March 2015 – Page 3

Copycat Radicchio Salad (Inspired by Tasty N Alder)

March 10, 2015 mmm-yoso Cooking, Recipes

If you've been reading my posts on Portland, you should know that it would only be a matter of time before I made this. The Missus loved the Radicchio Salad at Tasty N Alder so much, we went twice. The Missus wanted to go on our last morning as well, but they opened a bit too late so we ended up somewhere else. I knew that Chef John Gorham, has a cookbook out named after his Spanish inspired restaurant; Toro Bravo. Taking a quick look at the Amazon page for the book; I quickly saw "Radicchio Salad" in the index….so guess what? I bought the book. The recipe for the salad at Toro Bravo is different from what is served at Tasty N Alder. The book version is dressed with a vinaigrette….though I like the idea of macerating onion in the vinegar for added punch. I'll surely use that idea later on. It also uses a tapenade and is served with baguette. The version at TNA is dressed with mayo with slices of bacon; they call it lardons, but it's a pretty wide slice of bacon. All was not lost however, as there were two take-aways from the recipe in the book; using a microplane to grate the manchego cheese, which makes it light as air and which allows the cheese to incorporate itself into the dressing adding another layer of flavor. The second, soaking the radicchio in ice water to remove some of the bitterness. This was key. The Missus had never taken to radicchio because of its bitterness. In addition, I decided to make my own mayonnaise, a light, whole egg version…..which I call my "three minute mayo"…..like it says, it takes about three minutes to make and is very light and creamy. I also mixed in 3 tablespoons of rendered bacon fat for that extra kick. I'm thinking you can add some anchovy, or some extra acid component if desired. The Missus enjoys this version.

So here's what I made……four times in ten days!

This is what we had twice at Tasty N Alder.

Radicchio Salad (Inspired by Tasy N Alder):

3 slices thick cut bacon

1/4 Cup Mayonnaise (I make my own very light version with whole eggs)

3-4 Tb Rendered Bacon Fat

1 tsp Agave Syrup Salt and Pepper to Taste

1 Radicchio (about 3/4 pound)

1 cup Manchego Cheese grated with a microplane

2 boiled eggs crumbled (optional)

– Cut radicchio into four and remove core portion. Cut into 1 inch pieces. Separate leaves and soak in ice water for 30 minutes

– Slice bacon into 1/2" wide slices. Cook slowly to render off bacon fat and let bacon crisp. Let bacon fat cool but not harden

– Combine mayonnaise, bacon fat, agave syrup. Taste and add salt a pepper as necessary. Chill.

– Drain radicchio and spin dry in a salad spinner. It's important to get the radicchio faily dry. This will let the dressing coat it evenly.

– Grate machego cheese, crumble boiled eggs

– Combine radicchio with dressing, coat evenly

– Top with bacon and grated manchego cheese

– Bring to the table and mix well.

Mariscos Monday: The El Puerto Mariscos Truck

March 9, 2015 mmm-yoso Food Trucks, Mexican Restaurants, Seafood, Taco Shops

I noticed a "new" Mariscos Truck while driving down Convoy two weeks ago name El Puerto. I felt it was a bit too cold for tacos at that time, but what a difference a week makes. Looks like winter has made its way out of San Diego. Bright and sunny days are perfect for "lonchera lunching"…..

So I parked the car…..the truck is located in the small space between Convoy Liquors (4383 Convoy Street) and Wienerschnitzel (4393 Convoy St)….you can't miss it. I walked up and took a look at the menu; much like Mariscos Nine Seas, things looked quite gringo friendly, which sends off alarms bells. Still, nothing ventured, nothing gained, right? Pretty straight forward stuff. I ordered a Fried Fish Taco ($1.50), A Fried Shrimp Taco ($2.50), and was overjoyed to see a Gobernador ($4.25) on the menu as well. It was a nice day, so I did as I would usually do….I ate on the hood of my car. Based on how things looked, I expected no consommé and got none.

The fish taco wasn't my favorite….a rather small piece of fish; the batter was on the greasy side and it did not hold up well. It was adequately moist, but tasted a bit more fishy than I like. The fried shrimp was the best of the bunch, the batter, while still on the greasy side held up well, the shrimp were mist and plump.

