Man, it's been pretty hectic at work the last 6 months. And I'm thinking it's not going to let up for a while. Recently, I couldn't really count on having lunch at a normal time….there's always some meeting, conference call, or some other thing that needs attention. More often than naught, I'll end up running to Nijiya, Mitsuwa, or Marukai for a bento. But sometimes, you just need to get out of the office….but there aren't that many non-fast/casual food choices before 11am. So recently, I went back to two, sticky tabled places for an early lunch.
Sam Woo BBQ:
Yes, it usually Cathy who does the Sam Woo posts. But I had a 11am conference call, followed by noon and 1pm meetings….so where to go at 930?
Man, it's been like 6 years since I've been here.
Went with something easy….the Shrimp Dumpling Egg Noodle Soup.
The dumplings were surprisingly decent, nice, tender filling…..rather light on the shrimp, but pretty good. The egg noodles, this being of the thin variety had been over-cooked and were mushy. The soup was hot, which was the best thing about it….low on flavor, lacking richness and that "aaah" factor, but it was very cheap at something like $4.25……so my bar wasn't set very high.
And yes, I still think about "the Killer Whale" everytime I pass by the place.
Sam Woo BBQ Restaurant
7330 Clairemont Mesa Blvd Ste 103
San Diego, CA 92111
Sieu Sieu BBQ: 
I'm not quite sure what time this place opens. Sometimes, I'll drive by at 1030 and they aren't open, on this day it was 1015 and they were doing some pretty good business already….some guy came in and picked up 2 whole roasted pigs! On a weekday!
Sieu Sieu BBQ is one of those places that always seemed to have "been there forever"…..within a few months of opening in September of 2008 (remember when this place was Maui Maui Hawaiian BBQ for a blink of the eye?) the place was already starting to look a bit worn. And by 2012 they looked like they'd been there for decades.
On this day I was starving and decided on the Roast Duck and Roast Pork on Rice ($8.50). I do like the two women who work here….they are always rather pleasant to me. And this time they got me this thermos of iced water to have with my early lunch.
In short, the rice was dry, the duck really salty and the skin too rubbery and chewy. The pork, in spite of it being on the fatty side (not necessarily a bad thing), was pretty good…..the skin was light and crisp, it was almost hot, which means it had been recently brought out, and was quite moist.
It might be a while before I return, but this was better than what I've had here in recent years. I think I was kind of extra critical since we'd just returned from Vancouver the week before.
Sieu Sieu BBQ
7420 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111