April 2019 – mmm-yoso

Soup Weather in April! Revisits to Facing East and Woomiok (Yet Again)

April 29, 2019 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Korean Restaurants, Xiao Long Bao

Good lord, is it really almost May? We've sure been on a bit of a weather rollercoaster this year, eh? Anyway, this rainy-cooler weather means I can get more "soup fixes" and here's a couple.

Facing East:

Man, has it been nearly two years since my post on Facing East? Time sure does fly. Based on those three visits, I was surprised to see Facing East still alive and kicking a few weeks back while I drove up Convoy. They must be doing something right. It was probably time for a revisit. After all, I revisited Steamy Piggy, right?

Upon arrival, I was a bit shocked at how much the menu had changed. Gone were all those gimmicky Xiao Long Bao and in its place was Ramen (?), Nabeyaki (??). I mean I expected the Asian-fusion Baos and heck even teriyaki chicken and the legion of fried foods….but Drunken Noodle?

Well, this was going to be interesting indeed.

The young lady who was my Server was very nice, though again the food took a while to come out. Even though I was the only customer in the place.

While there was no way I'd be having ramen here; I thought the Duck Noodle Soup, which looked like a play on Niu Rou Mian would work out well for me.

There were six nice slices of roast duck, which had been torched. The duck was fairly tender and retained a nice sweetness and gaminess that had carried through being added to the broth. The standard issue noodle were over-cooked and on the mushy side for my taste. The broth was like what I'd had in the NRM on my previous visit, slightly spicy, lots of pepper, more greasy than rich, lacking in enough savory and anise tones for me. I really enjoyed the pickled vegetable, which helped to cut the greasiness, though the bok choy was mushy by the time the bowl hit the table. The portion size was quite generous.

So, while there was no more Foie Gras XLB, the Pork and Crab XLB was still on the menu.

On the positive side, while the tips of the wrapper was too hard, the wrapper as whole was better than what I'd had before. It had a bit of pull to is and nothing leaked. There was also a good amount of soup in the XLB. The meat however, was tough with rubbery bits in it and I couldn't make out any crab! I had three and took the remainder back to the office where I had folks try them out….both Calvin and "YZ" mentioned how tough the meatball was…..and both were surprised that there was supposed to be crab in this. It even lacked the normal sweet-porkiness I expect from a good XLB.

So there you go. A revisit. The menu has changed a bunch, but I still found the dishes to fall short…..

Facing East
4647 Convoy St Suite 101C
San Diego, CA 92111

Woomiok (Yet Again):

A few drops of rain and the Missus wants to head back to Woomiok. Though I should be happy that Woomiok has become a favorite of Hers.

On this visit, we noticed that there have been dishes added to the menu, though the Missus got Her usual Seolleontong. I went with the #7 which had Brisket, OxTail, Ox Knee, Cheek, and Shank.

The panchan has also been enhanced with the addition of japchae. Unfortunately, it's pretty weak in flavor. We noticed that folks on other tables didn't finish theirs as well. Though, to be perfectly honest, I think the baechu (napa cabbage) kimchi has been getting better on each visit.

As always, the Missus enjoyed the the kkakdugi and the squid panchan.

As for my version of Seolleontang, well, I thought it was quite large. Enjoyed the strips of egg and the king mushrooms.

The broth coated my tongue nicely, and with the perfect amount of salt and scallions added it was quite nice. The meats were fine; though I really missed the tendon. I'll be going back to the regular mixed meat next time. Also, we might tell them to just hold off on the thin noodles which always seem to be overcooked….we just like to add rice to the broth….it becomes like a comforting porridge of sorts.

So that's it….I promise; no more Woomiok posts for a while.

Woomiok
3860 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Hope you had a great Monday!

Hong Kong BBQ & Dim Sum Revisited

April 28, 2019 mmm-yoso Chinese BBQ, Chinese Restaurants

A few days ago; in the comments of my Yummy House revisit post; "DerekR" asked me for some roast duck recommendations. I mentioned having had a decent roast duck from Hong Kong BBQ & Dim Sum a few months back (sorry; no post on that one; but here's one from a few years ago). A couple of days later, that question, and my recommendation was still on my mind. So, with some time for lunch; Calvin and "Big Daniel" and I decided to head on over to see how things were.

