January 2024 – Page 2

Banh Mi Express (Formerly Phuong Nga Bakery and Cafe)

January 16, 2024 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Sandwiches, Vietnamese Restaurants

I was driving on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard when I noticed a Grand Opening sign. It was on the shop that was Phuong Nga Bakery and Cafe. Heck, I didn't even know that Phuong Nga had closed. So I headed into the parking lot to take a look.

Banh Mi Express 01

The sign read "Banh Mi Express". Well it was nearly lunch time, so I decided to walk in and get me a Banh Mi.

Banh Mi Express 02

They had taken out all of the tables from one side of the place, but the interior looks basically the same.

Banh Mi Express 03

I just decided to get the Dac Biet….which well….it's the "Banh Mi Special" on the menu. It $7.59, which is sixty cents more than what it cost during my last visit to Phuong Nga Bakery and Cafe.

I recognized the young man working and had a brief chat. He told me that yes, the shop has new owners, they still bake their own bread fresh, and that the place is not associated with another "express"; Banh Mi Paris Express.

Here's the Banh Mi Dac Biet.

Banh Mi Express 04 Banh Mi Express 05 Well, this is about the same as Phuong Nga. The bread is very crusty which I like, though a bit more chewy than I prefer. These days, many banh mi shops don't even include cucumber in their sandwiches; but it's present here. The jalapeno was pretty mellow on this sandwich. Of course, one of my pet peeves; the cilantro was mostly stems….I already floss daily; I don't need to have my sandwich doing it as well. The proteins are sliced on the thicker side and there are less pickled veggies than before. What I really liked about this sandwich was the amount of pate. Upon biting, the pate basically oozed out…a funky, earthy, creamy, savory "puss" of the most delicious sort.

Banh Mi Express 06

In terms of proportion and bread, I do prefer Paris Sandwiches, but Banh Mi Express is my favorite in the area. So, it looks like things are about the same as Phuong Nga Bakery and Cafe. And that'll do just fine for me. And I'm glad they are open on Saturdays as well. Banh Mi Express 00

Banh Mi Express
9353 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92123
Current Hours:
Mon – Fri 7am – 5pm
Saturday 10am – 3pm
Closed Sundays

Golden City Revisited

January 15, 2024 mmm-yoso Chinese BBQ, Chinese Restaurants

After our last visit to Noble Chef, the Missus and I decided that we needed to get out there and do the "roast duck rotation". It had been a year-and-a-half since I'd last dined in at Golden City and it had been been even longer for the Missus.

We arrived right at 5pm and the restaurant was empty.

GC Rev 01

Though the place soon started filling up. Of course we got the half roast duck ($17.95)….but, just for a change of pace, we decided to order items we hadn't tried before.

As for the Roast Duck. Well, it was not very good.

GC Rev 02

As you can tell by the color this was quite bland. The skin was rubbery, this was a very meaty duck, but the flesh was dry and too chewy. One of the worst versions we've had in recent memory.

We also ordered the Dry Bean Curd with Fish Fillet Clay Pot ($19.95). We fully expected this to have a good amount of Yuba – Tofu skin and was quite surprised to see that the dish had more Fried Tofu than anything else.

GC Rev 03

We also would have preferred nicely velveted fish, instead of battered and fried, then sauce fillets. This made the texture somewhat gluey. The flavor of the sauce was fine, not overly salty.

Our good friend Candice had recommended we try the Dry Scallop, Shrimp, and Chinese Broccoli Fried Rice ($18.95). At first glance, the rice didn't seem evenly coated.

GC Rev 04

But this was surprisingly good. Very savory tones; the shrimp perfectly cooked, tender and sweet. We were kind of interested to see what was going on with gailan in fried rice; but it was just the stems sliced thinly cross-wise. A nice, fragrant dish.

I was kind of surprised that the Missus ordered the Fried Capelin with Spicy Salt ($18.95).

GC Rev 05

I think that perhaps I misguided Her when I mentioned that Capelin was in the smelt family. She expected small, crisp, savory fish. These were quite large and assertive in flavor. The Missus wasn't able to deal with the oily-fishiness of the capelin. I was ok with eating this fried "bait". The dried chilies and garlic did help a bit.

