October 2007 – mmm-yoso

Elsa’s Kitchen-Greek Food that is really good.

October 31, 2007 Cathy Greek Food, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the blog that Kirk and Cathy and ed and Vicky write on to tell you about meals they ate. Once again, it is Cathy writing, because Kirk is still not feeling well.

Hi. Happy Halloween. I don’t play games with treats, or decorations. Fast food bags turned to luminaria. Hope you had a nice day.

So. The Northeast corner of El Cajon Boulevard and 70th Street, just next to the Exxon gas station. That parking lot. Here is the street sign.

Here is what the front window looks like. Hopefully when you go, the mall will be finished being re-done and there will be signs above the doors of the various businesses.

Here is a close up of that front window. Daily specials. Great prices.

The menu is simple.

As is the interior. Seven tables. Simple. Clean.

ah- the food.

The Spanakopita and falafel side dish. ($4.25)

Three fresh made falafel nuggets. Tasty. Served with a yogurt based tzatziki sauce.

The Spanakopita was very fresh, large and savory. Feta filled and with flaky filo dough.

The Pastrami sandwich. ($5.20) Not fatty, a lot of meat, mustard and pickles but the meat was kind of too peppered for my liking. The bread was very fresh.

The small order of onion rings ($1.75) – perfect. Almost every Greek place we go to just knows how to make onion rings the right way…a light batter, wide cut sweet onions..gosh I could eat these every day.

The Gyros sandwich, deconstructed ($4.50).

Lots of thicker cut gyros meat, with nicely crispy fried edges…a good fresh fluffy bread….tomatoes, onions and the fresh tzatziki. Simple and perfectly good.

We also got a vanilla shake ($2.25). Not bad, but not

great.

When we were there, a few people came in and ordered the burger, done medium rare and took it to go. I will try that soon.

Elsa’s Kitchen 7022 El Cajon Boulevard San Diego 92115 Mon-Sat 10:30-9 Sunday 12-8 (619)464-6711

Sushi Diner-Japanese food in Linda Vista- Very Very Good (but we didn’t order much sushi…)

October 30, 2007 Cathy Japanese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! , the blog, is not on vacation. Neither is Kirk…he is merely indisposed and Cathy is a-bloggin away, in between cleaning, changing air filters, dusting and more cleaning after the fires…

Hi. The location of this place should be fairly familiar to you, if you read this blog. It is right next door to Mein Trung, and worth a visit when you are in this area/parking lot and not craving other Vietnamese meals or sandwiches.

Sushi Diner is on and facing Mesa College Drive, just a bit from the corner of Linda Vista Road. If you park in the K-Sandwiches parking lot, you can walk over.

The menu (you can click and enlarge) is fairly simple, a good sign, and there are some lunch Bentos that are excellent and less than $7. This is a dinner we had not too long ago.

We started out with some hot tea (no charge) which was brought out in thermoses, a very nice touch.

We also ordered a "small plate" of edamame ($2.00) which were freshly boiled and had kosher salt sprinkled on the exterior pods and so the interior soybeans had a very pure and fresh flavor, enhanced by your salty fingertips. A very nice way to eat these.

We did get one order of yellow tail nigiri sushi($1.80) and one order of albacore ($1.60). Both cut larger than I expected and both fresh and with a good clean taste and the ability to almost melt in your mouth.

The Special Fried Tofu Roll ($4.50) was tofu pockets filled with crab and topped with fried crunchies. I was very good an fresh. The tofu pocket had that sweet taste and I needed to dip the pocket in soy to make the sweetness even out. Different and good.

The miso soup that came with our combination meal was excellent. Not instant, made with yellow miso paste and deeply richly flavorful. The soft tofu bits were very tasty also.

The combination plate also came with a choice of sushi rolls, and I opted for the spicy tuna roll- very, very nice soft, buttery tuna with a spicy sauce that complimented the flavor of the tuna and did not overwhelm it. The rice and seaweed were very fresh tasting.

The fried calamari combo plate ($6.50) (which came with the above noted miso soup and spicy tuna rolls). The calamari was in a cornmeal batter, and the seafood within was not too tender-a little chewy. Still it was good, but when the owner/chef came out and asked us what we liked, we told him about this and he said he would try to make the calamari in a tempura batter, or for us to just ask that the calamari be made with tempura batter next time. The side of tartar sauce seemed to be house made, or was just a very good brand and the side salad , which was topped with a rice noodle salad that was made with cucumbers, carrots, ginger, garlic and mayonnaise was addictive.

I also ordered a small dish of two vegetable croquettes ($2.75) which were light crusted and the only vegetables were soy beans, carrots and corn…in a mashed potato base…and the flavor was really good. These were served with a "Bulldog" (thick, sweet, on the edge of BBQ) sauce.

Finally, we also had ordered the mixed tempura small plate ($5.50) which included two shrimp, a calamari ring, broccoli, squash, mushroom…all really good, very flavorful in a very light crispy tempura batter. The calamari ring really did melt in your mouth and this is the way I have requested calamari be made when I have gone on a return visit. The side of teriyaki sauce was warmed and good.

