November 2014 – Page 3

Sunday Sandwiches: Sweet and Savory Gourmet

November 9, 2014 mmm-yoso Sandwiches

It's been a while since I've done one of these, so I guess it's about time.

Sweet & Savory is a little catering business that does sandwiches between noon and six pm or so during the work week. The location is a bit out of the way, on Mount Acadia Boulevard in Clairemont. There used to be a little produce stand in the this strip mall which closed maybe 8 years ago. I'd been wanting to try the place for a while, so I finally made some time to go there.

It is mainly a catering business; there's a table out front, but the usual drill is to order at the counter right inside the door and take your food to go. The lunch menu is a nice and tight collection of sandwiches and salads. I like that there's "smaller" versions of sandwiches, which at five bucks suit me fine. The larger sizes price out at seven dollar, and there's a size called ridiculous which is $25!

On my first visit; I could not help but take notice of the "Best Tri-Tip Sandwich ever". Ever…..hmmmm….that would mean better than Firestone Grill or even the Prime Smoked Tri-Tip I make at home, huh? Actually, I didn't expect that….and I gotta say, this was my favorite of all the sandwiches I tried.

I gotta say, the coffee rubbed tri-tip was very moist, mild in flavor, adequately tender. The gouda added a nice milky-smoky component to the sandwich, since the tri-tip was obviously roasted not smoked. The garlic mayo was fine, though I'd have preferred something with a bit more pungency. I'm kind of on the fence about the ciabatta….on one hand there's a yeasty component to the roll which adds to the whole package, on the other hand, it was ice cold and maybe a bit too chewy for me.

Overall, this was a nice sandwich!

The next time, I tried the "Cubano:

I'm not a fan of this one; the pork was too dry and gritty. The pepperoncini was too strong in flavor and over-powered everything else in the sandwich……just simple dill pickles would have done fine. The ham was there…….the Dijonaise was a nice touch, though plain yellow would do just fine and probably help stand up to the relish. Of course a ciabatta roll is not Cuban Bread, too yeasty, lacking the flakiness. I don't blame them for controlling costs…..

One of my guilty pleasures is a good turkey sandwich…..I grew up on hot turkey sandwiches….I know, not everyone's cup of tea, but I do like one once in a while. Sweet & Savory has three versions of turkey sandwiches, so I decided to check out a couple of them.

The "Brie" was my favorite of the two, though it's a bit too tart, the combination of of Granny Smith apples and cranberry kind of over did that for me. But if you like that flavor profile, you'd love this. I though all that tartness cancelled out the brie. Same deal as before with the ciabatta…the turkey is formed, but not processed….that is; they cut it from a round "roll"……it still was undoubtedly turkey.

On my most recent visit, I decided to order the "Thanksgiving".

For some strange reason; I love "stuffing" in a turkey sandwich….though I'd like some gravy to dip the whole mess in. This was a bit too sweet for my taste. I wish the Muenster Cheese stood out a bit more.

And while it may not seem that way; I do like this little shop…..I prefer visiting this place than one of those chains. Things are prepared better and the folks are very nice. Plus, you get a cookie with every take-out order.

And while the food ventured too much on the sweet versus the the savory for me; I'll definitely be back for the tri-tip, and maybe a sandwich/salad or two in the future as you can't beat the prices. I do wish they'd open at 11 though, since I usually eat early, but that's just me…..

Sweet & Savory Gourmet
3574 Mount Acadia Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111
Hours:
Monday – Friday 12pm – 6pm

Sukiyaki Saturday

November 8, 2014 mmm-yoso Cooking, Recipes

It's quite strange….or maybe not. Since our return from Japan, the Missus has been wanting me to make Japanese food. Some things, like Nishime are a pain. The Missus has requested Sukiyaki the last two weekends…….not super hard; a bit of prep. I was taught to make it a certain way and I still stick my guns…if you get Sukiyaki for less than $15-25 pp, it's not going to be very good.

Anyway, I really wasn't going to do this post, but Frankie needed some emergency dental surgery, so I've been kind of preoccupied this weekend. So how about something short and sweet like this? It's still the same as what I posted on in 2006….some things just don't need to be changed.