Well, perhaps our exploration of dishes we'd never tried at Golden City didn't go quite as planned. And that duck was not very good at all.

GC Rev 07

In terms of price; our meal was quite a bit cheaper than Noble Chef. But, I think if and when we return to Golden City we'll be sticking to old favorites, like the Kwai Fei Ji.

Golden City Restaurant
5375 Kearny Villa Rd.
San Diego, CA 92123
Current Hours:
Sun – Tues, Thurs 11am – 830pm
Fri – Sat 11am – 9pm
Closed on Wednesdays

Sunday Sandwiches – Revisits to Barrio Donas (Clairemont) and San Diego Bakery & Cafe

January 14, 2024 mmm-yoso Bakery, Mexican Restaurants, Sandwiches

A couple of breakfast sandwich revisits lie ahead…..

San Diego Bakery & Cafe:

I've been back to San Diego Bakery & Cafe a couple of times since my post. Finding a decent, not overly expensive breakfast spot in Linda Vista/Convoy isn't the easiest thing to do these days. I mean, you could go ahead and spend $9-$12 for what I consider to be a mediocre Banh Mi. But heck, I'd rather spend $5 for a light, tasty Breakfast Bolillo.

Sd Bakery Rev 01

And I believe I found my favorite in the Huevo con Tosino ($4.99).

Sd Bakery Rev 02

Nothing fancy mind you. A nice airy, light, and yeasty bolillo.

Queso and bits of bacon mixed into eggs. Some jalapenos to "surprise" your palate, and frijoles. It is a fairly messy sandwich.

Sd Bakery Rev 03

Definitely not a hefty breakfast, but it's perfect for me. I do wish the beans were spread a bit more evenly, but I'm not going to complain for five bucks.

Sd Bakery Rev 04

San Diego Bakery & Café
6959 Linda Vista Rd.
San Diego, CA 92111

Barrio Donas (Clairemont):

My visits to SD Bakery had me wondering how Barrio Donas was doing. I had noticed changes during my last two visits. But that was back in 2021…..my goodness how time flies. I decided to return on a recent weekend morning.

Barrio D Rev 01

Barrio D Rev 02

I was surprised to see that the place wasn't overly busy.

Barrio D Rev 03

It was my intention to order the Preparado which was still nicely prices at $5.50; but of course, I got distracted and ordered the "Prepa Pig" ($7.50), which came with Ham, Chorizo, and Bacon.

Barrio D Rev 04

The bread was a cheesy-spicy roll. Like I mentioned in my previous post; the bread here is more dense these days and a lot fancier.

Barrio D Rev 05

It's a fairly refined sandwich; not a big fan of mozzarella on this as I prefer a cheese with a bit more milkiness. Loved the beans which were spread evenly on the roll. Would have enjoyed perhaps a bit more bacon to add some saltiness to the sandwich. Still, not bad at all.

As I said earlier, what's made here is much more refined than what SD Bakery does.

Barrio Donas
4714 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92117

In the end; it's good to have choices. For a simple, rustic, lighter breakfast sandwich, I'll take SD Bakery. For something more refined and heavier, it's Barrio Donas.

Taipei – Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Fan Tuan Ba (飯糰霸), and Another Pork Chop

January 13, 2024 mmm-yoso Taipei, Taiwan, Taiwanese Food and Restaurants, Travel

After dinner at Din Tai Fung we strolled around the Xinyi area a bit before heading back to the hotel. As we headed further down Xinyi Road we came upon Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Park and the imposing Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall.

We walked up the 89 stairs, which represents Chiang Kai-shek's age at the time of his death.

A statue of Chiang Kai-shek resides in the hall.

And from the hall you can get a nice view of Liberty Square. With the National Concert Hall on one side.

And the National Theatre on the other.

We took a quick peek in the hall, before the doors started closing at 6pm.

We then made our way back to the hotel and had a nice night of sleep.

Our train the next morning wasn't leaving until 1145, staying right across the street from Taipei Main Station had its benefits as we could go out and explore a bit more. Also, we'd be returning Sky 19 Hotel so they were kind enough to store our excess luggage.

