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Don Maguro – A lunch visit

Japanese Restaurants, Sushi and Sashimi

In my post on Me Sen, “FOY” Elle mentioned Don Maguro opening in Mira Mesa. I had already heard of the shop; a rebrand of Tora Tora Sushi, which had taken the spot of the Sandwich Emporium in Mira Mesa. Now knowing that the owner of Otot (sorry CC, couldn’t help it) Ototo was the same as Tora Tora…well, I just wasn’t inclined to visit. Plus, even though I understand that “Tora” means “Tiger” in Japanese; it has a deeper meaning to me as well. Anyway, I recall telling Elle that I was waiting to see if Don Maguro was going to open for lunch. And guess what? Last week, they posted that they were opening at 1130 from Fridays thru Sunday. So, I decided to drop by for lunch.

I’m guessing word hasn’t gotten out about the lunch hours yet as the place was fairly empty. I was hoping the place wouldn’t be pricing like Momo Omakase and was glad to see the prices seemed rather reasonable.

Three basic Kaisendon on the menu, plus gyoza, uni pasta, and salmon curry fried rice.

No menu overload analysis paralysis here. There was just one thing I was looking for….something that reminded me of this, even in just the slightest manner would be a wonderful meal.

Such a memorable bowl from Ajidokoro Takeda in Sankaku Fish Market in Otaru!

I ordered the Uni-Ikura Don ($28) from the nice young man. Soon enough, it arrived.

Well, as you can clearly see, this wasn’t going to give me even an inkling of that bowl in Otaru!

The three pieces of uni…seemed like a half slices; just a few pearls of Ikura, some takuan, and shiso.

I went and made sure to try the rice first; it was nicely cooked, you could see every grain and the shari was on the milder side.

The negi-toro was a bit on the mushy side, but was fine. There were pieces of shiso…though I wish it were sliced so I could have some in several bites.

After having mixed things up a bit; I decided to not mix in the wasabi. What I ended up doing was to use brush a bit on the nori, then add the rice and the seafood, making a temaki of sorts.

I really enjoyed the raw egg yolk in a touch of soy sauce.

And what I ended up doing is mixing in a bit more shoyu and wasabi and dipping my temaki like creation into it.

So yes….in the end, I basically had two negitoro temaki since there just wasn’t enough ikura or uni to make much of an impact. This is also where I wished that there were strips of shiso instead of two torn pieces.

The ushiojiru was very clean tasting and fine.

Overall, I was a bit underwhelmed by this kaisendon. Hardly any ikura or uni, the negitoro on the mushy side. I understand costs these days, but at $28, I’d consider it a bit pricey…heck, this is $36 at Izakaya Sakura.

So, while Don Maguro seems like a nice concept; that’s just what it is to me; a concept. And that bowl I got didn’t quite look like the photo on the sign….

Not bad, but not quite “luxury in a bowl” for me.

Don Maguro
8155 Mira Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92126
Current Hours:
Tues – Thurs 4pm – 830pm
Fri – Sat 1130am – 9pm
Sunday 1130am – 830pm
Closed on Monday

Tu Thanh Revisited

Cambodian Restaurants and Cuisine, Chinese Restaurants, Vietnamese Restaurants

I’m actually enjoying the cooler weather. It means that I can get my noodle soup fixes…which means I headed on up to City Heights and Tu Thanh.

I’d actually been craving some Bun Mang Vit for a while and tried to visit Tu Thanh a couple of times. First off, parking in the area can be a challenge. Second, I had actually found parking twice and walked over to find the place closed at their posted opening time. I thought I’d give the place one final chance….you know; “three strikes and you’re out”. And it must have been my lucky day….they were actually open at 915am!

I was greeted by the very friendly Hispanic woman working and she pointed me to the seat. It was interesting as she was the only employee in the shop. It had been over four years (!!!!) since my last visit and I was wondering how things were.

I placed my order for Bun Mang Vit and just kind of sat back.

