February 2008 – Page 2

Thai By Tara

February 14, 2008 mmm-yoso Thai Restaurants

*** Thai by Tara is now Sab-E-Lee. You can find a post here.

There are some locations that seem cursed, locations come and go, changing every year or so. This location right off the corner of Ulric and Linda Vista Road is one of them. A few years back, it was a Banh Mi, and Vietnamese shop called, Linda Vista Food to Go, less than 2 years later, under new Ownership, it became a "Mi" shop called Mi Ngoc So 1. Than, last month ago, "Noodlefan" mentioned a new restaurant in this spot in His comment under the Filiberto’s Linda Vista post. That’ll be 3 restaurant in 3 years! And a Thai Restaurant to boot……. Of course, we made sure to check it out ASAP. Funny thing was, as I was getting ready to post I realized that I could never figure out what the name of this place was….

Ummmm, can you? Finally, on our last visit we asked…..and the Owner, a very funny, energetic Lady, told me "Thai By Tara". So Thai by Tara it is….even though it has a weird ring to it, I mean it sounds almost like a nail or hair place….Nails by Tara, or Hair by Tara….

The tiny restaurant has had a bit of freshening up, but otherwise has not changed much.

What has changed…other than the menu, is the personality of this shop….Tara(I’m guessing the restaurant is her namesake) has a personality like your outgoing, bossy, generous Aunt. Twice while eating, "Tara" brought out some nice dishes, and made sure to show them to us, with an, "Hmmm, looks good, huh? Next time you order this…." To be honest, the first time I looked at the menu, I was a bit disappointed….it looked like the typical "choose your meat, choose your sauce" style of Thai Restaurant. But the prices were quite good, with regular prices starting at $5.95. And when I turned the menu over, I noticed some "house specials" that looked promising…and nothing over $7.95.

There wasn’t much else to do, but to start ordering. And soon enough, a nice tray of condiments made its way to our table. Things were looking up.

We started with the Pad See Ew with Chicken($5.95):

This was borderline terrible…the dish was on the greasy side, the noodles mushy, and overall very under flavored…it needed a bit more soy and garlic.

Luckily, the meal was rescued by the Namtok, which was priced at $7.95 on the menu, but we were charged $5.95….in fact everything we had was $5.95.

This grilled beef salad was quite good. The beef was to our surprise very tender, in fact the Missus kept eating piece after piece….later She told me; "that first piece was so tender, that I thought it was a fluke, so I had another, and it was tender, so I had another….." I enjoyed the crisp "bite" of the onion, combined with the nutty roasted rice powder. Granted, I added some pickled chilies for a bit more heat, as well as a good squeeze of lime.

The Som Tum.

We enjoyed the crisp shredded papaya, the sweetness was spot on, as was the heat. There were 3 large plump, and perfectly cooked shrimp, though I did miss the savory rehydrated and shredded dried shrimp. Overall, not bad, not enough tomato and too much shredded carrot(?), and we’d have enjoyed some long bean.

The Shrimp Fried Rice.

If there’s any reason to return, it would be this…nicely "wokked", great flavors, including lots of garlic…and 6 shrimp! For $5.95!

The Green Curry with Chicken:

Too watery and sweet, weak in the curry department.

Kai Kra Pow:

This minced chicken stir fry was on the sweet side for me, though the Missus enjoyed it. I think it was the nicely fried egg that reeled Her in.

Beef Larb:

This was a nice dish, finally a Larb with enough herbs….the roasted rice powder was a nice touch. The flavor was quite good, though the Larb was a bit on the dry side. The acid test? The Missus said this was much better than the version I make. Hmmm……

Hot Basil with Beef:

Another one of those, choose the meat, choose the sauce dishes. Beef was fairly tender, not enough basil flavor. Mediocre…..

And finally, the Pad Thai with Tofu:

The noodles were perfect in texture, just the right amount of elasticity. We would have preferred fried tofu, it has a better texture, and more flavor. This Pad Thai was very bland……

As you can see, its a mixed bag…but the prices allow you the luxury of really trying out the various dishes. And we found a few that we’d have again.

