Cathy – Page 82

Mariscos Hector’s – Chula Vista

September 13, 2011 Cathy Mexican Restaurants, Seafood, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the food blog you are reading. Lately, Cathy has been writing about her "staycation" walks around the beautiful County parks while Kirk has been updating his Turkey and Greece vacation from this year and ed(from Yuma) has let us in on his vacation to Julian. Cathy is back with something different.

One of our recent walks was quite educational as well as a bit challenging (downhill from the start, therefore uphill to return). This time, we had beautiful views- one, of the Otay Lakes Reservoir…

while walking the one mile path…

with a beautiful view North

and many, many athletic venues- courts, fields, tracks, this archery range…

Yes, the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista. There is a path and the public can walk it and view the various venues from it (access directly on the fields is restricted).

There are three BMX riders at the top/starting gate behind the Field Hockey field (court?). You can see we aren't very close to the track. However there is a BMX Development Track closer to the main building and it has several sets of bleacher seats close to the field. The BMX Supercross World Cup will be held here September 30-October 1 (www.ababmx.com) (www.uci.ch)

So anyhow, we walked and enjoyed this new-to-us venue (the Olympic Training Center opened in June 1995) which has a great audio tour as well as the views. Then we drove through the Eastlake section of Chula Vista, looking for something different.

There was a major intersection with three of the corners filled with stores and shops. In the one which had the Kohl's, I spotted this. Of course we stopped.
It was quite large and clean inside, with a bar which had a view of the kitchen,
as well as a bar which was alcohol centric.
We were seated in a booth with very a large, thick granite table and corn chips, a very good spicy-hot fresh salsa and cut limes were placed on the table.

I wanted a champechana cocktail, but also wanted to try other items on the menu. When I saw there was a champechana tostada on the menu ($5.95), I decided that would get me the flavors but not be overwhelmingly filling…but it was huge! Lots of fresh shrimp, octopus, bay scallops cooked in lime juice with added cucumber, tomato and cilantro. This was definitely fresh made for me with tender octopus, fresh shrimp and flavorful, small, bay scallops. There are oysters in the champechana coctail and I can get that next time, if I am so hungry.
The Mister saw a calamari tostada on the menu for only $1.95, so he ordered it for us to share. This was not your typical squid. First, this must have been a very large squid since the pieces had a good diameter. The meat was tender and meaty. It was sauteed, cooked in a salsa which made it tender…almost stew-like. It was very good and I'll order it again.
On the menu, the tacos were priced as "Piece" and "Order". Piece meant one taco; order meant two tacos plus rice and beans. The Gobernador was $3.95 for the single taco and $7.95 for the order. I pulled out my phone and used its handy calculator…

ANYHOW…the gobernador was *wonderful*. This version had a lot of chunks of mild chiles in an almost cream sauce…or really melty cheese and were filled with shrimp. (Gobernador tacos, Sinaloan in origin, have the common denominator of shrimp and cheese and then each chef seems to make it their own…this is a great version).

One note- the corn chips that came with salsa, the corn tortilla with the tostadas and the corn tortilla used for the tacos were each unique and flavorful and very very different in texture. That was another delightful surprise. We will be coming back to try the Parrillada dishes (barbecue) which include carne asada, kabobs and lobster as well as the various fish dishes. Oh and there is a breakfast menu! I guess we'll go back to the Olympic Training Center more often…

Hector's Mariscos 2305 Otay Lakes Road Ste 201 Chula Vista 91915 (619)421-1300 Website

(yes, the website is www.hectorsmariscos.comand the sign above the door is Mariscos Hector's. You'll find it)

Pho Tay Do- a year later

August 31, 2011 Cathy Vietnamese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Hi. You are reading mmm-yoso!!!, the food blog. Cathy has a post today. Kirk and ed(from Yuma) are post-less at the moment.

