November 2022 – Page 3

Formoosa

November 8, 2022 mmm-yoso Niu Rou Mian, Taiwanese Food and Restaurants

During my walk down Convoy while waiting for my takeout order a couple of weeks back, I noticed something about that strip mall with horrendous parking at 4646 Convoy. Yes, Red Moon Noodle House was gone, but the parking lot at just after 11 was pretty empty. Hmmm……there are a couple of places I'd wanted to try in that mall. I wondered how parking would be at 11 on, say a Monday. So, I decided to take a chance and arrived right before 11 on a Monday and the parking lot was pretty empty. I could get an end spot which meant a bit more room for my car. I decided to take a chance and see how things were at Formoosa, a Taiwanese restaurant opened by the company who owns Steamy Piggy.

Formoosa 01

I recall this place being Bao's Awesome Burgers and Sandwiches and then one of Junya Watanabe's restaurants, a concept temaki place that didn't last too long. In fact, it looks like the sushi bar set-up is still in place here. There are a couple of small tables, but it's mainly bar seating. The young man working was super friendly and nice. I took a seat at one corner of the bar and was the only customer in the place until right before leaving.

Formoosa 02

Ordering was super simple for me; it had been so long since I'd had a Niu Rou Mian I decided to order that ($14.50). The bowl arrived, fairly hot, the portion size quite large.

Formoosa 03 Formoosa 04 This was a not so good bowl, the best item was probably the boiled eggs which had been decently marinated, nicely cooked, and not overly salty. The broth was mediocre, the beefiness was achieved using the "wave" method….that would be that it tasted like a piece of beef was waved over the bowl to give it flavor. It needed more anise tones and complexity. There was a light spice and a hint of Sichuan Peppercorns, but was super salty.

The beef itself was tough, lacking in flavor, and the interior was cold. On my next visit, I'd notice something about the prep of the beef that was missing on this visit.

Formoosa 05 Formoosa 06 The "knife cut noodles" seemed of the mass produced variety. It was too brittle, lacking in any doughy "pull" and stretch.

Other than the wonderful young man working the front of house, this was quite disappointing.

Formoosa 07

Of course I needed to make a return trip. I did so on a Tuesday at 11 and was again the first customer in the place; though this time several more folks came in as I was eating. The young lady working, I believe her name is Kiana was simply fantastic. Friendly, warm, efficient…..and I watched her torch the beef in the Nu Rou Mian before it was served. When I commented on that, she told me that it is supposed to be served that way. Regardless, I don't think torching of my beef would have made my NRM any better.

I started things out with the Popcorn Chicken ($10.50). This was the best item of the three I had at Formoosa, though that's not saying much.

Formoosa 08

The chicken was moist, but I didn't care for the batter which lacked crispness; the whole thing was rather gummy. It also lacked enough seasoning, no five spice flavor, in need of salt and pepper. Well, here's something interesting, The previous sentence rung a bell…and wouldn't you know it. Take a look at what I wrote about the popcorn chicken in my Steamy Piggy revisit post. I guess it's the same recipe.

Much like Niu Rou Mian, I haven't had a decent Niu Rou Chuan (beef roll) in….well, longer than I can remember. So I decided to order that as well ($10.50). This is what arrived.

Formoosa 09 Formoosa 10 There were two things I noticed right off; look at that puddle of oil the beef roll is lying in. Also, check out all that cucumber…..I thought that this was a beef roll, not a cucumber roll. I really think they're going for something massive here instead of thinking about proportion. The beef was basically the same cut as what's used for the NRM, but with the addition of the fatty parts which are chopped. There was a ton of hoisin sauce. The bread was thin, short on green onions, but fairly crisp…at least what wasn't a greasy mess was.

And check out all that cucumber. Well, at least you'll get your veggies…sort of.

Formoosa 11

It was kind of a bummer because I really like the folks working here. They can't control the kitchen. I just wish the food was a bit better. As it is, much like Steamy Piggy, it's a concept first business.

I did learn that eating in this strip mall is possible; if you do it early in the day and week.

