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Izakaya En (Scripps Ranch)

Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Dog Friendly, Japanese Restaurants, Sushi and Sashimi

A few weeks ago; Calvin mentioned that Todo Sushi (which Cathy has been to), right off the 15 and Carroll Canyon Road had closed and been replaced by an Izakaya. So, I did a bit of checking and it seemed kinda interesting. The place also had a patio, so you know, yeah? The patio looked covered and I decided to take JJ there for lunch.

Man, I hadn’t been in this area for ages…..remember Mo’s Island Grindz???? It’s interesting to note that the other restaurants in this complex is a Subway and a Carl’s Jr. Though there are some other restaurants across the street.

JJ and I walked over and were greeted by a very nice young lady, who told us to have a seat anywhere on the covered patio.

While the patio furniture was a bit worn….the tables a bit lopsided, this was fine. JJ was happy to be out and about and sure wasn’t complaining!

The menu was interesting; everything from sushi/sashimi to fusiony sounding carpaccio, ramen, etc…. And the small dishes were under the heading of “tapas”. I quickly noticed some interesting dishes like kimchi and bacon and Gochu – hmmmm…..Korean Chili Peppers? I quickly asked and was told that the owners are Korean.

Still, I was interested in trying some more Japanese items. So, I went with the Toro Sashimi, which seemed on the pricey side at $20 for 3 pieces and of course some Karaage ($12).

So, here’s the Toro….which was nicely marbled….definitely O-toro.

It was interestingly topped with Caviar, which added a tinge of saltiness. The toro was tender; but cut much too thick for my taste. Though I guess for $20…..

I actually had to ask for wasabi. Which the nice young lady quickly brought to the table.

The portion size for the karaage was quite generous, this surely wasn’t $7 for two pieces. It was not to my liking though.

The batter seemed to be of the “lacquered” type and was already soft when the chicken reached the table. I don’t think it was fried enough.

The “sauce” was too sour and had a more watery texture than I enjoy.

The chicken had a mild soy sauce taste and was on the saltier side; lacking in the light aromatics and sweetness which adds to things. Of course, like I’ve said before, I’ve got like a dozen karaage recipes.

That light colors really indicates that the marinade was too mild. The chicken was moist, though on the very chewy side.

Hmmmm…….well, this seemed like one of those “new style, fusion sushi-izakaya places” that have started opening around San Diego. That toro was not bad though and I saw a dish come out to the one other customer in the place; so I decided to return to try that out.

The same really nice young lady was working and I saw the dish on the menu; with one “typo”.

It’s the Blue Fin Tuna Tartare ($28). Which I ordered. And when it arrived…..

The “Real Carb”….is actually real crab. A generous portion of crab meat. Well, at least they didn’t misspell crab with an “upside down b” if you know what I mean.

The tartare was actually tuna bone scraping; nakaochi….which is pretty rich, though this seemed a bit more mushy than I care for. Ponzu sauce was used for flavoring; though I think something a bit more salty should have been used.

The Taro Chips were…taro chips….

The avocado was perfectly rips and creamy; the caviar was fine; though it really didn’t make a difference in terms of flavor. That crab meat made the dish; it was sweet and oceany.

I thought this dish was worth the price.

So, overall a pretty fusiony sushi/Japanese – Korean spot. The service was very nice; so I might return with JJ again…perhaps to try the Smoked Pork Belly….which seems to be served bossom style. You might want to check out Soo’s post on Izakaya En as well.