Kirk wrote about Pho Tay Do last July and The Mister and I stopped in that following weekend. It is in the same 'parking lot area' as Vien Dong III (if you drive West within it and then head South to University). We really liked what we had ordered in the heat of the summer then, as well as in the cold wetness of 'winter' and this year have returned for our 'not wanting to cook at home' meals.

As you can see, there are pho "Happy Hours" here now. (It looks like you get a large bowl of certain flavors for $4.95 between 5-9 p.m., daily, but I am not certain of all the details)

The bamboo decorated interior is bright and clean…

Table condiments are pretty standard.

I feel I must comment on the sugar. Every time we have been here, I notice at least one person pouring sugar into his/her bowl of pho. I've never seen this anywhere else and don't quite understand it…

On this day, The Mister ordered the grilled pork chop, tan hu ky and shrimp broken rice plate ($7.50). (Tan hu ky is fried bean curd -stuffed with chopped shrimp; always a favorite). This plate is a filling meal and always done just right- the shrimp and pork chop are moist and grilled just right.

This warm day, I did want to order bun (pronounced 'boon') (cold noodles on top of salad), which comes with a variety of choices of toppings. I was going to order bun with cha gio, but not for the pork flavor as much as for the crunch. When I saw the many vegetarian options on the newer menu, I chose the tofu filled cha gio as my bun topping…($5.50)

You can see the finely minced tofu pieces inside the roll. It was very good. All the flavors in the bun were complimentary. The base of the bun here is more cucumbers and bean sprouts than lettuce, and I find that very refreshing. Mint, scallions and peanuts do round out the flavors. If you notice the sauce bowls in the photos, that darker colored one came with mine, the 'vegetarian sauce'. It has a wonderful deeper flavor. Another good choice in this part of town.

Pho Tay Do 5296 University Avenue San Diego 92105 (619)582-0603

Tender Greens- and a Point Loma visit

August 30, 2011 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! It's a food blog. Kirk is having internet problems, ed(from Yuma) is busy with coursework starting, so today, it's Cathy blogging.

Hi again. It was yet another day of walking for The Mister and I, this time with a glorious view of San Diego with the Bay, the Navy Submarine base and Naval Air Station Coronado…

All a magnificent view from Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery. A very serene, cool walk on one of the days when the temperatures in East County were almost unbearable.

As we drove down the hill, The Mister and I were thinking of what we wanted for dinner. The idea of going home to cook was daunting and since we were in the area, we decided to stop at Tender Greens.
The unassuming exterior belies the wonderful meals to be found inside. I have posted about Tender Greens on one occasion and mentioned another visit in the middle of one post.
The menu is right above where you order…

You'll give your name and walk along a glassed kitchen prep area, seeing all the ingredients and watching your order being assembled…
The in House made charcuterie, fresh figs…
roasted vegetables,
The various proteins offered. At the end of the walk is the cash register where you can also order a desert and get your beverages and your order, all presented on a jelly roll pan which is your tray…you find a seat and can enjoy your meal.
We decided to share a bowl of rustic chicken soup ($4) Mostly dark chicken meat (the flavorful stuff) and a myriad of vegetables- the bowl was packed with potato, squash, carrot, onion, fresh herbs- lemon thyme is so complimentary. Always a good bowl of soup.

The Mister decided to try the Craft salad ($10.50), there were six slices of the house made salumi, Feta cheese, roasted peppers, olives, pickled onions, pickles, capers mixed in the 'young lettuce all erfectly mixed with the right amount of Cabernet vinaigrette.

I decided to try the 'Happy Vegan" this time.($10.50) What a wonderful choice! The greens were topped with a lemon vinaigrette and the scoops of salads, each with its own flavor, were individually wonderful- From the right- A farro/spelt/wheat grain mixed with dried cranberries and hazelnuts tasted rich and had a nice 'tooth'. The green hummus was fresh and had an underlying green onion flavor. The third is mostly red quinoa (you can see the quinoa 'tails' in the photo) mixed with cucumber and yellow beets and tasted creamy. The tabbouleh all the way on the left was a wonderful bulghur and had peppermint as it's green, making it sweet (to me).

