November 2019 – Page 2

Paris – Le Comptoir de La Gastronomie

November 16, 2019 mmm-yoso France, French Restaurants, Paris, France, Travel

While we had enjoyed our time visiting Champagne, Alsace, and Lyon, the Missus was so excited to be back in Paris. After quickly getting settled into our room at Hotel Malte. The Missus had enjoyed visiting the 2nd Arrondisement and while I like the 7th, I thought it would be nice staying somewhere other than the 7th or the Latin Quarter. It would turn out that the Missus really enjoyed the 2nd. Anyway, with no plans, other than perhaps to do some shopping and do what we love doing in Paris; wander and enjoy. Until recently, I didn't even know there was a French term for what we do in Paris; it's called Flâneur or flânerie a term I first heard on that wonderful podcast, The Earful Tower.

And so we headed out, taking a quick walk through the Jardin du Palais Royal a half block away from the hotel. Framed by arcades on three sides, this was an oasis of peace from the hustle and bustle of Paris on a Wednesday afternoon.

From here it was short stroll to one of the Missus's shopping stops; the Louis Vuitton Vendome location which had just completed setting up for Christmas.

Sadly, the Missus couldn't find anything She wanted to spend Her hard earned money on….so She did the next best thing; She bought something for me…..more on that later in the post.

But heck, we were in the Place Vendome area, known for all the luxury shops in the area.

From here, the Missus indicated She wanted to see the Christmas Window displays and tree at Galeries Lafayette, so we just wandered on over. On our way we strolled through this interesting square and this Statue.

Apparently, this is Place Edouard VII. So, a square in honor of the King of the United Kingdom in Paris, eh? Apparently, "Bertie" as he was called, a man of great um…appetites, loved Paris……though I don't think the square is named in his honor because of his excesses or his, ahem….taste in furniture. Perhaps it's because of his role in getting the Entente Cordial completed.

Anyway, in Paris, every corner, every block, and every square has a story. You can find an interesting blog post on the square here.

Soon enough we arrived at Galeries Lafayette. There's something about the window displays and the Christmas Tree inside the department store that brings out the inner child in me. Perhaps because I spent much of my childhood as a Jehovah's Witness and we didn't celebrate Christmas and this just has me imagining that this is what the holiday season should be like. Maybe not, because the Missus just loves this as well.

We slowly worked our way back to the hotel, took a break, and then headed out to dinner.

I spent a good deal of time trying to figure out what we'd have for this dinner. And naturally, after reading all those blog (and you know….those other sites) posts on Le Comptoir de la Gastronomie….and oh, my, all that foie gras. Sold! So, we made our way the few blocks over to rue Montmatre (funny thing as I'm a trip behind on my Paris posts; this is currently our favorite area of the city) and the restaurant, which is half deli/restaurant. We had reservations, which was good thing since the place filled up really fast.

Man, was there a queue lining up! And remember me mentioning that all the Korean tourists had vanished from Les Cocottes on our last visit? Well, I think this is their hot spot right now as two-thirds of the customers were either Korean or Chinese tourists.

One of the reasons I picked "Le Comptoir" were all the duck and foie gras dishes. So, we started with a very nice bottle of wine that the friendly, but over-worked Server helped the Missus select.

And the first dish up was the "Pan Seared Foie Gras with Gingerbread and Mixed Salad" (20€ – about $22/US).

We enjoyed the greens; the dressing had a nice acidity. The gingerbread toast was interesting. Of course, I didn't order this for the greens or the toast. The foie gras was terrible, over-cooked, mealy, with sinewy strings in it. It had that texture we call "dog food". Because it was burned on one end, it was quite bitter.

The Foie Gras Ravioli with Truffle Sauce (21€ – about $23.25/US) was better, if having a bit of a greasy texture to it.

The truffle cream sauce overwhelmed the foie gras in the pasta; which was over-cooked as well. You couldn't make out the rich-earthy sweetness of the foie. Too much of a good thing with regards to truffle oil dumped on a typical cream sauce here.

The last dish of the evening was the Cassoulet "Gratine" (18€ – about $20/US). I enjoy a good cassoulet and even make a version at home; so this was my pick for the meal. Unfortunately, well……this time around, the photo says it all.

The duck was over-cooked (seems to be the theme), hard, and dry. Everything else was so bland and not hot either.

We've had a couple of mediocre meals in Paris before; but nothing that was this bad. You know, it's tough…..if this were San Diego, I'd have made a couple more visits to see if it was an off night, or just not do a post at all. But, when one goes on vacation, spending $$$ to get to a place….working on selecting something ahead of time, well…… I will say this; TripAdvisor and Yelp loves this place….which is why….you know….