The restaurant is small, 5 tables crowded into a small space. The Owner is very nice and funny….one day She shared some really nice "Ginger Tea" with us. On one occasion, The Missus and I watched in amusement as a young Hispanic Man ate his noodle soup with wooden chopsticks….that he never broke apart! We were amazed at his ability to feed himself……he used the one piece chopstick as a glorified fork, and twirled the noodles around the chopstick like pasta.

Oh……and Buddha eats really well here!

Which made me think that there’s a lot more than what’s on the menu….next time I want some of that!

Thai By Tara
2405 Ulric St
San Diego, CA 92111
(858)650-6868

Hours – Mon-Fri 9am-8pm
Sat-Sun 10am-9pm

Thanks again for the recommendation Noodlefan!

Midweek Meanderings

February 13, 2008 mmm-yoso Bakery

Just some stuff to help get "over the hump(day)"…….

Thang Thang, A Family Restaurant?

A few days ago, I noticed that in the place of the former Happy Chef, which Cathy posted on, and new restaurant was opening, called Thang Thang:

When I asked Sam about it, he told me that this was going to be a Korean drinking/pub grub joint, a la Min Sok Chon. What had me puzzled was the wording on the sign that said "Family Restaurant"….when I asked Sam about it, he just shrugged his shoulders, so I guress we’ll just have to wait and see.

7905 Engineer Road
San Diego, CA 92111

Some closures:

As noted by "Joe" in the comments, it looks like EZ Take-Out Burger has closed:

Strangely enough, the Marie Callender’s 2 blocks over has closed as well.

The Missus is getting into the act:

I purchased a new memory card for my digital camera, and the Missus decided to help me test it out, and break it in. She decided that her manju from Hogetsu Bakery would be the perfect subject:

Yes, "Her manju"…..at least this time She took a whole 3 days to finish it up.

2 weekends ago, I don’t think it it made it to sundown…..

I sense another obsession in the works!

Hogetsu Bakery
1210 3rd Ave
Chula Vista, CA 91911

Open Tues-Sat 10am-6pm

Mandarin Chinese Restaurant

February 12, 2008 mmm-yoso Chicken Wings, Chinese Restaurants

Mandarin Chinese Restaurant resides in a super busy strip mall across from Southwestern College. As you can tell by the "Mandarin, Szechuan, Cantonese" lettering, this is obviously what I call an "ABCDE" ("ab-cee-dee" – American Born Chinese Dining Establishment). The type of food these restaurants serves is so far removed from, say, what the late Mei Jia Deli used to serve, that it looks like it comes from another universe. That said, just because this is Chinese food designed to please someone other than Chinese…it does not necessarily mean it is bad.

If the store front isn't enough to convince you, the interior is a dead giveaway; it's ABCDE all the way:

So why did we make the drive all the way down here? There was one reason…..Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings. Friends of ours told us that they prefer the Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings(aka "Crack Wings") at Mandarin Restaurant, to those served at the legendary Crack Wing houses Royal Mandarin and Golden Chopsticks. Now that's saying a lot!

As we were seated, the first thing we noticed was the amount of smoke in the dining area. That kitchen sure was working hard, and the ventilation was not the best. Second thing we noticed, was the Guy working behind the register….I recognized him instantly! After checking out the menu, and a quick our Server, my suspicions were confirmed. Mandarin Chinese Restaurant and Mandarin Canton have the same owners. Still, even though the two restaurants have the same owners, and a very similar menu, we were sure that the kitchen staff was different. So we ordered a few of the lunch specials(priced from $4.75-$5.75).

All the specials started with a small bowl of soup…we went for the Hot and Sour soup….which should have been more aptly called Sour, Sour, and Sour soup! Man this really made the Missus and I pucker, it was stunningly sour.

The Missus ordered the Mandarin Soft Noodles(lunch – $5.75):

First off, whoever cooked this really knows how to handle a wok…..there was even a bit of Wok Hay action going on. And to our surprise the pieces of dark meat chicken was very soft and tender. Mandarin Canton still does a better job with shrimp, but the chicken in stir-fries there are just plain terrible. To me, there should have been a bit more soy flavor, I found this on the bland side.