Izakaya En
9823 Carroll Canyon Rd.
San Diego, CA 92131
Current Hours:
Mon – Fri 11am – 845pm
Saturday 1145am – 845pm
Sunday 1145am – 8pm

Road Trip – Creekside American Bistro (Sedona)

American/New American Restaurants, Dog Friendly, Flagstaff/ Sedona/Winslow/Northern AZ, Road Trip, Travel

After spending two nights in Scottsdale, we headed off to Sedona. The Missus was looking forward to the hikes and such in Sedona….but well, to be perfectly honest, I was kinda underwhelmed by what we ate there on our last trip back during Covid. I think it might have been that we stayed close to the very touristy Uptown area. So, this time, with JJ in tow, I booked us a dog friendly room with patio at the somewhat expensive El Portal Hotel. It was in the Tlaquepaque Arts area. The hotel had only 12 rooms and it had a somewhat historic, Hacienda fell to it.

Check out the lobby.

And our enclosed patio with a firepit.

We enjoyed the vibe here.

And JJ got his own goodie basket.

El Portal Sedona Hotel
95 Portal Lane
Sedona, AZ 86336

After unpacking we headed out for a walk. and explore a bit. There’s a charming little church in the Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village.

The Hilton Vacation Club Los Abrigados is also in the area. They have a cute little Javelina statues along Oak Creek.

Which of course meant a photo-op for JJ. Can you figure out which one is the “little piggy”?

We then decided to head off to dinner. There’s an pedestrian underpass to the 179 close by.

And we strolled over to our dinner destination; Creekside American Bistro. I had reserved an outdoor table since we had JJ.

Which had a lovely view.

Service here was very nice…..JJ quickly was brought a bowl of water.

While we got our liquid refreshment.

One of the main reasons we booked Creekside was that they have a doggie menu! And on that menu is “beef tartare”. And you know how much Dad likes his Beef Tartare, right?

So, of course we had to order some for JJ. Though he really wasn’t sure about it at first….

But once he got started…..

Well, that’s all she wrote…..

He finished everything before our appetizers arrived!

The Shishito’s were supposed to come two different ways; blistered and charred.

That shishitos were on the chewy side….kind so strange and that what I think is a sesame based sauce didn’t pair well with it.

The Lamb Lollipops was supposedly flavored with a “Korean” style BBQ sauce, but it was quite mild and didn’t pair well with the mint based dipping sauce.

The lamb chops were really tough and not gamey enough for taste.

The flavor of the Lamb Shank in the Adobo sauce was much better; gamey and enjoyably tender. Not a big fan for the abodo – red curry….kind of a bit too much.

The bean were delicious though.

It was an interesting meal. And the view was quite nice.

We would actually return the next afternoon; but for Happy Hour to get JJ his now favorite tartare, and us a drink.

Creekside American Bistro
251 AZ-179
Sedona, AZ 86336

We walked back to El Portal. This was at the end of January, so weather at night was quite mild. I sat at the fire pit and had a cold one with JJ.

It was the end to another fun day!

It’s Fry-Day Zhengxin Chicken Steak Revisited

Chains, Chinese Restaurants

Ever since my first quick visit to Zhengxin Chicken Steak, I’ve been meaning to return to try their namesake chicken steak. On a recent late shopping morning, I decided to drop by. I had some onigiri from Nijiya and I just thought I’d take a chance to see if there was available parking in that crazy lot on Convoy. And I lucked out and found parking.

First thing I noticed when I arrived is all of the different businesses listed……Super Potato Noodle among others……I guess this place has transitioned to a franchise kitchen of sorts?

The skewers; which is what I had on my previous visit are now located along the front window area and you pick your own….sort of like hot pot….very different from when I first visited. And yes, they are also doing hot pot.

There are three different menus listed.

I just wanted to finally try the namesake….I guess, Chicken Steak which is $9.99. So, I placed my order for takeout.

This is what the chicken steak looked like.

The coating was quite crunchy, trending toward hard. The seasoning had a touch of spice which I enjoyed, along with a hint of white pepper. I could also pick up maybe cumin???? The seasoning really skewed toward almost Taiwanese in a sense.

The flesh was a bit dry and more chewy than I enjoy….this was obviously chicken breast, basically a version of cutlet.

Not bad, but nothing I’d crave. Those different concepts/businesses under a single roof…..surely a sign of the times and also of the “chainification” of Convoy.