Places like Tu Thanh really gives me perspective on how long I’ve been doing his blogging stuff. My first visit with this shop was back in 2006. Back then, there was a “ABCDE” shop on University Avenue named Chinese Kitchen. It served typical Chinese Fast Food….but, there was a not so “secret” menu that listed Chao and Banh Canh….and of course Bun Mang Vit…which called themselves Chi Tu Thanh Nha Hang. And you think these “ghost kitchen” thingies are a rather new concept, right? Anyway, it became my favorite place for Bun Mang Vit. In 2013 Tu Thanh made its move and opened up their own restaurant also on University and I have visited many times over the years. Through the years like almost every Vietnamese Noodle Soup shop in San Diego, there have been changes; banana blossom stopped being served, the Nuoc Mam Gung had changed, but at least on my last visit it was fairly close to what I’d had before. The amount and quality of the bamboo shoots had changed as well…….

And when my bowl arrived; well…….

I don’t know what’s up with that hard, tasteless strings of bamboo shoots they use these days is; but it’s not a nice texturally and lacks the flavor and fragrance of what they used to serve.

Case in point…..this was circa 2018.

And this is what I got on this visit.

The broth was also a bit more cloudy than I’m used to, but not overly salty. And it does get better over time as there’s a bunch of “dunking” and mixing in of veggies and such going on.

The Nuoc Mam Gung was not as good as on my last visit.

As it seemed to lack as much fish sauce as I like; but at least it wasn’t overly sweet and had enough ginger in it. The amount of sauce is less than before; but I’m fine with that as for me a little goes a long way.

Thankfully, the duck was as it always was, savory, nice toothsome texture, and absorbs the flavor of the dipping sauce nicely.

Did you notice anything about the plate? Well, everything was in a pool of water, it was just heavily dripping off the cabbage. I’m guessing it wasn’t drained very well? All that needless liquid will water down the flavors.

And lastly, the noodles.

Which were nice and slippery, but chopped into short, little strings, which made it really hard to eat.

I’m not sure what is going on here…maybe it was just a bad day? Or perhaps I’ve just been coming here for too many years that I’m living in the past? I guess that’s the bad part of having a food blog for so long…I remember when the stuff they served looked like this!

And perhaps that’s why it took me over four years to return to a place that I’d visit at least a couple of times a year?

Tu Thanh
4804 University Ave. #A
San Diego, CA 92105

Odds and Ends – Randy’s DawgHouse, Sun Dry Opens, and a Revisit to Superbloom Coffee & Juice

Caffeine Fix, Food Trucks/Carts, Hot Dogs, Markets & Grocers

Just some odds and ends for what seems like the first weekend of winter (finally)?

Randy’s DawgHouse:

When I first visited the Bello’s Tacos and Burritos Trailer, I noticed a cute little food cart shared the parking lot if V Outlet.

Named Randy’s DawgHouse. So, on one of the afternoons I decided to try them out. The woman working was so sweet. And, I was somehow not surprised at the nine dollar price for a hot dog……I guess I’m getting immune to sticker shock.

I did see that they didn’t take credit cards, which was fine, and while they were out of several versions of hot dogs…at least they had Chicago Dogs.

So, I went and ordered one.

JJ and I then strolled home. I guess I hadn’t read the description of the Chicago Dog provided clearly enough; as I was shocked at the inclusion of cheese? And no poppy seed bun, sport peppers, or celery salt! Can you imagine if, say Gene and Jude’s or heck if even Chicago Fire Grill did this? Well, at least they didn’t commit what is defined as the greatest sin…..putting ketchup on a Chicago Dog!

The dog had decent snap; which is what I totally expected from a typical Nathan’s Famous. Though, as you can see, the dog fell short in being “bun length” as advertised.

While this was not appropriately “dragged thru the garden”, it was fine, though not something I’d crave, not quite a Chicago Dog to me.

A week later, the trailer was gone…..I’ve seen it parked along some of the side streets while walking JJ, so I’m thinking the owners live somewhere in our neighborhood? Still, I’ve not seen it operating anywhere. Perhaps one of you…my “FOYs” have?

Sun Dry Opens in 99 Ranch Market (Balboa):

The Missus was quite excited to see Sun Dry open in 99 Ranch Market.