The combination of vegan tastes was perfect and the overall salad was filling and refreshing, not at all what I expected vegan food to be. I want to try other vegan meals now.

Tender Greens 2400 Historic Decatur Road, inside the old Naval Training Center/Liberty Station San Diego 92106 (619) 226-6254 Website

Cafe Cabaret- a coffee shop with food.

August 29, 2011 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Caffeine Fix, Vegetarian and Vegan Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Hi. You are back at mmm-yoso!!!, possibly a bookmark on your Tool Bar, or perhaps you got here by Googling. In any case, Kirk and ed(from Yuma) are not blogging today, Cathy is.

The other Friday, again after one of our walks around a body of water…

Lake Murray on this day…

The Mister and I started driving and somehow got to Adams Avenue. We saw this sign. I rounded the block and parked.

It was the "French Crepes" sign which attracted me, because I still hadn't had any since my quest for crepes went unrequited a few weeks ago…

However, just the beverage menu here was filled with choices and when we saw menu items (sandwiches, salads, kabobs), breakfast items(omelets, scrambles, waffles, pancakes, French Toast) and some of the daily chalkboard specials, the crepe was soon forgotten and we ordered, paid and found a place to sit.

An outdoors-brought-inside decor with many tables inside the building as well as on the patio, apparently offering free wi-fi and community setting, we felt comfortable here.

The nice young lady who took our order brought out the regular coffee we had ordered. I found out the owners are Ethiopian, explaining some of the menu items. {Yes. Too many beverage choices has me wanting to see if a place can make a regular cup of coffee. (Cafe Cabaret can.)}
The Mister had ordered the Vegetable samosas, a light snack ($4.99) which came with a salsa dip as well as a yougurt sauce and some carrots and cucumbers.

These pockets of just baked flaky triangle shaped dough were filled with a delightful blend of peas, lentils, potatoes, carrots, spinach, tomatoes, onions, perfectly seasoned with cumin and coriander.
I ordered the chalkboard special falafel sandwich, which came with salad, hummus and whole wheat pita ($4.99). The salad dressing was a raspberry vinaigrette and the dipping sauce was yogurt based. The fresh hummus was topped with a nice-hot Harissa sauce. The falafel inside the wheat wrap were probably made from a dry mix, had and interesting garlic flavor on their own and were cold (!) inside the wrap filled with lettuces, onion, tomato and cucumber accompanied by a sauce which seemed to be a mix of the yogurt and harissa. There was a lot of falafel in the sandwich and the meal was quite filling and very tasty, although I ended up using all of the other sauces on the table and not the raspberry salad dressing for the salad- it tasted too sweet to me.

This was another lucky find for us. We'll stop by when we are in the area again.

Cafe Cabaret 3739 Adams Avenue San Diego 92116 (619)284-1819 Open 6:30-10 p.m. 7 days. Breakfast 7 a.m.-1 p.m. Website

Roasties-Breakfast in UTC

August 18, 2011 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, What Cathy Eats!

Roasties has closed

You're here, mmm-yoso!!!, the food blog. Kirk usually blogs, ed(from Yuma) sometimes blogs and today, Cathy is blogging.

The other morning, after our walk, The Mister and I drove West in hopes of finding less sun. We were thinking of breakfast at Wired Bistro and as we walked toward it, were looked at the closed and new (to us) places in the Renaissance Center (just Southeast of UTC mall).

Wired is to the left in this photo (the faded red umbrellas cover the tables in front) and by the green awnings to the right-

we saw this blue awning with breakfast advertised. We looked at the menu in the window then decided to try the food here.

