December 2014 – Page 3

La Casa Blanca-revisit (La Mesa)

December 9, 2014 Cathy Mexican Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Hello again and thanks for stopping to read mmm-yoso!!!, a blog about food. Kirk and Ed(from Yuma) are busy with things. Cathy has no things happening, so she is blogging.

I wrote about La Casa Blanca more than a year ago and The Mister and I eat here pretty regularly, but the photos never make it out of my camera. Here are a few reasons why The Mister and I love this little place. Though the small twinkling lights are up(as they were in May of 2013), the main room wasn't fully decorated for the holidays..or was it? We should ask that most interesting man standing in the corner…When we drop by for lunch, there is usually a lady making fresh corn tortillas in an area near the bar. This day, it wasn't busy and she brought two to our table, with butter, just after the fresh made salsa and chips were brought over…what a way to whet the appetite.The Mister ordered a Jalisco Plate ($12.95) this day- carne asada seasoned just right along with the usual accoutrements, all good and fresh.One of the appetizers we enjoy is the Queso Fundido (con rajas) ($8.95). Queso Fundido can be ordered plain (it's quite a deep dish of melted cheese), with the roasted pepper (as seen) or with chorizo (as seen in the prior post) and this day we were trying to be 'healthy' eaters, with some vegetable…Then there is the reason I wanted to come here: the house made Ranchero Pinto Bean soup ($4.95). A very large bowl of this comforting multi bean, sausage, chorizo and bacon along with some onion, bell peppers, poblanos and topped with a dry cheese is just the thing I want on some days. It's filling and flavorful and just right.

I hope your week is going well.

La Casa Blanca 9570 Murray Drive La Mesa, CA 92042 (619) 466-2912 Website

Opposite Sides of the Street: Native Foods and Chicken Charlie’s FryBQ

December 8, 2014 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Chains, Vegetarian and Vegan Restaurants

**** Both Native Foods and this location of Chicken Charlie's have closed

I'm still a bit disappointed that all of that development on the corner of Genesee and Balboa has given birth to a slew of chain and chain like restaurants. Still, something did catch my attention which triggered off this Jungian inspired conversation from Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket:

Pogue Colonel: You write "Born to Kill" on your helmet and you wear a peace button. What's that supposed to be, some kind of sick joke?
Private Joker: No, sir.
Pogue Colonel: You'd better get your head and your a$$ wired together, or I will take a giant $^!t on you.
Private Joker: Yes, sir.
Pogue Colonel: Now answer my question or you'll be standing tall before the man.
Private Joker: I think I was trying to suggest something about the duality of man, sir.
Pogue Colonel: The what?
Private Joker: The duality of man. The Jungian thing, sir.
Pogue Colonel: Whose side are you on, son?
Private Joker: Our side, sir.

Two restaurants, polar opposites, one trying to place a large, wet, vegan stamp on the fast casual restaurant business, the other, a favorite among fair goers for frying just about everything, seemed to be wanting to place that stamp in our arteries.

You really couldn't find to more contradictory paths with the same goal….feeding the masses, it seemed quite appropriate that the businesses were across the street from one another. Since both were on the way to and from work and meetings, I thought I should give them a try. And you know me, it meant eating at both places multiple times. So here goes…..

On the North side of Balboa, Native Foods:

To tell you the truth, I'd been curious about Native Foods since I read Elmo's post on the chain over four years ago. Though, to be just as honest, I really wasn't excited enough to drive to Point Loma to try them out.

The set-up is totally fast casual…remove the tree hugger bright colors and this could be Tender Greens or Smashburger…..or any number of fast casual shops.

On this visit, things seemed a bit disorganized….the cashier was busy talking to her customer and going over things while two other girls just kind of milled around. It looked a bit strange to me….

Like I mentioned earlier, I'd been intrigued by what Elmo and his pals had from Native Foods, so I ordered the Native Nachos ($6.95) and the Native Chicken Wings – in Buffalo Sauce ($5.95).

The nachos really didn't have any mystery flavors, it was fairly straight forward. My complaints would be that the chips were stale and the "native taco meat" was like eating pieces of organic grit, being hard and dry. Everything else was fine if a bit bland.

The "chicken" was a bit too spongy for my taste, though the "Buffalo"….strange because even though it's the name of a city….it's also a name of a pretty tasty four legged critter…anyway the sauce had a mild kick, the batter was decent, but that "Ranch Dressing" was very runny and tasted watered down.

Not a great meal by any means, but not terrible either, so I returned a few days later. I feel kind of like I cheated here since I ordered a salad…..I mean, a place like this should make a decent salad, right?

What kind of drove me nuts this time around was that I saw my salad come up in the window. There were no other customers and I got it to go. The two guys; one of them obviously the manager were just shooting the breeze, so I decided to use a stop watch after watching this go on for a few minutes.

So, it took over 7 minutes for that guy to reach up and grab my salad which had been sitting in the window. Sheesh, with a manager like that, no wonder folks seem pretty lax here.