All in all, the price to food quality ratio is excellent here. You should try it.

Sushi Diner 7530 Mesa College Drive San Diego 92111 (858)565-1179 Lunch:Mon-Fri 11-3, Dinner: Mon-Th 5-9, Fri 5-10 Sat 4-10

Black and Blue-The Place for Steak- at the Valley View Casino- a very happy birthday party

October 29, 2007 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Steakhouse, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the blog about food. Kirk is feeling a bit under the weather and so Cathy will blog today about when she ate here -and took photos- not too long ago, so that all of you may have a small diversion from the charred world out there.

Hello again. This is a little different post about a meal I ate. I won’t be mentioning prices nor have a photo of the menu. I took the photos of food with no flash also..and apologize for the poor quality…but hopefully you will vicariously enjoy the meal as much as we did. I will mostly just talk about the food.

Valley View Casino is located in Valley Center and has what I consider the best buffet of all the Casinos in San Diego County. I haven’t blogged about it, just enjoyed it many times over. Much, much higher quality food. Fortunately, the Casino did survive the wild fires and is still open for business. About a week before the fires, The Mister and I met with a dear friend for a special birthday meal at the Black and Blue Steakhouse located within the casino. We all ordered what we wanted, and then some.

I ordered iced tea as a beverage…and-wow- the best iced tea ever. The cubes of frozen tea ensured that the flavor would never be dilute, and the sides of freshly squeezed lemon juice and simple syrup in carafes so that you could flavor the tea to your liking were such an elegant, fancy touch.

The fresh lemonade beverage (not pictured) was the best lemonade I have ever tasted. It was made with the simple syrup and fresh squeezed juice, of course.

We ordered several appetizers and side dishes as well as a couple of main course, again, adhering to the "there are no rules" rule of life…

On the left, lobster ravioli. These are quite large, although only two…that piece in the center top is just a piece of lobster… the pasta is fresh made, the lobster was sweet and juicy and the sauce was a tomato cream with basil and capers.

On the right, calamari with three sauces for dipping. The portion size was quite large and the squid was fired to perfection with a light crust. The sauce on the left had roe in it and was salty; I liked it the best. The center sauce was more of an oily pesto and not too garlic-y and the one on the right had a hot kick to it that overwhelmed the flavor of the breading, which had a light spice and was interspersed with fried capers…

Above, two crab cakes with barely any filler, lightly fried so the crust was crisp served atop several swirled salty spicy sauces and with a fresh aoili.

One person came around with a basket of fresh baked (-in the wood burning oven- which is also used to make pizza, which I will order next time) breads with a choice of sweet, savory and just plain white…and served with European unsalted butter, topped with olive oil, sea salt and fresh chervil.

The Cesar salad was very large and, of course, made with crisp Romaine lettuces and a fresh made garlic-y Cesar dressing and served with wonderful olive oiled croutons and fresh made, delicate crisped Parmesan shreds.

The lobster salad…micro greens on top, lots of lobster-fresh cooked, as in still warm-, a layer of fresh grapefruit wedges, tomato and avocado, topped with a citrus vinaigrette. Oh. My. Yes.

Side orders of steak fries and double creamed spinach. The best fried potatoes I have ever had. Perfectly crispy, potato flavors, not too hot nor too cold. This was served with a ramekin of ketchup and a teensy serving spoon. The creamed spinach was made with fresh spinach and real cream..of course.

The herb crusted halibut here on the left was cooked perfectly, was flavorful and juicy and served with broccoli rabe which was sauteed perfectly in a light lemon garlic herb sauce.

The 18 ounce rib eye steak, cooked perfectly rare/medium rare and served with horseradish, baked tomatoes and garlic and a small salad.

More side dishes included the macaroni and (blue) cheese (um…excellent…I don’t know what else to say…) and the best onion rings, ever. The buttermilk based crust on the whole, sweet onion slices was seasoned perfectly with a salt and pepper.

As I said, this was a special birthday and the reason for the splurge. This dessert plate came out…mostly wonderful tasting fresh fruit surrounding a chocolate bottomed cherry mousse cake. Even the raspberry puree was fresh and wonderful tasting.(Cindy was kind enough to share)

You must understand the birthday plate was at least 12 inches across, and this platter with hot fudge, wedges of fresh baked nutty brownie atop about a pint of really really good vanilla gelato, topped with vanilla whipped cream was at least 12 inches in diameter. We all shared.

This meal was one of the best ever, food and friend-wise.

Black and Blue -The place for steak- inside Valley View Casino 16300 Nyemii Pass, Valley Center 92082 (760)291-2130

Pacific Beach Bar and Grill. Weekend/College Football Saturday foods.

October 28, 2007 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Buffets, Pubs and Pub Grub, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso is a blog about food. Cathy is blogging today, instead of cleaning up after the fires. There will be more ash out there tomorrow anyhow.