There is plenty of outdoor seating (this location used to be a pretty busy crowded breakfast and lunch place called Le Peep). We decided to eat inside; it was a weekday morning and not crowded. The menu had some interesting choices and I went went the two eggs any style and chose seared ahi as the protein ($7.95) this comes with a choice of toast and potato choices or fruit. (I have chosen fish as a breakfast protein for another breakfast you know).

Of course, the style of eggs I chose were poached (done nicely) and rye/pumpernickle toast was also a natural choice. I was being good and ordered fruit (since The Mister ordered the Roasties potatoes). The ahi was moist and flavorful without needing any additions. I guess the bonus piece was a just because or to make up weight, but the large piece was substantial. The toast was good when warm, with a nice rye flavor, but when it cooled it got to a weird light crispiness. Not complaining, just noticing. If the same bread is used as a choice for sandwiches, I'd ask it not be toasted. Oh, every piece of fruit (strawberries, cantaloupe, watermelon, grapes and melon) was wonderfully flavorful…all at their peak. {we asked for the Coffee Mate coffee lightener product instead of half and half for the morning coffee}

The Mister chose a make your own omelette/scramble ($6.95), opting for the omelette with chicken (the place is called Roasties, and there is rotisserie chicken on the menu), Feta and broccoli. It was the rotisserie'd chicken- there was some skin…great flavor. The Feta gave it all a nice saltiness and the broccoli was just steamed and a nice crunch. He also got the Roasties potatoes- roasted with herbs(there was Rosemary and definitely pepper in the mix) and squaw wheat toast, which suffered the same after-toasting cool down crispiness…however had a definite molasses flavor in the bread. It's a good bread which for some reason did not hold up to toasting…

A nice find. Roasties is open from 7-4, has rotissiere chicken, sandwiches, salads and smoothies and is advertised on its menu as a Locally Owned Family Restaurant. The owner is part of a California Restaurant Family and lives in La Jolla. There is online ordering and a cash register next to the serve yourself beverage area for pick ups.

Roasties 8915 University Center Drive 92122 (858) 412-0785 Website

Spiro’s Gyros- Coronado

August 16, 2011 Cathy Greek Food, What Cathy Eats!

Hi. You're back reading mmm-yoso!!!, a blog about food. Today, Kirk and ed (from Yuma) are not posting. Cathy is sharing another of her 'vacationing around town' adventures.

The Mister and I decided to take our 'daily walk' on the Island City of Coronado the other day. We drove over the Bridge and took a right, then another right. There's a park, with a large parking lot and a view.

Again, we pretended we were tourists and walked West along the Bay.

Soon, we were at the Ferry Landing. People can board the San Diego-Coronado Ferry around Broadway downtown and cross the Bay to get to Coronado Island. There are several restaurants and bicycle rentals at the Coronado Ferry Landing site.

Of course we were hungry, and looked at a kiosk listing the various shops and I was, once again, craving gyros, despite my belief that no place in San Diego makes their own gyros and instead gets it all from one supplier:
(I saw this truck when we were in Pacific Beach, on another walk.)

So, when we saw this place:
"Spiro's Gyros", cute name, descriptive of the menu…we thought it might be OK and not be at the price point we saw on the menus of the two restaurants we had just passed.

The menu, just behind the cash register, looked better than average in selection and price. Horiatiki salad, as well as appetizers of Feta, hummus, giant beans, olives and pita, Pastitsio as well as chicken, lamb and fish dishes. Then again, the fish taco, quesedilla and pulled pork offerings were a bit out of line with the running theme…

Then we noticed Moussaka.
The Mister and I have not had Moussaka for at least ten years. We've considered making it at home, but after the pages of recipe instructions, we have ended up merely roasted eggplant and eating it at room temperature with Ajvar, a red pepper based relish. Basically, Moussaka is an eggplant casserole using the eggplant between layers of seasoned meat and covering it all with a white/custard-y/Bechemel sauce. We have not seen moussaka on a menu anywhere…we had to.

