May 2013 – Page 3

Up2Yoü Cafe-time for a snack

May 7, 2013 Cathy Caffeine Fix, Desserts, Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!, the blog about food, is the website you have selected to read. Kirk, ed(from Yuma) and Cathy share food experiences here. Cathy is writing today because the guys are busy with appointments galore.

The other day, I was craving something sweet and The Mister figured how to use the maps app on my iPhone. While I was driving, he did a search for 'desserts', saw the pin drops and told me to take a right from Convoy onto Vickers Street. Lo and behold, I found a place to park along this street of mostly Commercial/Wholesale/Maintenance businesses.

Up2Yoü Cafe is closer to Convoy on the North side of the street; you may pass it at first, but since Vickers is a Court, you'll see it when driving back…

When you walk in, you'll notice random, eclectic decor throughout (yes, those are black and white photos of Beatles)…

We happened to walk in when a large group was leaving and had a choice of seats in this 29 person capacity space (which oddly has about 36 seating spaces). That's the cash register, with card and board games on the counter. Pay attention to that pink and blue signage on the back wall; I'll get to it at the end…

The menu is simple and easily changeable, each section hanging by "S" hooks.

Quite a few beverage combinations are available. I selected the sweet orange tea($2.75)- it was freshly, perfectly brewed. (It's not sweetened, just the flavor is 'sweet orange', and it was very pleasant.)

Served in a *huge* cup, along with our order of a crepe ($3.50), filled with Nutella®($50¢), banana ($1) and topped with vanilla ice cream ($1),

Here's a blurry photo of a cross section. You can see that whipped cream was also inside the crépe.

The crépe was very good on its own, quite overfilled and the whipped cream was *fresh*. The vessels for conveying the various toppings are honey toast (which The Mister and I estimated to be 4x4x2 inches in size) and waffles. There are also banana splits and something called a fried banana cheesecake: nothing savory here. It was very good and we will be returning to try other items in various combinations.

(After I wrote this, I saw that Kirbie's Cravings had done a post in October last year; she has a great photo of the honey toast and a link to Erin's post on Serious Eats. It looks like snow ice is either gone or just one of the easy changes from the menu board. )

Up2Yoü Cafe 7770 Vickers Street San Diego 92111 (619)663-6388 Closed Mondays. T-Th 12:30-11, Fri-Sat 12:30-midnight Sun 12:30-10

Oh. The pink and blue signage on the back wall?

Restrooms.

Pho Weather: The Pho Shop and Pho Point Loma

May 6, 2013 mmm-yoso Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants

Ok, so it's in the 90's for a couple of days, then we get the wind and the rain…yikes. Well, at least it makes for some good pho weather. So here are a couple of places I hadn't posted on before.

The Pho Shop:

A couple of weeks ago AlanH sent me an email wondering about The Pho Shop. I guess he'd read through my pho posts and had noticed that I had never been there. He also mentioned that he was curious about the place because Trey Foshee had mentioned that it was his pho shop. There is of course a difference between "favorite" and best, etc, etc, etc. With all due respect, while I really do enjoy his work at George's at the Cove, when it comes to recommendations for pho, his is not the first name that comes to mind.

Still, in order to do my "pho-diligence", I put it on my list of places to try and with the sudden vturn of the weather, pho seemed like a good thing so I headed down Sports Arena and found the shop on the other side of the massive "Phil's nation".

The place is bright and clean offering local brews on tap.

The young man who served me was very nice, there's no hovering over you waiting for you to order. Unfortunately, the first thing that came to mind was Mignon Pho + Grill, a place that's does everything nice except most of the food. There were an interesting number of warning signs, stuff like, here it's not nuoc mam cham, here they call it "fish vinaigrette"…..

I don't know why they left out the "sauce" portion…it really reads as carrot & fish vinaigrette.

So I just had to get me some of that, right?

I was pleasantly surprised at the the sight of my Cha Gio……they're using the right type of rice paper here. It was fried perfectly, with a wonderful crunch.

