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After hearing about Mr. Baguette for over a year, I finally got to taste one of the sandwich shop's creations.

I thought there was only a Mr. Baguette in Rosemead and I hardly ever go through the city let alone stop somewhere there to eat.

But by chance, I happened to be driving north on Atlantic Blvd. in Monterey Park one Saturday afternoon, spotted this location on the right side and knew I had to take a detour from my original destination.

When I first perused the displayed menu, I was surprised by the variety of cuisines offered at what I thought was a mainly French-inspired sandwich shop. There are Vietnamese inspired sandwiches and new to the shop are the beef and chicken fajitas sandwich.

The new addition looks to combine Mexican cuisine with the signature French baguette bread. The sandwiches come with beef or chicken finely chopped fajitas, in-house salsa sauce, and Monterey Jack cheese.

They even offer Jarritos, a line of fruit-flavored sodas that are a favorite in Mexico.

Though sandwiches do take over the menu, you can start off with pate chaud or pork or chicken meat pies, a ham and cheese roll, or a bowl of clam chowder or chicken curry.

Sandwich selections vary from classic French baguette sandwiches to Vietnamese-French combinations.

There is the classic brioche in a variety of meat or veggie options in a smaller-size French roll bread. There is a variety of croissant sandwiches or just get them plain.

Contemporary sandwiches come with mayonnaise spread, lettuce, tomatoes and American cheese with your choice of meats like grilled beef, roast beef or tuna.

The condiments can be substituted with the house special salad of carrots, daikon and chili peppers.

The Classic sandwiches are served with the house salad and come in varieties such as pork meat loaf, pate pork meat loaf, chicken, meatball, veggie or a combination of meats.

I craved a Vietnamese style sandwich that comes with carrots and chili peppers so I went simply with a grilled pork classic. 

My sister and adventure companion decided to try the Saigon probably more for the name. The Saigon comes with a combination of hot Vietnamese-style bacon and pork meat loaf.

She forewent adding the house salad topping which comes on the side in a small bag when ordered to go. Even though the pork in her sandwich looked different than we're used to seeing, she said it was a tasty combination of meats and devoured it in less than 10 minutes.

I had to add the house salad to my sandwich, especially the chili peppers to give it a nice kick. I have been to some Vietnamese restaurants that serve these types of sandwiches, known there as banh mi, and most of the time the peppers are spicy.

Mr. Baguette was no exception but it was a great balance to the nicely sliced carrots and daikon, which is a type of radish. The grilled pork was nicely seasoned and grilled to a nice tenderness.

The final touch that made the sandwich deliciously scrumptious was the baguette. A nice warm toasty on the outside and soft on the inside.

What I love even more about Mr. Baguette are the prices. You can get a simple sandwich for under $3. Our sandwiches were less than $4 for a good size.

Having such a variety of beverages as sandwiches, my sister and I had to try something from that menu as well.

I went with the boba thai iced tea for $2.50 and my sister gave the mango smoothie a try for $3.85 and 35 cents extra for boba.   

The thai tea had a nice taste and the boba balls were larger than I've had in other boba drinks but I didn't find anything much special in their tastes. They just added some texture.

My sister felt the same way about the boba but enjoyed her fresh-tasting smoothie just the same.

Mr. Baguette is open daily from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. and has three locations in the San Gabriel Valley located at:

• 400 S. Atlantic Blvd., #288 in Monterey Park, (626) 282-9966
• 8702 E. Valley Blvd. in Rosemead, (626) 288-9166
• 9661 E. Garvey Ave., #101 in South El Monte, (626) 575-8632

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.)

By Eric Terrazas

I have made a recent addition to my list of most visited fast-food eateries.

Earlier this year I decided to sample the Flame Broiler, which had recently opened in my hometown of Whittier.