As She really likes all the types of dried fruits and stuff we call “crack seed” back home.

She has become addicted to the freeze dried strawberries.

And can easily finish a half pound of thee in a couple of days.

So, of course I’ve been trying to coordinate my shopping at 99 Ranch with the hours that Sun Dry is open.

But I think, like many businesses these days they are having problems staffing as several times I’ve gone during their posted open hours to find them close. This photo was taken at 2pm on a Sunday!

When they are open; the young man and young lady working are very nice! I’m sure the Missus is hoping they make it!

Sun Dry
950 Balboa Ave. #2712 (In the 99 Ranch Market Building)
San Diego, CA 92111

Superbloom Coffee & Juice Revisited:

Recently, on a Sunday before the rain and time change, I was looking to take JJ for coffee before the Sunday opening time for Bay Park Coffee which is 730 on that day of the week. Usually, we’d go up to Clairemont Coffee on Sundays, but I thought we’d do something different. Then it came to me….heck we hadn’t been to Superbloom since Memorial Day! Thy open at 7am on Sunday, so JJ and I could walk down and be there before any crowds settle in. We walked down Clairemont Drive and arrived right at 7am.

I went ahead and ordered a Cold Brew, which is now $7.25….it was $6.50 like five months ago! I thought about a breakfast sandwich, but sheesh….$15 for avocado toast? Ouch!

The young lady working was so sweet and got JJ a pup cup!

Which JJ couldn’t wait to attack!

I got my cold brew…it was I remembered…a bit on the lighter side.

And we took a seat in the back…..

Mission Bay is quite relaxing without all the crowds….though it had obviously been a pretty busy weekend….I feel so bad for the folks that have to clean all this stuff up!

So, not my first choice for my morning coffee…..but fine for an occasional change of pace.

Superbloom Coffee & Juice
2688 East Mission Bay Dr.
San Diego, CA 92109
Current Hours:
Mon – Thurs 7am – 630pm
Fri – Sun 7am – 7pm

Happy Howl-lo-ween!

Dog Friendly, Seafood, yoso-silly

So says JJ!

Though I don’t think he’s so happy about his costume…..though folks do get a good laugh!

After a visit to the Little Italy Mercato, JJ and I had lunch at Bay Park Fish. That portion size for the Smoked Fish Stack is quite generous and is still $17. Which seems like a bargain right now.

This was quite enjoyable and I had someone, who is from Honolulu recommend the poke here? Hmmm…..not sure; but perhaps I’ll try it out one day.

Bay Park Fish Company
4121 Ashton St
San Diego, CA 92110

And then, before dinner JJ got to visit one of his favorite spots….Bay Hill Tavern to visit his Aunties and Uncles….

Where Neptune can meet “flavortown”??????

And Dad can get a beer before the rain!

Bay Hill Tavern
3010 Clairemont Drive
San Diego, CA 92117

Here are some random photos from the neighborhood.

For some reason; I kinda like this RIP Pickleball themed display!

Well, the rain has started moving in….so hope everyone stays dry and has a safe and fun “Howl-lo-ween”!

Road Trip – Ponzu Sushi Palm Springs

Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Dog Friendly, Japanese Restaurants, Road Trip, Sushi and Sashimi, Temecula/Idyllwild/Palm Springs - Riverside, CA, Travel

Not wanting a super long drive home from Sedona, we decided to make an overnight stop. Idyllwild immediately came to mind, but this was in February. After discussing options for a bit; we decided on staying a night in Palm Springs. The last time we had been to Palm Springs was waaay back when we lived in LA. We recalled being treated quite rudely by both the tourists visiting and by the folks working there, so we never returned. So, we were quite interested to see that if almost three decades of time would have changed our opinion.

We decided to stay at the Casa Cody, which I read was the oldest continuously operating hotel in the city. I thought we’d enjoy the location, which was close to the heart of the city, but still tucked a few blocks away. We had enjoyed our stays at Marina Riviera in Big Bear, which is a sister property of Casa Cody. And we did enjoy our stay in the almost Adobe/Hacienda style motel. Even though the parking is on the street, JJ liked riding in the wagon that we used to take our luggage to our room.