Formoosa
4646 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA 92111
Hours:
Sun – Thurs 11am – 930pm
Fi – Sat 11am – 1030pm

Postscript:

So, I occasionally go to that "four lettered" site to get address and hours of operation info for places when I'm finishing up my post. I went to that site and was amazed at how many "reviews" (In heavy quotation marks) were available for a place that has only been open about 10 months. I also noticed the super high scores. I wondered to myself "what am I missing here" and then I recalled something I saw on the QR menu.

Formoosa 12

So, you have to write something and then show it to the Server to get credit. Hmmm…..

I then decided to actually read some of those postings, which I never do. Some of them were interesting…..

And my favorite:

Formoosa 16

I had a good laugh. As a whole it's not my business. I just thought it fascinating. Interesting business model. Maybe I should read those reviews more often, huh?

Formoosa 17

Chard with Pesto, Pancetta, and Tomatoes

November 7, 2022 mmm-yoso Cooking, Recipes

Man, it been a while since I did a recipe post. I have been doing a great deal of cooking, though most of it has been free-form, without recipes. This one started out that way, but I've made it many times, so I finally went ahead and measured things.

It started out with incorporating the stems and ribs of chard in recipes using standard items from our pantry. In the end, I came up with this recipe that utilizes the stems of the chard, what I call "quad tomatoes", that is tomato paste, sundried tomatoes (and oil), and cherry tomatoes. And things start with pancetta. Initially, my inspiration came from a Kale with Pesto dish from Tribute Pizza and like my Balsamic Brussels, I used bacon as the base. But after a couple of go arounds, we found that we preferred pancetta, and chard, which is more tender than kale.

It ain't the prettiest dish.

Pesto Chard 01

But the Missus likes it with black lentils topping roasted cauliflower. I like it with bread as an appetizer, or mixed into a warm salad or even topping pasta/mashed cauliflower.

Along with the diced chard stems, I use onions, garlic, and cherry tomatoes.

Pesto Chard 02

Pesto Chard 03

I also use double concentrated tomato paste, both sun dried tomatoes and the olive oil from the tomatoes, and garlic paste to adjust seasoning.

Pesto Chard 06

Another key point is that I don't add salt until after I mix in the pesto and taste. I squeeze out the olive oil from the sun dried tomatoes to help make that tablespoon. Please check the label on the pesto you use; make sure it has pine nuts, olive oil, and at least Pecorino Romano cheese on the ingredient list. Of course it should have Basil….I've seen so called "pesto" using spinach! Or just make your own!

Chard with Pesto, Pancetta, and Tomatoes

2-3 oz Pancetta sliced into lardons
1 bunch Chard leaves stems and large ribs removed.
1 cup Minced Chard stems
1/2 (about 1 cup) Onion diced
1 Tb Sun Dried Tomatoes in Olive Oil minced
1 Tb Olive Oil from Sun Dried Tomatoes
3-4 Cloves Garlic minced
1 Tsp Oregano
2Tb + 2Tb Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3Tb (More if needed) Double Concentrated Tomato Paste
Garlic Paste (if needed)
1 cup Cherry Tomatoes halved
2 Tb Crisp White Wine
1-2 Tb Balsamic Vinegar
3-4 Tb (More if needed) Pesto
Salt and Pepper to taste

Add 2 Tb Extra Virgin Olive Oil to a pan along with Pancetta and cook over medium heat to render out the fat. Pesto Chard 05
Remove Pancetta to paper towel lined bowl once cooked.
Turn heat up to high and add 2Tb EVOO (to the rendered pancetta fat), chard stems, diced onion, sun dried tomatoes, oil from sun dried tomatoes, oregano, and garlic to pan and saute.
Once onions turn translucent and ingredients start to soften add cherry tomatoes and stir.
Add white wine to deglaze, then add Balsamic vinegar and saute.
When the tomatoes start to break down stir to move all ingredients to the edges of pan.
Add chard to pan. I also then add an additional 2Tb EVOO on top of the chard.

