Recently in West Covina Category

By Eric Terrazas

I am a big fan of pizza, which has long been a favorite dish of mine.

Always on the lookout for a tasty pie, I decided to check out a place called Anna's Pizza, located in West Covina.

I ordered the mini 8-inch two-topping pizza for $4.99. The two toppings I selected were pepperoni and pineapple.

My first impression of Anna's was pretty positive. While it was not the best pizza I ever had, I still came away a satisfied customer.

For $4.99, the two-topping pizza is not a bad deal. I ate all of my pineapple and pepperoni pizza, which tasted pretty good.

I decided to give Anna's another try the next day. This time, I selected the $6.99 lunch special, which consisted of a mini 8-inch two-topping pizza, a small salad and a medium soft drink.

The toppings I selected were sausage and mushroom. 

I thought the sausage and mushroom pizza tasted better than the pepperoni and pineapple.

The salad, which comes with several choices of dressing, wasn't bad. I wish it included a couple more tomatoes.

Anna's salad dressing list includes ranch, blue cheese, Italian, thousand island, vinegar and oil, and Caesar. I ordered the thousand island.

I had no problem finishing my sausage and mushroom pie.  

For $6.99, I thought Anna's lunch special was a nice meal and deal. Other pizza sizes are also offered.

The choice of toppings also include meatballs, salami, ham, Canadian bacon, tomatoes, garlic, onions, green peppers, olives, jalapenos, anchovies and chicken.

If you happen to have a light budget, the $3.99 mini 8-inch cheese pizza sounds like a good choice.

Anna's menu also features dishes such as spaghetti ($6.99), lasagna ($7.75) and ravioli ($7.25). All dishes are served with garlic bread.

Different varieties of sandwiches and salads are also available. A regular (8-10 inches) sized sandwich costs $5.25 while a foot-long is priced at $6.25.

Salad selections include chicken ($6.50), antipasto ($6.25), and garden ($4.75).

So if you are in the mood for Italian fare and happen to be in the West Covina area, Anna's just might sound like a good place to eat.

Anna's Pizza is located at 1010 West Covina Parkway in West Covina. For information, call (626) 337-7297.

You knew I would try to snag a free flatbread from Jamba Juice. How could I resist free food?

Check out this article from business editor Kevin Smith explaining this special promotion.

At first, I thought of going an hour before this special promotion started, but actually got too busy in the office.

Once I had a break, it was just after 2 p.m. but thought I would still see if I had a chance to try these new low-calorie flatbreads.

I arrived at the Jamba Juice in West Covina by the mall at about 2:20 p.m. There was no long lines in sight like I remember seeing for the free chicken giveaway El Pollo Loco and Kentucky Fried Chicken had, but that was fine with me.

There wasn't even one person in front of me when I entered the Jamba Juice in West Covina on Tuesday.

I was reminded once again of the free promotion and I said yes please! Apparently they were giving away one of the four varieties (Tomo Artichoko, Smokehouse Chicken, MediterranYum and Four Cheesy) at different times throughout the promotion. I got the Smokehouse Chicken variety.

I ordered a healthy smoothie as well - Pomegranate Pick-me-up - and happily took my little warm box of flatbread. Regular price for a flatbread is $3.75.

No matter where I read or searched for online, I could not figure out what type of food exactly Jamba Juice meant by 'flatbread', but it pretty much resembles a mini-size, thin-crust pizza with flatbread as the dough.

The smokehouse had roasted corn, peppers, black beans and chicken on top of a little melted cheese and what tasted like a slightly tangy barbecue sauce. The flavors of each ingredient went well together considering it was only 330 calories.

The flatbread was warm and toasty but a bit hard on the side while it was soft on the bottom.

The flatbread was more of a snack with it's mini-pizza size, or if you wanted to make it a full meal, you could pick up a couple or add one of the salads also offered now at some Jamba Juice locations.