Le Comptoir de la Gastronomie
34 rue Montmartre
75001 Paris, France

Well, there was some good (I think) news. The Missus just couldn't find anything She wanted at Louis Vuitton, so She decided I needed a new messenger bag (She hated the one I used to use). Knowing little about the LV brand other than the rather distinctive patterns and logos, I figured that I could get out of this by telling Her that "I don't want loud patterns or a logo on my bag"….hah, that would end things right there….but no, with the help of the wonderful (these sales people are amazing) young lady…..they found me my current bag…..I'm not going to say how much it cost; because I get the heebies when I think of it. So yes, I take an LV bag to work everyday and folks, unless I tell them, can't even tell.

Lyon – La Cave Café Terroir and Café Terroir

November 15, 2019 mmm-yoso France, French Restaurants, Lyon, France, Travel

While I really would have loved to hit up another Bouchon on our last night in Lyon; I thought we should try something different, especially after our rather hefty lunch. As it would turn out; dinner would be just as substantial as lunch….but heck, we were in Lyon after all.

We headed out from the apartment, taking our time, doing some window shopping along the way. We eventually got to the area around Théâtre des Célestins, a place we hadn't explored earlier. There were tons of shops in the area and the Missus enjoyed Herself.

I had a place in mind for dinner; but wasn't able to get reservations. But, I had another strategy; the restaurant I had in mind, Café Terrior started service at 7pm. Café Terrior also had a wine bar a few meters up the street, which opened at 6pm….and I'd read somewhere that the really nice bartenders at La Cave Café Terroir would sometimes make reservations at the restaurant for you. So, we decided to test this out.

We enjoyed the small, rustic, with modern touches of the Wine Bar. The bartenders were indeed quite friendly. The Missus enjoyed a glass of red and I got a Kir. We were given some olives with mustard.

When I ordered our second round, I broached the question. Apparently, this is quite a common practice as the really nice young lady took our names and walked over to the Café….when she got back, she smiled and told us, "voila!" And we had reservation for dinner for the first seating.

You gotta love this place!

La Cave Café Terroir
05 Rue Montcharmont
69002 Lyon, France

When Café Terrior opened, we strolled over and were given a nice corner table. The Missus ordered some wine for us and we were given some charcuterie.

A couple of tables away was a father and young daughter who both were having a wonderful time……chatting and savoring their meal. Kids start young here!

We started with a dish I'd seen in a couple of posts. "Oeuf a la Coque Fermier Mouillettes de Beaufort 24 mois" (9€ – about $10/US). Whew, that's a mouthful! This was basically soft boiled eggs, served with Beaufort, an Alpine Cheese, aged 24 months.

You basically dunk the slightly sharp, nutty, very fragrant cheese in the gooey egg yolk and have yourself a delici-yoso time! Rich, buttery, sharp-milky-savory……this was lovely. The salad helped give your palate a short break between bites.

For Her main, the Missus ordered the "Parmentier de Canette de la Dombes " (18€ about $20/US). This was basically almost like a shepherd's pie of sorts…..

If the potatoes hid rich and gamey duck confit! The rich-gamey-earthy flavor of the duck was excellent and there was a ton of duck hidden below those tasty potatoes, but the duck was a tad on the dry side.

Still, the flavors were wonderful!

I decided to go "hog wild"….even though I'd had pork knuckle just a few days before in Colmar; I hadn't had my fill. I ordered the Jarret de Cochon (18€ about $20/US).

This was wonderful; from the tender, porky meat, to the wonderful gelatinous parts, to even the skin, which had absorbed some wonderful flavors. The Missus loves lentils and these puy lentils were very nice; tender, yet still holding shape; whatever herbs were used in the bouquet garni for this was perfect.

While the meal seemed quite hearty, we finished everything! Though we had no room left for dessert. We enjoyed the rustic, yet modern food at Café Terrior. We'd gladly eat here again.

Café Terroir
14 Rue d'Amboise
69002 Lyon, France

We rolled back to the apartment. I'd had a great time in Lyon and could have stayed another day or two. I could tell, though, that the Missus was ready to head back to Paris. We had a wonderful, blissful night of sleep.

And the next morning; following the instructions we'd received earlier, we followed Louis XIV's "bout du cheval" and made our way to Gare de Lyon-Perrache. We were on our way back to Paris……and more shopping for the Missus!

Thanks for stopping by!

Revisits – Smack’N Guamanian Grill and Gaya Gaya

November 14, 2019 mmm-yoso Filipino Restaurants, Guamanian/Chamorro, Sisig

Some revisits to a couple of places that opened on Miramar Road this year.

Smack’N Guamanian Grill:

**** Smack’N Guamanian Grill has closed

I was feeling a bit hungry and it had been over four months since Smack’N Guamanian Grill opened in the former location of Bann. So I decided to head on over and see how the Kelaguen was these days.

I arrived right when they opened and things weren’t overly busy.