Pesto Chard 07

Fold chard into other ingredients. When chard starts to soften I stir and mix well.
When the chard mixture has reached the desired texture, I lower the heat and mix in the pesto.
When pesto is mixed in, I turn off the heat, taste, and add fresh ground black pepper, salt, and more pesto if desired, and mix well.
I usually then remove to a large storage container for use. Top with crisp Pancetta when serving.

I also use the same technique using merguez, harissa, cumin, and coriander for a similar dish which went well with couscous.

As I mentioned in previous posts, this is more about technique than a precise recipe. If you try it out, let me know how it goes!

Pesto Chard 08

Have a great week!

Edinburgh (2022) – St Giles Cathedral, Dinner at Wedgewood, Deacon Brodie’s Tavern, and Breakfast from the Edinburgh Larder

November 6, 2022 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, British/Irish/Scottish Restaurants/Pubs, Edinburgh, Scotland, Travel

After checking out the Museums and Greyfriars Kirkland we headed back up to High Street. There was one more stop to make before we took a break in the action. Our trip would not be complete without a visit to what is considered Scotland's most important church, St Giles' Cathedral.

IMG_2937_02 And though we had passed the Cathedral several times a day, and even checked out the gravesite in the parking lot, we had yet to actually enter the cathedral. We were looking for a time when it wasn't too crowded and at this moment the place was fairly empty.

As you would figure for a church that is one, located in Edinburgh, and two, been around since 1124, there are a ton of stories and artifacts. Like, for instance that three-legged stool to the upper right. It's called a "cuttie-stool".

Here's the story:

Indeed St Giles has quite a tumultuous history. It was established as a Catholic Church and then came the Reformation and John Knox. Things were changing. It is said that the statue of the Patron Saint Giles was stolen and "drowned in Nor Loch". In 1559 the Lord of the Congregation, led by John Knox marched into the St Giles and took over. John Knox preached in St Giles for the first time….there was a "new sheriff in town". After a brief time when the Roman Catholic party retook the church and the Treaty of Berwick was signed, St Giles once again became a Protestant Church on April 1st, 1560! Whew……all of that in just a year!

If you you want more on the history if St Giles, this is the Cathedral's official website's history page.

Me, I'm just gonna enjoy some stained glass.

It was a fun stop.

We headed back to the apartment and took a short break before heading out to dinner. Unlike the previous evening tonight's dinner locale was close by, a place named Wedgwood The Restaurant.

It was a quaint little restaurant serving modern, seasonal cuisine, that gives you a "wee tour of Scotland".

We started with the amuse and a bit of "bubbly".

And some very tasty bread.

We weren't very hungry, so we went with three starters and a main to share.

Like just about all the seafood we had in Scotland, the Treacle Cured Salmon was delicious.

Treacle Cured Salmon - Wedgewood Edinburgh

It really didn't need all the soy and yuzu sauces; though the pickled beetroot was a nice touch.

The Laurencekirk Duck Breast looked lovely but was a bit on the dry side.

Laurencekirk Duck Breast - Wedgewood Edinburgh

We didn't care for the fennel which was quite strong in flavor and overwhelmed the dish.

The Missus enjoyed the Charred Midlothian Wild Leek.

Charred Midlothian Wild Leek Potato Creme Fraiche - Edinburgh

The wild leek had a nice mildly sweet almost pungent-garlicky flavor. The creme fraiche added a bit of mild acidity and richness. The potatoes had a nice starchiness and this was a good dish overall.

I was looking forward to the Avon Valley Roe Deer Loin and Venison Haggis.

Avon Valley Deer Loin Venison Haggis - Wedgewood Edinburgh The lean deer loin had a nice, moist toothsomeness, had been seared and seasoned nicely. It wasn't overly gamy, but you could tell it was venison. The jus was wonderful, not overly rich, and went well with the delicious potato pave. Loved the celeriac puree, but that round ball of venison haggis was super mild in flavor. It did have quite the gritty-grainy texture though.

Overall, a nice meal, great service.