Next time I'll try one of the salads, wraps or sandwiches while picking up some fresh juicy smoothie at Jamba Juice.

DID YOU SNAG A FREE FLATBREAD? KNOW OF ANY OTHER FREE FOOD OFFERINGS YOU CAN SHARE WITH US? LET US KNOW BELOW - SHARING IS CARING.

I don't know the history of Filipino food but after my first visit to D.J. Bibingkahan in West Covina, it wasn't too far from Mexican food.

It made me wonder, who inspired who?

This little bake shop is a spacious restaurant and bakery in what is locally known as Little Manila, or the Seafood City shopping center off of Amar Road and Azusa Avenue.

On a recent lunch hour, playing on televisions throughout the dining area was a Filipino version of "Ugly Betty," an American television show that is a version of the Mexican soap opera show "Betty La Fea."

The cheesy over-acting and camera work immediately reminded me of Mexican "telenovelas" or soap operas.

Ordering food here required a quick lesson. First of all, I didn't understand the menu, and not because of language barriers, but there also isn't much clarity as to how to order food.

Luckily, I was well accompanied by two fellow foodies who were familiar with the way of the D.J. Bibingkahan.

It actually reminded me of how one may typically order food at a fast-food style Chinese restaurant. The food is spread across a long counter behind glass and you can just point to what you want.

Easy for me since I didn't know what items were what, let alone know how to pronounce it properly in Tagalog. 

Much of the food in front of me looked very good but so as not to be sorely disappointed with my lunch I went with a couple suggestions made by my companions instead of following my hungry eyes.

Everyone mostly orders combos which come with steamed white rice and an optional cup of soup, but you can order items a la carte.

With everything from a side spinach with coconut milk dish, beef boiled in blood stew to fish dishes, there was plenty to choose from.

I decided to go with the beef barbecue on a stick and a beef stew called beef kaldereta. I didn't get to try the soup this time which had pork in it.

I did try the chicken adobo off of a lunch companion's plate though. The chicken is cooked for hours in a soy sauce and vinegar mixture, making the chicken tender and juicy and the mixture a little more sweet than salty.

The beef barbecue was perfectly cooked, not too tough, and had the nice barbecue taste and not just the marks of a grill.             

The beef stew tasted so close to a Mexican dish my mom cooks. The spices in the stew and the juicy, chunky cut of the beef are almost exactly the same as the Mexican version, though the color is a little different.

I didn't taste them at first but the stew also has potatoes and carrots, much like the Mexican dish. My mom's dish also has peas and squash though.

My mom serves the dish with rice as well. It's a great way to absorb the stew and flavor the rice.

This D.J. restaurant is actually one of six chains with another in Las Vegas.

D.J. Bibingkahan in West Covina is at 1515 Amar Road, (626) 581-4682.

(NOTE: After this article ran in print and on the Highlander website, there were many commenters helping me out with a little history lesson on Filipino and Mexican food. And others commented on Spanish soap opera history. Feel free to join in on that discussion by clicking on the link above or start a new one here - Comment away! Thanks.)

I was at a Californa Pizza Kitchen last month and not intending to have wine with my food, I went ahead and had a small serving any way - since they were free.

Trying to get ahead of other casual dining chain restaurants, CPK has launched its new redesigned wine list nationwide and looking to start a new "wine culture" at its restaurants.

To give diners a glimpse they are offering free wine tastings to diners ages 21 and over. Each week two featured wines are chosen and offered as tastings.

The selection of wines were handpicked by the restaurant's co-founders/co-CEOs Rick Rosenfield and Larry Flax. Most selections on the new list are priced under $10 for a glass but still considered high quality for their price.

The selection includes:                                 

-Sonoma-Cutrer Russian River Chardonnay

-Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay

-Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio

-La Crema Pinot Noir

-Stags' Leap Merlot

At my visit, I tried the pinot grigio, a white wine for those unfamiliar with wine, and the pinot noir, a red.