I ordered the rib plate, which featured two beef short ribs served over steamed rice. The meal also came with fresh green salad and orange slices. The tender ribs, topped by a helping of green onions, satisfied my taste buds. I also thought the salad, served with Oriental Sesame Supreme dressing, enhanced my meal.

After finishing off my ribs and salad, I wrapped up my dinner by eating my orange, which nicely completes the meal.

On a recent Saturday, I elected to spend my lunch at the Flame Broiler's location in Hacienda Heights. I once again went with my favorite selection, the Rib Plate, which costs $7.39. Granted it's a little on the pricey side, but overall it's still not a bad deal since you receive a healthy portion of food.  

Four other plates are available: chicken, beef, chicken and beef and The Works. All of those choices include the steamed rice, salad and the orange.

The chicken plate costs $6.99 while the beef, along with the chicken and beef, both cost $7.09. Those with more hearty appetites might be interested in ordering The Works plate, which carries a $7.39 price tag. The Works consists of chicken and beef that is served over steamed rice and steamed vegetables. It sounds like I might have to try The Works on my next visit.

If you happen to have a tighter budget, the Flame Broiler also offers several bowls, which are all served with steamed rice. At $4.99, the chicken bowl sounds especially good. The beef bowl costs $5.09. If you happen to be craving both beef and chicken, a half and half bowl is also offered for $5.09.

Vegetable lovers might want to try the chicken veggie or beef veggie bowl, which both cost $5.29. Both selections come with steamed rice and steamed vegetables. And if you want a meal without the meat, you can order the veggie bowl for $3.99. The Works bowl, which includes chicken, beef, rice and vegetables, costs $5.39.

The Flame Broiler has two locations in the San Gabriel Valley: 17110 Colima Road in Hacienda Heights, and 21750 Valley Blvd. in Industry. For information, call (626) 964-7041 for the Hacienda Heights location or (909) 598-5777 for the Industry location.

By Amanda Newfield

We all know that there is no way to dine on a budget at the L.A. County Fair, but the experience and variety are worth paying for.

Deciding what to eat can take all day. And with the usual cotton candy, corn dogs and funnel cakes, the fair offers an overwhelming amount of choices. It's the perfect place to ditch the diet and pig out.

Fish 'n' chips booths are scattered throughout the fairgrounds and the smell of the freshly fried seafood and veggies is alluring.  

On my recent visit, I went for the fish, fries and zucchini plate for $10.50.

The batter was light and not at all overwhelming, while the veggies were fresh and tasty. What surprised me was the large portion I was served. I was able to share the meal and still feel that sense of satisfaction. Those 10 bucks went a long way. 

Another place that offers the fried selections the Fair is famous for is Chicken Charlie's Broasted Chicken.

Also, try the "Totally Fried Veggies," featuring zucchini curls, artichoke hearts, mushrooms and onion strings, for $7.75. The appetizing chicken kabob is $9.75. If you want fries with it, the cost is $12.75.  

But those are just the usual menu items.

Last year, Charlie Boghosian, known as "Chicken Charlie," debuted his Krispy Kreme chicken sandwich.

His creation this year is the "Meat Lover's Ice Cream," featuring soft serve ice cream with chocolate-covered bacon bits.

Also new additions this year are the deep-fried frog legs and the deep-fried peanut butter, honey and banana sandwiches. 

Which dessert to try at the Fair is also a difficult decision to make, especially since Colossal Gelato, a gelato ice cream in a 16-inch waffle cone, is new to the Fair this year.

I decided on the $3.75 Fried Twinkie with strawberry syrup drizzled on top from Chicken Charlie.  

This selection was definitely one for those who have a strong sweet tooth. I enjoyed the crispy texture on the outside with the warm, creamy filling on the inside.

No one can miss Juicy's BBQ, which offers whole turkey legs, giant western sausage, burgers and chicken.

The Fair also has fun, reasonably priced meals for kids, and some come with a toy in a Fair collector's box.