Of course, I had to have the Chicken Wings with Spicy Salt(lunch special – $5.75):

First off, the version here is better than Mandarin Canton…the batter is not as thick and hard, and it is not as salty. But fear not, you can still make out the MSG crystals. I thought these were good, if a bit short on the flavor end when compared to Royal Mandarin and Golden Chopsticks.

We also ordered the Spare Ribs with Spicy Salt(lunch special – $5.75):

This was a disappointment. The spare ribs(actually pork chops) were on the soggy side, and the marinade was very heavy handed on the ginger, it was also too salty(even for me!).

Even though the sister restaurants may differ a bit, there are a few things that the 2 restaurants have in common; the YMMV factor, very reasonable lunch specials, and overall prices, the crazy parking lot, and the relatively small dining area. With some good timing, and right choices, a good meal can be had here.

Mandarin Chinese Restaurant
945-A Otay Lakes Rd
Chula Vista, CA 91913

Road Trip: Binh Dan Restaurant – Westminster(OC)

February 10, 2008 mmm-yoso Orange County, Road Trip, Vietnamese Restaurants

Since starting this blogging thing, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting meeting so many wonderful individuals. The larger than life person we know as "Beach", dubbed the "Don of Little Saigon" by the OC Foodbloggers, that esteemed group that includes, Elmomonster, ChristianZ, and the one and only ChubbyPanda, is one of those individuals. I’ve been the recipient of Beach’s generosity before, as documented in detail by CP. Beach has been helping the Missus and I with a current project, and on this day, I needed to drop by Beach’s, so I made my way up to OC. Beach in his usual generous way, made time for even though it was Tet Weekend. Imagine my joy, when we had completed what we needed to, and Beach said, "okay, what for lunch?" I proceeded to walk(sprint actually) to my car, and bring out my wad of crumpled post-it notes that listed various restaurants in the OC that I was interested in trying. Taking off toward Westminster, I started reading off my almost indecipherable scribbling. Driving on Bolsa, I was amazed at Beach’s encyclopedic knowledge of every restaurant, no matter what size, and an intimate knowledge of the various specialties….. We had decided on Pho Tau Bay, but when we arrived, we found them closed until February 15th. Next on the list was Binh Dan Restaurant…and wouldn’t you know that Beach is a "regular" there! Beach turned to me, and said, "are you sure, this is a real hole-in-the-wall, and they serve what we call beer food?" That sounded perfect to me.

Yes indeed, with the 4 or so thrift shop dining sets…this was indeed a hole-in-the-wall. It looked like the kitchen area took up more than half the restaurant. All of the fragrances from the kitchen seemed to make its way into the dining area…on second thought, maybe that’s by design…..

The menu was perfect…..I barely knew anything on it! I could make out a few words here and there("nuong", "bo"), and I’ve had a few items before("gia cay heo", "bo luc loc") but that was about it. Luckily, I had the perfect guide in Beach. After discussing the menu we placed our order, and soon enough a plate of very fresh herbs arrived:

Along with a plate of lime slices and chilies, and 2 small bowls of very pungent Mam Nem, fermented fish sauce. This is powerful, and tasty stuff.

I watched and mimicked Beach’s technique for incorporating the chilies into the Mam Nem….this added a nice bit of heat to the salty and slightly sweet flavor.

Soon enough a plate of Toasted Sesame Crackers made its way to the table:

The reason that I had Binh Dan on my list was that the specialty of house is goat(De). And if you know me, you know I love goat! Soon enough, the first course arrived, De Nuong:

This was marinated and grilled goat, slightly tender, with decent flavor. The drill was place some herbs in the bowl, dip the meat into the Mam Nem, and eat with herbs and crackers.

Beach had told me, that because the Owner’s Father owns a Goat Farm in Riverside County, the goat is fresh, and also the staff of Binh Dan really knows how to prepare goat, removing the smell. I found this to be very mild in flavor. If I gave it to a person who had never had goat, they’d have no problem believing this was beef.