This version had a layer of potato on the bottom, a layer of seasoned (we could taste cinnamon and cardamom and pepper) ground lamb, a thin eggplant layer, another layer of seasoned meat mixed with tomato and chopped eggplant and topped with another layer of sliced eggplant and topped with the white sauce, baked. This was served with a very flavorful well made rice pilaf, Greek salad and fresh pita. ($8.75). The meat had tomato, green pepper and complimentary spices. This was a *wonderful* version of Moussaka.

I ordered the Gyros salad ($8.20) and was not expecting much. I was pleasantly surprised. This was not the 'standard' gyros. See the spices? There was definitely cumin, allspice, nutmeg, coriander and fennel. SO flavorful and the pieces thick cut and a bit crispy from the spit. A very good portion size on top of the lightly dressed lettuces topped with Feta, onions and Greek olives. This was served with tzatziki and more fresh pita.

Spiro's was a very good find for us and great midpoint of our walk and another 'touristy' adventure, right here in our own County.

Spiro's Gyros Coronado Ferry Landing (1201 First Street), Coronado 92118 (619)435-1225

Sportsman’s Seafoods

August 11, 2011 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Seafood, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog. Kirk is usually blogging, but today he was busy and un-adventurous. ed(from Yuma) sometimes blogs but today was also busy and non-adventurous. Cathy is posting about her adventurous day around town.

The other day, The Mister and I decided to drive West and pretend we were tourists and took a walk around Mission Bay. (There's Sea World to the right across the water). It's very overcast in the morning.

After that, we drove about the area until we got to Mission Beach, where we stopped and walked along the Boardwalk.

Where you can register to vote, in case you haven't gotten around to doing so in the usual manner. The sun was just starting to break through the clouds.

When we got back to the other side of the Belmont Park Giant Dipper Coaster, it was close to lunch time. We checked out the restaurants, but there was nothing particularly exciting that we wanted to eat, so we headed out on West Mission Bay Drive, to Quivira Road (the first signal light) and turned right.

Just to the left is Sportsman's Seafoods. It's a restaurant and fish market and has been here at least 30 years. The Mister and I had been here once, many years ago, when attending a conference in the area. As always, locals have to, and do, eat close to where they work. It is not fancy. Look in the background in several of the food photos. The tables are yellowing resin, filled with abalone shells…a very popular decor about 40 years ago.

You order at the small window.
There are specials listed to the left, the regular menu is above. \

Pick up your food at the large window to the left when your number is called.

The smoked fish salad (bottom right) ($5.10) was exactly what I had been craving. (Smoked fish inside the adjoining fish market is $16/lb.). There was quite a lot of fish in this salad. The Thousand Island dressing (and all the sauces) is made fresh here. Excellent flavor, creamy. The lettuce was very crispy, four black olives were in the mix and this was a very large salad- the container is quite deep.

The Cioppino (large, $4.70) was filled with smoked fish. This was a delightful surprise; more smoked fish! No other 'traditional' Cioppino ingredients (like shellfish or chunks of vegetables), so it wasn't the fish stew we had expected. The thick tomato based fish broth had an excellent spice mix. There was black and red pepper, but those were not dominant; just a good nice amount of heat to the mix. I could easily taste green bell pepper, some onion, garlic and oregano. The lightly toasted bread was very complimentary to the Cioppino. Different and hit the spot, since it was still chilly out.

The Fish and slaw plate( $8.25) had five very large pieces of (probably) fresh cod. You can see how flaky the fish is, yet so very moist and just right/lightly fried surrounded by that thin herbed batter. Perfectly fried, tasting just right with the crispy crust- the herbs were complimentary. The cole slaw, a very large portion, was a mix of finely shredded cabbages and carrots in just enough creamy sauce which was not overpowering.

The view of the marina from the restaurant, with the sailboats, houseboats, yachts and fuel station (which takes credit cards) was very relaxing. All of the outside tables were taken on this day, but we were here for the food and walked to see the view.