Ordering was easy. I just went with the two items I enjoyed the most over my previous visits; the Kelaguen (aka the “Fan Fav” – $10.95) and a side order of the Bunuelos Uhang, (Shrimp Patties on the menu $3).

The Finadene here is now self-serve and has a hilarious sign on it – “NOT ICE TEA”. I asked the young man manning the counter and he confirmed that folks had gone there with cups, thinking it was iced tea and actually tried to drink the stuff! Hilarious!

Having packed like four containers of finedene I made my way back to the office. This kelaguen and subsequent side dishes were consistent with my previous visits, the chicken medium chopped, citrus forward, really lacking in spiciness or hints of coconut. The cabbage is basically coleslaw mix with some finedene….hardly any flavor, as I added two containers to give this at least some flavor. The rice was more chewy than on my previous visits.

What wasn’t in line with what I’d had before were the Shrimp and Corn “patties”…..which were actually balls and were totally incinerated.

Everything on the outside was hard and bitter, this was just totally gross. Why would anyone serve this?

For your reference from a previous visit.

It just kind of ruined my meal….just a total lack of quality control.

Smack’N Guamanian Grill
9506 Miramar Rd
San Diego, CA 92126

Gaya Gaya:

***** Gaya Gaya has closed

Man, Gaya Gaya has been open six months already! Soo’s post reminded me that I should head back and see how things are doing.

I dropped by for lunch and the place was totally empty during my entire visit….it’s a large space, which really makes things seem even more deserted.

The young lady who was my Server was such a joy…so cheerful and funny.

I was tempted to order what I enjoyed the most during my previous visits (other than perhaps the balut), the Adobo Rice Bowl, but decided to go “riceless”. I was tempted by something called the “balut surprise” but I’ll save that for the next time.

I started with the Pig Ear Sisig ($12.50), which was a mixed blessing.

The pig ears were nicely fried; crunchy, chewy and the sunnyside up egg, while a tad overcooked for my liking was fine. This dish really lacked the spicy, acidic-sour tones I enjoy in sisig. Pickled onions, jalapenos were used, which were ok bites, but just didn’t stand up well to the porkiness of the pig ears, which didn’t seem sauced……this just seemed like a hipster version of the dish for folks afraid of the strong flavors of sisig. Too bad; when I saw Pig Ear Sisig on the menu; I thought about the last time I’d had a more traditional version of the dish.

The Pinakbet ($9) on the other hand was better than what I’d previously had at Gaya Gaya.

The last time I had the pinakbet here; ampalaya (bittermelon) was MIA. This time, while a bit on the sparse side; there was enough to add a nice tannic-bitterness to the dish. Which balanced out the light sweetness of the perfectly cooked (not mushy) pumpkin. The eggplant was buttery-tender without being mushy and there was enough bagoong to give this dish a nice savory-salty “oomph”. The green beans were a bit too large and a tad undercooked and tough for my taste, but that’s splitting hairs. I enjoyed this dish.

Like I mentioned earlier; my Server was a joy. This wasn’t a cheap meal by any means…over $20 for what is considered two apps. Is it “elevated-modern” Filipino cuisine? I’m not sure yet.

Sitting in this ghost town for lunch made me wonder how much business Gaya Gaya was doing. I’m hoping weekends, dinner, and Happy Hour is taking up the slack as the place is now closed on both Mondays and Tuesdays.

Gaya Gaya
7580 Miramar Rd
San Diego, CA 92126

Lyon – Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse and Lunch at Chez les Gones

November 13, 2019 mmm-yoso France, French Restaurants, Lyon, France, Markets & Grocers, Travel

We were really enjoying our short time in Lyon, from the Silk Festival and Vieux Lyon, to the Basilica and an amazing dinner at Takao Takano. We'd seen a lot during that long first day, but there was another place I just needed to visit.

But first, we decided to take a nice morning walk.

Down to Place Bellecour it's such a vast square right in the middle of Presqu'ile.

There's the Equestrian Statue of Louis XIV, which was an important landmark for us.

We had to catch our train back to Paris from Gare de Lyon-Perrache not our arrival station Lyon Part-Dieu. We had asked for some directions earlier and was basically told to follow Louis's "bout du cheval"…the "horse's butt" straight, ahem, down Rue Victor Hugo. Which were very accurate directions.

We headed toward the Saône and just ambled along……

Right past the Passerelle du Palais de Justice we found a outdoor market…..not very crowded on this rather chilly morning. This is the Marché Alimentaire Saint-Antoine Célestins which runs Tuesdays to Sundays from 6am to 1pm.

The market is located on Quai Saint-Antoine between Passerelle du Palais de Justice and Pont Maréchal Juin.

Being right at Rue Grenette meant it would basically be a straight shot to our next destination which La Part-Dieu neighborhood.

I mentioned Paul Bocuse in my first Lyon post, much revered, especially in his home of Lyon…..a man who was called the "Culinary Pope"; for those who are Anthony Bourdain fans, just look at this picture. 'Nuff said.

