March 2015 – mmm-yoso

Clearing Out the Memory Card: Aqui es Texcoco, Oscar’s Mexican Seafood, and Sieu Sieu BBQ

March 31, 2015 mmm-yoso Chinese BBQ, Chinese Restaurants, Mexican Restaurants, Seafood

Time to clear out some photos that have been taking up space on my hard drive for a while now.

Just a quick post for tonight.

Aqui es Texcoco:

We don't get down here often enough. But when we do, it's always a nice meal.

Aqui Es Texcoco
1043 Broadway
Chula Vista, CA 91911

Oscar's Mexican Seafood (Hillcrest):

Was in the area after a meeting finished early, so I thought I'd drop by for a revisit. The Taco de Marlyn (Smoked fish taco) was actually better than before, though the flavor was still too mild and that tortilla wasn't very good.

The fried shrimp in the Fried Shrimp Taco was greasy and the batter started falling off and got gummy quickly…..and the tortilla also failed fast.

There's much better down south, but this is pretty much the only show in town.

Oscar’s Mexican Seafood
646 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92103

Sieu Sieu BBQ:

Another place I haven't been to in a while. Is it just me or has Sieu Sieu aged faster than a second term President? The place is looking pretty beat.

That I think that the Chinese BBQ here is better than Sam Woo should provide me some consolation…..I guess. That rice was horrible by the way.

Sieu Sieu BBQ
7420 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111

Myung In Dumplings

March 30, 2015 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Korean Restaurants

**** Myung In has closed

** Note: Myung In Dumplings has moved to the Zion Market Food Court

Back in February, I noted that Myung In Dumplings was moving into the space formerly occupied by Voltero's. soon after they opened rather quietly. I decided to drop by and check them out. After all, it's been a while since I've had a decent Wang Mandu.

The first thing I noticed were the two women making dumplings behind the counter.

The second thing I really noticed after sitting down were the prices! Mandu, ten bucks! Then I was handed a menu with prices that had been marked down a buck. Not cheap, but a bit better.

So I placed my order and went thru the rest of the menu.

Meanwhile, the dipping sauce, and some panchan made its way to the table. The sauce was on the mild side, but it seemed to have black vinegar in it which I thought was a bit strange……I welcomed it, but it was different.

I had ordered two items, starting with the Wang (King) Mandu ($8), the pork and vegetable version.

Man, these were humongous. I only finished one. I ended giving the rest to "YZ" for her to take home to her daughter.

The actual steamed bun seemed way too "white" and reminded me of something else, but I couldn't place my finger on it. It was very fluffy and fairly nice, if lacking in the great yeastiness of a Wang (King) Mandu dough.

The filling was a bit too crumbly for me, but was moist, though a tad light in flavor.

Yeah, I know….too picky with my steamed buns and dumplings. But I can't help it.

Curious, I also ordered the Boiled Dumpling with shrimp, pork, and vegetable. I don't ever recall seeing this in any of the mandu shops I've been to. You should have seen the look on my face when this arrived…..it was jiaozhi!

These were actually ok. The dough was lacking in the slight chew, stretch, and tenderness that I like in a good dumpling. In case you're wondering where I get this from…well, here's how my MIL makes Jiaozi. Of course, this was not even close to QingDao Bread Food. The filling was also a bit too loose and on the bland side. Still, better than Dumpling Inn. To put things in perspective, below average for me, better than average for San Diego. So I gotta give this a not bad.

The woman serving me was very nice. I mentioned that the dumplings seemed very Chinese, I was told that the owner is Korean, but from China. I was really intrigued. A few days later, I mentioned the place to "Mr.S" who was shocked that a Korean place opened in San Diego without he knowing. When I mentioned the name of the place to him, he looked at me in surprise. He asked me if they had locations in LA and I didn't know. We decided to meet for lunch the very next day. Upon arriving, Mr.S assured me he had eaten at the Koreatown location of Myung In. When he spoke to our Server, who according to Mr.S spoke both Korean and Mandarin, she did confirm that the restaurant had several locations in LA. Looking at the back of the take-out menu confirmed that.

