December 2019 – mmm-yoso

Paris – Doing the Flâneur Thing, Aperitif at Juveniles, Dinner at Zebulon

December 30, 2019 mmm-yoso France, French Restaurants, Paris, France, Travel

On our last day in Paris, we got up a bit early, and had breakfast at the hotel.

What we had would be enough to hold us until dinner.

For our last full day; we decided to do what brings us such pleasure in the city; something I mentioned before, you know, the Flâneur thing…."to wander with no purpose".

Our hotel, the very pleasant Hotel Malte was located on Rue de Richelieu and just one block away was the Palais-Royal and the interesting courtyard with some "interesting" art installations; like the Colonnes de Buren, basically black striped columns of various height, which as many of what folks call "modern art", is somewhat controversial due partly to the historic location it was installed on in 1986.

Same with the, ahem, "balls of steel"….the La Fontaine des Spheres.

I guess folks were looking for something a bit more grand and traditional….perhaps like this Statue of Joan of Arc on Place des Pyramides?

We crossed over to the Left Bank on Pont Neuf and onward to the 6th Arrondissment.

And eventually found ourselves at the University of Medicine, where we noticed some interesting stone reliefs…….you know medical things like reducing a fracture.

Or exorcism???? You know, standard medical stuffs…..

From here we walked over to Hermes, where the Missus did a bit of shopping. And in case Hermes didn't suck your wallet clean and you have an extra grand (or two); the historic Hotel Lutetia is ready for you….

We weren't ready for a break just yet, so we sauntered over to Le Bon Marché, where it was Black Friday.

It was interesting to see what folks were purchasing.

From here we headed back and crossed on Pont Neuf yet again.

That the Equestrian Statue of Henry IV on Pont Neuf.

We walked up Quai du Marché Neuf to take a peek at one of the symbols of Paris…..as this was November of 2018, this was Notre Dame pre-fire.

It's a reminder of how lively and lovely the Cathedral was.

We decided to wander some of the side streets around the Cathedral, which seemed to be rather peaceful and quiet compared to Rue de la Cité and other surrounding busy streets.

In Paris, you may notice iron structures like this…..

These are called "Empeche-pipi"…aka "pee preventer". The metal pieces would make urine splash back onto the offender…….

There's quite a bit of history packed into this small area. During one of our visits to Pere Lachaise we came upon the tomb of Héloïse and Abelard; it's quite love story – tragedy. Well, even though the house where they resided is gone; the structure built on the site in 1844 is highly decorated and has carved heads representing the couple at 9 Quai aux Fleurs.

From here we walked to the Marais and the Missus found a cute bracelet. We then took a short break at Place des Vosges; which looks wonderful, even in winter.

Before heading back to the hotel for a break before dinner.

As this was our last night in Paris, I wanted to have dinner and made reservations for a place that was quite popular. But first we decided to get an aperitif. Right down the street was the well regarded Wine Bar and Bistro, Juveniles. The food is well regarded, but we just decided to drop by for a glass of wine before dinner.

We enjoyed both the atmosphere; friendly and unfussy, and our wine.

I think we'll return for a meal on one of our trips.

Juveniles
47 Rue de Richelieu
75001 Paris, France

As for dinner; I had made reservations at another place right down the street. This one was what I'd call a medium priced, modern French, manned by yet another Japanese Chef – Takashi Aoki, named Zebulon.

**** Zebulon has closed

The interior of the restaurant is simple, but comfortable, and stylish. Both the Missus and I went with the "Menu Zebulon", three courses.

The Amuse Bouche was a simple gravlax with quinoa, nice, clean flavors.

The Sea Bream Tartare was fresh….fairly tangy from the calamansi used in the vinaigrette.

The watercress leaves really helped to cut all the sour tones and add a nice pepperiness to things. The fish was toothsome but not tough, though there was perhaps a bit too much ginger used for the fish.

The Butternut Veloute was smooth and comforting.

