3011 Harbor Blvd
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 825-0100
(714) 825-0100
General:
I am sure a lot of people hesitate to try this place like I did. $3 per piece, really? However, if you look closer that $3 gives you a gigantic 4" empanada. It is double the length of what you usually get, meaning that you also get more than double filling that what you normally get. Overall style is a bit rustic as they are fried, yet the empanadas are quite honest and delicious with no pretension. Like what you would expect to get from a very solid small town empanadaria.
The place looks more like a tea room for early bird special clienteles: it doesn't look like a bakery at all as there is no display. Don't be fooled, though, as they have some seriously delicious empanadas.
Details:
Skin comes from the same dough, molded and stamped differently. Very fragrant since they are fried, presumably with lard fortification. I detected a hint of nutmeg. A balance of crunchiness, especially on the edge, and throughout softness. It has a comprehensive oiling yet this doesn't make the empanadas taste heavy. A very proper and delicious skin. Kudos.
Corn: natural sweetness. Creamy. Think of cream of corn. Melting mozzarella. Sourness support from tomato. Wow. 5- stars.
Spinach: predominant medium saltines from the parmesan supported by spinach texture and overtone. Onion undertone. 4 stars.
Eggplant: eggplant structure and overtone. Dancing together with both parmesan and mozzarella as a trio. Supporting tomato. Naturally sweet. Onion undertone. I love eggplant so I love this, too. 4.25 stars.
Arabe: ground beef with a strong tomato and onion undertone and tomato overtone. A hint of lemon nose. Flavor profile is mild saltiness and mild tomato sourness. Another strong contender. 4.25 stars
Criolla: supposed to be the standard bearer for any Argentinian empanada's shop. It is here. Ground beef, raisin, green onion, boiled egg. Given the penchant of Argentinian palate for flavor profile on the salty spectrum, I am surprised how sweetness is the predominant flavor here. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind. In fact, I love it. Another winner here. 4.5 stars.
Saltena (Spicy Beef): another standard bearer for Argentinian empanada and deservedly so here. Minced beef, pea, diced carrot and potato. Flavor profile is medium salty with complex spicing and mild spiciness. The filling has a lot of moist from beef jus. Nose is also great from the fragrance of the beef spicing and fried dough. Note: there is also another version with mozzarella, but I think it would have muscled everything else. Let's see about it next time. This one is easily 4.5 stars.
Fugazzeta (Ham and Cheese): simply ham and mozzarella, but with a kick of diced onion. Ham and cheese, of course, is predominantly salty. However, the onion gives the empanada a stronger backbone by adding a natural sweetness thus complexity in flavor. I imagine that this would be better with a smokier ham that would add more flavor and nose complexity. 4+ stars as is now.
Tucumana: would love to try but they no longer make it.
I am sure a lot of people hesitate to try this place like I did. $3 per piece, really? However, if you look closer that $3 gives you a gigantic 4" empanada. It is double the length of what you usually get, meaning that you also get more than double filling that what you normally get. Overall style is a bit rustic as they are fried, yet the empanadas are quite honest and delicious with no pretension. Like what you would expect to get from a very solid small town empanadaria.
The place looks more like a tea room for early bird special clienteles: it doesn't look like a bakery at all as there is no display. Don't be fooled, though, as they have some seriously delicious empanadas.
Details:
Skin comes from the same dough, molded and stamped differently. Very fragrant since they are fried, presumably with lard fortification. I detected a hint of nutmeg. A balance of crunchiness, especially on the edge, and throughout softness. It has a comprehensive oiling yet this doesn't make the empanadas taste heavy. A very proper and delicious skin. Kudos.
Corn: natural sweetness. Creamy. Think of cream of corn. Melting mozzarella. Sourness support from tomato. Wow. 5- stars.
Spinach: predominant medium saltines from the parmesan supported by spinach texture and overtone. Onion undertone. 4 stars.
Eggplant: eggplant structure and overtone. Dancing together with both parmesan and mozzarella as a trio. Supporting tomato. Naturally sweet. Onion undertone. I love eggplant so I love this, too. 4.25 stars.
Arabe: ground beef with a strong tomato and onion undertone and tomato overtone. A hint of lemon nose. Flavor profile is mild saltiness and mild tomato sourness. Another strong contender. 4.25 stars
Criolla: supposed to be the standard bearer for any Argentinian empanada's shop. It is here. Ground beef, raisin, green onion, boiled egg. Given the penchant of Argentinian palate for flavor profile on the salty spectrum, I am surprised how sweetness is the predominant flavor here. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind. In fact, I love it. Another winner here. 4.5 stars.
Saltena (Spicy Beef): another standard bearer for Argentinian empanada and deservedly so here. Minced beef, pea, diced carrot and potato. Flavor profile is medium salty with complex spicing and mild spiciness. The filling has a lot of moist from beef jus. Nose is also great from the fragrance of the beef spicing and fried dough. Note: there is also another version with mozzarella, but I think it would have muscled everything else. Let's see about it next time. This one is easily 4.5 stars.
Fugazzeta (Ham and Cheese): simply ham and mozzarella, but with a kick of diced onion. Ham and cheese, of course, is predominantly salty. However, the onion gives the empanada a stronger backbone by adding a natural sweetness thus complexity in flavor. I imagine that this would be better with a smokier ham that would add more flavor and nose complexity. 4+ stars as is now.
Tucumana: would love to try but they no longer make it.
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| Look at the size compared to the dollar bill |
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