Wedgwood The Restaurant
267 Canongate
Edinburgh, Scotland

We decided to go ahead and do our after dinner stroll and headed back to the Royal Mile. And of course we passed…..

We took a look at another placed we had passed oh, so many times on this trip, Deacon Brodie's Pub. It was such a nice evening, we thought we should do the "tourist thing" and grab a pint!

I went and ordered a pint; the Missus grabbed a table outside, and we watched all the happenings on the Royal Mile.

Like this guy with the owl and what looked like a television crew.

There's always something going on!

Deacon Brodies Tavern
435 Lawnmarket
Edinburgh, Scotland

We then headed back to the apartment.

Well, it was still early, so we decided to do some shopping and wandered along the various side streets.

We found a leather shop. My belt had taken a beating, so we walked in. The folks were awesome. They were closing in 20 minutes, but he selected the leather, belt style, and sized it for me. They'd be open at ten the next morning, they'd get it ready by the time they opened and I could pick it up then.

Somehow we ended up at Canongate Kirk.

With a statue of Scottish Poet Robert Fergusson "strolling" in front of it.

And of course Canongate Kirkyard, yet another cemetery surrounds the church.

What really kinda freaked us out was that there were apartments right next to the cemetery and the units overlooked the graveyard; not sure I would want to live here.

After this, we decided to call it a night and headed back to the apartment.

We slept well. Our flight wasn't until 5pm and the owners of the apartment said we were welcome to stay until one.

We took it easy in the morning. For breakfast we decided to do a takeout order from the very popular breakfast and lunch spot that was on the next block up from the apartment. I went and placed a takeout order and the Missus and I went to pick up my new belt which was ready. Man, the service here was awesome.

We then walked on back to the Edinburgh Larder to pick-up our order. There always seemed to be a line here.

We actually picked up our order from the "Little Larder".

It was the Hash Breakfast, which was enough for both the Missus and I.

Nice poached egg, sweet corn, wonderful red potatoes, smoked haddock, which was a bit too much for the Missus. The Chermoula Dressing was nice; a bit of nice cilantro tones, mild garlicky flavors, quite herbaceous.

We finally had a chance to avail ourselves of the generous amount of coffee pods in the apartment.

The Edinburgh Larder
5 Blackfriars St.
Edinburgh, Scotland

We left the apartment at around 1230 and walked on over to Princes Street and caught the tram to the airport. We made it in good time and were now getting excited about our next stop. It was back to Paris!

Edinburgh (2022) – Surgeons’ Hall Museums, National Museum of Scotland, Union Brew Lab, and Greyfriars Bobby

November 5, 2022 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Caffeine Fix, Edinburgh, Scotland, Travel

**** Not much food in this one; but it has some of my favorite sights/stops from this trip!

Our last full day in Edinburgh would be a busy one. There were several places I had on my "list"; things I just had to see. We headed out from our apartment on Blackfriars Street away from the Royal mile. We enjoyed this change of pace, less tourists, less crowds. And, you never know what you'll come across in Edinburgh. I saw this and decided we just had to turn down Niddry Street South.

You just never know what you'll see……

"He Who Is Without Mathematics Shall Not Enter". I guess they'll never let me in here, eh?

Our destination was the Surgeons' Hall Museums.

Which consists of an amazing Pathology Museum and a Museum of the History of Surgery and Dentistry (ouch).

We were blown away by the collection, if you're interested in Medicine (looking at you RD!) and especially surgery and pathology this is a must visit.

Sadly, photos aren't allowed, but this photo somehow jumped into the Missus' phone.

Good lord! There are some "interesting" items in the collection including William Burke's (Remember Burke and Hare) death mask and a pocket book made from his skin!

We'd go to the Musée d'Histoire de la Médecine in Paris on this trip as well, but it doesn't even come close to this Museum!

Surgeons' Hall Museums
Nicolson Street
Edinburgh, Scotland

Well, after the Surgeons' Hall Museums we were feeling a bit peckish……you know what I mean?

Right around the corner on the way to our next stop was a coffee shop that served light dishes named Union Brew Lab. This craft coffee shop was just down the Missus's coffee nerd alley.