I had ordered the Mexican Cobb ($8.95) and I thought it to be a decent salad. The Native Chicken sliced thin with an "Ancho" BBQ sauce, which pretty much tasted like a regular BBQ sauce, no deep smokey-sweet chili flavors, though this was not bad at all. I guess thin slices of the stuff works best. The dressing did have a nice little kick. This was nicely put together, from the jicama to the corn, to the black beans. I'd have no problem ordering this again.

And yet, I kind of felt like I needed to try something a bit different. On my next visit, I again hit an interesting delay. Three girls at the front counter, none of them had access to the register. Common sense dictates that perhaps one should just take my order until they can find the person with the blessed access….but no, I just cool my heels.

At least there was no unecessary waiting for what I ordered, the Native Chili (cup – $3.95) and something the cashier recommended sinceI was just stumped, a thing called the Chicken Run Ranch Burger ($9.95).

Eating chili glue with a flavor that seemed watered down and bland is not my favorite experience. I'm passing on this from now on.

If you see this sandwich approaching you; run, don't walk away from it. Imagine biting into a mushy sponge with dry buns, and liquid that looks like it leaked out of coleslaw oozing out. This was severely bland and I didn't enjoy the textural experience either.

For me, it's the salads here……

Native Foods Cafe
5604 Balboa Ave
San Diego, CA 92111

On the South side of Balboa, Chicken Charlie's FryBQ:

I thoguht this a fairly interesting gamble for "Charlie". It's one thing to create fatty, over-the-top Fair Food. It's another taking that "fry everything gimmick" and having a brick and mortar shop.

I first went just a few days after opening at a bit of an offf hour so the place wasn't overly busy.

In a rather interesting coincidence, I ordered almost the same items as Kirbie did for her post. The Fried Avocados and a side of Fried Chicken.

I had fried several times here, so I'll just go over it once; these are very low quality bulk fries, lacking in potato flavor and kind of dry. The avocados were the favorite item I had here…….crunchy exterior, creamy avocado goodness….like eating crusted fat. Lovely.

The fried chicken were terrible.

These came out very quickly, so I think they were laying around under some heat source. The coating was soggy, grey, sloughing off like dead skin. The meat was cold to the touch and greasy in texture. It was also strangely under-seasoned for my taste.

The next time around I ordered the FryBQ Ribs, which was probably a mistake on my part.

These were hard as rock and the sauce was much to tangy and "dry", with a bit too much spice. You really couldn't taste any smoke or the ribs for that matter. Perhaps that was by design, but these were not my favorite.

Since I was working within the rule of three, I needed to revisit one more time. So I ordered an item that I enjy when done well, the Frog Legs. Frog Legs are a tricky thing, they go dry quickly if over-cooked. If not fresh, they turn a bit sour with a kind of mushy-sliminess to them.

I believe the photo to the right is pretty much my reaction to the frog legs. The fry job on these weren't good as the batter was soft and just fell of the beast. I'm glad the legs weren't dry, but the flavor seemed a bit off. Not even close to what I had at Red Rooster Catfish (which I believe has a new location).

And while I really didn't care for much of what I had here; I have to say the service was efficient. I saw Mr Boghosian follow up with customers who seemed ot waiting too long for their orders several times, which was a nice touch.

In the end, for a place that hangs its hat on frying, I thought the deep fry jobs were very uneven. Perhaps Chicken Charlie's forte are the fried sweets like oreoes and Klondike bars. I don't have much of a sweet tooth, so I'll leave that for others.

Chicken Charlie’s FryBQ
5407 Balboa Ave
San Diego, CA 92111

Seattle: Lunch at Salumi Artisan Cured Meats and walking to The Walrus and Carpenter

December 7, 2014 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Italian Restaurants, Seafood, Seattle, Washington, Travel

The Missus and I have always said that Seattle is one of our favorite cities. I had even considered moving here before I met the Missus. We've always enjoyed the personality and vibe of the city; the unpretentious, tolerant, down-to-earth, polite, though perhaps a bit introverted folks….. We used to visit every year and our best visits were during the holiday season, so shame on us for not visiting since 2007. And double shame on us for not visiting during the end of fall/beginning of winter in 10 years!

There have been alot of changes in the 7 years since we visited, the very inexpensive Link Light Rail route from SeaTac to Downtown Seattle didn't even exist back then. Now it's an inexpensive $2.75 from the airport. I'd have never even considered staying near Pioneer Square when I first started visiting in 1993, yet here we were dropping off our luggage at the Courtyard Pioneer Square. It was easy making eating plans for this trip. Included in those plans was a visit to the Walrus and the Carpenter. The Missus jumped at the plan, since most of our past trips have kind of revolved around oysters. Of course She had Her own little twist on things. I've long mentioned various "death marches" the Missus had taken me on. Well, this time the Missus had an urban version planned.

She wanted to walk from Pioneer Square to the Walrus and the Carpenter. A walk of approximately 5.72 miles. In Seattle, in winter, yikes!

