Road Trip efficiency: Brodard (breakfast menu!) and Ochoa's Chorizo

mmm-yoso!!! is being written by Cathy today, while Kirk is busy with work. 

Almost every post I have written has been part of some other errand or event, even before the crazy surge in fuel prices.  Usually, the 'other part' of the trip is a separate post or remains unwritten.  The second part of this post will reveal a long time favorite stop.   Kirk wrote about Brodard in 2013 and  I wrote about a visit to the original location in 2014 and the new location in 2019. 
 Since Covid-19, we had driven here a few times, during the week to avoid crowds.
 The menu has condensed, is easily wiped down and has no prices.  
 Nem Nuong with pork (3 rolls, $7.50) is an automatic order here.  Brodard is  known for these rolls.   Pretty much made to order (the rolls are constantly being prepared (because they are constantly being ordered) in an 'open kitchen' area), the flavorful grilled pork sausage with lettuce, cucumber, carrot, cilantro, daikon and chive wrapped with rice paper bundles with the crisp wonton in the center makes the rolls unique.  The warm, pork based sauce accompanying the rolls is just the perfect bit of savory.
 The Banh Khot Tom- Moon Cake shrimp ($12.95) are mini crisp rice cakes flavored with coconut milk and turmeric. 
 Each is filled with one shrimp, mung beans and scallion.  Served with a variety of greens and a lime-chili-fish sauce for dipping, every delicate bite is filled with flavor.

We were here on a Saturday, around 8 a.m. and noticed this placard on the table-

A breakfast menu.  We had to.  
 The top item: Bo Ne Trung ($17).  Chateaubriand -with pate (on the top left of the platter), sate sauce, onions, mayonnaise and two eggs, served sizzling.
 It's served with a piece of banh mi.  (You can sort of see the corse pate a bit better in this photo). (It is a *wonderful*, flavor filled pate). 

  The egg whites crisped from the heat of the cast iron platter, while the yolks remained runny.  The beef tenderloin was quite perfect; buttery-tender with flavor complimented by the sate sauce (as well as occasional bites of onion and mayonnaise). 

It looks like the breakfast menu has been available on weekends since the end of March.  We hope to go back soon to try the other items available on the special menu.

Brodard Restaurant 16105 Brookhurst Street Fountain Valley, CA 92708 (657) 247-4401 Website Open daily 8 a.m.-9 p.m.

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We leave Brodard and know that the Interstate will eventually be found and we can head home.  The new location of Cream Pan is only about a mile from Brodard.  One signal light South of Brodard is Warner.  We took that street one day in 2018 and found this business.  Now it is a destination. This small, nondescript storefront houses quality.  Family owned, Ochoa's has been selling fresh made, perfectly spiced chorizo for more than 35 years.  
There are two refrigerator display cases. Pork, chicken and soy chorizo with various spice levels are the primary choices.  
The pricing?  The plain and spicy pork chorizo is available in bulk.  All are available by the meter (scroll back up and look at that photo again).  There are a few other meats available.  
A meter of green pork chorizo, (medium spice/heat level) ($9) is simply placed in a paper bag for the trip home.  We also purchase a pound of bulk mild spice pork chorizo ($4.25).  Once home, the green is cut into three inch chunks and frozen, while the mild is divided into three ounce small flat shapes and frozen, ready for breakfast cooking.

We cook the sausage, then add eggs and scramble it all and enjoy many, many breakfasts with the best chorizo.

Ochoas Chorizo 220 West Warner Avenue Santa Ana, CA 92707 (714) 850-0052 Open Mon-Sat 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Sun 7 a.m.-6:30 p.m.  

 

Comments

[kat]

first time seeing green sausage, must be filled with lots of herbs & spices:)

[Cathy]

Oh, the first time I saw green chorizo in a local Mexican grocery store, I thought it was fake and took a photo, Kat. I asked about the ingredients here-it has Anaheim chilies (dark green and very mild; less tart than a bell pepper when roasted)as well as Serrano chilies (bright green and very spicy/heat when raw), cilantro, parsley and Mexican oregano (bright green when fresh, darker green when dried- has a citrus undertone flavor)and we were very curious, bought it and really liked it. The green chorizo has become our breakfast favorite!