Zhengxin Chicken Steak
4609 Convoy St. #C
San Diego, CA 92111

Watercress Salad with Wasabi Dressing

Cooking, Recipes

Recently, I saw some really nice looking watercress and decided to get it. It was very tender and super peppery-bitter. Good stuff, actually. Then I had to figure out what to do with it.

I saw a couple of recipes, like this one that utilized wasabi and thought it might be fun trying it out. I started out with less wasabi….I used paste, with just watercress, and slowly changed ratios and ended up adding cucumbers and tomatoes. Once I added onions….but heck no; it already more than pungent enough!

Also, I started with lemon juice, but settled for rice vinegar in the end. Also, things really came around when I added some dark brown sugar.

This version does a nice job of clearing those sinuses, but still have enough savory-sweet-sour flavors.

It’s been a nice side dish during the recent hot spell.

Watercress Salad with Wasabi Dressing

Salad:
3 ounces Watercress – Rinse and drain well. Trim long stems and cut into edible pieces if necessary
2 ounces Cucumbers cut into 1 – 1 1/2 inch sticks.
3 ounces Cherry Tomatoes (optional) – Sliced in halves/quarters

Dressing:
1 Tsp – 1 Tb Wasabi Paste – depending on your desire for pungent – sinus clearing heat.
2 Tb Neutral Oil – I used Avocado Oil
2 Tb Soy Sauce – I used Kikkoman for this
1 Tsp Dark Brown Sugar
1 Tb Rice Vinegar
Dash of White Pepper (optional)
Dash of Granulated Garlic (optional)

  • Combine vegetables and refrigerate.
  • Place dressing ingredients into a small jar.
  • Shake to mix well.
  • Place vegetables in a mixing bowl, add dressing, combine and coat the vegetables.
  • Serve. And clear those sinuses.

The Croissant Files – Mi Pan Bakery (Mission Gorge)

Bakery, Croissants

About a week ago; I heard that Mi Pan Bakery, which I believe I’ve seen at the Little Italy Mercato had opened a brick and mortar shop on Mission Gorge Road. Well, I believe it was time to get a croissant? I headed on over and found the shop. It’s in the former location of Grab & Go on MGR!

The parking lot was full, but a car pulled out just when I arrived….so, I guess luck was on my side? Upon walking in a taking a look, there was no sourdough bread available yet, and just a small selection of cookies and pastries….but they are still in soft opening phase.

So, of course I was getting something for the Missus…but man, prices these days.

I decided on the Cinnamon Roll Croissant for the Missus, even though it’s $9.

To me it seemed like a bit of a take on the Spiral Croissant, which was bit of a fad in 2023-2024. I dropped this off for the Missus who later told me it was way too sweet; though She enjoyed the texture of the spiral croissant. Her favorite is still what we get from Desserts by Clement.

As for the Croissant….man, is $7 the standard for Croissant aux Buerre these days?

This was decently laminated; perhaps a bit on the darker side; but was nice and flakey – crackly, without crumbling to shards. The crumb was nicely honeycombed though perhaps on the overly dry side. Still, it wasn’t overly damp and wet like I’ve experienced at other places recently.

The downfall for this croissant was that it was too sweet and lacked butteriness. Too bad, this could have cracked my top 3. If it had more butter flavor and a more even handed sweet-salt ratio.

Still, it was fun trying it….and perhaps I’ll return if I’m in the area in a few months. Once their past the soft opening phase.

Mi Pan Bakery
6435 Mission Gorge Rd.
San Diego, CA 92120
Current Hours:
Wed – Sun 8am – 12pm
Closed Mon – Tues

Turo Turo Tuesday – R & B Filipino Cuisine and Nanay’s Best BBQ Revisited

Filipino Restaurants, Sisig

Here’s a couple turo-turo revisits to places in Mira Mesa.