Just for kicks, I posted the question of this walk on the Chowhound Seattle Board. Unlike some of the other CH boards, the folks here seemed quite helpful. I didn't expect 20+ answers….such varied opinions, from being a terrible (read: a nice way of saying certifiably insane) idea, about 50%, to being an urban adventure. As a joke, I mentioned the comment about going to Fremont, since the Missus had never seen The Fremont Troll. Well, She was all in….which made the walk over 7 miles long! Double sigh…..

Still, we were to start at Salumi. We'd never had a chance to check out this very popular shop, so I was more than happy to start here.

I was told that there's always a line at this shop run by the Batali family….yes, that Batali family. It's an interesting story that you can read here. So, of course there was a line, which moved very quickly, with folks replacing those in line at about the same pace.

I've read rave reviews about the pochetta and all that stuff, but this is a salumi shop. Plus, the Missus doesn't eat much bread these days, so the salumi plate ($13) was an obvious choice. Man, this was good, nice, distinct, yet balanced flavors to all the salumi. And only $13??? Boy, does what we had at S&M recently seem highly over-priced. My favorites? I loved the addition of a hint of curry to the traditional fennel salame, the Finnocchiona Salame. The flavors of the Agrumi Salame, hints of citrus, also was fantastic.

The beef tongue is not sold by weight, so we ordered a sandwich ($10). The tongue was very nicely flavored, beefy, not too salty, nice seasonings, fantastic tender texture. It's a bit too much bread for my taste and I felt bad about not eating it all….but I just couldn't do it; especially after the Missus ate all of the meat of one half the sandwich. A bit too much olive spread for me as well. The ratio is kind of off….but oh man, that beef tongue…..

On a whim, the Missus ordered a single meatball ($2.50) and it was love at first bite.

I loved the sauce, it had just about the right balance for my tastes…..simple, tangy, lightly sweet, that flavor of sunshine…..

The woman managing the orders was very nice. The place is super packed, so she told us to sit at the "front table", which is basically the front display window. Kind of odd and cool at the same time. You feel like some kind of window display and yet, it's interesting to people watch.

We really enjoyed our meal and we look forward to returning next time. More meatballs for the Missus.

Salumi Artisan Cured Meats
309 3rd Ave S
Seattle, WA 98104
Hours:
Tues – Fri 11am – 330pm

After this, the death march ensued. We basically headed straight down 2nd, past all those familiar places. Up Pine, past Westlake Center and one of the places we used to stay at; the Westin, swinging around back and down Westlake Avenue which used to look a bit more industrial, but now there quite a bit of construction going on. And I swear, the Space Needle used to seem a lot farther away than this……

And when did Whole Foods get here? Must be after 2003 which was the last time around these parts.

This can only mean one thing…..this part of the Denny Triangle is obviously doing well. I was told all the construction going on in the distance were buildings for Amazon in Belltown….

As for the three fairly odd statues right outside, they are works by ceramic sculptor, Akio Takamori, named "Young Woman, Girl, Mother and Child".

From here we passed a ton of newer buildings, intertwined with more industrial businesses like a Firestone Autocare, before arriving at Lake Union…..

And all those houseboats…..

It started drizzling a bit more…..though temperatures weren't too bad….in the mid-high 40's. We hastened our pace a bit, before finally coming to the Fremont Bridge and that sign I love…..

Of course, after crossing we'd have to climb up to visit The Fremont Troll under the Aurora Bridge which is on North 36th Street.

After crossing the Fremont Bridge, I was a bit wet and somewhat sweaty….it was time for a break. We stopped at Milstead & Co, the Missus had a coffee and I some iced jasmine tea, which really did the job.

We then hikes up the hill, to visit the troll, who seemed to have a mesmerized fan.

The young woman in a blue coat, who looked Japanese, just sat very still and quiet, like she was trying to communicate with the beast crushing a VW. She moved not an inch….she was quietly sitting in place when we left. For all I know, she might still be sitting there, meditating in front of a troll.

Down 36th Street is another of Fremont's "(in)famous" art pieces…..

Yep, that's a statue of Lenin (not Lennon), as in Vladimir, wishing you Merry Christmas. The story of how this statue made it from Poprad, Czechoslovakia (now Slovakia) to its current resting place is quite interesting. It's funny how you find little threads if you travel enough, this statue which was in front of Poprad's Lenin Sqaure was removed during the Velvet Revolution, which I mentioned in a previous post about Prague.

It was just about 310……and so it was time to head off to our dinner destination…..which was a "mere" 1.9 miles away! Lovely…..

And so we walked on, past the Bev Mo and and the Fred Meyers….and all those industrial areas in between. I'd never been to the Ballard area before….but knew that as long as we saw the #40 bus, we'd be ok. Walking along Ballard Avenue NW, I knew to look for the sign… The Missus walked right pass, but I knew what to look for.

You then had to go down a hallway and at the end you hit paydirt.