I've got to say, this was the strangest gobenador I've ever had, also the smallest. You can check out other versions on some of our older posts.

At least the tortillas….not great quality as they all fell apart, had a layer of melted cheese. Basically some stir fried shrimp and a few slices of green pepper (no onions, no tomatoes???) and a couple of slices of avocado. And here I thought the version at the Mariscos Tijuana Jr Truck was different.

The salsas were by the book, decent. The folks running the truck were very nice. Because my order was taking a bit long, they offered me my choice of beverage on the house.

Still, I'd rather drive down South for my Mariscos Fix.

El Puerto Mariscos Truck

Currently parked between 4383 and 4393 Convoy.

Hours:

Monday – Saturday 10am - 4pm

Sunday Sandwiches: Revisits to Best Donuts, SuperNatural Sandwiches, Sweet and Savory Gourmet, and Sandwich Emporium

March 8, 2015 mmm-yoso Sandwiches

I’m not sure if you noticed; between August of last year and January there was a dearth of sandwich posts. The main culprit was a very bad case of TMJ, there was a nice bit of nerve pain and now there’s sometimes interesting crunching noises when I open my jaw too wide….pretty sure some arthritis has set in, but whatever, I can finally have a Banh Mi again.

So since things have settled down, I’ve been doing a bit of catching up…….

Best Donuts Bakery & Deli:

**** Best Donuts is now Barrio Donas

As I mentioned in my previous post on the place, my favorite stop for some breakfast if I’m running early (like 530 am). Perhaps I just visit often enough, but there seems to always be some rearrangement of the equipment or some new signs on each visit.

Being a creature of habit; it was the A la Mexicana – Eggs, salsa, onion, tomato, cheese, jalapenos, and a smear of beans. Nice way to start the day.

Best Donuts Bakery & Deli
4714 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92117

SuperNatural Sandwiches:

**** SuperNatural Sandwiches has closed

It had been a while since I last visited. It great to see the place is doing well. I went with my favorite, the Siren.

I’m not sure if it’s because I haven’t had this in a while; but this was even better than I recalled….and it was my favorite sandwich here! The brioche didn’t seem a greasy; the tomato flavors came through a bit more sharply; love the sweetness of the wild Mexican Shrimp. It is without a doubt one of my favorite sandwiches…period. Man, these guys sure have come far since the booth at the San Diego Public Market days. Good for them!

SuperNatural Sandwiches
7094 Miramar Rd
San Diego, CA 92121

Sweet & Savory Gourmet:

I think they place makes a decent tri-tip and it’s priced nicely.

This was even better than then the version I had previously. The tri-tip had more flavor and was tender and moist. The ciabatta had been warmed this time around which added to the pleasure. The garlic mayo is still a bit too wimpy for me; but overall, this was a fine sandwich. Kind of a hidden gem with all of the craziness and gimmicks a naerbyt places like Chicken Charlie’s and The Habit Burger….whose tri-tip sandwich pales in comparison.

As noted before; this is a tiny catering shop with limited hours. But very nice folks and a decent tri-tip sandwich.

Sweet & Savory Gourmet
3574 Mount Acadia Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111

Sandwich Emporium:

Still, after 10 years, still my go-to neighborhood sandwich shop. there should be one of these places in every neighborhood.

Right?

Sandwich Emporium
3054 1/2 Clairemont Dr
San Diego, CA 92117

and

**** SE MM has closed

Sandwich Emporium
8155 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92126

Portland: A Morning Walk, Blue Star Donuts, and Going Back to Tasty N Alder

March 6, 2015 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Desserts, Portland, Oregon, Travel

The Missus had worked quite hard in the weeks up to our trip to Portland. I'm a terminal early riser, so I decided to let the Missus get some additional shut-eye, while I took a morning walk.

Much like Seattle, Portland seems to rise late…..it was still a bit dark when I started my walk at the Paramount Hotel.

I headed out for The Pearl, we'd walked around the area a bit the day before and really enjoyed ourselves, and were probably headed here later in the morning, so I thought why not? Though I'd been up this way before, I'd never been up NW 13th Avenue.