We enjoyed staying at Casa Cody, which had a nice, retro-relaxed vibe to it.

The staff were really friendly as well.

Casa Cody
175 S Cahuilla Rd.
Palm Springs, CA 92262

Of course, as soon as we checked in….well JJ kept throwing hints that we needed to get on out and explore a bit.

So, the Missus got to do some shopping.

There were some interesting places……

There’s also quite a bit of public art around the city.

It was getting close to dinner time, so we decided to walk up North Palm Canyon Drive to a really dog friendly restaurant named Boozehounds. The menu seemed interesting with everything from Shrimp and Grits to Chicken Adobo to Maguro Tataki. But the Missus really didn’t seem interested. So, we headed back down…..

And finally settled on a Japanese-Sushi styled restaurant named Ponzu Sushi which was just a block from where we were staying.

The menu here is also somewhat fusiony and I understand that the Chefs are Thai. Though there seemed to be some interesting menu items. There were the usual suspects beerwise; but I decided to try the “Old Timer Tokyo” a version of an Old Fashioned which was also smoked.

Which was pretty good; not overly sweet.

First to arrive the Miso Black Cod, which lacked decent carmelization…a big no-no for me.

The flavor seemed a bit watered down; though the fish was quite tender.

Next up was the Uni Hotate Yuzu which was $28. It was basically two scallops sliced lengthwise into three piece portions and two uni divided the same way.

Basically two bites made into six. This was fine though the yuzu and citrusy tones pretty much ruled the dish.

We got two A5 Wagyu Nigiri ($12 each), which was served with one of those tabletop smoke infusers.

While it looked like the beef was a bit overly cooked, it was very tender and velvety; the smoke flavor wasn’t overwhelming and added a nice savory layer to the beef.

The rice was a bit too chewy; but this was by far our favorite dish on the evening.

The Bluefin Tuna Tartare ($28) was a close second.

Not super fond of those won ton chips; but the velvety quail egg added a nice creaminess to the chu-toro which was texturally good; not mushy or too chewy. I actually enjoyed the thin slices of black truffle which didn’t overwhelm the dish.

I saw that they had Kinmedai on the menu so we got two orders of nigiri ($17 each).

I like kinmedai because it’s usually a bit more creamy-fatty than tai, but this was on the drier and chewier side of the scale. Again, the rice was a bit harder than we prefer.

The service was professional and the place filled up pretty quickly. It’s obviously quite a popular restaurant it seems.

Not a bad dinner.

Ponzu Sushi – Palm Springs
100 West Tahquitz Canyon Way
Palm Springs, CA 92262

And if you think this looks good. I recently read that Ponzu will be opening here in San Diego at Liberty Station, where El Jardin used to be. I’m thinking they might do well at that location.

We took JJ to a nice after dinner stroll. Palm Springs has a long history of being a retreat for the Hollywood Elite. In fact Elvis himself spent an extended honeymoon in Palm Springs! And of course, Marilyn Monroe obviously has a history here as well! And there’s a 26 foot tall statue of her in an iconic pose. It’s named Forever Marilyn.

Of course, in this pose, it seems like Marilyn has pooped a pup!

We had a nice night of rest. Our accommodation served breakfast and coffee, so after getting my caffeine fix; we took JJ for a nice morning walk.

This was an interesting looking home. It’s called the Aluminaire House. You can read about it here.

Lots of photo-ops for JJ…….

Before we headed back to pack and head on home. Another road trip in the books; though we’d be headed back out again in a couple of weeks.

Thanks for stopping by!

Bun Bo Hue at Phở Gà Go

Bun Bo Hue, Vietnamese Restaurants

Well, now that the weather is cooling off I was craving some Bun Bo Hue. So naturally I made plans to head to my usual; Mien Trung. Just then, I saw this on IG. So now Phở Gà Go was making Bun Bo Hue for a limited time? While my last visit to Mien Trung was fine, I think the consistency has dipped over the last few years since “mom” is no longer making the soup….don’t get me wrong; it’s still my “go-to” in San Diego for BBH. But since my experience with the Phở Gà at PGG in Crab Hut Mira Mesa was quite good, I thought why not? As a plus, they open at 10am, making for a nice early lunch.