It was 345, we'd done pretty good time, about 35 minutes. We were the third party in line(no reservations at this small place)…not bad. I went down the stairs to the restroom, following one of the guys who exiting the restaurant. I was a bit wet and somewhat sweaty from the walk and the drizzle. The guy asked looked at me and said, "drizzling down a bit out there?" I told him that it was a combination of things since we walked here from Pioneer Square, via Fremont. "You what? "I heard that this was where we needed to come for oysters…." "Ok, then, you'll be happy, we got some good oysters tonight." Nice guy! I got myself a bit more presentable and headed back upstairs.

We were asked where we'd like to sit and requested a seat at the bar, which turned out to be a great decision. Remember the guy in the restroom? Well, he was the one working the raw bar….. I just knew this was going to be a nice meal. After all, we were here for the oysters, all local, no middle men, no brokers……..

The restaurant itself is tiny, cramped, but warm and inviting and without pretense….like I guess what your little secret neighborhood spot serving world class seafood would be like…..

As for the oysters…..well, I asked for recommendations, describing that I enjoy the finish that's interesting and more on what I call the "nutty, rare beef side", though I appreciate that cucumbery flavor as well. David, our master shucker, chose us, "the oysters he would choose on the menu today."

The first dozen were composed of Treasure Cove, Blue Pool, and Baywater Sweet. The Missus immediately took to the Treasure Cove, which took real well to the mignonette. When it comes to good oysters, I just do a drop or two of lemon, it does just enough to balance out the salinity for me. I just took to the finish on the Blue Pool, it was sort of funky, slightly nutty, with a deep and long lasting finish….. it was just what I'd been wanting.

Meanwhile, our first garde manger dish arrived; the Duck Breast, rockwell beans, masutake mushrooms, sea wolf croutons, and tarragon.

In terms of what we had, this was the weakest dish; but by no means was it terrible, it's just that the duck breat was dry and lacking in the duck flavor we enjoy. The masutake mushroom and especially the beans were the stars of the dish for us. Loved the use of tarragon as well.

The beef tartare was very nice.

Buttery, with a clean, refreshing finish. This went very well with the rye toast and is osmething I'd have weekly if I could.

Our second dozen oysters; Nordic Knute, North Bay, and a repeat of Blue Pool.

I still loved the Blue Pool…..

The Missus demanded equal time, so we got another dozen with Her favorite, the Treasure Cove, plus the Hove Cove and one of my old favorites the Hama Hama.

The Hama Hama had that almost acid like citrus flavor I recall, but the Treasure Cove were still the favorite of the Missus.

Meanwhile, we got to chatting a bit with the master of the raw bar between plates. He was super fast and shucked with amazing ease. Anyway, "David" is David Leck a champion shucker. If you'd like to see him doing his thing, check this out.

We had a great time…… we loved the oysters, the vibe, the folks working here…..they have a great cocktail program and a nice wine list….but I wish they'd do a bit more with the beer program.

Still, when in Seattle, we'll be back. David made it a great night for us.

The Walrus and the Carpenter
4743 Ballard Ave NW
Seattle, WA 98107

Speaking of beer. A bit further up the street is a beer bar named The Noble Fir. We stopped by….because; well, I wanted a beer. Luckily they were having a nice progressive. Which I enjoyed while the Missus went meandering around the local shops.

Anyway, the big name in the progressive was the Bourbon County Imperial Stout, boozy, with coffee-caramel-molasses tones, and a boozy hit. It was a bit too much for me, but the Missus really liked it. She also had a Blueberry Ale from Cascade brewing.

Funny, the thing I enjoyed most about the place was the great 80's music they played!

The Noble Fir
5316 Ballard Ave NW
Seattle, WA 98107

After our liquid refreshment, we walked over to the bus stop and caught the 40 back to downtown Seattle. The Missus, still believing we needed "more exercise", decided that we should get off at 3rd and Virginia. Which was kind of nice, since we'd get to enjoy the walk through downtown and those sights we'd gotten used too…..

Years ago, we flew into Seattle right after Thanksgiving and ran into a Holiday Parade. At the end, the star at Bon Marche was lit. So even though it's now Macy's, it's still the Bon Marche star to us.

You never know what you'll run into in downtown. On this night it was a Ferguson protest…..

We skirted the protest, which seemed very peaceful and headed down 2nd……past some very familiar sights.

And some that weren't around the last time we visited.

Making back to our hotel. It had been what seemed to be a long day, but it was barely 8pm! I dunno…..maybe old age is settling in, but all that walking….perhaps 9 miles or so really wiped me out!

Still, it was nice to be back in Seattle and we were eating well!

I realize this was a supr long post. Thanks for reading!

Peterson’s Donut Corner- snacks (Escondido)

December 6, 2014 Cathy Desserts, What Cathy Eats!

Thank you for (once again) searching and finding us at mmm-yoso!!! food blog. Today, Kirk and Ed (from Yuma) are just having a great weekend and don't want to bother writing posts. Cathy having her own version of a great weekend and does want to write. So, here's a post from her.