While walking close to the 2/28 Peace Memorial Park, which I posted on earlier, we came across this tiny coffee shop.

And we got our caffeine fix for the morning.

壹咖啡
No. 76 Huaining St.
Zhongzheng District, Taipei City, Taiwan 100

Right around the corner from the hotel, the Missus stopped and exclaimed "oooohh, fan tuan"! Which cracked me up….you see, when Sammy would get a bit chubby, we'd call him "fan tuan", basically "glutinous rice ball".

But this place really made fan tuan. We thought it would be nice to have one on our three hour train ride. Of course there was a line.

But lines in Taiwan move fast and the two guys making fan tuan were super fast….no wasted motion here.

The version the Missus got had a soy sauce egg, crisp nicely sour pickled veggies, and crunchy egg roll wrappers, in a nice, tight toothsome rice ball.

It was quite filling. Well, I finally got a fan tuan!

Fan Tuan Ba (飯糰霸)
No. 2號 Xuchang St.
Zhongzheng District, Taipei City, Taiwan 100

And since I needed my pork chop fix, we got a Train Bento at the station as well!

Man was I enjoying Taiwan!

Next stop, Hualien!

Hi! Dumplings

January 9, 2024 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Niu Rou Mian

I know; you were probably expecting Bafang, right? I'm kinda waiting until all the grand opening craziness subsides a bit before visiting. So, I thought I'd go ahead and do a post on Hi Dumplings which took the place of the Mr. Spicy which Cathy posted on at the end of September last year.

Anyway, I had to take my car in for servicing in the area and getting out at just before eleven gave me the perfect chance to check the place out.

Hi Dumplings 01

The interior is rather spartan, I was greeted by the really friendly young lady working. She was there on all three of my visits and was so nice.

Hi Dumplings 02

I was handed a menu, which seemed to have everything from Xiao Long Bao to Niu Rou Mian, to La Zhi Ji and Orange Chicken, Chow Mien and Spring Rolls.

Hi Dumplings 03

I guess they're casting a wide net for customers since this isn't Convoy or Mira Mesa?

Anyway, I was in the mood for something with some spice, so I ordered the Kou Shui Ji (Mouthwatering Chicken – $8.99) a favorite dish of mine. What arrived took me by surprise.

Hi Dumplings 04

Can you figure out what's missing? There was a base concoction of kou shui ji; sesame paste, vinegar, peanuts, garlic…..but where the heck was the chili oil? I asked the young lady and she apologized and brought me out a little dish of the chili oil.

Hi Dumplings 05

Which wasn't enough and I asked for another. The chicken was really tough and the dish didn't make my "mouth water" in the least bit. This wasn't a very good version of the dish.

Of course, the sign says "Dumplings", right? And as I will usually do when trying out a jiaozi place I ordered the basic Pork and Cabbage Dumplings ($11.99). You can order this steamed or boiled, or even pan fried ($1 upcharge). The young lady suggested getting them steamed and I complied.

Hi Dumplings 06 Hi Dumplings 06b These dumplings were fairly hefty in size. The wrapper of these steamed jiaozi was on the thicker side, chewy, and too brittle.

The filling was flavored well; though it was on the tougher end of things. Good light sesame oil-porkiness-salt and a bit of "juice" to boot. The black vinegar helped things along.

While this obviously seemed quite fresh I actually made wished that I'd ordered the basic boiled dumplings.

Hi Dumplings 07

There was only one other table with customers during my entire meal; though they were doing some good takeout business. The table was having the XLB and it really didn't look very good.

Before I left, the friendly young lady and I had a short chat. I suddenly realized that I didn't know where the Chef as from. I was told Dongbei….. I should have asked before I placed my order.

I was in the area a couple of weeks later and returned.

I was interested to see what the Signature Chicken Wings ($7.99) would be like. The ever friendly young lady told me that even though there was a chili pepper next to the dish on the menu; it wasn't very spicy. They had put it there after some young kids had the chicken and thought it too spicy for them.

Hi Dumplings 08

This was a bit strange for me; the skin was on the chewy side. It seems like these wings were skewered and grilled. The chicken was dry and tough. The seasoning was salty, but lacking in much else.