That's pretty much where it ends. The nuoc mam cham was terribly watered (and dumbed down) to the point that it had some spice, but barely any savory fish sauce or sweet tones. Blech.

The eggrolls themselves was mostly filler with almost no flavor at all.

Nice first impression, no follow-thru. And not particularly good for $3.95.

This left me wondering what the Pho Dac Biet($6.75) was going to be like.

Actually, this was a decent bowl of pho. It wouldn't be on my top 5 list, but if it was in Clairemont it might be on the top of the heap.

Since my FOY (friend of yoso) Jenne always kids me about being, so, well, picky is the right word I guess, let's start with the good. I thought the meat prep was good…even that which I usually get down on, the slices of rare "Tai", which is the usual eye of round was decent. It might be worthwhile to get that on the side. The flank cuts were the best, just tender enough without falling apart, with a nice beefy flavor.

Nice amount of tripe, which was tasteless, but had a good crunch…..there were only a few tiny pieces of tendon though.

The noodles were on the overcooked-mushy side. The broth had a mild onion-sweetness to it, not as pronounced as the version at Pho Fifth Avenue, which I think is a bit better than this, having a bit more beefy "umph" and fat.

So while the pho here is not in the class of Lucky, Cow Cali, Pho Hoa, even Pho Hiep or Ca Dao, it's not bad. The place does more of a "pho not to offend" version, but it wasn't bad. Friendly service, clean, well lit, lots of parking…..if all that is more important than getting a top notch bowl of pho, then this is your place. Or heck, if you're a sriracha and hoisin "pho-natic" then it really doesn't matter anyway, does it?

The Pho Shop
3760 Sports Arena Blvd
San Diego, CA 92110
Hours:
Mon-Fri 11am – 10pm
Sat 10am – 10pm
Sun 10am – 9pm

Pho Point Loma:

I'd been meaning to try Pho Point Loma for a while but had really put the place on the back-burner after Dennis told me about having a pretty mediocre bowl of pho there. Still, I was on my way home from my usual Sunday visit to the San Diego Farmer's Market and I decided to stop by for an early lunch.

While clean and bright in its own right, this seemed like a more traditional pho shop to me….all business and rather spartan looking. What that POS system is doing as you walk in the front door, I'll never know.

After looking over at the bowls of pho on other tables I made my decision to go with a "small" #3 - well-done steak, flank, brisket, tripe, and tendon ($5.95).

The broth here reminded me of Pho T Cali and not in a good way. It was salty, but lacked much of anything else.

The tendon was decently tender as was brisket, which really lacked flavor. The flank was tough and the well done steak was both tough and dry.

The noodles, found in the usual clump on the bottom of the bowl was prepped well.

But that's not enough to have me return for the pho.

Pho Point Loma & Grill Restaurant
2788 Midway Dr
San Diego, CA 92110
Hours:
Open Daily 930am – 930pm

Coffee, Bagels &Crépes – Alpine

May 5, 2013 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Desserts, What Cathy Eats!

Welcome (back) to mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog about eating experiences. Today, Kirk is busy, ed (from Yuma) is busy and so Cathy is writing.

In early April, I had to be in Alpine a couple of times and noticed this small, new place had opened, right next to Alpine Liquor on Alpine Boulevard. I stopped once, enjoyed a fresh bagel snack with coffee and made a note that The Mister needed to be with me the next time I was driving out there.

Early one morning, we drove out here again and I had the time to pay attention to details.

The 'front desk' is an old coffee cart. I say old, because it has inspection stickers on it dating back to 2005.

There is a menu you can see from the front of the cart when ordering, it has prices. This is the side of the building with a handicap access ramp and the priceless menu. Turns out that Coffee, Bagels & Crépes opened on April 1.

There is a selection of coffees in pump pots and this morning I asked for the boldest one. The coffee here is good. The Mister ordered a breakfast crépe ($5.50) and before even taking our money, the friendly owner turned around and began measuring and mixing crépe batter for us. What service.

