September 2018 – Page 3

Siam Nara Revisited

September 6, 2018 mmm-yoso Thai Restaurants

A reader recently asked me if I'd been to Manila Fast Food and Desserts recently, because she thought things had changed. I hadn't been in about six months so I thought I'd check things out….problem was; it was Monday and the place is closed on Monday. Duh…. So, I had to find a place for lunch. There are quite a few options in this strip mall and I chose Siam Nara since I hadn't been back in over seven years!

The place still looks quite nice inside.

I hadn't planned on having Thai, so I really wasn't prepared and ended up choosing something off the lunch menu.

Which started with a very bland, water-logged "soup".

Soon enough my plate of food arrived….good lord, this was pretty large. Since I hadn't been to Siam Nara in so long, I'd forgotten a couple of things….like, even though I ordered the som tum "spicy", it had barely any heat at all, was light on the fish sauce, and too sweet for my taste. I totally got "gringo'd" on this one. Or perhaps that is basically how they make the food. The sticky rice was very moist and perhaps the most unsticky, sticky rice I'd had in a while.

Man, that's quite a bit of fried chicken; which was nicely fried, crunchy, but very bland. I wasn't going to use any of the sweet chili sauce, until I bit into the very dry chicken….it was so dry…then I recalled that all those years ago; I thought the kai yang here was on the dry side as well.

I'm going to stop here and not even go into the egg roll and the potato curry won ton thingy.

Yes, it's a very generous amount of food, but it's just not my kind of Thai.

Siam Nara
8993 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92126
Hours:
Open Daily 11am – 10pm

San Francisco – China Live

September 5, 2018 mmm-yoso Chicken Wings, Chinese BBQ, Chinese Restaurants, San Francisco and Silicon Valley, Travel

It was funny how we ended up staying in San Francisco over the Labor Day weekend. Both the Missus and I had been working pretty hard and there was no trip in sight for a couple more months. It was a brutal Sunday here with record temps in the high 90's. For some reason, I decided to check to see what the weather was like in San Francisco…..61?!?!? I basically told the Missus "the heck (using a more colorful verb) with this….let's go to San Francisco." And She agreed. It had been quite a while since we visited the city; in recent years we'd stuck to visiting places to the North and the South of San Francisco. And I couldn't remember when we last visited……so I dug into my photo archives and holy smokes! Check out the date on this photo!

We last visited nearly sixteen years ago! It was when the Missus and I took Her parents to visit. A trip was way overdue. So, I booked our flight, hotel, and a couple of restaurants….two had been on my "list" and one was a recommendation of my good friend Candice. Instead of the usual suspects; like Gary Danko, et al….we were going a bit different this time around.

We arrived, caught BART, and managed to check into the Marriott Marquis early, at 10am! Things were looking up. We freshened up and just headed on out. I figured a lot had changed over the last sixteen years…..but of course, some things stay the same.

There's a certain nostalgia to walking through Chinatown, a mixture of old school, somewhat traditional businesses, it was almost comforting seeing Golden Gate Bakery and ducking into various food shops. Along with all the cheesy souvenir stores….good lord' where there always that many here?

One thing the Missus and I quickly noticed….Chinatown seems much cleaner and tidy than when we used to visit in the late 90's and early 'oughts.

I had been fascinated with the opening of China Live. We'd been to a couple of branches of Eataly in Europe….in Florence, Bologna, and Copenhagen. And when China Live was touted as being the "Chinatown" version, well, I just wanted to check it out. I'd also heard that the food; while priced on the high side was pretty good.

There a small shop with a variety of items; some really interesting looking tea and other stuffs. And a rather "hipsterish" looking dining area….you know; all that wood.

I kinda knew what I wanted to order; Sheng Jian Baozi, the "Peking" Duck, and the Pork Belly. They were out of the pork belly, so I went with plan B….which they were out of as well. So, we just decided to try the wings.