You order at the front counter, then take your number and have a seat. The BBH here is not cheap at $18; but you’ll soon see why I think it’s worth it.

It started when the accoutremonts arrived…I had to rub my eyes and really take a look! Was it really banana blossom and shredded ong choy????

Like for real….when was the last time I had that included with my BBH? I’m especially fond of the banana blossom which adds a wonderful crunch and mild nuttiness to BBH! I also enjoyed the mam tom and lemongrass paste.

As for the BBH……

The broth was lovely and clear. It was nice and rich, something that’s been missing from Mien Trung and other versions of BBH I’ve had in recent years. Also missing was the usual MSG saltiness. Nice lemongrass tones, decent spice. I quickly noticed that you really need to add the shrimp paste and lemongrass paste to adjust to your taste preference. Good herbaceous tones.

I think I’ll ask for more shrimp paste next time around. Also, did you notice that pork hock…it’s cross cut.

Along with the abundant slices of beef shank and cha lua, this was way more meat than I’m used to. And as you can see there’s still a decent amount of skin on that beastly slice of pork hock.

And yet, my favorite “meat” item was the tendon. It looked chewy; but the texture was perfect for BBH, in which I believe the tendon should have some initial firmness, yet give way to almost a creamy texture. This one fit the bill.

The noodles were firm and bouncy as well.

Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised! It’s more neutral flavored, but you can adjust the spice, funkiness, and citrusy punch. I’m for sure getting more mam tom and that lemongrass sate with this next time. And if you’re a protein lover…well, check out all that meat. In fact, I’ll probably get the pork blood with the BBH next time….something I’m always leery about getting.

While Mien Trung will still be my usual stop for BBH in San Diego since this is just an occasional offering at Phở Gà Go….I’ll for sure be checking to see if they are serving it.

If you do want to try the BBH here, I think they are serving it during lunch until Friday the 30th.

Phở Gà Go at Crab Hut Mira Mesa
8280 Mira Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92126
Current Hours:
Mon – Fri 10am – 2pm
Closed Weekends

Papa Guapo Cantina and some other stuffs (Old Town)

Dog Friendly, Exploring San Diego, Mexican Restaurants, Taco Shops

We recently took JJ to Old Town since we hadn’t been in a while. Even though it was the weekend…it’s not major tourist season right now and things were pretty mellow.

All the Dia de los Muertos displays were up and we strolled around a bit.

The Missus enjoyed the La Calavera Catrina Fashion is the U.S. House Building.

The small, but colorful display of dresses, hats, crowns and such by various artists was very nice.

In case you want to know the history behind La Catrina – this article is short but informative.

U.S. House Museum
2765 San Diego Ave.
San Diego, CA 92110

And of course, since Dia de los Muertos is on November 3rd this year, Old Town is having some major events this weekend if you’re interested.

After walking around a bit we decided to get some lunch……unfortunately, our favorite stop in Old Town, Tahona is not open for lunch. And the Missus wasn’t feeling like having an $25 arepa at Encuentro. I had read that a spot specializing in Double Baked Stuffed Potatoes had replaced the Living Room on San Diego Avenue….named…well, Papa Guapo! Now, I thought having a “handsome potato” might be fun. Plus the lovely courtyard was perfect for JJ.

We walked over and the place was totally empty. In fact, we were the only customers for the entire meal! In addition to the usual “taco suspects”, like carne asada, pollo asado, and the strangely spelled “el pastor” (???), the menu included Barbacoa….so I ordered the Barbacoa Tacos, which, with the Old Town upcharge was $17.99. We also wanted the Baked Potato with El, ahem Al Pastor…but the rather serious woman working told us that the potatoes weren’t going to be ready for another hour or more….so we decided on getting the Al Pastor Fries ($16).

The Barbacoa was quite stringy, the marinade was very mild and lacking in the smokiness and spices I enjoy. I mean, I wasn’t expecting Aqui es Texcoco or even the now closed El Borrego. But along with the brittle tortillas this was a miss for us.