I'm not big on white wines and even though the Santa Margherita was tasty and a little woodsy, it was too sweet for my wine taste.

The La Crema pinot was nice and smooth for a more dry and bitter wine but it had the right amount of dryness which is not easily accomplished in many reds.

It's nice to see CPK step it up to compete with the many smaller upscale restaurants that are more able to switch up their wine offerings. I wonder if they'll also start offering pairing suggestions too.

Now, can I just have a truly small side salad for like $3 with my pasta? Please....

By Evelyn Barge

I'm not a big fan of restaurants with gimmicky food names; even less so, nightclubs with lame drink labels.

It's an allergy I developed after ordering, with head hanging in shame, the embarrassing "Jenny's Favorite" smoothie at a Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. in Monterey many moons ago. I still haven't figured out just why Jenny - an abused child, turned counterculture hippie, turned druggie, turned baby mama, who finally gets sick, settles down and then immediately dies - would have a predilection for strawberries, cranberry juice and non-fat raspberry frozen yogurt. (Send me a memo if you know more than I do.)

At any rate, New York's Finest Bakery and Cafe proprietor Salvatore Mangiafreno obviously disagrees with me. 

Every sandwich on the West Covina eatery's menu is named for a New York City attraction or borough - The Bronx, The Staten Island, The Yankee Stadium, The Shea Stadium, The Park Ave., and on and on.

I find this a little too cutesy for my taste. But, let's be honest, a good taste - the kind that really counts at a restaurant - can overpower all sorts of cornball phrases.

That's how I felt ordering "The NYPD" sandwich ($5.50) at New York's Finest. Yes, the sandwich is really called that, and just speaking the name aloud gave me low expectations for it. 

But I was won over by the force - or, more specifically, the ingredients, which piqued my interest from their place on the menu.

Hot capicola, prosciutto, provolone cheese, pepperoncini, lettuce, oil and vinegar. Simple, spicy; I'll take it. I picked the round roll, which is really more of a giant oval, but the sandwiches are also available on 12-inch hero subs.

The pepperoncinis really steal the show here, acting en masse to overpower thick layers of meat with a mild, pleasing, pickled heat.  

The New York Style salad ($5.00) with lettuce, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella balls, olives, olive oil and balsamic vinegar glaze was beyond basic but comprised of fresh ingredients and quite satisfying. It reminded me of something I'd whip up at home to take on a picnic.

New York's Finest has an interesting kind of appeal for a city like West Covina. It's Italian-American deli fare through-and-through, with fresh bread, cookies and pastries baked daily on the premises.

It's the kind of place you stop on the way to work to get a baker's dozen of cannolis for the office.

It's refreshing, light, healthy fare - just don't forget something to satisfy your sweet tooth.

New York's Finest Bakery and Cafe is located at 648 S. Sunset Ave. in West Covina. (626) 814-9900. www.nyfinestbakery.com. 

A few weeks ago, I was sent out to work out of one of our other sister papers' office in Torrance and while I was only there for a couple days, I thought I would venture out for lunch and see what the city had to offer.

The first day, on my way into the office I passed by a sushi place that caught my eye and I knew I had to try it for lunch - Sushi Boy.

From the outside it looked like a fast-food type of sushi bar and even though that didn't sound too appealing, I was intrigued.

As I walked in, it was just what I thought - fast food. They did add some cool Japanese art throughout the dining area to get a more authentic Japanese restaurant feel to it.

The menu featured a variety of sushi rolls, sashimi and sushi, as well as combo meals with salad noodles and bowls offered.

Wanting to try a little of everything I ordered the Takumi value meal for $6.80 which came with four pieces of california roll, one salmon and one shrimp sushi serving, three pieces of tekka maki and kappa maki each (tuna and cucumber, respectively) and a spicy tuna hand roll.

Each value meal comes with a serving of miso soup, or get a fountain drink instead for a few cents more.

My order came out pretty quick - ten minutes or less - and with the price, I was a little hesitant.