Creamy but not overly sweet……the coffee added on the side was kind of a strange addition.

The Cod was perfectly cooked and seasoned; so moist and tender.

The spinach added a nice mildly bitter-chlorophyllic note to the dish; but we both thought the coconut-lemongrass foam kind of took the dish is a totally different direction….almost Thai…but not quite.

The Lamb Two Ways was a mixed bag.

The confit lamb was so silken, rich, gamey, just plain delici-yoso. The roast was a bit too chewy, tough, and salty. Loved the slices of beets which added a nice mild sweetness, which the roasted lamb needed.

I got the Cheese course….which was served at a perfect temperature.

And the Missus enjoyed Her dessert; telling me it wasn't overly sweet…..

Overall, we enjoyed the meal, and while it wasn't earth-shattering, it was priced right at around 120 Euroes for two including wine.

Service was excellent and we enjoyed the atmosphere. As of this writing Chef Aoki has moved on and Benjamin Andreux is the new chef de cuisine at Zebulon.

Zebulon
10 Rue de Richelieu
75001 Paris, France

As is one of my rituals, I ended the night with a beer back at the room.

I did feel like I earned it….don't you think?

And the next morning after a quick breakfast we were headed home. Another trip to Paris in the books.

Thanks for stopping by!

Noodling Around City Heights – Bun Mang Vit from Tu Thanh

December 29, 2019 mmm-yoso Vietnamese Restaurants

My next stop on my "Noodling Around" tour was Tu Thanh. I have a rather long history with Bun Mang Vit made by Chi Tu Thanh. It started back in back in 2006 at a place named "Chinese Kitchen"; which did its majority of business doing Chinese fast food…..but there was a menu on the wall of Vietnamese dishes. And I loved the Bun Mang Vit there. Eventually Chi Tu Thanh opened up her own restaurant, which I frequented; though on my last couple of visits things just weren't up to par. So, I just basically filed the place away, until I recently read Faye's post on Tu Thanh….it seemed that she enjoyed the food there. So, since I started doing my "noodling around City Heights" thing; I decided to head back.

Tu Thanh opens at 8am; which makes for a nice breakfast for me. I arrived right past 8 and the folks here actually smiled and greeted me. They walked on over and asked if I knew what I wanted…..and even though I've always wanted to try other items on the menu I said "Bun Mang Vit of course"…..which made them laugh.

Soon enough, my Bun Mang Vit ($9) arrived.

So, in terms of what I'd had from Chinese Kitchen years ago; this was ok….no banana blossom which added a wonderful slightly astringent crunch to things and definitely less dried bamboo shoots. But compared to my last two visits; this was much better. The duck neatly cut and tender….the Nuoc Mam Gung was wonderfully gingery-slightly sweet-tangy-savory. I have a certain way of eating things….not sure if it's "correct"; but Chi Tu Thanh taught me to eat things this way years ago. For the duck; I dip it in the broth…it warms it up a bit (a good study in temperature and flavor) and in the end adds a bit of flavor to the broth; it then gets a dunk in the sauce, which livens things up. The veggies get the same….what ever escapes adds to the flavor of the rather neutral flavored broth. A dunk in the steaming broth (as it was this day) changes the texture of the herbs a vegetables and whatever escapes adds to the flavor of the broth…those stray veggies do eventually get a dip in the sauce as well. An interesting contrast in textures and flavors. I usually wait to eat the rehydrated bamboo until later in the meal as it has then gotten tender and has lent some nice earthiness to things.

It's a dish of assertive, strong flavored ingredients, where one can have subtle changes in texture and flavor along the way.

Is it as good as way back when….I don't think so….but it's still better than any other version I've had in San Diego. So, until something better comes along….which hasn't happened in over a decade; this will do.