It's about understanding all the facets, the prep, how flavors work, and timing. I always make the sauce; the Warishita, the night before.

1/2 Cup Soy Sauce 3/4 Cup Mirin 1/2 Cup Sugar 1/4 Cup Water 1/4 Sake 1/4 tsp Dashi No Moto(optional) 1 clove garlic smashed (optional)

Combine Warishita ingredients(except for dashi no moto) and bring to a boil while stirring, turn down heat and simmer for 3-5 minutes to burn off alcohol. Remove from heat and add dashi no moto, if desired. Remove from heat and cool. Let the sauce "rest" at least 20 minutes, or over night.

Nowadays, I always make a double recipe. The Missus will occasionally ask me to change the recipe and I do….knowing perfectly well She'll say to change it back the next time. The warishita may seem sweet, but the flavors of the meat and other ingredients will buffer that. The flavor of the tofu is not the same without that much mirin.

1 lb Thin cut rib eye or sirloin 2 Medium Round Onions sliced 2 Packages Shirataki(Yam Noodles), open packages and place in a colander. Pour boiling water over Shirataki to remove the "smell". 1 Block Tofu drained well – I wrap a paper towel around the block of tofu to drain then place a plate on it for a few minutes, and cut into 1 inch cubes 1 Can Bamboo Shoots – If the smell bothers you, pour boiling water over Bamboo Shoots, drain, then cut into slices lengthwise. 8-10 Fresh Shiitake Mushrooms 1 Bunch Enoki Mushrooms (optional) 2 Bunches Watercress, or 1 bunch Shingiku (Edible Garland Chrysanthemum) 1 Bunch Green Onions(green parts only), cut into 1 inch lengths 4-6 Eggs or quail eggs

1. Lightly oil the bottom of a Tetsunabe (Iron Pot),do not use a donabe(earthenware pot). You can also use a large heavy bottom skillet. Place on a tabletop stove.

2. Arrange items in a single layer on the bottom of the skillet.

3. Heat skillet over medium heat. Pour half of the Warishita over ingredients covering the meat.

4. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 3-5 minutes.

5. Add ingredients and sauce as they are depleted.

6. If you desire, pick out ingredients and dip them in lightly beaten egg right before eating.

Quail eggs seem to work well for us nowadays…..

Oh and we even tried out that Wagyu from Japan in addition to our wagyu sirloin. We have a marble slate that we often use to keep meat cold for grilling and such.

We just dipped this into the warishita as it boiled….not too long or it'll disintergrate.

And as before, I take inspiration in one of the few items I still have from my Mother. This little booklet was published before I was born and has such charming little sections as how to properly wrap your obi, 'The Japanese Smile", flower arranging, the furoshiki, New Years customs….quite a bit for a tiny 69 page booklet. It was written by "Fumiko"….just one name.

As for when it was published….I'd say before 1959….

Definitely before I was born……. The recipes are dated, which means it was based on what was available in Hawaii at that time….mirin for instance, was very hard to get. Anyway, just flipping the pages gives me inspiration….it's part of my roots, my heritage.

As for Sukiyaki, it's all in the prep and presentation….I've made it for 2 and a few years back for 30, it's all the same. If you haven't made this, I hope you give it a try…

Thanks for reading!

Tokyo Day 2: A visit to Meiji-jingu, Shibuya crossing, Hachikō, and you’ll find the good stuff in the basement

November 7, 2014 mmm-yoso Japan, Markets & Grocers, Tokyo, Kamakura, and the Kantō Region, Travel

*** Not much food in this one, so I wouldn't blame you if you just decided to come back tomorrow!

On our second full day in Tokyo, both the Missus and I awoke feeling….well, great! I'm sure you would too if you'd had the great meals we'd had the previous day. After doing some laundry the night before, the Missus hatched Her plan for the next morning. And so we started off from our apartment in Yotsuya Sanchome, heading South, then supposedly West….I say supposedly, because we took a wrong turn. Upon hitting Minamimotomachi Park, we realized we were headed in the wrong direction and turned around. From there it was a pretty straight line to our destination, Meiji-jingu.