Everything looked surprisingly fresh for how quick it was served. The soup was okay but there wasn't much, if any, tofu which I'm used to having in my miso soup.

I dug into the Califoria rolls first - they were average, nothing special but pretty good for fast food. I don't know what type of wasabi they served but it didn't taste like wasabi I've had before and it wasn't necessarily good.

The cucumber and tuna tasted fresh but the seaweed was sometimes a bit too chewy. The salmon and shrimp tasted pretty fresh and not fishy. I wish I had better wasabi to serve it with.

The best item by far was the spicy tuna hand roll. Not only did the spicy tuna have the right amount of heat but there was plenty in there and it all fit perfectly with the cucumber and rice.   

When I first spotted Sushi Boy I never seen anything like it and I thought maybe I was trying something that could only be found in Torrance but as I perused the to-go menu I discovered there is a Sushi Boy in the San Gabriel Valley!

Or at least a version of what seems like a franchise. The company has 12 California locations in all including one in West Covina - Marukai West Covina at 1420 Azusa Ave. 

I will definitely have to try Marukai in West Covina one day but I may still call it Sushi Boy because it sounds cooler. For the other locations, visit www.sushiboy.net .

For the variety and price, I was happy with the quality of my lunch at Sushi Boy.

SECOND DAY

For lunch on my second day in Torrance I thought I would entrust my new Blackberry to help me find something I hoped would be different and unique.

Craving noodles, I was torn between a Thai restaurant and a curry one.

Since I don't have too much experience with curry I thought I would give the Curry House a try and it was only across the street from the office.

When I stepped in it was a nice sit-down restaurant. I was seated by a hostess and soon visited by my waitress. She sensed I was new there and gave me more time to look over the menu.

I don't know much about what exactly is normal for a curry restaurant menu but there I knew it didn't seem normal to have jambalaya on the menu.

The jambalaya entree was special to Curry House because it also included curry sauces. 

I really wanted to try something with a good curry sauce but the Jambalaya-style curry meal came with rice and I was still craving pasta or noodles so I went with something else.

The Seafood Tofu Shirataki Fettuccine ($10.05), featured shrimp, white fish, baby clams, squid, onion and bell pepper in a curry cream sauce - perfect! Pasta and curry all in one.

I ordered hot tea and water but there was a wide variety of beverage options with tropical iced tea, iced oolong and green teas, shirley temple, iced cafe au lait and more.

And if you have a reason to celebrate or feel like a little libation they also serve alcoholic beverages such as plum wine and Kirin Ichiban, a Japanese beer, on tap.

The table settings and the atmosphere of the restaurant was nice but it didn't seem too busy at the time but I was having a late lunch so I hope, for their sake, there was more customers there a little earlier.

Despite not having too many customers, my meal took a little while but that only made me believe it was freshly made to order by real cooks in the kitchen.

By the time I did get my plate, I was pretty hungry. It was hot but luckily for me not too hot (I can't stand extreme temperatures in my mouth).

I dug right into the squid and the fettucine, swirling it around in the curry sauce to get a nice taste of it.

The squid wasn't too chewy but it did have a bit of a fishy taste and after having some bites of the perfectly tender and flaky white fish I knew it wasn't that. Maybe it was the baby clams.

It was pretty easy to scoop them out of their little shells but they also had more of a fish taste than clam flavor. The fettucine was nicely cooked and the curry sauce was tasty but I was expecting it to be spicy and it wasn't.

Overall for a seafood dish it was tasty but I would skip the clams next time and maybe ask for some spicier sauce on the side or instead of.

Now, it being my second and last day in Torrance I thought I was having lunch at a restaurant that again, is exclusive to Torrance but once again I was mistaken.

Curry House is a small chain of restaurants with 11 California locations, (one being take-out only), including one near the Puente Hills mall in the City of Industry.

There is such a variety of food on their menu that it's a good thing there is one closer to me so I can try other offerings.