The location, right around the corner from Edinburgh University was perfect for this shop as we saw students, remote workers, and such.

I got a cold brew (of course).

The Missus got something or other that came in it's own pot and a sand timer!

But what really caught the Missus's attention was the Avocado Toast with Smoked Salmon and Dill.

Like almost all the smoked seafood we had in Scotland, the smoked salmon was so good. Perfectly smoky, great meaty texture, wonderful with mashed avocado, on a nicely toasted sourdough. So basically, this is where the Missus first enjoyed avocado toast, and Boulenc made it an obsession.

Union Brew Lab
6-8 S College St.
Edinburgh, Scotland

After our light "brunch" our next stop was just a short walk away.

The huge National Museum of Scotland. Admission is free!

The museum's collection spans 5 floors with areas that cover history, technology, science, world cultures, and so on. We decided to pare down our visit and find the areas we were really interested in.

For me, it was finding Dolly the Sheep, the world first cloned sheep. Before Dolly, it was thought that cloning a mammal was impossible from an adult cell. Did you know that "Dolly" was named after this Dolly?

Dolly advanced our knowledge and in her own way was a pioneer. And as is often the case with pioneers there is risk. Dolly was euthanized at the age of six because of progressive lung disease. But she contributed much to mankind.

We were also visited the Kingdom of Scots Gallery in the museum, where there were some interesting items on display.

That beastly item above is called "the Maiden" and you know what it was used for right?

There was a lot to see. We were easily confused by the all the Roberts, Duncans, and James in the lineage of Scottish Royalty. I can't say we've got things straight now, but the displays in the museum helped…..a bit…I hope I don't get tested on it.

National Museum of Scotland
Chambers St.
Edinburgh, Scotland

I was really looking forward to our next stop. It was basically just a minute or two away from the museum. The statue of Greyfriars Bobby.

Much like Hachikō in Tokyo and our own Bum the Dog, the story of Greyfriars Bobby is the stuff of legends. Much like the story of Hachikō, the story of "Bobby" is one of true loyalty. In abbreviated form it goes as follows. In 1850, John Gray, a gardener, and his family moved to Edinburgh. He was unable to find work as a gardener, so he became a night watchman. Bobby became his companion for those long nights. John Gray caught tuberculosis and died of the disease on February 15th, 1858 and was buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard. Bobby being the loyal companion, refused to leave the side of "partner" and would stay at John Gray's gravesite. Even though the keepers of Greyfriars Kirkyard tried to remove Bobby on many occasions, but to no avail. Eventually, they built Bobby a shelter and he remained loyal to his companion until his death in 1872.

Baroness Angelia Georgina Burdett-Coutts was so moved by Bobby's story that she asked the City Council for permission to erect a granite fountain with a statue of Bobby placed on top. And that's that you see above. The inscription on the stature reads:

"A tribute to the affectionate fidelity of Greyfriars Bobby. In 1858, this faithful dog followed the remains of his master to Greyfriars Churchyard and lingered near the spot until his death in 1872."

Of course, there's a tavern called Greyfriars Bobby's Bar right across the street. And of course there's the Disney movie as well. And if you check out the statue of Bum the Dog at the Horton-Davis House you'll find a statue of Greyfriars Bobby there too. Remember, Edinburgh and San Diego are sister cities.

Greyfriars Bobby is buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard which is right down the lane, so we decided to take a look. Greyfriars Kirkyard is also supposedly the most haunted graveyard in the world as well. So of course we had to check it out.

Greyfriars Bobby is buried just inside the gates of the Kirkyard. Instead of flowers people leave sticks for the little fella'.

His master John Gray is buried nearby.

I know, it would make sense for Bobby to be buried next to his master….but dogs (or any animal for that manner) cannot be buried in consecrated ground. So Bobby actually got prime territory right at the entrance to the cemetery!

We took a stroll around the cemetery and had the good fortune of not running into anything "strange".

And I think many folks would be interested to know that there's a Harry Potter connection with Greyfriars Kirkland as well.