We ordered four dishes….one of which made me crack up…..

The first to arrive was the House Pan Fried Noodles. Man, the potion size was quite large.

The noodles and the gravy were fine….the noodles crisp and crunchy, slowly softening from the gooey gravy, which wasn't overly salty. The proteins were a mixed bag; typical low quality dry chicken and the fish, while decently velveted had that muddy flavor of low quality fresh water fish. The shrimp were quite tender and moist, but basically flavorless. Not terrible.

"YZ's" sources had told her that along with the roast duck, the roast pork here was good. So, we ordered that.

This was the best dish of the day; thin and crisp skin, tender fat, that wasn't waxy in texture, tender meat. Good seasoning, not too salty, pretty good overall. Maybe a tad better than the roast pork we last had at Golden City.

Next up was a second carb dish….Calvin saw Minced Beef Fried Rice on the menu and got it into his head it was Wadan Oyok Fan; Cantonese Minced Beef and Egg Rice….but, there was no false advertising here as what we got was Beef and Lettuce Fried Rice.

This was so bland, the beef tough, the rice hard……iceberg lettuce brought nothing……

And last, but not least, the Roast Duck.

This was not terrible, but definitely not as good as what I'd had a few months back. The skin was crisp, the fat rendered nicely, it was on edging to the salty side, and the meat was rather tough.

So, I guess I'll wait a couple more months and try again. If that doesn't work out, it's back to the drawing board.

Overall, large portions, good prices, perhaps a notch below Golden City.

Hong Kong BBQ & Dim Sum
10550 Camino Ruiz(Inside of Vinh Hung Market)
San Diego, CA 92126

Today’s Cheese Board and then Dinner

April 27, 2019 mmm-yoso Cheese, Cooking, yoso-silly

I've got a bit of a backlog of posts…..but have been kinda tired.

So, it's just a photo of today's cheese board.

Smoked duck breast and some Foie Gras Pate we picked up in Riquewihr, France. As for the cheeses? Well, right to left; Picco Affine Germain from France, Queso Leonora from Spain, Foxglove from Tulip Tree Creamery in Indiana, and the very popular Red Hawk from Cowgirl Creamery, potent and funky.

For dinner; cumin crusted skirt steak with harissa kale.

Hope you're having a great weekend! Be back tomorrow.

Reims – Reims Cathedral and Dinner at Restaurant L’Alambic

April 24, 2019 mmm-yoso Champagne Region, France, France, French Restaurants, Travel

The Missus and I mulled through several travel options during our last trip to France. As you might gather from our posts; I enjoy train travel in Europe and especially Japan. I find it low stress, minimal hassle (though trains in Europe aren't nearly as prompt as Japan), and basically a rather relaxing way to travel. The Missus shares the same thoughts….except….She gets really bored and really does not want to do more than 3 – 3 1/2 hours on a train. So, while doing some research for this trip; we had decided to just do France, I was rather surprised to find out that Reims, the Capital of Champagne was basically a 45 minute train ride from Paris! And so our plans started coming together…..

We arrived promptly at Gare de Reims and walked….it was a lot shorter than it looked on my map to our hotel; the Ibis Styles.

Our room was ready when we arrived; so we dropped our bags off and decided to explore a bit. Reims was very laid back in comparison to Paris. And the walk to the rather grand Reims Cathedral is a straight shot down Rue Libergier.

It was mid-November and we could see all the booths being set-up for the upcoming Christmas Market as we approached the Cathedral.

The Cathedral itself is very impressive; built in the Gothic style.

And from the time the first stone was laid in 1211; it has had quite a history; Clovis I, who united the Franks, was baptized at Reims Cathedral in 496. From 1027 to 1825, a total of 30 Kings of France were coronated at Reims Cathedral!

Being such an important symbol made the cathedral a major target during World War I where it sustained major damage. Several of the 13th century stained glass windows were saved however, as glass makers removed the stained glass piece by piece and stored them. And many of those destroyed were replaced by works of Marc Chagall.