For those looking for an elegant air-conditioned dining venue, the Top of The Park restaurant located atop the horse racing grandstand offers a more upscale dining experience.

Enjoy your meal with a view of the Fair; indoor or outdoor seating is available. Top of The Park is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. To view the menu or make a reservation call (909) 865-4120.

Any food selection made at the Fair will be a good one. But don't get distracted or overwhelmed, and try as many different foods as possible.

For more information about food at the Fair, visit the Web site at www.lacountyfair.com/2009/attractionscompetitions/fairfood.

By Eric Terrazas

I love the taste of barbecue! Every time I see the letters "BBQ" my eyes widen to the size of globes. Since childhood, I've enjoyed many kinds of barbecue, including Korean and several American variations.

Another barbecue that I like is Hawaiian. My first visit to this island style came when I decided to give L&L Hawaiian Barbecue a try at the Puente Hills Mall. If my memory serves me correctly, I ordered the tasty Hawaiian BBQ chicken meal.

Since that first visit, I have been an occasional L&L customer. On a recent Wednesday, I decided to spend my lunch at their West Covina location, a place that I have visited before.

I ordered the BBQ Mix, which costs $7.19. The meal features beef, chicken and short ribs. The plate also includes macaroni salad and steamed rice. 

I thought it was a very good meal. The short ribs were especially delicious. While the chicken and beef was also tasty, I thought the short ribs were the best part of the meal.

I also finished off my steamed rice and macaroni salad, which served as nice complements to my lunch. I would definitely recommend the BBQ Mix.

My co-worker decided to order the Kalua and Lau Lau Combo, which costs $7.99. That meal includes a pork chuck wrapped with a steamed taro leaf, which is paired with smoked flavor pork. My co-worker offered me a sample of the smoked pork, which tasted pretty good.

In addition to beef, chicken and pork entrees, L&L offers seafood selections such as the Seafood Platter. The $7.79 meal consists of a combination of fried shrimp, fried mahi and fried scallops.

Another interesting looking meal is the Loco Moco, which costs $6.69. The Loco Moco plate features hamburger patties topped with brown gravy and eggs. A mini version of the Loco Moco costs $4.49.

Two other selections I wouldn't mind trying are the pineapple chicken meal ($6.39) and a bowl of grilled Spam saimin ($3.59). The bowl consists of Spam pieces that are served with noodles.

L&L Hawaiian Barbecue is at 323 N. Azusa Ave. in West Covina. For information, call (626) 732-2221.

Whether it's because of the current economic downturn or more people favoring smaller meals to super-sized ones, many fast-food chains are adding smaller, quick and less-pricier items to their menus.

MINI MANIA

To add to their mini-sirloin burger craze, Jack in the Box has now added mini buffalo ranch chicken sandwiches - mini Homestyle chicken fillets topped with Frank's® RedHot® sauce, ranch sauce and shredded lettuce on toasted mini buns.

I love buffalo sauce so these are on my list to try. I already love the mini-sirloin burgers, with a nice juicy thick mini sirloin patty, slice of cheese, grilled onions all sandwiched between two mini sweet buns.

These are definitely not super-sized, but these three fill me up just fine. These mini's start at $3.89 plus tax, for three burgers or sandwiches alone.

SLIDER SENSATIONS

Moving on from their not-so-difficult fight with KFC and their new grilled chicken, El Pollo Loco is adding more items to their tasty menu such as their new chicken sliders, chicken carnitas tacos, and bringing back barbecue chicken for a limited time.

I recently took a chance on their sliders which come in three ways - bbq, original and spicy all on a mini telera roll - and start at 99 cents each, plus tax.

The original and spicy come with lettuce and either a chipotle spicy sauce or a cool mayonaisse, and a breaded, crunchy, fried chicken patty.

The barbecue is shredded pieces of their flame-grilled chicken smothered in a slightly tangy barbecue sauce with coleslaw.