We ended up ordering a pile of food. Starting with the Pork and Kimchi Wang Mandu.

Same huge steamed buns. As for the filling, I prefer the pork and vegetable version. When I mentioned that the dough really reminded me of something else, Mr.S said, "yes, this is like Jjin Bbang…." He was totally right……by the way, they do have red bean seamed bun on the menu.

The item we enjoyed the best was the mandu guk – the mandu soup.

For some reason, the dumplings did really well in this broth, which had enough salt and other flavor to help things along. The wrapper became almost noodle-like and this might be the way to go in the future. It was very hearty and satisfying.

The last thing we had were the spicy steamed roll dumplings. The wrapped meat rolls weren't what made this spicy…it was the accompanying chili paste. Sigh.

Kind of tough and not something I'd order again.

Our server also mentioned that the owner was originally from China and even said where, but I couldn't make it out. Anyway, the next day, I read Kirbie's post on Myung In Dumpling, where she mentions Anthony Bourdain's visit to the LA location. Call me out of touch with mainstream food media. Following the Google trail, I came to find out that the owner is of Korean ancestry, but originally from Shenyang, China. Interesting path.

As for the jiaozi, I think it's decent, better than any other alternative in San Diego. Though I think I may try other stuff….and get the mandu guk the next time. Still, if you can't wait for another trip to the SGV for your jiaozi fix…..

Myung In Dumplings
4344 Convoy St,
San Diego, CA 92111

Visiting The Original Sab E Lee at its New Location

March 29, 2015 mmm-yoso Thai Restaurants

**** This location of TOSEL is now Zab Linda

Sab E Lee holds a special place in my heart. Starting as the "little restaurant that could"….could do well making real deal spicy Issan style Thai Food in San Diego and thrive. It's been quite a ride for SEL, from the beginning, with Koby at the helm. It soon became part of our "rotation". Eventually, Koby sold the place to Maylee and company, and proceeded to open up Sab E Lee 2 in Santee, we now had twice the fun, as SEL2 featured a more Bangkok-centric menu, but the cooks were still form Issan. Koby then sold his share in SEL2 and disappeared into the ether……man of mystery, I've heard a couple of stories, but am still not sure what happened to him. The Linda Vista location rebranded and became "The Original Sab E Lee". Then in 2013, TOSEL opened a location in Rancho Penasquitos. Things have changed a bit over the years, TOSEL seems to have plateaued…there seems to be an ever changing cast of front of house staff and there have been times where the food did not live up to expectations and the service bordered on surly. However, back in November, i had a really good meal, and noticed that one of the old cooks was working the kitchen. A few days later I saw the sign on the old Bale location……"coming soon, The Original Sab E Lee….." Which is where we are now.

I did take my time in visiting the new location.

But last week, I finally did; twice. This spot is not too large, 11 tables, but probably three times the size of the old location. Still, it wasn't so large that they'd kill the kitchen.

Interesting mix; young Thai Kids, mixed groups, gringos ordering Won Tons and eating sticky rice with a spoon.

I did recognize one of the servers…he does double duty at the PQ location. Other than that none of the faces looked familiar.

The food? I'm happy to say, just about everything was pretty much spot on. You can read all my previous posts and get the lowdown…..

The Koi Soi – Koi Neua (Spicy Raw Beef) had been "cooked" too long in citrus and was much too sour and the texture wasn't right. It's usually a very refreshing dish. Over the years, my heat tolerance has gone down…..I can no longer get this as a "10" and these days settle for a "7".

Still, it was fine.

I once thought that SEL had no ceiling, unlimited potential. These days I consider it good grub, a place that makes me feel like I walked into a little restaurant in Issan and had a nice meal. And I'm more than happy to settle for that.