Looking back, I've only made slight mentions of Peterson's Donut Corner (in the middle the Ham and Cheese baked in a bread compendium post and in the Elephant in the Room post), a San Diego County Institution since about 1942. So, here's a solo post. (Here's a link to cc's post, Mary's post, Kirbie's visit and Darlene's posting)The Southwest corner of Escondido Boulevard at Ninth is where you will find Peterson's. All outdoors-you can see a menu with prices near the cement picnic tables, which are across from more giant hand chairs. You're going to walk up to one of the three windows, order and pay (cash only).First, you'll want to walk along all the glassed windows…For an idea of what is available before you stand in line to order… I've been on an orange donut quest for a good part of the year. The Mister and I had had donuts with the dough interspersed with orange peel in Italy, decades ago and orange has been a familiar, comforting flavor for me. The orange peel is only in the frosting on top of a cake donut, and very good, but not what I'm seeking.The gigantic peanut covered bear claw is a good choice for sharing.Sometimes, you just want a filled donut and deciding between the jelly or Vienna Kreme is tough…so we get one of each. Beacuse each is so good in its own way…Then there's that one in the back, a new favorite…

It's not just cinnamon, but cinnamon with raisins (look at the menu, bottom of left column: ten cents more for the raisin filled one-so worth it).

Peterson's is open 24/7, but does close from Christmas Eve and opens late on New Year Day each year. Cash only.

I hope everyone's having a great weekend!

Peterson's Donut Corner 903 S. Escondido Blvd (at Ninth) Escondido 92025 (760)745-7774

Mariscos El Camaron-lunch (Chula Vista)

December 5, 2014 Cathy Mexican Restaurants, Seafood, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the name of this food blog. Usually Kirk writes the posts and sometimes Ed (from Yuma) contributes. Right now, the guys are busy and Cathy, who occasionally writes here is using this day to write about one of her occasions.

When The Mister and I had our eight days of birthday celebrating, we were looking for (another) place for lunch and just North and East of E Street at Broadway, this yellow building caught our eyes. We returned a few months later…Even after reading cc's post because we figured it would be quiet and clean…Even the parking lot was decorated with an ocean theme.The interior is festive, has at least six televisions and is quite large. It turns out that this is the place to go in the evenings on Friday and Saturday, when live Banda is the overwhelming music background.When we were seated, the tabletop condiments as well as the freshly made tomato based salsa were noted.Since I could not decide, a fish ceviche tostada ($4.50) ended up as our 'appetizer' and a mixta tostada ($7.95) was my 'main'. Both were freshly made when ordered and the simple fish ceviche was wonderful as well as plentiful (it could have been a light meal) and the mixta, with fish, shrimp, octopus and scallops was 'cooked' with not only lime juice but also a bit of red/chile pepper and had different flavor points; completely different ceviches and each excellent.The pescado frito huachinango ($14.95) was wonderful! A whole snapper, fried with garlic, topped with fresh salsa and accompanied by beans, rice and a salad was a wonderful meal. The fish was fresh, meaty and fried perfectly with a crispy skin, fins and tail (all of which I happily crunched as a snack while The Mister was cleaning the meat off the skeleton).

Even though it's been here since about 2009, Mariscos El Camaron is new to us and was another great find. I hope you have a great weekend!

Mariscos El Camaron 193 Broadway Chula Vista 91910 (619)425-5835 Open Mon-Wed 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Th 11 a.m.-11:30 p.m., Fri 11 a.m.-2 a.m., Sat 10 a.m.-2 a.m., Sun 10 a.m., 12:30 a.m.

Stadium Club: food and drink on Meatloaf Thursday

December 4, 2014 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Pubs and Pub Grub, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog. On this beautiful day with the rain 'storm' ending, Kirk is missing humidity, Ed (from Yuma) wonders what precipitation is and Cathy is letting them both settle back and relax while she steps in with a short food post.

Yes, I've written about a few "must be 21 years old" establishments on the blog before. If you go during daylight hours, they are usually run by nice older ladies who know their way around. (Kirk wrote about breakfast here a few years ago!) The Stadium Club (very close to Jack Murphy, Qualcomm Stadium) is a sort of 'traditional' place to enjoy an adult beverage before, during and after San Diego Padre Baseball and San Diego Charger games. The sort of typical American neighborhood bar atmosphere, with decor consisting of advertisements for various adult beverage brands is prevalent, as is a typical short order menu. But only on Thursdays, there is just one offering.The $5 meatloaf plate. A good two inch thick slice of meatloaf, made with a mix of beef and pork, green pepper and other flavorful (not too salty) ingredients and served with a side of mashed potatoes, fresh vegetable, lots of gravy and a toasted roll half. A perfect comforting meal, accompanied by an adult beverage and simple seasonings.

Hope you are enjoying your week!

