Yoshinoya has closed. It's Boba Time took this storefront space.
Just a blog about food we (Kirk, ed(from Yuma), Cathy, VickyL and a few others) eat. That's what mmm-yoso!!! is. Not "fancy" foods, healthy foods or anything specific. You get to peek inside our eating habits and live vicariously. Today, Cathy is blogging.
Hi. Kirk is still on vacation. It's only been a week. Today I'm talking about a quick lunch at a fast food place.
This Kearney Mesa location of Yoshinoya has been in this mall on Convoy, across from the Weinerschnitzel for at least ten years. The interior is clean and reminds me of Burger King or McDonald's… I hesitated to categorize this as "Japanese" food. Yoshinoya basically markets itself as "you won't leave here hungry". The food here is inexpensive and for being food, is really not bad. Most people seem to order the teriyaki bowls (beef, chicken or steak, in combination and/or with vegetables on top of sticky rice).
Including the ordering area.
As well as the seating area.
However, the condiments offered are different…hot (ish) red pepper and very pickled ginger (and soy sauce).
Then there is the food. Some people complain that the usually ordered bowls are doused in teriyaki sauce, and I tend to agree, and order the sauce on the side or 'not as much sauce, please'. Or I get this: a BBQ combo bowl ($6.25). Grilled, skinless teriyaki chicken and thin sliced grilled teriyaki beef short ribs. With fried rice, salad and noodles.
All the items are not salty and not over-sauced. The rice is good, freshly fried, with some (probably) frozen vegetables and egg added. The stir fried noodles are pretty good with cabbage and carrots added. The salad comes with a packet of Italian dressing and is pretty standard.
Sometimes, I want fried and get the large order (9) of sesame chicken wings ($3.79). Nicely fried, not greasy, topped with sesame seeds, juicy meaty and good. This day , I decided to get a side of vegetables ($1.49). This is *not* a weird, badly lit photograph. The vegetables here are what I like to call 'neon veggies'. Broccoli, carrots, cauliflower and some bok choy in this wonderful colored, not salty, thick neon yellow-green sauce. I like it and at least like to think it is a healthy meal…
Yoshinoya 4344 Convoy Street, Suite F San Diego 92111 (858) 560-5163
I like Yoshinoya especially when I am not in the mood for fried food. I love how they broil the chicken with the skin on for the teriyaki bowl. I miss it, LOL.
I love it even more with there coupons it’s so cheap….
I should just do a post on the bowls here, bill. I kind of figured everyone has tried one, but maybe not… It is interesting the things we never thought we’d miss.
Would you believe I have never eaten here, even during my poor college days?
Hi Cathy! Your comment about the red pepper flakes made me laugh cause I totally agree. I like the sesame wings here a lot too. A warning not to get the miso soup, it is horrid. I enjoy most everything else, though I feel the rice is usually too ‘wet’ for my preference.. Yoshinoya in Japan is at another level though that I dearly miss..
How do the sesame chicken wings compare to the fried wings at Sab E Lee or Golden Chopsticks?
Oh, Carol, what I would have given to have a place like this in Ann Arbor. The price would have brought me in and the teriyaki and rice would have kept me…
Hey there, Dennis. I have always wondered about the clam chowder option on the menu…Although The Mister said it was good the one time he ordered it. It just doesn’t go with anything. You are right, this isn’t at all the Japanese Yoshinoya, but for what it is, it is pretty good.
Welcome to our blog, Soo. I usually get the salt and pepper wings at Golden and the plain wings withthe spicy dipping sauce at Sab E Lee. These wings are lightly crispily fried and the crunchy thin skin/breading (if there is any breading)lets the chicken wing meat stay moist and juicy. The sesame seeds are sprinkled on and are nice but not a main flavor. It’s just good fried wings.
Nice post! I love Yoshinoya. Their grilled chicken is awesome (esp when it’s fresh, it kinda sucks when it’s been sitting there for too long). I always get the chicken (sauce on the side) and the veggies (sauce drained, as I hate the gooeyness of it).
I’ve tried the fried wings and thought it was so-so.
Their beef terriyaki is really sweet and fatty. But not bad.
Nice post!
I hadn’t eaten at Yoshinoya in about a decade until this past year, when I “rediscovered” it. It’s the only chain fast food restaurant that I’ve been to more than once since then. For some reason it just seems somewhat more healthy than other fast food chains, and the food tastes EXACTLY the same as when I had it as a kid. That is to say, it’s delicious!
Neon gooiness, Faye 🙂 I admit a strange craving I have for the food here.
Isn’t it nice to have some things not change, RT?