There is everything from salads to curry rice dishes to spaghetti dishes and even kid's meals.

Curry House in Puente Hills is at 17865 Colima Road in the City of Industry. For more information on other locations or menus, visit www.house-foods.com/CurryHouse.

So much for adventure dining in new cities.... At least I don't have to drive to Torrance to try these places again.

Enjoying the first full day of fall in triple-digit weather was not cool (pun intended).

Last week, I sought refuge from the heat with a tropical lunch at La Tropicana Fruits & Juices in West Covina.

Aside from the various fruit smoothies, waters, tropical ices and other cool treats, they also serve sandwiches, salads and tortas.

The sandwiches start at $4.45 with options of chicken, pastrami, ham, turkey, tuna, avocado and a BLT. 

Each sandwich comes with lettuce, tomato, cheese, mayonnaise, mustard, bell pepper and jalapenos. Avocado, extra cheese and bacon cost an extra 50 cents each.

I went with the ham sandwich on a telera bread, a thinner Mexican bread.   

I love these type of sandwiches because they taste homemade, like the ones my mom make. 

I liked that the ham was thinly sliced and everything else on the sandwich tasted fresh. There was a little more mayonnaise than I prefer and the bread wasn't toasted the way I like.

Warning: If you can't stand the heat of the jalapenos, order without or be sure to ask for only a few. In my sandwich, there was one in every bite.

It felt good having something light, but next time I'll try a torta or salad and see if they have more flavor.

I also ordered an extra-large serving of freshly squeezed "agua de mamey," or water-based juice of a tropical fruit that has a slight nutty taste to it.

The mamey really hit the spot - all fresh and cooled down with ice.

The prices for the "aguas frescas," or fresh juices, are $1.95 for a medium, $2.45 for a large and only 50 cents more for an extra-large.

Tortas start at $5.45, green salads start at $2.45 and fruit salads start at $2.75. Fruit party trays are also available.

If this hot weather keeps up, I might have to return for a raspado (snow cone) or chamango (slushed ice mixed with small pieces of mango, chamoy, a sweet and spicy syrup, chili powder and lemon), all enjoyed with a spoon.

La Tropicana Fruits & Juices is at 1324 W. Francisquito Ave., Unit C5, at Sunset Ave. in West Covina. For more information, call (626) 919-1920.

I didn't grow up eating at fancy restaurants. The first time I stepped into a Denny's I thought it was fancy because we had to be wait to be seated.

So when I first went into Sizzler and saw it's salad bar I thought I was in heaven. I love creating my own salads and when I was younger I used to eat almost everything in sight. (Can't really do that now that I'm not as active.)

After high school, I really found out what a fancy restaurant really is but I still love having the freedom of creating my own salad every once in a while, so I made a lunch trip to Sizzler in West Covina with some colleagues recently.

I think Sizzler's steaks are decent and I definitely loved when they had all-you-can-eat ribs, but I never tried a cheeseburger there.

I took a chance on it this time since the restaurant chain's promotional commercials of a cheeseburger, side of fries and endless salad bar for only $9.99 had me brainwashed.

I ordered my burger medium raw, I would usually go raw on meat but I didn't want to take that much of a chance this time. The burger comes with your choice of cheese, I went with Swiss, lettuce, tomato and sliced red onion, which is my fave. Of course I like a little kick so I added some steak sauce and jalapenos.

After a cup of clam chowder soup and a nice helping of salad, complete with mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, bacon bits, sunflower seeds, and drenched in ranch, I dug into my burger.

The toppings were fresh and the meat was cooked the way I ordered, not too raw or too cooked, but the meat didn't seem to be the best quality of beef used.

I know I'm spoiled because I have a chef at home who makes amazing burgers, any way I want them, but I was dissapointed with the quality at Sizzler. Even Carl's Jr. and Burger King burger patties taste better.

