Hello. You are reading mmm-yoso!!!, a blog about food. Kirk is still on vacation. ed(from Yuma) is still working. Cathy is here, sharing with you a meal she and The Mister shared with each other.
I've posted about Niban two times. It is conveniently located on Clairmont Mesa Boulevard at the SouthEast corner of 805, in the parking lot with the Starbucks, McDonald's and Souplantation. This is another place The Mister and I grab a quick lunch or dinner when neither of us wants to cook. There are large menus taped in the front windows and also a display case of the specials for that day at the doorway.
You walk in, order, pay then have a seat. Soon, someone comes by and grabs the numbered receipt you were handed and asks what your beverage choice is. Hot tea is always free. There are two lunch specials on the back wall, behind the cashier.
This is the lunch Bento ($5.25). It is served on a divided round dish. Fried calamari, a fried shrimp and a piece of fried fish (tasted like cod that day), rice and tartar sauce. Six pieces of California roll (made with krab), a piece of nigiri. At the 5 o'clock position, a sort of crabmeat fish cucumber salad…no place else on the menu and enticingly good.
The other lunch special, gyoza ($5.25). You are asked if you would like your dumplings fried or steamed. This time, we chose steamed. Very thin dough, filled with ground pork and vegetables. As you can see, miso soup, salad and rice accompany the dumplings, as well as a vinegar-soy sauce. 
Above, the fried calamari appetizer ($4.25). We almost always order this, with lunch or with dinner…or for lunch or fo dinner… Five pieces of breaded, crispy fried calamari steak accompanied by some lettuce and sauce. Hot spicy sauce. *Not* Thousand Island dressing, even though that is how the sauce appears. I think the sauce has sriracha as a base. I used to think it was jalapeño, but since becoming more familiar with sriracha, it seems pretty evident that those peppers are what is in this sauce. It compliments the fried calamari steak quite well.
Good daily specials, good food, nice people.
Niban 7081 Clairmont Mesa Boulevard San Diego 92111 (858) 268-0465