June 2008 – Page 3

China Chef: A Revisit

June 3, 2008 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants

**** China Chef has closed

What would our humble little blog be without you all. Well, I don't think we'd be much at all without our FOYs(Friends Of Yoso), who always take time out to keep me informed of changes. Case in point would be the reason behind our recent visit to China Chef. Back in November of 2006, we visited China Chef, and found what we basically thought was a Dede's clone. It was okay, but nothing to go out of the way for. But thanks to FOY ReneeC, who always keeps me apprised of any activity on Her culinary radar, we decided to take a drive up to Mira Mesa, and grab a bite at China Chef.

The reason?

Need a closer look?

Some "specials" written on construction paper in front of the cash register. #1 Sweet and Sour Crispy Skin Fish. #2 Tea Smoked duck. #3 Chongqing Beer Duck.

What about #4? Well that's Rock Cod and Tofu Clay Pot:

This hot pot dish was just average. The cooking of the fish was mediocre, it was on the dry side, and crumbly, instead of flaky. The overall flavor of the "gravy" could have used more ginger, and some salt. Also, the addition of a vegetable component; maybe Napa Cabbage or lettuce on the bottom of the pot would have added some nice textural contrast. A very bland dish.

#5 Spicy Tea Smoked Duck.

This was a nice dish. Much better than any duck dish I've had at Ba Ren. The tea smoked duck was done well, and had a decent amount of meat. Many versions of tea smoked duck are salty and tough, this one had a nice smoky flavor, and a good chew. No, it's not your Cantonese Roast Duck, but smoking adds a very nice smokey-cured flavor and texture. This was double bonus, the duck was briefly stir-fried with green peppers, dried chilies, celery, and Sichuan peppercorns. And the whole thing was topped with peanuts. There was some numbing heat, but it wasn't very spicy.

Of course I couldn't leave without having some Cumin Lamb($9.95), that classic Xinjiang/Uyghur dish that has been absorbed by many regional Chinese Cuisines. I was once told that the Uyghur(Muslim turks) have spread throughout much of China, and you can find street stalls selling skewers of lamb seasoned with cumin in many large cities through China.

This version was quite interesting. It was rather light on the Cumin Powder, and could have used more salt. What the dish had in spades was that flavor which a friend of mine once called, "the flavor of the wild pasture". In other words, it was nice and gamey. That in and of itself made this a satisfying dish. The meat had a decent chew, I hate mushy lamb. Also, this was the least oily version of cumin lamb I've ever had. I'm still wondering if that's a good thing or not.

The total bill, including rice, tea, and tax, came out to $41.35. I can't tell you how much the specials were, no price is posted, and only a total was circled on our check. I was rather satisfied with our meal. It was much better than our previous visit to China Chef. I've heard that people think there's a new Chef at this restaurant. I wouldn't know, but I can tell you that there are some new dishes like Sweet Corn with Pine Nuts, and such on the menu.

China Chef Restaurant
9225 Mira Mesa Blvd #110
San Diego, CA 92126

Thanks for always keeping me "in the loop" Renee!

Crab Hut: A Revisit

June 2, 2008 mmm-yoso Cajun, Southern, and Soul Food, Seafood

I was depressed. You see, because of some scheduling conflicts, I was going to miss the LSU Alumni Crawfish Boil this year. And after seeing the wonderful Crawfish photos on Passionate Eater, well, talk about a double whammy! Which is why, I talked Mr S into grabbing some crawfish, and other stuff at Crab Hut on a recent Sunday. Not that it took much encouragement, mind you. And even though I grab a lunch now and then at Crab Hut, it’s mostly for the french fries(don’t ask). Eating Bugs is not something to do solo. Unfortunately, we both forgot that the Sunday we chose was Mother’s Day(shame on us), and the place was packed. But somehow, we managed a table amongst the large parties. The menu at Crab Hut has come a long way from my first visit. Now there are fresh oysters, various soups, and in a homage to their roots as a Vietnamese Owned business, the addition of Crab Hut Rolls, a version of Cha Giò Cua. As much as I perused the placard and menu, Mr S had other plans, and moved straight to ordering without even a glance at the menu.

We started with a dozen Fanny Bays from Canada:

For $15.99, these were better than I thought they’d be. I’m not a cocktail sauce-tabasco-whatever on your oyster kind of eater. I like mine with just a touch of lemon, in this case lime, which added a different, almost sweeter flavor to the oyster. I’m never looking for the "biggest, meatiest" oysters. I prefer a nice "liquor", and relish a great after-taste. These were decent, much fresher, and better in flavor than what I expected for the price.

Fried Okra($4.00):

Nice and crunchy on the exterior, creamy on the interior. Served along with some Cajun Aioli.

The one thing, I "had to order". The Cajun Fries($4.00).

Before you write me off as totally insane; yes, I know that "these are only crinkle cut fries with Cajun seasoning". But there’s something about this slightly spicy, crunchy(they’ve always been fried perfectly) fry, first dipped into a bit of malt vinegar, than ketchup, that I really enjoy. We all have our guilty pleasures, don’t we? Call me "Kirk, the Carb King" is you must.

Mr S ordered 3 pounds of Crawfish ($8.99/lb). What freaked me out was that he ordered them "Hot". Now, in my previous experiences with Crab Hut the "Medium was yesterdays Hot". So I expected to have my lips burned off.

But I was wrong, it wasn’t the burning hot I expected. So either Crab Hut is now showing some restraint, or my tolerance has gone up light years! These were cooked perfectly, the tail meat firm, but not hard or mushy. Because Mr S is fond of the "Full House" seasoning, which is basically everything but the kitchen sink, I never got the full flavor of the Crawfish. Next time, I’m getting them my way, with Old Bay…before Crawfish season is over.

