Pacific Rainbow Cafe

I have walked past this little gem many many times but never ventured inside to give it a try. Happy to say that it was well worth it. It feels like your in your auntie’s kitchen and she is cooking you a special meal, only you paid for it. The prices are low and and well worth it for the amount of food you get. Today it was rainy so I was craving a good bowl of soup. The cook greeted me with a big smile and I ordered a delicious bowl of tofu soup which she proceeded to make by hand on her little butane stove. This was one of the best bowls of tofu soup that I have had, not to spicy, not to bland, super hot (heat), had zucchini, onions, tofu, egg, and other delicious treats, and the best part no meat. It came with a side of kimchee and rice. And it was only $ 6.50. I cant wait to go try other things on the menu.

7.12.13.
I wish I had known about this place sooner! Tucked away on the street with Fighting Eel, I’ve passed by this place so many times & didn’t even give it a second glance… but since I have been on a Korean food kick & since the reviews for this place were so positive, I had to come here.
…and honestly, the Kim Chee Fried Rice ($ 6.50) & the Milk Tea ($ 3.00) are so worth giving this place a chance, you won’t regret it!
As mentioned in previous reviews, this place is run by Korean ladies so the food must be legit right? IT IS. This kim chee fried rice was so different from any other I’ve tasted before because it was loaded with veggies (e.g., bell peppers, carrots, etc.) It was also seasoned perfectly with just the right amount of kick! Also comes with an egg!
The milk tea here is also the best I’ve tasted! I also really liked the tapioca balls here! They’ll ask you how sweet you want it too – no taste tests before you get it though (like at Taste Tea) – but you can let them know after if you need it to be altered.
I’ll def be back here again! Milk tea on these hot summer days really does hit the spot! :)
Unilocal 365 Challenge: #193/​365

I like this place a lot. I come here for lunch often and get the pan sizzling steak (not sizzling) or pork chop plate. Both are really good and I think they’re $ 7.50 each. It comes with a side of kimchee and mac salad. Kimchee is decent.

The shave ice is decent here. And cheap. For $ 2.50 for a one flavored bowl of shave ice, that can’t be beat. They also have other flavors and toppings such as jelly, lychee jelly, mochi and azuki.
Tried the milk tea with tapioca (boba). It was very very sweet. But, I like sweet, so it was great to me. But for those that aren’t ready for the diabetic shock, you might want to ask them to lay off the sugar syrup or put more ice. What I really liked about the way they made this was they made it fresh. Nothing out of a bottle, nothing made out of powder. Brewed fresh. Can’t go wrong with fresh.
They offer Korean comfort food such as beef bone soup and Tteokbokki (spicy rice cake) for $ 7.50. Cold noodle and kim chee fried rice were some of the other choices off of a small, but decently priced menu. And they serve breakfast plates (some under $ 4) till 10 am. I’ll be trying these next.
I will definitely go back, especially since they are now the only shop in Downtown that sells milk tea. (to my knowledge) And the service here is friendly. The lady greets you with a smile and makes sure everything is to your liking.
A small shop on a little side street, but I think definitely worth going out for.

A hidden gem in downtown. Very tasty and great Korean food. They also have smoothies, shave ice, burgers and other local style plate lunches that are really good. The kimchi fried rice and bibim kooksoo are the best! I come here at least once a week for the fried rice. The owner is really nice and will give you things to sample if you come often. Only downside is they only open now from 10:30 to 2:30 pm.

Hmmmm… cute!
I had considered not dining here, as this was the previous home of my favorite downtown shave ice stop, and then a cute little local-​kine café/​shave ice… and now there is a new spot there. In my heart I accepted the fact that they had nothing to do with my other faves closing down… and since I’ve been downtown a lot lately, I’ve been giving them a try!
First off… they got rid of the old green walls… with a fresh coat of bright cotton candy pink paint and new tables/​chairs. Funny, I would assume that a woman was working there, but I have only seen the nice ajussi.
Boba — I purchased the green tea boba. I recommend that you not watch the process, as it will have you concerned about the result! (Yes, I’ve watched him make a few of these now, and it ain’t pretty… lol) The green tea is not a latte, but it’s a frozen delicacy! Blended so very finely! And I figured that the pearls inside would be old… but they turned out to be super soft!
Rainbow breakfast — bacon, 2 eggs, and rice (or other meat choice) for $ 3.50
Loco Moco — $ 4.50 (smells good, but haven’t tried it yet)
Can sodas — $ 1
Want to try the burger/​fries combo too. With a boba.
They also still have the old green shave ice machine (thank goodness!!) so that is also remaining on my to-​do list.
Korean-​owned, so it’s a slightly Korean menu, but not like the Korean take out store a couple shops over. They have early hours, so be aware that they are only open from 7am-2:30 I believe… oh yeah, CASH ONLY!!!
Good food — good service — gonna keep trying them out.
¹⁷⁄₃₁ Unilocal Challenge