This Shinto shrine, dedicated to Emperor Meiji and the Empress Shōken is 175 acres of peace and tranquility in busy Shibuya.

And while Tokyo itself is fairly quiet for a city of its size…..you can escape much of the "white noise" here. All you hear is the crunching of gravel as you walk down the paths.

Emperor Meiji presided over the Meiji Restoration, which consolidated power under the rule of emperor. This period marked the modernization of Japan as it formed various alliances and opened its doors to the west.

The gate to the main shrine complex is the largest wooden "tori" (gate) of this style in the world and was built from 1500 year old Japanese Cypress trees from Taiwan.

The grounds give an impression of an old and ancient forested area, but the trees were actually planted during the shrine's construction in the 1920's.

The main shrine complex, at least when we visited, during a weekday morning was so peaceful and relaxing…..

It's a great place to contemplate the day and life in general……which was kind of broken up by the two dudes in suits from you know where shouting at each other trying to get the best shots. You can see them, in a rather Picasso like fashion if you click on the panoramic shot above to enlarge.

As it stands, one of our favorite spots during our time in Tokyo.

Before leaving, we saw some folks taking wedding photos……I read that this is a popular location for traditional style photos.

How cute….

Leaving the area, we headed down toward Shibuya…land of the well…..kind of a "hipster-slacker, punk-goth-Hello Kitty, oh my goodness what is that"….well, let's just say, there's a lot of young people around expressing themselves in the way they dress!

As we walked down the street, I saw "a sign"……well perhaps not divine in origin, it was still a hallowed sign from years ago….my goodness Tower Records! I asked the Missus if we could check the place out….She understands that very few non-food things really get me excited, so this must mean something. Unfortunately, they weren't open, but the Missus decided that we should grab a cup of coffee.

A few minutes before the place was scheduled to open we walked over. There was a fairly young, balding, guy who kept twitching, ants in his pants, almost jogging in place, raring to go at the door. As soon as the doors opened he sprinted up the escalators. Curious, we followed. What was going on here…some new release, tickets to some concert? Well, no….we found the dude in the aisles of the Jazz section? Huh? Pretty goofy…..I actually do a pretty good impression of the guy for the Missus once in a while….the Jazz section….

Actually, I love Jazz and took some time to look around, Kenny Burrell, Jim Hall, the Brecker Brothers! However, I just wanted one thing….I've been trying to get ahold of the "local music" of my hanabata days. I knew from previous experience that a lot of releases, especially the one I was looking for are still available in Japan….and guess what? I found what I wanted.

We made our way down to Shibuya Crossing, considered to be the busiest crosswalk in the world…while not too busy at this time of the day, we just had to cross…..to get to the other side of the road of course.

Here's what it looks like from Shibuya Station.

You should see some of those Youtube videos of the crossing, like this one.

Man, this placed was packed with shops…..just about everything catered to young people. We walked over to Shibuya 109, the young and trendy fashion shopping mecca for young people…and boy am I old! I couldn't believe how short some of those skirts were….sheesh. The Missus was also not having a good time so I asked Her where She wanted to go? "Ginza……" So off we went on the Ginza line. It was getting pretty close to lunch….even after yesterday's meals, the Missus was craving one thing…..salad. I had an idea….but before we headed off for Ginza, there was one thing I had to see. You can read the story about Hachikō here. I just needed to come here and take a photo……it's all I really wanted to do in Shibuya.

And so we got on the Ginza line….getting off at the stop where Mitsukoshi Nihonbashi, the flagship store of the chain is located.

So here's the deal…in the lower floors of any major department store, like Daimaru or Mitsukoshi….you'll even find department stores in every major train station, there will be ton of vendors and stands.

There's quite an assortment of western and traditional dishes available, usually priced by weight or by piece.

It's not cheap….especially the roasted sweet potato the Missus got…..630 yen!

Still, we ended up having a light meal….. There are no places to eat in the basement, but if you ask, you'll be advised to head up to the 9th floor…..where the restaurant, cafe, and gardens are.