A former street full of former warehouses, turned into restaurants, shops, and businesses….I really liked the transformation.

A few streets over, I went to check out Jamison Square. The modern totem public art sculptures called the Tikitotmoniki Totems have always served as a landmark for me.

For some reason, the area seems much more developed than when I last visited.

Walking down Burnside past the North Park Blocks, I descended on the area known as Old Town and Chinatown. Things seemed to have changed a bit since my last visit; it's much cleaner, less (though still a bit) gritty….there seemed to be quite a few bars and art galleries, so I'm certain that additional gentrification might be coming up.

Looking up NW 6th Avenue; I was surprised to see Union Station was a few blocks away! On previous visits; Union Station just seemed much farther away.

Perhaps all those "death marches" with the Missus (I calculated I walked 9 miles on this day…stay tuned) has changed how I calculate distance?

Anyway, walking into Chinatown, I saw that The House of Louie was still there!

And of course, one of my favorite signs……. Hung Far Low. The restaurant, once the oldest restaurant in Chinatown (opened in 1928), is long gone. But I guess there's something, well, unique and special about the sign….it is without a doubt a landmark, and the sign has been preserved. I understand that the city even contributed to making sure that Hung Far Low kept on hanging, high and proud in Chinatown.

Walking past the Chinatown gate, I received a text from the Missus. She was up and about, so I headed back……not directly mind you, there was one stop on the way.

I do wish some of the food carts on 10th and Alder were open for a substantial breakfast….but like their customer base, they seem to wake much later as well.

Seeing food carts in Portland always brings me back to this wonderful post from which Portland Food Carts site was established in 2007. Lizzy Gaston is no longer involved with the little empire that is Portland Food Carts, but I will never forget.

Heading down Washington Street, I came across the SW Portland location of Blue Star Donuts. The Missus isn't a big fan of Voodoo Donuts, so I thought I'd get something from here as a wake up treat for Her.

This was the most folks I saw in one place at this time of the morning in Portland!

The artisan donuts here use a brioche base.

I bought three for the Missus. I don't have a big sweet tooth, but thought the cinnamon and vanilla sugar was the best; the Missus agreed. The raspberry filled with peanut butter powder was our least favorite.

You can read about the North Portland location of Blue Star in Mary's post.

Blue Star Donuts
1237 SW Washington St
Portland, OR 97205

*** Tasty N Alder has closed

So after some donuts, the Missus decided where She wanted to eat Her breakfast…….it was Tasty N Alder again!

So we waited until just before 9am and walked the couple blocks up to Tasty N Alder.

Our Server was the same……so wonderful. She welcomed us back and we explained that we came back for the Radicchio Salad. In a very nice touch, she brought us some coffee cake, telling us, "this is on the house….welcome back…and thanks!" Wow, really?

And so the Missus got Her Radicchio Salad…….half portion ($6)

Of course the Missus loves eggs…..so I decided to order the Cast Iron Frittata ($10).

Good sized….not too big, loved the nettles, the caramelization helped to smooth out the bitterness and develop the sugars, the caramelized onion brought some sweetness, and the asparagus was present in a restrained amount. A nice, light, frittata.

And $16 for a breakfast for 2? And that coffee cake? Priceless……

Tasty n Alder
580 SW 12th Ave
Portland, OR 97205
Hours:
Sunday – Thursday 9am – 10pm
Friday – Saturday 9am – 11pm

We chose a rather light breakfast, because we had our sights set on lunch……….before that; there was a need for some coffee.

Stay Tuned!

Portland: A walk around those familiar places, like Stumptown. Dinner at Little Bird Bistro and a nightcap at Bailey’s Taproom

March 5, 2015 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Beer, Caffeine Fix, French Restaurants, Portland, Oregon, Travel

*** Little Bird Bistro and Bailey's Taproom have closed

After a short nap, we awoke…well a bit groggy. So we figured it was time for a walk and maybe some coffee.

We passed all those familiar places…well, at least to me. The Missus really didn't remember much about Portland, other than "Pod", how much she didn't care for Voodoo Donuts, stuff like that.

She did remember the Pioneer Square area and the really nice and friendly Police Officer we met there. That's kind of how travel is; most times, the sites are great, but it's the people that you remember.

