I realize that Cathy and I have done posts on Sab E Lee 2, but I thought you'd like to see a couple of other dishes.
First up, Miang Kum (เมี่ยงคำ – $7.95), a simple, but wonderful appetizer:
These are basically leaf wraps, and though I've read that the classic Miang Kum uses Betel Leaves, all of the variations we've had uses spinach leaves. At first the combination of perfectly diced red onion, galangal, slivered lime, peanuts, dried shrimp, and thai bird chilies, topped with roasted coconut and a tangy and sweet, tamarind and palm sugar "sauce" seems a bit strange. But take my word for it, the sum of the parts is a wonderful melange of flavors…. it seems that each one is jockeying for position.
When working with such basic ingredients, freshness is the key, as I've had several versions (and one terrible version in San Diego) featuring dried out galangal and limes, and low quality shrimp. Everything here was shiny and fresh, and the tamarind dip brought everything together for us.
Bags of Gold ($7.95):
Think of these as Sab E Lee's fried won tons if you will. These "bags" are full of minced pork, shrimp, shiitake mushroom, and water chestnuts. While the portion of the "bag" holding the filling is almost crepe-like, the top portions are light and crisp.
Pretty nice to look at too.
The Superwild Shrimp ($8.95) is a shrimp salad of sorts:
It is dressed with a fish sauce – chili – garlic – palm sugar sauce. Though we prefer the Plaa Shrimp, the shrimp in this dish was cooked to a "just well" doneness.
Of course I had to try the Koi Soi/Koi Nua (Spicy Raw Beef – $7.95), one of my favorites at Sab E Lee 1:
First off, this version is not nearly as spicy as SEL1. In fact, after tasting a few of the same dishes, I'd say that the dishes are about %30 less spicy here in Santee. I usually get a'9' on the heat scale, this was more like a 5. That's not to say that this wasn't good, it was. Less spicy, but the inclusion of raw garlic added pungency and bite. This version is also a bit more citrusy and herbaceous. The nutty flavor provided by the roasted sticky rice powder is a bit more muted.
The Larb Duck($7.95) is another similar but different dish.
This version was a bit more herbaceous, and truth be told, we enjoyed this one more since the flavor of the duck came through very clearly.
Since the Chef had cut his teeth cooking in Bangkok, a version of the classic Bangkok Red Curry Duck was a necessity. Here it's called Royal Duck Curry ($10.95):
In all honesty, of all the dishes we've had here, this was our least favorite. It seemed that all of those reasons we don't enjoy the overly-Westernized Thai food in San Diego were in display here. The curry was too sweet, too fruity (via pineapple and grapes), and used too much coconut milk for our tastes.
The flavor off the duck was overwhelmed and buried in our opinion.
The Missus loved the Three Flavored Fish (Halibut – $14.95):
The fish was put panko crusted, and put together just as the Pinecone Fish we encountered on our previous visit. This time it was fried even better if that was possible. The fish was moist, and almost sweet. The sauce is a tamarind-palm sugar based sauce, was perhaps a bit too sweet for me, but the Missus just plain loved this. I can't say anything bad about that fish. My perfect solution is to order the Pinecone Fish, and request a little dish of the Three Flavor Sauce on the side.
Fish Garlic ($12.95):
A classic Thai sweet-spicy-garlic preparation. I loved the sauce, and in fact ate up all the cabbage, and even the carrot garnish. Unfortunately for me, the fish used was catfish, and it was a bit muddy for my palate. The Missus joyfully scarfed the whole filet in minutes…….
On one visit we ordered the Fish on Fire ($16.95):
Two large Halibut Filets covered with a red curry sauce and served with a flambe of rum. One quick piece of advice for this dish, let the alcohol burn off before sampling, otherwise the rum adds a rather strong astringent flavor to the dish. The halibut was moist and tender. There was a bit too much going on for me in this dish, but again the Missus loved it.
One of my favorite menu items at Sab E Lee 2 is one of the cheapest….. the Garlic Rice ($3):
Those regular readers know that I love garlic anyway…. but this was so very good. Much better than any version of Filipino Garlic Rice I've ever had, as there was golden sauteed garlic and crisp fried garlic and shallot in this. The herbs added some great flavor…. and the rice being prepared well didn't hurt things…….
By now, most regular customers of Sab E Lee know Koby….. his wonderful demeanor, gentle, kind, and always helpful just makes the whole experience better. He obviously loves to please his customers. On one occasion, I ordered the Garlic Rice, and mentioned an egg and pork street food dish we had in Bangkok, and how it would be just the perfect item with this. Koby smiled and told us, "I know what it is, we'll make it for you!" And just like that, we had a classic Thai omelete, which we were later told is called Khai Jeaw:
Wonderfully savory, fluffy, omelete, with a quick dip in the Nam Pla Prik(fish sauce and chili) which helps cut the richness, followed with a bite of garlic rice…. There are few things better in the world.
And for a second, I was here:
The crazy streets of Silom in Bangkok…….. You know, they say in America, the streets are paved in gold. In Bangkok, the streets are paved in food! Looking at this makeshift food stand, you wouldn't know that it's in front of massive financial buildings in Silom, which is Bangkok's business district.
Sometimes a smell, or just a taste can take me back…….
And Koby was nice enough to provide that for me.
Sab E Lee 2
9159 Mission Gorge Road
Santee, CA 92071