There you'll find folks eating, whether they bought their food at Mitsukoshi or not….the couple next to us was really cute….they ate exactly the same items at exactly the same time.

We ordered just a few things….that smoked duck was really awesome. Like I said, the Missus was missing salad….

Notice the portion sizes? I came to appreciate the portion sizes….you got the fried stuff, they ate ramen with rice, no denying the love of sweets…..but they were all thin….because they walked and used public transportation. Oh, that's the Missus's roasted potato to the right….She felt so bad about the price that She made it last three meals!

Funny…..

And for folks old enough…remember when we had the Mitsukoshi Building in Waikiki? 2155 Kalakaua? They had an entire floor of video games……Galaxian!

Thanks for reading!

Tokyo Day 1: Dinner at Suzunari

November 6, 2014 mmm-yoso Fine Dining, Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Memorable Meals, Tokyo, Kamakura, and the Kantō Region, Travel

I'd planned of having a heck of a first full day in Tokyo….it was to be our "red lettered day". We started out at Tsukiji Market, then had lunch at Sushi Iwa. I wanted to finish off the evening with something special. initially, I thought about one of those 2-3 Michelin Star places….but, as I've mentioned before, I think folks put a bit too much in the "star" system, though there's a good bit a rating like that does say. I started thinking a bit differently about things when I overheard a conversation regarding some of the "top rated" places in Tokyo…..and I read about this common theme as well. You won't find any Japanese Nationals at many of these places….nowadays it's mostly Chinese/European/American tourists. Nothing wrong with that, but it's just not our style. Also, we wanted something that wasn't too stuffy or pretentious, not overdone and precious. I wanted a place where we'd find Japanese eating. After doing a whole lot of research, hemming and hawing, a little Kaiseki place named Suzunari came up. No, you won't find it on Chowhound, I just did a search on the Japan board before starting this post. A big plus was this little place was located in rather close proximity to our apartment in Yotsuya. The only obstacle was trying to get reservations…nothing online, we had no concierge, no English spoken. We're lucky to have friends who were able to make reservations for us. So we headed down the narrow streets of Arakicho a neighborhood of small, somewhat private looking bars and restaurants….we just followed the Salarymen.

I had read that Suzunari had no real sign and it was very difficult to find so we started early….strangely, perhaps it was luck, we found the place with no problems at all. Sticking my head in the door, quietly saying in my fumbling Japanese "Yoyaku shitemasu……" to the young woman working the tables, suddenly I heard a greeting from behind me……this happened to be Chef Murata and the kind and warm young lady is his wife. They were of course expecting us, first grabbing our coats then leading us to our seats at the bar.

The bar seating was already filled in this tiny restaurant.

There are three versions of the menu available, basically, 60, 100, or 150 dollars. Heck, we were in Tokyo, we had arranged for the 15,000 yen menu. There's so much preparation done ahead of time, that you need to indicate which offering you want. I had the folks choose our Nihonshu, just indicating we wanted something "local"… the young woman knew a little English, which helped, and I did my best….which wasn't much.

It was great watching Chef Murata and his assistant prep all the dishes. The entire staff was a total of four, the Chef, his second, his wife who worked the front of house, and an older woman, who seemed to be one of their mothers, who took care of the dishes and cleaning….it really seemed to be a family affair. And yes, this is Tokyo, most everything was done in almost a hushed silence.

The meal itself was amazing…..Chef Murata would often stop everything he was doing to try and explain what he was serving, or his wife would try to find the English words for items……they seemed to be pleasantly surprised that I knew the Japanese or at least the English names of what was being served. Of course there were still many, many, gaps…items I've not had experience with, which made this meal even more pleasant.

The Sakizuke, first course was a refreshing, understated course of shrimp and tender tako with what seemed like, but I don't think was grated yamaimo, it was too smooth. The aspic was subtle, but refreshing.

The range of flavors all seemed to compliment each other…….so smooth…

The Hassun, basically a arrangement of appetizers was one of the most impressive things I've ever seen.