I wanted to visit the marketplace that bore his name; Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse.

Plus, I love these market halls……I always get a better understanding of the cuisine of a city, when I get to walk around the marketplaces.

And there were indeed some top notch products for sale.

Visiting made me wish we had more time….as it was, we had meals planned out.

We were getting a bit hungry, so we searched among the seemingly endless stands that wind their way thru the gleaming market hall.

And settled for one that served some traditional Bouchon fare and one dish I had been waiting to try as well.

We were seated at one of the small tables and the Missus ordered some sparkling water and a glass of wine for Herself.

I ordered the food……..which took a while…..actually a good sign to us.

The Missus had enjoyed Her Andouillette so much at Bouchon des Filles that She ordered it here.

Which was served with some mushy vegetables and pretty tasty, but super buttered Gratin Dauphinoise (Scalloped Potatoes).

Like the previous version, this basically exploded upon being touched by a knife. This one was pretty funky and really chewy, the mustard sauce did it no favors.

I ordered the Tablier de Sapeur (The Sapper's Apron).

The tripe was nicely breaded and fried; layers of different textures; the crunchy breading, the chewy layer of tripe, and some additional meaty crunchiness of the rumen. It was very mild in flavor and the sauce gribiche helped things along.

Like with the Missus's dish; I didn't care for the vegetables or potatoes much.

This was an interesting meal; much more rustic than what we'd had two nights before at the Bouchon. Still, it was fairly inexpensive…and I got to have dish I'd been wanting to try.

Chez les Gones – In Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse
102 cours la Fayette
69003 Lyon, France

After the meal the Missus had Her eye on dessert.

And we took our sweet time getting back to the apartment.

Stopping to do some shopping along the way.

By the time we got back it was mid-afternoon.

It was time for a nap…..and then….well, dinner of course!

Thanks for stopping by!

Taste of Himalayas (UTC)

November 12, 2019 mmm-yoso Nepalese/Himalayan Food

I first noticed that Taste of Himalayas was expanding to UTC back in October of last year. They finally opened around April-ish of this past year. I finally made an effort to check them out couple of weeks back.

I got there right at opening time on both visits. The parking lot at Renaissance Towne Center can be a bit of a mess during lunch since the lane sizes are small and the parking stalls quite cramped.

The interior is a very bright red!

On both visits, service was very nice and attentive.

I noticed that ToH had a lunch special menu with two dishes for $11.95……though taking a quick look, the bottom House Specials added on an extra $3. I had wanted to try both the Bhera-ko Tarkari and the Goat Curry, but that would hav brought lunch up to near the $20 range. So, I went with the Chicken Chilly and the Bhera-ko Takari.

First up was a huge basket of Naan……nice and warm….

And a typical "lunch special soup", in this case lentil based, which was super bland.

Then my Chicken Chilly and Bhera-ko Takari (literally Lamb Curry) arrived. The portion sizes were reasonable.

I loved the colors of the dishes, which didn't look overly greasy. The Basmati rice was fragrant, but a bit on the "hard" side. The lamb was fairly tender, wonderfully gamey, the curry had a mild spice, with earthy flavors. A very nice dish. The Chicken Chilly, which I kind of consider to be a "Chindian" style dish had some zing to it. It was bit too dry for my taste and perhaps too "one-note" in flavor for me.

Still, not bad….I also saw something on the menu that I hadn't had in years, so I decided to return and just ordered from the regular menu.

First up, the Panner Pakora ($5.95).

Basically, fried cheese. I actually enjoy the rather firm texture of paneer, so I was fine with this dish, though I wish it was more crisp and less greasy. Also, the chutney provided was too sweet for my taste, but the really nice young man soon came to the rescue with some very good mint chutney.

The item(s) I really wanted to try were the Momo's. The last time I had Momo was in Madison over nine years ago….and before that at the Saturday Market in Portland…sheesh….over thirteen years ago! Time sure does fly. Anyway, you know I have a thing about jiaozi and similar dumplings.

I ordered the Mized Momo ($13.95), which came with three each of the Vegetable, the Chicken, and the Lamb dumplings.

My favorite by far was the Lamb Momo as it had a nice distinctive lamb flavor and the spices really complimented the meat. The chicken version almost tasted like a bland Chinese Jiaozi. The veggie was really bland and needed more seaoning/flavor. Sorry to say, the wrappers weren't up to task and were quite brittle falling apart easily, lacking in that slight fluffy elasticity that I look for in dumplings. After all that cheese, I ended up taking one of each Momo home for the Missus to try…..Her favorite? The lamb. I'd gladly have that again….though wish the wrappers were a bit better.

All in all, ToH is fairly pricey, but I enjoyed the items I had with lamb. I'll make some time in the near future to try out the goat.

