Anjo, anyone?
Anytime someone in the news room mentions Anjo, we get all flurried. We love this place that's situated on the border of West Covina and Baldwin Park.
They have everything from sushi to udon and it's always fresh.
This little restaurant (when I say little, I mean little) opens up for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., then closes until dinner time from 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday only, and Sunday, only dinner is offered. It is closed every Monday.
I believe they can afford to have such oddly short hours, since it is always packed for lunch. My very first day here at the paper about two years ago I was invited to this locale for lunch and tried salmon for the first time.
Thank God I did, because there's is so fresh and tasty that I fell in love. If I would have tried salmon in other restaurants, as I have since then, I would have been completely dissapointed and never wanted to try it ever again.
Along with salmon, the restaurant offers a limited number of daily lunch specials which sell out fast because they are a great deal. They usually come in a bento box with a sample of lots of goodies like sashimi, teriyaki chicken, fried gyoza and maybe even some tempura all for an average of $7.95.
There are lunch special combos that include steamed rice, salad, and miso soup. The salad's dressing is sweet and tangy and the ingredients are mysterious to me, but I don't care because it's just so tasty.
The variety of fresh sushi offered invites you to make more than one visit to try them all.
I can never just get one thing. If I'm very hungry I'll order a salmon-teriyaki combo with tempura and a spicy tuna roll on the side.
And if you miraculously happen to have enough room for dessert, there's green tea ice cream and fresh cut fruit bowls.
I do warn again, this is a little restaurant with limited amount of tables so get there early or you'll have to wait a good while for a table or just order to-go.
The atmosphere and staff are great but sometimes the crowds are just too much. I sometimes have to settle for the glare of flourescent bulbs above and my computer screen to create my lunch ambiance when I order for pick-up.
Dinner is considerably more pricier than lunch but can offer a great alternative to that frozen meal you're thinking about reaching for.
Anjo is at 1905 W. Badillo St., West Covina, (626) 480-0288.
I love Anjo! They have great salmon teriyaki and the lunch specials are THE BEST.
Anjo provides me with the most awesome bowel movements ever! Radical!