I only tried the spicy and the bbq and they were pretty tasty for how small they were, but they're not very fillin. Even after three I was still hungry. They should also still be a little careful when shredding the pieces of chicken for the barbecue - I bit into a small piece of bone in my slider.

Maybe they'll try mini shakes and wings next.

Dining on a budget - by Emma Gallegos

By the time you read this review of the food on the Kogi BBQ truck, it will be obsolete.

At this moment in time, it's safe to say the truck serves Korean fusion cuisine at rock-bottom prices to snaking lines of foodies who follow the truck on the web from the Venice to Rosemead. But it's hard to keep pace.

The little taco truck that sets out into the night a-Twitterin' is gaining steam in an economy that's grinding to a halt.

When I visited the truck first a mere two weeks ago, it was a simpler time - the truck was charging a tax-free $2 for its tacos. The Kogi crew was ironing out the kinks in the second taco truck they had just launched.

And it had only been last Thanksgiving that the first taco truck made its failed inaugural round on the streets of LA. On that first night, the crew slashed prices, they pleaded and offered the tacos for free but barhoppers stumbling out onto the curb refused to give the Korean fusion tacos a try.

Saying the tides had turned for Kogi BBQ would be an understatement.

A week after my first taste test, Kogi BBQ was paying taxes, employing a staff of 25 and they had made the transition to selling tacos in a brick-and-mortar joint - Alibi in Culver City - in addition to the two roving trucks. Chef Roy Choi added taro and lotus chips and Korean-spiced french fries to the menu, rendering my initial taste test obsolete.

As I was finishing up this column, the Kogi BBQ bloggiste Alice Shin posted that they've hired a pastry chef to make ice cream sandwiches with ingredients that run the gamut from oreos to beer.

I'd like to review those, but I did manage to try a couple Kogi originals and one of the specials. I tried the tofu taco ($2), a Korean short rib taco ($2) and kimchi-filled quesadillas ($4).

I hope I'm not cresting on a wave of hype, but I was sold. The food was fresh and hot and flavorful. Normally, that would be enough for $2.

But the cabbage and lettuce was fried with toasted sesame oil - unwilted with just enough crunch. Both tacos had a spicy red sauce and a tangy vinaigrette. The tofu was tasty, but short ribs were something else entirely: tender, sweet, rich - almost like a savory caramel. The kimchi quesadillas were fiery and drizzled with a rich red sauce and sprinkled with sesame seeds.

Kogi has become its own beast - its head chef Choi will admit as much. It's spawned its own culture - Kogi Kulture - through blogs and music and the crowd that gathers to greet the truck at its stops and wait long into the night. It's not for everyone.

Initial crowds skewed toward the young, the patient, the tech-savvy. They are an army of foodies armed with cameras, taking pictures of food, taking pictures of people waiting for food and self-consciously discussing the insanity of this venture with strangers. They bring friends, too, and sometimes lawn chairs and DJs. They wait. They make it a night. Only $2 a pop - plus tax.

Kogi typically docks in the parking lot of the Glendon Hotel in Rosemead Saturday nights around 6. But! Sometimes they don't. To find the roving Kogi BBQ truck's location, log on to www.KogiBBQ.com. For precise, up-to-the-minute information follow them on Twitter @KogiBBQ .

By Lafayette C. Hight Jr.

During the 90 seconds between the time I left my car until I entered The Green Banana Leaf restaurant in Duarte, I tried to guess what type of cuisine I was about to experience.

My first thought was Puerto Rican food, since I know banana leaves are used in pasteles - like tamale cakes - and other dishes native to the island.

Then my mind jumped from Mexican food, where the leaves can be used to wrap tamales, grilled meats and other char-broiled dishes, to Hawaiian food, where banana leaves are even used to cover meats in the imu, the underground oven where pigs are traditionally roasted whole.