A nice day playing 'tourist' around town. Hope you are having a nice day too!

Sportsman's Seafoods 1617 Quivira Road San Diego 92109 (619) 224-3551

Point Loma Seafoods- Lunch at the temporary location

August 3, 2011 Cathy Seafood, What Cathy Eats!

Welcome back to mmm-yoso!!!. Kirk and ed(from Yuma) are not blogging today. Cathy is blogging.

Hi. Point Loma Seafoods, a San Diego institution for more than 40 years, is getting a facelift. I have posted about PLSF two other times. I suppose it is part of our 'rotation'. The building you are used to is gone and being rebuilt. At the far end of the parking lot , what at first appears to be a small trailer exists. This link to the website shows an overlay of the 'new area' right next to the 'old' area.

Really, it's a very large building storing seafood and a kitchen and inside eating, porch eating and behind all of this, outdoor picnic tables. Walk up the ramp, and this sign greets you. We went the first week the temporary building was open.

It is *very* large inside, as far as seating goes; more than the other location. However the choice of fish in the case and the menu is slightly different.

The seafood counter is smaller, there are no lobster tanks to look into, there is no smoked fish available for sale (I always order a pound of smoked fish to eat as part of the meal and take home the extra)…and sushi has its own display case, without the person preparing the sushi visible. It is different, in some ways.

However, the considerably more seating outside, inside and along the 'porch' area makes up for it. Still with a bit of a viw of the Bay. Even if the parking lot is full, there is still seating available.
Our meal. (We ordered and paid first, also different.) A large iced coffee, pint of fish ceviche and a squid plate.(total price, including what is in the brown bag, $28.40)
2 pieces fish with cole slaw- you can just order one or two pieces of fish and then a side of slaw for $1.88, part of the 'new' menu I like. The pint of fish ceviche was ordered from the counter: I've never had it from here and think that this day it was not prepared correctly.
The Squid plate. As always, PLSF mostly sells fried plates. The squid and fish were perfectly, lightly fried, as were the fries that came on this plate. Thin and crispy. The cole slaw is the same as always- chopped, creamy and perfectly seasoned.

The good food memories are still available here, the new building should be nice, sometime this Fall.

Point Loma Seafoods 2805 Emerson Street San Diego 92106 (619) 223-1109 Website

Fava Fennel $5 Friday

July 29, 2011 Cathy Recipes, What Cathy Eats!

Welcome to today's edition of mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Kirk is still busy with work, ed(from Yuma) is still busy vacationing and Cathy is blogging to keep herself busy.

Hi. I haven't posted on my inexpensive meals for a while. This refreshing recipe can be a side dish as well as a main and will cost less than $5. I confess I took the photos for this post when fava beans were 'in season' and really inexpensive (three pounds for $1 at Vine Ripe Market) and fennel was also in season (three for $1 at Vine Ripe). Favas, also known as broadbeans, are ready to eat in mid-spring until early summer. Now, in the heat of summer, when I want to eat this, the herb fennel is 99¢ a head and I buy frozen (not canned) fava beans for this recipe. Sold in one pound boxes for about $3 at Vine Ripe, other Middle Eastern markets and at 99Ranch, the frozen broadbeans are not as 'mushy' as the canned. I've also made this recipe with frozen soy beans (edamame) one time when I was apparently reading-challenged while in the freezer.

These are the primary ingredients (also the juice of one lemon, not in this photo). The fresh fava beans have been boiled, whole, in salted water, then cooled. Fava beans need to be shelled twice; first from the outer pod- once that cools, you can squeeze the pod and the beans shoot out easily- then you can remove the membrane covering the actual beans.

You can see the beans are greener and shinier in this photo because the translucent membranes have been removed. I like fennel because every part of the bulb is edible.

Sliced onion, fennel, mint, parmesan, olive oil, lemon juice and black or white pepper is all that is needed.