The salsa roja was super mild, really lacking in spice as well.

As for the fries; well, I guess I couldn’t complain about the portion size.

Man, this was pretty salty, the chewy pork lacking in carmelization, so closure to an adobada, than al pastor….definitely not from the trompo. Also lacking in the touch of smokey mildly spicy-sweetness of a decent al pastor.

What wasn’t lacking was the cheese……..

Same bland salsa though the fries stayed crisp thru the entire meal.

Not really our kind of meal. Kind of dumbed down for our taste….though perhaps typical for the location. Man do we miss Tuetano! Heck, I’d even take Hola Paris! I’m wondering if El Agave allows pups? Or perhaps we need to do a staycation and even though we can’t stay at the Cosmopolitan with JJ, I think the Fairfield is pup friendly….and then we can go beck to Tahona?

Papa Guapo
2541 San Diego Ave.
San Diego, CA 92110
Current Hours:
Mon – Fri 11am – 8pm
Sat – Sun 10am – 8pm

Well, at least we had fun walking around Old Town.

Pho Ban Mai Revisited – Time for the Missus’s Com-tam-plation

Vietnamese Restaurants

Recently, the Missus was craving some com tam…..so, after some, ahem “com-tam-plation”, we headed off to what was Her favorite during our round of visits; Pho Ban Mai. Upon arriving, the place seemed quite bustling….but unlike our previous visit, the young lady working front of house was so very nice and friendly!

And the Missus got Her Com Tam Dac Biet, which is now priced at $20 (it was $17.95 last December)……but after all the recent price craziness, this actually seemed quite reasonable……I guess everything is based on time and perspective, right?

She plowed thru that steamed egg and said the crispy bean curd with shrimp was even better than last time!

The only fail was the Bi – the shreds of pork and pork skin were sliced a bit too thick and it lacked enough rice powder.

For some reason, the portion size of the grilled pork and chicken seemed larger.

She saved most of this and we had it for dinner over rice. Good toothsome texture, not overly salty, good savory-sweetness.

As for what I had….well, it was a bit of a quandary, as the Banh Xeo was not to our liking the last time. Just in the nick of time, I saw a sizzling plate of Bò Né pass by. I’d had it before and though it was just ok, but this looked different…so, I decided to order it. Just based on portion size, I think it was worth the $22.

And yes, I was dodging (Né literally means “to dodge”) all that sizzling oil. In terms of what I had last time; this was worlds better…..the meat was much more tender, though the seasoning; other than that wonderful load of garlic was on the milder side. There was a lot of it as well….again, most of that went home…..

Because I ate that entire banh mi with the pate and egg! It was soooo good, definitely a “pate party” if you know what I mean.

Creamy – velvety, savory, pleasantly “offal-ly”…man, this was so good.

I guess I’ve found my go-to dish here now!

And we had two meals from this.

And with the lovely service….I’m guessing we’ll be back when the Missus needs for Com Tam fix…..or I feel the need to do some “Beef Dodging”!

Pho Ban Mai
8991 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92126
Current Hours:
Sun – Thurs 9am – 845pm
Fri – Sat        9am – 945pm

COMC – Mountain House (Rowland Heights)

Chinese Restaurants, Road Trip

Man, how did I forget about these photos? Anyway, since our first visit to Mountain House, it’s become a favorite of ours. We enjoyed the modern take on Sichuan cuisine. Of course, now that we have JJ….well, there’s no outdoor seating available, we may just have to do takeout or something?

Anyway, these photos from a couple of revisits have just been lying around….so I thought why not post them, right? So here we are C(learing) O(ut the) M(emory) C(ard).

Mountain House
18888 Labin Court
Rowland Heights, CA 91748

Hope you’re having a wonderful weekend!

Uluru/Ayers Rock – We Arrive in Yulara and the Wintjiri Wiru Sunset Dinner

Airport/Airline/Cruise/Rail Food, Australia, Australian/New Zealand Cuisine, Travel

After a fun evening in Sydney, we caught the Metro to Sydney Airport. We were off to our next destination; one that I had been looking forward to for a while. Our flight left on time for Ayer Rock Airport……our next stop, was the oft mentioned “Outback“…..no not that Outback, but the town of Yulara.