There's a lot to see here; in fact we'd return one more time before leaving Reims.

That's the Chapelle du Rosaire (Chapel of the Rosary) above.

On this visit; I was fascinated by first this statue…..

And then this one outside the Cathedral.

Yes, it's Joan of Arc (Jeanne d'Arc). So what's the story of Joan of Arc and Reims Cathedral? Well, in 1415 Henry V and his English Army defeated the French at the Battle of Agincourt and Northern France fell into the hands of the English. In January of 1429, a 17 year old girl from Domrémy who saw visions and received divine orders to liberate the French. Joan of Arc. She managed to convince Charles VII of her divine mission and over the course of 5 months the French fought it's way to Reims. After Reims decided to ally itself with Charles VII and Charles was crowned in the Cathedral where 16 kings were coronated before him; sealing his claim as the rightful King.

And the rest, like they say….is history.

We walked out of the Cathedral and down Cours Jean-Baptiste Langlet. We needed to buy some gift for folks and I knew just the thing. Biscuit Roses de Reims is the classic snack of Reims, in fact it is said that the origin of the word "biscuit" ("bis-cuit" – "twice cooked") originated here. And the classic place to get these are at Fossier.

Which is what we did.

Maison Fossier
25 Cours Jean-Baptiste Langlet
51100 Reims, France

From here we explored a bit more.

And then headed back to the hotel to relax a bit before dinner.

I had made dinner reservations at a place a few blocks away named L'Alambic, a place that serves regional cuisine and booked a table in the "caveau" (the cellar)downstairs.

The customers were a combination of locals and visitors. A group of Spanish ladies in a nearby table were having a great time. The atmosphere seemed celebratory and festive….and this was Champagne, so of course we had our Server recommend and get us a bottle of bubbly.

We started with two appetizers; the escargot….in trendy "foam" was fine.

Decent richness and pungency, with a touch of decent acidity. The snails were a bit tough though and nothing like our favorites in Burgundy. This was not bad though.

The Portefeuille de Magret de Canard au Foie Gras, in spite of the temperature being a bit too cold for our tastes was quite good.

The rich, smooth foie gras, folded into a duck breast. I could have used a tad more sweetness to balance out the richness, but the duck, in spite of looks was pleasantly toothsome, and the dressing had the requisite acidity.

The Missus ordered the Filet d'Agneau, a filet of lamb.

Man, that lamb was wonderfully gamey and it went so well with the romarin gastrique; rosemary sauce, not too much rosemary, just enough red wine in the sauce. The herb topping had just enough pungency and chlorophyllic flavors to balance things out. The potatoes were wonderfully flavored, but the tops were a bit too hard for us. The vegetables were so delicious.

And, for some reason, it's the wonderful veggies I remember the most about my Pave de Cerf, basically venison. I believe a cut from the rear thigh.

Very tender, pleasantly gamey; the sweetness balanced things out nicely. But those seasonal vegetables….man, it was good!

Overall a nice meal. The service was warm and friendly.

L'Alambic
63 B rue de Chativesle
51100, Reims, France

After dinner we took a nice walk around the quiet streets of Reims. It drizzled a bit; which just added to the atmosphere.

It was a nice change of pace from Paris.

Thanks for stopping by!

Yummy House Revisited

April 23, 2019 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants

After my fiasco of a visit to Yummy House (no hot tea, no tendon hot pot, no ong choi, no rice!!!!), I decided to give the place a "rest". I mean, really, the signature Peking Duck really didn't impress me very much. And while the kitchen seemed a total fail during that last visit, the folks working front of house, tried their best, and it really wasn't their fault. So, six months down the line, as we hit another streak of cooler weather, I decided to revisit…..solo of course….just in case of another total fail.

The gentleman working didn't understand much English but was very nice….the current menu is a copy of a take-out menu in a plastic cover….with a good amount of writing on it.

I decided to just order what were my two favorite dishes from my previous visits.

Starting with the Suan Cai Yang Rou. Of course, the Missus would enjoy the left-overs, with our own suan cai; both the fermented cabbage and juice added.