The Original Sab E Lee
6925 Linda Vista Road
San Diego, CA 92111

Honolulu: Gina’s Korean Bar-B-Q, Honolulu Coffee Company, and other Stuffs

March 28, 2015 mmm-yoso Caffeine Fix, Honolulu, Korean Restaurants, Oahu, Plate Lunch, Travel

The Missus and I have a pretty nice routine for our "easy" days when we visit "home".

Things start with breakfast. The Missus can never get enough papaya…….there's nothing even remotely close to this stuff on the mainland. And I love good pineapple. What do you expect from the grandchild/child of Maui Pine plantation workers?

We then head off to the Missus's favorite swim spot; of all places, Ala Moana Beach.

We head out right after the morning rush hour….it's a week day so it's all the old timers, students, and Japanese tourists taking wedding photos.

I've always been amazed at how they seem so easy going, wearing wedding gowns and tuxedos in humid, 85 degree weather. But after chatting with folks like Kat, I understand.

On this morning it wasn't one, but two sets of couples taking photos.

While the Missus swims, I usually do a complete lap of Ala Moana Park and sometimes even head off toward Ward Avenue. On days like this one, I can't help but think, "man, to believe that I used to take all of this for granted".

Once out and dry, the Missus and I will head off across the street to Honolulu Coffee Company for a Kona V60 pour over for the coffee snob.

And while it doesn't wow Her like it used to. It's still a good cup of coffee.

Honolulu Coffee Co (in Ala Moana Center)
1450 Ala Moana Blvd, Ste 3066
Honolulu, HI 96814

We then head off and do our various errands. On this day, we decided to head off to Kahala Mall; Whole Foods and the Apple Store were calling. I decided on stopping off at another of my old favorites, in my 'hood, Gina's Bar-B-Q, still going strong 23 years later.

Gina's Bar-B-Q:

You know, I remembered when this place first opened. It's typical Local style Korean, our version of a Meat and Three. You order your entrée(s) and get three of what we call "vegetables", basically panchan, and the proteins are cooked to order.

It's a very popular style, the most popular is probably a chain called Yummy Korean BBQ. Every one has their neighborhood favorites when it comes to the local kine Korean BBQ places. I used to like Kim Chi II, though I haven't been there in maybe 20 years. My mom liked Choi's Family Restaurant, many of my friends love Soon's in Salt Lake (Oahu, not Utah….).

I'm old enough to remember when Foodland, which is now on the other side of the parking lot used to be in this spot. My good friend's second job was with Foodland. I also remember when there was a very popular video game place here called….if I recall, "The Space"???? I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong. I remember once going to use the restroom and finding two huge bags of pakalolo right on the washbasin!

Anyway wanting to check out the state of the food at Gina's, I ordered a "special", still a bargain at eleven bucks or so. It comes with bulgogi, kalbi, and the item I used to really enjoy (second best – the spicy chicken was #1), the BBQ Chicken.

Anyway, we took it to go, got a small salad at WF in Kahala and proceeded to dig in. The bulgogi wasn't up to snuff, dry, bland, and tough. The kalbi was typical local style, nice flavor, but not the best. That chicken was still a winnah! Nice shoyu flavor, slight sweetness, chewy, but in a good way. There was of course, the equivalent of three scoops of rice under all of this, soaking up the juices and drippings. The "vegetables" were passable….I'd say, even better than what I get here at some of the rather pricey Korean places.

Even though it's more about a good value, the chicken is not bad.

I'm hoping to head back to Gina's for the spicy chicken next time. Hopefully, I won't have to wait another decade.

Gina’s Bar-B-Q
2919 Kapiolani Blvd
Honolulu, HI 96826

Portland: Breakfast at Cheryl’s on 12th

March 27, 2015 mmm-yoso American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Portland, Oregon, Travel

Our last morning started just like the previous one did. The Missus slept in a bit and I took a walk, much shorter this time, and no donuts. We would be grabbing breakfast before checking out and heading to the airport. The Missus really wanted to go back to Tasty N Alder yet again. However, they didn't open until 9, which would be cutting things a bit too close.