Hi. Here is pretty much what The Mister and I do on Saturday mornings or afternoons, while looking at a bunch of television sets in Pacific Beach. For those of you who don't know, "Football Saturday" is a tradition followed by students and Alumni of most of the colleges here in the States. When you are a student, you usually attend the games (or sell the tickets to get some quick cash, since current students have a priority to buy tickets) and after you graduate, move far away, you try to get together with other Alums to sort of re-live that excitement and have some diversion, all without having to go to the Library to study once the game ends.

The Pacific Beach Bar and Grill has been around ..well…forever it seems. The restaurant has daily specials, outlined on their website, however, since The Mister and I have been married, for like, forever, we aren't much into the weeknight bar scene, although I would like to try the food and probably will eventually. For now, here is a typical Saturday with food we eat, while watching the University of Michigan play their games. You can see the area we sit is is merely a covered patio.

If a game is starting at 9 a.m. (noon back East), the bar is open and there is an all you can eat brunch for only $6.95. (This is on Saturday- brunch costs more on Sunday). Coffee is $1.50 and there is a monthly beer for $2.50 (Sam Adams Oktoberfest right now) and all other pints on tap are $3. Yes, beer at 9 a.m. College Life all over again.

The brunch area was full so I did not take photos of the individual hot trays, but here are photos of a sampling of what we selected.

There are three different sausages, bacon, at least two different scrambled egg combinations, home fries and hash browns, crepes (this particular weekend had chicken and avocado crepes, but there are beef and sometimes crab crepes in the steam trays), fresh fruit and cookies and muffins, all made from scratch and quite delicious.

Then there is a separate cooking station, where you can have an omelet, crepes, waffles, pancakes or a quesadilla made for you.

I chose to have an omelet made with cheese, spinach, mushrooms and red peppers. The veggies were sauteed in butter first then the egg added and just before being put onto the serving plate, the shredded cheese was added and the egg and contents folded over it, causing the cheese to melt. I topped it with some slices of avocado from the area where you choose the fillings.

The Mister got a strawberry waffle made for himself. With whipped cream. There were fresh strawberries on top,, and the waffle is made fresh and hot with a nice batter that cooked up to a nice crispy shell.

If a football game starts at noon here (3 p.m. East Coast time) then there are some lunch specials- $3 off of appetizers with a coupon from the Reader, a free magazine out here and, of course the beer specials. If we are coming for a noon game and hungry, we try to get to the Grill early and get a couple of brunch plates and quesadillas made for us.

On this visit, though, we opted for the Brie appetizer ($8.50 ). (OK, every time it is an afternoon game out here, I want the Brie appetizer…)

A toasted and sweetened hazelnut crusted wedge of a warmed, good quality Brie cheese served on top of a peach chutney (red pepper spicy) with chunks of mango and served with some olive oil toasted baguette pieces… it is soooo good-creamy, warm, salty, spicy and sweet ..

We tried the Ichiban Kabobs ($ 8.95 ), served with "firecracker rice", which was too spicy hot/filled with chili flakes to be appreciated as rice. The ahi was marinated in a ginger soy sauce, yet overcooked, so kind of dry and not as good as I would have liked it to be. It was served with some pickled ginger and ancho chili sauce, which just overwhelmed the flavors.

Of course, our beverages of choice are as diverse as The Mister and I are…

The Guinness on draft is mine and the Pear Cider is his…

If there is an evening football game, starting at 4 or 5 p.m., well you don't need a coupon and actually seven days a week, all appetizers are $3 off from 4-8 p.m…so, last weekend, when U of M was playing the Fighting Illini at 7 p.m. (their time, in Illinois), we went crazy for food.

The Seafood Martini ($9.95) is a large martini shaped glass, filled with lobster, shrimp, real crab, cucumber, celery and a spicy cocktail sauce with a little Absolut Peppar (vodka) added. It was quite filling and very fresh.

The Mediterranean hummus ($7.25) is made fresh, with garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice and garlic and served with that ramekin of feta, hot pita wedges and a mixed green salad topped with a raspberry vinaigrette. Excellent. Fresh. All of it.

This past Saturday, it was another game that started about 12:30 San Diego time, so no discounts, except for beer and if you remembered to find the coupon…so we just got the

Hot Crab Dip ($8.95)- fresh blue crab, cream cheese, bell peppers and some spices, topped with green onion and served with warm, thin tortilla chips. This was excellent, also, with lots of crab. More than I expected.

We also got a basket of onion rings ($3.95). Made with whole onions and fried in a cornmeal based batter, giving the rings a good crunch. I did ask the nice bartender (we ended up sitting at the bar since it was so crowded) for some Chulula sauce to dip the rings in after a while, since the basket was quite large and ketchup, salt and pepper wasn't doing it for me…

The Pacific Beach Bar and Grill has generously donated a portion of all the income received from the University of Michigan Alumni during these Saturday games to the San Diego Scholarship fund all the years we have been meeting here, and this year we have already raised over $10,000 dollars. It is nice for a local merchant to be so generous to our little group.