This was not bad; the suan cai was on the mild side and there wasn't a bracing fermented savory-sourness; but I'm thinking that folks might not enjoy that as much as we do. The lamb was decently tender and really added a nice gaminess to the soup that worked real well. The sour cuts the barnyard, while adding it's own layer of cheesy-sourness to the whole thing.

I was interested to see how the Beef Tendon Stew; what I thought was the best item I'd had at Yummy House would fare this time around….and yes, they actually had it.

This was much thicker than what I'd had before; but it was really good. Great acidity from the tomatoes, the beefiness from the meat came through nicely. Well seasoned, with a mild touch of spice. My only complaint was that the larger chunks of tendon were too hard. Rich and hearty and even better than what I'd had before.

Of course there were leftovers. The Missus enjoyed the doctored up suan cai yang rou and the stew. When I showed Her the photos of the menu, She looked at the Chinese name of the place, took in what I knew about the cooks, and made a recommendation. Calvin had been wondering about the tendon stew since our last, terrible visit when they were out of everything. So, one day, when our lunch hours were synchronized we headed on over.

We did have the same two dishes from the previous visit. This time there was less tomato in the tendon stew, but the chunks of tendon was much more tender.

We also ordered the Green Beans; which were a tad over-cooked.

It was also on the oily side, but unlike the previous version of this I had, was seasoned nicely.

And then the dish the Missus told me to order; something we'd had at banquets in China, "Four Joy Meatballs"….the Northern version of Lion's Head. The Missus told me to make sure there were four…….and there was.

These were surprisingly good, a nice porkiness, with a hint of five spice. The meatballs were moist, with obviously a good amount of filler; which, in this case, helped the cause making the meatball tender and very moist. The brown sauce wasn't too salty and had just enough ginger to help cleanse the palate of the richness of the meatball.

Funny thing; in spite of the number four being bad luck (four in Chinese sounds like the word for "death" – which is why we'd never catch Yellow Cab – 619-444-4444!); but in this case it symbolizes the four joys of life. The round meatball symbolizes a "gathering"…..so basically the gatherings where the four periods in life are celebrated.

So, here's the thing, we enjoyed our meal, but if you want to check this place out you may want to do so soon. It may be because I visited during lunch, but during both meals, there were no other customers in the place.

Yummy House
4633 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA 92111

Nhà Hàng Chay Hoa Từ Bi Tâm

April 22, 2019 mmm-yoso Vegetarian and Vegan Restaurants, Vietnamese Restaurants

**** Nhà Hàng Chay Hoa Từ Bi Tâm is now Thanh Tinh Chay

A few months ago, I drove past the latest incarnation of a restaurant at 4591 El Cajon Boulevard…..and did a double take. It looked like yet another restaurant has taken the space; the last three, including a location of Saigon Sandwiches moved in and out so fast I never got a chance to check them out. What got my attention was the "Organic – Veggie" lettering on the sign.

I really wasn't too keen on checking this place out but "FOYs" (friends of yoso) Elle and Phuong both mentioned this place in the comments section of my Banh Mi Boulevard post. So why not? The following weekend, I drove over. Hoa Từ Bi Tâm opens at 8am, so I decided to head over for breakfast.

They've really "greened out" the place and one thing clued me in…..that this was a real "vegetarian" place; there's a bit of Buddhist literature around. This ain't no hipster – tree hugger joint. there's even floor seating available; just don't ask me to do that, I've gone though my lack of flexibility, which has turned into a bit of a phobia over the years. Well, here you can sit on the floor if you want to.

Another interesting thing…..just about everything on the menu (the Banh Xeo is $6) is five bucks!

I decided to start with the Banh Beo, something I hadn't had in a while.

The tapioca – rice cake was way too soft and was ungainly…it also strangely lacked the mild hint of sweetness. While there was a good amount of toppings; it was quite bland and sorely in need of a more savory component. The faux nuoc mam cham was super sweet and amplified the need for something savory in this dish.