Mr S also ordered 2 pounds of Little Neck Clams (7.50/lb):

Ordered with Garlic Butter, medium heat.

These were soft and tender. In fact, I enjoyed them more than the Crawfish. Garlic Butter sauce mixed with the juices from the clams, with bread……

We made a mess, and felt proud of it. I can’t believe we ate the whole thing……

Crab Hut is not a traditional Louisiana Crawfish Boil. Like the Boiling Crab in Garden Grove, Crab Hut has each of its Cheliped gripped onto 2 worlds. A Cajun Seafood joint, with a Vietnamese flair, a pretty nice marriage if you ask me.

Service has always been very friendly. Do not wear your Sunday’s best unless you have the best dry cleaner in the world. Bibs, towelettes, and a roll of paper towels are always provided. Nowadays, I don’t even try to park in the lot, probably one of the worst in the area, I go directly to the side street. As you can tell, prices are reasonable.

Crab Hut
4646 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111
858-565-1678

Open Daily from 12noon – 10pm

More on Crab Hut from yummyfoodsandiego.com can be found here.

Cat Cat Village. Drop & Drop Restaurant, and we Leave Sapa

June 1, 2008 mmm-yoso Sapa/Bac Ha/Can Cau, Travel, Vietnam

On our last morning in Sapa, still feeling the jet lag, we rose early, and the Missus decided that She wanted to take a "short hike" down to the waterfalls near Cat Cat Village. With our last "short hike" still fresh in my mind, I was a bit hesitant. But this turned out to not be too bad. To reach the trail down to Cat Cat Village, you walk through the Sapa Market, and down the road. The early morning view of the misty valley is breathtaking.

After paying admission at the entry booth, you start heading down the well paved road. Young Xe Om drivers stop as you head down the hill, each one lobbying for the ride back up the hill. "Mister, I’m Coca-cola(tugging his coke hat), you remember me for later ok?" "I’m Lucky Strike(showing me his lucky strike T-shirt), maybe I give you ride back. You remember me ok?" And so forth. Luckily, we arrived early, and the cool morning air made everything much more pleasant.

Instead of heading through Cat Cat Village we just stayed on the main road, eventually crossing this bridge.

There are two or three different trails that lead around the hills. After passing several fields growing Indigo plants, we ended up at the falls, and the bridge that crosses the river. It’s a nice place to take a break.

If we headed across the bridge, we’d have looped through Cat Cat Village.

Weary of the "hard sell" we decided to turn around and head back.

We were lucky to have had an early start. We passed large groups of tourists making their way down the road. It was a nice little morning hike.

Famished from our morning walk, we noticed a quaint looking little shop just down the street from the hotel. This was in the opposite direction of most of the businesses in Sapa, so the street was a bit quieter.

The place was called Drop & Drop Restaurant. We walked in and had a seat. When it came to ordering, the Missus still wanted more vegetables. So we started with the Mixed Vegetables(10,000 VND – about 60 cents/US).

For this price we hadn’t expected much, and this was just a basic stir fry of onions, cabbage, carrots, and tomatoes. Light soy sauce and black pepper flavor, the tomatoes were very good.

I had decided to try one meat dish, and settled on the H’mong Style Beef(24,000 VND – $1.50/US):

The dish arrived on a sizzling plate, well seasoned, and pretty tender. The meat had a good beefy flavor, and was much better than I thought it would be.

The story of the next dish was interesting. I recalled seeing the wonderful watercress in the Sapa Market, and was happy to see stir fried watercress on the menu. When I ordered it, the Young Lady took a long pause, and looked at us, and said; "okay, we can do that!" While we were eating our stir-fried vegetables, a Girl entered the restaurant carrying a bundle of fresh green watercress, which was stir fried, and made its way to our table a few minutes later.

Fresh, crisp, slightly bitter, with a hint of sweetness this was quite good (16,000 VND – $1).

After our meal, I managed to arrange for a late check-out with the hotel($9). Soon enough the day passed and we caught our Bus back to Lao Cai.(31,000 VND/each)

In Vietnam they don’t tell you anything Part 2:

Now it gets a bit strange. We arrive at Lao Cai, but instead of stopping at the Train Station, we stop in front of a restaurant. The Driver gets out and announces, "okay, everybody, you stop here and eat before you get on train." Huh? Not getting a good explanation as to what was going on and unable to get any information, we crossed the street, and walked over to Lao Cai Station.

We knew we had to exchange our tickets for boarding passes, but where was the question of the day. As we head to the train station, we see the "Guy with 3 wives" sitting with a young lady at one of the juice stalls in front of the train station. So I ask very innocently, "Is this your wife?" And he gives me a weird look and say, "no, no, we are not married." I dunno, working on wife #4 perhaps? After asking around a bit, the Missus figures out where we exchange our tickets. We had to go 2 blocks from the train station, into another restaurant, and up to the second floor to a desk to exchange our tickets for boarding passes. I’d say they’ve got a bit of a racket going.

After buying a few oranges we settled in. I noticed a couple looking confused, and disoriented, just like we were 30 minutes ago. I went up to see if I could help them out. They turned out to be tourists from France. I had gotten to them a bit late. They had just paid someone $5 to get their tickets exchanged. I dunno, but I don’t think I’d hand my train tickets over to some stranger…..

Soon after sunset, our train was called, and the huge mass of humanity boarded the train. Just as on our train ride to Sapa, we thanked Beach for making sure we had an entire 4 berth to ourselves. Not much sleep tonight, but lots of excitement. Tomorrow night we’d be in Siem Reap!