In the end, I decided that there are far too many types of cuisine that use the leaves - African, Malaysian, Indian. After I asked, I was told that it was Filipino food.

Browsing the menu, I was delighted to see that the most expensive combination plates were $7.50. The only exceptions were for family meals and the special on Mondays, where two whole fried chickens can be had for $10.99.

The sweet and sour shrimp, seafood combination, breaded pork chops, and rice bowls all seemed appealing. But in the end I decided to try calamari as an appetizer and the BBQ Mix combination.

When the seafood arrived, it looked good, but after I tasted a few pieces I was a bit disappointed. It was slightly greasy and it seemed like it had been in the deep fryer for one or two minutes too long. 

I'm not sure if it was the "Monday, one hour before closing time" factor but it seemed like the seasoning was right and it would have been perfect with a little less time in the oil. A bit worried, I watched as my BBQ mix arrived, hoping that this trend didn't extend to the main dish. My fears were soon eliminated.  

Both the beef short ribs and the chicken had been seasoned in a delicious marinade that I really enjoyed. The chicken was amazing and the ribs were prepared similar to Korean kalbi.

All of the special combinations come with a soup, and on this day it was Crab and Corn Soup, which was very similar to Chinese Egg Drop Soup, but with those two added ingredients. 

Also complementing the meal were egg rolls, steamed rice and pancit, which I had for the first time. 
 
The restaurant serves two types of pancit, and I had a bit of both. To me, the major differences between the two varieties of stir-fried noodles were the type of pasta: One thick like chow mein, and the other made with really thin rice noodles.

I look forward to going back and trying some of the other dishes. I'm a huge fan of places that serve breakfast all day, like this one, and am particularly interested in the bangus (milkfish) dishes, tocino, which I've heard is similar to bacon, and longanisa, which are supposed to be amazing sausages.

The Green Banana Leaf is at 1740 Huntington Drive, Suite 304, Duarte. It can be reached at (626) 301-9541.

By Evelyn Barge

The shortest distance between two points may be a straight line, but in the San Gabriel Valley, the quickest path to some great barbecue is a brief drive to Azusa.

Passing through the main entryway at Canyon City Barbeque is a transformative experience. After pulling open a series of two heavy wooden doors, visitors enter the cozy, down-home dining area, where it's almost as if the outside world has disappeared entirely.

The decor pulls from a mix of country kitchen and roadhouse diner. It's a quietly honest space, but one that is perpetually filled with the hum of business being conducted over lunch or families laughing among themselves.

On my recent visit, however, I comfortably dined alone during the lunch hour. Well, almost alone - I had a little company in the form of the upright, grinning pig statue that greets diners by the doorway.

Since my new pink friend was of the ceramic variety, I didn't let him stop me from ordering the pulled pork sandwich, a house specialty. It was an excellent choice at just $5.99, and the hours of slow smoking and dry rubs made each bite a relished one.

To my delight, a ketchup bottle full of the house barbecue sauce sits on each table, so it was easy to squeeze out some extra flavor to taste.

Most of the full entrees at Canyon City Barbeque run between $8 and $14. The sandwiches are a steal at under $6 each, and there are plenty of affordable side dishes to complement each platter.

I rounded out my meal with a side order of rice and gravy - a personal favorite, as I would consume virtually anything with gravy on top - and a small order of sweet potato fries. My extras cost $1.50 and $1.99, respectively.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the pulled-pork sandwich was the showstopper, while the sides played a simple second-fiddle.

With my rice, I would have liked more gravy - but, as a born and bred Southerner, when wouldn't I like more of it? The sweet potato fries, ordered at the suggestion of my charming and expedient server, were perfect - after I added a couple dashes of salt to them.

Overall, it was more than enough food to fill my desirous belly, and I ended up leaving some of it behind. But, since the first date went well, I suppose that means I have a good excuse to go back.

Canyon City Barbeque is located at 347 N. San Gabriel Ave. in Azusa.