Last time we were in Portland, we stayed at the Embassy Suites, which is right across the street from Stumptown Coffee Roasters. I thought it would be nice to drop by again.

The place looks the same. I'm not sure if it's just me; but the baristas here always seem a bit detached, jaded, and "too cool" for us customers. Maybe if I grew a beard, had tats on my arms, and pierced various parts of my anatomy? Fat chance on that though…..

This visit was more for the Missus. She's kind of become one of those pseudo "Third Wave" snobs. Remember those posts on Haraaz Red Maraqaha beans that are Her favorite? Or the cups of Panama Geisha from Bird Rock? She thought a visit here would be interesting to see how Her tastes have changed. And they've changed a lot and so have mine. I'm not a coffee snob, though I know what the Missus enjoys, so I instantly knew upon tasting the cold brew that it wasn't going to cut it; I like nitro cold brew and this Kenya was decent, but I've actually had better at Dark Horse.

Stumptown Coffee Roasters
128 Sw 3rd Ave
Portland, OR 97204

It was still too early for our dinner reservations; so we decided to take a walk around a bit. One of my favorite buildings in Portland is the Dekum Building. The red brick, very German, Romanesque styling make this structure; built in 1891 by Frank Dekum really stand out. Even more entertaining is the story that during the building of this structure, the masons drank beer every morning instead of coffee. The magic of hops; the place is still standing and looking as beautiful as ever.

We headed to downtown proper; past the Thompson Elk Fountain, which made me realize, for some reason, I really hadn't taken many photos during my visits in Portland. So heck, I needed at least one of Portlandia (the statue, not the show).

A little tidbit, the building the statue fronts; The Portland Building was declared one of "the World's Ugliest Buildings" by Travel and Leisure. I didn't think it was that bad….

The Missus was starting to get hungry, so we decided to walk over to our dinner destination. In the beginning, I started with a list, than pared it down based on the Missus's eating habits and preferences. Le Pigeon was on that list, but I thought visiting Gabriel Rucker's other restaurant, the more bistro like Little Bird would be more relaxed. I recall calling and making a reservation, the young lady on the line asked me, "will you be celebrating a special occasion with us? Is there anything special we can do?"

We had arrived early, the place was empty except for one table. The young lady manning the hostess stand was relaxed and friendly. She offered us several tables. I ended up asking her to make the choice for us. So, we ended up getting "her favorite table" on the mezzanine. "Half the fun is watching the place come alive" she said.

I couldn't agree more. Much like The London Plane, having a bird's eye view was worth the price of admission.

The young man who was our Server was quite nice, friendly, but not too friendly, efficient, but not in your face, just perfect for our temperament. When I presented our plan; Chalkboard Special items, to be shared family style, rather than the usual appetizer-entrée service, he was all for it. He told us, "this is going to be great. I was a customer here for two years before working here."

At this point, I'm sorry to say, the photos aren't going to be up to standard. We didn't bring our huge DSLR with us….and in all honesty, I would have felt quite uncomfortable busting the beast out in a situation like this. It just doesn't seem right.

So we march onward. The Charcuterie Board ($25), was solid, if not outstanding.

We're used to charcuterie that makes a statement. Many of the items offered, like the pork rillettes were quite mild, almost lost without accoutrements, in that case, the pickled onions were a must. The texture of the pate was so decadent, but the flavor just needed that "umph". The one item that was full of flavor was the Smoked Pork Mousseline, in this case, not a forcemeat, but a flavorful smoked pork tenderloin. The scotch egg was great, drippy and oozy, the breading balancing out the books.

Next up is what I think is the best thing I've had since our dinner at Suzunari in Tokyo. The Seared Foie Gras, Shaved Oregon Winter Truffle, Foie Gras Sausage (we were told 3 parts chicken – 1 part foie), porcini puree (more like a porcini-butter mousse). Oh, just kill me now…..

Without getting too wordy….I didn't even mention the balsamic glaze, I have to say all of these strong flavors and amazing textures really played well together. The porcini puree was a great example; it was so assertive solo, but together with the foie gras, things balanced out. When eating products like this, I want the true flavor to come through….and then the combination of items which can take the dish a bit higher, perhaps transform and balance the textures, richness, and flavor. This was it for us. Worth every penny ($26).

