Tech Review: Amazon Fire TV by Staff Writer Kevin Wolfe

I have been a member of Amazon Prime for a few years now, but it has only been a little over a year now that I have been able to really take advantage of the video streaming library that is offered as part of the subscription. I have to admit that, while somewhat extensive, the total selection of movies and television shows that Amazon offers, of which a smaller chunk are offered for free through Prime, pales in comparison to Netflix, while the price for a yearly subscription is about the same. However, I consider the ability to get free two-day shipping on just about anything I order, any time I want, without a minimum purchase, as well as the newly offered ad-free music streaming library, to at least somewhat make up for any shortcoming. Enough of that though.

Earlier this year, Amazon introduced fireTV, a small, simple, media receiver that allows the user to stream anything from the Amazon video library, in high definition when available. It also provides access to your music library, watchlist and library of purchased video content, as well as photos stored on your Amazon Cloud Drive. In addition, the device has the ability to load select apps and games. Many of the apps allow access to additional music and video streaming (e.g. Netflix, YouTube, Pandora), as well as productivity, health, and information. Some games though, require the use of a separate game controller, sold separately.

Provided you have a high definition enabled TV, setup is a breeze, especially if you are already a member of Amazon Prime. The packaging includes just three items: the receiver, AC adapter, and fireTV remote with batteries. All you need is an HDMI cable to connect the unit to your TV. You then have the option of connecting to the internet via Wi-Fi or, if necessary, Ethernet cable. I was easily able to find my Wi-Fi network and get connected. I was also happily surprised to find that, as a Prime Member, my Amazon account was already pre-loaded on the device. As with its console counterparts, the user interface of fireTV is quite self-intuitive and easy to navigate, allowing you to effortlessly browse top selections from various genres for both TV and movies. However, this simplicity and user-friendly display comes again at the small cost of only seeing a fraction of available titles displayed without using the search tool. Thanks to a recent update, Prime users will find an additional category that allows them to browse only titles that are included with their membership, including those recently added and Prime exclusives. Also included with the update, parents have the option to utilize “FreeTime,” which allows them to control not only how much time kids have to watch, but also what they are watching (For those without kids, this option can be hidden from the main menu via settings).

There are many things I especially like about using fireTV as well as a couple ideas I have for improvement. One of the things I enjoy most about fireTV apart from other mediums is the ability to instantly access the Amazon service without having to navigate through several menus or point a browser. Second, a feature which currently makes Fire TV unique from other streaming consoles is the ability to do a voice search for any type of media offered through the device. It seems to work very well at recognizing any search term I give it, with little error. One thing that I would like to see in an update though is the ability to limit searches to Prime titles as well as access to Prime Music, a new feature of the Prime service. Another great feature, which appears to currently be unique to access via internet browsers, would be the ability to see expiration alerts for Prime titles in my watchlist. That being said, while it is not perfect, fireTV is poised to be a power player against other streaming modules, such as Roku and AppleTV. It is small, easy to use, and quickly becoming quite versatile. What I think would help it most though is that Amazon continue to greatly expand its video streaming library, especially with respect to titles offered to Prime subscribers.  

Restaurant Review: Asiana Grill Yoshinoya (by Kevin Wolfe)

Review of Asiana Grill Yoshinoya (Fullerton)

I have not eaten at Yoshinoya in years, as my prior experiences left me more than wanting; so I must admit that I was a little skeptical when I was offered the opportunity to review a new concept that they are rolling out called Asiana Grill. That being said, I was still curious, so I thought I would give it a shot. I attended the event with my friend Brian and I can honestly say that we were pleasantly surprised at the quality and amount of flavor in the food that was presented.

Yoshinoya introduced the concept of Asiana Grill in May of 2012, opening the first location in Fullerton, just south of Cal State Fullerton. This was soon followed in August by a second location in Los Angeles, near USC. We visited the Fullerton location.

Immediately upon entering you are treated to a vibrant atmosphere with a distinct Asian flair. The employees here are polite and the interior has a clean appearance. The core theme behind Asiana Grill is to allow you to be your own chef by presenting you with several options that allow you to create over 180 different combinations:

First you choose one of four styles for your meal:

Big Platter: Served with plump steamed white rice, fresh grilled vegetable medley (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and cabbage) and romaine spring salad mix with sliced cucumbers, julienne carrots, scallions and a light Sesame Miso dressing. All topped with Daikon sprouts, sesame seeds and a garnish of red ginger.

Lots of Soup: Lightly sweet Shiromiso base served with grilled white rice cake and fresh vegetable medley (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and cabbage). Topped with scallions.

Super Salad: Fresh romaine spring salad mix served with grilled rice wedges and a light Sesame Miso dressing. All topped with sliced cucumbers, julienne carrots and scallions.

Great Yellow Bun: Baked fresh daily and served with Asian Cabbage Salad (Napa and green cabbage with shredded carrots, chopped parsley, vinegar and mirin) and sweet potato fries.

