Though I am by no means complaining about the Asian cuisine that dominates the Diamond Bar/Rowland Heights food scene, there are times when I just crave something different than Korean BBQ or Shabu-shabu. So I, in search of unconventional food, found a restaurant with a simple name but creative cuisine: Lemonade.

Located in the upstairs level of the Fashion Island shopping plaza in Orange County, the restaurant is structured like a cafeteria, with a menu that encompasses a wide variety of food. Eager as I was to try the restaurant’s signature drink and namesake, I couldn’t help but dawdle in front of the food options. Everything seemed exquisite, and it took me a while to finally settle on my choices: the buttermilk chicken breast, seared ahi tuna with crushed orange-ginger ponzu, and avocado salmon louie, each at $6.50 per serving. I also ordered two flavors of their famous lemonade, blood-orange and guava limeade.

I dove into my choices of beverage at once. To say that I was satisfied is a glaring understatement; the blood-orange possessed a unique taste that left delicate tangy flavors in my mouth, while the tasty guava limeade left me wanting more of its addicting sweetness. With colors of soft pink and muted orange, the drinks tasted as good as they looked. It became clear then why the restaurant had chosen its name, Lemonade.

The food, however, could not live up to the standards set by the drinks. Though the food attracted me with its daintiness and exquisite appearance on display, it was disappointing to see how small the portions really were when on my plate. To its credit, the buttermilk chicken breast was in fact quite delicious, but I was angry at the small number of slices that I was served. To make matters worse, the sauces accompanying the chicken all seemed to overlap each other in taste. It seemed as if the chefs were merely trying to impress their patrons with a “wide breadth” of sauces.

The seared ahi tuna with crushed orange-ginger ponzu proved to be a big improvement from the chicken, though I had only received four moderately sized slices. Nevertheless, I hold back my complaints for this dish, as it had impressed me well enough. Despite my contentment with the ahi tuna, the avocado salmon louie infuriated me. The dish consisted of half an avocado with a small mound of salmon in place of the avocado seed. It was cooked to my satisfaction, but there was so little salmon that I soon found myself eating the avocado plain. Keep in mind, these dishes cost $6.50 per serving—I was paying $6.50 to eat some fish and half an avocado.

But all complaints of overpricing and pretentiousness aside, I do have to admit that Lemonade is an interesting, fun place to visit. I’d definitely recommend this place if you are looking for a change of scene and thirsting for some really good lemonade—just be prepared to leave with a lighter wallet.