No matter what angle I tried; I couldn't capture the breath of this in one photo. It's also impossible to explain all the tastes, textures, and fragrances in just a few words.

I will say, some the simpler items were just amazingly perfect; the smoked duck was moist and tender that you would think it was pork, except it had that nice duck flavor….the ginnan, earthy, with a hint of sweet and bitter but also made crunchy. The two almost ohitashi like dishes; the greens and mushrooms with yuzu, topped with beautiful, briney ikura, served in a hollowed out yuzu….the fragrance of the fruit adding a nice touch. The tai with shiokara sauce, sweet, pungent, chewy and silky smooth at the same time. The bo-zushi was a fantastic combination of milky and savory flavors, cut by the vinegar in the rice. You really could go on and on…..

And yet, the one item we're still talking about is the simply perfect shirako……..perhaps my best bit of the year. Firm until it enters your mouth, turning into a wonderful melting creaminess upon your first bite. Just simply amazing.

The Mukōzuke, the sashimi course, was fine…….

The Mushimono – steamed dish was a fabulous. A chawan-mushi, steamed egg dish, was so smooth and custard like. This version had suppon (soft shell turtle) in it.

Comfort food taken to the next level…..the suppon is quite mild in flavor.

Botan Ebi – October is pandalus nipponesis season from what I understand.

You know which part we treasured the most, right?

We watched as fish were skewered and roasted/broiled in the salamander. Chef told me what kind of hikarimono these were but I really couldn't understand and I didn't want to take him away from the now full house he was dealing with. I figure these were the yakimono items.

The fish were rich, with good oil, savory, and quite tender. Our favorite was the version served with a smooth, savory, beany, but not salty aka miso. It just blended in so well with the fish and especially the shiitake mushroom….umami overload.

This was so good, we don't even remember the next item…….

I'm thinking this was a palate refresher….because next up was the Kamameshi, the grand finale as it were. Noticing that I was taking photos……the young lady kindly brought me the pot of rice to photograph before serving……it was just so touching in a way….so thoughtful….

Mixed and served with the typical Kōnomono, seasonal pickles…..this was by far the best kamameshi we'd ever had…it was just masterfully prepared, so perfect in proportion. Also, the entire pot was for us! We saw the couple next to us totally clean out the entire pot….but there was no way we could do this. In the typical way, they made onigiri for us.

The aka miso shiru had a large amount of lobster in it. It was rich, yet not salty……it wasn't a favorite of the Missus, who I guess prefers the really salty versions we have here in the states….She really didn't care for any of the miso soup we had in Japan.

And yes, there's dessert….but there was no way we'd be able to do that. I just nodded "no" and patted my stomach and said, "oh no. soon sumotori….." Which got a nice laugh.

As the evening wore down, the folks here took time to formally introduce themselves to us and kind of of wondering where we were from. I do wish I spoke and understood more Japanese. They were genuinely surprised to find we were from San Diego.

We both loved Suzunari. In fact, if we're ever back in Tokyo, I'll try and find a way to return. The food is great, the folks running the place are wonderfully gracious, very relaxed, and so sincere. It's more than wonderful food; it was a memorable experience It was the perfect place for us; no pretense, not stuffy, a family operation, gracious hosts, and fantastic food. There were no tourists in the place other than us……the place was fully booked. We didn't want any concessions and that's a great thing we found in Japan, I'm sure there are places that will do this….but as a whole, you'll eat like the people. We loved it!

Yes, you need to book months in advance as it has perhaps 8 bar seats and three small tables. And yes, they do have a Michelin star.

All customers are escorted out as they leave and thanked; though the Chef came out from behind the counter to join us as well….to give me his business card. But I gotta ask…..when was the last time you saw a Michelin-starred Chef flashing the peace sign in a photo? You gotta love this place! We do!

Suzunari
7-9 Arakicho, Shinjuku-ku
Tokyo

Midweek Meanderings: The Original Sab E Lee – Linda Vista is moving and Marukai has new hours

November 5, 2014 mmm-yoso Markets & Grocers, Thai Restaurants

A couple of things to break up the week…..