Tu Thanh
4804 University Ave. #A
San Diego, CA 92105

Versailles and a Late Lunch at Canard Street (Paris)

December 28, 2019 mmm-yoso Chains, Cocktails, France, French Restaurants, Paris, France, Travel

By November of 2018, we were on our third trip to Paris (can you believe it's now up to five?). And even though one could fill a lifetime exploring, and enjoying the city, the Missus thought we should start exploring places around the city. Starting with the Palace of Versailles. So, I got purchased advance tickets online and we headed out on the RER "C" line making it to Versailles-Rive Gauche in 40 minutes or so. From there it was a short walk to the Palace.

It was a misty – foggy day in Versailles.

But there's no denying the grandness of the Chateau.

It is indeed quite impressive and opulent. Hard to believe that this was once a "small country hunting lodge and residence" built by Louis XIII. Eventually, under Louis XIV, the property underwent four "campaigns", huge renovations. The King actually made Versailles his permanent residence and the center of political power, until the French Revolution. It has quite a history and a lot of rooms (over 2,000) and even had zoo (the "Menagerie"). Marie Antoinette had a "farm" ("Hameau de la Reine") created on the property, where she could escape….and where she could have a "faux country life"…..milking cows and sheep; which were carefully cleaned and groomed. The book Marie Antoinette: The Portrait of an Average Woman; has this quote:

"Sheep were led to pasture by ribbons of blue silk tied round their necks"

All this decadence, all that taxpayer money, all the social inequality…….just a few of a the many factors that lead to the French Revolution.

It's all on display in the various rooms in the Chateau.

Don't forget to look up at the ceilings!

The most well known room in the Chateau is probably the Hall of Mirrors.

Which is where the Treaty of Versailles was signed, which ended World War I.

We walked out onto the gardens……still quite grand; even on a misty day like this was.

And of course; all the fountains.

From here we decided to check out the Grand Trianon.

Which Louis XIV built as his escape from the Chateau.

We also explored the Petit Trianon as well.

By this time; the Missus and I were "palaced-out" and we decided to head back to Paris.

The lines were growing ever longer as we left. We caught the train back to Paris and the Missus decided to do (even more) shopping. We made a return trip to Repetto (which I've posted on before).

Sadly….at least for the Missus; She discovered that She had all the styles and colors that She wanted.

We decided to head back to the hotel for a break, but decided to grab lunch. We wanted something quick and decided to head back to Canard Street. We got the Demi Magret and the Sandwich de Foie Gras.

The duck breast was surprisingly good….especially for what I consider "fast-casual" food. It was just a tad over-cooked, but still juicy, tender, and full of flavor.

We didn't care for the baguette used for the sandwich; it was dry and much too hard and chewy. Hardly any foie gras torchon as well.

Still, this came out to around 20 Euroes which ain't bad for duck breast and foie gras, right?

Canard Street Paris
16 rue des Petits Champs
75002 Paris, France

We had a well deserved nap; then took an early evening stroll. We then headed off in the direction of dinner. This was to be our first visit to Le Pont de Sichuan, you can read that post here. We were still a bit too early for dinner and noticed this spot right around the corner of our destination.

And stopped for an aperitif.

It seemed like a popular after work destination…..lot's of folks having whatever the version of happy hour is in Paris.

And we had a seat at the bar and had a couple of Kir before dinner.

Le Trader's
3 Rue de la Bourse
75002 Paris, France

A nice little aperitif!

Thanks for stopping by!

FireBirds Chicken

December 26, 2019 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Sandwiches

**** Firebirds Chicken has closed.

Almost a quarter century ago….though it seems even longer than that; I was in Nashville. I'd heard about Hot Chicken and on my first of two nights in the city, I sought it out. I was told that the place to try was Prince's Hot Chicken Shack, so with map in hand (Smartphones wouldn't be around for another almost another decade), I headed out and found Prince's, braved the line, got a leg quarter XHot….which was more than enough, served on a slice of white bread, which soaked up all of that lardy goodness that dripped off the chicken, and soothed my pain with coleslaw and potato salad. It was surprisingly crisp, moist, with some straight forward burning heat, slightly smokey, the dark meat had great flavor……it was without a doubt memorable. So when Dennis mentioned he was going to Nashville a few years back, I told he had to try some hot chicken, preferably from Prince's. You can read his post here (man, it's been eight years! Dennis, we miss you!).