You then choose from a list of seven proteins: charbroiled steak, charbroiled chicken breast, grilled chicken thigh, charbroiled pork, grilled shrimp, grilled white fish, or grilled tofu. Finally, you select one of six sauces to season your protein with: teriyaki, sweet and sour, ginger snap, ponzu, gekikara, or mushroom. The ponzu sauce is described to be a tart, soy-based sauce with a distinctive blend of lemon, lime and orange juice. For those who choose the platter or salad, brown rice can be substituted on request. You can also pay a little extra to add shitake mushrooms to your entrée.

For those that are wary of making choices, Asiana Grill offers regular menu selections, including bowls and salads.

They have daily specials Monday thru Friday that come with a regular drink and students from any school in Fullerton that can show ID get a 15% discount on their check.

Speaking of drinks, a small selection of both import and domestic bottled beers is available for those that prefer adult beverages with their meal.

There are also a number of appetizers and side dishes that you can tack on to your meal such as ginger-chili edamame, gyoza, and shrimp tempura.

 The yellow buns they use for their sandwiches can also be purchased separately.

Asiana grill embraces the open kitchen design, so that you see everything that is going on and you can actually watch your meal being prepared fresh, fast, and the way you like it, just for you. Also, nearly every ingredient is prepared fresh daily, from the green tea to the baking of their yellow buns.

I ordered the Great Yellow Bun with charbroiled chicken breast and gekikara sauce. The bun was soft and tasted fresh, and was well balanced with the amount of chicken and slaw that was included. The chicken itself was tender and flavorful. As indicated on the menu, the sauce was hot and spicy. I was pleasantly surprised that it was not overpowering, as I initially expected, but had just enough kick to keep me interested without sacrificing flavor. The sweet potato fries were tasty, but lacked a sauce to dip them in. While ketchup was offered, I personally feel that it would have created a disconnect, especially with Asian themed food. I would like to have had a unique sauce that complemented both the sweetness of the potato and the Asian flavors of the entrée. Brian ordered a Big Platter, with grilled shrimp and teriyaki sauce. The plate was large and there were reasonable portions of everything. The shrimp was tender and the teriyaki sauce went well with it. We each drank some of their fresh green tea with our meal. Both were rich in flavor, while the lightly sweetened tea had just a hint of sweetness.

In addition to our meal, we were given an opportunity to sample some of their appetizers and side orders. They offered us tastes of grilled rice cakes seasoned with mirin and vinegar, grilled udon noodles, as well as a small yellow bun sandwich with charbroiled steak. Both of the sides were tasty and would serve as a nice addition to the meals that they offer.

We were also treated to a sample of their flavored water. They currently offer cucumber and lychee, both accented with lemongrass. Both flavors were very prevalent and tasted much like their name suggest.

I tried their ginger-chili edamame, which is seasoned with its own sauce blended with sesame seed and red pepper. It had a good spicy kick to it, but it did not seem so much as to be off-putting.

Their dessert selection is minimal, offering your choice of vanilla ice-cream, frozen banana, or cheesecake, each of which is dipped in chocolate. However, you can have them add “Daffy Apple Crush” topping for no extra charge. While I was not impressed with the selection of desserts, I ordered an ice-cream just to try the topping. It was a nice accent to the otherwise bland treat. The banana is a good staple, but it would be nice to see some different flavor options for the ice-cream and/or cheesecake.

Roy, a corporate research and development chef with Yoshinoya, sat down to speak with us for a moment to detail how Asiana Grill was created. He explained that Asiana Grill came about through the desire to bring a new, fresh look to more affluent markets, where they have not done as well. The concept is an answer to those who seek a more refined Asian style cuisine that is still at a reasonable price. He said that Asiana Grill encompasses a higher price point, allowing for a more extravagant offering in terms of taste. Roy mentioned that one item in the pipeline is a miso-glazed salmon, which is expected to be priced slightly higher than current selections. He also went into detail about how Yoshinoya wants to take the lessons they learn from Asiana Grill full circle and apply them to retool the classic Yoshinoya experience, without sacrificing its mission to provide good taste at an affordable price.

For those who have either not been to Yoshinoya in some time, or even if you’ve never tried Yoshinoya, Asiana Grill is definitely worth checking out. While I’m not prepared to say that the experience would be a regular stop for me, I am anxious to return to mix things up a bit and try some of the other style dishes. So join the “flavorlution” and try Asiana Grill Yoshinoya today!

Visit them online at http://asianagrillyoshinoya.com

Fullerton:
450 N State College Blvd.
Fullerton, CA 92831
(714) 871-8442
Hours:
10:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (Mon – Sun)

Los Angeles:
3021 S. Figueroa St.
Los Angeles, CA 90007
(213) 749-3196
Hours:
10:30 a.m. – 12:00 a.m. (Sun – Thurs)
10:30 a.m. – 1:00 a.m. (Fri & Sat)

Free Wi-Fi is offered at this location; just ask your cashier for the password