The Original Sab E Lee moving into the (former) Bale location:

Funny thing. This past weekend I wanted something with a little "zip", so in spite of some not so great meals in the last year or so, since I needed to grab something from Thuan Phat, I decided to get some take-out from what was once our favorite take-out spot, the Original Sab E Lee. Over the last couple of years, there seems to be a rotation of young people running the front of house….on this day, the young lady was, well, kind of rude….. But taking a peek back at the kitchen, I saw one of the "old crew" who had moved over to Rancho Penasquitos location cooking in the back. Needless to say, it was a very nice meal….though I found that my tolerance for heat….I used to be a level 10 kind of guy, has gone down. A "7" on this day was kicking my butt. Still, this was the best stuff I've had from here in a while….especially the salted fish fried rice!

Anyway, I also noticed that Bale had closed down….well, they lasted two years…..

Yesterday, I was on my way to a meeting and I decided to drive by and take a photo for a post……and my goodness what a surprise!

Way back in 2008, Kobey told me they had looked at this spot, but thought it was too expensive. I'm glad they're pulling the trigger now. The spot really hasn't done well since Le's closed, in 2009 it became LV Sandwiches, in 2010 Toan Ky, Bale opened in 2012, now in 2014 it's going to be the TOSEL…more tables, more parking, I hope the staff and the kitchen can keep up.

The Original Sab E Lee
2405 Ulric St
San Diego, CA 92111

moving to

6925 Linda Vista Road
San Diego, CA 92111

Marukai has new hours:

This past weekend, the Missus went back to work. She requested Sukiyaki, so I decided to drop by Marukai. I got there a bit earlier than the usual (former) opening time of 930 and noticed folks were already exiting the market.

That's when I noticed the new hours.

I also did pretty well in the meat department.

I'm glad to have the new hours….9 or 930 is kinda late to get started shopping for me on weekends.

Marukai Market
8151 Balboa Ave
San Diego, CA 92111

Hope you're having a great week!

Pho Hut and Grill

November 4, 2014 mmm-yoso Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants

It seems that Pho Hut opened while we were away on vacation. Didn't hear much…..or make that nothing about the place. I guess folks are just plain focused on all the places opening on the blocks East of here. Well of course I had to check them out….

This used to be Quiznos, which I don't has fared quite well over the last couple of years. I believe we need some good independently owned west of the 805, so this was, at least for me, a welcomed sight. The interior has been redone, in what I call "modern pho"…..that is, it is clean (should be because it's new, right?), simply done, sort of like Pho 46 or The Pho Shop. Of course, the standard issue televisions were present and accounted for as well.

I believe the owner also owns Pho Nam Cali in National City.

You know what I ordered, right? Looking at the location and then the menu I knew that this shop catered to more western sensibilities with regards to pho….in other words you won't find every combination of protein for pho on the menu. It's basically 8 variations, including Pho Filet. i just went with the Dac Biet. A small will set you back $7.50.

I didn't anticipate much in the way of garnishes and my expectations were met.

The broth looked disappointing, fairly cloudy, a bit too defatted. Almost no nose to speak of, very faint beef, no anise, savory-onionyness. The flavor was quite salty, but very flat after that. The portion looked quite small, which is fine since the broth was too salty to finish, even after touching it up with lime to cut the sodium.

The clumped noodles were quite good with a nice stretch.

As for the proteins….tripe MIA, the rare steak really tough and overcooked by the time the bowl hit the table….need to order this on the side. The tendon was good, soft and close to that buttery texture I like. The brisket was tasty and well prepared. Not much meat in the bowl though.

Not really a good value in my book. The guy running the front was very nice though. Quite friendly and efficient.

Since the place is close to home and work, it was easy enough to make multiple visits. Wasn't sure what to order on my second go around. I saw the Goi Cuon on my previous visit and it really didn't seem like something I'd enjoy here.

So I started with the Bò nướng hành ($6.50) – basically Grilled Beef Rolled around onions.