R&B Filipino Cuisine:

I thought the Sisig at Lumpia House on my recent visit was pretty good. It had me wondering how an old favorite; R&B was doing. And would you believe it, it’s been almost two years since I last visited.

There’s now some signage in the front of the place that says “Best Sisig in SD“!

A two item combo was $14.99 at the time of my visit. They just brought out the Beef Mechado….so, in spite of my experience with that being a bit mixed over the years, I decided to go with that.

The portion size was enough for two meals for me these days.

The rice was steaming hot, though on the mushy side.

I’m thinking that it had just finished cooking.

The Beef Mechado had a very sharp acidity and was tangy, though it had a greasy tongue feel.

The pieces of beef were really large and unwieldy, but not as tough as what I’ve had on previous visits. I would have enjoyed the addition of more savory-pungent tones to balance out the tartness.

The Sisig did live up to what I’ve had on previous visits.

Nice varying textures for the lechon; some crisp pieces, some crunchy, some meaty pieces, some a combo of all three. Good sour tones; though I’d like a bit more spiciness for my taste. Pungent – mildly sweet onions. I still think it’s one of the better lechon kawale based versions of sisig in SD. Of course I’m always open to suggestions.

It looks like I might be switching to just a single item plate here…..

R & B Filipino Cuisine
11257 Camino Ruiz
San Diego, CA 92126

My visit to R & B had me wondering how Nanay’s was doing…..

Nanay’s Best BBQ:

So, I went and paid the place a visit a few days later. Like R & B, it had been nearly two years since I last visited.

Man, I remember when this was Tem’s like over a decade ago now! Though the food has stayed nearly the same.

Anyway, the food was just coming out. Most of it is pork and chicken based; mostly grilled or stir fried here.

I went with the “sisig like” Spicy Chicken and the BBQ Chicken looked better than the pork on this day; so I got that as well. A two item combo here goes for $14.25 now.

A nice sized portion.

The rice was on the mushy side but passable.

I thought the BBQ Chicken was better than what I’ve previously in terms of flavor. Yes, it skewed to the sweeter end; but I could make out fish sauce and some savory components.

It was a bit tougher and chewier than I prefer though.

The Spicy Chicken was anything but spicy in the least.

This wasn’t as tough as the BBQ Chicken, but it needed more assertive acidic – sour tones and other than the single whole pickled pepper I found (which got my attention), it lacked spice.

It was quite a mild dish overall.

I guess I’m done here for a while.

Nanay’s Best BBQ
6715 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92121

I hope everyone managed to avoid the power outages and managed to stay relatively cool over the weekend! Thanks for stopping by!

Noodle & Bun (Gaslamp)

Chinese Restaurants, Niu Rou Mian, Xiao Long Bao

I recently had to take my car in for servicing again. Though instead of waiting around or heading for lunch at somewhere close to the dealership, I decided to jump on the trolley. And while there were several places on my “list” that were close to a MTS trolley stop….I really didn’t want to be changing lines, I settled on a place that opened in the Gaslamp last year. Noodle & Bun. I had heard that the Owner/Chef is from Shanghai. The shop is located on Fourth Avenue. I thought the address seemed familiar and one look at the location had me smiling.

Yep, this is the location right on the street of what used to be called Horton Plaza; who knows what its name is now? But, for a short time, it was the location of Sultan Baklava, which has since moved back to El Cajon. I had heard that the place made good hand pulled noodles and XLB. So, in spite of this being a rather hot day, I was all for trying it out!

The place was pretty quiet during my entire meal. The two young men working were really nice….they actually started speaking to me in Mandarin when I entered!

The kitchen area is open for folks to watch the noodle making taking place.

And the condiments were in place as expected.

Looking over the menu, the place features hand pulled noodles, knife cut noodles, and wide noodles. Along with three main noodle soups; Langzhou style, Beef Brisket Noodle, or Spicy Beef Brisket Noodle. All priced at $15.99. I went with the Beef Brisket Noodle. I also decided to try the Xiao Long Bao ($11.99) as well.

