Diamond Jamboree = More Asian Eateries = More Fun

Good things do happen in Irvine, even if it's going to make traffic even more hellish. It's called Diamond Jamboree Center, a sprawling shopping complex you might have seen being built on the corner of Alton and Jamboree Rd.

So far, just the signs are up. Finishing touches are still being made. But already you can tell, this is going to be interesting. I'm rubbing my hands as I type this. (Well, not at the same time, obviously.)

First there's H-Mart, a Korean grocer. And then Tokyo Table, what looks to be a serious Japanese restaurant, featuring ishiyaki, food cooked tableside on a hot stone. BBQ Chicken, an outlet of the Korean-style fried chicken chain (think Popeye's but with kimchi) is also coming to town.

A Taiwanese bakery called 85°C Bakery Café promises gourmet coffee and pretty cakes. Capital Seafood, a Little Saigon and Rowland Heights institution is also slated to open.

And I didn't even mention Guppy Tea House (boba milk teas and such) and Chae Bahn (Korean cuisine) yet.

If it all goes to plan, the traffic will be worth it.