The next dish, De Nuong La Lot Mo Chai, arrived soon thereafter.

Oh my….talk about delici-yoso!!! These were basically minced goat meat, and seasonings, wrapped in Caul Fat…grilled and ooozing with juice and fat! Eaten alone, it was very rich…but wrapped in a few basil leaves, and dipped into the Mam Nem…….oh my(again)! I think in this case, the photos say it all.

The next dish up was the De Xao Lan:

Along with the De Nuong La Lot Mo Chai, this was on all the other tables, and Beach told me that most of the people queuing up waiting for take-out had ordered this as well. This was a stir-fry, using the tougher cuts of goat, along with the skin. Flavored by a mild curry, and Ngo Om (Rice Paddy Herb), which had a mild citrusy tumeric-cumin taste, this was excellent. The onion and bell peppers added a touch of savory sweetness to the dish.

Wouldn’t you know, that about this time a group of men that Beach knew arrived…… Beach had been thinking of another dish, and asked his friend about the Ve De Nuong, but the friend said not to bother….so no Grilled Goat Nipples for us! Instead, Beach ordered Oc Noi Hap La Chuoi:

The best I can describe these is a snail-pork-cloud ear fungus dumpling filling, wrapped with a banana leaf, and steamed. Dipped into some Nuoc Mam Cham, these were mildly sweet and earthy. There was a combination of chewy textures that was not unpleasant. Nice dish!

As we were eating, Beach, always on top of things, made sure to order a few items "to go" for the Missus. soon enough we were finished, so satisfied, and happy. Next time perhaps I’ll try the De 7 Mon….seven course of Goat, though I don’t know if I’m up for Goat Blood.

As I went on my way……Beach said to me; "next time Kirk, we’ll go to the place that makes all the good Rabbit dishes!" I can’t wait!

Binh Dan Restaurant
10040 McFadden Ave
Westminster, CA 92683

As always, thanks for being such a generous guide and host Beach!

San Diego Tet Festival 2008

February 8, 2008 mmm-yoso Festivals & Events, Vietnamese Restaurants

This year, the San Diego Tet Festival has a new venue. Instead of Qualcomm Stadium Parking Lot, the festival is being held at Balboa Park. Just like last year, I decided to attend early on opening day, which will allow readers to check it out if they so desire, and not make me feel so bad about posting about a festival after it has ended.

The change in location is interesting in a couple of ways. The grassy setting makes for a more laid back vibe, and the "cultural village" looks much better on grass than on asphalt.

Phuc Duyen Pagoda:

On the flip side; because of space limitations, some areas, like the rides looked really "squeezed in".

As always various vendors, businesses, and community organizations were represented.

Of course, you’re wondering about the food, right?

It seems that the laid back attitude had spilled over to some of the food booths. Last year, I arrived right after opening, and all the booths were manned and ready. This year, most of the booths weren’t ready when I arrived at about 5pm:

This booth still wasn’t open when I left at about 6pm. Too bad…..

I was looking for my "meat on a stick" fix…..

So I just moved on down a few booths to get my fix:

mmmmm..meat on a stick, it just wouldn’t be a festival without it!

When I saw the sign for Banh Kot, I just had to check it out:

I couldn’t wait to get ahold of one of those little pancakes/crepes. But as my luck would have it, just as I got to the window, the booth lost power…so no Banh Khot for me! Bummer……

Moving further down the line, was this booth with no sign:

As I peered through the screen, I could see lot’s of goodies. So I ended up making most of my purchases here. Arms loaded down, I walked toward the eating area, carefully balancing all my food.

Funny thing about these festivals…you never know who you’ll run in to. I first ran into Ellen, aka Mizducky, as I was finishing my meat on a stick….we had a nice chat, and caught up a bit. A while later, as I was giving the food booths one last pass, who in the world do I run into, but Candice Woo! After a quick go round, we found Ellen, and sat down and had a nice chat. For some reason, this just seem to make this festival that much better…..munching on food and "talking story" with two of my favorite people!