Meanwhile, the Missus ordered some tea; not cheap at $13.95….but man; it was really floral and helped to cut through all the richness of the food.

First up; the Sheng Jian Bao ($12)….yep twelve bucks for 4.

The filling was juicy, light, and had a nice porky flavor with just the right amount of ginger to balance things out. The dough was terrible; it wasn't cooked correctly making the dough on the top really gummy, the sides mushy….and the bottom was way too thick. I mean, I really didn't expect anything like we get in China or even what my MIL makes….but that wrapper was a total fail. Still, the filling was really good.

When our duck ($26) arrived, the Missus and I looked at each other, rather disappointed. The color didn't seem right……but we were oh so wrong…..

The skin was oh so thin and crisp; the fat had been rendered….it seems into the flesh of the duck which was supremely moist. The sesame buns were hard and dry and the duck delicately flavored, so we ended up just making cucumber (which was very good quality), scallion, and hoisin sandwiches and just enjoyed the duck on its own. This is the best duck I've had in a very long time. Like I mentioned earlier, the seasoning on this was quite mild as was the duck which wasn't very gamey. This might be the best item we had on the entire short trip.

Based on the previous two dishes we were quite surprised when the "Chicken of the Sea" Crispy Wings ($14) arrived. There were ten wings in this dish.

I bit into one and cracked up…….growing up in Hawaii, one of the must have Chinese Restaurant dishes is Ong Choi with what we call "harm ha" (Shrimp Paste). The wings had been battered with that….it was a bit of overkill and seemed really salty. Though, unlike the usual MSG laden wings we often get; this one didn't bring on thirst……still it was waaaay too salty. The quality of the wings was excellent, no broken bones, no blackening of the flesh….the skin was thin and perfectly fried….the flesh moist, the size optimum for that skin to meat ratio……we'd have really loved this if it wasn't such a sodium bomb.

The service was professional, the meal, not cheap at seventy bucks. The place did fill up quite quickly, a mixture of younger Chinese who seemed well off, Chinese tourists, hipster looking folk, and some families. We enjoyed our meal here…..and will likely return for that duck.

China Live
644 Broadway
San Francisco, CA 94133
Hours:
Mon – Thurs 1130am – 10pm
Friday      1130am – 11pm
Saturday    1030am – 11pm
Sunday      1030am – 10pm

Leaving China Live; we headed to Stockton and started weaving our way past the markets and dim sum shops. Near Washington Street, I could here drums and percussion going….there was a Lion Dance happening somewhere…..

We found it happening in this street.

We got there just as the fireworks were going off.

The Missus and I laughed and basked in the noise, smoke, and shower of red paper……

It had been too long since we'd been in this wonderful city.

Lunch Revisits – Okan Diner and Hinotez

September 4, 2018 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants

Here are a couple of revisits for a post-holiday Tuesday.

Okan Diner:

I was headed back to the office from a meeting and decided to grab some lunch. It had been a while since I last visited Okan Diner. Since the restaurant is right off the 805, I decided to stop in. I was fairly surprised to see the place completely empty and it stayed that way during my entire meal!

I went with what I usually have for lunch here, the Katsuni ($11.50). When it arrived; I quickly noticed that the tonkatsu had gotten smaller since my last visit.

There's also less side dishes; more rice, and the miso soup was a lot more watered down.

The pork cutlet was a bit over cooked and dry, the breading too hard. There wasn't enough of the sweet-salty sauce and the eggs were over cooked as well. At least it was hot, right?

There was one thing that kinda bothered me even more than the mediocre food.

Unfortunately, the kitchen was in my direct line of sight and I kept seeing one of the prep cooks constantly stopping and checking his phone. Notice that he's cutting meat. He'd slice some meat, stop, pick up his phone and start texting; put the phone away, do additional prep, grab his phone and start texting, grab some other product, and so forth……without gloves. I just should have sat somewhere else……

I think I'll just go get me my usual lunch at Okan next time.