Taste of The Himalayas
8895 Towne Center Drive
San Diego, CA 92122
Hours:
Daily 11am – 10pm

Sunday Stuffs – the “My ‘Hood Edition: It’s Chef Jun Sushi and Kappo, Breakfast at Bay Park Coffee, and Spam at Poseidon Project

November 10, 2019 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Japanese Restaurants, Pizza, yoso-silly

So, here's a few updates and other "stuffs" in our neighborhood.

It's really Chef Jun Sushi and Kappo:

So, as "Friend of Yoso FOY" Derek, mentions in the comments of my earlier post; Chef Jun is a Sushi and supposedly "kappo", which I'm assuming really stretches the definition, style restaurant. So says the sign which I saw this past Saturday.

Okay……I'm not sure why I feel kind of disappointed……

4033 Avati Dr
San Diego, CA 92117

Breakfast at Bay Park Coffee:

So, Noel from Bay Park Coffee apparently reads this blog….and gave me a bit of grief about my post. Which I stand by. The croissant from Bread and Cie, works best when the lack of butter, salt, and sweetness is supplanted with eggs, ham, and cheese. The flakiness of said "faux croissant" works well with this.

And is a nice breakfast sandwich.

Though, like I told Noel…."I'll know when you've got some influence when I see a Spam, egg, and cheese croissant"…..

Bay Park Coffee
4130 Napier St
San Diego, CA 92110

And Speaking of Spam….and Pizza – the Poseidon Project:

So, I don't really mention the Poseidon Project much. But, over the last couple of years, they've become my "pau hana time" choice…..I usually visit twice a week. About two years ago, they added a pizza oven and have been making pizzas.

While the woodfired pies there won't make me forget Tribute or even Bruno's, it's a nice neighborhood place. And then there's a pie called the "hot honey", that has a sweet and (very) mildly spicy sauce that's made with soppressata. I felt that it would really taste great with Spam®. Nate, the owner always wrinkled his nose at the thought of Spam®. But, Chris one of the pizza guys, made us a pie……..we provided the Spam® singles……

Man, this was good…..the salty-savory, well caramelized Spam® (Chris – you are the man!), with the mildly sweet-spicy hot honey….. Even Nate, who hadn't ever had Spam® before thought it "was pretty good"….in other words….it was delici-yoso…..

And of course…..no bogus pineapple…….

Poseidon Project
4126 Napier St
San Diego, CA 92110

Modeum Bossam from Grandma Tofu & BBQ (Halmouny)

November 9, 2019 mmm-yoso Korean Restaurants

After our recent meals at Prime Grill; the Missus mentioned Grandma's Tofu and BBQ. And while I thought that She was thinking of the Heokyumso Jeongol (Black Goat Stew) from Halmouny, the Missus was actually thinking about the Modeum Bossam, something that we hadn't had in maybe…..five years! Perhaps our visit to Bossam Alley in Seoul kinda put a damper on things…..

But now, finally, the Missus was wanting the Modeum Bossam again and we headed off to Grandma's. Upon getting seated and opening the menu; we noticed something right off.

Notice the fine print – "rice and Korean side dishes not included". So, no rice or panchan with the bossam dishes anymore. Still, we went ahead and ordered the Modeum Bossam.

I quickly noticed another thing when the plate of porkiness arrived….the usual napa cabbage had been replaced by regular boiled cabbage. Yeesh….what's with all the cutting costs going on?

Anyway; everything else was in order, from the fermented baby shrimp, to the pink salt, to the chilies….though the amount has been cut down….to our favorite garnish here; the fermented bean paste. The kkandugi (radish kimchi) was actually quite good….heck even the low quality oysters were fine.

The Missus didn't care for the soondae, the blood sausage which was really mushy, sticky, and metallic in flavor this time around.

The pork belly was more tender than it looked, with a nice porkiness. The pig's feet was the best item as it had a decent, soy sauce flavor, a very mild sweetness, great swine-iness, and that texture……that only a trotter lover would enjoy.

So while there was a bit of disappointment….no rice, no panchan, regular cabbage; the meal turned out fine in the end. I'm thinking we'll need to order something else in addition to the Gul and Jokbal Bossam. I think the Missus is finally over trying the soondae here.

Grandma Tofu & BBQ (Halmouny)
4425 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA 92111

Lyon – Fourviere Hill and Dinner at Takao Takano

November 6, 2019 mmm-yoso Fine Dining, France, French Restaurants, Lyon, France, Memorable Meals, Travel

After exploring Vieux Lyon we headed up Fourviere Hill, there are two funiculars up the hill; but you know the Missus, right? We walked up the hills…….

Even with the haze and mistiness, the views were amazing…..

It was on this hill that Lugdunum was established by the Gauls in 43BC.

There are two main sites on the hill; the first being The Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourvière (Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière).

While completed in 1894; it is said that the actual planning of the church was made centuries before.

