Cafe Patio serves Chinese-Korean dishes to adventurous late-night customers. The food caters towards friendly groups of colleagues who are comfortable with sharing and getting a little messy in front of each other.
The Kimchi Pancake was a Korean dish of fried batter and kimchi combined with an assortment of other vegetables. It had hash-brown-like crispiness and the vegetables weren’t too mushy at all. If you don’t have a Korean auntie to make this for you at home, try coming here for your $9.99 pancake fix.
The next Korean dish was the Jajangmyeon. Black bean sauce noodles served with a pair of kitchen scissors for convenience. This was a huge plate of noodles tossed with onion, pork and a mild-flavored sauce that held a unique umami flavor. For $8.99, it’s a definite steal.
The Mongolian Beef was the Chinese dish chosen for the evening. The beef was in a sweet sauce with plenty of white and green onions served with a side of white rice. Out of all the orders, this was probably the taste people were already most familiar with. It wasn’t a fail, it just did not do enough to stand out from the rest. For the cost of $14.99, it would be better just to get take-out.
The last dish ordered was the Spicy Garlic Wings. They were well seasoned, extra crispy, and the meat fell off the bone easily. For only $12.99, this generous serving is a deal to not pass up.
There weren’t many non-alcoholic specialty drinks, so minors made do with rounds of sweet and tart lemonade served with adorable heart-shaped bendy straws. For $2.50, this is a very satisfying option for those with a sweet tooth.
Overall, the prices were hit or miss. It’s definitely worth it to research before visiting otherwise the large menu may be overwhelming for a first-timer. However, don’t let that hold you back from this opportunity. The large portions and extra serving plates means that everything is easily shareable.
Cafe Patio is on 133 West Chapman Ave. in Fullerton, suite #102. It’s open every day from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m., except on Sundays, when the restaurant closes at 12 a.m.