The Roasted Marrow Bones ($21) were also quite good. The pairing of marrow bones with escargot – "ants on a log" is a classic one. In this case, it included snail sausage, which I thought was quite good.

It was served with some delicious rapini, a nice, thick parmesan vinaigrette, which added an acid-milky component to the dish. The bone marrow was perfectly prepared; in San Diego, I've encountered unrendered product. The naan like flatbread was kind of an afterthought for us.

Our evening had gone quite well, until the wait for our last dish, which took nearly 20 minutes, the Anchovy Cured Pork Belly ($15).

I gotta say, that cauliflower puree was great, just the right amount of seasoning and butter; the texture sublime. The Missus was ok with this, but I thought it was really salty. On the menu it says "crispy boquerones", which were really much too salty fried anchovies. A bit too heavy in terms of sodium. Nice textures, if a bit over-the-top for me.

We didn't go with any wine with dinner, so the damage turned out to be $87….no tax in PDX….which the Missus made sure to tell me after having recently spent over a hundred bucks for a mediocre meal at the Smoking Goat.

Little Bird Bistro
219 SW 6th Ave
Portland, OR 97204

So now he Missus wants to make sure we visit Le Pigeon next time! I think She's ready for it.

After dinner, we headed around the block to Bailey's Taproom for a nightcap. I loved the display which showed the status of every keg and what was lined up.

Loved the half pours, 10 ounces was enough for me after all the rich food. A bit too many hipsters, but we enjoyed the place.

Here's what it looks like in daylight as I walked by the next morning. Great selection….

Bailey’s Taproom
213 SW Broadway
Portland, OR 97205

Man, we were lovin' Portland!

Midweek Meanderings – Coming Soon Edition: Sab e Lee’s Thai Papaya Pok Pok, Kula Revolving Sushi Bar, LW’s BBQ becoming Mike’s BBQ, Coastal Crave coming to Bay Park, and Cafe Hielo

March 4, 2015 mmm-yoso Blog

I know I was the bearer of bad news last week, so I thought I'd even things out this week. Starting with:

Thai Papaya Pok Pok:

Which is what the old Original Sab e Lee location will become.

2405 Ulric St
San Diego, CA 92111

Kula Revolving Sushi Bar:

I thought I'd do this since Cathy gave us a preview based on her visit to the Rancho Cucamonga location of this Kaiten-zushi chain.

4609 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Mike's BBQ replacing LW's:

I posted on the vacated LW's BBQ spot back in November. It looks like Mike's BBQ, with a location in Escondido will be setting down here.

3057 Clairemont Dr
San Diego, CA 92117

And in the same strip mall…..

Owner of now defunct Skybox Sportsbar opening Coastal Crave:

Man, this location has been vacant for years. For a while it was World Sushi…then something else that came and went before I had a chance to check them out.

From what I hear, this isn't going to be a sportsbar concept, but more craft cocktails and according to Clairemont Community News a menu featuring "interesting" items like alligator and wild boar.

3065 Clairemont Dr
San Diego, CA 92117

Café Hielo:

This one in the same strip mall as Pho Fusion, Qi Wei Kitchen, et al.

The sign says "Korean Dessert Café"….

8072 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111

Portland: Tasty N Alder and other “stuffs”

March 3, 2015 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Portland, Oregon, Travel

*** Tasty N Alder has closed

Ever since we've been doing a good amount of travel internationally, the Missus really hasn't been too keen travelling much in the US, other than heading "home" to visit Her parents and such. But, we had such a great time on our recent visit to Seattle, a city we used to visit almost yearly, that the Missus asked me if I'd like to take a belated birthday trip to Portland. I'd heard that the food scene in PDX has really taken off in the last couple years and it had been over 7 years since our last visit. In other words, we were overdue. I always enjoyed the city, folks are very nice, almost borderline too friendly at times….even the street kids are often quite polite. We did notice a few changes since our last visit immediately; many, many, more hipsters…..man, I don't think they sell many razors in PDX anymore. Folks seemed even more eccentric….some of the outfits wouldn't be out of place in Shibuya! Loved the gal who walked out of one of the business high rises; briefcase in tow, rockin' shiny tap dance shoes featuring bright red bows, a polka dot mini skirt, and a mouse-ear barrette! Keep Portland Weird indeed….or were the folks just doing a reverse satire of Portlandia?