Pacific Beach Bar and Grill 860 Garnet Avenue San Diego 92109 phone: (858)2PB.Grill

Starbucks Wraps, and a small step back to normalcy

October 25, 2007 Cathy Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso is a blog about food. Cathy is talking today about different stuff in addition to food .

Hi. There is no easy way to jump back into this. We are food bloggers and life sometimes gets in the way. I’ll write in that order today.

So, a while ago, Starbucks in Southern California gave all of its outlets these cool convection ovens and introduced some breakfast sandwiches … which can be eaten at any time of the day, as long as you live your life following the ‘no rules’ rule and eat eggs at any time of the day. You can also have just about any other food they sell heated up in the convection oven also.

A few weeks ago, I noticed there was an offering of two different types of "breakfast wraps", so you know I had to try them…all in the line of ‘research for the blog’.

Each wrap costs $3.25 (opposed to the $2.95 for the sandwiches, which are served on English Muffins) and each looks like this after being heated.

The tortilla that is wrapped around the contents is more of a wheat one, with a chewier texture, and it is kind of crispy, in a good way, after being heated.

This one is the egg/bacon/avocado/cheddar wrap,

which, on cross section looks kind of stiff, but was quite squishy and perfectly warmed through. The bacon is ‘regular’ bacon, not the pepper bacon or a turkey bacon, as offered on the English Muffin sandwiches. The cheddar cheese adds a nice flavor and I don’t know how the avocado says a little cool and not browned from being exposed to air, but it works.

The other Wrap offered is a vegetarian one (which is a good thing, since, for some unknown reason the only vegetarian breakfast muffin has been discontinued) consisting of egg, feta cheese, dried tomatoes and spinach. I did not have my pocket knife with me to cut this one in half (some sort of "rules" at the Court House) and so, I took a bite and unwrapped the Wrap for you to see the contents.

This one has very strong Mediterranean flavors and could be eaten more as a lunch than breakfast. The tomatoes are concentrated in flavor, as is the spinach and cheese.

I liked both of the wraps and I like the sandwiches offered and the price is right and the size is enough to get rid of hunger pangs for quite a while.

Starbucks- Numerous locations all around the world.

A few things…

So, we have had the worst Natural Disaster in our lifetime happen right here in Southern California this week (click here to read the last post with updated links) I want all of you to know that I appreciate the kind thoughts, words and prayers sent to Kirk and myself both publicly and privately. It is times like this when you realize who your friends are. In particular, Kirk and The Missus did not hesitate when I let him know that The Mister and I might be evacuated at one point and immediately offered that we come stay with them, with all of our animals in tow. He did not rescind his offer even when I reminded him that we had four dogs and seven cats.

Yes. I have that many four legged pets and even more canaries, finches and parakeets. That was one fewer dog that we had the day prior. On Sunday, our Oldest Girl dog, Witty, had her time with us end. She was more than 14 years old and had only been with us for about three years. I got to help her have a good three years here, after her first owner died, without once having to dress in the clothing she came with.

That is Witty on the bottom left, and her step brother, Extra, who we happened to find on the first day of the last fires ( four years ago), and who was unclaimed and also lives in our home, also running naked and free (except for the requisite collar and license, of course).

The last fire was worse for us. We were evacuated and the flames got to 30 feet behind our fence. When we did come home, we did not have electricity for three days. This time it hasn’t been bad. Smoke, ashes and some road closures are nothing to have to deal wth.

The photo on the left was taken

behind my house last night at about 6 p.m.. You can see how dry it is and, if you click onto it to enlarge, you can see two Mule Deer. There were four total, but I couldn’t get a photo of all at once.

The photo on the right was taken this afternoon of Gillespie Field in El Cajon, a few miles away. You can see the CDF helicopters lined up and ready to take off and protect us. To all of our Protectors, who risk their lives for us, Thank You!!!

Kirk send me the most touching note this afternoon, reminding me that our little inconveniences are nothing in the overall scheme of things. He said he was sweeping up ash…the right way, and putting it in the trash, when he realized he had better treat it with some reverence. "Who knows, it may have been someones most treasured possessions."

Something we should all keep in mind when cleaning up after this tragedy.

Today it’s not about food………

October 22, 2007 mmm-yoso Blog

You know it’s going to be a bad day when you come to work and see this….

Just in case you haven’t heard, the combination of very low humidity, vicious Santa Ana winds, and very little moisture, have created the perfect stage for wildfires. I’ve heard that over 250,000 have been evacuated. Several wildfires are burning in San Diego County, a current map can be found here. The scope of the fire is staggering.

Resources can be found here, a list of what to take if evacuated here, updated news here, here, here, and on San Diego CityBeat’s Blog, among many others. Loss of property has been high, and though even a single life lost is too much, so far there has only been one fatality, those injured have a long haul ahead.