So finally, I will still be going back to Sizzler for the endless salad bar, including frozen yogurt, but I'll stick to other menu items I'm more familiar with like steak and lobster next time.

But since I don't have much room in the belly anymore, the salad bar hits the spot all on its own.

By Maritza Velazquez

The sushi may not be spectacular, but the price is just right. 

Sakura of Tokyo in West Covina probably has the best lunch specials of any Japanese restaurant I've ever frequented.

My lunch companions and I pondered over the expansive menu that included more than 35 lunch combination specials for at least 10 minutes before making a decision. 

After members of the attentive wait staff returned to take our orders more than once, I finally settled on a combination plate of sushi, sashimi and tempura for $8.50. It included salad, rice and a serving of miso soup. 

Probably the biggest disappointment was that the five pieces of sushi on my plate were really only just three. Two of the pieces included only egg and rice. The shrimp sushi wasn't the most fresh seafood I've ever tasted either.

But the sashimi (sliced raw fish without the rice) consisted of a good-sized helping of my two favorite fish - salmon and tuna.

The tempura, a popular Japanese dish of battered and deep- fried meat, included both shrimp and vegetables. 

If you're not familiar with sushi, or Japanese cuisine in general, Sakura of Tokyo is a great place to start. Every menu item has an accompanying photo, and each booth has a poster of the names of all the different kinds of fish.

Lunch specials range from $5.75 to $8.50 and include many different options, such as California rolls, gyoza (fried chicken dumplings), beef and chicken teriyaki and even egg rolls. 

Dinner specials at Sakura aren't too shabby either. All priced at $8.25, there aren't as many options as the lunch specials, but you can still order some of the same fare - teriyaki, sesame chicken and sushi. 

The whole staff at Sakura of Tokyo is friendly from the get-go. It was great that we never had to wait, and even our food came out in less than 10 minutes.

The restaurant is adorned with random trinkets consisting of both Japanese and ocean themes. My aquaintances and I enjoyed observing all the fun decorations - like the blow-up oversized Sapporo bottles and killer whales, combined with faux cherry blossoms and Japanese lanterns.

Sakura of Tokyo is at 533 S. Glendora Ave., in West Covina. It's open seven days a week, and closes between the hours of 3 and 5 p.m. On Sundays, it's only open for lunch from 4:30 to 9 p.m.

For more information, call (626) 960-7155.

By Emma Gallegos

If it's lunch hour, my coworkers and I are probably at Hong Kong Plaza in West Covina, even though the plaza has gotten emptier and emptier over the course of the year.

It's been a trying year for restaurants and anyone else angling for customers' waning expendable income. The year was especially tough for businesses at Hong Kong Plaza, which is awaiting the arrival of a new supermarket called HK2 owned by a younger generation of the family that owned the Hong Kong Supermarket that used to fill the gaping vacancy in the middle as the plaza's anchor.

But we still have a few expendable dollars, so at least once a week we're back at the plaza visiting old favorites like Krua Thai or the 1+1 Dumpling House. 

It helps to plan ahead and figure out what we're doing, but we still feel confident winging it and driving around the empty parking lot blindly and picking our next culinary adventure: Should we try Chinese, Japanese, Indonesian, Malaysian, Korean or Thai?  

Beijing Cuisine Garden exemplifies the spirit of Hong Kong Plaza adventure: quick, reasonably priced, fresh and intense flavors. 

None of the dishes' flavors are bland or halfway: They're spicy, salty, oily and sometimes tinged with a splash of wine. When the food went wrong, it went too far in this direction.

There was a BMW parked out in front of Beijing Cuisine Garden and men in business suits inside the restaurant, but for those of us in a different tax bracket there are lunch specials, ranging from $4.95 to $6.95, that include rice and a soup of the day.  

The waiter recommended the dishes in kung pao style, and, indeed, the dish that blew me away (and made me forget subsequent mediocre dishes) was the Kung Pao Shrimp ($6.95). Fresh shrimp tossed in with a flaming mix of bell peppers, onions and red peppers. 

