The name, Mil Jugos, means 1000 juices for those not fluent in Spanish. They don’t serve quite that many fresh juices, but they do have a varied selection as well as some smoothies. But the main attraction here are two venezuelan dishes: Arepas and Cachapas. The cachapas are a kind of sweet corn pancake served with different fillings like cheese and meats. If that sounds like your cup of tea, definitely give them a try. But as for me, I’ve got a fever and the only prescription is Arepas!

Arepas are kind of like Venezuela’s version of a taco. They’re made with a sort of freshly cooked corn fry bread that’s crispy on the outside and wonderfully doughy on the inside. Then they’re sliced open and filled with different spiced meat fillings. My favorite are the chicken arepas, but I’ve yet to try one I didn’t like.

If you get an arepa at Mil Juguos, it would be a crime to not try the sauces which come in squirt bottles on the tables. There are two to choose from, they are similar but one is creamy and smooth and the other is chunky and has a wonderful kick to it. I’m not exactly sure what’s in them, cilantro, mint, chilies, but they are not to be missed!

Mil Jugos was a wonderful introduction to the cuisine of Venezuela, and I’m happy to continue the exploration.

The restaurant itself is in a pretty unassuming shopping center located off Bristol near South Coast Plaza. They’re located near the back by Toys R Us. The interior is pretty warm and inviting, it looks like the restaurant used to be some kind of steak house or some other genre of dining that they converted almost somewhat hastily to a Thai restaurant. But overall it works.

The cover of their menus are a crack-up too, with a caricature of who I assume to be “George” smiling and offering you some yummy Thai food. But rest assured, the brevity ends on the cover of the menu. They get down to some serious Thai food business on the interior. If you’re not feeling too adventurous, I recommend the Chicken Pad Thai. But I’ve eaten here many, many times and I don’t think I or anyone I’ve ever been to George’s with has ever ordered anything that wasn’t outstanding from their menu.

One thing to be aware of though is that unlike most restaurants, there are no free refills on beverages at George’s. It’s easy to get something spicy there and end up wondering why they’re charging you for three sodas. But as long as we’re talking beverages, their Thai Iced Coffee is awesome and well worth checking out.

One of the best things about George’s Thai Bistro though is you can order every dish on the menu with a level of spiciness range 1-10. My personal taste there ranges somewhere between a 6-7. But here’s a real tip for George aficionados, if you’re into the real spicy stuff you can order your spiciness off the charts! That’s right, just like Spinal Tap, you can crank it up to 11 (or 12 or 13…).

If you find yourself in the area and decide to check out the Little Onion be sure to get there early and beat the lunch rush otherwise you may find yourself standing around outside waiting for a table. But any place with crowds of people outside waiting to eat has got to be good though right?

We’ve tried just about everything on the menu at the Little Onion and you pretty much can’t go wrong with anything. But there are a few other reasons you should visit the Little Onion besides the food.

First, there’s the ambiance. It’s quirky and welcoming. Between the old, strange pictures on the wall, the wood shake shingle roof indoors, and various odds and ends, it kind of feels like you’ve been invited to eat at someone’s Mexican grandmother’s house. It’s definitely unique, but in a good way. Then there’s the staff, they’re always courteous and friendly. I don’t think they speak much english but that’s also part of the appeal.

But the main reason you should visit the Little Onion is their chips and kick-you-in-the-face salsa. Lots of Mexican restaurants have good chips and salsa, but the salsa at Little Onion is particularly good. And these guys don’t shy away from the hot stuff, if you like it hot you are in for a treat. I like to call it diablo sauce, because it’s addicting at first but then sneaks up to knock some sense into you.

Little Onion is the kind of place you can visit regularly and not get tired of. If you’re looking for some quirky atmosphere and good, authentic Mexican, give Little Onion a try.