Here are few videos:

Poway, Ramona, Otay Lakes, and more here. It just breaks your heart…..

That’s the sun today……

The Missus, Da Boyz, and I are fine(thanks for the emails). I’ve been in contact with Cathy, and last I heard She was okay as well. I hope all of you are staying safe.

It has not been a good day for San Diego…….

Peru: Mercado de Wanchaq

October 21, 2007 mmm-yoso Cusco and the Sacred Valley, Peru, Travel

The morning after our wonderful dinner, we were scheduled to leave Cusco for Lima. Our flight was at noon on a Star Peru "Boing" 737. Since we still had time before Oscar was scheduled to pick us up, we decided to walk on over to the Mercado de Wanchaq. During the previous afternoon we were searching for flowers to bring to dinner. The really helpful Bellhop recommended a stop at the local Mercado right down the street.(Thanks Erick!) We rushed in, and managed to get a decent bouquet….we really didn't notice until we were walking out of market, how much we stood out! Even though we saw a few other tourists at Mercado Central, this vibrant and busy Mercado seemed totally local.

Though smaller than Mercado Central, this market had a real community feel to it. We had arrived just as business was starting to pick up, by the time we left, the isles were buzzing…..

Along with the vast amount of produce, there were 2 barber shops, a few lower stands, a section for fresh seafood:

Meat and Poultry

I found this stand with prepared sauces and marinades to be interesting….

The hardware section! I was surprised at the comprehensive selection. Everything from chain link and rope, to drills, to toilet plungers at this little stand. Home Depot ain't got nothin' on this place.

And of course the food stalls.

As with Mercado Central, the food stands were organized in sections, the saltados(stir fries) in one section, sopas(soups) in another. The fragrances were quite tempting.

But the Missus was after something a bit different. Unfortunately, Her craving for Choclo(Corn on the cob) was left unfulfilled as all the vendors were just getting the water started, and the corn wouldn't be ready for a few hours.

Well, at least we have a reason to return to Cusco! The Missus than turned Her attention to these:

These are called Pepino (cucumber melon), and large stacks of them were featured at every produce stand in the market. The vendor helped the Missus pick one out, and we walked it back to the hotel. This was breakfast for the Missus.

So while everyone was having croissants and muffins, the Missus had Her Pepino. I thought the flavor to be much like honeydew melon, maybe a bit milder. The texture was like very ripe cantaloupe, not too crisp, but with a little "give". I also thought the melon had a weird aftertaste that I really didn't enjoy, but the Missus loved it.

After breakfast we finished packing and checked out at the hotel. Soon enough Oscar picked us up and drove us to the airport. Oscar even brought his wife along to meet us! It was a wonderful little drive to the airport, full of anecdotes and laughter. We realized something, Cusco had grown on us, and the proud, generous, and warm hearted people had as well. Usually, when on vacation, after the third day or so, the Missus and I are ready to leave and move on, but for the very first time, we wanted more time in a city. We told Oscar that we'd probably be returning in 2009….I had an added incentive as well. Oscar promised me a list of the best local restaurants, and what they specialize in, on my next visit, so you know I have to come back!

El Puma Hotel:

We spent our last night in Cusco at the El Puma Hotel. This was a pretty modern, and new hotel, and was a big change from the quaint Hotel Rumi Punku. El Puma was also located in a busy area, just one block from Avenida del Sol, Cusco's main drag.

The rooms looked modern, though with the same type of "central heating". A couple of funny things associated with El Puma occurred as well. As you can see, the entrance of El Puma has very modern looking "sliding doors"…..well, I guess in my Americanized mind, sliding doors are "automatic doors", that slide open when you approach. These are literally sliding doors, that you slide open…..which I walked into as I tried to enter hotel!

I also mentioned that the El Puma was fairly new….in fact we found that most taxi drivers had no idea where El Puma was! Luckily, the Missus had the foresight to grab one of the hotel pens(see, I told you it was modern!) with the address on it – Garcilaso 320. We soon found out that there are two streets named Garcilaso in Cusco. In fact, our driver on the return trip from Mercado Central, insisted that we had arrived at our destination, Garcilaso 320…….only thing was, this Garcilaso 320 was a Auto Parts store! Even though the pen we showed him said EL PUMA HOTEL, I guess we must have looked like we were staying at an auto parts store…….

San Mateo: In Search of the Holy Grail…. Filled w/ Ramen!

October 18, 2007 Vicky (SF Bay Area) Japanese Restaurants, San Francisco and Silicon Valley, What Vicky Eats

Hello there! It’s Vicky again… Blogging about the latest act of gluttony.