So instead we walked one block over to Cheryl's on 12th which opens at 8am on Sundays.

The space reminded me a bit of the London Plane, not as fancy or hip, but this was part market, bakery, deli, as well as restaurant.

We were greeted with a bright smile and led to a nice little table.

Ordering for me was quite easy, though the Missus needed a bit of time.

Meanwhile, our coffee arrived along with some very light, warm, beignets.

The Missus went with the Wild Mushroom Omelete ($9):

While it kind of looked like a hot mess, the flavors were good, sweetness from the caramelized onions and the milky-salty feta cheese balancing out the earthy mushroom flavor. The potatoes were mediocre, bland, greasy, and without color or and crispness.

My breakfast took me home, the Portuguese Fried Rice ($10).

Minus the avocado and this could have easily been served at, say, Like Like Drive-In, or some other local spot on Oahu. There was a generous portion of sliced and nicely sautéed sausage, decent flavor, nicely spiced, lot's of sausage in the fried rice as well, though the rice was much too hard and needed some shoyu to kick it up a bit. Still, the Missus poached a good amount of the sausage (and the avocado), and this was well worth ten bucks.

Nice folks.

Cheryl’s On 12th
1135 SW Washington St
Portland, OR 97205
Hours:
Mon – Sat 7am – 8pm
Sunday 8am – 4pm

In retrospect, we could have easily spent a few more days in PDX. As it was, we missed a few places we had on our list….unfinished business as it were.

But heck, that just gives us reason to return.

Portland: Davenport and Belmont Station

March 26, 2015 mmm-yoso American Restaurants, Beer, European Restaurants, Portland, Oregon, Pubs and Pub Grub, Travel

By the time we woke up from our short afternoon siesta, it was time to head off to dinner. I'd already had quite a full day, starting with a nice morning walk and some donuts, then waking the Missus for a caffeine fix and a walk to Olympia Provisions, followed by, yes, a walk to Cascade Brewing Barrel House and Hair of the Dog Brewery. But you know the Missus, we ended walking the two miles or so to Davenport.

It was actually a nice walk. The sky was overcast, but it never rained.

We crossed the Willamette on the Burnside Bridge and passed the iconic Portland White Stag sign.

Traffic looked pretty heavy along Burnside.

You could tell spring was approaching as the Cherry Blossoms were starting to bloom. It was quite a lovely sight.

Our destination was a restaurant named Davenport, which I had read used local ingredients in simple dishes, with excellent and refined technique. The idea is to let the ingredients shine. The Chef Kevin Gibson is a semi-finalist for the James Beard; Best Chef: Northwest category.

There area couple of interesting things about the place, there's no large sign, you have to find 2215 East Burnside, then look for the "red door". Also, the phone conversation for making reservations was, well, interesting…..a woman picked up the phone with simply "hello"…… I had to ask if this was Davenport. At the end of the process, I noticed they hadn't asked for a phone number, so I inquired if they needed one. The answer, "no….if you show up, you show up…if you don't, you don't." Ok…. Well, we did show up.

The menu is ever changing…..in fact, it changes almost everyday.

We loved the menu and it was quite easy to choose our courses.

We had heard that Co-owner Kurt Heilemann curates an amazing wine list. So we asked our server, who was just perfect, efficient, professional, but not stuffy if he would select a glass to pair with each dish.

I will say, that even though I'm not an oenophile, I really enjoyed the pairings. I'm not going to go into detail about the wine, though I will say, the first glass…that Riesling, pared with the foie gras mousse was just perfect. It was without a doubt the best pairing of the evening. When I mentioned how beautiful the stemware was, our server told us it's hand-blown Zalto stemware.

The foie gras mousse was nice, smooth, rich, all you could ever want.

The pate was good, quite refined, balanced in flavor…..perhaps a bit too perfect. Loved the bits of hazelnut which gave it a nice contrasting texture.

For us, it was the pickled sunchokes that really got our attention, great crunch, perfect flavor. The salad was my least favorite….it tasted like it had been dressed with plain white vinegar, as it was way too sour; the pomegranate seeds didn't help adding another layer of tart and tannic flavor to everything.

