**** This location of Sab-E-Lee has closed
That has been the question that has been driving the Missus crazy recently when ordering from Sab-E-Lee. Do I get the Beef Salad? Or do I get the Nahm Tok – Beef? Which is resolved with a simple question, "which do you prefer?" Which inevitably drives the Missus into a bout of crazed indecision….it's almost like asking if she'd prefer Sammy to Frankie, or visa versa. And from my emails, She's not the only one that's a bit confused. Yes, there is a "Beef Salad" on the menu (Yum Nuea), it's located under salads, #22. And there is Nahm Tok Nuea (basically "water-fall beef"), under "Specialties". In two of the emails I received, said individual(s) ordered the Beef Salad, and expected the Nahm Tok(I knew right away when I read, "there was no rice powder in my salad"). Not that they didn't enjoy the Beef Salad, but they had expected the Nahm Tok. This point was driven home recently, when the Missus and I had dinner at Sab-E-Lee. We met 2 really nice young men; Justin and Mark, and in the confines of the tiny restaurant, we chatted. In the course of the discussion, we were asked what the difference between the 2 salads were.
So here we go; just a short post tonight. But I'll try to describe the differences between Sab-E-Lee's version of the two dishes.
The Beef Salad($6.95):
Don't let the rather innocuous dish fool you. This is plenty spicy. The Yum Nuea utilizes heat from a good amount of fresh Thai Chilies, which is a very upfront and to the point heat. The fish sauce flavor is not as strong, and the simplicity of the salad allows for the citrus tones to come through. What I really enjoy about the salad are the slices of garlic, which seem to be slightly pickled (I could be wrong), which taste almost sweet. In this case the carrots have been mixed into the salad, along with sliced red onion and scallions. The salad is topped with a generous amount of cilantro.
The Nahm Tok Nuea($6.95):
This dish has the benefit of mint leaves and roasted rice powder, which adds a mild nuttiness to the dish. In addition, chili paste is used instead of the chopped chilies, which, at least for me, creates a slower "burn", that can sneak up on you. I find this dish to be a bit more pungent than the Beef Salad, and prefer it over the Beef Salad(don't tell that to the Missus though). I think of it as a more hearty dish, and love to eat this with sticky rice. Shredded carrot and purple cabbage, as well as the standard wedge of cabbage is also provided.
So there you go…..2 dishes that seem to be one in the same, but are quite different. So which does the Missus prefer? Well, recently, it's been dish #3…….this:
It took me a while to get Her to try it….but when She did….well, I'm kinda sorry I did. Now the Missus and I fight it out. What is it? I'll cover that in a future post!
Sab-E-Lee Restaurant
2405 Ulric St
San Diego, CA 92111
My previous posts on Sab-E-Lee can be found here and here.
I hope everyone had a great long weekend!