In my previous post, I blogged about Gluttony Partner and my trip up to Point Reyes to gorge ourselves on oysters. (And speaking of Gluttony Partner, after a short conversation with him, he’s willing to forgo whatever anonimity he has remaining and is allowing me to use his name. Voila! Now we’re both going to ousted as societal gluttons. Muahaha!) We had lunch at the ever elusive Long John Silver’s (Yes… what is up with that anyway? I remember seeing all these ads for them on tv when I lived in SD, and even when I moved up, I’m continuously flooded with blown up pictures of fried goodness. Yet, there was never a location convenient to me. Argh!)

Fortunately, I found out there was a new one that had just opened up in South San Francisco so that was where we made our second stop for food…. the first being a donut shop in Half Moon Bay. I did mention it was a trip of gluttony right? Sadly to say, in our hunger and elation of finding Long John Silver’s I forgot to take the pictures of the food prior to gobbling it all down. We just have a few silly pictures of us wearing the paper cut out pirate wannabe hats, which if you even glance in the mere direction of, is enough to make you blind. Hence, they’re not posted.

So after a breakfast of donuts and milk (yes… we are the poster kids of the healthy food pyramid….) and a lunch of fried seafood at Long John Silvers (man… I’m making my nutritionist mother proud!)….and a pit stop at a farmers market fruit stand (oh yes. must have our one peach to balance out all the fried goodness! See! I know how to eat healthy!)… and over 50 oysters at Hog Island…we finally made it to dinner. Thank god this little restaurant closes at 11! We finally drove out of the Point Reyes area around 930pm and made it down to San Mateo. Sam and I absolutely love ramen. We constantly need to get our ramen fix. I had introduced him to this restaurant after a hike we took in the San Mateo hills and needless to say, it was the perfect way to end a great day of excercise. I shall now present to you…. HIMAWARI in downtown San Mateo. The main thoroughway of downtown is 3rd Avenue. Himawari is located a little off to the side on 2nd.

We walked in and got seated immediately and ordered our usual appetizer. I absolutely love the Buta Kakuni ($7.95) appetizer they have. Early on, Sam had cooked me an amazing meal of Dong Po Rou (Braised Pork Belly), and ever since then, after discovering our mutual liking for fatty cuts of pork, I’ve been raving about the Buta Kakuni here. Unfortunately, in our eagerness to polish off the dish, I forgot to pull out my camera and take a lovely picture. All I have to offer the dear readers is a picture of the last piece of Buta in the precious death grip of Sam’s chopsticks, with of course, his upper body cropped out. Don’t worry, he doesn’t really look headless in reality.

I think Himawari just has large vats of this braised fatty goodness bubbling behind the counters. In the appetizer version, they take the cubed pieces, lightly dust them in what I think is Mochiko powder, and fry them so that the outsides are dry and crispy. Placed on a bed of thinly sliced onions and topped with scallions, they serve the Buta Kakuni with this tangy and slightly sweet soy based sauce. Absolutely divine!! The textural contrast of this dish is amazing. The outsides are dry, crisp and fragrant, and the center of the cubes are braised to the point where the fibers of meet are falling-apart tender. Yes… you read that right, it is a fried piece of cubed pork belly. No, I do not care to know how bad it is for me and how clogged my arteries are. They do a very good job of rendering out most of the fat from the meat during all the braising so I’d like to think that most of it is cooked out…. Thank god Himawari is around half an hour away from us. Otherwise we’d turn into roley poley’s from eating this all day long. This stuff is so good, that all I have to do is mention "Hima…" to Sam, and I can see his eyes glaze over and images of this dish dancing like sugarplums above his head.

While Sam was busy polishing off the last treasured piece Buta Kakuni, our server brought out our other appetizer. Make sure you take the time to read the cover of the menu. They post up their seasonal specials and this was one of the ones available during our visit. I now present to you, Seared Hokkaido Scallops w/ Wild Mushrooms on an Artichoke Tapenade ($10.95). (Now say that ten times fast!) These plump little babies were GOOOD! The restaurant definately did not skimp out on the quality of the scallops. They were sashimi grade – sweet, fresh, and tender. I really enjoyed the twist on surf and turf. The earthiness of the wild mushrooms contrasted nicely with the slight hint of sea from the scallops. The mushrooms were cooked in a sweet mirin/soy base and that went well with the tapenande. The tapenade had a very unique texture – being that it was made from artichokes… It was slightly tangy, reminscent of yuzu, and really pulled the entire dish together. Now if only I could have this for breakfast…and lunch… and dinner…

Patience, dear readers, we’re not even onto our main course yet! This is yet ANOTHER appetizer we ordered: Asari Garlic Butter Clams ($6.95). I’m guessing it is the Japanese version of clams cooked scampi style. The clams are cooked in their own juices, and the broth tasted strongly of clam essence. It was balanced out with just enough sake and sweet butter. Oh the glory my tastebuds were in! The clams were firm and al dente, combined with the wonderful broth they were swimming in, I really wished I had a loaf of crusty ciabatta to dip.