Back to the food….it is festival food, and YMMV. But for me and the Missus (and I think Candice and Ellen will agree), the Nem Chua was a winner:

Sour, tangy, and salty…this package of pork sausage "patties" was worth the $5. Chewy, but not tough, and with nice bits of pork skin……the Missus is munching on another as I type up this post. Of course if Vietnamese/Asian food is not your "thing". There is the ubiquitous Kettle Corn booth, Hot Dogs, Cotton Candy…though I don’t recall seeing a funnel cake booth, but I’m sure it’s hiding out the somewhere.

Some observations: There are decidedly less food vendors than last year, and probably fewer booths as well. This doesn’t mean that you won’t find some good eats. The admission is the same as last year – $5 for adults, $4 for children. I had no problem finding parking, but I’m thinking parking may be more difficult over the weekend. I’m also thinking that the smaller venue, may mean things get kinda cramped, but hopefully I’m wrong.

San Diego Tet Festival
Balboa Park

Friday, Feb. 8th: 4pm-10pm
Saturday, Feb. 9th: 10am-10pm
Sunday, Feb.10th: 10am-8pm

Admission – $5 Adults, $4 Children

Xin Nian Kuai Le

February 6, 2008 mmm-yoso Blog

Or as FOY(Friend of Yoso’s) "Google" says on this New Years eve:

Sad thing is….the Missus says Google speaks better Chinese than me! LOL!

Welcome to the Year of the Rat.

Back to eating tomorrow……

“Wrapping up” more obsessions – Convoy Noodle House and Pho King

February 5, 2008 mmm-yoso Vietnamese Restaurants

Banh Hoi Anyone?

I’ve kinda grown attached to Banh Hoi….thin rice vermicelli noodles that are served in little “cakes”. The version that we enjoy the most at Convoy Noodle House comes topped with Char-broiled Pork($7.95):

The pork is nicely marinated, and caramelized, if a bit on the tough side. These are served with sheets of rice paper(Banh Trang) and vegetables. This is basically a “make your own” spring roll dish. And even though we usually make a mess, the combination of the salty-sweet pork, the slightly elastic noodles, and fresh herbs, dipped into some Nuoc Mam Cham, makes for a nice refreshing dish.

**** Convoy Noodle House has closed

Convoy Noodle House
4647 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Wrapping up the Missus’s (other) latest obsession…..

Over the last 2 weeks, the Missus has broken away from what She usually orders at the unfortunately named Pho King, and has been obsessed with the Banh Trang dishes there, sometimes getting 2 orders at a time!

The Thit Nuong Banh Trang(grilled pork with rice paper – $7.95):

This is the same char grilled pork that comes with the rice dish the Missus enjoys. Served on a bed of Bun(rice vermicelli) this wonderfully flavored pork is a bit too tough for the Banh Trang.

The Chao Tom Banh Trang(sugar cane shrimp with rice paper – $8.95):

Much too bland for Banh Trang….

Even though no one would ever mistake the Missus for Goldilocks(and I wouldn’t even want to try!) to quote Her; “this pork is too tough, this sugar shrimp is too bland…but this grilled beef was just right!” The tone of that statement sounds vaguely familiar doesn’t it? The Bo Nuong Banh Trang(grilled beef with rice paper – $7.95):

Nice and tender thin slices of grilled beef, flavored with soy and fish sauce, with just the right amount of sweetness. The beef was placed on a bed of Bun, which soaked up the marinade. The savory, slightly sweet fried shallots added a nice crunch and flavor. Of course all of these dishes came with rice paper, and a plate of vegetables, herbs, pickles(love the pickled onions), and the requisite Nuoc Mam Cham dipping sauce.

A quick dip in the bowl of warm water, a little bit of this, and a little bit of that…..and a quick roll, and you’ve got a symphony of flavors and textures. No photos of any that I made. I still make the ugliest spring rolls in SoCal. The Missus, after several visits where she created “rice paper burritos” that would put La Posta to shame, has finally got the knack…….

Just in time for Her next Obsession!!!

Pho King Restaurant
4658 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115

The Missus’s Latest Feet-ish…..