The rapini, which was beautifully charred, bitterness subdued, smokey flavor enhanced was wonderful.

The addition of the breadcrumbs which added more crunch, only to be balanced with the boiled egg white and richness of the egg yolk just elevated the dish in my opinion. The anchovy was a bit too strong for the dish as just a squeeze of lemon was perfect.

We finished with the grilled lamb shoulder.

Slightly toothsome, but still tender enough considering it was shoulder. The lamb flavor made the perfect, "yes, you are eating lamb" statement. It was perfectly seasoned, a bit too rare for the Missus, but I loved it. The salsa verde really didn'y play into the flavors for me.

Overall, a very nice meal. In terms of service and timing, things were just perfect for us. While we enjoyed our meal, which was good, nothing really extended it into the "great" territory for us. Now the prices, well the food only came out to $60! The wine at $45 almost matched the price of the food. We weren't complaining though as in terms of cost, we thought this to be a reasonably priced meal.

Next time, I think something more along the lines of Le Pigeon would be the Missus's cup of tea.

Davenport
2215 East Burnside
Portland, OR 97214

Of course, we weren't quite ready to call it a night. Candice had recommended that we stop in at Belmont Station. So the Missus decided we needed to work off at least a portion of our dinner….so add another mile-and-a-half to the tab. The streets looked rather dark on SE Stark Street and Belmont Station shone like a pearl in the night.

Basically an amazing bottle shop, with a huge 1200+ bottle list. Connected to the shop is the "Biercafe" which has a nice selection of items on tap.

Our "beertender" was a very nice…cool guy. The Missus got a sour and I ordered something that looked quite interesting – the New Belgium Cocoa Mole Spiced Strong Dark Ale. I was asked if I like "interesting flavors" and said yes. The guy behind the bar said, "folks here either love it or instantly dislike it". Me, I loved it….

Like a pseudo porter, with a pronounced chili-chocolate aroma. Since I love chili beers, I really enjoyed this. Mild spice that very slowly intensified, but never really got too hot. The flavor was quite complex. Even the Missus, who is not a big fan of porters really enjoyed this one.

It was a nice way to end our evening.

Belmont Station
4500 SE Stark St
Portland, OR 97215

By this time, the Missus had figured I'd done enough walking for the day and decided we could catch the bus back. She did have a change of heart as we crossed the Belmont Bridge and decided to ring for a stop. But after all the walking I had done that day. The stroll back to the hotel was nothing.

Such is a typical day for us when travelling…lots of walking and lots of good food….and drinks!

Thanks for stopping by!

Three Minute Whole Egg Mayo

March 25, 2015 mmm-yoso Cooking, Recipes

It'll take longer to read this post than to actually make this. But first, a word from our legal department:

Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness.

Now that we got that out of the way….yes, I use raw eggs…well, egg actually, for this.

I also use an immersion blender and a Ball Jar.

The eggs are either pasteurized or the best we can find – pasture raised and all that. I also use whole eggs, which makes this much lighter than just egg yolks. As for the science; if you love that kind of stuff, get Harold McGee's classic – On Food and Cooking.

I've read where having all ingredients at room temperature, but I've done this with cold eggs and mustard and the results has been fine.

It is of course, a main part of my Copycat Radicchio Salad.

Ready to whizz? Ready, set, go:

– In a ball jar crack 1 egg, add 1 Tb White Wine Vinegar, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1/2 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp kosher salt

– Add 1 cup neutral oil – I used avocado oil

– Place head of the immersion blender at the bottom of the jar and turn on. Slowly lift the head of the blender up until totally emulsified. This makes just under a cup.

Keep refrigerated. The longest I've kept this stuff is about 5 days.

That's it. Really.

Then you can start having some fun….next time add some fish sauce or other items and you'll come up with some interesting flavors.

Hope you're having a great week!