I was set on ordering some jiaozi boiled and decided on the Pork and Shrimp Dumplings ($12.99).

Hi Dumplings 09

I don't know if it's just me; but I've noticed that Dongbei style jiaozi tends to have thicker and chewier wrappers. So this pretty much fits the bill. The boiled versions were a bit more tender. Another thing I noticed were how large these dumplings were.

Just for a comparison to the chicken wings.

Hi Dumplings 10

Overall, I prefer the pork and cabbage filling to this. The filling was tough and chewy, the shrimp seemed undercooked and crunchy. The seasoning milder than the pork and cabbage version. So, I'd probably go with the pork and cabbage boiled.

And so, I figured that I'd had enough for a post. But then I found my self in the Grantville area again. It's been pretty cold by SoCal standards recently and a bowl of Niu Rou Mian sounded good. Plus, that young lady who works at Hi! Dumpling is always so nice and friendly, I thought I'd drop by and give the NRM a try.

Funny thing, the young lady remembered me. I got the Braised Beef Noodle Soup ($12.99).

Hi Dumplings 11 Hi Dumplings 12 My first thought when the bowl hit the table? What the heck is broccoli doing in this soup? The beef looked tough, but was adequately tender. The broth had a good amount of anise flavor and apparently even a more hefty amount of msg as I kept on chugging water after my meal. The soup was on the thinner side, needed more richness and beef flavor. The noodles were on the mushy side for my taste as well.

I don't think I'd have this again.

It's kind of sad overall since the gal working here is so nice; but the food just doesn't give me a reason to return. On the good side, it seems like dumplings of all kinds are really coming into their own in San Diego!

Hi Dumplings 13

Hi! Dumplings
6618 Mission Gorge Rd.
San Diego, CA 92120
Current Hours:
Wed – Mon 11am – 9pm
Closed on Tuesdays

777 Noodle House Revisited

January 8, 2024 mmm-yoso Vietnamese Restaurants

My (rather) recent revisit to Minh Ky was a good reminder that I hadn't been visiting all those places that were fairly regular stops for me over the years. Man, had it been over a year-and-a-half since my last visit? I guess these times have had an affect on me…….I don't go to far afield these days when perhaps I should. So, I decided to head on over to 777 Noodle House.

It was a weekend morning, but things were pretty quiet.

777 Rev 01

The staff working were the same from my first visits way back in 2010.

I simply ordered what had become my usual here over the years, the Hu Tieu Nam Vang Kho.

777 Rev 02 777 Rev 03 I was interested to see if things had changed much. So, like before, the Hu Tieu was in the bottom of the dish, where the savory-mildly salty and sweet sauce resides. There have been times when the hu tieu was over cooked and mushy. But gladly, this was not one of those days has the noodles had some good al dente pull to them.

There was less ground pork than on previous visits and basically only one sliced fish ball, so it seems that the economics of the times are catching up. The shrimp was over cooked and tough. I've always enjoyed the blanched bean sprouts.

One of my favorite items is stewed pork hock in broth. There's something just primevally wonderful about gnawing on that bone. On this day however, the provided "broth" was thin, watery, tasting like MSG-water.

777 Rev 04

Sadly, the overall dish just seemed a mere shadow of its previous self. I'm hoping this was just a one time experience. It would be sad if this is the new "norm".

777 Noodle House
4686 University Avenue
San Diego, CA 92105

This visit had me wondering if you've been having disappointing visits to places that were once regular stops for you?

Sunday Stuffs – Eat Crispy Burger Coming to Convoy, Bann Korean Cuisine Closes, and News on China Max

January 7, 2024 mmm-yoso Burgers, Chinese Restaurants, Korean Restaurants

A couple of things I've seen during my shopping trips to the Kearny Mesa Area.

Eat Crispy Burger Coming to Convoy:

While passing the building housing Starbucks and Yakyudori, I noticed some window signage in one of the units.

SS Eat Crispy 01

So, I took a quick turn into the parking lot.

SS Eat Crispy SS Eat Crispy

So, it seems that a location of Encinitas Eat Crispy Burger is coming to this location. I guess they want to give The Friendly some smashburger competition in the area?

