll here during off times, like 2pm or 8pm, then you should be ok.  It's a crap shoot on weekends though, but with the newly opened Freeb!rds taking some business from Chipotle, you may have an easy go of it for now.

But where can you find the best froyo and the best toppings bar in the area?

Froyoland on Los Alamos...

Definitely the runt of the litter as far as the Mitsuwa franchise goes.  I've been to their Edgewater, NJ location and their Costa Mesa location.  When compared with the other two locations, Mitsuwa SD pales.

Pales severely.

Pale like Nicole Kidman or Dakota Fanning.

If you're ever traveling up the 405 to LA, the Costa Mesa location is located just off the 55.  You should check it out for yourself.  You may think twice about what you rate the SD location after getting a whiff of Costa Mesa.

Personally, I've been to the SD location only a handful of times.  I was disappointed the first time I was here because there weren't many hot food options.  The same is still true today.

I spent many afternoons at the Edgewater location while living in Jersey and took full advantage of their glorious marketplace.  It is here that the term "marketplace" rings true.  The SD location lacks the square footage but attempts to make up for it with their ramen and their inventory.  However, they don't offer the same sushi grade fish that you will find at their Costa Mesa location.  And there is only one vendor selling ramen, while there are several at the Edgewater and Costa Mesa locations.

This is not a marketplace...

Contrary to previous reviews, I've always experienced quick and friendly service on every visit.  I'm freakin putting my elite status on the line here by reviewing a BK but come on, I can't let people keep trashing a place I've been to **ahem** numerous times without defending them.

Granted, I'm only here during breakfast hours, so I have no clue what the dining room looks like the rest of the day, but when I'm here it's spotless.  And when I'm in line, I'm usually the only one there so we're talking express service.  And they always hook me up with the breakfast tots!

I really can't believe I'm reviewing a BK, but I'm friendly with the AM crew and they don't need to be slapped with the negative label.  

This place is alright...

Best Thai in Murrieta, but Aiyara is better.  Aiyara is better because their prices are equal but the ambiance can't be compared.  @ Thai has a basic set up and plenty of tables for large and small groups, but Aiyara is where you take someone out on a date.  Their presentation is much better, and as I mentioned before, they charge just as little as @ Thai does for their staple dishes.

Do try the Glass Noodle hot pot when you come to @ Thai.  The curry dishes are good and they pan sear their fish before adding the curry.  That's a nice touch.  

Sometimes I forget where I am when I eat at places that serve good food.  I'm all over SoCal and I'm usually eating at great places.  So when I dine out in Temecula/Murrieta I have misconceptions that food is going to be great.  

You should never do this.

If you come across a restaurant that serves good food, you must know that isn't the norm for this area.  @ Thai is a great place for Thai in Murrieta.

But Aiyara is better...

Not sure why the place is called "Zambales Bakery" when their store sign clearly reads "Julie's Desserts"?  Maybe that's what it was called when the first person to review this place put it on the Yelp map.  

If you plug the address in your GPS, it will lead you to a Vietnamese supermarket.  This is not an accident, the store is located within the supermarket.  During my visit, I noticed a nearly empty display case but racks, and racks, and racks of fresh-baked pan de sal.

I bought one to sample.  It was pretty good.  Not as good as Valerio's and definitely not as good as Philippine Bread House (Jersey City).  I didn't try the hopia because they only had packaged versions available, and I wasn't comfortable committing to 6 hopia without sampling.

I also noticed that they sell women's clothing here too.  It was only a few racks, but it was confusing.  I wasn't sure if it was traditional Vietnamese or Chinese garb.  It definitely wasn't Filipino.

Parking can be a situation if you're making a weekend visit.  But if you're here on the weekend, you might as well make an event out of it and do your grocery shopping here too.

Kill those birds...

Fairly large indoor gym great for basketball and volleyball.  I've also seen students playing soccer and floor hockey.  They have open gym every day so long are you're a student or if you're there with a Jet player.

During the weekends, there's a kids league for fifth thru eighth graders.  My nephews play for the Jets.  There are dozens of teams and four games going on every hour.  It's quite the sight.

Biggest gripe is the parking situation.  If you're not here for the first round of games you could be parking in the boonies.  That's ok if you're able-bodied, but if you're a bit limited on the cardiovascular front, this may be a deal breaker.

Bring a walking stick...