Stadium Club 6065 Fairmont Avenue San Diego 92120 (619) 282-3286

Kyoto Day 2: Ippodo Tea, dinner at Okariba, and the Awata Jinja Lantern Parade

December 3, 2014 mmm-yoso Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Kyoto, Markets & Grocers, Memorable Meals, Pubs and Pub Grub, Travel

On the way back to the machiya, we ran into Masae, the owner of the property and also the craft beer bar in the shopping arcade. We asked her about finding some tea. She recommended a visit to Ippodo Tea. So after a nice shower and a short nap, we headed off to find Ippodo. Up Higashioji-dori, then west on Marutamachi, crossing the Kamo River…..left on Teramachi-dori right when you hit Kyoto Imperial Palace Park……about four block down, you'll find Ippodo.

The shop and the connected Kaboku Tearoom, where you learn to make and also taste various teas was doing some brisk business. One of the young ladies spoke excellent English. We didn't have time to dally, but she went over all the main types of tea with the Missus and we got to sample a few. We ended up purchasing a few packages…..which the Missus loves. I'm thinking we'll be back.

Ippodo Tea
Teramachi-dori Nijo, Nakagyo-ku
Kyoto

We really weren't sure of exactly where our dinner destination was. I'd heard of a place serving rustic wild game; I recall the term "mountain food" a couple times when reading about the place. It really didn't take us long to find the place. Masae pointed out it was near the Hotel Heiannomori, right past Okazaki Shrine.

The rabbit is the spirit of the shrine and is also said to house the god and goddess of easy childbirth.

It's a nice peaceful place to visit.

Right past the shrine, you can't help but locate Okariba. You can't miss the signs. The place is dark, warm, and very rustic looking. The trappings are simple; a large grill in the middle of the room; beer kegs lie about, the lines drawn to the taps. The owner is a very gentle and soft-spoken bespeckled gentleman named Aoki-san….whose mild manner belies the name of the place; "Hunting Ground" as well as the firearms hanging on the wall.

The Missus took a quick look at the sake bottles on one of the tables and said; "he has his own sake, with the name of the place on it."

And so we sailed off on our maiden voyage at Okariba, with simple, but nicely braised slices of daikon and aburage.

The sake was mild and sweet, but really, this type of food called for beer. After starting with this; it was beer all the way.

Things started off with what is probably the signature dish here (though folks who came in later all ordered trout); the grilled wild boar. Wonderful, surprisingly tender chunks of wild boar with a classic Japanese marinade and tare; smokey from the charcoal, slightly sweet, nicely porky, but mild. The portion size was quite a surprise for us; this is enough for two or three to start.

We weren't going to Kyushu, but I knew I could get a specialty of that area here; basashi – horse sashimi. I really love the flavor of horse; I know, it's not PC…..but it's not endangered either, right?

This was very nice; served just slightly frozen, just the way I was told it shoud be, the flavor is quite clean, with a mild sweet finish. The texture is like beef, with a tad more toothfullness. I love this dish…..

Arriving with the basashi was a combination of preserved vegetables and something else….more on that in a bit. I grew up eating items like takana-zuke, so I loved the pickled greens. I'd never had fuki-miso, basically akunuki butterbur, stirfried with miso, then preserved.

The most interesting thing was the "Inago" – locusts, which had been glazed with a wonderful sweet mirin-soy. These were nice and crisp and so sweet and salty….going well with beer.

The Missus's favorite dish by far was the hobamiso…….

A wonderful, savory, but not salty miso with mushrooms and scallions grilled on a leaf. It was funny; we thought we were doing pretty well; but Aoki-san came by……and decided he needed to show us how it was done….it became this wonderful, miso-mess of flavors.

This just screamed for another beer; so we ordered one. And were soon surprised with this….Aoki-san brought it over and said "gift-tu"….. Some nice home made tofu.

Then another "gift"….this was fantastic. I'd never had Wasabi-zuke before. This was wonderful; made from the leaves and stems of the wasabi plant; on occasion you'd get a super pungent bite, but the flavors were amazing, sweet-pungent-bitter-sour-salty…totally my kind of dish.

When this arrived, I just thought I needed to have another beer…..he's giving us free food. So I had another beer….at which time fried tofu arrived.

By this time I figured out…the more we drank, the more stuff would be coming out. I'd better quit here or we'd be literally rolling back! If there was a time I wished we could tip in Japan, it was here. The warmth and hospitality made me want to do something. I should have brought some omiyagi, or something……

As you can tell….we loved this place.

Okariba
Okazaki Higashi-Tennocho 43-4, Residence Okazaki 1F
Kyoto

The Missus decided that we needed to burn off some of this, so we'd walk back to Shijo-dori…..I figure, that's like 2-3 kilometers? It was really a fun walk though……this was a lively night.

Folks were out and about, having a good time.

Karako, the place where we had great karaage earlier in the day has quite a nice line going.

We decided to follow the Shirakawa canal through Gion. I took this photo on one of the cement bridges, the type with no handrails that passes over the canal near Shinbashi.