Did I mention the easy $2.50 Max Red Line from the airport to downtown. That, added to being able to check in at 945am at the Paramount, and things were starting out well.

We were of course starving….and downtown Portland is a very easy walking town. Tasty N Alder had been on my list for a while and the Missus and I enjoy family style……

The place was quite full when we arrived….mid-morning and all. Our Server was the most amazingly cheerful and friendly woman. I wish I got her name….friendly, efficient, did a great job talking to us about the menu. She made our visit so pleasant and pleasurable.

always on the look-out for veggies, we started with the Radicchio ($6), which turned out to be the Missus's favorite dish of the trip. In fact, She requested a return visit just for this supposedly simple looking salad.

This dish was just so subtly excellent, from the nice crisp thick cut bacon lardons, to the ice cold radicchio, prepped perfectly, without any of the bitter bite. Topped with crumbled egg…you know how much the Missus loves Her eggs, right. The manchego cheese was shredded so fine that I asked if it was done using a microplane (it is). The cheese melted into the wonderful dressing thickening it….I also think there's some bacon fat in the dressing as well. It was thick and rich in a pleasant way……almost like the best possible Caesar dressing. Wonderful!

Curious, we ordered the "Saigon Brussel Sprouts". Actually, the flavor is more Thai influenced.

The Missus took one bite and said, "I know this flavor….you know this flavor….you make stuff using these flavors". This indeed had the Palm Sugar-Fish Sauce-Garlic flavor I use for making my Thai Garlic Shrimp. Though this is much more sweet and is glazed. I loved the idea and knew I'd be making this after we returned home.

The Smoke Trout Board ($10) was our least favorite item of the day. The trout was decently smoked, but nothing special, the 6 minute egg was over done, though the pickled beets are really great with a nice, balanced flavor.

I was fascinated with the Patatas Bravas, which turned out to be a huge portion for $7. And to make the Missus even more happy it was topped with….you guessed it, two more easy over eggs. That make about five eggs if you're counting.

The garlic aioli had a wonderful "punch", the potatoes had the great texture of spuds that had been twice fried as the interior was fairly creamy. It was a bit too salty and the sauce seemed a bit heavy handed with regards to paprika, but you can't say it was bland.

So this with coffee….what do you think this would cost in San Diego? Here it was $33…….almost a shocking bargain for us. Plus no sales tax. I'd forgotten how reasonably priced things were in Portland.

Like I mentioned before, the woman who waited on us was just a joy. While the Missus went to the restroom, she stopped by and we had a nice chat about the food scene in the city. She told me that the last 3-4 years have been quite amazing for the city. Man, I was looking forward to the rest of our trip.

Tasty n Alder
580 SW 12th Ave
Portland, OR 97205
Hours:
Sunday – Thursday 9am – 10pm
Friday – Saturday 9am – 11pm

Mary visited Tasty n Sons on her visit.

After brunch we headed off to see some familiar sites and to make one important stop….Powell's Books. To quote something from an earlier post that included Powell's; "yes, it's all true; the bookstore takes up an entire city block. And yes, you do need a map to get around. And yes…..used books are mixed in with the new. And yes, I think there are people living in Powell's, that may have not left in years" I managed to pull myself away from Powell's…….

Powell's Books
1005 W Burnside
Portland, OR 97209 USA

I really enjoyed the "Pearl" district on my previous visits so we walked on over….man, it's gotten even more upscale since our last visit. Lots of development. The Missus couldn't resist dropping by the Whole Foods to take a peek and even bought some goji berries which were $7/lb cheaper than in San Diego.

The beer selection was pretty darn good as well. This looked like a nice Whole Foods.

We walked a bit more, then headed back to the hotel for a nap. We both woke a 4am to catch our flight, so a nap was in order……

Thanks for reading!