In looking over the list of noodle soups; two were quickly eliminated; Bun Mam is only served on Thursdays and frankly, since that soup is a major umami bomb, I'm not sure how things would manage to hold up without seafood or meat, and the version of Bun Rieu which might have been a possibility, was only served on Tuesdays. I chose something that I thought would do well in a vegetarian format; Bun Mang; dried bamboo soup.

The highlights of this soup were the noodles; while the portion was rather small, was prepped perfectly, it shows that they really take care with what is being served. The rehydrated bamboo shoots had a nice crunch and earthy flavor. Unfortunately, not enough of that flavor was given to the broth what was surprisingly salty and on the "sweet" side. The bean curd items were standard issue….and I'm not a big fan of some wheat gluten products; which has a weirdly chalky-"off" meat flavor to me. And those items; especially the faux cha lua tasted that way.

Still; this wasn't terrible and I decided to return this past weekend to try a few other items.

I started with the Bo Bia; Jicama Spring Rolls.

I think these had been sitting a while for a couple of reasons; unlike my previous visit, where things took a while to hit the table, this came out in five minutes. In addition, the wrapper was dried out and really chewy. Third, in addition to the crunch of Jicama, I usually detect a pleasant light sweetness, which was missing here. The dipping sauce; which tasted peanut based was actually quite good; it held up well, and was nice and thick, coating things well.

Not quite knowing what to order in terms of noodle soup, I went with the Hu Tieu.

Which turned out to be a good choice. The broth, while still edging on being too salty, was fine. Because it was on the milder side, I could really make out the flavors; the lightly sweet cauliflower, the vegetal broccoli, the sliced king mushrooms, earthy and meaty. The bean curd items were fine, though I'm still not a fan of the wheat gluten stuff here. The noodles were cooked perfectly this time as well. I also enjoyed a squeeze of lime to tame the sodium and the addition of crunchy bean sprouts. This was not bad at all…..especially for five bucks!

The folks here are really nice. I noticed that all customers were a bit older; except for one table where a very unhappy young lady sat with her smartphone not eating anything while the two older women with her had noodle soup. I'm glad I tried the place; it looks like they already have a decent customer base and are trying to put out a good product. I hope they do well. I just may return one day for another breakfast…

Hey, maybe if they have one of the those "ear cleaning guys" like at Wenshu Temple? Just kidding….once in my life is enough!

Nhà Hàng Chay Hoa Từ Bi Tâm
4591 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115
Hours:
Thurs – Tues 8am – 8pm
Closed on Wednesday

Thanks for the recommendation Elle and Phuong!

The Tri Tiperia (Sweet and Savory Gourmet)

April 19, 2019 mmm-yoso Sandwiches

On a recent drive up Mount Acadia, I noticed a new sign in the strip mall on the corner of Mt Acadia and Acworth. So, I took a quick left turn into the parking lot.

The sign read "The Tri Tiperia", which really got my attention. As I got closer I saw "Sweet and Savory Gourmet" in smaller lettering. So, I guessed that Sweet and Savory Gourmet had done a bit of rebranding for their take-out business.

I took a quick look at the hours and saw Monday to Friday noon to four pm. This was a weekend, so they weren't open. Still, I took a quick look at the posted menu and noticed that the Tri-Tip sandwich I'd had before was now called the "OG" and had three other versions available. Along with the four sandwiches, there were three salads on the menu and that was it. The tri-tip I'd had here before had been decent, so I made a mental note to return.

I had a Doctor's appointment near noon recently, so I dropped by once I was done. And heck, after all the poking and prodding; well, I definitely wanted some meat.

These days you no longer walk into the shop. Rather, you walk up to the window and place your order. With seven items on the menu, it's not hard at all to decide. The sandwich is made to order; things are heated in the small kitchen, wrapped and ready to go. The sandwich comes with a cookie that was confiscated as I walked into the office.

In many ways; this was a better sandwich. I had ordered the "Fuego" and in retrospect I should have gone with the "OG" to really compare. But, the standard issue ciabatta had been heated on the griddle and was still warm as I opened the sandwich at my desk. As was the meat. There seemed to be more tri-tip on this sandwich than on the previous version I had. It was moist and very tender. It was hard making out the seasoning on the beef since all the peppers and the chipotle mayo; which had a bit of kick really over-powered the sandwich.