Crossing over the Kamo river, we then headed up, the now busy Ponto-chō, restaurants now going full tilt.

As we passed by a hair salon, something caught my eye. I pointed out the one guy doing "hair" in the salon, which was closed to the Missus. She said, "yeah, he's doing hair, so what?" I told Her to take a look….that head had no body! He was actually working on a wig placed on a mannequin head. I'm not sure if this is SOP….but it just seemed a bit, well, strange……

And finally, there as Shijo-dori….while not crazy as Tokyo; which seems to actually be pulsating with it's own heartbeat, the crowds and objective sure were a contrast to the Gion.

The Missus really seemed to take to Kyoto. The size, the crowds, the shops, were just Her speed.

At this point, we decided to head back…….the Missus was tired for a change.

As we crossed Furumozen-dori, we noticed some activity up ahead. Lanterns, laughter, drums……and strange specters seemed to float ahead.

Suddenly we both remembered. Masae had told us that Awata Matsuri was happening this weekend. This was the Awata Jinja Lantern Festival! We were told that one of the key points of the Matsuri was that this was the day when both the Buddhist and Shinto Priests actually get together and celebrate together.

Then of course, there's the inevitable intermingling that occurs when everyone takes a break at Family Mart!

Once things got started, we quickly made it back to the machiya. Why? Well, because the lantern parade went right through the shopping arcade, right past where we were staying…..

It's quite amazing. The paradox, the new, modern, somewhat glitzy, but there's always the respect for tradition that pulls things in….bringing order to things.

I won't pretend to understand what any of these floats mean….but, if you're interested, you can read this wonderful and informative post. It describes all the lanterns/floats and what they mean.

And frankly, I just felt honored to be here…..

And also very thankful. For the fire control, who instantly put out all the burning embers from the fire which was placed on the ground for some symbolic reason. Once it was lifted back up, they sprung into action and made sure everything on the ground was put out in the blink of an eye…….that's Japan in a microcosm.

Having started our day before 5 in the morning, we'd walked at least 7-8 miles easily. The Missus, for the first time I can recall was totally bushed. It had been quite a day. I'd planned our "red-lettered day" in Tokyo; starting with Tsukiji Market and meals at Michelin starred Sushi Iwa and Suzunari. And while that was an epic and unforgettable day. This rather unscripted, hastily planned day was its equal…..Sushi Iwa and Suzunari showed me the skill, execution, and polish of a great restaurant. Karako and Okariba displayed the heart and soul……each has its place in my eating universe.

Thanks for reading!

Noodling Around: 777 Noodle House and Minh Ky revisited

December 2, 2014 mmm-yoso Vietnamese Restaurants

Well, like I mentioned a couple of weeks back it's finally starting to feel like soup weather…..San Diego soup weather that is. And if any day this year felt perfect for a bowl of noodle soup it was today.

From the angry clouds early this morning.

To the rain, which was falling pretty heavily this evening. Now why did I feel a bit uncomfortable seeing a car from the "Governor's Office of Emergency Services" in the next lane? I dunno…..

In need of some noodle soup I headed off to….

777 Noodle House:

Instead of going for my usual Hu Tieu Nam Vang Kho, I went with Pork Intestine Egg Noodle Soup, a relative bargain at $5.77.

This looked good, but the broth was a bit weak this time around. Lots of nice, funky, pork intestine though and the noodles had a nice chew to them. I'm not sure when it happened, but somewhere along the line over the last 9 years, pork intestine has become comfort food for me. Go figure……

777 Noodle House
4686 University Avenue
San Diego, CA 92105

A few days back I was craving some Beef Sate Egg Noodle "dry". My usual "go-to" would have been Tan Ky Mi Gia in Mira Mesa, but of course, they've closed down. So instead, I headed over to….

Minh Ky:

It had been over a year since I last visited. I'm not a big fan of the parking situation, nor the crowds when the place is busy, but I had to have my Beef Sate Noodle with soup on the side.

The portion size just seemed to be much larger than I remembered. No surprises here except the bowl of soup, which is usually fairly salty, seemed even more so today. In fact, one of the guys on the table to my right ordered the same thing and poured half his glass of water into the broth to water it down….which I think would really make it kind of yucky. I just ended up dipping my noodles into the broth tsukemen style at first, then puring off small amounts over the oodles and meat at the end. The sate could have bit more "umph", but it was adequately tender, more onion-shallot-nuttiness in flavor, but pretty much just what I wanted on this day.

Minh Ky Restaurant
4644 El Cajon Boulevard
San Diego, CA 92115

I hope everyone is safe and dry this evening.