4898 Convoy St. #104
San Diego, CA 92111

Bann Korean Cuisine Closes:

Recently, the Missus needed some cosmetics from the shop in H Mart. I really don't get over there too often, basically because of the parking situation, but we headed on over and scorede a parking spot. While the Missus was paying for Her "stuffs", I walked on over to the food court and noticed that Bann Korean Cuisine had closed.

SS Bann Closed

Bummer. Though I really didn't visit the place as much when they moved to the H Mart food court, I used to visit quite often when they were located on Miramar Road. Perhaps moving to this location was not a great move? It's seems that turnover here might be pretty high as Katzya closed up shop here recently as well.

7725 Balboa Ave. (In the H Mart Food Court)
San Diego, CA 92111

And finally, News on China Max:

In one of my posts last month, I mentioned dropping by the location of China Max's reconstruction. In the comments "FOY" Julie asked if I knew what was going on. Well, this past week Eater San Diego had an answer.

SS China Max

In case you hadn't read or heard; the original owners of China Max had decided to sell the restaurant. The new owners also own Taste of Hong Kong. Per the reporting from Helen I Hwang in the Eater post:

"Its food focus is still developing, but options include Szechuan cuisine, a noodle house, or dim sum and a Cantonese menu similar to China Max."

Not sure how I feel about that.

Can you believe that it's been almost four years since the fire at the restaurant?

4698 Convoy Street
San Diego, CA 92111

Paris – Bercy Village, Kodawari Ramen Tsukiji Revisited, and Takumi Patisserie

January 6, 2024 mmm-yoso Bakery, Desserts, France, Japanese Restaurants, Paris, France, Travel

It was a winter Sunday morning in Paris and after my morning croissants we had to decide what to do for the day. We had already spent nearly two weeks in Paris and the Missus was getting fidgety and really needed different stuff to do each day. So, I thought that Paris might be pretty crowded on this day, so why not head out to Bercy Village, formerly wine storehouses the area was converted into a "shopping village" in 2001. It was just a 15 minute metro ride from Chatelet to Cour Saint-Émilion. Plus, we'd never really visited the 12th Arrondissement.

It was an easy walk to the Village.

It was a nice paved, pedestrian street. Surprisingly quiet for a Saturday morning.

We'd arrived just before most of the shops opened, at about 945. And just strolled up and down the courtyard. The Missus explored some shops, but didn't find anything of interest. There were quite a few chains represented; Sephora, Five Guys, Nicholas, etc. I'm thinking this must be nice for locals, but it was not very interesting for us. Except for a few things.

There is a really nice park right across the street from the mall and we really enjoyed our walk there.

Then we decided to head on back. While on the metro, the Missus decided that She wanted the ramen from Kodawari Tsukiji again. The Pyramides stop was just one further from Chatelet.

The shop still had open seats in this most interesting seafood market themed ramen shop….

Not being too hungry, we got the Sea Bream Tatare.

Loved the shiso in this dish as it added a nice palate cleansing mintiness to the dish. The fish was tender; the rice a bit mushy, but the beany-sweet miso and shiso tones carried the dish.

Like on our previous visit; we got the Sea Bream Paitan Ramen.

And any doubts about the Missus having truly enjoying this on our previous visit was erased as She loved it just as before. Maybe She is ready to have niboshi ramen again on our next visit to Japan! The broth as a bit richer this time around, the noodles slippery with a nice chew. As you can see, that tamago was perfect and still warm….you know my pet peeve regarding cold eggs. The sea bream was tender and we finished the entire bowl…again.

Looks like the Missus has Her favorite ramen spot in Paris now!

Kodawari Ramen Tsukiji
12 Rue de Richelieu
75001 Paris, France

The Missus wanted something for Her "tea time" and I thought that perhaps getting some Japanese Cheesecake might fit the bill. It would also be interesting to see how that measured up in Paris. And since we were in the area of the city dubbed "Little Tokyo", I thought it might be fun. I had a place named Takumi Patisserie on my list which was close by on Rue des Pyramides, so we headed on over.

There's quite a selection here. The young man working was really friendly as well.