Fava Fennel Salad:

Approximate measurements:

one small fennel bulb

one to two pounds fava beans

1/4 C sliced onion

2 oz Parmesan cheese (1/4 C)

ten sliced mint leaves

Enough olive oil, lemon juice (I try to have two parts oil to one part acid for any salad dressing, some people make it three parts oil to one part acid) to coat everything. Pepper to taste

Toss to coat. Serve at room temperature.

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It's been a hot summer so far. We've been busy with the outdoor garden, growing tomatoes in Topsy Turvey planters around the house…

Inside the greenhouse,

various lettuces, beans and squashes were started, along with flowers and re-rooting of ground cover.

Some of the lettuces are housing little frogs…

A lot of the vegetables are thriving in pots.

We've already eaten five green bell peppers from this one plant.

The Mister also built a 4'x8' planter in the yard and we had to buy dirt and chicken manure to fill it. The transplants from the greenhouse are doing well.

The potted sunflowers are tracking the sun every day and will soon be spread around the yard.

To end this week and this post, I'd like to introduce you to two of my dogs: This is Tangent, rescued from the Shelter about a year ago.

This is Extra, another stray, living with us since 2003.

I hope everyone has a nice weekend!

Tea Station- a quick lunch

July 27, 2011 Cathy Chains, Chinese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Welcome! You have found mmm-yoso!!! a blog. A food blog. Kirk usually writes here, but he's busy with his job. ed(from Yuma) sometimes writes here, but he's busy with vacationing. Today, Cathy is writing here because she isn't that busy.

Hi. I blogged about Tea Station, in the middle of another post in 2007, when I had just become aware of Tea/boba type snack houses. Since then, The Mister and I try to take the time to stop for small meals and/or snacks when we are out and about. For the record, I still think of boba as being large snots and just don't order those large chewy masses of tapioca…

A few weeks ago, we went to Tea Station and noticed it had expanded into the next store front.
So we sat in the new area. It looked like it can seat about 50 people, plus the area out front can have more tables. The beverage bar is a few steps down, in its original location and the seating there is the same (about ten four person tables).

Tea Stations are franchised, all the locations seem have the same inventory and menu. The beverages to choose from include, hot and cold, tea- regular, fruit. flavored and milk, coffees, milk drinks, snow ices, jelly ices and healthy drinks. This time, we decided to try a small pot of the Rose tea ($4) . It came with two cups.

The tea both smelled and tasted of roses, yet had a deep strong undertone of black tea. Different and very good. It was perfectly brewed before being brought to the table.

The menu is divided into Snacks, Meals and Noodles. We decided to try a 'New!' item from the snack menu- fried squid balls ($5.25). These were quite substantial, meaty/chewy in a good way, had a light breading, were lightly fried, not greasy and enough spice to make them just right. I hope they remain on the menu.

We also decided to try the Tea flavored mushroom pork ($8.25). This came with rice and three side dishes (which vary daily). There are small mushroom pieces in the shredded pork and gravy, which has a mild tea flavor, but you can taste the meat flavor. The gravy was thick and tea/mushroom flavored. This day two of the side dishes had meat in it ground pork (or chicken) mixed with stir fried bok choy, the other with shredded pork and various vegetables and the third was room temperature pickled vegetables. Each side had its own flavor and in a larger serving, each could have been a meal with rice. Very refreshing and complimentary to the main dish.

Even though the plate seemed to be expensive, it came not only with those delightful side dish additions, but also a beverage choice of: hot or cold, black or green and with or without milk tea. This is a cold green tea milk and it tasted very nicely strong of green tea as well as milk.

All in all, a very nice relaxing light snack/lunch.

Tea Station 7315 Clairmont Mesa Boulevard San Diego 92111 (858) 268-8198 Open 7 days 11:30 a.m.-12:00 Sun-Th, until 1:00 a.m. on Fri and Sat Website