A plague ravaged Lyon in 1643, the city council promised to do a pilgrimage to the top of Fourviere every year if the plague stopped. It is said that the Virgin Mary saved Lyon from the scourge and the Basilica is dedicated to her. Mary is also said to have saved Lyon from the Cholera Epidemic of 1832 and prevented the Prussian invasion during the Franco-Prussian War. So of course, Mary deserves her due.

When you enter the Basilica, your eyes are drawn to the six grand mosaics that line the walls. All featuring the Virgin Mary in their story.

The Christian Council of Ephesus in 431, declares Mary to be Theotokos ("God-bearer").

The Battle of Lepanto; where Mary is credited with the victory.

Three scenes of Joan of Arc. In the first scene; on the right she hears messages from Mary…..

Louis the 13th dedicating France to the Virgin Mary.

The Lower Church (crypt) is dedicated to Joseph.

And here you'll find naves with statues of Mary from around the world.

Our Lady of "La Naval" – Phillipines.

Our Lady of China.

Our Lady of Fatima (Portugal).

Are among those we passed.

If you're ever in Lyon the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière is well worth visiting.

Since this was a Monday; the Gallo-Roman Museum was closed, but it had been a busy morning, so we just enjoyed walking through the two Roman Theatres.

The larger theatre was built during the reign of Augustus the smaller during the reign of Hadrian.

From here we headed down back down to Vieux Lyon and ended up grabbing a quick croissant (sorry photos didn't turn out) from a Boulangerie.

And did some window shopping.

We were overdue for a break and so we headed back to the apartment. After a short nap, I woke and with the Missus relaxing, decided to head on out for a walk.

Just a few blocks down the street from our apartment was the vast Place Bellecour, the third largest square in France. Funny thing is; we've been to the other two, Esplanade Quinconces in Bordeaux and Place de la Concorde in Paris.

From here, I walked along the banks of the Saône. That's the Passerelle du Palais de Justice below.

I was ready to head back to the apartment when I saw the sign to my right. It's just a sign for the chain of wine/champagne shops, Nicolas, not a big thing really. Except……we were arriving right after the release of the Beaujolais Nouveau for 2018. It's a big deal….on the third Thursday of November, festivities start at 1201 am. Barrels of Beaujolais Nouveau are rolled down the streets of Lyon. Races are held to deliver the first new bottles to destinations throughout the country.

So, I went into Nicolas to purchase a bottle. The gentleman working was really friendly and spoke great English. In the end, he convinced me to buy the second cheapest bottle, telling me, "you try this one…it is c'est bon….if you like, then come back for more"!

Returning to the apartment, we needed to get ready for dinner. I had booked this meal way in advance; at a place named Takao Takano, yet another Japanese Chef heading a French restaurant with Japanese touches to the dishes. I had booked as soon as I knew we'd be going to Lyon. And wouldn't you know it; two weeks after booking dinner at Takao Takano; they got their second Michelin Star!

The night was lovely as we crossed the Passerelle du Collège and made our way to the restaurant.

Then something quite amazing happened. We chatted with our taxi driver on the way to the apartment from the train station…it was pretty chilly and I mentioned snow. He laughed and said it was too early to know in Lyon and it rarely ever happens (apparently he's correct) and almost never in November. So guess what? As we walked up Place Maréchal Lyautey, we felt tiny flakes hit our head and noses….it was snowing! Nothing major, just a light flurry….but we felt happy as schoolkids!

We arrived at the rather discreet location for Takao Takano, on a rather generic mixed use street.

We arrived and was greeted by the hostess, a wonderful young lady, who sat us at one of the tables (there are about nine in the restaurant) near the window. Where we watched the last of the light flurry hit the ground and quickly evaporate. Would that be an omen?

The simple interior of the restaurant quickly filled up. The Missus had a glass of wine; I got some Japanese Whiskey as an aperitif.

We got the 120 Euro tasting menu….and shared a wine pairing. Believe me when I say; this meal was worth every penny!

Things started off with a good sized amuse; a Egg Custard, Smoked Mackerel, and Mushroom Consomme. Think of this as an amazing chawan mushi with amazingly earthy shiitake flavors, and a superb, smokey, rich saba.

The first entrée was an poached Oyster from Maison Gillardeau, considered the "Rolls Royce" of Oysters. amazingly clean flavors, mildly briney, with a sweet, almost nutty finish.

The black tea consommé and dashi added an amazing finish, really enhancing the sweet-brininess of the oyster. Amazing!

An unmistakable fragrance wafted our way even before our next dish hit the table. It was the familiar fragrance of white truffle.

Served with a wonderfully tender, meaty, sweet and savory crawfish tail and truffle gnocchi, in a luxurious seafood sauce…..'nuff said, right?

The John Dory ("Saint Pierre") in a mushroom foame with, "surprise" Percebes was solid if not outstanding.