The Missus inquired about the cheesecakes and then decided upon Her "test". She asked about how "jiggly" the cheesecake was. Apparently, the young man was ready for this as he brought out a cheesecake and proceeded to show us how it jiggled like a true Japanese cheesecake. The Missus was sold. So we bought one. And when it became le goûter (tea time) the cheesecake was presented.

So, this was bit sweeter and more dense than what is preferred for Japanese Cheesecake. It wasn't bad. And…….when I tried to wiggle it around; it didn't do the "jiggle". Hmmmm. To this day, the Missus and I joke about seeing that jiggling demonstration at the shop. We think they have a "stunt cheesecake" on hand to show folks!

Takumi Patisserie
29 Rue des Pyramides
75001 Paris, France

Honolulu – Fort Ruger Market a Quarter Century Later

January 4, 2024 mmm-yoso Honolulu, Markets & Grocers, Oahu, Poke, Seafood, Travel

The Missus and I were looking at some of my old photo albums and flipped the page to my third grade class photo. I started cracking up and the Missus gave me a quizzical look. I then pointed something out to Her. All the boys were wearing long pants (no shorts were allowed in those days), Aloha Shirts (after all, it as class photo day), the girls Mumu's, but…….most of us were barefoot! I explained to the Missus that until the fifth grade, many of us actually did walk to school barefoot (though not uphill both ways). I mean this was the late 60's, early 70's, and things were different then. Plus, as I mentioned in my post on my "old neighborhood", Ali'iolani Elementary was just a block away from where we lived.

And this kinda brings me forward to this post. On our last trip back "home", the Missus asked me when I first remember having poke. We had just finished doing some stuffs at Ala Moana and I decided to show Her. Way back, when I was in the 5th or 6th grade, my Mom had an appointment in the Fort Ruger area. I was raised by a single parent and my Mom never ever drove, so we had to catch the Ruger bus and I waited while my Mom did her thing. After the appointment, we walked over to Ruger Market, and that's where I first remember having poke I really liked, over 50 years ago! I'd probably had it before; of course during the holidays there was sashimi and stuff, but I remembered the poke from Ruger Market clearly. Later, when I was older, my friends and I would drive on over after going to Cromwell's (I can't believe the cove is still around, though maybe not for long) and grab some poke, then go for a drive around Diamond Head Road and eat at the lookout or hele on over to Kapiolani Park or Paki Park and grind there.

So, we drove on over….and heck, I hadn't been to Ruger Market since before I left the islands; which would be over 25 years, but the place looks pretty much the same.

IMG_5734b

Though it's more of a seafood- Filipino/Hawaiian restaurant these days. When I was growing up, this was the neighborhood grocery for the area.

Different grades of Ahi is available, you can get poke made with pre-frozen Ahi (nah) or with fresh Ahi, what is called "Auction Fresh Ahi" on the sign.

You know what we got, right?

We'd already had some small stuffs to eat at Foodland Farms and this was a kind of a spur-of-the-moment thing, so we didn't go too crazy. We got one poke bowl, with brown rice, the chicharrons looked really good, so we got that, and also some boiled peanuts.

And then we headed off…..just like those hanabuddah days, I drove around Diamond Head Road to the lookout.

You can find the Amelia Earhart Plaque here as well.

As well as the "best seat in the house"….at least on this day.

And the local "security detail".

We headed on down and found parking and a table at Kapiolani Park and proceeded to dig in.

I was surprised to find that the kimchi was decent; not overly fermented, but still quite refreshing. The brown rice added a nice nuttiness to the bowl. The quality of the fish was good; tender and buttery in texture without connective tissue. We preferred the restrained, classic, soy-saltiness, with a hint of oceany sweetness of the Local Style Ahi. The Spicy Shoyu wasn't very spicy and was a bit on the salty side. Still, the quality and prep was way above anything here in San Diego.

The Chicharron was as good as it looked.

Crisp, with a slight crunch; porky and savory, which just enough salt. Talk about a guilty pleasure.

As for the boiled peanuts, well, the Missus was saving them for later. Though this little fella tried to make a move on the legume.

The Missus loves Her boiled peanuts, so he didn't stand a chance!