The fragrance was nice, the beef a bit on the tough side, but well flavored – sweet-salty, very straight forward teriyaki/bulgogi like. The onions were mild and overall this was a pretty good choice. The nuoc mam cham was on the mild side and the portion is gringo sized.

I also ordered the Bun with Pork, Shrimp, and Cha Gio ($9.95). Again, this seemed a bit on the pricey side.

Too much filler in the standard issue egg rolls, but the grilld pork was nicely flavored and not too tough. The shrimp seemed a bit overcooked. This looked like a pretty large bowl and I thought it was going to be a total carb bomb. However, half of the bottom was filled with lettuce. So in terms of being a salad…..well, this was pretty good. The bun was prepared perfectly as well. I did have to ask for more nuoc mam cham for this. A fairly expensive lunch, but not bad.

As I mentioned earlier, the guy working here was very nice and service was fine. So…….third time's the charm, right?

Plus, I did want to try the Fried Chicken Wings ($6.95), actually butter wings.

Not quite top notch, the fry job wasn't perfect and the skin wasn't as crisp as I would like. The seasoning left a bit to be desired, more pungent flavors, even, gasp, more salt! It was super hot, though there seemed to be a bit of "seepage", that is a lot of the meat had dark pigment, which made me wonder about how this was handled when freezing.

I finally took a good look at pages other than the first two on the menu and noticed Phnom Penh Noodle Soup ($7.95) under "Specialty Noodle Soups"….wow, one of my favorites. So I ordered it.

In retrospect, I sould have known better. I mean, how many Pho shops do you know that serve a good Hu Tieu Nam Vang? From the unblanched bean sprouts…..a good indication of the portion size is the bean sprouts in relation to the soup spoon.

The noodles were Banh Pho, not Hu Tieu. The meat, what what there was; was dry and flavorless chicken breast, standard issue meat balls, and shrimp, which actually wasn't bad. I actually had to bust out the chili paste to dip the pieces of chicken in.

The broth was terrible, bland and insipid. Bad move on my part. Lesson learned.

So there you go. New place, nice and clean…..really nice folks, but "pho not to offend". Honestly, there are worse places for pho in the area, but that's not really a reason to laud yet another mediocre bowl, right?

Pho Hut & Grill
5252 Balboa Ave
San Diego, CA 92117
Hours:
Open Daily 10am – 9pm

Gobo Chips

November 2, 2014 mmm-yoso Cooking, Recipes

In retrospect, I shoulda thought of this when I made Gobo Salad back in 2008. We bought a bag of the stuff in one of the market in Kuromon Market in Kyoto. I really loved it and just ate it plain, though I think it was intended as a garnish for salads and other dishes.

The Missus requested that I make this when I got back….and She loved it so much that I've made it four times so far. Nothing fancy here……..

All you need is a single, firm stalk of gobo…..the best way to peel it is to use a spoon to peel. I usually worry about how quickly gobo discolors, but don't worry in this case as since you'll be deep frying, you won't have to worry about that.

Once the gobo is peeled….I usually do a half at a time. It's much more easy to manage.

Anyway, you can give it a quick rinse, pat off excess moisture and fry in 370 degree oil…..the Missus oil du jour is Avocado Oil…….you need about two cups.

I fry in batches, it takes about 2 1/2/ – 3 1/2 minutes, depending on how crisp you like your chips.

I remove from heat, then lightly salt with Himalayan Salt….but I'm sure good number of flavor combinations will work.

The frying really brings out the mild sweetness in the gobo, it's good fiber, you can control how crunchy you want the gobo………. Plus, I'm sure you can find a number of ways to use these.

Easy, huh?

Have fun!

Rome Day 2 – A typical vacation day with the Missus Part 2

November 1, 2014 mmm-yoso Italian Restaurants, Italy, Rome, Travel

At the end of Part 1, we had just finished our carb load. The Missus was now ready to find the Trevi Fountain. Somehow we ended up backtracking until I recognized the Church of San Luigi dei Francesi which is right next to the Senate Building, you'll see all those sedans with blacked out windows and guys in suits standing around along with tons of police.