Breakfast of Champions – the Noodle Soup Edition: 777 Noodle House, Minh Ky, Tu Thanh, Pho Paradise, Pho Lucky

March 24, 2015 mmm-yoso Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants

I've gotten into a habit of having noodle soup for breakfast. Check that; I crave noodle soup for breakfast on weekends. It's something that happened over time, but has become a bit of a habit. I'm not the only one with a weekend routine. When I rise and leave for work during the week, while it's still dark out, Da' Boyz won't even budge. They go outside, do their thing, and then it's back to sleep. During the weekend however, it's light and bright, they have a routine of their own. Most weekend mornings, I'll go for some of the quick errands; gas up the car, the ATM, Catalina Offshore, etc……and I'll take them with me. It's gotten to the point of them knowing and expecting this to take place. Sammy will sometimes stick his nose in the shower, with Frankie running around in the bathroom whining demanding their weekend "car ride". After that's done, I go for more of the errands, the "honey doo" things farther afield while the Missus is working or still sleeping. My reward? Some noodle soup. So here's a few recent bowls….I've posted on these places already, but thought it was time for another. No Mien Trung, even though they open at 9. I'm getting old, Bun Bo Hue is a bit too much for breakfast these days.

777 Noodle House:

My favorite $5.77 bowl – either Hieu Tieu Nam Vang or in this case Mi Trieu Chau. Basically the same dish, except one is with egg noodles.

777 Noodle House
4686 University Avenue
San Diego, CA 92105

Open at 8am

Minh Ky:

My usual, the Beef Sate Noodle "dry".

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

Open at 8am

Tu Thanh:

My favorite bowl of Bun Mang Vit.

Especially since I found out where the parking lot is.

Tu Thanh
4804 University Ave. #A
San Diego, CA 92105

Open at 9am

Pho Paradise:

**** Pho Paradise has closed

A newbie that makes a passable bowl, not the best, but better than anything else in the area. I avoid the rare steak.

And only for the pho. Other items I've tried here just haven't cut it. A close option for those mornings I shop at Nijiya.

Pho Paradise
3904 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Open at 9am on Saturdays, 10am on Sundays.

Pho Lucky:

Yep……yes again. There are those rare mornings when the Missus joins me and is in the mood for some pho. This is where we'll go.

Maybe one day Tim Ky will join the list.

Pho Lucky
9326 Mira Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92126

Open at 9 am

When you have a place in your regular rotation you sometimes notice things. Like the pair of pooches in the photo to the right. I've seen them at Nijiya a good half dozen times now. I have no idea who they belong to, but they sure are "regulars".

And then there are the odd things. Like the colander/strainer I saw in the men's urinal at Zion Market one morning. I'm sure it was doing a "similar job". I just hope it wasn't doing double duty.

Needless to say; I wasn't feeling like having anything to eat in the food court that morning. I also waited until I got home to use the restroom…..

Ramen-mania: Ototo and Oton

March 23, 2015 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Ramen

So here's more Ramen; one by request (Ototo) and the other because of a sign I saw.

Ototo:

I guess it was inevitable based on the discussion in the comments of this post. A couple of folks asked me what I thought of the ramen here…including Taka-san at Taisho. You know I'm not a "rolls" kind of guy, so otherwise, this second restaurant from the owner of Sushi-ya really wouldn't interest me.

Strangely, I always end up calling the place "Otot", which I'm sure my friend and fellow food blogger "CC" will get a kick out of. BTW, Happy 9th Blogga-versery CC!

The shop is located next to Mr Fish and Chips in the Balboa Mesa Shopping Center.

The décor is simple, but modern, with an area of stool and bar type tables, which I thought was kind of neat.

The menu features 3 types of ramen; a red (miso) based, a white tonkotsu, and a chicken based version. I went with the Shio White Tonkotsu. The young lady and gentleman serving me were quite nice, but on the slow side. I watched my ramen come up and stay in the window while they gathered themselves to do…well, I don't know.

Eventually, the ramen made it's way, first to another, then finally my table.

