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Edwin Goei
Writer
Contributing Writer
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Join date: Aug 22, 2025
About
Edwin Goei is an award-winning writer who has chronicled Southern California’s dining landscape for more than two decades. He launched Monster Munching in 2005, which grew into one of the region’s most popular food blogs. He then went on to serve as the restaurant critic for OC Weekly for twelve and a half years, where he penned weekly reviews and published daily columns for its Stick A Fork In It food blog. He is now a frequent contributor to the Los Angeles Times and Daily Pilot/TimesOC, writing travel guides and food stories that spotlight the hidden and unsung places in Orange County and beyond.
Posts (5)
Aug 5, 2026 ∙ 6 min
The Udon Restaurant My Algorithm Influenced Me To Try
REVIEW: With its viral online popularity and well-executed dishes, Tsurukawa Udon may be the restaurant that finally breaks the curse of its location at The District in Tustin. Himokawa Cold Udon Set at Tsurukawa Udon in Tustin. Photo by Edwin Goei, Culture OC I eat what my algorithm feeds me. And I don’t mean that metaphorically. The constant and persuasive pull of my Instagram app has helped me decide, on many occasions, what or where I should be eating next. Whether it’s a viral recipe for...
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Mar 18, 2026 ∙ 7 min
In Search of the Perfect Fish Taco, Santa Ana Delivers
REVIEW: From a seafood truck to a surprising juice bar, three spots serve crisp, beer-battered fish tacos done right. Fish tacos at Taco Nazo in Santa Ana. Photo by Edwin Goei, Culture OC I was in the Cayman Islands when I ate the best fish taco of my life. It was made with lionfish, an invasive species that’s also poisonous — but one that happens to be quite tasty when it’s covered in beer batter, fried crisp and tucked into a warm flour tortilla with a heap of coleslaw. But even back home,...
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Nov 7, 2025 ∙ 5 min
Where Italy Meets Japan, and Lunch Comes at a Discount
REVIEW: Japanese-Italian fusion gets another spin in Fountain Valley at Momonoki , where a miso carbonara shines and a $28 lunch deal draws crowds. Clockwise from upper left: miso bacon carbonara, cream corn cavatelli and pappadelle bolognese. Photo by Edwin Goei, Culture OC It’s Sunday morning in Fountain Valley and I’m standing in a strip mall anchored by a Grocery Outlet, waiting for Momonoki – Orange County’s newest Japanese-Italian restaurant – to open. And as the line behind me grows, I...
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Sep 22, 2025 ∙ 6 min
Keep Calm and Curry On at Chiang Rai
REVIEW: Chiang Rai, Long Beach’s Michelin-mentioned Thai restaurant, opened a Tustin branch that replaced my local Indonesian spot – but...
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Sep 5, 2025 ∙ 4 min
Tokyo Central’s Viral Conveyor Belt Sushi Restaurant Waka Sakura Arrives in Irvine
REVIEW: The reasonably priced sushi at Waka Sakura is worth the wait, even with a standby list that tests your patience and plating that...
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