Kyoto Day 2: Fushimi Inari, Kiyomizu-dera, and the best fried chicken at Karako

December 1, 2014 mmm-yoso Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Kyoto, Ramen, Travel

Our first day in Kyoto was pretty tiring……I gotta admit, I get pretty wiped out when we travel; but man, the Missus was totally fried as well. I was asleep before my head hit the pillow and up before 5am. After encountering the crowds at Fushimi Inari the day before, I just knew that the best way to experience the place would be early in the morning or late at night. So we got on the Tozai line, transferred at Yamashina to the Biwa line, got off at Kyoto Station, which wasn't quite as confusing as the previous and got on the Nara line….getting off at Inari Station. Fushimi Inari-taisha is literally right across the street.

Fushimi Inari is the head shrine of Inari Okami, the Kami…..which is hard to describe in English, let's just say it's the spirit, god, or deity of most importantly, rice, but also fertility, sake, and foxes…… which, if I recall serve as messengers for the Kami. At the entrance of the shrine, you'll see a statue of a fox (no, it's not a "doggie") holding the key to the granary. I remember learning about the kitsune serving the rice god in elementary school….funny what you recall at odd moments in life.

For most folks……us included, the most stunning feature of Fushimi Inari are the 30,000 plus gates that line the paths up the mountain, which is also named Inari. Each torii (gate) is paid for and donated by businesses….which you totally forget about when you see it.

It is both beautiful and haunting seen at dawn with nary another person around. Just the sound of your footsteps and the wind whispering through the trees.

No loud chatter or folks brandishing "selfie poles".

This is what I saw in my mind's eye when I thought of Kyoto.

After taking in the atmosphere of Fushimi Inari, we headed back to Inari Station, got back on the Nara line, getting off at the first stop at Tokufuji and hopping on the Keihan line, getting off at Kiyomizu-Gojo. from there it's about a 20-25 minute walk past all the shops.

And a shrine or two.

Up the mountain to Kiyomizu-dera.

This most well known feature of this temple complex is the veranda of the main hall, which has great views of Kyoto. Though, I think more people take photos of people taking photos on the veranda.

I understand that not a single nail is used for any structure in the temple complex…..

Heading past the three story pagoda and down below the main hall is Otowa Waterfall. Drinking of the water from the waterfall is supposed to bring good health and a long life.

So of course the Missus had to partake!

Heading back down the mountain, you'll notice some steps and a sign to your right, this leads to Sannenzaka, then Nannenzaka. Two well preserved neighborhoods.

This was one of the most pleasant walks we had on our trip. It was early, with few tourists, so you could really enjoy the restored structures. It felt like a trip back in time.

We took a break at a little shop near Yasaka Pagoda and Kodai-ji Temple.

The coffee….all pour over, was great and restorative. We made plans for what we'd do on our next leg. It was nice respite.

We'd head up to Maruyama Park and Chion-in Temple.

Somehow, we got a little of course and ended up at Higashi Otani Honganji. There was a large service going on…..

As we righted our course and headed toward Maruyama Park, we could hear country and western music playing…..the singing was of course, in Japanese. Apparently there was a Country and Western Music Festival close by….it was just another one of those strange and rather surreal moments.

Past the park is Chion-in Temple, which was going though some major restoration at the time of our visit.

By now we were "hitting the wall". We'd seen the places we really wanted to see and temple fatigue was setting in. It was time to change our focus…..so we headed bacl to the machiya to freshen up…and then off to lunch.

We had decided on a ramen shop I had heard off named Karako. The address 12-3 Okazaki Tokusei-cho was a bit difficult, but it looked like it was right on Higashioji-dori….which is kind of where we found the place.

We were the first customers to arrive and the older gentleman pointed to some seats at the end of the counter.

We quickly placed our order and he spoke the only English I heard our whole time there, pointing to the hijiki, tofu, and green salad on the counter he said, "helpu you self….."

The prices were very reasonable – ¥650 for the Kotteri Ramen.

The chashu was wonderful, full of flavor, just melt in you mouth delicious. The noodles were fine, just chewy enough. In spite of being "kotteri", as in extra rich, the broth really lacked the tongue coating texture and the richness in flavor I enjoy. This was my least favorite bowl of ramen during our trip.

The Missus got the Chashu Rice Bowl ¥320 – which had the wonderful chashu.

The one item which was a total surprise was the karaage. It has got to be one of the best I've ever had.

Light and crisp, moist and succulent, with wonderful flavor, a touch of ginger, slightly sweet, shoyu tones, and something else…..deep and savory. And a bargain at ¥500 – like five bucks!

This was just fantastic fried chicken……probably worth a side trip to Kyoto!

A few minutes after we sat, folks started streaming in. The older gentleman ordered the special, which was a bowl of ramen, a bowl of rice, and chicken….which turned out to be an entire order…five pieces for ¥880!

We kept watching to see how he heck he was going to finish his food…well, he's got his own system down. He ate the ramen and took the rice and chicken to go!

We actually tried to return to Karako the next day, but they were closed…..bummer. But hey, next time we know what to order, don't we? As in this old saying.

Karako
12-3 Okazaki Tokusei-cho
Kyoto

There was of course, a requisite short nap after this lunch, so we headed back. Little did we know that we'd be having another wonderful experience for dinner.

Stay Tuned!