Prime Grill:
I had seen the sign and also read that Prime Grill had gone to an AYCE format; which left me wondering if they had "jumped the shark". A friend of mine wanted to have some Korean BBQ and I wondered, even though Cathy, Ed from Yuma (oh how Ed loved his Korean BBQ), and I shared an excellent meal there a few years back. It's even a favorite of the Missus; who, while not being a big fan of Korean BBQ these days, enjoys other dishes there. I was worried about those as well……
So I dropped by for lunch. And, as you can see, at least for the Dolsot Bi Bim Bap; there's nothing to be worried about.
Fresh, bright, and vibrant colors. That egg yolk hiding under the shredded nori. The big weakness of the usual bi bim ap we have here is the meat; but it was nicely grilled this time around. While waiting for that nice crust to develop.
Waiting allowed me to go through the panchan. Which was not quite what I had enjoyed here in the past; especially the baechu kimchi (napa cabbage), which really lacked that fermented finish I enjoy.
And while the panchan wasn't up to snuff, I noticed that Prime Grill still has their "prime grade" items ala carte, separate from the AYCE. So, I'd probably be dropping by for Korean BBQ with my buddy; though I'll probably put off the Yukhoe until later.
Prime Grill
4620 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111
Minh Ky:
I mentioned needing to revisit Minh Ky in my last post on Tim Ky a week or so ago. This morning's wet and blustery weather was the perfect for that revisit.
So here's the Beef Sate Egg Noodle – Dry.
Man, this was even better than recalled. The egg noodles weren't over-cooked and still had a nice stretch. The sate sauce here is full of shallots and onion; it's has a bit more savory "umph" than the version at Tim Ky. The meat is also more tender, though I thought the broth during my last visit to Tim Ky was better than on this visit. While in need of a bit of spiciness, this was definitely good.
The portion size was quite generous; especially since this is still $6.75. Hard to believe I've been coming here for over twelve years now. And yes; that parking lot is every bit a horrible as it was a dozen years ago. But it ain't so bad at 830 on a Saturday morning.
Minh Ky Restaurant
4644 El Cajon Boulevard
San Diego, CA 92115