The fish was very tender, mild in flavor, an interesting foil for the strong earthy and briny flavors presented.

The Perdreau Rouge; young red-legged partridge was quite tender.

I thought the idea of a date and clementine sauce and sumac seemed a strange combination; but the fairly tart sumac combined with the sweetness of the fruits did fairly well with this wonderfully cooked and mild flavored partridge. A solid dish.

The Missus loved the cheese course:

I actually really enjoyed this "pre-dessert" item.

A wonderful Citrus Mousse, so amazingly light, filled with wonderful lemony – nutty flavors.

And of course the Missus enjoyed the Chocolate Tart; we requested only one, since I was stuffed.

And, as is the norm with many of these places; a nice parting gift for later.

We loved Takao Takano; easily one of the best meals we've ever had. From the perfect, professional, efficient, genial, well paced service. To a couple of amazing dishes….what a dinner!

I have a feeling we'll return one day. I guess that little flurry of snow was a good sign!

Takao Takano
33 rue Malesherbes
69006 Lyon, France

We walked back to the apartment' quite satisfied.

Perhaps Lyon is the center of the gastronomic world. Well, at least it was for us on this evening!

Thanks for stopping by!

Star Anise Thai Cuisine

November 5, 2019 mmm-yoso Thai Restaurants

One of the first places I checked out in the Renaissance Towne Center; other than Chicago Fire Grill (not counting Pho UTC several years back) was Star Anise Thai.

Tucked in the corner of the strip mall, the interior of the place is much larger than it looks from the outside. There's even an outdoor eating area; though I've never seen anyone dining out there….in fact, during my lunch visits, I'd never seen more than two tables of customers.

Service on all my visits was quite nice; not overly friendly, but gracious and somewhat efficient.

Now, if you've been reading for a while….you'd know I got quite excited upon seeing one of my favorite dishes on the lunch menu.

The Khao Kha Moo! Unfortunately, I was told they were out of that dish on this day….so I had to come up with something to eat. I thought the Spicy Pad Kee Mao (Drunken noodles) looked interesting; so I ordered that.

It was recommended that I get the dish with beef; which was on the chewy side, but not bad. I liked that this was indeed spicy, which I enjoyed. I'd have appreciated more Thai Basil and a bit more sweetness as this was more salty than anything else. The noodles were unevenly coated and were also a bit on the mushy/over cooked side. Still, this wasn't too bad.

I decided to return a couple of weeks later to finally get that Khao Kha Moo, which I as again told they were out off. I then tried to order the Khao Moo Dang….the young man then told me in a frustrated tone, "sorry, we don't serve those dishes anymore"! Geez, why didn't they just tell me in the first place? He did tell me that they have everything else on the lunch menu…..

So, again I had to quckly order something off the menu….I really wasn't feeling like the typical pick your prep; pick your protein stir fry kinda thing. So, I ordered the Nam Tok, which is something I enjoy so much, I make a version at home.

I had also ordered a side of sticky rice, which was very good. Nutty, sticky, perhaps a bit too hot to be eaten by hand, but not bad at all. The meat, while being a bit over-cooked, was adequately tender, especially for Nam Tok. There was a good amount of rice powder which added a nice roasted nuttiness to the dish. The folks in the kitchen went real heavy with the lime juice and shorted me in terms of savory-saltiness and sweetness. Also missing was spice as it wasn't spicy at all. It was also very "watery".

Like the previous lunch; this wasn't bad, just kinda mediocre. I'd had enough for a while and gave the place a rest….which ended up being months.

But, during this past hot October I returned…and since they had all the other dishes on the lunch special menu, decided on he Khao Man Gai. Which, unfortunately, they were out of; sigh……

Again, needing to order something off the menu; I just went ahead and picked the Duck Salad; which I was told was "spicy", it wasn't.

There was a decent amount of nicely done, if a bit bland duck breast in the salad. There was a ton of greens; I did enjoy the mint, but the vinaigrette was also really bland and not quite up to the task. The tomatoes were under-ripe and I think some cucumber might have been a nice addition to the salad. In addition, some of spring mix at the bottom of the plate was starting to brown. Still, this was a fairly substantial salad and temps were hitting the 90's outside, so a salad was the perfect thing.

Of course, trying to get something from that lunch special menu was now attaining comedic heights.

A few weeks later, I decided to give Star Anise another try; this time, I had back-up dishes (the Spicy Fried Rice had looked pretty good), just in case. But of course, this time they did have the Khao Man Gai.

The typical lunch salad and curry potato won tons were run of the mill. The broth provided was super salty and I basically just had one spoonful.

The chicken was cut very thinly, was moist and tender, but very mild in flavor. This is where the sauce comes in. I'm used to a ginger forward sauce. This one hardly had any ginger flavor and tasted mostly like soy sauce; it was too salty and over-powered the chicken. The fish sauce was also way too much for the chicken as well. To me; the sauce provided should have a good amount of ginger, for that nice cleansing zip; with a bit of acidity-sourness, and some garlicky-saltiness.