The Beef Brisket Noodle arrived first.

I thought the broth was on the thin side, fairly salty, with a hint of anise-five spice flavor. It struck me as being fairly bland, so I boosted the flavor with a good amount of chili oil. I’m guessing I should have ordered the spicy version.

The beef was a plus-minus. Some pieces were really nice and tender; others super chewy, but the five spice-soy sauce beefiness came thru nicely.

The highlight of the bowl were the noodles; which were perfectly tender and springy….the definition of “QQ“. I’m thinking that most of the other NRM places and even Lanzhou Noodlelicious is preferred; but the noodles here were excellent.

Look at how nicely the noodles picked up the broth.

Like I said, if I return…maybe the next time I get Jury Duty, I’ll get the spicy version.

As for the XLB ($11.99); it was kind of “meh”.

First off; you know my pet peeve with XLB, right? Yep as you can see four of the XLB wrappers were broken and the “soup” had leaked out.

And check out this hammajang looking one!

As for the rest…well, the wrappers were too think and chewy for my taste. The “soup” what there was by the book, though a bit light in porkiness. The filling was on the chewy side and mild in flavor.

I’ll probably pass on these next time.

Still, it was interesting to see a place making hand pulled noodles in this area. Just as it was surprising finding Silk Road Lanzhou Beef Noodles in PB!

Service was very nice and as I mentioned above; I’d probably revisit when I’m in the area again. I hope they are able to do well in this area.

Noodle & Bun
770 Fourth Ave.
San Diego, CA 92101
Current Hours:
Mon – Thurs 11am – 9pm
Fri – Sun 11am – 10pm

Sydney – A Nightcap at Maybe Sammy

Australia, Buffets, Cocktails, Sydney, Travel

After our dinner at Midden we strolled around the Opera House taking in the light projection show.

It was something to see!

We then headed back in the direction of our accommodation. But, instead of stopping at our hotel, we strolled a few blocks west, over to Harrington Street. You see, there was a cocktail bar nearby named Maybe Sammy……so of course we had to visit right? We’d already gone to a Cocktail Bar named Frankie’s in Oceanside. And so, I’m sure this was Sammy’s request for equal time! As a plus, Maybe Sammy is named as one of the top 50 bars in the world! Leave it to Sammy the over achiever!

The bar has a Rat Pack (named from a 60’s Vegas sign at the Sands, “Dean Martin, maybe Frank, maybe Sammy.”), 1950’s-60’s Hollywood theme.

It was a Wednesday so things were pretty mellow. The bartender, dressed in a pink pastel jacket really played the “role”.

And if you really wanted to, you could get your drink via the roll of the dice!

I’m not sure what the Missus got; but I got the “Nightcap” which was really good as it featured Bourbon, Oscar Bianco, Ginger, and Shiso Bitters. There was also a light placed under the drink creating a more dramatic affect. It was quite balanced overall, not overly sweet…..enjoyably boozy; great savory-pungent tones.

This was a lot of fun and a nice way to end the evening…..

And of course, it made us think of our Sammy-boy!

Cheers Sammy, wherever you may be….we still think of you all the time!

Maybe Sammy
115 Harrington St.
The Rocks NSW 2000, Australia

Returning to our room….I just sat and enjoyed the view……

In the morning, we had breakfast at the hotel……

Which was really mellow on this morning.

Before checking out and heading to the Circular Quay Metro link…..

Back to the airport and our next destination.

Thanks for stopping by!

Since it’s Fry-day – Time for a revisit to T.P. Banh Bao 3

Vietnamese Restaurants, yoso-silly

Every couple years it seems, I’m wanting that fried bao from T.P. Banh Bao 3. And since I’ve held off my cravings for what the folks in the office used to call “dem balls” for over two years, it was time for me to get my fix.