So, when read that a Nashville Hot Chicken place was opening, I was intrigued. But, after looking at the photos….which, by the way, didn't look like Nashville Hot Chicken to me, I decided to wait until I got back from my trip before making my way to FireBirds.

If the location looks a bit familiar, it's because this is where Asmara was for many years and where Pho Saigon Alley was for a blink of an eye.

I arrived at right about 11am…..the place was empty. The set-up looks rather temporary and sparse.

The system is like most fast-casual/fast-foodish places; you order and pay at the counter, take a number….though since I was the only customer in the place, they didn't need to give me one. Service was pleasant. There's one big difference with regards to the "fast" casual concept though…..there's nothing really "fast" about the place; at least on my visits. Wait time for my food was at over 25 minutes during each visit. At least everything is supposed to be made fresh.

I ordered the Big 'ol Chicken, with a single piece ($9.99). Not quite sure how the spice was, I went with medium.

Which was a mistake since this wasn't the least bit spicy….at…all. The fries were more spicy than the chicken. At Prince's I really enjoyed the fact that there was a dark meat option….even the quarter breast had the wing attached. And since it wasn't a "sandwich" per se….you got slices of white bread to sop up all the goodness oozing from the chicken. Here it looked like a typical Sysco fairly dry, boneless chicken breast. The batter was mushy and bland, the sandwich had coleslaw which added texture to the chicken breast. The mayo based sauce really detracted from any flavor the chicken would have. Pickles are always a nice touch for spicy food; but since this wasn't spicy……heck; I think even KFC's (no not that kind of KFC)Hot Chicken is spicier, crisp, and has more flavor than this.

The roll had a mild brioche sweetness to it; but was definitely not what I'd call a "Hawaiian Roll".

Like I mentioned earlier; the fries were spicier than the chicken; the dusting of cayenne assured that. Sadly, it either not fried at the right temp, or not long enough as it lacked crispness and was really dry.

And since it didn't seem to be salted at all; I had to add salt form the shakers on the table.

Well, that was that……it wasn't Nashville Hot Chicken as I recalled….though even if it wasn't close, if the flavors, prep, and cooking had been good, I'd be all for it.

Still I left wondering how spicy the "Hot" would be so I decided to return and this time went with the "sliders" ($10.99). These came with four "sliders" each with a good sized half tender in them.

I actually enjoyed this a bit more…..it was spicier; though still not even a Nashville Hot Chicken "mild" in my mind. While the tenders were on the dry side; at least the batter was a bit more crisp; though I think there's just way too much mayo on these. Just having coleslaw should do it……. The mild sweetness of the rolls helped.

The fries were more crisp; though still needed salt added at the table to balance things out.

On this visit the place was two-thirds full and folks seemed to be enjoying Instagramming their food, if not thoroughly enjoying their meal. Such is the current state of things. To quote Billy Crystal quoting Fernando Lamas:

“It's more important to look good than to feel good."

As a whole, okay prices, lower level fast-casual prep, quality, and flavor. As for being happy that we have something that is at least Hot Chicken……sorry; I just can't call it Nashville Hot Chicken….. You know how it goes with me. I'm not happy to "just to have something" available……

FireBirds Chicken
4155 University Ave.
San Diego, CA 92105
Hours:
Tues – Thurs 1030am – 930pm
Fri – Sun 1030am – 1030pm
Closed on Mondays

Merry Christmas

December 24, 2019 mmm-yoso yoso-silly

Well, it's been a bit of wet Christmas for us here in San Diego! But heck, at least it kinda feels like winter.

And as we've done every Xmas eve since 2005 we'd like to wish everyone a wonderful Christmas and Holiday Season.