From here we strolled back to the Royal Mile.

We had one more stop before taking a short break.

Thanks for stopping by!

Edinburgh (2022) – Dinner at Restaurant Martin Wishart

November 4, 2022 mmm-yoso British/Irish/Scottish Restaurants/Pubs, Edinburgh, European Restaurants, Fine Dining, Memorable Meals, Scotland

We had wanted one blow out meal during our stay in Edinburgh. So after doing some research and then trying to hunt down reservations I came up with Martin Wishart. Even though the one Michelin Star restaurant was in Leith, almost 2 1/2 miles away, we could always catch a cab if we desired. Of course, as things ended up we walked both ways. It was a fairly pleasant walk. Leith was once Edinburgh's seaport and had fallen into disrepair following World War II. But during the early 2000's, the neighborhood has been revitalized and with the mooring of the Royal Yacht Britannia and the conversion of the Ocean Terminal into a shopping center, along with artists, musicians, and designers moving into the area it has been ranked as one of the coolest neighborhoods in the world. Well, we walked on over and the place seemed quite mellow on this Saturday night, we were probably in the wrong area, but we kind of enjoyed the relaxed nature of things.

We were greeted immediately after entering the restaurant. Service was friendly and professional, though the timing of the dishes was inconsistent as there were a few long waits between dishes. The Sommelier though, was outstanding! He helped the Missus pick Her tasting as if he read Her mind and totally understood Her taste and preferences.

The Missus and I decided to go with the three course "Market Menu" and each had one of the two choices available for the three courses. That way we could taste one of each item available on the menu.

Things started with some delicious bread and the four course amuse bouche featured beetroot and crowdie, cod roe and fennel, potato and smoked egg yolk, and horse radish and celeriac.

The highlite was the smoked eggyolk and potato, the flavors of each component seemed so intensified

The Sea Bream Tartare was nice though nothing really special.

Having both the strong flavor of lemon and the brininess of capers was a bit much. The soy foam was fine. The fish had been perfectly prepared and marinated though, the texture was a perfect creamy toothsomeness.

The Roasted Veal Sweetbread was an amazing "earthy" and textural delight.

The sweetbread was perfectly fried, crisp coating, creamy interior, slightly earthy and mildly sweet with a hint of offal sharpness. The flavors of the morels added another luxurious layer of earthiness with a nutty finish. The broadbeans finished things off nicely along with the wonderful jus.

Another dish that was perfectly prepared was the Roast Peterhead Skatewing.

The Sauce Grenobloise, featuring brown butter, capers, and good acidity went well with the creamy but mild flavored skate wing. There were a couple of escargot thrown in that really didn't add anything to the dish in our opinion. Loved the confit tomatoes which added a deep acidic fruitiness to the dish. The artichokes were surprisingly creamy.

The Roast Saddle of Dornoch Lamb was wonderfully gamy and meaty, if a bit on the dry side. We loved the rub and sear on this.

This version of Pomme Salardaise, basically garlic potatoes with a good amount of fat, was almost like a creamy croquette. Speaking of croquette, that's a wonderfully porky and crisp fried pork belly on the bottom left which almost looks like one, doesn't it? The asparagus was crisp, fresh, and mildly sweet. The jus featured thyme which was used judiciously and didn't interfere with the overall flavor of the dish.

For dessert the Missus chose the Passion Fruit Creme Fraiche Tart.

Which She enjoyed saying it was both refreshing and quite rich.

I chose the Cheese Course (an extra £10 supplement).

I wish I took notes on the cheeses. That bleu was fabulous! And like I mentioned earlier the Sommelier was fabulous. When I asked for a "Spot of Port" to go with the cheeses, he selected an amazing Tawny that was perfect with the bleu!

We took the macaroons and "stuffs" to go because we were "stuffed".

The Missus enjoyed these during the rest of our stay in Edinburgh.

Overall, professional but not stuffy service. A bit slow and off in the pacing as the evening wore on, probably due to staffing. The Sommelier was amazing.