Even though our flight left at 930am and arrived just 2 hours later at Ayers Rock Airport, we were fed a pretty substantial meal.

It was a short 10 minute shuttle from the airport to where we were staying; the Desert Gardens Resort at Ayers Rock Resort. The actual name of the town is Yulara, which is the village which serves as the hub for folks visiting Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park. Yulara was established to serve as a centralized village in the late 70’s as a way to help protect and preserve the the sacred sights and ecosystems in the area which were being heavily damaged by tourism. In 1984 the government ended all leases for the motels around Uluru and ownership was transferred to the Aṉangu people, the traditional Aboriginal owners of the land. The Aṉangu then went ahead and leased it back to Australia for 99 years.

We arrived a bit early for check in and decided to take a short walk to the village. I’ve read that folks have complained about the walk to the village, but come on, we’re in the Outback and this is only a 10 minute walk into the village!

We’d see sign saying “Palya” everywhere. I came to find out that much like what I grew up understanding what “Aloha” meant, Palya means “hello”, “welcome”, and “goodbye” among other things in the dialect spoken by the Aṉangu people.

The Missus enjoyed the shops….

And we got some “stuffs” here…..

Of course, right????

While checking out, the really nice lady working told us that there’s a daily bush food “experience” at the movie theatre at 1pm and it’s free! So, we decided to head on over. It was on the way back to the hotel anyway.

We arrived at the Arkani Theatre just as the show was starting….there was a movie first and then folks were invited to a table where folks went over how food was gathered and prepared. It was pretty crowded so I didn’t take too many photos.

It was a fun experience.

After which we headed over to our room which was ready…..

The rooms were fine; we wouldn’t be spending too much time in them anyway. Hard to believe that this used to be the Four Seasons Resort here! And even though the main road is out the back; there was a view from the back that we loved. Can you see it?

I had made reservations for something I thought might be fun for the evening; the Wintjiri Wiru Sunset Dinner. We met our bus which took us out of town about 10 minutes or so. Upon arriving; we were led down a walkway.

At the end of which, I finally got a good look at the reason we wanted to come here.

Yes, it’s the massive monolithic Uluru, rising out of the flat plains of the Outback.

The evening started with that view and some cocktails and appetizers on a deck.

With Uluru in the distance.

There were some interesting canapes; like the Gin Infused Cucumbers with Green Ants.

Really chlorophyllic, with a kick. The ants were really tangy and sour.

That Lemon Myrtle Crocodile Curry Hand Pie was potent. Super citrusy – lemony!

All the while watching Uluru turn bright red in color as the sun went down.

We were walked over to a bleacher area.

Where dinner hampers were awaiting us.

We saw the folks prepping for the light and drone show.

And the variety of food in the hamper was interesting.

Not sure what the heck shrimp was doing here as we were in the Outback, but those Saltbush Marinated Olives were so complex in the brininess and savory tones. The dried bush tomato with ice plant and paper bark was so intense in acidity, with a mild smokiness. The smoked emu with saltbrush and chili crust was fine; but we both really enjoyed the blackened pepperleaf kangaro, which while being fairly lean, had a pleasant gaminess, and the pepperleaf added a mild numbing sensation. We’d see this on a menu later in the trip and made sure to order it.

All while watching Uluru “evolve” as the sun set. Watching this really helped me to understand the sacredness of this red sandstone monolith standing above all, to the indigenous people of the area.

And turning around we could watch the sunset over the plains…..

Now, as you know, I’m from the islands and am quite used to amazing sunsets; but this is in a league of it’s own.

As the sun went down; the wind started kicking up. So, the drone portion of the “show” was cancelled. Still, there were all the light displays.

Though some were complaining…..we really didn’t care…..the main thing to us was watching that sunset over Ulura. I don’t personally know of anyone else whose been here…..but I wish more folks would go.

And, we had a sunrise excursion to Ulura the next day! Man, we couldn’t wait for that!

Thanks for stopping by!