That is my bowl of Shoyu Ramen with Extra Bamboo ($7.95 + $1 for the bamboo). Himawari also offers the Deluxe Ramen which comes with 3, yes THREE pieces of the braised (unfried) buta kakuni and extra toppings for a price of $10.95. The ramen was cooked to a perfect bite and the hot steaming soup warmed us right up. The broth carried a lot of depth and hinted at all the bones sacrified in the making of the soup. I honestly would not be surprised if they snuck in a couple spoonfuls of the braising liquid from the buta kakuni. Needless to say, it was a great way to have dinner. (And if you are wondering… we did have dessert after this… at Hong Kong Style dessert place around the corner. And no… we’re not trying to set a new guiness record for stomach capacity…)

Himawari
202 2nd Avenue

San Mateo, CA, 94401

650.375.1005

Mon-Thu 11:30 a.m.-11:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat 11:30 a.m.-12:00 a.m.
Sun 11:30 a.m.-9:00 p.m.

Peru: A Very Special Dinner

October 17, 2007 mmm-yoso Memorable Meals, Peru, Travel

One of the main reasons we arranged for an extra day in Cusco, was to attend a very special dinner. Just before we left for Peru, we had gotten an invitation to have dinner at the home of the parents of an acquaintance of ours. We felt really honored to be invited, and it was obvious to us that this was an invitation that could not, and would not be turned down, under any circumstances. And so, we found ourselves in a taxi winding its way through cobblestone side streets on the outskirts of Cusco. Until we came to a very narrow street. It was obvious that driving on this little strip of cobblestone was not an easy thing. When we arrived, a car was stalled at the entrance of the street, our taxi driver got out and helped to push the car out of the way. (When we left, another car was stalled at the entrance of the street. The driver had to parked and walk down the street to get us.) We drove up the street, around a tight corner, back around and up the street again, but we could not find the address. The young man stopped at the corner, told us to wait for a minute in pseudo sign language, got out of the car. Were we abandoned here on the outskirts of Cusco? Of course not, our driver had gone to find a pay phone and called the phone number on our little scrap of paper with the address. We were going to be met…..unfortunately, the driver put his taxi in reverse, and the car was stuck!! Luckily, he managed to correct the problem. At this point, we thought this poor dedicated cabbie had gone through enough….for s/3 ($1 US). We told him we’d walk, gave him s/10 for his troubles. Just then we were met, and walked over to a doorway……Through that doorway and down a flight of stairs, lay a courtyard, a lovely gazebo, wonderful foliage, with several buildings making up the compound. We were guided to a seating room, and made at home by Victor(our friend’s kind, gentle Step-Dad), and soon enough met Tatiana(his friendly, warm cousin), and eventually Rosa(his Mom….who made dinner, and BTW is 86!). We enjoyed sitting and chatting, Tatiana spoke excellent English which made everything much easier for us. Our conversation drifted from Cusco, to food, to a few quips the Missus had….most of which had me, and the word "gordo" as the subject…..

Soon dinner was served:

Yes, it was Cuy(Guinea Pig), amazingly good Cuy! It seems that many people believe that Cuy is some kind of ubiquitous rite-of-passage, I dare you, "Andrew Zimmern-nized", badge of courage. Before we left for Peru, and Cusco, we did a bit of research, and found that Cuy is traditionally served on special occasions and played a large part in Andean religious practices. We were truly honored to be guests for this wonderful meal.

Even though Cuy has quite a history, and a serious role in Andean culture, history, and cuisine, there is still much good humor in "Cuy conversations" . We notice that many people do what we call "the Cuy". Never seen it? Well, "the Cuy" is done by putting your arms to your sides, and bringing your hands up, sort of similar to the Kung Fu Crane Form. At the same time create an overbite using your central incisors, and make a "pffff" sound. Even our waiter at Astrid y Gaston did "the Cuy"! Notice below……

Like I said, this was an amazingly good dish. The Cuy had been roasted in a traditional wood fired oven. A basting with olive oil, salt, huacatay, and other seasonings, had been key in creating a wonderful dish. The skin was like the best lacquered pork "skin/chicharron". Cuy is all dark meat, moist, and full of flavor. The texture of the meat is almost like duck, but much milder in flavor, with just a very mild gaminess. Does it taste like chicken? Well, perhaps really moist, free range, all dark meat chicken, maybe….. My favorite parts were the legs…crunchy, salty, great for gnawing, bones and all, and the meat along the back of the spine, and near the ribs…tender with a flavor akin to dark meat pork, with a touch of sweetness. Tatiana told us that Cuy is high in protein, low in fat and cholesterol. I was sucking bones clean at the end…….

Along with fire roasted potatoes, some really flavorful aji salsa, and the company, this was an unforgettable meal. Discussions ran the gamut, from Coca, to Japan, to San Diego, and beyond…. Some other things we learned:

– The reason the Cuy we had before tasted fishy, was that they were fed a diet of meal that included fish meal and other ingredients to make them grow large quickly. The traditional food for Cuy is Alfalfa. Now we know what all the alfalfa those women were carrying was for!