With a few photos from Christmas in France…..and of course the Christmas Tree at Galleries Lafayette.

Hope everyone is safe and happy during the Christmas season.

I'm sure Frankie wishes everyone has a wonderful Xmas….and of course, for more snacks!

Merry Christmas from the gang here at mmm-yoso!!!!

Noodling Around City Heights – Tan Ky Mi Gia

December 22, 2019 mmm-yoso Vietnamese Restaurants

**** Tan Ky Mi Gia has closed

For my next "noodling around" post, I decided to start on ECB and move West from 54th. The first place from there is the discreetly located Tan Ky Mi Gia; which used to be Hinh Ky Mi Gia, which used to be Tan Ky Mi Gia….if you're keeping score. The menu still says Hinh Ky Mi Gia……

I mentioned during the post on my last visit, that it seemed the placed hadn't aged too well.

During this visit, I noticed that the light for half the restaurant weren't even turned on.

Instead of ordering what I usually would here; I recalled that the Missus actually enjoyed the duck when this place was still Hinh Ky and I promised to try the duck again during my previous visit, so I went with the Egg Noodle with Flavor Duck; which is steamed rather than roasted. To be perfectly honest; that duck looked pretty spooky; due to the almost totally black color when it arrived.

But it was not bad; I expected really salty, but it had a strong anise-five spice flavor and was tender. It did a fairly strong offal-gamey flavor.

The simple broth was better than what I'd had previously; not so much MSG this time, decent richness, with a mild savory-seafood finish.

The rather generous portion of noodles were firm, with a slight "crunch" to them.

During my visit there were no less than five take-out orders and some guys from the, ahem, "coffee shop" next door came in for soup as I was leaving, so I'm guessing they are doing ok business. The owner; is same from my visits over a decade ago; so it seems they just keep rolling along.

Tan Ky Mi Gia
5237 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115

Noodling Around City Heights – Bun Rieu from Phuong Nga 2

December 21, 2019 mmm-yoso Vietnamese Restaurants

Since it's soup weather again here in San Diego; I decided to circle back and revisit all those places East of the 805 and West of 54th Street. I decided to start the corner of 54th and University, to a place that "FOY Elle" recommended to me back in early 2018. Phuong Nga 2. As of my last visit at the end of last year; I thought it was by far, the best Bun Rieu in San Diego…… So, now, I was interested to see how things were going at PN2….

I arrived shortly after opening, though the older woman here was running around like crazy since there was a huge line of take-out and catering orders on the front tables. Still, I got me Bun Rieu ($8.45) order in and it arrived fairly quickly.

First off, the herbs and veggies were sparkling fresh…..this is one of the few places that still serve shredded banana bossom…..red perilla and of course the ever handy little container of fermented shrimp paste.

Like previous visits; the right type…thinner, bun was used. It was perfectly prepared, firm and stretchy.

The broth was not as sweet or tangy as before and perhaps a bit "lighter". It was by no means bad…..but that container of shrimp paste came in mighty handy.

The "meat and crab cakes" were light and fluffy, though mostly pork. The fried tofu cubes did well dipped in the mam tom. The tomato was better than on previous visits….perhaps more "in season"; and were nice and tangy. The piece of pork rib was a bit too tough and chewy this time around. I still really enjoy the small dried shrimp scattered in the broth which adds a nice savory, "umami bomb" to things.

It' still my favorite Bun Rieu in San Diego…..if anyone has some "contenders" let me know. And Elle; I'll always be grateful for your recommendation.

Phuong Nga 2
4016 54th St
San Diego, CA 92105

So, I'm thinking of heading down West on University, then turning back East and revisiting all those places I've posted on before. I haven't seen any new places pop up recently…have you?

Silvia Pupuseria (National City)

December 18, 2019 Cathy Salvadoran Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Here we are, less than a week before Christmas (and maybe a short week for those who are using up vacation time before the end of the year), at mmm-yoso!!! Cathy is writing today's post.