Still, this was a nice sandwich for eight bucks….it didn't look like much, but I was quite full afterwards.

I'll definitely return and report back what I find. No, I'm not expecting anything like I make at home, but this was quite nice. I love little shops like these, totally a one man operation and hope they do well. We need more little mom-and-pop places that make decent food.

The Tri Tiperia (Sweet and Savory Gourmet)
3574 Mount Acadia Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111
Hours:
Mon – Fri 12pm – 4pm

Chicken Wing Wednesday – Krispy Krunchy Chicken Revisited

April 17, 2019 mmm-yoso Chicken Wings

**** Krispy Krunchy Chicken is now a location of Cluck n Sip

Just a short post for "hump day".

I had just finished a meeting and it was nearly noon…..a terrible time for lunch in the Kearny Mesa area….unless you love crowds. It was one of those times when I just wanted something….fried. So, I decided to head on over to the 99 Ranch Market on Balboa, which was pretty sedate as usual and decided to get lunch at Krispy Krunchy Chicken. I'm glad they ditched the terrible ramen here a while back.

I didn't want heat lamp wings, so I did what the young lady who works here told me back when they opened; if you order the ten piece wings, they will be made to order. If you order waffle fries, they will be made to order. So, I did both and ended up with way too much food.

These were hot, moist, and indeed c(k)rispy and c(k)runchy. The seasoning and batter still reminds me of Popeyes, nothing wrong with that. Though I find the meat itself more moist and with a definite "saltiness" without the spice like Popeyes. Just a little dip into Louisiana hot sauce, the vinegar and spice really helps cut any richness….but not the guilt I'm afraid.

While I'm not the biggest fan of waffle fries; these were at least crisp. Though I'll just stick with wedges next time.

One of the folks in the office was the beneficiary of a half dozen wings and a ton of waffle fries.

Well, I got my fried food fix in……..until next time.

Krispy Krunchy Chicken
5950 Balboa Ave (Inside 99 Ranch Market)
San Diego, CA 92111

Charlie’s Best Breads (Pacific Beach)

April 16, 2019 Cathy Bakery, Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog with posts about random eating places in and around San Diego and the world. Today's post is in San Diego. It's written by Cathy.

On one of those rainy days earlier this year, a client and I decided to meet at Charlie's Best Bread (instead of the usual Starbucks) in Pacific Beach. I hadn't been here since the 'expansion'. In 2011, I had posted about a second Charlie's Best Bread location in Point Loma, which has since closed and is currently Point Loma Fish Shop.This is the same location in the mall on Garnet between Lamont and Kendall as has been for more than 30 years…but it used to just be a small walk up joint where you could get a sample, order and pay and go.

Now, you can walk in, see displays, still get samples AND you can have a seat, some artisan (Cafe Moto) coffee and…
order one of the sandwiches or toasts, displayed behind the glass there and enjoy yourself and a quick meeting with a friend.
On this visit I did grab a loaf of raisin cHalla to go (it's Challah; a 1.8 lb loaf ($8)). This Jewish egg bread is always a favorite for The Mister and I at home; just with butter, sometimes toasted and occasionally made into French toast.

One of the sandwiches this day was turkey, on a (fresh baked) ciabatta loaf ($6.75). A good quality turkey, Swiss, arugula, tomato, avocado and spicy aioli was just the right size and combination of flavors to satisfy.
I brought half home for The Mister and we will be going back soon.

Charlie's Best Bread 1808 Garnet Avenue San Diego, CA 92109 Open Mon-Sat 7-7, Sun 8-7 Website

Road Trip – Bistro Na’s (Temple City)

April 15, 2019 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Los Angeles County, Road Trip

One of the main reasons I was really excited about our road trip to the SGV, was our reservations at Bistro Na's. I'd read about the opening of Bistro Na's; supposedly serving "Imperial Court Cuisine", in places like Food Talk Central and various blog posts over the last two years. I'd had a taste of this style of cuisine during a our final meal in Beijing. And since this restaurant was an extension of Beijing's Najia Xiaoguan (那家小馆), I was quite excited.