Okan Diner
5430 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92117

Hinotez:

I've mentioned dropping by Hinotez for a quiet lunch. It's usually fairly empty for an early lunch. And this day was no exception.

The problem being; I didn't know what to order….it was way to hot for ramen on this day. I looked over then menu and even though it was a zillion degrees outside, I went with the Curry Combo……for some reason, I thought back to the time when Taisho was Curry Rice Hinotez. I just went for it and had the Curry Rice ($8) with Tonkatsu ($4) and an Onsen Tamago ($1). It ended up being a pretty hefty meal.

The curry was really thick and full of meat. It was a bit on the mild side so I added raiyu to add some zip. It was very meaty. As you can tell, it seems that the frying oil for the pork was off since the breading was super hard and dark. The actual meat was fairly moist and tender though. That runny egg sure didn't hurt things.

I was stuffed after this meal and had to grab a double espresso on the way back to the office.

Still, it wasn't bad meal. The woman working on this day was very efficient and nice. And I got a quiet and relaxed meal….just what I needed.

Hinotez
7947 Balboa Ave
San Diego, CA 92111

Marie Callender’s (revisits)

September 3, 2018 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Bakery, Desserts, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog since 2005. Sort of an old fashioned way of communicating about meals enjoyed with people nowadays posting photos instantly on other forms of social media. Usually there's a story involved with meals, sometimes, there isn't. Cathy is writing while Kirk is enjoying another day off.

In the 1930's, Marie Callender began a pie business, delivering to restaurants in Orange County. In 1964, she opened her own pie and coffee shop and in 1969, a full service restaurant. Today there are over 50 restaurants in the USA and Mexico and some products are sold in grocery stores. We are fortunate to have a nearby restaurant.

I posted about a birthday meal here two years ago. Comfort foods with a slice of pie for dessert.

Every meal begins with a large piece of fresh baked, still warm cornbread and butter brought to the table.
This golden bread is sweet and tender and unique. I've tried various 'copycat' recipes, but in the end, purchase the mix sold in grocery stores.
There is a "Pair and Share" special for $25 or $30. It includes an appetizer; we chose the cheesy artichoke dip-decadent and wonderful. Good thing they included a spoon, so there would be no leftovers or dirty fingers…
Two entrees are part of the P&S meal. This is the 'Traditional Frisco'- a 1/3 lb burger served on sourdough grilled with Parmesan.
This is the "Traditional French Dip" (the bread wasn't as soft as I'd like; needed to be dipped). Both came with fries and were part of a nice meal.
The meal includes two slices of pie. This is the French Apple, with a cinnamon crumble topping.
This is the German chocolate: chocolate cream, coconut, chopped pecans over a layer of chocolate on the crust.

We returned recently with a vacationing visitor. The cornbread was brought to the table.

Vegetable soup was chosen instead of an appetizer for both of our "Pair and Share" $30 meal. It was a great soup, filled with non-mushy vegetables.
A Hot Turkey Sandwich was one choice-Thanksgiving in the summer! Just right.
The other choice was a Meatloaf Dinner; again, great comfort food done well.
The mini pot pie ($11.99) was a perfect serving size and included a salad and dessert.
We had to get the slices of pie 'to go'. Double cream blueberry (vanilla custard and sour cream), coconut cream and double cream lemon (lemon custard and sour cream).

Marie Callender's 6950 Alvarado Road San Diego, CA 92120 (619)465-1910 Mon-Sat 8 a.m.-10 p.m., Sun 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Website

Rice Noodle King (Hunan) (Kearny Mesa)

September 2, 2018 Cathy Chinese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog with almost daily posts. While Kirk is enjoying a three day weekend, Cathy is writing.

