CHEF SAMBRANO: The California Noodle House California Hotel & Casino

Located on the casino floor inside the CALIFORNIA HOTEL & CASINO is a noodle house simply called California Noodle House. If you travel with Boyd Gaming from Hawaii, you get a meal coupon book, and certain items on their menu works with those coupons.

I waited three days to try this place out because they open on Fridays and the weekend, but not Monday to Thursdays. I kept passing by this restaurant on the way to the elevators, it's wide open, lots of lighting, and very clean, looks alive even when no one is inside. Well today I got a chance to have a bite, I looked at the menu and the prices are very affordable even without the meal coupons, I could afford this place even if I paid for two others. The menu isn't too confusing, there's noodle dishes, fried rice, and stir fries.

When I opened the door there was a local Hawaii couple taking what looked like their doggy bags, that's a good sign, when locals from Hawaii are smiling after they eat, that's a good indicator that the food is good enough, if they come out and see the first person, which in this case would have been me and said, "Screw this place brah!" Then I would not even enter. I looked inside and noticed a few booths were taken, I'd say maybe a third of the restaurant was taken.

The hostess asked me if I wanted a table, and I said yes. She sat me against the wall, a whole table for myself, there was this other dude three tables down and inhaling his ramen soup, good I thought, he's whacking it. Ah maybe whacking it isn't a good terminology. Ooops. You get the picture, he's mopping his food how's that? Yeah forget the whacking part! Good the food is good he ain't spitting it out.

The bus person comes over, "What can I get you to drink sir?" I told him, "Ah I'll take a Coke." Then he says, "Pepsi OK?" Then I said, "Yeah man that will do, thanks."

Then the waitress Christine comes over hands me a menu, "Hi sir here you go." I look at the menu, hmmm. What should I get?

The hand held menu, look at the prices it's good

I saw the Chap Chae Dumplings, Korean dumplings, I can eat that, Chap Chae. Made with Korean glass noodles, stir fried in sesame oil with veggies. And it came with a sweet flavored soy sauce, totally Korean style. And when it came, there were 6 hot rectangular deep fried dumplings, nice plating, and steaming hot! That's what you want, hot! You know when the place is crappy it's when the food comes to the table in a minute and it's luke warm. Not here, it was fresh hot, and the aroma was nice. No this is good stuff.

6 dumplings piping hot! With the sweet soy sauce

I put 3 on my plate, and spooned the sauce over each one

The flavors were just right, I could taste the sesames, and there was beef and pork inside, this would be great with beer. However I went for the cold Pepsi, it was too hot outside, 105 degrees F, the beer would have made me sick. I would suggest these dumplings, very freshly made and tasty. If you love Korean food, this will work for sure, and for this blog, they did not invite me like some places, so I'm not blowing smoke, these are really good!

Then the other dish I ordered was the Miso Ramen. Made with shiro miso, fresh beef broth, a whole boiled egg sliced in half, and 4 pieces of thinly sliced charsiu pork. And of course the noodles, it was very filling. In fact I was stuffed I couldn't finish the last slice of egg. But the ramen was totally miso, just look at it. Look at the shiro miso in the broth. I had good ramen before, and I gotta say this, it was very very tasty. And your coupon book works for this dish, no payment necessary, it is covered under the lunch ticket. Gamblers make out I'm telling you. The broth was hot and fresh, I can tell, as a matter of fact, the chef brought it out, a guy in a red chef's coat. Now this place rocks, the chef coming out to hand me the dish? Rock and Roll baby!