Long story short, The Mister and I were driving around looking for businesses giving away 2020 calendars as advertising, (as we do every year) and there were crowds, so we started driving in another area, looking for a quick meal before continuing on our trek.

I had to stop at a signal light and saw the signage for businesses in the mall…and, well, we had been talking about pupusas for the past few weeks. We had to.

You can walk in and order to go, or have a seat and a menu (without prices) as well as chips and salsa are brought out to you. Yes, the menus are written only in Spanish, but I understood it all. The waitresses understood my ordering in English. The house made salsas, red and green, are both hot, in a good way. No dumbing down here.
The two storefronts are joined and open to accommodate about 50 seats with tables and booths and a beautiful mural on the 'kitchen' side. Since this is a Pupuseria, I ordered two ($2.25 each). There are ten flavors on the menu. You can hear the dough being slapped in the kitchen when preparing the order. The one in front is chicharron with cheese, the other one is bean and cheese- black beans with cheese. What wonderful, fresh, filling and large/heavy pupusas! Such fresh flavors! A wonderful meal by themselves. The accompanying fresh made curtido and tomato sauce were very complimentary to all the flavors. The curtido was so fresh, with the cabbage, carrots, Mexican oregano and just enough jalapeño with a light fermentation that we did finish the bowl brought out, some of it with food and some of it just plain. There were several 'Breakfasts' on the for here menu and the choice of plantains with creama and beans or plantains with eggs looked interesting. Plantains with beans, crema, a piece of cheese and eggs scrambled with a fresh house made salsa turned out to be the order ($9.99) (we were not asked how to have the eggs prepared). The fried plantains with just a bit of the crema were sweet and hearty. The refried beans (not black beans like in the pupusa) were wonderful. The scrambled eggs with the tomatoes, onion and cilantro, were really good, with flavor in every bite.

We noticed other tables that asked for coffee were given a cup of hot water and a jar of instant Nescafe (the table behind us got decaf). Nescafe is one of few instant coffees that I like; this is a great alternative to possibly getting stale, bitter coffee from a pot. Next time. Also next time, a bowl of soup, definitely, along with maybe a mushroom pupusa.

Kirk was here in 2016!

Silvia's Pupuseria 916 East Eighth Street, Suit 106 National City, CA 91950 (619)534-2037 Open Daily 9:30 a.m.- 9 p.m.

2019 San Diego County Fair- OzSome (Part 3; the wrap-up)

December 16, 2019 Cathy Festivals & Events, What Cathy Eats!

Today's mmm-yoso!!! post is written by Cathy with photos from July and some tidbits about the 2020 County Fair at the bottom of this post.

Usually, the Theme of the upcoming San Diego County Fair is announced in early October, but for some reason it was delayed until mid-November this year, so this final round up post seems late, but it really isn't.

There is so much to see and do, around every corner. The floral competition is ongoing; you never see wilted entries.

The Professional Woodworking display and competition, with some entries within the Fair theme, is always filled with beauty and craftsmanship.

The Infield Garden area also participates within the Theme of the Fair.

Of Course, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,the original book and its 13 sequels, were the inspiration for the Theme (the book series was the inspiration for the 1939 film). The Theme information area (to the right when you walk in the main gate) was so interesting this year and helped me decide on my summer reading.

In the Gem and Minerals area, there are always beautiful displays of crystals as well as the always changing, ever interesting display of 'food' made up of rocks, polished and plain, as well as crystals and minerals.