The Kung Pao Beef ($5.95) had the same addictive spicy sauce, which would have been a recipe for success except that the beef was a little tough.  

There's nothing that cools the palate like a plate of spiced cucumbers - unless of course you decide to add some jalapenos, as was the case with the Peking Cold Cucumber with Parsley and Hot Pepper ($2.95).

The dishes that had enough liquid to qualify as stews were weaker bets.

I mostly enjoyed Fish Fillet in Hot Bean Sauce ($6.95), juicy medallions of white fish and strips of tofu submerged in a red hot sauce with a hint of a rice wine. It could have stood to have a little less oil and salt.

My coworker could barely eat the Hot and Spicy Vegetable with Beef ($8.50), which came in a thick, brown broth that she said was also just too oily and salty.

Avoid the submerged dishes but try something new in Hong Kong Plaza. You don't have to have a BMW. All you have to do is literally go the extra mile from the Westfield West Covina for something that won't be bland, boring or overpriced. And, for now, there's no traffic.

Beijing Cuisine Garden is at 965 S. Glendora Ave., West Covina, and can be reached at (626) 851-8875.

By Eric Terrazas

As a lifelong enthusiast of Mexican food, I am always on the lookout for eateries that serve good Mexican cuisine.

One place I decided to sample was Manny's El Loco in Covina, which I had never visited until a recent Friday.

After a quick look at Manny's menu, I decided to order one of their several combination plates - the two cheese enchiladas plate, which came with rice, beans, lettuce, tomatoes and sour cream. The meal cost me $6.75.

I have tasted enchiladas at many different eateries over the years. Some of the fast food places that serve delicious enchiladas include Super Burrito, Hacienda San Isidro Grill and Los Sanchez, all located in Whittier.

After cleaning up my plate at Manny's El Loco, I left a happy customer. I would rate Manny's cheese enchilada meal among my favorites.

The enchiladas had a little spicy taste to them, which posed no problem with me. I also had no trouble finishing my rice, beans, lettuce and tomatoes. The sour cream also added to the enchiladas' taste.

After finishing my meal, I cooled off my taste buds with a small horchata. It was a nice way to wrap up my lunch.

Other $6.75 combination plates Manny's offers include quesadillas, two chile rellenos, chicken or beef fajitas, two sopes, steak picado, two beef tacos, and three rolled taquitos. All plates come with rice, beans, lettuce, tomatoes and sour cream.

If you don't want the combination plate, you can order individual burritos or tacos. Several different kinds are available.

Manny's menu also includes hamburgers, hot dogs and pastrami sandwiches. Being a big fan of burgers, I'm wondering what Manny's take on the cheeseburger tastes like.

Breakfast choices are also available. Combination plates offered include huevos rancheros, machaca, chorizo and two eggs, two bacon and two sausage.

Now that I have tasted their delicious enchiladas, I definitely plan on returning to Manny's. I might order one of their burritos, tacos or burgers on my next visit.

Manny's El Loco is at 845 W. Cypress St. in Covina, and at 437 Glendora Ave. in West Covina. For information, call the Covina location at (626) 339-6025 or the West Covina location at (626) 814-3474.

By Eric Terrazas

For variety's sake, I attempt to mix some fish into my diet at least once a week.

Though I'm more of a meat eater, I could always go for a good seafood meal. And if that meal consists of shrimp, my mouth especially waters.

Since I have always been a big fan of shrimp, I decided to give Johnny's Shrimp Boat in West Covina a try recently.

I am no stranger to Johnny's Shrimp Boat, which also has locations in Whittier and East Los Angeles. I have visited the Whittier location a few times over the years.

When I made my first visit to Johnny's Shrimp Boat in West Covina, I decided to order one of their four $5.95 specials. I selected the four-shrimp meal, which includes rice, pinto beans, gravy and a soft drink.