February 4, 2008 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Dim Sum, yoso-silly

Just a short post tonight…..today was jury duty day, and it’s amazing how sitting around for 8-9 hours just saps your energy……

So what is, or more precisely was (She has since moved on….) the Missus’s obsession?

~~Feet~~, umm feast your eyes on this:

How the Missus could just wake up one morning, turn to me, and tell me, "I want some chicken feet"….for some reason that just sounds wrong. So, over the past 2 weeks, She’s been ~~feeting~~ feasting on chicken feet, usually getting them 2 orders at a time. So here’s how the Missus rates the chicken feet, which my Filipino friends call "adidas", from the various Dim Sum restaurants in the Convoy area.

1 – Jasmine.

The Missus’s favorite by a mile…to quote, "plump, juicy, nice skin, nice gelatin, lots of black bean…..on the oily/greasy side."

2 – Emerald

"Ok, not as greasy as Jasmine, lots of skin, but not much flavor…"

3 – China Max(photo top of post)

"Bland, not enough black bean, tough…..the toes felt hard like I was eating giant toenails…."

So there you go, more than you ever wanted to know about the Missus’s preferences when it comes to chicken feet. There is one major upside for me…..having the Missus concentrating on Her chicken feet, means more of this stuff for me:

Next time I want Dim Sum all to myself I know what to do….just wave some chicken feet in front of the Missus!

Jasmine Seafood Restaurant
4609 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Emerald Seafood Restaurant
3709 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

China Max Seafood Restaurant
4698 Convoy Street
San Diego, CA 92111

I’ll be back with a new restaurant post tomorrow!

Sunday Shopping…..

February 3, 2008 mmm-yoso Markets & Grocers, Orange County, Road Trip

Price Wars……

I was interested to see what the reaction to the opening of Marukai would be. So earlier this morning I decided to do a quick "run". Since Nijiya, Mitsuwa, and Marukai are just within a mile of each other, it will be very easy to "cherry-pick" your way through the 3 markets(and you can include Zion to make 4). Since both Nijiya and Mitsuwa open at 9am, and Marukai opens at 930, the timing is pretty easy as well.

I arrived at Nijiya at about 910am…and probably because of the weather(rainy and windy) and the Super Bowl, the place was relatively empty.

I noticed a bunch of sales, and purchased just a few items:

It would seem to be nothing Earth-shattering….Yama-moto-yama tea bags….not high quality, but good to have at the office. At 2 for $1, a major bargain for me! That’s a shade over 3 cents per tea bag. And the Pocky…well to quote the Missus, "what, regular Pocky? I’ve soooo moved on from that…." Until I told Her…also 2 for $1! I think the sale is only for the weekend, but it seems that Nijiya is taking the competition seriously. I’ll keep close eye on Nijiya flyers in the future.

Arriving early had its benefits, I got out of Nijiya by 925am…and by 930 reached Mitsuwa. The only thing I noticed at Mitsuwa was a giant poster….sorry, but my photo didn’t come out. You get one item free (i.e. miso….) with a $10 purchase.

I arrived in the empty parking lot at Marukai (I took note of the empty parking lot, because this may be the only time I ever see it empty) at 940am. And entered Marukai. As I took a lap around the store, I noticed a few additional things. First, the fish department is up, but it was slim pickins’ at this time of the morning.

There were some great deals:

The only thing I got was this for the freezer…..its good to have on hand, for those days when you feel lazy, and just want something simple at home. And at 98 cents a package, another bargain:

Of course my camera can’t ever resist an "end" display of Spam:

Though if you want something a bit more high-end, there’s Wagyu Beef from Japan:

"Only" $68.99 a pound!

Looks like competition will be a nice thing for us customers, just as prices came down at Mitsuwa once Nijiya renovated and moved to their new location.