My first reaction was, "is this tonkotsu"? Where was a the nice milky richness. The broth had a yellowish tone and even smelled somewhat "chicken-ny". It had a decent amount of oil, but was still not very rich. I'm wondering what kind of salt they use, or perhaps it's a bagged base, because it tasted kind of bitter to me. The boiled egg was quite good, the chashu, hard, cold, flavorless. The noodles were mushy and overcooked….perhaps it had waited a bit too long to reach my table?

In my opinion, overpriced at $9.50. I'll take a pass on this…..

Ototo Sushi Co
5651 Balboa Ave
San Diego, CA 92111

Oton:

I saw a flier that mentioned Oton was serving Tonkotsu style ramen for lunch. So I thought I'd go and check them out.

A small, by the book salad accompanied the ramen.

Which when it arrived looked totally like it came from the Tonkotsu 101 manual. But let us first spend a moment admiring that lovely orb of goodness, the egg. This may be the best ajitsuke tamago in terms of cooking time and prep in San Diego. The noodles were also a perfect texture for me…….mass produced, but prepared well.

The broth was very white, but also too thin, and almost fully defatted which took away from the "coat your tongue" feeling you get from a good tonkotsu. The flavor was also mild, but passable. The chashu was cold, hard, though it had decent flavor. What's up with serving a solid piece of ice cold pork?

Not bad, but I'd rather go several other places before coming here for the ramen.

Oton
5447 Kearny Villa Road
San Diego, CA 92123

So where do I think these rank in the now crowded world of ramen in San Diego? Well, Otot, umm Ototo is definitely second tier. Oton, is higher second tier, perhaps along the lines Ouan, or maybe even better.

Sunday Sandwiches – More Revisits: Embargo Grill and Bristol Farms

March 22, 2015 mmm-yoso Latin American Cuisine, Markets & Grocers, Sandwiches

**** Both Embargo Grill and Bristol Farms have closed

As I continue my sandwich revisits since my TMJ has calmed down.

Embargo Grill:

I'd been meaning to return since my first couple of visits over a year ago. I thought the food had promise and the concept was interesting.

The place looks basically the same; the prices have edged up a notch, though are still quite reasonable.

I went with the "Midnight Calorie Bomb" the Cubano/Medianoche ($6.75).

I previously thought this a decent sandwich. It has now risen to "good". I thought the weak link previously was the pulled pork, which was very dry and ice cold in my sandwich. That has been remedied. The pork was warm, nicely seasoned, perhaps on the edge of being too salty, and was adequately moist. The ham added even more of a sodium kick and the swiss cheese provided a nice milky level of flavor. The bread was quite nice, pressed, crisp, and yeasty. And while the sandwich doesn't look very big, it's quite filling and more than enough for me.

Man, if this place was in the Gaslamp and open when the clubs got out….they'd do a killing…..

Nice to see the place is doing well.

Embargo Grill
3960 W Point Loma Blvd
San Diego, CA 92110
Hours:
Mon-Thurs11am – 9pm
Fri-Sat 11am – 10pm
Sunday 11am – 9pm

Bristol Farms:

Yeah, I know, Cathy and I have done a number of posts on Bristol Farms. I'd mentioned the Tri-Tip Sandwich in a previous post. Several key things have to be in place for me to get the sandwich. There are a couple of folks, often from the deli area that I know make a good sandwich. One of the guys really takes his time, but whenever he makes my sandwich, it comes out like this:

Also, I check out the tri-tip, or the turkey to make sure it doesn't look old and tired. For the turkey sandwich; I go dark meat all the way. After having this through the years, I know how I like mine; toasted roll, horseradish sauce (on one side) in place of the BBQ sauce, grilled mushroom and onions, regular onions, tomato and lettuce. When it comes out well…..it's quite a sandwich.

Of course, one of the main reasons I was a Bristol Farms was to pick stuff up for a "light" dinner on the porch.

Bristol Farms
8510 Genessee Ave
San Diego, CA 92122