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Which leads us to the food portion of this post…

We did try the deep fried bacon wrapped cheese bites one day. They were wonderful.
I had slightly mentioned in prior years that one day a week food booths offered 'samples' for $2. Well, time marches on and this year, there were '$3 sample' signs at most booths on Thursdays. Lucky us. We tried this bean and cheese pupusa, which came with a nice curtido and tomato sauce salsa for $3 and planned our day.
Gingerbread cake; had never tried, will get again. Wonderful flavor. One piece of fish was $3, so we made a 'meal' of the fried fish here.
Had always seen the 'BBQ pork sundae", but never tried. The pork is very good, as is the sauce…served on top of mashed potatoes, technically a 'balanced' meal. Interesting concept and just enough.
The 'Chocolate Tower' was a great deal-chocolate cake, vanilla ice cream, sauce, whipped cream, sprinkles…a perfect size for sharing. Even the $3 piece of fresh made fudge was just right without having to eat a lot and take home. One way we save some money is to purchase a 'souvenir cup' of beverage (I like the iced tea at the booth which has the giant ear of corn on top, on the midway; it's unsweetened and strong) on the first visit to the Fair, the refills are half price that day and on the subsequent days when we bring the souvenir cup. Eddie's Asian Inspired Cuisine offered iced tea, lemonade and an aguas fresca-pineapple with spinach juice. The flavored lemonade choices at the booth in the bottom photo were all interesting and, in particular, the cherry brought back fond childhood memories.
Inside the Paul Ecke garden Show, near the back is always an Eatery, which changes names with the Theme of the Fair. This is one of the booths run by the 22nd Agricultural District, so it will be there again. The menu is also within the theme and we tried two items:The "Good Witch/Wicked Witch Toasts" ($8). The Wicked: edamame hummus, roasted tomatoes, greens, smoked pepitas. The Good: ricotta with black pepper, black Mission Figs, lavender honey and Black Sea salt. Each of these were tasty, filling, and inspirational for some of our light summer meals.

The "There's No Place Like Home" Nicoise salad ($14)had flavorful, good size pieces of seared tuna on top mixed greens and topped with fingerling potatoes, fresh (flavorful) tomato, hard boiled egg, olives and served with a mustard vinaigrette. This was wonderful and large enough for sharing. Can't wait to see how the menu will change for the 2020 Fair!
We had never purchased a funnel cake at the Fair until this year. The fried dough topped with powdered sugar was a wonderful indulgence. You can see the souvenir cup on the table in this photo.

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Plans for 2020: The Theme

There are a few changes: parking charges have increased to $20 (and $10 at the Horsepark), HOWEVER if you purchase a parking pass before 12/31, you can save $2. There is also a deal to purchase $25 of food coupons for $20, again before 12/31. Plenty of other ways to save are also listed on the Website.

Revisits – Woomiok and Mien Trung

December 15, 2019 mmm-yoso Bun Bo Hue, Korean Restaurants, Vietnamese Restaurants

It feels like (San Diego) winter now; so here's a couple of revisits to a new place on the rotation and an old favorite.

Woomiok:

Woomiok has become a favorite of the Missus. So, with the recent cooler weather, the Missus wanted Her fix.

This time around we ordered the assorted beef in stone pot. As with previous visits; the kkakdugi and the squid panchan were the best, while the baechu kimchi was decent but, could have used some really more intense fermented flavor. The japchae was really bland.

We were pleasantly surprised with the portion size of the dish ($34.99).

The tendon was buttery and the brisket and other usual "tougher cuts" were tender and beefy. There was what looked like typical pho top round, which was drier and tough and the worst cut overall. The bone based broth was very nice with a touch of salt. A very comforting dish overall. In fact, I loved the leftovers which I mixed with rice and heated up; making a rice porridge of sorts.

We left warm and satisfied.

Woomiok
3860 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Mien Trung:

Just like last year; Mien Trung was my first real meal out after returning from our trip.

The place was hopping; I just ordered the smaller bowl of Bun Bo Hue. It looked kinda light; but it was pretty good. Nice spice, great lemongrass flavor, the meats were more tender than on previous visits….even the tendon. Not over-loaded with MSG……the noodles were slippery and firm; the veggies (I still miss not having banana blossom though) fresh.

This had that "aaaah" factor going.

Mien Trung Restaurant
7530 Mesa College Dr
San Diego, CA 92111