And overall, even though the menu wasn't exactly totally Chinese Imperial Cuisine; at least in the way I've read about it, there was an interesting balance of flavors and textures with mostly excellent cooking technique. Also, one of the key elements of Jing Cuisine was the ability to blend the techniques of the Han, Manchu, Hui, and other ethnic groups as well characteristics of all other various schools, including the "Four Major Cuisines", the "Eight Great Cuisines", and all things in between.

Service was the best I've had in a Chinese eating establishment in years. It was gracious and efficient, and our main Server was amazingly warm and friendly, while being a total professional. Man, Ed from Yuma would have loved this place.

The location; right off Rosemead Boulevard was an area I hadn't been to in maybe 20 years! Man, has it changed. The last time we were in the area, at Xiang Yuan Gourmet, we came up Temple City Boulevard instead.

The parking lot for this strip mall is terrible, we ended up parking on the street across the way.

The interior is quite a sight to see….with warrens of rooms and booths. The décor is quite what I'd call traditional in concept. The menu; with every dish photographed is thick as a college textbook.

And of course, dishes are "social media" ready….though I'd never seen anyone take 12 photos of a single black cod dish until this day…..

The first dish up was the signature "Crispy Shrimp".

Man, this really set the stage for the meal. The texture of the shells, delicately thin and crisp, in contrast to the perfectly cooked flesh, plump and tender, was amazing. The sauce had some sweetness, but there was just the lightest touch of spice to move things along. The Missus preferred eating Hers separate, meat from shells, while I preferred mine together. If you have these, please eat those shells. Don't be like the "Black Cod Girls" and leave those behind. Excellent dish.

My favorite dish of the night would seem to be the most humble; the Chili Tofu Skin; yep bean curd skin.

The cilantro in this was really amazing…I know, that sounds weird, but it had a nice slight anise, that went along with almost a minty-celery flavor. The bean curd skin was so very crisp, yet light, the dressing, which had both a touch of cumin and what seemed to be a bit of Sichuan peppercorn, along with just the lightest touch of sesame oil just brought things together so well. It was so refreshing.

The one clunker for the meal was the Jellied Pig's Feet.

The texture was excellent, but the flavors seemed a bit off. It just didn't have enough porkiness for us. This was rather mundane.

What wasn't mundane was the "Secret Tofu". This was basically an steamed egg-tofu, laid on a bok choy leaf that's sliced, dusted, and fried.

Crisp and light, with a nice, pleasant egg flavor. The bok choy layer added a nice contrast in texture and a mild bitterness to the dish. The sauce added a mild sweetness and savory tones to the dish.

The Dry Braised Sea Bass was cooked perfectly; it was buttery and moist in texture. Our really nice Server kept warning us about how spicy it was….but it wasn't very spicy at all.

The sauce was fairly mild and straight forward, the topping which included mushrooms, bamboo shoots, scallions, and pork was nice as it added some contrast. The Missus enjoyed it, but I guess I wanted something with a bit more oomph? Though I've got to say, this tasted better then next day.

For dessert; there's a combination snack platter that has all those treats the Missus loved when going to school in Beijing. And even though it was a ton of stuff and $36, I told Her to order it. However, She decided just to go with this…..

It's "Milky Cheese"; basically milk pudding with cheese in it in the shape of a fish. The Missus enjoyed it; I'm not a big fan of milk pudding and the cheese aftertaste wasn't my favorite thing in the world….this coming from a cheese lover.

The Missus really loved this meal. I expected it to be much more expensive than it was….we regularly spend more at El Jardin. Of course we didn't order any of the really meat heavy items on the menu.

We'll definitely be back. Muslim style dishes are quite common in Jing Cai; and we saw several on the menu we'd like to try.

If you do decide to check out Bistro Na's; at least on the weekend, make reservations. There was a huge line of waitlisted folks outside when we left.

Bistro Na's
9055 Las Tunas Drive
Temple City, CA 91780
Hours:
Sun – Thurs 11am – 230pn, 5pm – 9pm
Fri – Sat 11am – 230pm, 5pm – 930pm