So, while Star Anise wasn't as bad as say; Di Chan or my last visit to Siam Nara, I still put it in the Ameri-Thai category.

So, perhaps folks out there can make some recommendations, now that I've given up on ordering from that lunch specials menu!

Star Anise Thai Cuisine
8935 Towne Centre Drive
San Diego, CA 92122
Hours
Mon – Thurs 11am – 3pm, 5pm – 930pm
Friday      11am – 3pm, 5pm – 10pm
Saturday    1130 am – 3pm, 5pm – 10pm
Sunday      1130am – 3pm, 5pm – 930pm

Currying On – Zen Curry, Hinotez, Izakaya Sakura, and Musashiya

November 3, 2019 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants

Zen Curry:

So, Calvin really, really, wanted to check out Zen Curry. And since they had just started opening for lunch during the weekdays, I thought why not?

We got there on the day that the businesses sign was (finally) going up.

We were seated quickly, same really nice young women working, just really pleasant service.

This time around I went with the Beef Curry and to hedge my bets, also ordered what was the best item I'd had on my previous two visits, the Spam® Katsu.

I still enjoyed the spice level 5 and the Spam® Katsu while I think was still fried too long, was better, though the breading was still on the harder side. The curry would have an appreciable combination of spices, if it weren't overly thick and pasty. Some of the pieces of beef were also too chewy.

Calvin, who loved Curry House and Coco Ichibanya in his hometown of Irvine looked at me and said, "I know what you mean now when you say; it's not enough to just have something….they've got to make it well."

Things were slightly improved, but I think there's a way to go.

Zen Curry
7309 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92111

This meal did have me wondering about curry, at least in the Kearny Mesa area…so over the next couple of weeks, I went and managed to revisit a couple of places.

Hinotez:

I picked Hinotez, because last year, I had a pretty darn good karaage curry at here.

But before I could do a post, they changed up a the lunch ordering….and it seemed that this was no longer available. Which was my bad…..just like breakfast, you now choose your combo for lunch.

And so, I could get a version of what I'd had before.

I enjoy the curry at Hinotez, the flavor is much more complex than what was served at the pre-Taisho Curry Rice Hinotez. It's still quite mild; though the texture works for me, along with the crunchy, nicely flavored and fried karaage (Zen Curry please take note). I love mixing in the 3 minute egg with the rice a curry, making a rich, tasty mess. While not excellent by any means; this is my favorite Japanese curry in San Diego.

Though as much as I enjoy the curry, I didn't care for the really bland, insipid ,miso soup.

Can't win 'em all. I used to think that Hinotez had some fairly brusque service; but on my last two visits, the folks working here have really been nice and friendly. It's also nice to think that I've been to both Hinotez and Yakyuudori in Nagoya.

Hinotez
7947 Balboa Ave
San Diego, CA 92111

Izakaya Sakura:

I thought I should revisit Sakura for the curry…..you know a couple of years back I did a "sorta, kinda, post", that included a photo of the Tonkatsu Curry from Sakura. So, I thought I'd better just do a proper one.

The curry here has almost a home-made feel to it. It's also the least spicy, with almost a slight sweetness and is the thinnest of the four.

The tonkatsu was decently done, moist, fairly tender, nice crisp crunchiness from the panko.

They use an interesting base for the miso soup here, I think much of the kombu breaks down and there's almost a slight gooeyness to the broth. Though it's not bitter with no off flavors. This version also had the best rice of the four.

While I've had some very surly service over the last two years, my last visit was quite nice. On this one; there were two of the long time Servers, I call them "good cop, bad cop"…..folks who go to Sakura know what I mean.

Izakaya Sakura
3904 Convoy St Ste 121
San Diego, CA 92111

And that was going to be it……but I decided to add one more revisit to this. A place that had really disappointed me since they've opened….

Musashiya:

So, I decided to try out their curry one more time….after all, it was the best thing I've had here.

You know, I can never fault the presentation here at Musashiya…the food though, is another story. While the curry was the second spiciest I'd had; it was also barely past lukewarm and really didn't have much in it.

The tonkatsu here suffers from the same issues as what I'd had in the past, there's some problem with temperature and technique here as the breading just peels off when you try to pick up the pork. It was also dry and tough. There were dry and hard grains of rice as wll.

My favorite item of the meal? The shredded cabbage. I left most of the curry and tonkatsu on the plate…..I just wasn't hungry anymore….

Musashiya
4240 Kearny Mesa Rd Ste 119 – In the Mitsuwa Marketplace
San Diego, CA 92111

So, my favorite of the bunch? So far it's Hinotez.

For those curry-sseurs…..what versions of Japanese Curry have I missed?