Sam Woo BBQ Part One-Breakfast!

Part Two is here

mmm-yoso!!! is the blog that was started by Kirk, an Ex-Pat Kama'aina.  He is on vacation.  The Temp, Cathy, a White girl from Detroit and East San Diego County is blogging for now.

Hi, again. As part of my thinking about a "regular rotation" for The Mister and I, stopping into Sam Woo inside 99Ranch Complex for something to go or to eat inside the restaurant comes to mind. Samwoo_009 

Sam Woo BBQ has breakfast ($3.20 for all items, a choice of 33 different salty wonders, with a charge of 30¢ for a pot of tea, or 30¢ each for a cup of Vietnamese coffee-which I will explain soon) and lunch specials (either $4.95 or $5.95) seven days a week.  I will post about lunch tomorrow. Samwoo_017 

So, anyhow, we went to breakfast this morning.

Samwoo_011 We got the only rice dish on the menu, #33.  Fried rice with Lunch meat (i.e., fake Spam).   It is always satisfying, and plentiful, made with peas, carrots and egg as well as the bits of  Luncheon meat.  We usually take some home to have later- for lunch or dinner.  Sometimes we get the #1- stir fried rice noodles with Luncheon meat-same stuff but with noodles. 

Samwoo_013 This day we also got #2 on the menu- Fried rice noodles with bean sprout and soy sauce.  This is a favorite- the wide rice noodles, stir fried and slightly burnt, with onions and bean sprouts and in a light, not salty tasting soy flavored sauce. Samwoo_012

We, of course always order three dishes (one for each of us and one for the table) and this day got the #10-Won Ton Noodle soup.  This is always a favorite. The whole bottom of the bowl is all egg noodles and there are some pieces of bok choy in the rich, rich pork broth that has a slight white pepper kick to it.   There are always five dumplings, thin skinned and filled with a lot of great pork filling.  The #11- shrimp dumpling soup is the same but the dumplings had half the amount of pork filling and a whole shrimp inside. Some days, it depends on what we want to eat.Samwoo_014  

There are 6 different porridges on the menu, but Sam Woo does not make the fried donuts that go with porridge.  You have to walk across the hallway into  the 99 Ranch Market and go to their steam tray area and buy the donuts for 40¢ each.  I see families sitting down, ordering and then one person running out the door to get donuts all the time. Samwoo_010

Ah, one of the perks of breakfast here.  30¢ pots of tea and 30¢ cups of Vietnamese coffee- it is made in an electric drip coffee pot and not the traditional Vietnamese slow drip pot, but is just as strong, and served with the nifty pitcher of sweetened condensed milk that will 'cut off' the thick sticky substance and works perfectly to keep that sweetened condensed milk from getting all sticky on the container.  They don't do refills on the coffee, but one cup, along with the tea is just perfect for me for breakfast.

A nice, inexpensive, wonderfully salty breakfast in a sit down restaurant.  It is a great way to start the day.  If you have to go grocery shopping, just walk across the hall.

Sam Woo BBQ inside 99Ranch Complex 7330 Clairmont Mesa Blvd San Diego 92111 (619)505-9888 fax (619)514-8988 (The paper handouts all have the 619 area code; I am not sure if this is correct; if you are trying to call and it doesn't go through, try 858 as the area code)Breakfast 9:00 -11:00 a.m. M-F, 8:30-11:00 a.m. Sat-Sun