I lightly glossed over a factoid about The Mister a while ago. He's been undergoing some medical issues since 2014 and periodically receives adjustments or changes in medications. For some reason, the primary side effect on Him is a craving for spicy food. One day we were headed for (another) lunch at Little Sheep and passed this (new to us) signage, so popped a U turn and stopped to read the menu. (It has been open since March).

A simple menu, reasonable prices and the same owners as Sizzling Pot King, which I posted about in April.
Clean, a refrigerator of appetizers, pitcher of water on every table. Condiments on each table are chili oil, white pepper and black vinegar.
We decided to go simple for a first visit and ordered the cucumber salad ($4.99). This looked terrible and I (who never sends anything back) was prepared to, because of the slimy appearance. Looks are deceiving. Apparently this is what "Smacked Cucumbers" means to the chef here (not to be confused with Kirk's extremely meticulous (and spicy) recipe). The crispy, garlic-y, seedless, wonderfully random cut cucumbers were addictive in flavor and complimented our meal. The serving/bowl is deep and quite large.
We ordered the first soup on the menu (it only has one chili amount of heat)- Beef Stew Noodle (large, $10.99) with flat noodles. This was an excellent choice. There isn't much soup broth, the amount of heat is enough to keep the flavors of the (considerable amount, tender, deep flavored) beef, bok choy and noodles interesting. Would order again.
The fried pot stickers ($5.99) were also a good addition to the meal.
A nice, thin skin, lightly crispy and with a plentiful (flavorful) pork and cabbage filling.

This was a great find for a random stop and we will return to try more of the menu.

Rice Noodle King 8046 Clairmont Mesa Blvd San Diego 92111 (858)598-5182 Open daily 11 am-3 pm and 5 pm-9:45 pm

Sage Cafe (Barona Casino) -Cathy’s way of beating the heat (again)

September 1, 2018 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, What Cathy Eats!

Well, here you are on your device looking at mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Perhaps you are looking for ideas of places to eat. Today Cathy is writing because Kirk is enjoying this Labor Day weekend by not using a device.

Like many of you, I lurk more than I comment on other blogs, websites and Facebook pages. With the hot and humid weather (the longest heat wave in 34 years), people were asking 'what restaurant has good air conditioning?' and having online conversations, looking for a place to cool down. I had two immediate answers-bowling alleys and casinos. This is the casino post.

Yes, I did write about Sage Cafe, inside Barona Casino, just a few months ago. The food here is very good. The air conditioning is wonderful.

Sage Cafe is the restaurant at the Hotel entrance to the casino. which has a view of the Golf Course. The menu is available 24/7. Breakfast choices are simple.

Coffee and orange juice along with fresh fruit and a chocolate croissant and banana nut muffin, is the Continental Breakfast here ($7.95) The banana nut muffin was really good; tall, banana fresh flavor and crispy pecans on top.
The chocolate croissant was meh too sweet, not really flaky. Still, a really good, easy breakfast. The Ilpay Eggs Benedict ($9.95) Wonderfully perfect poached eggs, Canadian bacon, a lemony house-made hollandaise sauce on top of a toasted English muffin. This was served with some really well made hash browns. All in all, a great breakfast.
We returned for lunch about a week later (gosh it was so nice to be in air conditioned comfort). Fresh rolls (sourdough and wheat) were brought out before we ordered. Fluffy with a crisp crust; didn't really need butter.

One of the choices of soup that day was turkey chili. Just enough heat and plenty of turkey and beans. Would order again…in the bowl size, as a meal.
The chili was the side chosen with the fish and chips($11.95). Lightly battered, the two large pieces of solid cod were amazing in flavor. The skin on fries were plentiful and expertly fried.
French onion soup ($4.95) was one of the best I've ever had.
I combined this with a wedge salad ($5.95) and receiveda $2.50 discount on the soup; so that worked out and I had all the flavors and textures craved. Another great experience at a casino.

Sage Cafe at Barona Resort and Casino 1932 Wildcat Canyon Road Lakeside Ca 92040 1-888-7BARONA open 24 hours website