Soup Weather Returns: Revisits to Mien Trung, Pho Paradise, and Pho Nhu Y

March 2, 2015 mmm-yoso Bun Bo Hue, Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants

We just got back from an overdue visit to Portland over the last couple of days. The very busy Cathy was kind enough to cover (as usual) for us. The somewhat ironic thing being, the weather when we returned from Portland, was more like Portland than Portland was….or something like that! Anyway, after feasting on foie gras and bone marrow (posts to come) having some soup was quite nice. So here's where I've been since we got back.

Mien Trung (of course):

Ah yes, any hint of rain means a visit to Mien Trung.

Something I've noticed over the last couple of years. As "Mom" gets older, the broth for the Bun Bo Hue sometimes is rather heavy handed with regards to MSG, or even spiciness. Such was the case on this day….not to say I didn't finish every lemongrass tinged drop of soup.

The Hen Xuc Banh Trang however, was a spicy-peppery-savory joy to devour.

Mien Trung Restaurant
7530 Mesa College Dr
San Diego, CA 92111

Pho Paradise:

**** Pho Paradise has closed

I know, they've just opened and I'm doing a revisit post already.

Call me cynical, but I've been kind of down on pho in Kearny Mesa for a while so when I actually had what I thought was a decent bowl here, I had a hard time believing it wasn't a fluke.

So, on my return, I didn't order the rare steak, which was cut to thick, making it quite dry the last time, and just went with the brisket, flank, etc….. the brisket and flank were dry and tough; but the tendon was quite nice as was the tripe.

Of course, there was the broth…..for me broth is the key. This time it was a bit different; not quite as rich and still a touch too salty. The flavor however was pretty much the same mildly beefy, faint anise, strong shallot-onion. Not bad at all. The noodles were even prepared better this time and there was a more generous (and better quality) amount of herbs and sprouts.

So maybe there's decent pho to be had on Convoy after all…..

Pho Paradise
3904 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Pho Nhu Y:

**** Pho Nhu Y is now Pho Duyen Mai

The weather had got me craving Bun Mam for some reason. I really didn't feel like heading to City Heights. So I headed over to Pho Nhu Y on Clairemont Mesa, which is run by the original owner of Nhu Y. I even went after the 3pm Bun Mam hour. They had declared Bun Mam off limits until after 3pm as to not offend their gringo lunch crowd. Anyway, I found, much to my disappointment that Bun Mam is no longer offered. Bummer……. So what to order? Heck, wanting some noodle soup, I went with the Bun Rieu ($8.75).

The bowl arrived scalding hot….and the positives stopped there. The soup was tasted like pho broth with a touch of tomato and a tiny bit of seafood flavor, but not enough to make it proper bun rieu. There were little crumbs of a meat paste which had no flavor…this was mainly cha lua and fried tofu. I call this "shadow soup"…where a noodle soup; like Bun Bo Hue/Bun Rieu/Bun Mang Vit is made to barely reference the true flavors.

Well….at least I wouldn't be "offending customers" right? I know this place can do better….

Pho Nhu Y Vietnamese Grill
5375 Kearny Villa Rd
San Diego, CA 92123

And finally:

So I've got a kind of new reader….I think. At least the person has been emailing me…..very entertaining emails……telling me I really don't "represent" what true San Diegans eat, or want to eat. Which perhaps is the point of the blog, right? Anyway, I got sent some photos of what, according to this reader, "real San Diegans" eat. And was asked why I don't post on stuff like that……. Great thing is, I can just use the photo sent to me:

Hot Dog….mmmmm. I actually enjoy hot dogs. Heck, I have a whole category devoted to them. Still, perhaps not this one; though it's a good bargain (much better when it was Hebrew National)….maybe one day, never say never, after all, I've had worse at Costco. Still, this makes me chuckle because it reminds me of my good FOY's (Friend of Yoso) "Xiang Jiao" (you can see her here taking a cleaver to a whole roasted pig we snuck into a karaoke room - as if you could really sneak a whole pig into one) road trip with "friends"….very frugal friends, who insisted on eating at every Costco they could find (they had it mapped out) along the way. Personally "XJ" is too sweet and patient….I would have mutinied….friendships would have been ended and blood (perhaps mine) would have been shed. But that's just me…….