Nijiya Market
3860 Convoy St Ste 109
San Diego, CA 92111

Mitsuwa Marketplace
4240 Kearny Mesa Rd Ste 119
San Diego, CA 92111

Marukai Market
8151 Balboa Ave
San Diego, CA 92111

And just to make it an even "foursome":

During my trip down to Garden Grove, and after my lunch at Anna’s Mondu, I drove the block and a half down the street, and dropped by Hannam Supermarket:

Though this location was a bit "worn", and the variety was not a great at the Di amond Bar location, it was still nice to stretch my legs and do some browsing. I hadn’t intended on taking any photos, but I came across this magnificent display of "Spammy goodness", and could not resist. Huge display with almost every version of Spam known to mankind…….amazing! SPAM® Cheese! SPAM® Hot & Spicy! I think I saw all the different varieties, except for SPAM® Garlic(maybe they were sold out…).

The prices were quite reasonable, especially the dried Filefish and dried squid:

The Missus thought this dried filefish was excellent when roasted…it was chewy, but not hard, and had a nice salty-fish flavor, with a slight hint of sweetness. I’m glad I didn’t come home empty handed….Oh, and dried squid, toasted, chopped, and dipped into mayo with a touch of soy sauce….delici-yoso!!!

Hannam Chain Super Market
9772 Garden Grove Blvd
Garden Grove, CA 92844

20 minutes(or less) Teriyaki Chicken (Tori no Teriyaki)

February 2, 2008 mmm-yoso Cooking, Recipes

I’m not sure why I’m posting this……it is something that I make quite often, and maybe too simple, but what the heck.

I always hesitate when someone asks me for a Teriyaki recommendation…..why? Because as simple as Teriyaki is, there are variations, on the basic 4 ingredient recipe. There is what I call "American Teriyaki", which is sweeter than what I’m used to. You can call this the "bottled stuff"…..much of it contains corn syrup, or some similar sweetener. There’s what I call Hawaiian Teriyaki, which is sorta, kinda like the stuff called "Hawaiian BBQ"…..which is what I grew up eating, and uses mainly shoyu(soy sauce) and sugar, and has marinating as a step. I’m very familiar with this, as mirin was scarce(and pricey) while I was growing up, and Sake was priced out of our range. So Mom’s "Teriyaki" used Soy Sauce, and Dark Brown Sugar, with garlic and ginger…and low grade meat was marinated to tenderize. As time passed, and mirin and sake became more affordable, the recipe changed, and became closer to the "tare" that describes traditional teriyaki. So you can understand my dilemma when someone emails me and asks for "something like the best teriyaki in the world, just like xxxx or xxx in yyyyy." (Many times the yyyy is Seattle, San Francisco, or New York) There’s much more to it than the basic 4 ingredient recipe….. ’nuff said.

This recipe is really quick, you can get the dish to the table in 20 minutes or less. I sometime spend more time in the check-out line purchasing the chicken than cooking.

Teriyaki Sauce:
(Makes enough for 2 uses)
1/2 Cup Soy Sauce
1/2 Cup Sake
2/3 Cup Mirin
2-4 Tb Granulated Sugar

Boneless Chicken legs(2), thighs(4), or breasts(2), with skin on.
2 Tb Canola Oil

1 – Pierce the skin of the chicken pieces with skewer or fork to prevent excess shrinkage and allow for absorption of the sauce during cooking.

2 – Mix all sauce ingredients, except sugar, in a small pot and bring to a boil to burn of excess alcohol. Lower to a simmer, add 2Tb sugar, and whisk to dissolve.

3 – Heat oil in a pan. Place the chicken skin side down and fry over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until the skin is brown and crisp. Lower heat, and turn chicken, and fry until done, about 8-10 minutes.(You may cover the pan to enhance cooking)

4 – Taste Teriyaki Sauce, and adjust sugar to taste.

5 – Remove the chicken from the pan.

6 – Pour off excess oil from pan, increase heat to medium high, and pour about 1/3 cup of sauce into pan. The sauce should start boiling/foaming.

7 – Return chicken to pan, turning to coat. Coat chicken well. Remove chicken from the pan when almost all the sauce has been absorbed/reduced.

8 – Chop chicken and pour sauce over as desired.

Store remaining sauce in a sterile/clean jar, and place in frig when cooled. I’ve kept the sauce in the frig for several weeks with no problems. There are many things you can do to adjust the sauce to your taste. I add a dash of dashi-no-moto, but you can add finely minced garlic, and grated ginger…or any number of things.