What freshness! See those orange egg yolks? There was crispy, nicely flavored bacon and cheese inside this light, slightly sweet fresh crépe batter. The topping was a ribbon of basil sauce. This was quite large and so very fresh.

When we saw that the owner was making a batch of crépe batter, it seemed natural to order a second crépe.

Yes. Why not a Nutella® and banana crépe? It was breakfast after all…

The cross section- the banans inside the crépe were warm and the ones on the outside were still cold; a nice contrast. A nice breakfast outside in Alpine. We will be returning for lunch. Soon.

Coffee, Bagels & Crépes 2250 Alpine Blvd (next to Alpine Liquor, at Marshall Road) Alpine, CA 92101

Guai Wei Yu – Strange Flavor Fish (怪味鱼)

May 4, 2013 mmm-yoso Cooking, Recipes

In keeping with the Missus' wish to never have the same fish dish for more than two or three times (there are exceptions of course) I have to keep coming up with various preparations, most of which include some kind of sauce. I'll readily admit that sometimes my answer to the Missus's, "why don't you make something good for a change" can be a hard sell. This one is a good example. I've been missing Chinese flavors, so looking at the nice piece of halibut, I thought why not guai-wei, also known as "strange flavor", but probably even more well known as the flavoring for a popular Sichuan dish called "Bang Bang Chicken"……bang bang ji si. It's basically a combination of "fish flavored" (yu xiang – 鱼香), sesame paste, and Sichuan Peppercorns.

To the Missus this seemed like heresy, She had never heard of such a preparation using fish….but I've made guai wei ji si in the days when the Missus used to eat chicken. Still, She really doubted that I could pull this off………

In the end, She loved it….well, She loved the sauce. You talk about the classic suan-tian-ku-la-xian, the sour-sweet-bitter-spicy-salty metaphor for a flavorful, yet balanced dish the Chinese use.

The fish was prepared in typical Chinese fashion. The basic marinade step for the fish is simple:

2 Tb Shaoxing Wine
2 Tb Grated Ginger
White Pepper

Combine and let fish sit for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile the strange flavor sauce:

3 Tb Chinese sesame paste, mixed well
1 tsp sesame oil
2-3 Tb Chili Oil
1 tsp ground, toasted Sichuan Peppercorns
2 Tb Premium Light Soy Sauce
1 Tb sugar
Salt to taste
water or peanut oil to thin out the sauce

– Combine the first 6 ingredients, mixing well until the sugar is dissolved
– Add oil or water if the sauce is too thick
– Taste and adjust flavors, add salt if desired

I then dust the fish with potato starch and pan fry. Spoon on the sauce, garnish with scallions, cilantro, sesame seeds and some really spicy red chilies.

Drizzle with more chili oil.

I served this with Jinan style purple cabbage slaw on some mizuna.

I lived to cook another day………

Smacked Cucumbers – Pai Huang Gua (派黄瓜)

May 3, 2013 mmm-yoso Cooking, Recipes

It's really feeling like record heat isn't it? For some reason, I enjoy dishes like this, called Smacked Cucumber because you smack the cucumbers with the flat of a cleaver a couple of times before cutting. The sauce is that wonderful combination of sour-salty-sweet-spicy-numbing that I find refreshing.

Fuchsia Dunlop has a nice version in her latest book, Every Grain of Rice. I enjoy a bit more of everything, but the recipe in the book is a nice place to start. Even though it might not seem so; the version I made this evening has 6 cloves of garlic, which I grated into a paste. Because there's so much flavor, you may not notice just how much garlic is in this until after your meal…..garlic breath, the gift that keeps on giving. I also cut down on the normal 1:1 ratio of sugar to vinegar because the Missus enjoys this less sweet.

You can cut the cucumber whichever way you choose, either into quarters or use rolling cuts….I just do whichever I feel like. This is more than enough sauce for a pound of cucumbers….I just tend to like more sauce, which you can actually save and use for another batch.