I thought the shrimp tasted good - it was one of the better shrimp meals I have tasted.

The rice, which was doused with gravy, and the pinto beans both added to an already scrumptious meal.

Three other $5.95 specials are also offered, and those include the following combinations: two shrimp and two short ribs, two shrimp and one piece of fish, and two fish tacos. All meals come with a soft drink and rice, beans and gravy, or French fries.

For those with slightly bigger budgets, there are $6.95 specials available as well. Those include the six shrimp meal, and the two shrimp, one hamburger steak combination. Those selections also include the soft drink, rice, beans and gravy.

If you're not in the mood for shrimp, however, Johnny's Shrimp Boat offers other options.

Johnny's menu features hamburger choices such as the double burger, bacon, avocado, pastrami and chili. Sandwich choices include chicken, club, fish, Philly cheese steak, grilled cheese, pastrami and tuna. Fish tacos, and beef and chicken teriyaki are also featured on the menu.

If you're craving a salad, your choices include green, chicken, tuna and chef.

Johnny's Shrimp Boat is located at 803 S. Glendora Ave. in West Covina. For information, call (626) 813-3818.

By Evelyn Barge

Maybe it's the dreary weather. Maybe it's the even-drearier economy.

Whatever the reason, I can't stop these comfort-food cravings for dumplings. Thus, I decided to extend my search for the perfect Chinese dumpling in the San Gabriel Valley.

The quest brought me to 1+1 Dumpling House, one of the many Asian restaurants packed into Hong Kong Plaza. The plaza - and its endless supply of options - comes about as close to my idea of supreme cuisine heaven as it gets.

I'd heard rumors that 1+1 was a less-expensive, nearly-as-good alternative to Arcadia's beloved Din Tai Fung. And as I sat down to dine at the West Covina dumpling house on a recent weekday, I hoped I would find evidence to substantiate the claims.

Right off the bat, I noticed the reasonable prices that set 1+1 apart. The menu is much more wallet-friendly than Din Tai Fung, where I can easily blow $30-plus, even dining solo.

I ordered the juicy pork steam dumplings (eight pieces, $5.95) and the juicy pork and crab steam dumplings (eight pieces, $6.95).  

Curious to get a broader sampling, I quickly tacked on an order for a green onion pancake ($2.95). To my delight, the server said the restaurant is currently offering a special: Get a free green onion pancake with any order over $10. And orders over $20 receive a free order of juicy pork dumplings.

Now, that's my kind of recession special.

My visit fell during a very quiet, post-lunch hour lull, so it wasn't long before the food arrived at my table, still steaming and - literally - too hot to handle.

I got a bit of a confidence boost when the server didn't automatically assume I would want to eat with a fork. (Although my chopsticks skills are pitiful, I prefer to get the full experience when eating cultural cuisine.)

First, I dug into the green onion pancake, which was warm and doughy. It had a mild flavor, lighter on the sodium than I've come to expect from this kind of dish. (For this, my heart gave thanks.) The serving was quite large, so I stopped halfway through the pie-sized slices to save room for the main event: dumplings!

My first bite of juicy pork dumpling was so hot, I almost burned my tongue and could barely taste the flavors. You might say I get a bit over-zealous when it comes to dumplings.

Tapping into my scarce reserves of patience, I nibbled a tiny hole in the skin of the next dumpling and watched the steam rush out, before I popped the rest straight into my mouth.

The flavor was delightfully tangy, a humbling mix of meat, spices and soupy goodness. And while I still prefer a bit more of the liquid in my dumplings (a la the Gold Standard of Din Tai Fung), I liked the simplicity of the 1+1 approach.

I couldn't taste any tremendous difference between the pork-only and the pork-and-crab dumplings, which made me wonder why I'd paid an extra buck for the latter. But both rounds of dumplings were delicious and hearty.

1+1 Dumpling House is located at 1017 S. Glendora Ave., West Covina, (626) 338-6868.