Kula Revolving Sushi Bar (Rancho Cucamonga)

March 1, 2015 Cathy Japanese Restaurants, Road Trip, Sushi and Sashimi, What Cathy Eats!

Thank you for once again stopping to read mmm-yoso!!! Todays food centric blog post is written by Cathy because Kirk is (once again) very busy and Ed(from Yuma) is very retired and busy in his own way.

I've mentioned before that we still get newspapers delivered to our home daily. There are many advantages to this old fashioned way of receiving news, not limited to easier comprehension for those of us who grew up learning to read the printed word on paper. Yes, I'm talking ads that can't be 'blocked'.

For the past few months, on a Saturday, the Los Angeles Times has run full page ads for L.A. based 'Revolving Sushi' restaurant, Kula. The ads mention specials (January was 'Winter's Hot Food Fair', February until March 12 is 'Salmon Fair', no ad was in this past Saturday newspaper, so I expect to see something next Saturday).

There are three $5 off of $20 coupons at the bottom of the page. This was a reason to put the ad into the car when we were taking a drive North one weekday. We were hoping to find a place closer to home that reminded us of our experience at A'Float Sushi, in 2010.Unsure of how crowded this restaurant would be, we chose the Rancho Cucamonga location (one of seven) and had alternative plans to stop at the Bass Pro Shop a few miles away, remembering our meal at the in-store restaurant, Islamorada Fish Company, in 2008. As you can see, we had no worries on this weekday morning.Walking in, we saw the sushi conveyor moving around the restaurant. Each booth, table and seat at the bar has access to the plates. It wasn't crowded at opening (11:30), but was almost filled up by the time we were leaving.Taking seats at the bar gave us access to watching the rice maker, which not only cooks the (organic, from Lundberg Family Farms) rice, but pops out pre-formed, uniformly sized servings. I was fascinated by this machine. We also were privy to watching the constant preparation of conveyor items.

The sushi conveyor constantly moves via a belt under the crescent shaped chain, turns at the end to return in the opposite direction. The sushi makers prepare three plates of a serving (all conveyor items are $2.25), placing a plate with a description which you see first, then the three serving plates, each covered for your protection. Some servings have one, two or three items, some servings are in bowls.Above, you can see the first plate with the label for Conch, two empty spaces, where plates have been removed and one remaining plate, ready for the grabbing. When the sushi makers see only the plate with the signage passing by, they remove it and that's another order of three plates they need to prepare.Fresh wasabi is brought out to the table. The condiment tray with chopsticks, a covered ginger container, soy sauce server and red pepper are all you need here.

There is a separate menu wherein you can order items from the kitchen.

We ordered green tea, miso soup (each $2)and a soft shell crab ($ 3.80) from the kitchen. Everything else came from the kaiten, the merry-go-round track of plates moving in front of us.
This is a Kula roll. Real crab, topped with both tuna and salmon. Very good.Karaage chicken, with mayonnaise for dipping. Perfectly fried.Seared steak sushi…good…different.The Mister wanted to try uni. He had never had uni. The plate has a single portion. Yes, it appears it had been frozen and a mushy thaw…let's just say The Mister has no desire to try uni again. This had a label of Chicken Sukiyaki. Smooth flavor, dark meat chicken with an onion-y sauce.Sorry for this blurry photo of the wonderful cucumber salad, a refreshing mix of sliced cucumber, seaweed and bamboo in a sesame oil-soy dressing topped with toasted sesame seeds.More apologies for this blurred photo of scallops with a sort of mayonnaise sauce on top of rice. This was very good.You keep your dishes and steam covers stacked and the waitress counts them at the end to calculate your bill.

The food is…good, the experience is fun and interesting. We spent $33 before the $5 discount…it's so easy to grab a plate; discipline is needed…

Perhaps you are wondering why I'm posting about a Los Angeles based chain. After we ate here, I was researching other posts about Kula and saw this article by Candice Woo in the Eater, written in November. The space it will occupy in San Diego shares the same parking lot with Iceskimo and appears to be ready to open very soon.

Kula Revolving Sushi Bar Website Address: 9659 Milliken Ave., Suite 104-105
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730 Phone:909-294-3429 Daily 11:30am-9:00pm (Last Seating, Last Order 8:45pm)