– As a whole, the locals don’t eat Alpaca(other than anticuchos), it is tourist food. It is also very expensive.

– It is customary to have a beverage, either beer or wine, after eating Cuy. We were told this was to "kill the Cuy" for good.

After dinner we had a short tour of the grounds, and though it was quite dark, we managed to meet…

The Cuy, which are housed in the same area as the oven to keep them warm. When the door opened, they scattered everywhere…..they are really fast little critters.

They are kinda cute….the Missus said that She "was glad that I saw them after dinner….."

I should’ve taken notes…..the Missus had a free tour of the garden, and all the different herbs were described. Here’s a really bad picture of the Gallina(Hens), Victor told me they were really good egg layers….

By this time it was getting late, and our cab to the hotel arrived. We said our goodbyes. The ride back was fairly quiet, the Missus and I were still taking in, and thinking about, what a very special meal we had. What can I say…….to be guests of a warm and generous family who opened up their home to us, to have shared conversation, laughter, and food, it is a wonderful thing that I can’t describe in words. It was one of the moments that made this trip so memorable.

Pinoy Fiesta

October 16, 2007 mmm-yoso Filipino Restaurants, Sisig

**** Pinoy Fiesta has closed

Pinoy Fiesta is a tiny "Turo-Turo"(point-point, aka steam table) joint, that sits rather quietly in the strip mall on the corner of 8th Street and E Avenue.

It does seem like much more attention is lavished on Villa Manila, which shares the strip mall, and Zarlitos right across the street. In fact, I never even knew it was there, until it was recommended by a friend last year. She had told me that the food at Pinoy Fiesta was good, and a bit "less oily" than many other Turo-Turo places in the vicinity. So a few months back, I was in the area……..

The exterior of Pinoy Fiesta may lean toward the low keyed side….but the interior is quite, ummm….sunny(?) and bright. For those who always complain to me about the somewhat worn and gritty interiors of some of our ethnic eateries, this one is quite clean.

On this visit, I noticed that though the restaurant doesn't appear very busy, there is a steady stream of customers, and quite a few catering orders being filled. Usually, when people recommend a Turo-Turo joint, I ask what the "signature" dishes are at the place. But in this case, I'm not sure if I didn't ask, or if I asked and couldn't remember. Could this be the beginning of many "senior moments" perhaps? Lucky for me, ordering on this visit was very easy. I went with the 2 items + rice($5.25):

As I entered a tray of Lechon Kawali was brought out, you knew it was coming by the chopping noises emanating from the kitchen…man did it look good! This lechon delivered as promised, it was still warm when I ate it, the fat was silken, but not greasy, the skin was light and crisp. This version of lechon was much "lighter" and not as chewy as many I've had. I thought it to be quite good. I was not a fan of the Lechon sauce, it was gummy and pretty weak in flavor…but this needed no sauce.

I'm usually not a big fan of Filipino Menudo, but in this case it looked so good, I ordered it.

The thick stew had a nice mild tomato flavor. I find the addition of raisins in menudo is sometimes too heavy handed for me making the dish much too fruity and sweet, distracting my tastebuds, and I'm not a fan of it. But here, the raisins added only a nice faint sweetness, complementing the rest if the dish, and I enjoyed it. No tripe in this version, but lots of pork. The plate comes with 3 scoops of rice, and I ate it all, in 2 installments.

On this past weekend, I had another opportunity to grab some food at Pinoy Fiesta. One of the great things about these restaurants is that you can enter, grab some food to go, and depending on how busy it is, you can make it back to your car in a blink….sometimes as quickly as 5 minutes, like I did. This weekend we've been checking out the San Diego Asian Film Festival like we do every year. On this day, the Missus was tied up, so I was left on my own. I decided to make the extra trip and grab a plate at Pinoy Fiesta(there are just so many hot dogs a person can consume). Again I went with a 2 item combination:

Unfortunately, the family in front of me grabbed all of the lechon…each of the 4 plates were piled high with the moist, crisp, pork. So I went with the Chicken BBQ:

This was not bad, the skewered chicken was dark meat(yay…flavor!), and quite tender. The sauce tasted a bit on the sweeter side like bottled teriyaki, and overall this was fine…not great, not good, but okay.

And though, I wasn't able to get any Lechon, I noticed that on this visit there was a pan full of Sisig, one of my weaknesses.

As good as the lechon was, the Sisig was disappointing. Gummy and greasy are the two words that come to mind. Flavor wise, I enjoy my Sisig to be a bit more assertive. I prefer a bit more sour and spicy notes. I did enjoy the nice onion flavor, but had a hard time getting over the grease.

Though not as popular as Tita's Kitchenette, the service at Pinoy Fiesta was much, much, nicer. The young man behind the counter is very pleasant. Service is pretty fast and the prices and portion sizes are good.

Pinoy Fiesta
550 E 8th St
National City, CA 91950
Phone: (619) 434-6255

Open 530am(!!!) – 730pm Daily