**** You can read a post on Zab Linda here.
In my recent post on Da Kine's reopening in La Mesa, "FOYs" Junichi/Denver/Young mentioned that the Original Sab E Lee was undergoing an ownership and name change. And then yesterday I saw this post in the Eater San Diego. I went and dropped by on the way home and indeed there was a ABC ownership change notice and a banner with a new name on it….."Zab Linda".
This was indeed a sad moment for me. Even though I thought TOSEL wasn't quite the same since Koby sold SEL, the Rancho Penasquitos location opened, and TOSEL moved to this location. Still, I have some great memories of meals from Sab-E-Lee which quickly became part of our rotation. Over the years, the menu seemed to have moved from the wonderful Issan flavors and heat, to a more standard Thai menu.
The Sab-E-Lee empire kept me as a regular customer at Thai Papaya, where the Missus absolutely loved the Som Tom Kai Khem. Sadly, Thai Papaya shut down during the pandemic, closing in 2021. And was replaced by Sushi Yorimichi.
TOSEL was originally part of our takeout rotation at the beginning of the pandemic, but after a couple of not so good takeout revisits we started going elsewhere.
Still, having been a customer back in 2008 and even getting affirmation from folks I really respected, TOSEL holds a special place in my heart. And like other places that have closed during the pandemic, it seems like the end of an era.
On an interesting note; the Eater post states:
"Called Zab Linda, the new restaurant is also serving Thai food; Runowski shared that it will keep much of Sab-E-Lee’s menu."
And a couple of folks I know have told me that the initial transition has already occurred, so perhaps Zab Linda is in a soft transition mode.
Anyway, I'll drop by in a few weeks.
And thanks for all the wonderful meals and memories Sab-E-Lee!
6925 Linda Vista Road
San Diego, CA 92111
First off, the good…..man, I really enjoyed the mac salad here, just as good as 
The toasted roll makes all the difference since Tadian can sometimes over sauce/dress their sandwiches. Even though they say that "Thai peanut sauce" is on this sandwich; I tend to think of this as a pseudo Banh Mi because of the pickled carrots, cucumbers, and cilantro. The jalapenos are a must because the amount of bread can really tone down the flavors. Still, it's a pretty good sandwich.
The fries were nicely friend and still crisp when I got back to the office. And there's garlic and parmesan….with a light drizzle of truffle oil on them. I do prefer the toasted French roll 
Well, you get the point, right? So maybe I just gotta order in person when getting the Siren and/or fries? You know, its been my experience with 
I'm sure you know if foie gras is on the menu, we'd be ordering it, even with a $20 supplement. The fois gras was nicely seared, the interior nice and smooth, rich, earthy, though the roasted and compressed apple was perhaps a bit on the sweeter end of the spectrum for us.
Turning things over was a different story as it was pretty greasy. The meat was very moist, tender, and it had that flavor of dark meat chicken that I prefer. The batter was quite crunchy but the seasoning dust is pretty gritty, though quite spicy; but there’s a lack of other flavors….at Hatties, I remember the chicken being very spicy, but it still had some smokiness, most likely from Paprika and even a hint of garlic tones.
Unfortunately, the batter of the wings didn’t hold up well, much of it getting a bit mushy and flaking off. So, if you’re ordering this, it’s probably in your best interest to eat them ASAP….maybe even in the parking lot! Lot’s of burnt garlic which was on the bitter side, though I enjoyed the spice. The flesh of the wings were nice and moist.
The chicken really just tasted boiled lacking in the mild hints of anise-wine and devoid of any salt or mild ginger tones….just plain bland. The sauce provided had brown specks in it and tasted a bit rancid and off. The chicken while cooked nicely, just didn’t taste right.
We decided to just walk along Princes Street and the huge 
Soon it was getting close to our dinner time, so I had to find the "close" where our dinner destination was located. We headed down the Mound and onto the Royal Mile and High Street. Right across 
Folks inside waved us to the actual entrance where we were greeted by a Hostess…..people in Edinburgh and Scotland for that matter, were so very friendly….really fun and nice. We were led to a table on the upper level. Where we were seated and handed menus. The place is dark and somewhat funky….but what do you expect here! After all, who knows who walked along the path in this close? It might have been 
The smoked fish taco was pretty good….I had read in the Eater post that items had a "Asian" touch….I figure in the case of these tacos, it was the sesame seeds? Anyway, the fish was nice and moist, smoky, good savory hints, no off flavors, and the tortillas held up well. The cabbage added textural contrast and a touch of sweetness. 
This was actually pretty good; I mean it ain't 
There was a generous amount of shrimp in this; but we both thought this was a bit lacking in overall flavor and was really too salty. The texture of the shrimp was fine.
We got this with the "verde", the green sauce which was tangy and tart, a perfect foil for the spice. Loved the avocado which helped to quell whatever heat evolved from the dish, the cucumbers added a nice, crisp and "chlorophyllic" touch to the dish. The shrimp had spent the perfect amount of time in the sauce, being just toothsome enough. We'd have this again!