Hey, yet another church we visited. This one was quite interesting since it housed three famous paintings by Caravaggio. This one is called The Inspiration of Saint Matthew.

Also, it always pays to "look up" when you enter. This ceiling was done by Domenichino.

We wove our way along side street, basically following the crowd and eventually we ended up at what is probably one of the most famous fountains in the world, the Trevi Fountain, which took 30 years to finished, was completed in 1762. The actual name of the fountain – "tre vie" explains a lot as the location was at the junctions of three roads.

So that's a classic photo of the fountain. However, I want you to actually have a feel of being there…along with a jillion other toursts. So I thought this might give you some idea of what it's like being here.

Yeow…..

Next up, the Spanish Stairs…..

Though we have to interrupt this blog post with a news bulletin…. Of course we stopped at another church. This one is the Basilica di Sant'Andrea delle Fratte.

This one was also quite beautiful and there was a service going on.

After the service, one of the older priests stopped to talk with a woman who was sitting in the back. All that art work and stuff is great, but scenes like this are priceless.

Then of course there's the Spanish Steps, named for the Spanish Embassy which these steps linked to the Holy See. Let's just say the place is pretty popular…..

Folks just seem to congregate here….whether to channel their inner Audrey Hepburn, or just to contemplate the world, I guess there's some romantic pull to this place…..

Speaking of romantic pull. Look closely in the photo above…..do you notice the young woman in the wedding gown and the older man, whom I'm assuming is her father in the suit? Here have a closer look….it seems they're shooting wedding pictures? Along with several thousand absolute strangers…..kinda strange, but kind of well, cute in a way.

Speaking of romantics, I believe that cream colored building to the right in the photo above is where the Poet John Keats died of TB in 1821 at the young age of 25.

We took a walk down the side streets, window shopping and looking around, but the crowds finally got to us. We marched up the Spanish Steps and down Via Sistina. We'd decided to head back to our room near Termini Station and get some rest.

Remember the "Lisbon Rule"…..whenever we'd start getting a bit tired and perhaps flustered it would be time for a Pastel de Nata and some espresso? Well, when in Rome….do gelato…..

This did the trick…..

We headed to Termini, the long way….stopping at "Our Lady of Victory" or the church more widly known as Santa Maria della Vittoria.

This was (yet another) stunning church. The fresco to the left, named "The Virgin Mary Triumphing over Heresy and Fall of the Rebel Angels".

The most eye-catching item in the church is the sculpture called the Ecstasy of Saint Teresa by Bernini. The scluture depicts a moment from the autobiography of Saint Teresa of Avila of a vision where an angel pierced her heart with a golden shaft….the moment, one of great pain and joy.

"I saw in his hand a long spear of gold, and at the point there seemed to be a little fire. He appeared to me to be thrusting it at times into my heart, and to pierce my very entrails; when he drew it out, he seemed to draw them out also, and to leave me all on fire with a great love of God. The pain was so great, that it made me moan; and yet so surpassing was the sweetness of this excessive pain, that I could not wish to be rid of it."

Wow…intense. It was time for another gelato.

Actually, I needed a bit more than some gelato. I was getting pretty hungry. So we walked past the Piazza de Republica and on to Via del Viminale. There stood the little shop named Er Buchetto. The place really lives up to it's name, the little hole in the wall named "the little hole". Er Buchetto does porchetta….and had been doing it for 5 generations.

So while the Missus went window shopping, I had a pile of roasted pork and a cup of the house red. While a lot milder in flavor than I thought it would be, it had a nice porkiness, the skin more crisp than hard, it wasn't greasy, but the meat was on the dry side. It was super cheap at under 5 euros….

I did love the porchetta box……as said pork product had a wonderful window seat.

Er Buchetto
Via del Viminale 2F
Rome, Italy

We finally made it back to our room….and a short nap. After waking, we walked around the neighborhood a bit. We were both amazed at all the Chinese businesses in the area. We stopped by one of the markets where the Missus asked the guy at the register if there were any Chinese places he'd recommend. His answer, "no, they are all the same…….not very good, it's better to eat at home!"