It was good to know that Ruger Market still makes decent poke.

The older I get, the more I treasure and appreciate those times and the chances I get to reflect on them. And it was wonderful to share a bowl of memories with the Missus.

Fort Ruger Market
3585 Alohea Ave.
Honolulu, HI 96816

And I also want to thank you for sharing in those memories with me! Thanks for stopping by!

Revisits to Noble Chef

January 3, 2024 mmm-yoso Chinese BBQ, Chinese Restaurants

It seems that even though we'll eat Chinese food on our trips, one of the first thing the Missus wants when we return is…..drum roll please, Chinese. Upon returning from our last two trips, the Missus had been wanting to eat at the Noble Chef. It had been over a year since we'd last dined in, so we headed on over.

It was a Saturday just past 530pm on a when we arrived….and holy smokes, the place was humming.

Noble Chef Rev 01

We were lucky to get one of the two tables still available.

Having had the food from Noble Chef so many times, it was a regular stop for us during the pandemic and the Missus has some dishes that She enjoys. So, the basic ordering was easy and we decided to try one dish that we hadn't ordered before.

Of course we started with the Roast Duck, which was a take out favorite of ours, but we hadn't enjoyed as much during our last dine in visit.

Noble Chef Rev 02

Well, this was much more meaty than we recalled and the skin a bit more chewy. In terms of seasoning it was good. The leftovers did much better as we got more sauce and I heated it in the air fryer.

The Salt and Pepper Pork Chops here are a favorite of mine.

Noble Chef Rev 03

These were crisp, though a bit thicker than we prefer. Nicely seasoned, good salt, mild spice.

A favorite of the Missus is the Salted Fish and Chicken with Eggplant.

Noble Chef Rev 04

Nice funkiness, good sodium control, but the eggplant was on the stringy side and undercooked for our taste.

For some reason, the Missus ordered the Hunan Seafood. As I figured, this really wasn't "Hunan".

Noble Chef Rev 05

The seafood was nicely stir fried; the shrimp was especially tender and buttery. The dish was quite bland and had barely any spice and the vermicelli noodles were mushy.

Another favorite of mine is the Soy Sauce Chow Mien. Man, this was a huge portion.

Noble Chef Rev 06

This was unevenly stir fried and not all the noodles were coated well. Some of the noodles were undercooked and hard.

The Missus enjoyed the dessert as always.

Noble Chef Rev 07

Well, not a particularly stellar meal. Still, we decided to give Noble Chef another shot when returning from our last trip.

This time the Missus went with the Salted Fish and Chicken with Tofu.

Noble Chef Rev 08

This was quite good, the funky flavors of salted fish came thru clearly; the tofu was soft and velvety, the dish was quite savory, though not overly salty. I think this is what the Missus will be ordering from now on.

Of course we got the roast duck again.

Noble Chef Rev 09

This was on the bland side and the duck didn't have enough sauce. That was quickly remedied by request. The skin was on the tougher side as well. Looks like we'll have to look for other options for roast duck!

We also got the Seafood XO Sauce Fried Rice. When the dish arrived, we quickly took a look, and the question was raised; "where was the XO sauce"?

Noble Chef Rev 10

There was a good quantity of shrimp in this; though the rice wasn't evenly coated, nor was there a detectable hint of the pungent, fragrant, umami-forward XO Sauce in this dish. Pass on this….

I decided to get the Black Pepper Pork Intestine.

Noble Chef Rev 11

I really enjoyed the pungent-offaly-salty flavor and the toothsome texture of the intestine. The Missus thought this to be too sweet, but I enjoyed it.

The Salt and Pepper Pork Chops were even better this time around.

Noble Chef Rev 12

Thinner, crisper, more evenly seasoned. This is how I remembered the pork chops being in the good 'ole days.

So, what's the takeaway? Well, I guess YMMV here; though the prices were decent for this day and age; the pork chops and duck does well in our air fryer as leftovers. The service was very nice on both visits. So, I guess we will be back; unless we can find something better in the area? Let me know if you have any recommendations!

Noble Chef Rev 99

The Noble Chef
6159 Balboa Avenue
San Diego, CA 92111