Smacked Cucumbers – Pai Huang Gua:

1 pound Persian or Japanese Cucumbers
1 Tb salt
4 tsp Chinkiang Black Vinegar
2 tsp Sugar
2 Tb Chili Oil
4 tsp Premium Soy Sauce
1 tsp ground toasted Sichuan Peppercorns
2-6 cloves garlic minced

– Smack cucumbers with the flat of a cleaver to loosen and tenderize the flesh
– Slice/chop cucumbers as desired, salt and let rest for 10-15 minutes in the refrigerator (I like this chilled)
– Meanwhile combine the last six ingredients until sugar dissolves. Taste and adjust flavoring.
– Drain cucumbers and pour sauce over and mix. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.
– Eat!

There you go……

Sister Pee Wee’s Soul Food

May 2, 2013 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Cajun, Southern, and Soul Food

**** Sadly, after many years, Sister Pee Wee's has closed

My lunch at Red Rooster Catfish put in the mood for some fried chicken or pork chops. It also triggered a bit of nostalgia. During the mid to late 90's I did a bunch of consulting stints in Arkansas and Georgia, managing to stop by Alabama, Tennessee, and South Carolina during the over year and a half I spent in the area. It was a big change for the boy from Hawaii. And while I sorely missed all the good grindz and Asian food…..I recall the folks I work with taking me to a "Japanese" restaurant in Columbus, Georgia that served converted rice….yep, good ol' Uncle Ben! I did gain an appreciation for the hearty, soulful, food.

With that in mind, I decided to hop down to Sister Pee Wee's on Imperial. The last time I'd been here was probably back in 2001. Still, the exterior of the place looked the same.

I think the interior has been changed a bit, though it's hard to put my finger on what exactly it was.

I know there must be at least a couple more bumper stickers, photos, or memorabilia on the walls….

The cherubic, friendly, and smiling gentleman greeted me with a big grin and a "you're early, you must be real hungry today!" And of course there was Sister Pee Wee, peering out from behind the counter.

A couple of things you ought to know about Sister Pee Wee's, the place consists of a single counter, with maybe ten chairs or so, it's cash only, and if you want to know what Sister Pee Wee is serving, you need to check out the grease board, either outside, or the one hanging behind the counter.

The last time I was here, over a decade ago, it was the smothered pork chops. Today, I went with the fried chicken, with all (3) the sides ($10). Sister Pee Wee asked me if I wanted some fruit punch, but I decided to do without all that sugar; I'd be getting enough calories as is…….

I really took to the concept of "meat and three" when working down South. And why wouldn't I? Doesn't this kind of look like a plate lunch?

In terms of the sides. The green beans were typical canned and cooked, the gravy was nice, but the rice a bit hard. I really enjoyed that potato salad, tangy and creamy, it really did well by me.

I was warned that the chicken was going to take 15-20 minutes, which didn't bother me…this isn't KFC! The batter was crisp, with the flavor teetering on the edge of salty without tipping over. The meat…..all dark meat I'm glad to say was very moist. It was good basic eats, nothing fancy, but I really didn't want nor expect more then decent grindz.

Since I was the only person in the place, Sister Pee Wee came out front when I was almost finished with lunch. We had a nice chat….well really, Sister Pee Wee did the talking, I did the listening. Last time I was here, she told me about adopting some kids. Today it was about driving up to Yuma to go fishing. Sister Pee Wee has been doing this for over 30 years……there's lots of stories to keep you entertained as I was on this day. Just like the menu, you never know what the special (story) of the day will be. That's part of the experience here.

Which for some obtuse reason got me thinking about that Japanese restaurant serving Uncle Ben's. Wonder what the sushi was like? Well, perhaps I'd better not…I shudder to imagine! Now the world has gotten a lot smaller since then and things have probably (hopefully) changed. But there are some things that shouldn't and hopefully won't……. like Sister Pee Wee's.

Sister Pee Wee's Soul Food
2971 Imperial Ave
San Diego, CA 92102

Posted Hours (I understand that they'll close when they are out of food):
Mon – Fri 8am – 7pm
Saturday 8am – 5pm