So I made the drive up to Camino Ruiz in the Mira Mesa area. And headed into “TP”.

They open at 730am on weekends, so there wasn’t anyone in when I arrived.

I decided on the Pork, Salted Duck Egg, and Sausage, now priced at $2.75. And of course I wanted the baos fried, which has a 50 cent upcharge. There’s also a minimum order….I decided to order six and share the joy of “dem balls”……

While waiting, I snuck into another of my favorite stops here a few doors down.

When I return my fried bao were ready.

These days, just one of these fills me up; so I decided to share the wealth with some of JJ’s favorite aunties.

Once at home, it was time to have at it.

I think the bao are now a bit smaller, but were still crisp when I sliced into them. The filling was nice and moist with a pleasant toothsomeness.

Very rich and porky; nice, pleasantly salty umami from the salted duck egg yolk with mild funkiness. Like I’ve always noted….more than one of these and I’d probably need to be hosed down….or immediately made an appointment with a Cardiologist…..”be still my heart”…literally. These are so rich that I can only put away one these days.

I was quite happy to get my “fix”.

See you a couple of years T.P. Banh Bao 3!

T.P. Banh Bao 3
11271 Camino Ruiz
San Diego, CA 92126
Current Hours:
Mon – Fri  8am – 7pm
Sat – Sun   730am – 6pm

Tacotarian (North Park)

Latin American Cuisine, Mexican Restaurants, Taco Shops, Vegetarian and Vegan Restaurants

After having an enjoyable visit to Mesa Agricola, I decided to try another of these “new style – concept based” taco shops. I had enjoyed the Hongos Al Ajillo at Mesa Agricola; so the possibility of Vegan/Vegetarian tacos had me a bit intrigued. I had passed the San Diego location of Tacotarian (their other locations are in Las Vegas) many times while driving down 30th Street. So, I decided it was time to check them out.

I found parking on ECB and walked on over.

It was just after 11 and the place was already starting to get somewhat busy. It’s one of those order and pay at the counter, then take your number and have a seat kinda places.

Tacos here run at $4.47 and up, I ordered three.

The gentleman running the counter was very friendly and asked me what kind of salsa I wanted….he asked me if I like “spicy” and recommended the habanero salsa….which is what I got.

Number in hand, I had a seat in the very airy dining room.

And soon enough my tacos arrived. Top to bottom, Barbacoa, Al Pastor, and Carne Asada….all priced at $4.47 and with “” marks, cause you know, right?

And some habanero salsa; which had some really acidic heat. This was no joke.

So, I first went with the Carne Asada, which is made with Satan seitan. I have usually enjoyed item made with Seitan at Kindred so this was an easy choice.

The tortillas were decent; they held up well, but was very mild in terms of maizey tones. The queso fresco had a weird mouthfeel and seemed a bit on the sour side. The Pico de Gallo was by the book and the avocado creamy with a hint of sweetness.

One of the good things about seitan is that the flavor is mild and the texture has a sort of almost fishcake like meatiness, so it’s a good meat replacement. The flavor was nice and savory, with a bit of smokiness and I could make out garlic and some pungency. This was by far my favorite item of the day.

Next up, the Al Pastor, also made with Seitan.

This was way too sweet for my taste, missing the complex smokey savoriness of the real thing. This may sound strange; but I do enjoy my al pastor having a “pass thru the oil”, this was lacking the richness of that.

My least favorite was the Barbacoa….the portion of shredded jackfruit was quite small.

Though it really looked like shredded meat; the texture was on the mushy side and the seasoning was too puckery and sour for my taste, even though this was mostly tortilla.

I was glad to have visited and tried some of the tacos here. I see that it’s a great option for Vegans and Vegetarians. But unlike Kindred, I’m not quite taken by the food. So, unless someone has a great go-to item here; this is probably one and done.

Tacotarian
4332 30th St.
San Diego, CA 92104
Current Hours:
Daily 11am – 9pm