Restaurant Martin Wishart
54 The Shore
Edinburgh, Scotland

We then hoofed it back to the apartment. Even though it was a Saturday evening things were pretty quiet as we walked back which was unexpected, but we enjoyed.

We had one more full day in Edinburgh, and we'd try to make the best of it.

Thanks for stopping by!

Khao Karr Moo to go From Koon Thai

November 3, 2022 mmm-yoso Thai Restaurants

I was a bit later than usual on one of my shopping forays to Nijiya. It was almost 11am, so I thought I'd get some lunch to go for myself. It had been over a year since I'd done takeout from Koon Thai and I thought it would be nice to have the Khao Karr Moo…actually my first pick would be the Pad Cha Pork Wing, but that hasn't been on the menu for a while. It must have been my lucky day; it was ten till eleven and Koon Thai was already open.

Koon Rev 01

So, I just sauntered in, placed my order and paid my $15.50…..it had only gone up 50 cents since my last visit and then headed off to do my shopping.

When I headed back to the restaurant, the young man working saw me thru the window and actually handed me my food on the sidewalk! Very nice as there were several people standing in line at the entrance of the restaurant.

I headed home and unpacked everything.

Koon Rev 02

This actually looked a lot better then what I had last time. It looked much less greasy. I went and plated half the rice, which was fragrant if just a bit on the dry side, and the khao karr moo.

Koon Rev 03 Koon Rev 04 The eggs were decently cooked, much better than the over-cooked boiled eggs I'd had last time. The sauce was nicely flavored, not overly sweet, good anise-soy sauce tones.

Like before, I wish there was a bit more preserved mustard greens as it really helps to cut the salt and richness of the pork leg.

Koon Rev 05

As for the pork, even though there were some dry and tough parts and perhaps a bit too Koon Rev 06 much fat for my taste, it wasn't bad at all. At least I didn't go hungry. Overall, it was better than what I'd had the last time, the price wasn't too bad, and I'll take that.

Koon Thai Kitchen
3860 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Koon Rev 07

Takeout from Village Kitchen

November 2, 2022 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants

**** You can find an updated takeout post here.

The Missus has been craving some spicy Chinese food. Sadly, the state of Hunan and Sichuan cuisine in San Diego seems to have gone down over the last few years. Taste of Hunan came to mind, but in the end we decided on Village Kitchen for takeout. I've learned my lesson with ordering from Village Kitchen; online is never ready on time and there's an extra charge. When I tried to call in my order they answered in Mandarin and as soon as I spoke English, they hung up on me. So, I decided to drive on over. Hard to believe it's been a year-and-a-half since I last visited!

Village K Rev 01

The menu these days is on QR code, which I'm very comfortable with; though some of the dishes were only written in Chinese. Luckily, the one person at VK I like, the former Server from Kangxi is Coming was working. She's wonderful! Sadly, the one dish the Missus wanted, the La Rou with Cucumber Skin is no longer on the menu. And after not enjoying the Eggplant and Green Chili with Preserved Egg the last two times we tried it…..well, the Missus didn't want that either.

I did find two dishes that I thought the Missus would enjoy, both with La Rou (cured smoked pork) and both featured crunchy, preserved veggies which is what the Missus was craving.

So I got the preserved dried long beans with La Rou and the preserved radish skin with La Rou.

Village K Rev 02

The Missus preferred the version with the dried long bean as it had a nice salty "crunch" to it and while the pork was a bit overly chewy and hard, the smoky flavor came thru nicely. This was also much more spicy than the radish version, and the nice and pungent whole cloves of garlic went well in this dish.

Village K Rev 03

We didn't enjoy the radish skin version as much.

Village K Rev 04

This wasn't quite as spicy and the radish skin, while crisp, didn't have as much bright briny-savory-saltiness as the long beans.

Still, the Missus had been craving some spicy-smoky Chinese, so that's what we got. Man, I haven't been eating as much spicy food since the pandemic started, so I got those sweat glands going! Luckily the weather has been on the cooler side and the Missus got Her "fix" in!

Village Kitchen
4720 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92117